The Little Brat's Sweet And Sassy Chapter 1242 - Side Story 21: How Could You Woo Someone Like This?
1242 Side Story 21: Are You Really Trying to Woo Someone Like This?
Shadows lengthened as night descended, the moon casting a bright, cold glow from above.
The ward remained hushed, with nothing but the occasional soft murmur breaking the stillness.
“Shen Zhijin, I’ve developed a craving for peaches.”
He rose without a word to wash the fruit.
“Shen Zhijin, I’d like a glass of water.”
He promptly headed to the communal water station.
“Shen Zhijin, is my recovery truly complete?”
Finally, he met her gaze directly.
“Yes.”
Gu Tingyin rested on the hospital bed, yet his concise answer offered little comfort, leaving her to sigh with a heavy heart.
Their very first meal together had ended in a hospital emergency due to her peanut allergy. Was there a more embarrassing scenario than this?
It seemed he had hardly touched his own food.
“Are you hungry?”
Shen Zhijin merely shook his head.
Her reaction had been severe, and at that moment, he had ignored everything else. Now that she was stable, the hour was late, and he was likely too famished to feel anything at all.
Gu Tingyin took a thoughtful bite of her peach.
“By the way, Shen Zhijin, which fruit do you favor most?”
He watched her cheeks puff as she chewed, hesitating for a moment.
“Mango.”
“Oh, thank the heavens I’m not allergic to mangoes!”
Her eyes sparkled, clearly brimming with a touch of pride.
He remained puzzled as to why such a trivial realization brought her so much delight.
“Ah!”
Suddenly struck by a thought, she sat upright, peering at him with eager anticipation.
“Shen Zhijin! My birthday is only three months away!”
Shen Zhijin was left speechless.
Leaning closer to him, she pressed on.
“Shen Zhijin, what flavor of cake do you prefer?”
She was already planning for a day that was still months off.
Before he could formulate a response, she began to deliberate aloud.
“Since you enjoy mango, how about we go with a mango cake?”
It was as if she had already decided they would spend their lives together.
Click.
The patient in the neighboring bed extinguished the light, plunging the room into darkness.
Shen Zhijin lowered his tone.
“Try to get some rest.”
It was long past midnight, and having just finished her treatment, she needed sleep.
However, she still bubbled with restless energy.
Gu Tingyin blinked, then obediently slid back under the covers under his calm, piercing gaze. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face.
“Okay.”
She pulled the blanket high, leaving only her small face visible, her long dark hair splaying messily across the pillow.
Finally, quiet returned.
Because the ward was crowded during their emergency arrival, Shen Zhijin had been forced to take a simple stool by her bedside. He sat with the precision of a celestial body in a fixed orbit, unflinching and perfectly composed.
Even now, his back was rigid and his expression remained neutral.
Moonlight filtered through the glass, etching the elegant curve of his profile in silver.
Eventually, he heard her call out softly.
“Shen Zhijin.”
He pivoted to look at her, noticing her lips parted as if to speak further.
Her voice was too faint to catch, so, wary of waking the others, he leaned closer to listen.
“What was that?”
Her sweet, distinct voice whispered clearly into his ear.
“Shen Zhijin, you are incredibly handsome.”
He was so close he could feel the warmth of her breath and the faint, sweet scent she carried.
Each word resonated with unsettling clarity.
His pulse skipped, and he reflexively looked down at her.
She had drawn the covers up, leaving only the flushed upper half of her face visible. Her almond-shaped eyes were dark, lustrous, and as bright as if they had been scrubbed clean.
He had spent his life observing the stars, yet none held the brilliance of her gaze in that moment.
He could hear the rhythm of his own resolve crumbling.
It felt like a shooting star had defied the laws of physics, plummeting straight into his orbit without care for the consequences.
Her gaze felt searing. He pressed his lips together and looked away to escape her intensity.
Yet, even after several moments, he could feel her eyes still locked onto him.
The sensation was so vivid it was almost physical.
He finally turned back, his expression tinged with a warning.
“Are you going to sleep or not?”
She shook her head, defying him.
Shen Zhijin’s brow furrowed.
Before he could reprimand her, she mumbled, “We’re even now, and I likely won't get another chance to see you this closely in the future. So, I have to take advantage of this to look at you while I can.”
Shen Zhijin was stunned. He had never imagined she would fixate on such a thought while confined to a hospital bed.
She always appeared so confident and logical, often twisting her own eccentric thoughts into what sounded like undeniable truth.
What felt like an eternity passed in a heartbeat.
“I never actually finished that meal,” he said softly.
The eyes peeking over the blanket curved into a sly, triumphant smile.
“I know.”
The incident involving Shen Zhijin carrying Gu Tingyin from the cafeteria to the hospital had been witnessed by many, sparking an immediate frenzy at Xijing University. Both were campus celebrities, after all, and any movement they made invited scrutiny.
Everyone waited for the follow-up, but, to their collective confusion, rumors died out as quickly as they began.
That was because Shen Zhijin had flown to Bai City the following morning. As a researcher balancing his Ph.D. with his work at the Fino Laboratory branch, his travel between the two cities was frequent. He was absent for two weeks.
Without him, the intrigue had no fuel to sustain it.
Or so it seemed, until the Xijing University Astronomy Society gathered.
It was their first meeting since the recruitment drive, and the lecture hall was packed. President Wei Cheng looked over the crowd and clicked his tongue.
Look at this. While other clubs exhausted themselves with gimmicks to attract members, the Astronomy Society had no such problem. Juniors practically fought for a spot.
The reason was simple: Shen Zhijin.
Though he never officially joined, the club's founder, Xu Zhe, was a senior lead in his laboratory. This association was more effective than any advertisement.
Xu Zhe, though retired, occasionally returned to give guest lectures. With Shen Zhijin back in the Capital after a year away, everyone hoped he might finally make an appearance.
Of course, the high attendance wasn't just about him.
Wei Cheng turned toward the girl in the back row. “Gu Tingyin, we’d like you to handle the sponsorship pull for our upcoming stargazing event. Think you can manage?”
Gu Tingyin gave a fluid nod.
“No problem at all,” she replied.
As a new recruit who knew nothing of Physics or Astronomy—failing every question during her interview—she had been ushered into the public relations department, solely due to her looks.
Wei Cheng nodded, satisfied.
“Excellent. It’s set for this Saturday at Yun Hill. Everyone, get your supplies ready. Any questions?”
A pretty girl raised her hand.
“President, will Senior Shen be present?”
A chorus of eager agreement echoed through the room, and many eyes darted toward Gu Tingyin.
Wei Cheng chuckled.
“What are you dreaming of? A tiny event like this won’t draw that deity here.”
A wave of disappointed sighs rippled through the female students.
“Stop your sighing,” Wei Cheng added. “There is still plenty of work to do. If you fail the assessment, don’t expect any favors from me.”
The club had professional standards, and new members were expected to learn the ropes. The room’s tension shifted as many eyes turned to Gu Tingyin.
Everyone knew she was an Arts student with zero foundation in the sciences. Many assumed this test would be her undoing.
But whispers soon began.
“Some people will pass regardless of the assessment, right?”
“I suppose beauty is its own credential.”
“It’s pathetic. I heard she tried to corner Senior Shen in the cafeteria, ending up in the hospital. Anything to get his attention.”
Gu Tingyin’s expression remained indifferent, though she caught their bitter undertones.
When she finally met their gazes with her calm, dark eyes, the girls instinctively fell silent, unsettled by a sudden, underlying air of authority she possessed.
Despite her usual demeanor, she carried herself with a quiet nobility that hinted at a much deeper, more formidable background.
A sympathetic senior leaned toward her. “Junior, you might not know how difficult this is. We need to rent equipment, set up tents for the overnight, and the costs are massive. Sponsorships aren't easy to secure.”
Gu Tingyin remained lost in thought.
“Oh? Is there anything else required besides that?”
The senior sputtered, momentarily silenced.
“Well… I suppose not.”
Gu Tingyin offered a polite, faint smile.
“Understood. Thank you, Senior.”
Checking her watch, she noted that Shen Zhijin’s flight should have just landed.
At the Capital airport, Shen Zhijin and his mentor walked toward the terminal exit.
“Are you heading back to campus?”
Shen Zhijin nodded.
“Yes.”
His mentor gave him a knowing smile.
“Zhijin, I hear you’ve been courting a certain student lately.”
Shen Zhijin paused.
The older man chuckled.
“First, you were late because of her. Then you escorted her to her dorms, and finally, you spent the entire night at the hospital by her side. Zhijin, are you really trying to woo someone like this?”