Chapter 45: Confirmation of Feelings

“Brother-in-law, you wouldn’t know—” Gu Baiting sat on the edge of the bed, a youtiao clamped between his lips.

Gu Xiaobao wobbled his head and asked, “Uncle, what wouldn’t I know?”

Gu Baiting thought for a moment, then decided to keep it vague. He let his lips touch briefly but still did not say anything. Instead, he flicked Gu Xiaobao’s forehead with his finger, saying, “It’s better for little kids not to know about adult matters.”

Seeing the strange look in Gu Baiting’s eyes, Su Nianmei shook the cup she held, causing water to splash out.

“Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law, I just remembered I have something to do. You two keep chatting; I’ll take Xiaobao with me, so you don’t have to worry.”

Gu Baiting stood up and prepared to leave, casually pulling Gu Xiaobao along with him.

Gu Xiaobao stretched out his hand, unwilling. He had just seen his mom for a few minutes, and now he was being taken away by his uncle.

Leaning closer to Gu Xiaobao’s ear, Gu Baiting coaxed, “Xiaobao, don’t you want a little sister?” Gu Xiaobao’s hand, which was about to shake off Gu Baiting’s grasp, froze. Seeing that he had struck a chord, Gu Baiting continued to persuade, “If you come with your uncle, you can have a little sister.”

Gu Xiaobao’s small body paused for a moment, then he tugged on Gu Baiting and walked outside, passing by his dad without even lifting his eyelids or looking back.

When Su Nianmei returned from the bathroom, she had been moved to another hospital room with two beds, but for some reason, she was the only one occupying it.

Gu Xichao lifted the iron box he held, opened the lid, and sat in the chair that Gu Baiting had just vacated. It was still warm. “I just went to the cafeteria to heat up some porridge for you. You just got injured; you need to eat something light.”

The door to the hospital room was knocked on twice, and a little nurse walked in holding a medical kit, speaking softly, “Mr. Gu, it’s time for your dressing change.”

Gu Xichao picked up a spoon, scooped some millet porridge, and blew on it before bringing it to his lips. “Thank you; just put it down for now. I’ll change it myself later.”

Su Nianmei stopped the nurse and asked, “Hello, could you please tell me where my husband is injured?”

The little nurse paused in her steps, glancing at Gu Xichao before continuing, “You don’t need to worry too much; it’s just some superficial wounds. Everything will be fine if you change the dressings on time and avoid letting the wounds get infected.” After saying that, the nurse left.

Gu Xichao’s hand holding the porridge froze, and his gaze dropped. “It’s nothing serious.”

Su Nianmei stared at him, “What do you mean it’s nothing serious? Being injured is nothing serious? Having an infection is nothing serious?” The more Su Nianmei spoke, the angrier she became, finally shouting, “Do you think it wouldn’t matter even if you were dead?!”

Gu Xichao watched her little mouth move, momentarily taken aback.

Just as Su Nianmei continued her tirade, Gu Xichao suddenly lunged forward, his large hand supporting her head, his fingers gently caressing her hair, sealing her lips with a kiss.

“Good girl,” he murmured.

He had wanted to do this for a long time.

Their tongues touched, and their breaths intertwined.

Gu Xichao’s hands trembled as he held Su Nianmei. No one knew how scared he had been when he saw that note, nor how panicked he felt while rushing over.

Fortunately, the earthquake hadn’t been too strong this time.

After this ordeal, he finally understood; no matter who she was, she was Su Nianmei. She was the precious girl that Gu Xichao held dear to his heart.

“The porridge… it’s getting cold,” Su Nianmei pushed Gu Xichao gently, not daring to use much force.

Still holding her, Gu Xichao, feeling unsatisfied, licked his lips before picking up the bowl again, feeding her spoonful by spoonful.

After finishing the porridge, Gu Xichao clung to Su Nianmei, saying, “Wife, I still haven’t changed my dressings.”

Su Nianmei wore a stern expression and replied, “Good! Who told you not to let the nurse change your dressings just now?”

Gu Xichao nuzzled against Su Nianmei’s neck, his voice soft and tender, “Good girl, would you really let someone else see me?”

With that, Gu Xichao unceremoniously took off his shirt, revealing his strong physique.

Su Nianmei leaned in for a closer look and saw only superficial wounds, but they didn’t seem much better than hers.

His body was bruised in various places, with some areas wrapped in bandages, which made Su Nianmei’s heart ache.

“What’s there to be upset about? You’re not exactly a hot commodity; not everyone can like you,” she said, but despite her words, her hands were gentler as she applied the medicine.

Gu Xichao let out a hiss of cold air.

“Does it hurt?” Su Nianmei immediately asked with concern.

Gu Xichao chuckled softly and turned to kiss her fingers. “Not at all.”

—o—o—o—

Over the past few days, Gu Baiting had breathed a sigh of relief seeing his eldest brother and sister-in-law’s relationship visibly improving. Gu Xichao truly cared deeply for Su Nianmei.

Ever since he was young, he had been reserved, keeping all his worries bottled up and never showing his emotions. Just a few days ago, when Gu Baiting brought a large group of people and resources to Qing Province to find him, Gu Baiting noticed his brother’s pale face.

Whether it was a sense of intuition or premonition, it seemed that Su Nianmei had coincidentally run into trouble at that very moment. Fortunately, the earthquake hadn’t been severe, and no one was hurt; otherwise, Gu Baiting would have felt guilty for a lifetime.

At the end of June, Su Nianmei’s exam results came out.

The school principal personally delivered the scores. The total score was five hundred eighty, and Su Nianmei scored five hundred twenty-one. Although she didn’t rank in the top ten in the province, she could still get into a decent school.

After the results were released, there was a flurry of activity regarding school and major selection, but Su Nianmei didn’t feel overwhelmed.

On the day the results came out, her uncle from the Ji family invited the most experienced teacher to help Su Nianmei analyze her scores, giving Gao Qiusheng a stern look.

They deliberated for half a day before finalizing their plans.

There was no need to choose a school; it was definitely going to be Jing University. However, they spent considerable time deciding on the major. Su Nianmei was a science student but had a touch of romantic sentimentality typical of literary scholars. Since she wouldn’t have to earn her own living and wouldn’t have to worry about food and drink, she ultimately applied for one of Beijing University’s flagship programs, Chinese literature, fulfilling a dream from her previous life.

When the news of Su Nianmei’s scores reached the Su family, it felt as though boiling water had splashed everywhere, causing a commotion.

The only phone in the brigade was located next door to the Su family. When Old Man Su answered the phone, he yelled at the top of his lungs, calling over all the women and children in his room.

Su Xiaodi, Su Huailin, was studying at the county high school and hadn’t had a holiday yet; he wouldn’t return until the weekend.

Old Man Su held the phone with a trembling hand, his lips quivering in disbelief, feeling as though he had just received a shot of adrenaline. He couldn’t believe his ears.

The old Su family was going to have a college student! And it was from a prestigious university! This was an unprecedented joy for the family after so many years!

Lin Aiqiu leaned in close to Old Man Su’s ear. After listening for a while, she could only make out fragments of a score. She patted Old Man Su on the shoulder and asked, “Old man, how did our girl do?”

Hearing this, Su Jianguo frowned.

In his younger days, Su Jianguo was handsome, with thick brows and bright eyes, and all the Su family’s children inherited their grandfather’s good looks.

Normally, he wouldn’t think much of that term of endearment. Still, today, when Lin Aiqiu said it, it sounded particularly harsh. His thick brows knitted together, and he shot a glance at his wife.

The smile on his face froze halfway. He cleared his throat with an air of authority and said, “Aiqiu, you need to be more careful with your words in front of the children. Our Nianmei is the eldest daughter; you should choose your words wisely when discussing her in front of her younger siblings. Our old Su family has been waiting for generations for a golden egg, and it’s finally fallen into my lap. After I, Su Jianguo, reach a hundred, I’ll be able to hold my head high in front of the ancestors of the Su family.”

Lin Aiqiu shot a glare back at Su Jianguo, her tone fierce, but she softened her words slightly. “You might be right, but I don’t believe that Nianmei, who has never attended school, could get into a good university. Don’t let yourself be carried away and fooled by people.”

Youngest Sister Su, Su Sixia, adjusted her collar. She hadn’t paid attention to her appearance in her haste to run over. Holding a small mirror, she checked herself repeatedly, fiddling with her hair as she said, “Dad, that’s right! Our teacher said that nowadays, there are those diploma mills out there. If you let my sister fool you, it would be such a disgrace in the village!”

Old Man Su responded, “How could that be possible? The one who delivered the news was the principal of that school in the capital. What the principal says must be correct. Your sister got into Jing University! The principal mentioned it’s a school that city kids are dying to get into. Our precious little egg has made it!”

Having been a farmer all his life, Old Man Su deeply respected those in positions of authority and knowledge. Surely, the words of the school teachers couldn’t be wrong.

Seeing her husband’s certainty, Lin Aiqiu felt her spirits lift. It seemed that Su Nianmei had indeed gotten into a university.

She glanced at Su Sixia, her maternal instincts kicking in. Her son, Su Huailin, was clever and would surely get into college, ensuring a bright future. However, her youngest daughter, Su Sixia, had inconsistent grades, fluctuating from high to low.

What if Su Nianmei gave her admission spot to Sixia? After all, Su Nianmei had performed well, and with just a few years of schooling, she could still get into university. By giving up this opportunity, she could try again next time. But Sixia was different; this was a golden chance for her. Perhaps she would encounter someone influential at university, and who knows, it might set her up for a comfortable life.

The more Lin Aiqiu thought about it, the more she felt this plan was viable. Happy and content, she returned home, retrieved a few eggs laid by their hen that morning, and made an egg cake to celebrate.

The entire Su family was preoccupied with their own thoughts, quietly anticipating the upcoming thank-you banquet for Su Nianmei.

However, after that phone call, there was no further news. Hearing from the village’s “Little Hotline,” Su Qian, that several universities in the provincial capital were about to start their terms, Lin Aiqiu became anxious, even developing several blisters on her lips. Every time she spoke, she would suck in her breath.

By mid-August, a telegram arrived, inviting their family to Kyoto for the thank-you banquet.

The banquet was to be held in the largest restaurant in Kyoto, organized by Gu Baiting himself.

Old Man Su and the rest of the family took a train, weary from their travels, heading towards Kyoto. Old Man Su swallowed hard when they saw the gilded characters of “Haokelai” on the restaurant’s sign.

Nervously, he stepped through the restaurant’s entrance.

Su Xiaodi, Su Huailin, walked at the back and, upon spotting the man in military uniform seated at the main table, pursed his lips slightly. He felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had seen him before.

Ji Yuan, sipping his drink, suddenly felt a gaze upon him. He raised his head but didn’t notice anything unusual.