Chapter 82: The Young Man (Part 1)

  At dawn, when the first ray of sunlight came through the window, Gu Huan's eyes fluttered open vaguely. Her jet lag hadn't adjusted yet. She always felt drowsy when it was bright outside and wide awake when it was dark. She mumbled something incoherently, turned over, covered her head with the quilt, and continued to indulge in the sweet, dizzying haze between sleep and wakefulness.

  The day before yesterday, the day after tomorrow, spanning half of the earth, in a completely unfamiliar country, starting a brand new life. Gu Huanli hadn't even had time to adapt when Nan Xing, who had arrived with her in America, immediately began his training course for distinguishing poisons. Nothing made her feel good, nor did anything give her any so-called pleasure, but Gu Huanli understood that if she became addicted, the freedom of flight would probably be nothing more than a dark sky over hell.

  "Miss, it's time to get up." Cassidy, who had successfully completed the promotion task and transformed into a personal attendant, stood in the morning glow, with sunlight outlining his body in gold. A gentle smile hung on the corners of his mouth, and in this softly colored room, he seemed about to spread his wings.

  "I don't want to go to church." Gu Huan's refusal was direct, the time difference had already made her neurasthenic, and Nan Xing's strict training had also put her mind under high tension. What she needed most now was sleep, because only by maintaining a good mental state could she have the physical strength to continue moving forward.

  With a rustling sound, Cassidy ruthlessly lifted up the quilt and placed something in front of Gu Huanli.

  Gu Huanli reluctantly opened her eyes, looking at the old-fashioned alarm clock in his hand. The black frame's circular dial had cold, black numbers arranged in a circle, a pointer-type clock that was completely unrelated to so-called personalization or decoration. 52, 53, 54... The slightly curved second hand slowly crawled across the yellowed dial, slowly etching out time.

  57、58、59……

  Tick-tock, the second hand moved a little, showing 6:02.

  It seemed that there had been a moment just like this before, but whether it was in a dream or something from the past, Gu Huan couldn't remember. However, her thoughts drifted to other things, such as: even if nothing happened, on this clock, the same time would appear twice, yet people can't relive the same life in one day.

  She slowly sat up, her dangling feet swaying back and forth. Unrelated to laziness, Gu Huanli simply gazed quietly out the window. The unchanging sky appeared somewhat mottled due to the floating clouds, and along with the cold wind that blew in through the window came laughter, as well as a faintly discernible singing voice mixed within the laughter.

  Although I couldn't hear it clearly, and Gu Huanli wasn't good at this kind of popular music thing, but because she was very familiar with the melody of this song, she stopped immediately.

  If it weren't for the naive and romantic singing voice, the language used would be completely different from yesterday's, perhaps she would think she was still in her home country, still in the old mansion of the Gu family.

  Cassidy

  "Yes, miss."

  "It's nothing."

  Although it's rude to call someone in front of you and say nothing happened, Gu Huanli didn't know what to say at the moment, so she just repeated herself, "I don't want to go to church for worship."

  "Yes."

  Cassidy nodded and turned around, Gu Huanli silently watching his back as he left. Her gaze slowly fell on the clock's direction - 6:10. She rubbed her eyes, slowly went to the bathroom to wash up, changed clothes and walked down the stairs when she saw Cassidy standing at the bottom of the stairs with a smile on his face.

  "I hate going to church." Gu Huanli repeated this for the third time, yet still placed her hand on Cassidy's palm.

  "When I get back, I'll brew a warm pot of red tea for Miss."

  "Add another piece of chestnut cheesecake."

  "Miss, having cake for breakfast doesn't seem quite right."

  "What a hassle." Gu Huanli scolded and got on the car.

  After Cassidy sat in the assistant's seat, when the driver started the car, he slowly said, "Although the young master has not been here for a few days, Miss's food and clothing must be reported to the young master. Does Miss want me to deceive the young master? Or does she want me to disobey the young master's orders?"

  Why can't you just say you can't do it for her to eat? Is it necessary to push your brother out as a shield? You clearly know that she listens to and follows your brother's words. This silly angel, after staying in the human world for so long, really learns from the bad but not the good.

  "I understand Miss's feelings, but the community we live in is centered around that church up ahead. So, to blend in with the crowd and into this community, one must take the church as a starting point." Casadio was not only Gu Huanlin's private tutor, but also her steward. At the same time, as the guardian of her soul, he had the heavy responsibility of carefully guiding Gu Huanlin onto the right path in life.

  He didn't expect to be her life mentor, but with this not-so-long life, he had some insights into life and human nature. He hoped he could help Gu Huanli solve her troubles, rather than just focusing on making money like now.

  Gu Tianxi chose a new school for Gu Huanli in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The house she lives in now is also located in a quiet residential area. This arrangement was completely unexpected by Gu Huanli, but after careful consideration, she was moved by her brother's thoughtfulness and care.

  As she approached the church, she heard the sound of the choir practicing. Looking at the white collars on the clergy's robes, today was Sunday worship, so people from the whole community were flocking to the place one after another. Gu Huanlin and Cassidy arrived quite early, so they occupied two seats in the fifth row. They wouldn't draw too much attention from others, and they could also hear the pastor's sermon clearly. Gu Huanlin was very satisfied with Cassidy's choice.

  However, thinking that she would have to come here on time every week and participate in all the charitable activities organized by the church, Gu Huanlin once again deeply believed that this one who accompanied her was indeed an angel.

  Trouble just started...

  "Lǐ, I have to tell you, if you want to be one of us, you need to play like this." Rú jì corrected Gù Huàn Lǐ in front of all the volleyball team members, his tone overbearing. Now, everyone is practicing on the volleyball court inside the school's gymnasium.

  Kusunoki Ruri couldn't recall how she ended up as a member of the church's junior volleyball team. Anyway, when she came to her senses, she was already standing in front of the net, being scolded by Luchiru who was acting as the coach.

  "Yes." Gu Huanli winked at Sally, the girl standing next to her. As arranged by Coach, she and Sally were in charge of defending the backcourt. Ruiji, aside from being the team captain, was also temporarily acting as coach. Although Gu Huanli tried her best to follow his instructions, indicating that every time the ball flew towards her, she would unintentionally hit it off course. To be honest, she wasn't skilled at volleyball at all. The problem was, a member of the Gu family could never give up easily before even trying. Moreover, since she had joined, she must strive for the championship.

  The Church Youth Volleyball Tournament will be held at the end of March, with less than two months to go. The volleyball team didn't need new players, but unfortunately, Cissy, who plays as a setter, broke her leg on Christmas, and substitute Molly injured her arm while skiing in Europe with her parents. As for the sports American kids love, they are: American football, baseball, and basketball. Volleyball? Well, hardly anyone in the community has even touched it.

  So, the newly arrived Gu Huanli was just trying not to make herself seem too aloof and cold like in the past, so she brazenly said that she usually loved sports. As a result...

  Gu Huanli smoothed out her disheveled hair, following Ruiji's instructions, and stood at the edge of the court, waiting for the serve. As she saw the ball flying towards her, she got into position, intending to forcefully lift it up. But unexpectedly, with a flick of her wrist, the ball bounced far away to the back, startling her so much that her face lost all its color.

  The children all burst out laughing, Reggie losing his patience, shouting "Time out!" He hung his head in shame, stomping his feet and pounding his fists on the freshly waxed floor, venting his anger.

  Gu Huanli was exhausted and frustrated, her face bright red. She wanted to apologize to Ruiji but was afraid of provoking him. So she lightly pulled on the pale pink sports jersey she was wearing. "Ruiji, I know I still need to practice more, but...I'm not that bad, am I?"

  "It's a matter of seeing the benevolent as benevolent and the wise as wise." Meanwhile, Mai De showed off his charming smile to Gu Huanli and cracked another joke. It was well-known that his dazzling smile had earned him the title of "heartthrob" at their local middle school.

  "Thanks." Gu Huanli smiled shyly, then whispered, "Next time you need my help, just mention today's incident and I'll definitely stab you in the back twice." She winked at him and then ran to the back of the court to pick up the ball.

  As she bent down to pick up the ball, she heard someone at the door expressing their opinion, "Actually, kids playing ball also have their own ideas, and to play well, they must start practicing from the basics."

  Gu Huan Lian was taken aback, this voice sounded so familiar.

  It must be that person, the one she had decided to avoid and vowed to forget, the one she didn't want to see again. How did he end up here? Fate had once again led her to a completely inexplicable place without her realizing it.

  Gu Huanli was flustered and at a loss, she mustered up the courage to lift her head, her panicked eyes met the inquiring gaze of that Italian boy. She suddenly went limp all over, it was him, it really was him. The scenes from before her rebirth played out like a colorful movie in her mind, her originally flushed face turned deathly pale in an instant.

  An Italian boy stood by the door, like a prince, with eyes as blue as the sea, gazing at everyone in the gymnasium, finally stopping on Gu Huanli.

  The young man walked up to her, scrutinizing her closely, and then showed a satisfied expression, and enthusiastically stretched out his hand. "You're also new here, right? I'm Antonio."

  Huan Lian stiffly smiled and said intermittently, "I am Lian." No one knew that this boy named Antonio suddenly appeared, making her flustered and forget even the most basic etiquette.

  The young man didn't think much of it, he picked up the volleyball on the floor and walked towards the team members on the court. "Hey, I'm Antonio Moriti, friends call me Anton."

  "After greeting everyone, he continued, 'Pastor Ye and I said that your team not only lacked players but also a coach after Christmas. I thought, since I had participated in the European Youth Volleyball Championship, I would take the initiative to take over as the coach.'"

  Gu Huanli thought she must be dreaming, but how could others perceive the turmoil in her heart? They all cheered and welcomed this savior of the team. To be honest, Antonio easily caught the attention of the players, a skill that really made Gu Huanli admire him.

  Apart from Gu Huan Lian, everyone else was applauding and cheering, immediately asking him a barrage of questions: Did he know that the tournament starts next month? Does he have any secret techniques to knock out his opponents? Will he accompany them in practicing ball? Can he teach clumsy Huan Lian how to play well?

  The last question caused the whole room to erupt in laughter, with everyone turning their heads to observe Gu Huan's reaction. Gu Huan was still in a state of shock and confusion, her feelings were contradictory - fear, excitement, terror, and... delight.

  However, her obsidian-like eyes were shrouded in a layer of gloom. Gu Huanli thought to herself: Cassidy, this time you've probably wronged me terribly.