Chapter 54

The young soldier stood holding the luggage that Gu Qinghan had dropped, looking helplessly at the rosy-cheeked little doll before him and then at Gu Qinghan, whose face showed mixed emotions.

He didn’t dare to breathe.

However, Lele lifted her little head to look at him, then at Gu Qinghan, and called out again, “Daddy!”

She stretched out her chubby little hand, tugging at the luggage he was holding.

The young soldier’s expression was one of panic as he silently pleaded, ‘Oh, God, someone help me!’

This little doll of joy was adorable, but he was also terrified of Vice Captain Gu’s piercing gaze. He didn’t want this kind of luck at all!

‘Help!’

Just then, Wen Nuan came out of the kitchen with a spatula in her hand. As soon as she saw Gu Qinghan, her eyebrows lifted in surprise, but she quickly urged, “Qinghan, hurry up and pick up your daughter!”

How embarrassing!

Since Gu Qinghan left Northern City, Lele initially missed her daddy. However, starting this week, perhaps because it had been too long since they last saw each other, whenever Lele spotted a man in military uniform around the family compound, she would shout ‘Daddy!’ at that soldier.

She had set her sights on this particular uniform.

Gu Qinghan quietly picked Lele up and took the young soldier’s luggage with his other hand, saying, “Thank you for your hard work. You can head back now.”

The young soldier felt as if he had been liberated. “It was no trouble at all! Goodbye, Vice Captain Gu!”

Then Lele, cradled in Gu Qinghan’s arms, waved at the young soldier and sweetly said, “Bye-bye.”

The young soldier sighed in relief, thinking she might call him “Daddy” again, but thankfully, she only said goodbye.

He waved back at her, “Bye-bye,” before taking off at a sprint.

Wen Nuan studied Gu Qinghan’s expression and noticed he didn’t seem angry, so she awkwardly smiled. “Lele misses you too much. She thinks every man in military uniform is you.”

Gu Qinghan let out a barely audible “Mm.” His expression darkened even further, shifting from a pale color to one resembling a bitter melon.

“Oh dear, I’m still cooking,” Wen Nuan exclaimed as she caught sight of the spatula in her hand. Feeling a chance to escape, she quickly added, “Qinghan, you arrived just in time! I’ll finish plating the food, and you can wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Before Wen Nuan could turn around, Gu Qinghan seized her wrist and pulled her into his embrace without saying a word. He lowered his head, capturing that rosy sweetness.

Wen Nuan let out a couple of soft sounds of surprise, but the man’s assertive advance overwhelmed her.

He even took the spatula from her hand, and it even made a loud sound when he put it on the nearby Eight Immortals table.

Wen Nuan slightly tiptoed, tilting her head back to respond to him, her hands clutching the edge of his uniform. It felt as though her mind was short of oxygen, completely flustered, and unable to think straight.

Gu Qinghan’s arms had wrapped around her waist, the force so great it seemed he wanted to meld her into his own body.

Even Lele’s attempt to pull him away had no effect on him.

Wen Nuan no longer resisted; she slowly responded to him, gently parting her lips to intertwine with the man she had thought of for countless nights.

Perhaps encouraged by Wen Nuan’s response, Gu Qinghan seemed to gain confidence. He lifted Wen Nuan slightly and held her tightly in his embrace.

Gu Qinglan came out from the kitchen and saw his older brother holding the child in one arm while the other was wrapped around his sister-in-law.

The scene…

Well!

It was truly sweet!

But it was also undeniably shameful.

Gu Qinglan held a plate of twice-cooked pork and quietly retreated back to the kitchen, fearing he would disturb his brother and sister-in-law’s reunion. It was said that a brief separation was even better than a newlywed couple’s time together.

It had been over a month since his brother had been away from her sister-in-law.

Tsk, tsk, tsk—wasn’t it bound to be like dry sticks meeting a raging fire?

Gu Qinglan sat in front of the stove, holding the plate of twice-cooked pork, listening intently to the sounds outside while battling with the greedy cat in her mind—

This plate of twice-cooked pork smelled too delicious!

Gu Qinglan couldn’t hold back any longer. She pinched a piece of amber-colored twice-cooked pork from the plate and placed it in her mouth.

The trembling slice of meat had been braised; at that moment, the fatty portion melted in his mouth while the lean meat was both fragrant and chewy—the aroma of the chili shreds and bean paste spread in his mouth, both spicy and delicious.

It was so good!

—

On the other side, Gu Qinghan sensed that Wen Nuan seemed to be losing her strength, so he released her. In a hoarse voice, he asked, “Did you miss me?”

Wen Nuan almost couldn’t catch her breath.

The moment Gu Qinghan let her go, she took deep gulps of air. After a while, she leaned her head against Gu Qinghan’s chest and softly replied, “Yes, I think about you every day.”

Gu Qinghan held her tightly, and his voice laced with a hint of laughter. “Me too. I think about you every minute, every second.”

However, Wen Nuan didn’t see the smile on Gu Qinghan’s face; she only heard the strong, powerful beat of his heart, which felt faster than usual. Then she asked, “Didn’t you say you were taking the train yesterday? Why are you back today?”

During this time, Wen Nuan had been in touch with Gu Qinghan over the phone, so she was sure she hadn’t misremembered; Gu Qinghan had clearly mentioned the train yesterday.

But how could he have returned so quickly?

Gu Qinghan chuckled softly. “I missed the train yesterday, so I took a plane back today. A senior official happened to be returning to Beijing.”

Gu Qinghan spoke casually, as if flying a plane was a completely normal thing.

At that moment, Wen Nuan felt a small sense of vanity swell within her. She suddenly thought her man was really impressive and cool!

Wen Nuan lifted her head to meet Gu Qinghan’s deep black eyes and smiled. “Were you in a hurry to come back and see us?”

Only then did Wen Nuan look closely at Gu Qinghan and notice he seemed a bit darker, his teeth appearing whiter. However, this did not diminish his handsome appearance; instead, it made him look even more handsome.

Gu Qinghan met Wen Nuan’s focused gaze and smiled back. “Yes, I wanted to see you both right away.”

Wen Nuan wrapped her arms around Gu Qinghan’s waist and said with a cheerful smile, “I thought I wouldn’t see you until the day after tomorrow. I’m so happy!”

As Gu Qinghan listened to his wife’s words, his smile deepened.

However, Wen Nuad suddenly shouted: “Ouch!”

Lele, who felt completely ignored, stretched out her hand, grabbed a handful of Wen Nuan’s hair, and loudly shouted, “Mommy!”

Gu Qinghan quickly released Wen Nuan and pried open Lele’s hand, which was clutching Wen Nuan’s hair. “Let go, you little brat! I haven’t settled the score with you yet!”

Wen Nuan was finally free and couldn’t resist grabbing one of Lele’s hands and gently biting it. “That’s what you get for pulling my hair!”

Gu Qinghan looked down at her and asked seriously, “Who is your Father?”

He had almost lost his temper just now because the little brat had called out randomly!

Lele seemed to sense the impending danger. Meeting Gu Qinghan’s slightly fierce gaze, she immediately pouted and timidly called out, “Daddy—”

After that, she directly wrapped her arms around Gu Qinghan’s neck.

Gu Qinghan felt the child’s soft, milky scent in his embrace and couldn’t bring himself to scold her any further. He smiled and said, “Good girl, Daddy is here.”

Wen Nuan looked at the cunning little creature, and sure enough, Lele was already sneaking a laugh, nuzzling her head against Gu Qinghan’s neck.

Such a little genius!

Suddenly, a figure appeared from the kitchen, grinning and asking, “Big Brother, sister-in-law, can we start eating now?”

Gu Qinghan looked at Gu Qinglan, who appeared out of nowhere, then turned to Wen Nuan, who had turned red and said, “We were just cooking.”

Wen Nuan thought to herself: ‘It’s all your fault!’

She hadn’t even had a chance to say anything!

Gu Qinghan cast a glance at Gu Qinglan. “All you think about is eating!”

Gu Qinglan, who was holding a plate of fragrant twice-cooked pork, looked pitifully at his big brother and said, “So, should I leave?”

Gu Qinghan was already holding Lele and preparing to wash his hands. Without mercy, he replied, “Go ahead.”

Gu Qinglan placed the twice-cooked pork on the table and boldly declared, “Not a chance! I’m eating here every day now, and I only listen to my sister-in-law!”

Wen Nuan didn’t bother to get herself with their banter. She took the spatula back to the kitchen to wash her hands.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinghan walked in with Lele, saying he was going to wash their hands.

Now that it was warming up in Northern City, a single layer of clothing sufficed.

However, it was still relatively cool in the mornings and evenings, so he wore long sleeves. It was much lighter now compared to the winter when he had to bundle up in layers. Even washing Lele’s hands was no longer as complicated as before; he didn’t have to roll her sleeves up layer by layer.

After Lele’s hands were clean, she insisted on walking on her own. She had grown stronger, and when she threw a tantrum, she kicked and flailed with enough strength that, if not for Gu Qinghan’s grip, he might not have been able to hold onto her.

Seeing that she was walking steadily, Gu Qinghan ignored her and went back to grab the bowls and chopsticks.

During dinner, Gu Qinghan brought up the matter of Lin Meizhi and Gu Qingsong.

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinglan already knew that Lin Meizhi’s child wasn’t Gu Qingsong’s, but they were unaware of the specifics of the situation.

After hearing Gu Qinghan’s words, Wen Nuan paused while she was eating and asked, “So, is Qingsong deciding to divorce Lin Meizhi?”

“Yeah.” Gu Qinghan picked a piece of pork with lean meat for her and said calmly, “They said they were going to get divorced today, but since I was rushing back to Northern City, I don’t know if it happened. However, from Lin’s demeanor, she doesn’t seem to want to go through with it. I suspect it will drag on for a while, but Qingsong is determined to leave her.”

This matter had caused quite a stir in the family compound. Even if Gu Qingsong had a change of heart one day, Zhao Wuzhu would never allow Lin Meizhi to return.

Gu Qinglan scoffed coldly, “That Lin Meizhi is quite heartless. She made a mistake herself but tried to slander me, claiming I caused her miscarriage. I will never forgive her for this!”

She, Gu Qinglan, had always acted righteously and had never experienced such an outrageous accusation.

Recalling the scene where Gu Qingsong had fought with their mother, she added angrily, “I won’t forgive that fool Gu Qingsong either!”

Wen Nuan knew that Gu Qinglan was angry, but since she was in the military in Northern City now, they wouldn’t have many opportunities to meet in the future. If Gu Qinglan didn’t want to forgive, they might as well just stop communicating.

Wen Nuan comforted Gu Qinglan for a bit and then asked Gu Qinghan, “From what you’re saying, it sounds like that child’s family wants to fight for custody.”

The Xu family had considerable influence. If they were determined to contest for the child and Lin Meizhi lost her marriage to Gu Qingsong, it would be relatively easy for them to take the child away.

Gu Qinghan let out a cold laugh. “If they weren’t going to fight for it, they wouldn’t have come forward to expose her.”

“This matter has implicated many people. Mother Xu wants this child primarily to make up for the regret of indirectly causing her son’s death back then. To put it correctly, she wants this child to provide an explanation to the two elders of the Xu family.”

Wen Nuan lifted her head, suddenly realizing that the Xu family members weren’t exactly good people either. With Lin Meizhi causing such a ruckus now, they also bore some responsibility.

Wen Nuan said, “I hope Lin Meizhi can be strong and not give the child to them.”

In fact, Lin Meizhi hadn’t been a bad person before. Although she couldn’t compare to the Xu family, she had at least completed high school and was quite beautiful. She had been classmates with Xu Guoming, so they knew each other well.

Someone like Mother Xu probably wouldn’t be nice either. Even if the child were given to their family, they would likely grow up under the control of the elders.

Gu Qinghan smiled, clearly not wanting to continue discussing this topic.

Perhaps out of professional habit, Gu Qinglan shifted her concern to the aunt who had assisted Lin Meizhi during childbirth. “What about that aunt of Lin Meizhi’s who falsified the medical records?”

“She has been suspended.” Gu Qinghan had heard this from Zhao Baogang before coming back. “And it was ordered by Director Xu.”

Gu Qinglan was taken aback for a moment before saying, “Then Lin Meizhi must be facing isolation now, right?”

With her family losing face and her relatives losing their jobs, it was likely that no one would feel sorry for her anymore.

Gu Qinghan remained silent as she fed Lele a spoonful of rice and gently wiped her mouth. Lele had finally recognized Gu Qinghan again, and after finishing her meal, she smiled brightly and called out to Gu Qinghan several times.

Wen Nuan, meanwhile, was eating her meal and felt a pang of sympathy for Lele.

If Lin Meizhi had been willing to tell the truth from the beginning, there might have been room for negotiation. She created the situation.

Lele enjoyed Gu Qinghan’s feeding; her little teeth had already chewed the meat into bits, and she happily swallowed it. Then she stretched out her little arms and exclaimed, “Daddy, meat!”

Gu Qinghan was delighted and served her more meat, removing the skin from the pork. She smiled and said, “You still need to eat some vegetables later.”

The weather was hot, and with less clothing, he noticed Lele’s small arms, which resembled segments of lotus root, and he thought that this little one was indeed quite chubby.

As soon as Lele heard that Gu Qinghan wanted her to eat vegetables, she quickly covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head.

Gu Qinghan was not swayed by her tactics, snorting, “No vegetables, no meat.”

Lele then looked over at Wen Nuan, her eyes filled with a pitiful expression as if pleading for help. However, Wen Nuan smiled, pinching Lele’s little nose, and said, “You have to eat your vegetables; otherwise, how will you grow tall?”

Lele then turned to Gu Qinglan, who was chewing a large piece of meat. With her mouth full, she mumbled, “Of course, you have to eat your vegetables. Look at how much taller Auntie has grown by eating vegetables…”

Gu Qinghan had already placed some vegetable leaves into Lele’s bowl and cut them into small pieces using the scissors that Wen Nuan had prepared for her.

Wen Nuan felt helpless when it came to making children eat vegetables, but thankfully, Gu Qinghan had returned!

It seemed that only Gu Qinghan could manage this little imp named Lele.

As expected, although Lele was very reluctant to eat her vegetables, she still opened her little mouth when Gu Qinghan offered them to her.

Wen Nuan leaned toward Gu Qinghan and smiled, saying, “From now on, you will be responsible for getting Lele to eat her vegetables.”

Gu Qinghan laughed, “Sure!”

After finishing the meal, Gu Qinglan washed her bowl before heading back to the dormitory. Normally, she would feel lazy after a hearty meal and wouldn’t want to go back.

She had grown accustomed to living here for some time, and suddenly, having to return to the dorm made her feel reluctance.

However, even though Gu Qinglan was unwilling to go back, her Big Brother was giving her a stern look, urging her to leave through the door.

He was truly heartless!

Sister Guihua was aware that Gu Qinghan had returned, so she brought over a plate of smashed cucumbers. Initially intending to sit down and chat, she instead smiled and said, “You two lovebirds have just returned from a short separation. I won’t disturb you. Enjoy your chat!”

Wen Nuan’s face turned red as a tomato, embarrassed by their open remarks.

As soon as Sister Guihua and Gu Qinglan left, Gu Qinghan went outside to wash up in the courtyard. He used the soapwort that Wen Nuan had brought him, lathering it on his hair, arms, and calves.

Lele heard the splashing water and ran over to the courtyard door.

Wen Nuan quickly noticed that Gu Qinghan’s clothes had become wet, particularly in a certain area, and she hurriedly covered the child’s eyes.

She then told Gu Qinghan, “Hurry back and change your clothes; it’s a bit windy tonight.”

Gu Qinghan knew that Wen Nuan had seen, so he replied with an “mm,” then lowered his voice to ask, “Do you want to wash up too?”

When Wen Nuan met Gu Qinghan’s suggestive gaze, she immediately understood what he meant and blushed as she replied with a soft “mm.”

Gu Qinghan smiled and said, “Then I’ll change my clothes first and then help put Lele to sleep.”