CHAPTER 9 

In the kitchen, Aunt Wu was simmering chicken soup. Old Master Gu had even had an orderly bring over an old hen to help nourish the frail Su Yin.

Once slaughtered and plucked, the hen weighed about three and a half jin. Half went into the soup pot; the other half would be made into cold dressed chicken.

On the stove, the soup bubbled away, sending up mouthwatering aromas. Stepping into the kitchen, Old Master Gu went straight to the point.
“Xiao Wu, tomorrow take a jar of chicken soup over to Cheng’an’s second uncle.”

Having worked as the Gu family’s housekeeper for years, Wu Xiufen could read between the lines. She immediately agreed.
“Alright, don’t you worry. I’ve been wanting to see my aunt anyway—maybe I can bring her back with me.”

Old Master Gu looked satisfied, his lips curling up and his chin lifting a touch higher.

“When your aunt comes back, you’ll be pleased. And now that Cheng’an’s behaving himself, it’s all the better.”

“Behaving?” Old Master Gu shook his head. “Far from it.”

“How’s he not? Honestly, Cheng’an’s got a good heart. He just has a stubborn temper and can’t stand to see anyone being bullied. Didn’t he even listen to you the other day and take Yin Yin out for a stroll? I’d say that’s progress.”

“A stroll?” Old Master Gu gave a short, derisive laugh. “He probably slipped off the moment they were out the door. It’s that Su girl’s kind heart, covering for him.”

Aunt Wu paused mid-stir with her chopsticks. “So that’s what it was? I overheard that day and thought it was true since you didn’t object.”

“Doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not.” Being tricked by the pair didn’t seem to bother the old man at all—if anything, his lips were still quirked upward. “No big deal. They’ve only met a few times. Let things take their course. Today, the Su girl was willing to lie for Cheng’an. Looks to me like she’s got some feelings for him. And for the first time, Cheng’an actually played along with a girl.”

As Aunt Wu plated the chicken and went to ladle the soup, she thought it over—it was true. Cheng’an had never been like this with any of the other courtyard girls. Normally, he couldn’t stand being around them.
“Sounds like there’s something there.”

Old Master Gu savored the thought, a note of pride in his voice. “I’ve got a good eye. Cheng’an needs a girl just like her.”

….

“Cheng’an’s temperament—you know it’s not a match for that Su girl.”
The next day, as Qian Jingfang left the military district’s family-run factory with her husband Gu Kangcheng, they discussed the recent guest at home on their way to visit a comrade who had just become a father.

Qian Jingfang was firm in her opinion.
“Su Yin’s a pretty girl, quiet and well-mannered. Now she’s all alone with no one to rely on. Her grandfather once saved Dad’s life, so we owe her family a debt. We can take care of her for a few years, then find her a good job. If she’s willing, I’ll even arrange a good match for her—and add to her dowry.”

Gu Kangcheng didn’t comment outright, but he knew his father was stubborn.
“I think it won’t be easy to change his mind. In my opinion, Xiao Su’s actually a fine match for Cheng’an…”

“What’s fine about it?” Qian Jingfang shot him a look, convinced that his mind was always on the army and hopeless in everything else. “You know how overbearing Cheng’an is—and you can’t even manage him. You expect a girl like Su Yin to? If a wife can’t rein him in, he’ll just run wild. If you ask me, Cheng’an needs someone with a bit of spice in her.”

“And you’re not worried they’d be fighting every day?”

“Not necessarily—”

“Auntie Qian, Uncle Gu!”

Along the tree-lined path leading from the military district to the family compound, Xin Mengqi walked up, greeting them sweetly.

Gu Kangcheng had known her father for years, their families close enough for her to be like a junior niece.

“Mengqi, going to see your dad?” Qian Jingfang spotted the thermos in her hand and guessed she was headed to visit her father in the hospital.

“Yes, I made him some pork rib soup.”

Once she was gone, Qian Jingfang considered aloud, “That girl’s really grown up now—generous, lively, and when she wants to be thoughtful, she’s very considerate. Did you see? She’s attentive and warm. If only Cheng’an liked her. Mengqi likes him, visits the house often, and he’s chased her off who knows how many times.”

This tangent brought her right back to the original topic.
“Anyway, it’s not just me who opposes this childhood engagement—your son doesn’t want it either. If young people can’t get along, you can’t force it.”

….

Xin Mengqi, thermos in hand, made her way to the military district hospital. Her father’s old injury had flared up again, putting him in the ward for a few days. The IV drip in his arm slowly fed into his veins as Yin Zhiyan tended to him at his bedside.

The moment she saw her daughter walk in, Yin Zhiyan took the thermos, unscrewed the lid, and a rich chicken aroma rose with the steam. She turned to her husband and beamed.
“Mengqi’s all grown up — she even made chicken soup for you now.”

Father Xin’s eyes softened with pride as he praised his daughter, but Xin Mengqi herself seemed distracted.

She’d never been much of a cook before — at home, her mother handled everything. It wasn’t until her last life, after she married, that she learned to cook just to win over her in-laws. Now, reborn and back in her nineteen-year-old self, she could at least show a hint of her skill.

After making sure her parents were sipping the soup, she slipped out quietly. Outside the hospital gates, she spotted a small group of men — and among them was the man who had been her husband in her past life.

The sight made her lips press together. Memories of that unhappy marriage flooded in, followed by thoughts of Gu Cheng’an’s later success. The bitterness swelled.

In her previous life, she had liked Gu Cheng’an — but he showed no interest in any girl in the compound, and seemed annoyed by her attention. Out of spite, she married another man from the same courtyard. That man turned out to be cold and distant, but Mengqi noticed something else: he had a deep, simmering jealousy toward Gu Cheng’an and kept trying to trip him up. Watching Gu Cheng’an suffer gave her a twisted sense of satisfaction, as if it proved she’d been “right” to give him up.

But Gu Cheng’an was no easy prey. He parried every blow, came out unscathed, and eventually became a business magnate with industries all over the country. Her own husband, on the other hand, lost everything.

It wasn’t until she was drifting through her later years that Mengqi learned the truth: Gu Cheng’an was actually the uncle of the male lead in a novel, a man both ruthless and powerful, the one who cleared the way for the protagonist’s success. Her own choice to give him up now seemed like a farce. If she had held on, she would have been the one to wear the title “Mrs. Gu.”

In that last life, she could only console herself by writing — altering the novel’s plot so that the lifelong bachelor Gu Cheng’an became her lover. But the morning after finishing the story, she opened her eyes… and found herself back at nineteen.

This time, she swore she wouldn’t give him up again. Everything was falling into place just as before — except for one thing: Gu Cheng’an’s childhood fiancée had suddenly appeared. A girl with a delicate, charming face, and her presence gnawed at Mengqi’s nerves.

That afternoon, she strolled to the Gu residence. On a workday, only Old Master Gu was home, napping, while Aunt Wu sat in the courtyard shelling green peas.

“Aunt Wu, keeping busy, I see.”

Aunt Wu glanced up and clicked her tongue. It was the Xin family girl.
“Mengqi, here to see Cheng’an? He’s not home, went out.”

“No, I’m here for Comrade Su Yin. My mother said she’s about my age, and that us young girls should spend more time together.”

“…Ah.” Aunt Wu’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she still went upstairs to call her.

“Su Yin, Mengqi’s looking for you?” The name made Su Yin pause. Wasn’t this the future love interest in the book?

“Yes, she’s downstairs. Says she wants to take you out.”

“Alright, I’ll go have a look.” Su Yin recalled the novel’s description — gentle, kind, generous. Surely she was a good person.

“Hey—! You silly girl.” Aunt Wu blocked her on the stairs, frowning. “That Xin girl’s spoiled and temperamental. Be careful she doesn’t give you grief.”

Xin Mengqi’s pampered temper was well-known in the compound, and so was her crush on Gu Cheng’an. Aunt Wu couldn’t shake the feeling that her sudden visit to Su Yin was like a weasel paying respects to a chicken — not exactly with good intentions.

Su Yin nodded, puzzled. But when she reached the courtyard and saw Mengqi’s sweet smile, she wondered if Aunt Wu was exaggerating.

After all, when someone greets you with a friendly face, it’s only polite to respond in kind. She followed Mengqi to the back of the Gu family’s small courtyard — where the girl’s smile vanished.

“Su Yin, tell me honestly — are you really Cheng’an’s childhood fiancée?” The tone was sharp.

Su Yin blinked. This wasn’t how the novel had described her at all.

“It’s true there was talk of such a thing back then, but…” She figured she might as well put it to rest. “You don’t need to worry — it was just a joke. Nothing to take seriously.”

“Hmph.” Mengqi’s eyes narrowed. To her, this country girl was playing innocent. “Don’t pretend. Everyone knows Old Master Gu takes this childhood engagement seriously. You just want to climb your way up, don’t you? Fly to the branch and become a phoenix?”

She almost said “look in the mirror first,” but Su Yin’s face made her swallow the words. “Anyway, Cheng’an would never like you.”

Su Yin, baffled, didn’t get the chance to speak before Mengqi’s accusations kept coming.

“How shameless can you be, living in the Gu house and eating for free?”

“Comrade Mengqi, what exactly is your relation to the Gu family?” Su Yin asked calmly, wondering why she seemed so different from the book’s description.

“That’s none of your business!”

“Then my stay at the Gu house is none of yours.”

“You—” Mengqi choked, not expecting this country bumpkin to talk back.

“I’m here under the care of Old Master Gu and the family. I’m grateful, and I’ll repay their kindness someday.”

“Hah, nice words. You just want to cling to Cheng’an, seduce him, and marry him!”

“Xin Mengqi, have you lost your mind?”

The voice came from behind. Gu Cheng’an had just returned with a few friends. Walking past his own gate, he’d caught sight of shadows behind the wall — and after overhearing enough, stepped forward.

“Who lives in my house is none of your concern. Who are you to us? Is Su Yin eating your family’s rice?” His black eyes were cool, his tone dripping with disdain.

“Cheng’an… I…” Mengqi’s face burned. “How can you say that? You’ve known her just a few days, but I grew up with you.”

“Don’t pull that ‘we grew up together’ nonsense. We’re not close.” The thing he hated most was someone bad-mouthing his family — and whether Su Yin bore the Gu name or not, she was living under his roof.

Flushed with humiliation, Mengqi turned and stormed off — but not before shooting Su Yin a glare. Su Yin could only blink, wondering why the hostility was aimed at her, when the harsh words had all come from Gu Cheng’an.

But still, he was standing up for her.
Only… was it really okay to talk about his future wife like that?

Su Yin glanced up at Gu Cheng’an. His face was still set in that cold, stern look—downright intimidating.

“No need to thank me.” Gu Cheng’an caught her timid, hesitant gaze. “Since you’re living in our house, I can’t just let anyone bully someone from the Gu family.”

With that, he lifted his long legs and strode off.

Su Yin hurried after him, speaking in a small voice, afraid he’d misunderstand—and even more afraid she’d ruin his marriage prospects with Xin Mengqi.
“Thank you for just now, but… was it okay to say that to Xin Mengqi? Won’t she be angry?”

Wasn’t Gu Cheng’an supposed to like Xin Mengqi? He’d been awfully blunt back there. Su Yin muttered to herself in silence.

Gu Cheng’an’s brows drew together sharply, as if wondering what on earth she was talking about. Why would he care about Xin Mengqi?