Chapter 26 Everyone Here is a Trash

“Come over here.” Gu Xiao led her behind a large tree. The surrounding dense shrubs created a naturally hidden space. Song Youyou glanced around and immediately felt her face heat up.

Her temper flared with boldness, and she huffed, “So you lied about rushing to the assembly point, just to bring me here and do something indecent!”

“What do you mean ‘indecent’?” Gu Xiao laughed, half amused and half exasperated. “You little ingrate, acting like you didn’t enjoy it when I was holding you.”

“…” Song Youyou couldn’t match his shamelessness. For a moment, she was too embarrassed to respond. After a while, she mumbled under her breath, “But it’s broad daylight… and we’re out in the open…”

“Oh? So if it were nighttime, and we were at home, then it’d be okay to do something indecent with you?” Gu Xiao teased, staring straight at her.

“…” Song Youyou was speechless. The little person in her mind was banging its head against a wall. She really was dumb! How did she get pulled into following his line of questioning?

Seeing the regret flash across her face, Gu Xiao finally dropped the teasing. After all, if he pushed her too far and she really got mad and refused to let him hug her again, he’d have nowhere to cry.

“I really do need to get to the assembly point, but I figured I could squeeze out a few minutes.” Gu Xiao dropped the casual tone and said seriously.

Song Youyou eyed him suspiciously. “Then what did you want to talk to me about?”

“This.” Gu Xiao handed her a small green booklet.

“A grain and oil ration booklet?” Song Youyou recognized it immediately. At this time, city households relied on planned rations, and every family had a fixed quota. This booklet was basically a family’s food bank—it was one of the most important things in a household. Even though Song Youyou cooked the meals at home, the ration booklet was always firmly kept in her mother’s hands.

“Yeah. We already got our marriage certificate, remember? So the organization issued this ration booklet—it’s for our household.”

“It’s for me and you, our home.” Gu Xiao emphasized.

“…Mm.” Song Youyou looked at the booklet he shoved into her hands, feeling a bit dazed. The fact that she and Gu Xiao were now husband and wife was becoming more and more real in her mind. Because of Gu Xiao, and because of his family.

“When you were at my house today, did my dad say anything unpleasant? If he did, just pretend he was talking nonsense and ignore it.”

“…Not really. It was your grandma who seemed to lecture him a bit.”

“That’s good.” Gu Xiao chuckled. While he talked, he pulled her closer and opened the rosewood box he’d taken from home. From inside, he took out the translucent green jade bracelet and slipped it onto her wrist.

“I already had someone deliver the marriage certificate to you as soon as I could. You’re my wife now—there’s no backing out. So this bracelet is yours, and you’re not allowed to refuse.”

Thinking about how she had tried to turn it down earlier in the room, Gu Xiao felt a bit heavy-hearted. So now, his tone carried a bit of dominance and a sense that he would not take no for an answer.

The bracelet slid onto her delicate wrist, and the contrast of jade green against her fair skin made her appear even more radiant. Gu Xiao held her wrist tightly, then pulled her into his arms.

“In a while, I’ll take leave for the wedding and come back.” His deep, magnetic voice sounded in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

Come back for what? She didn’t even have to ask. She already knew. A flush of heat rushed to her head, making it hard to think clearly. But she could still acutely feel the solid warmth of his muscular body through the fabric of his uniform.

So even after they left the little park and walked toward the assembly point, Song Youyou remained in a slight daze the entire way.

“I’m leaving now. If you run into any trouble here, go find Lao Wu, the one I mentioned, or you can go to my grandparents. And… write me more letters. I’ll wait for them.” At the assembly point, Gu Xiao reluctantly ruffled her soft hair.

No wonder ancient emperors would get so distracted by beauty that they stopped going to court. He didn’t want to leave her at all right now.

“Okay, I got it. Hurry up and get on the truck,” Song Youyou urged. She had already noticed a few soldiers in green uniforms inside the vehicle sneaking glances this way.

Gu Xiao sighed and had no choice but to turn and board the truck. As soon as he climbed in, a few comrades eagerly crowded around, their faces full of gossip.

“Gu Xiao! Who was that?”

“Was that your sister?”

Their eyes lit up with anticipation.

Gu Xiao was still feeling a bit down from parting with his sweet little wife. Even though he usually joked around with his comrades, he didn’t even spare them a glance this time. He casually stretched his legs and said lazily, “That’s my wife.”

“!!!”

“What! That’s your wife? I thought she was your sister! I was about to ask you to introduce us…”

“Please, as if a pretty girl like that would be into you. If she were Gu Xiao’s sister, she’d obviously be introduced to me!”

“Why you? What’s wrong with how I look—”

Ahem. Gu Xiao cut in with a sharp look and interrupted their bickering.

“I’ll be blunt—every one of you sitting here is trash. My wife wouldn’t even glance at any of you. She only has eyes for me.”

His voice was lazy but full of smugness and mockery.

“Damn! Brothers, Gu Xiao is provoking us!” a dark-skinned soldier exclaimed with wide eyes.

Gu Xiao snorted, “Yeah, I am provoking you. What about it? Come on, when we get back to the base, let’s spar. All of you can come at once.”

“A man can only take so much! Let’s spar, I’m not scared of you!”

The dark-skinned soldier huffed and looked to the others to rally them.

But the rest of them quickly shrank back, almost cramming themselves into the door crack.

“You spar if you want. I’m not training with that monster.”

“Exactly. He just parted with his wife and is probably frustrated. Who wants to volunteer to be his punching bag?”

The dark-skinned man finally realized, “…Then I’m not sparring either…”

Gu Xiao smirked, “Too late. We didn’t train enough earlier. I’m going to report it and request extra drills.”

Everyone groaned.

“Nooo!!!”

“Gu Xiao! How can someone with such a warm mouth say such cold-blooded things?!”

Gu Xiao closed his eyes and ignored their loud complaints, but the rowdy banter did help drive away much of the gloom in his heart.