She just wanted to get out quickly and avoid the situation. "Mother Dean, I’ll go check on the kids. You guys go on and chat."
Anyone with eyes could see that Ji Yu was deliberately trying to avoid Gu Qixiao now.
Although Mother Dean wasn’t sure what had happened, seeing that the two of them still had some level of rapport, she could tell there must be some kind of misunderstanding.
"Yu is a good child in every respect, just a little too stubborn and headstrong at times."
Speaking of this, Mother Dean couldn’t help feeling a bit helpless.
As for Gu Qixiao, his mind was preoccupied with what he should do next.
"She probably always wore a protective shield from a young age, which made her this stubborn. But she’s also a very kindhearted child."
Mother Dean hoped Gu Qixiao wouldn’t hold too many prejudices against Ji Yu.
She also wished that one day, things between him and Ji Yu could have a happy outcome.
Gu Qixiao smiled slightly. "I understand."
He would certainly take care of Ji Yu, but right now, Ji Yu probably didn’t think she needed his care.
Ji Yu had originally wanted to come out for some fresh air, but when she noticed the kids all seemed busy with something, she couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled.
"Xiu, what are you all up to, sneaking around?" She looked at them with curiosity.
But the situation in front of her seemed a little different from what she had imagined.
"Sister Yu, you can’t look! We’re preparing a surprise for someone else. If you see it, it won’t be a surprise anymore." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel-fire.ɴet
Hearing this, Ji Yu grew even more curious about what it could be. However, seeing how cautious they were, she didn’t feel it was appropriate to push.
"Fine. Then can Sister Yu go to the art room and draw for a bit?"
She really didn’t know what else to do, so she figured she might as well paint.
Clearly, they were all curious about what Ji Yu was planning to paint.
But thinking about what they were holding in their hands, they continued diligently with their task.
This only made Ji Yu more curious about what exactly they were up to.
Especially as she looked at the situation before her, she had no idea what to make of it.
But Ji Yu quickly got her answer.
Looking at what was in front of her, Ji Yu’s expression froze slightly.
"Sister Yu, today is your birthday! Uncle Gu asked us to prepare this together." As Xiu spoke, she handed Ji Yu a wobbly-looking little doll they had made.
In that moment, as soon as Ji Yu saw the doll, long-forgotten memories came rushing back to her mind.
"You..." She didn’t know how Gu Qixiao had learned about the story behind this doll, but seeing it now, Ji Yu felt her composure slipping.
It was as if the deepest part of her heart had been exposed, leaving her feeling utterly unprepared.
Seeing her in this flustered state, Gu Qixiao couldn’t help but find her reaction a little endearing. "It’s your birthday today. Of course, I wanted to give you the thing you once desired most. I believe you’ll like it."
As he handed her the doll, there was a trace of hope in his eyes.
He had even made a doll himself. Although, just like the kids’, it didn’t look particularly attractive.
Yet this not-so-pretty doll overlapped perfectly with the one from Ji Yu’s memories. It was as if she had been transported back to her past.
Someone actually remembered that doll after all this time.
But Ji Yu didn’t know how to respond to the situation.
The truth was, such a gift was so stunning to her that she couldn’t even bring herself to say no.
"What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you don’t like it?"
"I like it." She couldn’t bring herself to say otherwise, and she even hugged the doll to her chest.
It was evident that this doll had stirred something special within Ji Yu.
She looked at the man in front of her, not knowing what to say.
"If you like it, then accept it openly. Though this one might not look so good, I promise to give you a more decent one later."
He had practiced for a long time but still hadn’t perfected it. He figured he definitely couldn’t keep giving her such poorly made dolls for her future birthdays, but he decided he would make one for her every year nonetheless.
His gaze at Ji Yu carried a hint of amusement, leaving her at a loss for words.
"Yu, don’t blame me for telling Mr. Gu about this. I only mentioned that this doll holds significant meaning for you."
The fact that he actually made it already showed how much effort Gu Qixiao had put into it.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent so much time and energy on a single doll.
Additionally, perhaps feeling that the doll wasn’t presentable enough, he had also prepared a bracelet as a gift—a piece of jewelry clearly worth a lot.
"Since you’ve received the gift, you should be happy. Besides, we’ll celebrate here this afternoon, and tonight you’ll need to go back home for another celebration."
He knew that the Ji family cared deeply for Ji Yu as well.
Ji Yu felt a bit helpless but understood what he meant. "Thank you."
She genuinely liked the gift but didn’t know how to face Gu Qixiao.
It seemed she really couldn’t shake him off anymore.
"The look in your eyes seems like you’re thinking about how to push me away," he teased. "But since you accepted my gift, no words of rejection are allowed today. Come over and cut the cake."
He knew full well that Ji Yu sometimes needed time to adjust and process things, but Gu Qixiao wasn’t in any hurry.
Eventually, he’d come to understand Ji Yu’s preferences more and more.
Ji Yu sat to the side, appearing somewhat dazed throughout. "You really don’t need to go to such great lengths for me. You know why I keep rejecting you."
She knew very well that the matter involving Song Xuan had always been a wedge between them. And there was another unresolved issue—they had never addressed the fact that her ex-husband was none other than Gu Qixiao.
For a moment, she found herself tangled in conflicting emotions, unsure of what to say.
"Don’t be afraid. Some things just need careful thought. I know what’s on your mind, but I have no intention of leaving."
He wanted to stay by Ji Yu’s side.
Ji Yu looked at Gu Qixiao, once again unsure of how to respond.
To her, feelings were always complicated—something she couldn’t easily handle or sort out.
"Let’s deal with everything else later. Today is your birthday. I want you to be happy and not dwell on all these random, inexplicable things."
He knew Ji Yu was probably anxious about it all.
But he didn’t want her thinking about such matters on her birthday.
"Do you even realize today is your birthday?"
In truth, Ji Yu hadn’t wanted to celebrate her birthday in years. Occasionally, she’d have a small celebration with the Ji family. Truth be told, today’s events had all been completely unexpected for her.