Xun Er's Feelings! A Loving Breakfast! (Please Follow)

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the window lattice, gently falling across Gu Xun Er's face.

Her long eyelashes trembled a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.

She had slept especially soundly that night, and even her dreams had been warm and sweet.

Out of habit, she looked toward the door and was about to get up when she suddenly froze.

On the inside of the door, a familiar figure sat cross-legged with his back to her.

The sunlight outlined his slightly slender yet perfectly straight back, his short black hair looking especially soft within the halo of light.

Brother Gu Long? Why was he here? Had he sat here all night?

A thought sprouted in her heart like a spring bud breaking through the earth—he had been watching over her.

Warmth flooded through her body. The feeling of being cared for, of being carefully protected, was something she, the young miss of the Ancient Clan, had never experienced so vividly before.

Gu Xun Er had always been surrounded by respectful yet distant gazes, unable to tell which ones were sincere.

It was as if something had filled her heart to the brim, leaving it soft and swollen.

She quietly lifted the blanket and, barefoot, padded behind Gu Long as silently as a kitten.

Gu Long had actually noticed the moment she woke. He withdrew the Soul Condensing Art and slowly opened his eyes.

Before he could turn around, a pair of soft little hands wrapped around his arm from behind. Then, a fluffy little head rested against his shoulder.

"Brother Gu Long..." Xun Er's voice was soft and drowsy from sleep, carrying a trace of barely noticeable dependence and delight. "Why are you sitting here?"

Gu Long turned around and looked at the little girl before him, dressed in a white nightgown, her fair cheeks tinged with pink. His gaze unconsciously softened.

He raised his hand, habitually wanting to ruffle her hair, but only gently brushed past it, unwilling to mess up her lovely hair.

"The wind was strong last night. I was worried you hadn't shut your window properly, so I stayed here to keep watch."

He came up with an excuse that sounded quite reasonable, his tone calm, as though it were nothing worth mentioning.

But Xun Er believed him—or rather, she was willing to believe this lie that sounded so warm.

Her grip around Gu Long's arm tightened as she raised her little face. Her large eyes sparkled while she began to act cute.

"Brother Gu Long, I'm hungry. I want fried dough sticks and sweet millet porridge this morning. Is that okay?"

She knew Brother Gu Long could make all sorts of delicious food, food that suited her taste even better than what the chefs in the Ancient World made.

Faced with the little girl's expectant gaze, how could Gu Long refuse? He nodded. "All right, I'll make it. Go wash up first."

"Mm!" Xun Er answered happily, finally letting go of him and skipping off to wash up.

Gu Long watched her retreating figure, the corner of his lips lifting almost imperceptibly.

He stood and stretched his body, which had become somewhat stiff from sitting for so long, before heading toward the simple kitchen in the small courtyard.

The Master Chef Skill and the seasonings from countless worlds allowed him to effortlessly recreate any delicacy from his memories.

By the time the golden, glossy fried dough sticks and millet porridge fragrant with rich rice aroma, garnished with several goji berries, were served on the stone table in the courtyard, Xun Er was already sitting obediently with a spoon in hand, waiting eagerly.

"Delicious!"

After biting into the crisp-outside, tender-inside fried dough stick and taking a sip of the smooth, sweet porridge, Xun Er happily narrowed her eyes, her little feet gently swinging beneath the table.

Gu Long sat opposite her, quietly eating his own portion, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the shadows by the courtyard wall.

He knew Ling Ying was there.

As breakfast was nearly finished, Ling Ying appeared in the courtyard like a ghost and gave Xun Er a slight bow. "Miss."

Xun Er set down her spoon, wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and resumed the bearing expected of the Ancient Clan's young miss as she looked at Ling Ying. "Elder Ling, is something wrong?"

Ling Ying glanced at Gu Long. Seeing that he had no intention of avoiding the matter, Ling Ying directly lowered his voice to Xun Er. "Miss, last night..."

He briefly recounted how Xiao Yan had attempted to sneak in, how Gu Long had discovered and punished him, and how Gu Long had subsequently guarded outside her room all night.

His tone was calm and devoid of personal emotion, merely stating the facts.

As Xun Er listened, the hand holding her handkerchief gradually tightened.

So Brother Gu Long had sat outside the door not because of the wind, but because a bad person had wanted to harm her!

Brother Gu Long had protected her!

She remembered the peaceful, dreamless sleep she had enjoyed last night. Then she thought of Brother Gu Long sitting alone outside in the cold all night, and the warmth in her heart instantly turned scalding, nearly spilling from her eyes.

She held back and did not let her tears fall, but when she looked at Gu Long, her eyes were already filled with indescribable gratitude and dependence.

"I understand, Elder Ling. You may leave."

Xun Er's voice carried a faint, barely detectable tremble.

Ling Ying bowed again and silently disappeared.

Only Gu Long and Xun Er remained in the small courtyard once more.

Xun Er lowered her head and looked at the half bowl of porridge left on the stone table, remaining silent for a long time.

Gu Long thought she had been frightened and was about to comfort her when Xun Er suddenly lifted her head. The earlier turmoil had vanished from her face, replaced by an unusual resolve.

She did not look at Gu Long. Instead, she stared into empty space, as though swearing an oath to some invisible presence.

Her little hand clenched tightly into a fist beneath the stone table. In a voice only she could hear, she silently recited each word in her heart:

"Brother Gu Long, thank you. In this life, I, Gu Xun Er, will marry no one but you! No matter what happens, no matter what the future brings, my heart will never change!"

This vow was heavy and burning, deeply branded into the depths of her ten-year-old heart.

From this moment onward, the boy named Xiao Yan completely lost her favor.

Her world was small, with room for only one Brother Gu Long—the one who had accompanied and protected her since childhood, and who made delicious food for her.

She took a deep breath, picked up her spoon again, and ate the remaining porridge bite by bite, her movements refined yet resolute.

After finishing, she raised her head and gave Gu Long a smile even brighter than the sunlight.

"Brother Gu Long, I'm full! Today's porridge was especially delicious!"

Gu Long looked at her radiant smile. Though he found her behavior just now a little strange, seeing that her mood had improved put him at ease, and he nodded.

"I'm glad you liked it."

He did not know that, on this ordinary morning, after a simple breakfast, a young girl had tied her future to him without reservation.

And this weighty affection would become one of the warmest and most steadfast sources of strength on his path ahead.

The seed of affection had already taken root and sprouted in the girl's heart, unshakable.

May every day you awaken be accompanied by sunlight, perhaps in the clear sky, perhaps within your heart.

Gu Xun Er: I hope it is you in this life, you for the rest of my days, and still you in the next life!