Goubuli as a Gift It's More Like a Joke That Could Turn Into a Cry

Struck by Jiang Yangmei's harsh words, Ye Mengfu's expression turned desolate.

She couldn't help but reflect on her life after graduation.

Even if Jiang Yangmei hadn't deliberately sabotaged her back then,

would she have truly excelled at the job she landed?

Apart from painting, it seemed she was good at nothing else...

Painting was all she could do—and the only thing she did well.

She simply didn’t understand the "social niceties" Jiang Yangmei had spoken of.

Someone like her might never become a renowned artist.

Ye Mengfu's breathing gradually quickened, the light in her eyes dimming.

For someone so sensitive, once self-doubt took root,

the abyss beneath her feet felt bottomless...

"Little Fufu? Little Fufu!"

Ye Mengfu: "Huh? I—I'm here."

Hearing Lin Yu's voice, Ye Mengfu snapped out of her thoughts.

What an idiot she was.

Here she was, lost in her own head while standing right beside Lin Yu.

Before they entered the museum, he’d even reminded her—

This was their first date!

How could she let her rotten mood ruin it?

She had to cheer up. She absolutely had to...

Ye Mengfu repeated this to herself, desperately trying to steady her emotions so they wouldn’t affect Lin Yu’s mood.

But she was no social butterfly skilled at pretending.

The harder she tried, the more her cheeks flushed.

Lin Yu saw right through her strained attempt to force a smile.

Gently, he pulled Ye Mengfu toward a temporary seating area around the corner.

"Little Fufu, this is the gift I prepared for you today!"

"Take a look—do you like it?"

With that,

Lin Yu handed her a box of Goubuli pastries.

Ye Mengfu froze as she accepted it: "???"

Goubuli... as in the buns?

Wait, no.

It was pastries.

This gift had completely blindsided her.

It was nothing like Lin Yu’s usual style.

Was there some hidden meaning?

Goubuli...

Was he telling her to ignore Jiang Yangmei’s deliberate jabs?

But that couldn’t be.

He couldn’t have known they’d run into her classmate today when he prepared the gift.

It must’ve just been that Goubuli-brand pastries were delicious.

So,

Lin Yu wanted to share them with her.

That had to be it.

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! Sharing a worldly delicacy with your cultivation partner, deeply touching her heart!]

[Reward: 50 spirit stones.]

"Thank you... I’ll make sure to finish it all myself later."

"It looks... really tasty. I love it."

Ye Mengfu cradled the box, studying the illustrations and text on the packaging.

She wanted to see what kind of pastries were inside.

Lin Yu ruffled her hair, grinning.

"Why do I get the feeling our Little Fufu isn’t entirely satisfied with this gift?"

Ye Mengfu jerked her head up, shaking it vigorously.

"No, really!"

"I... I love everything you give me."

He didn’t need the system’s prompt.

Just seeing the pure, unguarded look in her eyes told Lin Yu she wasn’t lying.

This silly girl.

Even if he gave her a lollipop as a gift,

she’d probably cherish it with all her heart.

The more considerate she was,

the more it tugged at his heartstrings.

The foul mood "Mountain Ogre" had stirred up had even robbed Lin Yu of the chance to give a proper gift.

But for now,

he just wanted to see Little Fufu smile again.

"Little Fufu, have you heard the story behind ‘Goubuli’?"

Lin Yu asked, tilting his head.

Ye Mengfu nodded, glancing at the box.

"I’ve heard of Goubuli... the buns."

"I didn’t know they made pastries too."

Perfect. This was his opening.

Lin Yu continued softly,

"When I was little, anytime someone mentioned Tianjin, they’d bring up Goubuli buns. They were supposed to be amazing, but I never got to try them."

"But every time, I’d get hung up on one thing."

"How could dogs possibly ignore buns? That’s nonsense, right?"

"‘Even a meat bun thrown at a dog won’t come back’—isn’t that the saying?"

"If even dogs wouldn’t touch them, how could they taste good?"

This wasn’t a question unique to Lin Yu.

Ye Mengfu listened intently, nodding like a chick pecking at rice.

She waited eagerly for him to unravel the mystery,

like a diligent student hanging on a teacher’s every word.

"Years later, I finally learned the truth."

"The guy who made the buns had a childhood nickname—‘Gouzi’ (Little Dog)."

"While working, he’d get so focused that he’d ignore customers."

"So people started saying,"

"‘Gouzi? Gouzi! Hey! This Gouzi won’t even acknowledge us!’"

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! Unrestrained humor is key to bonding with your cultivation partner, further closing the distance between you!]

[Reward: 50 spirit stones.]

Lin Yu’s animated storytelling, complete with exaggerated gestures,

instantly drew laughter from Ye Mengfu.

The gloom trapping her earlier seemed to dissipate under his playful antics.

Gazing at her, Lin Yu thought—

This unguarded, genuine smile of hers was truly beautiful.

Noticing his stare, Ye Mengfu shyly bit her lip, suppressing her grin.

"So that’s why it’s called Goubuli..."

"It’s... really funny."

Seeing her cautious expression,

Lin Yu instinctively reached out, brushing his fingers against her cheek.

Ye Mengfu didn’t pull away. She understood—

Lin Yu had noticed her low spirits and deliberately cracked jokes to cheer her up.

Thanks to him,

her heart felt lighter now.

But Jiang Yangmei’s piercing words still lingered, hard to shake off.

"Now, what’s the lesson here?"

Lin Yu suddenly shifted tones, adopting a quizmaster’s demeanor.

Caught off guard, Ye Mengfu blinked in confusion.

"Huh? The lesson...?"

She’d assumed Lin Yu was just being silly to make her laugh.

The idea of a deeper meaning hadn’t crossed her mind.

Now put on the spot, she had no answer.

Lin Yu pinched her cheek lightly, glanced at the gift box in her hands,

then met her eyes with warmth.

"Little Fufu, what I’m trying to say is..."

"Even if you’re the type who keeps to yourself, as long as you focus on perfecting your craft—just like making those buns—you’ll shine eventually. People will notice."

Ye Mengfu stood frozen, her eyes shimmering.

Only now did she grasp

the true weight behind this gift.

She fought to steady her expression,

but tears spilled anyway—

plink, plink—falling one by one...