Chapter 38.2

On the way to the courtyard, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky. Gu Sui tilted his head back, and a snowflake landed on his eyelid, freezing for a moment before melting away.

Gu Sui wiped the drop of water from her eyelid and asked: “Do you have an umbrella?”

Guan Yue nodded and quietly took out a large black umbrella.

Gu Sui opened the umbrella, and Guan Yue hooked her arm through his, both of them walking slowly back home.

As they reached the alley, they could hear the faint sound of children laughing and adults talking from the surrounding courtyards.

Exhaling a puff of white breath, Guan Yue turned her head to look at Gu Sui and smiled, saying: “Having a courtyard is really nice.”

Gu Sui gave a soft hum and touched her hand, saying: “It’s pretty warm.”

Guan Yue smiled, leaned her head on his shoulder, and added: “It’s warm in my heart, too.”

Gu Sui curled the corners of his mouth and asked: “Do you like my parents?”

“I do.”

He didn’t pry into her private matters, yet their attitude was kind and gentle, the sense of distance just right.

Guan Yue knew that the comfortable meeting they were having today was the result of Gu Sui’s efforts over a long time.

Guan Yue said: “Actually, I’m not really that socially anxious.”

“What do you mean by socially anxious?”

“Well, I just don’t like interacting with people.”

Gu Sui gently hummed and said: “I understand.”

He knew that she wasn’t socially anxious, and in some ways, she was very good at interacting with people.

However, he also knew that she didn’t like it.

If given a choice, she would rather be by herself.

He used to always encourage her to come down the mountain, but later, for reasons related to him or others, many people came to find her. She came down, but he felt heartache.

He just wanted her to live the way she liked, even with his parents—he didn’t want her to endure anything.

The two of them walked closely, and Guan Yue slipped her hand into his pocket. “It’s warm in your arms, too.”

Gu Sui gave a faint smile. “We’re here. Give me the key to open the door.”

Guan Yue took the key out. “I’ll do it.”

Hearing the sound from outside, Qin Lie climbed out of bed and opened the door.

Gu Sui saw him and said: “Go back to sleep.”

Qin Lie nodded and closed the door.

Gu Sui’s mother had tidied up the courtyard, but only two rooms had beds set up. One was the east wing, where Qin Lie slept, and the other was the main room.

Gu Sui said: “Wait here, I’ll go heat the kang.”

“How do you heat the kang?”

“Do you want to see?”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t much to see with heating the kang; it was just starting the fire. The bed was like a flat pan—once heated, it was good to sleep on.

Guan Yue ran back to the room, felt the bed was warm, then opened the window and called out: “Don’t burn it anymore, it’s hot.”

Gu Sui replied: “Okay, I know.”

Gu Sui added a few more pieces of coal to the stove before going to wash his hands. After washing, he went to the kitchen to boil a pot of water and brought it in. The two of them washed their faces and feet.

Afterward, Guan Yue took two quilts from the jade pendant space and spread them on the kang.

Guan Yue said: “This is for you.”

Gu Sui pretended not to understand, picked up the two quilts his mother had prepared, and said: “Go to bed early. I’m going to Qin Lie’s place.”

Guan Yue wouldn’t let him go and hugged his waist. “You’re not allowed to go.”

“If I don’t go, where will I sleep?”

“Sleep here with me.”

“Stop joking, it’s late. You should go to bed early.”

But Guan Yue refused to let go. “This kang is so wide, how can it not fit two people?”

Gu Sui sighed. This little troublemaker was going to make things difficult for him again.

“The kang at Qin Lie’s place is also very wide.”

Guan Yue directly snatched the quilts from his hands, threw them onto the kang, and pushed Gu Sui down. He fell back onto the kang, looking up.

Guan Yue quickly ran over to close the door. “You’re not leaving.”

Gu Sui looked at her for a moment, then lay back down. “Alright, just don’t regret it.”

“No matter who regrets, I won’t regret it.”

She spread out the quilts again, arranging them on both ends of the kang, leaving a wide gap between them.

Guan Yue touched the edge of the quilt at the far side. “Your side is still cold. Why are you staying so far away from me? Drag the quilt over.”

“It’ll warm up in a while.”

Guan Yue put her hands on her hips. “No, you’re not allowed.”

In the end, Gu Sui had no choice but to drag the quilt over.

But Guan Yue was still not satisfied and directly dragged the quilt closer to her side.

Gu Sui pinched her nose. “Are you satisfied now?”

Guan Yue nodded contentedly. “Sleep now.”

In the east wing, Qin Lie, who was sleeping in his room, had left a small gap in the window to let in some fresh air. He faintly heard voices coming from the main room. After a while, the sounds disappeared.

He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The light in the main room went out, and the snow outside grew heavier.

It was Guan Yue’s first time sleeping on the kang, and she didn’t yet know how powerful it could be. When she first lay down, it felt wonderfully warm, but after a while, she began to sweat on her back.

Half asleep, she started to take off her clothes inside the covers, tossing the discarded garments out of the bed. One of them landed on Gu Sui’s head.

Gu Sui was startled awake, removing the thin, soft clothing from his head.

He propped himself up. The white snow and hazy moonlight streamed through the window, casting a faint glow. He saw her pale, delicate legs stretching out from the covers.

Gu Sui tugged at her quilt, covering her legs again.

Guan Yue, feeling hot, frowned. In her dazed state, she stretched her legs out again.

Gu Sui had no choice but to drag the quilt over once more.

Guan Yue, still feeling too hot, became restless. Her head rolled off the pillow and she turned toward Gu Sui, her whole body shifting so that half of her was out of the bed.

Gu Sui adjusted the quilt again.

Frustrated, Guan Yue rolled over once more, now completely out of the covers. Her two soft, white legs were sprawled—one on her own bed, the other on Gu Sui’s.

Guan Yue was only wearing a short-sleeved pajama, and without the quilt covering her, she felt cold, her skin breaking out in goosebumps.

Gu Sui’s gaze lingered on her legs. This brat couldn’t sleep properly. When she was by herself before, how did she never get sick?

Guan Yue, feeling cold, rolled over again. This time, she completely ended up on Gu Sui’s side of the bed.

She lay on the quilt but still felt cold. Without thinking, she crawled into his covers, snuggling into his embrace, her brows relaxing.

Holding the soft girl in his arms, Gu Sui began to sweat at his temples.

At that moment, Guan Yue felt uncomfortable in her position and turned over, pressing into Gu Sui’s chest. One of her legs rested on his, and she rubbed against him, settling in more comfortably.

She was comfortable, but Gu Sui definitely wasn’t. He endured it for a while, then, once he thought she was deeply asleep, he propped himself up and pinched her cheek. “You really are sent by heaven to torment me.”

Guan Yue slapped his hand away, nuzzling into his chest, and continued to sleep.

She could sleep, but Gu Sui couldn’t.

---

The next morning, Guan Yue rubbed her eyes, feeling something wasn’t right.

Why was the quilt on her now Gu Sui’s?

Also, hadn’t she been sleeping at the head of the bed? How was she now in the middle?

She turned her head and looked behind her—her own quilt was at the far end of the bed.

Guan Yue sat up, yelling: “Gu Sui!”

Gu Sui was in the kitchen making breakfast, his hands covered in water. He hurried over, asking: “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Why am I in your bed?”

Gu Sui gritted his teeth. “What do you think? You bullied me the whole night, and now you still have the nerve to ask me?”

Last night, when she took his spot in the bed, he had moved her quilt to the end of the bed and slept there himself.

Guan Yue, feeling like she had slept deeply, couldn’t remember much from the night.

Wait.

Now that she thought about it, she vaguely remembered feeling hot and rolling over at one point.

Could it have been that brief moment when she took his quilt?

Guan Yue chuckled and reached out to pull him. “Sorry.”

“Stop pouting, get up and eat.”

Gu Sui turned around and started to walk away, but Guan Yue quickly realized something was off.

“Gu Sui, come back.”

“What’s wrong with you now?”

Guan Yue climbed out of bed, knelt on the kang, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The little girl, looking fierce, said: “I ran all the way to your bed, and you still left me here!”

Gu Sui was already boiling with anger, but her words completely ignited it. He immediately pinned her down, throwing himself on top of her, his hands holding her face as he kissed her fiercely.

Guan Yue struggled, but Gu Sui quickly spread her legs, placing them on his waist, pinning her down completely.

Guan Yue’s face turned red from the kiss, and she moaned and squirmed for a long time, unable to find a chance to speak.

Because every time she tried to open her mouth, he would kiss her even harder!

The more he kissed her, the stranger it felt.

Gu Sui let out a low sound of frustration, and Guan Yue was so scared that she didn’t dare to struggle anymore.

Her slender, fair legs, which had been wrapped around his waist, quietly moved away.

Gu Sui finally lifted his head, his fingers pinching her chin. His voice was hoarse as he asked: “Do you want more?”

Guan Yue quickly shook her head. “I won’t dare again!”

Gu Sui gave a mocking laugh, kissed her heavily once more, then released her and turned to leave.

At that moment, he remembered to close the door behind him.

Guan Yue rolled back into the bed, burying herself under the covers, not showing even a single strand of hair.

After a while, a quilt rolled across the kang, moving back and forth.

“Come out and eat!”

The timid Guan Yue stuck her head out from under the covers and weakly responded: “Okay.”

---

Qin Lie had already gotten up and was sitting at a round table, directly opposite Gu Sui.

Guan Yue wanted to sit next to Qin Lie, but Gu Sui glanced at her, and the little scaredy-cat obediently sat at his right side.

A bowl of millet porridge was placed in front of her. “Eat.”

Guan Yue picked up the bowl and began eating, sneaking a glance at him. Why was he so fierce today?

“It’s fine, Wang Ze is driving.” Gu Sui said.

After Gu Sui introduced everyone, Qin Lie followed him as they left.

Gu Ci said: “Mom told you both to come back for lunch.”

“Got it.”

Once Qin Lie left, it was just the two of them at home. Guan Yue directly sat on Gu Sui’s lap, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Are you going to cause trouble again?” Gu Sui asked.

Guan Yue kissed him lightly. “Not causing trouble, just want to be a little closer to you.”

The corners of Gu Sui’s mouth curved up.

Guan Yue smiled teasingly. “You were so domineering this morning, so charming!”

“Didn’t you say I was being fierce with you?”

Guan Yue leaned close to his ear and quietly asked: “Were you thinking about something back then?”

Gu Sui tightened his arms, pulling her even closer.

Guan Yue smiled triumphantly. “I knew it.”

Gu Sui set her down on the floor. “Don’t stay at home anymore. I can’t stand being cooped up here. Let’s go to the park for a walk.”

“Which park?”

“Any park.” As long as they left.

Staying at home any longer would either suffocate him or drive him mad. The real problem was, he couldn’t do anything about her.

At this time, whether big or small, the parks were bustling with activity, especially the ones with lakes. On the frozen, hard lake surface, men and women, adults and children, glided on ice skates, having a great time.

Guan Yue wanted to go. “Teach me.”

Gu Sui paid for the rental of the skates with two yuan, helped her put them on, and then slowly led her onto the ice.

“Take it slow, no rush.” Gu Sui said.

Guan Yue held onto his hand, slowly moving forward.

Once they were on the ice, Guan Yue didn’t dare let go of his hand, so Gu Sui held onto her, guiding her as they skated in circles on the lake.

Guan Yue laughed joyfully, thrilled by the experience.

She was happy, and so was he. “Close your mouth, too much cold air will make your stomach hurt.”

Guan Yue replied: “Alright, you slide over there, there’s no one.”

Gu Sui took her hand, and they skated further and further away. One of them wore a white coat, the other a black one. Hand in hand, from a distance, they looked perfectly matched.

Guan Yue was enjoying herself so much. “Let’s come back tomorrow.”

“Sure, we’ll come tomorrow.”

By now, it was getting late, so they needed to head back for dinner.

They didn’t return empty-handed. Gu Sui was carrying a large bag of biscuits and malted milk, which he had bought while passing by the grocery store.

The New Year was just a few days away, and over the next couple of days, they would be visiting relatives. They planned to visit the uncles who had helped their family in the past.

Guan Yue asked: “Should I go too?”

Gu Sui responded: “Do you want to go? If you want to, then come. If not, you don’t have to.”

Guan Yue thought for a moment and said: “I’ll go to visit the ones who are close to your family. The others, I won’t go.”

Gu Sui squeezed her hand gently. “Don’t force yourself.”

“I’m not forcing myself. It’s just that we only see them once, who knows when the next time will be.”

“We’ll get married when the time comes.”

“Should we have the wedding in Beijing?”

“Where do you want to have it?”

Guan Yue didn’t really mind. She only had one close person—her Teacher. As long as her Teacher could come to Beijing, she didn’t care where they held the wedding.

Gu Sui said: “We can have it in Qingxi Village too. We can have our parents come over and see us there.”

Gu Sui felt that, given the current situation, they would likely be staying in Qingxi Village for a while. Letting their parents see his current work environment would ease their worries.

When they returned home, the meal was already ready, and Gu Sui’s mother was cooking.

They knocked on the door, and Zhang Limin saw the items in Gu Sui’s hands. “Why did you buy so much?”

Gu Sui put the things on the table. “We’re going to visit Uncle Bai and Uncle Li for the New Year, so I thought I’d buy some things on the way. We can take them along when we go.”

Zhang Limin replied: “You should’ve told me, I could have gone to buy them myself.”

Gu Sui laughed. “You’re worried about my money? The nursing home has a good salary and benefits. I hardly even go to town once a month, and I’ve saved up a lot of coupons without any place to use them. I was even thinking of giving some to you.”

Zhang Limin firmly refused. “You should keep it. You can use the coupons to get food and eggs when needed.”

Gu Sui said: “The workers around the nursing home exchange grain and medicine pills with Guan Yue. The grain we get from the pill exchange is more than enough for us. We only kept half of the grain from this fall’s harvest, and the rest went to the canteen.”

Zhang Limin smiled and said to Guan Yue: “He’s always eating and drinking your stuff. I heard the house you live in is also yours. You’re losing out in this relationship, aren’t you?”

Guan Yue laughed. “It’s not that bad.”

Gu Sui smiled at her. “What are you saying? What do you mean ‘not that bad’?”

“Alright, alright, I misspoke. In our relationship, I get the most benefit, okay?”

They exchanged a glance and both laughed.

Zhang Limin watched them and felt happy. The two of them were so in sync with each other. With this kind of relationship, their future would surely be better.

After lunch, Guan Yue said she wanted to take a nap. Zhang Limin told her to go sleep in Gu Sui’s room for a while.

Gu Sui went inside, made the bed for her, and when he came out, he remembered to close the door properly.

Zhang Limin brewed a pot of tea and sat on the sofa, smiling warmly as she looked at him.

“You, you’re even more thoughtful than your father.”

Gu Sui sat down next to his mother and poured himself a cup of tea. “Guan Yue is more laid-back about life, and I always worry she won’t take good care of herself.”

Zhang Limin curled her lips, realizing it was because he had feelings for her.

“How have you been over there?”

“Good. Life is really peaceful. Sometimes, Guan Yue causes a little commotion, but it’s actually kind of fun.” Gu Sui said, laughing.

The mother and son sat across from each other, sipping tea and chatting for the whole afternoon.

By around four o’clock, Gu Ci came home.

Gu Sui said: “Oh, you two are having tea? Bring me a cup, I’m dying of thirst.”

Gu Sui poured him a cup. “How’s that kid Qin Lie doing?”

The tea was at the perfect temperature, and Gu Ci drank it all in one go.

“It’s settled. That uncle of his is really despicable! Not only did he want to take his house, but he also tried to enroll him and send him to a farm in Xinjiang. Luckily, he ran into you guys, or that kid’s life would’ve been ruined.”

Zhang Limin asked: “Who’s Qin Lie?”

Oh no, they had slipped up. Gu Ci quickly gave Gu Sui a look.

Zhang Limin added: “You two stop playing dumb and tell me what’s going on.”

Gu Sui explained: “It’s not a big deal. Yesterday, we ran into an injured kid. His uncle was taking over his family’s property, and the kid had nowhere to go, so he ran into our courtyard. We just helped him out.”

Zhang Limin asked: “What does his uncle do? You two better not be causing trouble!”

Gu Ci answered: “He’s just a thug, nothing to worry about. I didn’t even step in, Wang Ze found someone and took care of it.”

Zhang Limin frowned. “Although you can’t just ignore situations like this, you need to think things through and act within your means. Don’t put yourselves in danger. It’s not easy for our family to sit together for New Year.”

Gu Sui reassured her: “Mom, don’t worry. Those things from the past definitely won’t happen again.”

Gu Ci noticed the jars of malted milk powder on the table. “Are these for Uncle Bai and the others?”

Gu Sui nodded. “When are we going?”

“That depends on their schedule. Also, Uncle Bai and the others don’t really need these things. Just giving this might seem a little lacking in thought.”

Guan Yue pushed the door open and came out. “Didn’t I bring some health supplements? If they don’t mind receiving medicine during the New Year, we can give them this instead.”

Zhang Limin quickly nodded. “These aren’t ordinary pills, so they definitely won’t mind. The health supplements you sent last time worked really well. Your uncle and I felt much better after taking them, and we even shared some with Gu Sui’s uncles. Everyone really liked them.”

Guan Yue asked: “Then why didn’t you ask us for more later?”

Zhang Limin replied: “Well, I didn’t want to take up your time. You’re both always so busy with work. Our health is fine, so it doesn’t matter whether we take them or not.”

Gu Sui said: “Mom, Guan Yue isn’t stingy. Next time, just let us know when you finish them.”

Guan Yue added: “Exactly, it’s no trouble.”

On the twenty-sixth day of the New Year, some companies that had started their holidays early began their breaks. Gu Jingde took his family to visit the friends who had helped them in the past.

The gifts they brought were considered expensive by others.

They had the usual items like biscuits and malted milk powder, but for Uncle Bai, who had helped them the most, they also included a dried wild chicken. The most valuable gift was the health supplements that Guan Yue had made.

Guan Yue went along to visit the close relatives. When they received their gifts, their faces lit up with joy, and their attitudes toward Guan Yue became especially warm and friendly.

It was at that moment that Guan Yue learned that Gu Sui’s Uncle Bai had some connections with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and he had known Guan Yue’s name long before.