Chapter 19

The day Gu Xiaobao was discharged from the hospital was quite eventful. Gu Xiaobao was naturally adorable, and given his unfortunate background, people in the military compound paid him more attention than usual.

Those free in the building either rushed to help move things or came over to check on Xiaobao, expressing concern.

Su Nianmei also gained a bit of goodwill from everyone in the process.

Now that they had left the hospital, a few people were willing to greet her cheerfully.

Su Nianmei lived a routine life, practising at seven in the morning and rushing home at noon to cook for Xiaobao.

Every day around eight, she would run into Xiao Fang delivering meals to her. Still, when she asked the child where the food came from, he always hesitated to answer.

From his awkward demeanour, it was easy to guess Gu XichaoGu Xichao prepared it.

The only strange thing was that Gu Xichao had been training hard lately, coming home early in the morning and returning late at night. When he returned, he would collapse into bed and didn’t engage her in much conversation.

But that was fine; she hadn’t yet figured out how to handle her relationship with Gu Xichao.

Even though she had lived to twenty-eight in her previous life, she had still been an innocent and ignorant girl, nearly becoming a leftover woman without even having caught a glimpse of a boyfriend. Suddenly marrying someone, she found adjusting to this new role hard.

If she were to summarize the reasons for her past singlehood, she could count a few on her fingers.

The first reason was that she was too much of a fairy. After work, every day, she would lie in bed watching dramas.

When she had nothing to do, she would return to her old home to chat and drink tea with a few elderly folks, living a life that felt almost disconnected from reality.

Her social circle was limited, and the few friends she interacted with had become close like brothers.

The second reason was the demands of her job. She had passed the civil service exam for the provincial capital, working a five-day week with limited vacation time.

Most of the people she encountered were sharp-minded individuals, and the local tax bureau felt like a house of cards. After work, she had no desire to interact with anyone.

The third reason was that her criteria for choosing a partner were overly idealistic. Growing up on fairy tales, she listened to stories of princes and princesses every night, every night.

As she matured, she became infatuated with various romantic novels, fantasizing that her other half would ride in on a rainbow cloud to find her.

She later realized that, in reality, it was rare to find someone with a small age gap who met all her criteria and wasn’t balding.

After entering society, she discovered that love could be quite bland. Sometimes, it shattered easily under pressure, like the foam from a mermaid’s transformation that dispersed with a mere breath, let alone the prospect of a stable and reliable marriage.

Now, though she had distanced herself from the mundane world, her life, while not as luxurious as before, was still quite pleasant as she amused the child.

—o—o—o—

Three days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ma Fang came to inform her about a mobilization meeting scheduled for that evening.

The gathering was set to take place in the large open space in the middle of the compound at around seven o’clock. Families of the military personnel brought small stools to sit in the open area.

The livelier children clustered together to play, while the more introverted ones clung closely to the adults, almost sticking to them.

The family members chatted in the military compound, discussing life and their experiences.

Gu Xiaobao still needed some time for his injuries to heal, and Su Nianmei felt sorry for him, initially not planning to take him out into the chilly air. However, she couldn’t leave the child alone at home that late at night.

Su Nianmei rummaged through the closet and found a large red scarf belonging to the original owner. She wrapped it around Gu Xiaobao’s neck again and again, leaving only his bright, twinkling eyes visible.

The little bun had a circle of bandages wrapped around his head, making him look like a big-headed doll from a distance. He carried a small army-green bag on his shoulder, and his little hands kept squeezing the bag rhythmically.

Her head drooped, revealing her soft and adorable profile, with eyelashes fluttering above her eyes.

Recently, she made a sugar water egg for Gu Xiaobao every day, and she vaguely noticed that the child had gained a bit of weight.

His once chubby arms had developed into distinct little sections, and poking them felt pleasantly satisfying.

Su Nianmei looked at the little bun, wishing she could rush over and give him a few kisses, but she restrained herself, mindful of her role.

She was a good mom and needed to set an example.

Her gaze dropped down, and she noticed that Gu Xiaobao was still wearing those military green shoes, which made her feel a bit overwhelmed. She thought about when she would get the child a new pair of shoes.

In this weather, the shoes could last for a while longer, but she feared that if it continued like this, he would develop frostbite on his feet.

When they arrived at the venue, most of the people were already seated. Only a few spots remained at the edges. Su Nianmei wasn’t picky; she moved a chair over and sat down, pulling Gu Xiaobao into her arms.

Scanning the area, Su Nianmei realized she didn’t see many familiar faces. One arm was wrapped around Gu Xiaobao, while the other hand playfully pinched his little nose from time to time.

She squeezed and released, and Gu Xiaobao lay in Su Nianmei’s embrace, giggling uncontrollably.

His little legs bounced in the air, and his soft, white toes occasionally peeked out.

Su Nianmei’s brows furrowed a little more.

The commotion in the crowd gradually settled down as Su Nianmei lifted her head to look. Standing in the middle was a short-haired middle-aged woman, Director Liu, who had previously introduced her to a job.

Director Liu was someone who could command the room. With just a few words, she quieted the crowd.

The wind howled, and Su Nianmei tightened her hold on Gu Xiaobao, feeling the chill pierce her back.

She couldn’t help but recall the wound on Gu Xichao’s back; it had seemed quite serious at the time, and she wondered how it was now.

Lost in thought, she felt a warmth in the air. The atmosphere around her seemed to carry his scent. Gu Xichao was unlike anyone she had ever encountered before.

He was a soldier and a hero capable of shouldering the world for others, yet he was also a young man, both domineering and shy when he faced her.

He was mature yet youthful at twenty-eight years old, like a fine cup of tea that beckoned her to savour it slowly.

She could no longer hear what was being said around her; her heart raced.

She remembered the way he had looked at her when they first met—his uniform crisp and straight, his eyes seemingly filled with starlight, and her ears inexplicably felt hot.

It wasn’t until Gu Xiaobao wriggled in her arms that she snapped back to reality.

When they returned to the room, and the man beside her spread the blanket on the floor, Su Nianmei lay on the bed, turning to one side.

Her bright eyes fixed intently on Gu Xichao.

Feeling a bit strange, Gu Xichao lay down on the floor, his fingers cautiously pinching a small slip of paper in his pocket, careful not to let his sweaty palms dampen it. He controlled himself and slowly closed his eyes.

The man lay on the floor, his long legs curled up awkwardly. Su Nianmei glanced over; in the moonlight, his lips were slightly pursed, revealing a profile that suggested a sense of tranquillity brought by time.

A gust of wind passed by, and the man licked his lips.

He heard—

“Um, if the floor is too cold, just come up here.”

The voice floated through the air, soft enough to be almost a buzz.

But Gu Xichao caught it and turned his body back again.

The person on the bed had curled up in the blanket, exposing only a small head with cheeks slightly flushed.

After a while, Su Nianmei noticed that there was still no movement beside her. She wrapped herself tighter in the blanket and burrowed deeper into the bed, making herself into a little cocoon nestled in the corner.

Gathering her courage, she called out louder, “Gu Xichao, come up here.”

There was a rustling sound nearby, and Su Nianmei squinted her eyes, her exposed head wobbling slightly.

Gu Xichao watched her, feeling like a timid cat; he was so bold in front of others, yet he was shy and hesitant here at home.

He dragged the blanket onto the bed, and the little cocoon in the corner shifted slightly, awkwardly turning over and inching closer to the edge of the bed.

—It was nearly tipping over the edge.

His fingertips lightly brushed against Su Nianmei’s hair, then suddenly recoiled.

He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, a smile curving at the corners of his mouth for reasons he couldn’t quite understand.

He pulled out the note Su Nianmei had written for him from his pocket. After turning it over several times, he moved it from his palm to the bed. With a furrowed brow and a hint of dissatisfaction, he adjusted its position a few more times before finally placing it neatly under his pillow as if embedding it deep within his heart.

Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Su Nianmei listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing beside her.

It reminded her of Mu Xin’s poem “Once Upon a Time.”

In the past, carriages and horses moved slowly, and a lifetime was enough to love just one person.

Love was probably about meeting the right person at the right time, and even though it was autumn, it felt as though spring was approaching.