The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er went downstairs. She didn’t ride her bike; the weather was cold and the roads were covered in ice. It would be easy to slip and fall on a bike, and a fall like that would hurt like hell. She’d rather walk.

When she got near the Liu family’s home, Gu’er let out a long breath and found a spot to stand and wait.

She only knew the general area where the Liu family lived, but she didn’t know which house was theirs, so all she could do was wait.

But after waiting for a while, Gu’er stomped her numb feet. The cold wind pierced through her cotton-padded jacket, and she felt like she was about to freeze solid.

Plenty of people passed by, but Gu’er couldn’t tell if Liu Yuan was among them. Everyone was wearing a scarf, bundled up so tightly that only their eyes were visible. You couldn’t see their faces at all. Even if Liu Yuan walked right past her, she probably wouldn’t recognize him.

’What should I do? Should I go door-to-door, asking which one is Liu Yuan’s house?’

Just as Gu’er was thinking this, she saw a man hurry past her. His steps were so quick it was as if someone was chasing him.

"Liu Yuan, you stop right there! You make yourself clear! Get back here! Do you think you can just run away from this?"

As the man passed, a woman’s shouts followed from behind.

’The voice sounds a little familiar.’ Gu’er looked over. The woman was also bundled up, but she didn’t look like Liu Yuan’s mother. ’Right, that’s Huang Mingyu.’

So the man just now was Liu Yuan. Gu’er’s heart leaped with joy. She’d found him.

Gu’er quickly followed Liu Yuan. Behind them, Huang Mingyu was shouting in exasperation, but Liu Yuan just walked faster and faster, neither answering nor looking back.

Gu’er followed Liu Yuan for a good while. His pace was fast, and Gu’er had to jog to keep up. But there was an upside to this: Gu’er no longer felt cold.

’It’s like Liu Yuan has no destination. Where is he going?’

"Liu Yuan."

Gu’er called out. She didn’t want to keep running after him. They were already far from the Liu family’s home, and Huang Mingyu was no longer in pursuit.

The moment Liu Yuan heard someone call his name, he didn’t even stop to think who it was and immediately picked up his pace.

"Liu Yuan, stop! It’s me, Gu’er!"

Seeing him about to bolt, Gu’er quickly shouted again.

Just as he was about to run off, Liu Yuan heard her and screeched to a halt. He turned to look back in disbelief.

Gu’er pulled her scarf down, revealing her face. Her cheeks were flushed red, a truly captivating sight.

It really was Gu’er. The brightness in Liu Yuan’s visible eyes intensified, and he quickly turned and rushed over to her.

"Gu’er, what are you doing here? Why are you...?"

Liu Yuan reached her and questioned her, his voice laced with a hint of pleasant surprise.

"I followed you from your house. I’ve been running after you for ages."

Seeing Liu Yuan again, Gu’er felt an indescribable emotion in her heart, but she was still very happy.

"Ah, why didn’t you call out sooner? If I’d known it was you, I would have stopped right away."

Liu Yuan truly hadn’t expected this. He thought that clingy pest Huang Mingyu was the one following him.

Gu’er just smiled.

"Gu’er, what made you decide to look for me? You came to find me, right? Is something wrong?"

Liu Yuan asked Gu’er. Seeing her again, his heart was in turmoil. He knew he hadn’t forgotten Gu’er. He still liked her.

"Can’t I come looking for you even if nothing’s wrong?"

Gu’er glanced at him, then added, "I’ve actually come looking for you several times, but I could never find you."

A flash of delight crossed Liu Yuan’s eyes. ’Gu’er has looked for me several times? Why was she looking for me? Could it be because... she has those kinds of feelings for me too?’

Liu Yuan’s heart immediately started to burn with passion.

"Gu’er, what did you need to see me for? And it’s so cold, the roads in the village must be impassable. How did you get to the city? What about Brother Jia Ming? Isn’t he with you?"

Liu Yuan fired off several questions in a row.

Gu’er was taken aback. From the sound of it, Liu Yuan had no idea she had moved to the city.

’Liu Yuan’s aunt should know. Didn’t she tell him?’

"Let’s find a place to sit down. This isn’t the right place to talk, it’s freezing."

Gu’er felt this couldn’t be explained in just a few words. She needed to have a proper talk with Liu Yuan.

"Okay, it is cold here. Where should we go? Oh, right, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come on, let’s find a place. I’ll treat you."

Liu Yuan also knew this wasn’t the place to talk and suggested taking Gu’er out to eat.

Gu’er agreed, and the two of them found a small restaurant.

Once inside, both Gu’er and Liu Yuan took off their scarves. Gu’er looked at Liu Yuan. He was still as handsome as ever, but he had lost the boyishness she remembered from their first meeting and seemed more mature.

They ordered two dishes, and Liu Yuan also ordered a glass of *shaojiu*. He poured a little for Gu’er.

"It’s cold out. Drink a little to warm yourself up."

Gu’er understood what Liu Yuan meant. Here in the bitterly cold Northeast, it was common for men and women in almost every household to drink a bit of *shaojiu* in the winter. This *shaojiu* was a strong, potent grain liquor, but drinking some could improve circulation and ward off the cold. It made people feel less chilled. Women were no exception; some could even out-drink the men.

Gu’er wasn’t much of a drinker—she could probably only handle a few shots—but because she’d hated how Zhou Mazi and Zhang Da would get drunk, fly into a rage, and beat people in her past life, she almost never touched alcohol.

"Okay, I’ll have a little sip."

Gu’er nodded.

The food arrived, and the two of them talked as they ate. Gu’er could tell that Liu Yuan truly didn’t know anything about her recent situation.

Gu’er explained everything that had happened to her.

Liu Yuan’s eyes went wide. His long eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings, a captivating sight.

"You... you’re saying you’ve been in the city for several months? Your birth parents are from the city? Is this for real? How did I not know? Then why didn’t you come find me?"

Liu Yuan could hardly believe it. After leaving Gu’er that day, he had resolved to work hard, become independent, earn money, and make something of himself. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He had deliberately avoided asking for news about Gu’er. He knew Sun Jiaming would treat her well. His plan was to wait until he was in a better, more independent position, and then he would go see her. If, at that time, Gu’er had feelings for him, he could tell her that he was capable of taking care of her. If she was still with Sun Jiaming, he would wish them well.

But he never imagined that Gu’er would have found her birth parents and moved to the city. If he had known, he would have come to see her long ago. Even if they couldn’t be a couple, they were still friends. In this unfamiliar city, having him as a friend would surely have made Gu’er feel less lonely and scared.

’Why didn’t I just ask my aunt about Gu’er?’

Liu Yuan looked at Gu’er, who was smiling at him. He suddenly recalled what she had said earlier—that she had tried to find him several times but never succeeded. He then remembered his mother once mumbling something about "not giving up" and "someone showing up at the door." He hadn’t paid it any mind at the time, but now he was certain his mother must have run into Gu’er, prevented her from seeing him, and never told him about it.

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