She looked up at the time on the clock on the wall. It was her brother's birthday in three days. She planned to skip class this afternoon and run out to buy a gift for him, because every year, her brother would buy her a lot of things.
He bought her plenty of clothes, plus those beautiful dolls and all kinds of Buddhist scriptures. The latter were more expensive and cost a lot of incense money.
Ajiu always felt that if she continued to be raised by her brother like this, even if she became headed a temple in the future, half of the incense money she could give to her brother might not be comparable to the jade Buddha statues that her brother gave her.
Ajiu looked down and shook her left hand.
"Where did you buy this bracelet?" Gu Cheng was originally just lying on the table, but when he carefully looked at her bracelet of jade Buddhas, he was shocked even though he was the scion to a major financial group. "This is really good stuff. My father has one, and his is made from pure jade, but his only has one Buddha head. You have eighteen. How expensive must it have been?"
Ajiu looked down and ate another rice cracker. "Big Brother bought it for me."
"Bai Zhun?" Gu Cheng shook his head decisively. "Impossible. Even if he's the only grandson of the Bai family, he couldn't possibly have so much pocket money. Besides, how could he bear to spend money like that? This is pure jade."
However, what Gu Cheng didn't know was that Bai Zhun never felt reluctant to spend money on Ajiu.
Ajiu had the fate of Buddha. When she entered the greater world, she would be afraid of worldly chaos.
When Bai Zhun saw that white jade Buddha statue, he made up his mind to buy it for Ajiu. He wanted Ajiu to be safe for the rest of her life.
Gu Cheng was right. No matter how powerful the Bai family was, Bai Zhun was still an underaged child. Master Bai would not give him so much money just to buy a bracelet.
But at the same time, there was something else that Gu Cheng also did not know.
But just as Xiao Lin said, Bai Zhun had just sat there with a smile on his face, but he did not touch any of the alcohol.
If it were not for the sake of buying this Buddhist bracelet for Ajiu, Bai Zhun probably would not even appear in such a place.
However, Gu Cheng still underestimated the power of the Bai family.
Bai Zhun was the third generation of a truly rich and powerful family. Every valuable item within the house was an authentic piece. Moreover, Bai Zhun was Old Master Bai's only grandson.
Bai Zhun wouldn't run into any problems, regardless of whether he wanted to go into business, politics, or the military.
However, Bai Zhun had also said that buying things for his Ajiu would only be meaningful if he used the money he had earned to buy them.
Chapter 1208 - Even Though They Lived Together, There Was Still a Difference (1)
Ajiu did not know how to make money, but she already had a lot of money in her piggy bank.
She had stuffed a lot of money into her schoolbag when Bai Zhun wasn't looking so that she could buy a present for him.
But what should she buy?
Ajiu felt troubled for the first time. This was the first time she felt that her brain wasn't good enough for this.
In the past, she never had to worry about something like this.
Every year on his birthday, he would just kiss her on the top of her head and say that as long as she was by his side, it would be the best gift to him.
But this year was different.
He would turn eighteen after the New Year.
He would become an a.d.u.l.t.
She had to give him a gift.
But what should she give him?
Her thoughts kept going round and round like this.
Aha!
Since he smoked, she could give him a lighter.
That way, he didn't have to stand around in the cold outside with Li Hailou and the rest just to get rid of the cigarette smell after smoking anymore.
After making up her mind, Ajiu sat up straight.
Moreover, Ajiu was definitely an honest girl. When the teacher asked her why she wanted to leave early, she put on a stern face and said seriously, "I need to buy a birthday present for my brother."
She really did not know how to lie at all. In addition, the entire school knew how close the Bai siblings' were.
The afternoon class was sports and music. In order to prevent Ajiu from accidentally damaging any sports equipment during her PE class again, the homeroom teacher generously wrote a leave of absence note for her.
She also specifically told her not to come back before PE class ended.
To be honest, every Wednesday was the most dreaded day for the PE teacher.
Because on this day, he had to face a female student who could walk around easily with a shot put ball.
The last time when he let Ajiu throw the shot put, she threw it too far and smashed the window of the principal's office. The principal had literally grabbed him by the collar and scolded him for a long time. He really... did not want to think about it again!
Fortunately, Ajiu was not here today!
The PE teacher was so touched that he was about to cry. After all, Ajiu had once told him that PE class was her favorite class!
To like it in such a way...the PE teacher couldn't find it in himself to be happy about it.
Ajiu herself was very happy. She carried the white cat in her arms and walked out of the school.
This was the first time she had gone shopping alone after that year. There was a shopping mall near the school, so she did not have to go too far.
However, what Ajiu didn't expect was that someone would grab her wrist after she took a few steps.
"I didn't expect you to skip class."
It was Gu Cheng. At first, he thought that he had been mistaken. Why was the Little Bean in the mall at this time? He ignored the girl with him and ran after Ajiu to see if it was really her. Now that he was sure it was Ajiu, he turned around and said to the girl with him, "You go back first. I'll go shopping with her."
That girl looked at Ajiu angrily, but she didn't dare to say anything. This was because there was almost no one in this school who didn't know Bai Zhun doted on his sister. If anyone had a problem with his sister, Bai Zhun would have a problem with that person.
Therefore, the girl was also smart enough to suppress her temper.
"Then let's eat together another day." After saying this, she smiled at Ajiu, even though she didn't mean it.
This was why Gu Cheng liked girls who were older than him. At the very least, they knew when to back off.
"What are you doing in the mall? Aren't you afraid that the teacher will tell your brother that you skipped class?"
"I took a leave of absence," Ajiu said as she looked to her side. It was hard to tell what she was looking for.
Gu Cheng raised his eyebrows. He felt that it was really strange that this little girl wasn't here to eat.
"I found it," Ajiu said softly and walked to a place that specialized in selling lighters.
Zippo stores like this only existed in large malls. The outer shell of the lighters was basically made of metal, and it felt special to the touch.
Ajiu held the cat in her arms and looked at the lighters hanging on the wall with bright eyes.
Gu Cheng did not expect her to be here specially to buy something like this. "Let's go, Little Bean. This is not something you can play with."
Ajiu did not leave. Gu Cheng was once again subject to her herculean strength. He could not pull this girl at all!
"Hello, please give me that pure silver lighter." Ajiu just let Gu Cheng hold her like that. She looked at the salesperson without moving and smiled. "And the pure black one on the right."
The salesperson looked at her face. "Young lady, you are still very young. Your friend here is right, you are indeed a little too young to be buying something like this."
"It's not for me, it's for my older brother," Ajiu said seriously. "These tw
o colors match him best."
So it was a gift. There was no need to make a fuss then. After all, there were students who came to buy a lighter for their father.
With this thought in mind, the salesgirl took down the two lighters. She was wearing woolen gloves on her hands, as if she was afraid of damaging the body of the lighter. Her movements were very professional.
"Young lady, you've got really good taste. These two lighters are this year's limited edition models. These are the only two in our shop."
Ajiu looked at the two lighters spread out in front of her. Each one had its own unique features. The silver one was very clean and bright, and the black one had a perfect cutting arc. At a glance, they looked luxurious.
Which one should she choose?
Ajiu only hesitated for a second. The next second, her eyes lit up. "Help me wrap both of them up."
Since they were both pretty, she was just going to buy them both.
After buying the lighters, she decided to buy a new schoolbag for Bai Zhun as well.
She wanted to buy everything she could for her brother!
Ajiu's state really shocked Gu Cheng.
"Little Bean, are you done? Bai Zhun has so many clothes. You don't need to buy clothes for him, right?" Gu Cheng ended up becoming her assistant and carried all her shopping bags for her.
Ajiu knew how to take care of those who worked for her. "Gu Cheng, thank you very much. When I'm done buying, I'll treat you to a big bun! I'll get you a nice vegetarian one!"
Gu Cheng was speechless. What was so great about treating him to a vegetarian bun? She should at least treat him to hamburgers or something!
Only this girl could would think of treating someone to a bun.
"These clothes are nice." Ajiu was about to pay the bill.
Gu Cheng stopped her hand. "Come here. Look over there. Is that my cousin and your brother?"
Chapter 1209 - Even Though They Lived Together, There Was Still a Difference (2)
Ajiu looked in the direction Gu Cheng was pointing at.
She recognized Bai Zhun almost at a glance.
It was indeed him.
He had one hand in his pocket and the other hand was on the sling of his schoolbag. His eyes were deep and charming. From afar, he looked like a celebrity who was doing a photoshoot.
There was a girl standing beside him.
The girl was holding something in her hand, as if she was trying to make Bai Zhun laugh.
This was the first time Ajiu had seen her brother get so close to a girl other than herself.
Her big eyes looked stunned.
"I have never seen my cousin behave like this before." Gu Cheng chuckled. "It seems that she really likes your brother. Wait a minute, Ajiu, don't tell me you don't know that your brother knows my cousin?"
Ajiu indeed did not know.
"In that case, let's not go over. Your brother definitely doesn't want you to see him outside the school at this hour." Gu Cheng reached out and grabbed Ajiu's school bag strap.
Ajiu really did not understand many secrets that a.d.u.l.ts had between themselves.
She looked at her hands. They were still very small, and her legs were also very small.
Was there really a generation gap since they were five years apart?
What exactly was Bai Zhun thinking? She suddenly didn't seem to know at all.
Gu Cheng was also surprised that the child didn't resist him. It was quite interesting to pull this little girl forward. She was so cute.
"In a while, I'll take her to eat at Burger King or Pizza Hut. Little Bean must be hungry," Gu Cheng thought as he walked on. His mood became better.
At this moment, Bai Zhun finally raised his eyes. He lazily twisted his stiff neck and tilted his head slightly. He did not expect to see that familiar little figure on the other side of the mall.
At first, he thought that he had seen wrongly.
When he ran over and looked carefully, there was no one there.
Gu Rou was right behind him, along with Xiao Lin and Li Hailou.
Xiao Lin was the first to speak. He lowered his voice and whispered into Bai Zhun's ear, "Since we're going to work together, then we have to consider the Gu family's feelings. Old Master Gu is still downstairs waiting for us."
"The conditions for working together didn't say that we have to accompany his granddaughter to shopping." Bai Zhun was still looking around.
Xiao Lin chuckled, "This project can earn us quite a lot. Didn't you want to buy a temple for Ajiu? You can't get one unless you've got at least a few million bucks."
"We'll talk about this later. I think I saw Ajiu just now." Bai Zhun reached out his hand to push Xiao Lin away.
Gu Rou laughed at this time, "Bai Zhun, are you looking for your sister?"
Gu Rou sighed, "You are really obsessed with your sister. I saw your sister too. She seemed to be with my cousin just now. My cousin is different from ordinary junior high school students and he's very good at taking care of others. Don't worry, they seem to be on good terms. I can't believe someone like my cousin would actually help a girl carry her shopping. That's not something he would typically do."
The more Bai Zhun listened to her talk, the darker his eyes became.
Anyone who came into contact with those cold, iron-like eyes would be frozen speechless.
Not to mention Gu Rou, who was standing right in front of Bai Zhun. She didn't know what words she had said to offend Bai Zhun.
His hands were in his pockets as he stood there. It was as if he was a thousand miles away from everyone.
Xiao Lin also heard what Gu Rou said. He was afraid that Bai Zhun would do something crazy in the mall, so he grabbed his wrist.
But Bai Zhun was surprisingly calm. He looked away and said, "What else do you need to buy? Go ahead and buy it. You have to go home in the afternoon."
He told himself that it was normal for Ajiu to have a friend.
There was no need to make a big deal out of nothing.
He wasn't sure if he was thinking about things this way partly because he knew he had to leave soon.
Sometimes, he would feel uneasy as he watched Ajiu lie on his shoulder and grow bigger and bigger each day.
He was five years older than her.
In her eyes, he might just be an elder brother who treated her meticulously.
He was probably nothing but an older brother to her.
Bai Zhun gripped the bag in his hand. He should not think about so much now.
Ajiu was still young, so he just needed to accompany her as she grew up.
But now, Bai Zhun didn't know what he would do if Ajiu didn't choose him when she grew up.
Or perhaps, she might develop feelings for a boy her age. What should he do if that happened?
His mind wasn't on doing business at all.
Old Master Gu liked Bai Zhun very much. The Bai family had a good relationship with him, but they were not living in the capital in the past. Now that they were back, it would be good for both families to interact more with one another.
Gu Rou could also see that Bai Zhun did not like to accompany her, but that was not a big deal. At first, when her grandfather asked her to get in touch with the Bai family, she did not want to do so. But after seeing Bai Zhun, she was quite satisfied with her grandfather's arrangement.
Bai Zhun probably thought the same way too. Gu Rou turned sideways and glanced at Bai Zhun through the car window. She didn't care if Bai Zhun returned her greeting or not, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile.
"You like him?" Old Master Gu teased.
Gu Rou had been abroad for a long time, so she readily admitted, "I like him."
"Then you have to pursue him yourself. I can't help you with this kid from the Bai family."
Gu Rou was smart. As soon as she heard Grandpa Gu's words, she knew that he approved of this matter.
Most ordinary families with children in their final year of high school would be getting the children to
study hard for college entrance examinations at this time.
He did not seem to have used any of the clout that his family offered, except when it came to doing business. Bai Zhun was not stupid. Since he had such an excellent family background, it would be a waste not to use it.
But when it came to his studies, a university from overseas had already sent him an invitation letter when he just entered high school. They said they were willing to make an exception for him.
Bai Zhun did not go. If he went abroad, what would Ajiu do?
Ajiu did not like western food. She liked steamed buns and white rice.
Bai Zhun was unwilling to let Ajiu suffer with him and he could not bear to leave Ajiu.
The child had followed him around since she was a small child and Bai Zhun had personally taken care of her.
Ajiu was easy to raise. She would eat whatever he fed her. However, Bai Zhun also realized that she could not stand noisy places. If she went to such a place, she would become very listless, unless he accompanied her.
Bai Zhun had thought about how he was going to make sure that he fed and clothed Ajiu well. He wasn't going to abandon her when she was still so young.
Ajiu had mentioned that she had a mother, but the temple never allowed infants to enter the monastery if she still had parents to take care of her.
Chapter 1210 - You’re Hiding Something
Buddhism has always paid attention to karma.
If the baby's parents were alive, the temple would not accept them.
Unless they were orphans.
Or if they were really Buddhas.
Compared to the latter, Bai Zhun naturally felt that the former was the real reason.
So up until now, the invitation letter from the foreign university was still kept by Chief Bai in his study.
Bai Zhun was destined to go to the army, but before he went to the army, the only person he could not bear to leave was Ajiu.
He believed that he had thought it through thoroughly, but he did not expect that someone would approach Ajiu without him knowing.
The Anarchic Consort c1-1376 Page 512
