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Zhou Jinchuan felt deep regret as soon as he left the house.
Before today, although he had already realized his feelings for Su Yi, he had never thought about marriage being so far off.
For some reason, when he heard her say she was going to move away, he inexplicably got the idea of marrying her.
It might be because during the day, when they were in town together with the children, shopping, eating, and taking photos, strangers naturally assumed they were a couple.
This feeling made him realize for the first time that marriage could be a very wonderful thing.
Especially when Su Yi and Nuannuan were enviously watching others in wedding dresses, the first thought that popped into his mind was that Su Yi would look just as beautiful in such a wedding dress.
For the first time in twenty-six years, an impulse emerged only to be immediately quashed.
It was clear that he wasn’t suited for impulsiveness.
When Zhou Jinchuan returned to his office, Xie Xiaojun had long been standing with his head bowed against the wall.
“Captain Zhou, did Su Yi say anything to you?”
Zhou Jinchuan shot him a glance, “What did you say to her?”
Xie Xiaojun hurriedly recounted the conversation he had with Su Yi, “I told her that you might be dealing with some issues recently, and that’s why I mentioned it. Su Yi didn’t say anything, did she?”
Zhou Jinchuan snorted, “She didn’t say anything about you, just that she’s planning to move into the dormitory.”
Xie Xiaojun was taken aback, “Really? But Su Yi did this to avoid affecting you. Isn’t this exactly what people will be talking about?”
Zhou Jinchuan was silent for a moment, suddenly recalling something.
“Xiao Xie, I remember you told me before that your brother and sister-in-law went to get their marriage certificate right after they first met, right?”
Xie Xiaojun, looking confused, nodded, “Yes, that’s right! They met through an arranged marriage, felt they liked each other, and then went back to get their household registration book and get the certificate.”
“Captain Zhou, why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“Nothing much, just asking casually. So, how’s your brother and sister-in-law’s relationship now?”
Xie Xiaojun looked hesitant, and seeing Zhou Jinchuan pressing him for an answer, he finally responded,
“Don’t even mention it. They’ve been arguing constantly since they got married, and now they’re going through a divorce! Last month, my mom was so upset she fell ill, saying they’re just enemies!”
“If I had known it would turn out like this, I shouldn’t have acted impulsively and gotten the certificate back then.”
Zhou Jinchuan had a look of complicated emotions after hearing this, “……”
“Why is that? They seemed to have a good impression of each other at first. How could it escalate to constant arguing and divorce?”
Xie Xiaojun scratched the back of his head, “Like you, I haven’t been in a relationship, so I don’t really understand these things.”
“But according to my mom, my sister-in-law thinks my brother is rough and unromantic, and doesn’t know how to show affection. Anyway, my mom said that before getting married, you should really get to know and adjust to your partner, rather than rushing into getting the certificate.”
Zhou Jinchuan looked visibly displeased, “You never mentioned these things before.”
Xie Xiaojun smiled awkwardly, “Family matters are not for public discussion. I wouldn’t want to go around talking about it!”
Zhou Jinchuan, “……”
Seeing that Captain Zhou wasn’t planning to scold him but was instead concerned about his family, Xie Xiaojun felt relieved. “Captain Zhou, if there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work!”
—
Zhou Jinchuan looked up and said, “Go tell the logistics department to prepare a room in the building closest to the family compound and assign it to Su Yi.”
Xie Xiaojun looked hesitant, “Most of the cafeteria staff live in four-person rooms. Is it appropriate for Su Yi to have a single room? Won’t others gossip?”
Zhou Jinchuan paused, “Just say that I’m giving up my single dormitory and moving to the family compound. In principle, it doesn’t take up an additional room. Su Yi will need to help look after Xiaowu and Nuannuan occasionally, so it’s more convenient for her to have a single room. It’s a special arrangement for special circumstances.”
“Got it.”
…
After Zhou Jinchuan left, Su Yi watched him go through the door.
Once he was gone, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
But thinking about Zhou Jinchuan’s dejected figure earlier, Su Yi felt a bit uneasy.
It was clear that his proposal for marriage was a spur-of-the-moment decision. After he had some time to calm down, he would probably realize it wasn’t suitable and wouldn’t hold a grudge against her.
Moreover, the stress she experienced today was no less than Zhou Jinchuan’s. Who could she turn to for understanding?
Since she had decided to move to the dormitory, Su Yi told the two children that night.
“From now on, it’ll be just like before, except that I won’t be coming home at night. Captain Zhou will be living in the family compound.”
Xiaowu and Nuannuan were initially sad but were soon comforted by Su Yi.
“ Sister Su Yi, when you apply for the dormitory, could you apply for one of the single rooms in the building right in front of us? It would be closer, and it would be easier for Nuannuan and me to come visit you after school.”
Su Yi looked at the row of single rooms and was tempted.
If she could really get a single room, it would make things much more convenient.
“I’ll give it a try!”
The next day, as soon as Su Yi arrived at work, she told Xu Xiaoqin about her request for a dormitory.
Xu Xiaoqin immediately became excited, “That’s great! You can move in with me. We still have an empty bed in our dormitory.”
Su Yi, feeling a bit embarrassed, explained her reasons for wanting a single room.
Xu Xiaoqin understood and said, “Once we’re done with our work, I’ll go with you to ask Master Ma if he can find a way to make it happen.”
Su Yi nodded in agreement.
After finishing their preparations, the two of them went to find Master Ma while the cafeteria staff were gathered for their meal.
They explained their request for a single room.
Master Ma didn’t say it was impossible, “It’s just that there hasn’t been a precedent for this before. I’ll need to check with logistics to see if they can make an exception in this special case.”
As soon as Master Ma finished speaking, Chef Wang’s mocking voice came, “What are you whispering about over here? A newcomer to the cafeteria actually thinking of getting a single room—what a pipe dream!”
Xu Xiaoqin was furious and was about to argue with him, “We’re new here and don’t know everything, but it’s okay to ask, right?”
Su Yi pulled Xu Xiaoqin back, signaling her to stay quiet.
Then Su Yi stood up and said, “Chef Wang, you arrived just in time. I actually have something to report to you.”
Chef Wang smirked proudly, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
Su Yi smiled faintly, “Yesterday, while I was on leave, someone took advantage of Xu Xiaoqin and Zhang Tianhua being busy at the window and went into our kitchen to steal something, making a mess of our supplies.”
“Although nothing valuable was stolen, just a bowl of extra dressing, isn’t this still considered theft? Shouldn’t we investigate this thoroughly?”
Chef Wang, hearing Su Yi’s words, blinked nervously and replied vaguely, “Who would steal just a bowl of sauce? Maybe you’re mistaken.”
Su Yi sneered, “It’s impossible to be mistaken. I specifically made an extra bowl before leaving, thinking it might be needed, and it was gone as soon as I went to get it.”
Chef Wang frowned, “It’s just a bowl of sauce. Even if it was taken, what difference does it make?”