Gu Yu looked at the girl across from him and said with sincere apology, “I was indeed too abrupt today. There’s no hurry—you can give me your answer after you’ve thought it through.”  

“But…”  

Xiuzhu, who had initially been pleased that his words aligned with her thoughts, felt her curiosity piqued by his unfinished sentence. “But what?”  

Gu Yu sighed, his tone tinged with regret. “Although my family is open-minded, my grandfather is getting rather impatient.”  

“He promised that whichever of us—my elder brother or I—gets into a relationship first will receive a two-story Western-style house with a courtyard.”  

Seeing Xiuzhu’s eyes widen instantly, sparkling with excitement, he continued, “There’s also the collection of jewelry left behind by my grandmother. But honestly, these things aren’t really that important.”  

Xiuzhu clenched her fists. *Good heavens, listen to what he’s saying!*  

*These things aren’t important? Then what is?!*  

Gu Yu, watching her expression, struggled to suppress his laughter and upped the ante. “The most valuable items are a pair of jade bracelets said to have been worn by the Empress Dowager herself—priceless treasures.”  

“What a shame, though. None of these will be ours.”  

Xiuzhu was already imagining how wearing the Empress Dowager’s jewelry would make her feel almost imperial. Hearing Gu Yu’s discouraging words, she frowned. “Why wouldn’t they be ours? Isn’t your brother still single?”  

Gu Yu gazed at Xiuzhu with feigned sorrow and said slowly, “My brother is going on a相亲 today. If he and the woman hit it off, won’t he beat us to it when he returns home?”  

“Ah, those jewels might not be wearable now, but who knows? Their value could be restored in the future.”  

“I know you, Xiuzhu, still want to test me for a while longer. You’d never agree to be with me just for these vulgar material things.”  

Xiuzhu forced a stiff smile while screaming internally: *No! She loved such vulgar things! She was utterly materialistic!*  

“It’s alright, Xiuzhu. I’ll wait for you to consider it carefully. Those things can just go to my sister-in-law.”  

*Go to the sister-in-law?!* Sparks seemed to fly in Xiuzhu’s eyes as if this yet-unmet sister-in-law had already snatched away her Western-style house, the Empress Dowager’s bracelets, and countless jewels.  

Glaring at Gu Yu, she gritted her teeth. “Go back right now and tell your grandfather you have a girlfriend.”  

Gu Yu’s eyes darkened. He gently took Xiuzhu’s hand, a tender smile playing on his lips as he said softly, “Xiuzhu, does this mean you’ve agreed?”  

“Mhm. Hurry up and drive me back, then go straight home.” Currently single-mindedly focused on protecting her future assets, Xiuzhu barely noticed Gu Yu’s actions.  

“Alright,” Gu Yu replied amiably.  

Reluctantly, he released her hand—soft as silk and smooth as jade.  

As he started the car, a triumphant smile flickered across his face while he calculated his next move.  

He knew Xiuzhu didn’t truly love him yet, but that was fine. First, he would secure her within his domain.  

In time, he’d have endless opportunities to claim her heart.  

Gu Yu, who had remained emotionally dormant for 25 years, was now exhilarated. His excitement naturally translated into speed, and they arrived at the military compound’s gates in under 15 minutes.  

Deliberately parking in a secluded spot where they wouldn’t be seen, he thought:  

*For his first relationship in 25 years, was it too much to ask for a little reward?*  

Xiuzhu, too preoccupied to complain about the remote parking spot or the long walk to the gate, hurriedly urged him a few times before rushing toward the compound.  

Gu Yu, seeing her about to leave without so much as a backward glance—where was the sweetness of a new couple?—felt displeasure flash through his eyes. He quickly stopped her.  

“Xiuzhu, we’re together now. Are you really just going to leave like this?”  

“Tell me the truth—do you not actually like me? Do you only care about my family’s possessions?”  

“I don’t want to force you. Maybe we shouldn’t tell my family yet.”  

Xiuzhu looked at him anxiously. His face was as devastatingly handsome as ever, but his usual easygoing demeanor had vanished, replaced by the nagging pettiness of a resentful wife.  

For the sake of wealth and luxury, she’d go all out! She walked over, stood on tiptoes, and let that softness lightly brush against Gu Yu’s cheek.  

This being her first time doing something like this with a man, she couldn’t help feeling shy, unconsciously becoming coquettish. “I like you, I like you the most. Happy now?”  

After speaking, a bashful blush spread across Xiuzhu’s cheeks as she hurried toward the compound gates, her steps carrying a hint of fluster.  

Gu Yu stood frozen in place, fingers touching where her lips had briefly grazed his skin.  

An indescribable feeling surged through him—like being struck by a sweet electric current, leaving him lightheaded.  

He silently watched her figure disappear before finally getting back in the car and driving away.  

*  

Not far off, Lin Yaoyu and Ling Luochuan, returning from their run, happened to see a car driving past them.  

Ling Luochuan glanced at the driver through the window. The man looked familiar, but he must be mistaken—there was no way that person from the Gu family would appear here.  

“Luochuan, that military jeep just now was really something. Wonder which leader in the compound it belongs to,” Lin Yaoyu said enviously, watching the car drive off.  

Ling Luochuan, more knowledgeable than Yaoyu, recognized that the latest model jeep was typically only allocated to division-level officers and above.  

“Don’t know,” he replied disinterestedly, not in the mood to discuss it as he continued walking.  

“Hey,” Lin Yaoyu sometimes found his comrade’s aloofness frustrating. This guy would probably never even get a wife at this rate. He quickly jogged to catch up.  

“Slow down, wait for me!”  

As Yaoyu matched his comrade’s pace, he glanced at the other man’s coldly handsome face and immediately retracted his earlier thought.  

Then he remembered—back at the air force training base, plenty of female comrades had secretly set their hearts on Ling Luochuan.  

*  

In the Lin family living room, Lin Yaowen was eating watermelon at the dining table when he saw Xiuzhu return. “Where’d you go alone? Still daring to wander around after what happened days ago—did you forget?”  

“What happened?” Lin Yaoyu asked, having just walked in and overheard his brother’s words.  

Xiuzhu shot Yaowen a glare before walking to the table, picking up a slice of watermelon, and sitting down. Between bites, she recounted the incident.  

“That’s what happened. That vile woman’s already been arrested,” she said, pausing to drink some water when her throat grew dry from talking.  

Lin Yaoyu listened with rising anger. “How could there be such a malicious woman? Thank goodness you’re alright.”  

Beside him, Ling Luochuan frowned deeply as he listened.  

“Oh, it’s all in the past now. Brother Gu already handled everything,” Xiuzhu said dismissively, having moved on from the resolved matter.  

Lin Yaoyu asked curiously, “What’s his name? Come to think of it, was that his car parked at the compound gates earlier?”  

“His name’s Gu Yu. I didn’t see any other cars when I came back, so it must’ve been his.”  

“Oh, he’s around your and Brother Luochuan’s age. Have you heard of him?” Xiuzhu’s eyes narrowed slightly, brimming with curiosity.  

For now, she didn’t plan to tell her family about their relationship—she felt she’d acted impulsively earlier, and everything she knew about Gu Yu came solely from his own claims.  

But really, how could she resist those temptations?!  

Lin Yaoyu looked puzzled. “I’ve heard the name—he’s quite famous—but it can’t be him. He wouldn’t be in the capital.”  

Turning to his comrade, he asked, “Hey, Luochuan, isn’t your family in the north district too? Ever heard of him?”  

“If it’s the man from the compound gates earlier, then it’s probably the same person,” Ling Luochuan replied absentmindedly.  

Gu Yu was notorious in the north district for his ruthlessness—outwardly wearing a gentle smile while being more cold-blooded than anyone. Hardly the charitable type.  

He lifted his clear, light-colored eyes, gazing thoughtfully at the laughing girl across from him.