"It's me, Sister Susu, you finally recognize me!" The little one said with a happy smile.
Gu Susu smiled and took his hand. "I haven't seen you in a while, and you've changed so much that I didn't recognize you at first. Why are you in Lancheng too, and why are you a rescue team member?"
"I'm studying at a sports school here and joined the rescue team in my spare time. I thought I could help people and improve myself." The little one held her hand back, gripping it tightly as he did when they were children.
Gu Susu remembered he was three years younger than her. When he first arrived at the orphanage, he was thin and dark, and shorter than children his age, so everyone nicknamed him "Little One."
The first time she saw him, he was being ganged up on by a group of children. Without a second thought, she ran over and dispersed the younger children, standing in front of him and telling the others not to bully him anymore, that she would protect him.
From then on, Little One became her shadow. In her memory, his face always had two clear snot trails, he was timid in his speech and actions, and he always loved to wipe his nose.
It was no wonder he was bullied and ridiculed like that. She, however, patiently taught him how to survive in the orphanage and how to plan his life so that he wouldn't be looked down upon.
When she was eighteen and was taken home by her parents, she never saw him again. It had been six or seven years since then.
He was only fifteen then, but now he had completely changed. He had grown taller, his physique had become stronger, no longer so thin, and his features had matured, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. She truly couldn't recognize him at all.
"It was too dark when I rescued you last night, and I couldn't see your face clearly. I only realized it was you after I brought you to the hospital." Little One sat by her hospital bed and asked, "By the way, why did you fall into such a dangerous place? Were you exploring the wilderness with your husband? After you left the orphanage, I heard from them that your parents were wealthy and owned a large company. Have you been living well since you went home? Are you married well?"
Gu Susu hummed, unable to explain to him the life she had lived over the years, which was not as free and happy as it had been in the orphanage.
"I saw your husband last night too. He's so handsome and has such a great aura. You must be very happy now, right?"
"I'm okay. You've turned into a handsome guy, Little One." Gu Susu joked with him.
Although they had been separated for many years, because they had been inseparable and relied on each other in their youth, Gu Susu had always regarded Little One as her younger brother. They quickly became as close as family or friends, chatting and laughing.
"What are you doing?"
Hearing this cold voice, Gu Susu nervously let go of Little One's hand. She saw Qin Tianyi, wearing a dark gray cashmere coat, walk into the ward.
He stared at the two of them, his handsome face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Little One found Gu Susu's reaction a bit strange. He stood up and turned, wanting to shake Qin Tianyi's hand. "Hello, I'm from the rescue team. My name is Su Kangxi. Susu and I..."
"Susu?" Qin Tianyi was covered in ice. He sized up Su Kangxi and said, "You're the team member who worked the hardest to rescue her last night? What are your intentions?"
"Mr. Qin, I think you've misunderstood. Susu..." Su Kangxi was about to explain, but Qin Tianyi directly grabbed his collar, yanked him fiercely, and pushed him out of the ward.
"Don't you call her Susu!"
"Qin Tianyi, let go! Are you being unreasonable?" Gu Susu was anxious and wanted to get out of bed. Seeing that Qin Tianyi had already let go of Su Kangxi, he heavily closed the ward door.
Su Kangxi anxiously asked from outside the door, "Sister Susu, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. You should go back first. I'll contact you when I have time." Gu Susu had already propped herself up with her hands and sat up halfway, responding to him.
There was no more sound from outside the door. Gu Susu thought he must have left.
Qin Tianyi gazed at her with his dark eyes and said, "Sister Susu? How long have you known each other to be calling each other so intimately? Don't you know how to conduct yourself properly?"
Gu Susu felt flustered under his gaze and quickly said, "We actually..."
Qin Tianyi, however, domineeringly refused to let her finish. He grabbed her hand, which had just been holding Su Kangxi, and said, "You were holding hands just now! Gu Susu, I'm warning you, we're not officially divorced yet. You have a husband. If you let other men touch you like this, I'll lock you up and keep you from getting out of bed forever!"
Gu Susu's face turned red, and she felt a chill. She knew Qin Tianyi was capable of doing such a thing. He was never someone to be trifled with.
Qin Tianyi had already reached her bedside, propping himself up with one hand on the bed frame, glaring at her, and warning, "Do you remember?"
"I remember." Gu Susu didn't dare to refuse him. She immediately explained, "But can't you just listen to me finish? Little One and I have known each other since childhood. We grew up together in the orphanage, not meeting for the first time last night."
Qin Tianyi looked at her with an expression of disbelief.
She added, "Little One is Su Kangxi. We all called him by his nickname in the orphanage, and no one remembered his real name."
"You grew up together in the orphanage? But he looks younger than you."
"Yes, he's three years younger than me. I've always treated him like a younger brother. I haven't seen him for many years since I left the orphanage, and he's completely changed. Who says girls change when they grow up? Boys change too when they grow up." Gu Susu's lips curved into a smile as she spoke, remembering Little One's snotty nose from when he was a child.
Qin Tianyi reached out and pushed her back onto the bed. He said "Oh" and dismissively added, "Su Kangxi, what a rustic name. It sounds like a child from a landlord's family."
Gu Susu couldn't help but grin. "You're being humorous now. That tone is quite similar to Xiao Anjing's. In the orphanage, many children didn't have names originally. They were just given names by the director and staff as long as they sounded pleasant and were easy to say."
"Is your name easy to say?" Qin Tianyi glanced at the IV drip on her left hand and asked.
"I suppose so." Gu Susu asked, "How long do I have to stay in the hospital? Is Little Star okay?"
"He's fine. The doctor said you'll need to be hospitalized for at least half a month."
Gu Susu pulled back the blanket Qin Tianyi had just covered her with and objected, "No, I can't lie here for half a month. Little Star will think I've abandoned him again. Take me back. I want to recuperate at the seaside villa. That way, I can recover from my injuries and be with Little Star every day."
"A villa isn't as convenient as a hospital. If you feel unwell, you can receive timely medical treatment in the hospital," Qin Tianyi disagreed with her idea.
"Please, take me to the seaside villa so I can see Little Star as soon as possible. Please, I'll do anything you ask." Gu Susu's heart ached at the thought of Little Star's expectant gaze, not wanting her to leave.