Chapter 28 Hold Me Tight

Although Ji Tangtang hadn’t cleaned the boar’s innards, after skinning and butchering the meat, her body still carried the smell. She went to the spiritual spring pool to bathe, changed into fresh clothes, and only then left the secret realm.

As last time, Ji Tangtang snuck into Gu Shiyu’s room through the window.

Today, Shen Meifang had been humiliated by Ji Tangtang and came home furious, cursing and smashing things, venting her anger. By the time Ji Tangtang slipped in through the window, she could still clearly hear Shen Meifang’s shouting.

In the dark, Ji Tangtang casually pinched a pebble between her fingers and flicked it at the Gu family pigsty. The door wasn’t damaged, but it swung open instantly. Two pigs bolted out as though startled, squealing loudly.

Shen Meifang immediately stopped cursing Ji Tangtang, panicked, and rushed outside with the family to chase the pigs. The two animals seemed unusually agitated, running far too fast, charging out of the yard and into the vegetable fields. The Gu family all rushed after them, leaving the house quiet.

Ji Tangtang strolled leisurely to Gu Shiyu’s side, in good spirits, and handed him the metal box. “When I was shopping today, I didn’t have enough ration coupons, so I used some from here—12 industrial coupons, 19 feet 3 inches of cloth coupons, 10 catties of grain coupons, and also some sugar coupons… Should I compensate you in cash, or wait until I get more coupons to pay you back?”

Gu Shiyu immediately understood these coupons must have been slipped into the box by Lin Xinming in secret—since none of the original contents had coupons. Given his character, if he gave them secretly, he clearly never intended to take them back. Even if Gu Shiyu tried to force them on him, he would never accept. How to repay that favor, he would think about slowly.

So he didn’t take the box from Ji Tangtang. “Keep it. No need to repay the coupons. Once it’s given to you, it’s yours.”

Ji Tangtang raised an eyebrow. “All of it, for me?”

Gu Shiyu’s lashes lowered, and he said with guilt, “I didn’t plan ahead, so I didn’t save much. Now like this… it’s you who’s wronged.”

Ji Tangtang leaned in slightly, lifted his chin with her finger, and teased, “You feel guilty? Feel like you’ve wronged me?”

Gu Shiyu really did feel guilty, but he hadn’t expected her to act like that. For a moment, he froze. His pale face flushed bright red, the color spreading all the way to his ears. Because he had been injured and long kept out of the sun, his skin was almost porcelain-white—so even at night, Ji Tangtang could clearly see the change.

Her smile deepened. “If you feel guilty, then repay me properly.”

“H–How… how should I repay you?” Gu Shiyu suspected he might be misunderstanding her, since she was a girl—surely she didn’t mean that… He leaned his neck back, trying to escape her touch.

But Ji Tangtang pressed closer like a clinging vine, her body flush against his, her breath soft and fragrant against his skin. “You tell me—how should you repay me?”

The Yin-Yang Hundred Lotus Pill was an extremely domineering poison. Even if it hadn’t flared in her yet, being so close to someone like Gu Shiyu, a pure Yin body, made her feel her whole self relaxing, comfortable—even without truly “crossing the line.”

Gu Shiyu, however, was red to the roots of his ears. He had rarely interacted with women in the army, and never encountered a girl like Ji Tangtang. Her soft warmth pressed against him, the sweet peach scent surrounding him—and suddenly, that night’s scene replayed in his mind. His body reacted beyond his control.

Realizing the changes in his body, he forced himself to suppress the heat and shoved Ji Tangtang away, stammering, “W–We’re not married yet! I… I… Once we’re married, I’ll repay you properly.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a strange shame welled up inside him. He had once been a soldier on the front lines, ready to sacrifice his life for the honor of his country. But now—not only could he no longer fight for his nation, he felt like he couldn’t even be good to his wife. So useless… and just now, he had even…

The heat left his body, replaced by bitter frustration and helplessness. He was like a wounded leopard, thrashing against an inescapable cage, hurting himself again and again, yet powerless to break free.

Ji Tangtang had only meant to tease him a little, not expecting it to stir such pain. Feeling the storm of emotions pouring out of him, she sat upright and took a wild fruit from her bag, offering it to him. “I brought this for you.”

Looking at the fruit in her hand, Gu Shiyu dragged himself out of his thoughts and murmured, ashamed, “I scared you. Sorry.”

Ji Tangtang chuckled. “Do I look scared to you?”

He looked at her—and indeed, there wasn’t a hint of fear on her face. She was always different from what he imagined.

“Eat. This time I’m not teasing you—it’s sweet.” She popped the fruit into his mouth. “I was just joking earlier. What I meant by ‘repayment’ is, when your injuries heal, listen to me and help me with work.”

This wasn’t the first time he’d heard her say something like that, but he still didn’t dare believe it.

Ji Tangtang could tell from his expression that he doubted her. She didn’t explain further. Once he could stand again, he’d believe.

“Go on, eat. Afterward, let’s talk about registering the marriage tomorrow. You must have already heard from your mother that we’re going to the county office tomorrow, right?”

Gu Shiyu took a somewhat awkward bite of the fruit, swallowed, and said, “Got it.”

But it wasn’t Shen Meifang who had told him directly—he pieced it together from the curses and complaints she hurled about Ji Tangtang after returning home. From her scolding, he more or less figured out what was going on.

He hesitated a little and asked, “Can you even carry me?”

Ji Tangtang replied, “Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of strength! You just need to hold tight to my waist when you sit on the back and make sure you don’t fall.”

Ever since Gu Shiyu was injured and left paralyzed in bed, he had been extremely unwilling to go to crowded places. Most of the time, he wallowed in despair and self-abandonment. But Ji Tangtang’s unexpected arrival in his life meant he was no longer alone—he had to take responsibility for someone else now.

So, even though he still felt resistant, he nodded and said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”

Ji Tangtang looked at him and continued, “I made over 400 yuan today selling medicinal herbs. I used the money to buy a watch and some household essentials. Your mother knows I’ve got money, and since she couldn’t get her hands on any, she’s definitely unwilling to let it go. She’ll probably cause trouble for me later. I’m not the kind of person who takes a loss lying down—when the time comes, I’ll have to deal with her. You don’t mind, do you?”

Gu Shiyu said, “Do as you like, just don’t let yourself suffer.”

“Then don’t worry, I’ll never suffer a loss.”

Ji Tangtang found herself liking him a bit more after hearing that. Noticing that the fruit in his hand was almost gone, she pulled a few more from the cloth bundle and handed them to him. “Eat some more.”

Gu Shiyu hadn’t eaten dinner earlier—he’d been enduring it, not touching food, and somehow managed to get by. But now that he’d started eating, the more he ate, the hungrier he became. He didn’t stand on ceremony with Ji Tangtang and simply kept eating.