Chapter 26: A Night’s Stay

When Su Nianmei thought back to that day, she could only vaguely remember his eyes, like starry orbs, and the slight movement of his Adam’s apple.

She looked up at him and said: “Brother G-.”

Before she could finish the name, her voice was swallowed up, her lips pressed against her forehead, hot and burning, sending her heart spinning at the unexpected sensation.

A few barks echoed in the courtyard, muffled by the sound of rain, quickly cast aside from her mind.

Outside, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed, but inside the room, an enchanting atmosphere enveloped them.

Gu Xichao’s lips brushed against the girl’s soft, fair skin, slowly gliding over it, the unique fragrance of youth lingering at his nose, stirring a deep yearning within him, yet it was perfectly timed. He bent down gradually, moving from her forehead across her brow.

Delicate, lingering kisses fell upon her nose, and Su Nianmei’s hands unconsciously wrapped around Gu Xichao’s waist, her legs feeling weak beneath her.

She clutched his clothing, nearly collapsing into his embrace, their breaths intermingling as the air flowed between their lips, an unbearable tickling sensation coursing through them.

His lips slipped past her nose, on the verge of kissing the softest part, as Gu Xichao met Su Nianmei’s gaze. Her closed eyes trembled, her lashes fluttering violently, and within his eyes, her shadow lingered, concealing an eruption of desire beneath the surface.

Suddenly, Su Nianmei felt a tightening around her waist. A warm palm pressed against her back, pulling her closer as if he wanted to imprint her onto his very heart. The kiss she anticipated did not come; warmth enveloped her from above.

Gu Xichao rested his chin atop Su Nianmei’s head, resembling a large dog, holding the girl tightly in his embrace.

“Wife,” he murmured, his voice low and tinged with melancholy.

Gu Xichao’s sleeve was tugged twice, and the girl in his arms turned her hand to grasp his, slowly stroking the calloused skin, their fingers interlocking.

She caressed him gently as if trying to smooth over the scars in her heart.

“Mm, I’m here,” she replied.

A crisp sound interrupted them; Aunt Ge had just stepped in, holding a metal basin. Upon seeing the couple so intimate, she instinctively tried to back out but accidentally slipped. The basin collided with the corner of the wall, creating a loud “clang.”

Feeling like a thorn was in her back, Su Nianmei twisted around, struggling to maintain some distance from Gu Xichao.

Gu Xichao nodded, “Aunt Ge.” As he spoke, he began to unbutton his outer garment.

Aunt Ge chuckled, “You young couple have such a good relationship. It reminds me of our days back then.” Then she noticed Su Nianmei’s shy expression and added, “By the way, the room next door is tidied up. Xiao Gu, take Nianmei to have a look.”

Su Nianmei also called out to Aunt Ge, smiling. She looked up to see Gu Xichao walking toward the door.

Without hesitation, she quickly followed him outside.

However, just as Gu Xichao stepped out, he turned back, deftly removing his outer garment and draping it over Su Nianmei’s head.

The girl’s braided hair was pressed beneath the clothing, revealing her round eyes. “I—I’m not cold,” she protested.

She tried to tug the garment down a bit.

Gu Xichao raised his hand and pressed it down gently on Su Nianmei’s head, his tone a mix of impatience and teasing. “Behave.”

Su Nianmei glanced up, noticing that Gu Xichao was only wearing a shirt, with the top button casually undone. When she looked up, her gaze collided with his delicate collarbone.

She instinctively touched her own nose.

Fortunately, she hadn’t started a nosebleed.

Aunt Ge observed the young couple from the room, an involuntary smile creeping onto her lips. Suddenly, a hint of melancholy washed over her. If only Rui’er were here, the child would probably be much older.

The mountains were without electricity, and the room was lit by oil lamps, their flickering shadows dancing up and down in the darkness.

As soon as Su Nianmei entered the room, she removed her coat and curled under the blanket, rolling into the corner. She secretly touched her cheek, which felt incredibly hot.

“Are you?” Gu Xichao asked.

Su Nianmei immediately replied, “I’m cold!”

She absolutely could not let him discover the fact that she was shy.

Gu Xichao stood in front of the oil lamp on the table, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Su Nianmei.

It felt as if she could hear a soft chuckle. She tugged at the bedspread with her fingers, stealing a glance at Gu Xichao. The military-green shirt had darkened significantly, and she felt a twinge of guilt, prompting her to sit up slightly.

Then she saw Gu Xichao extend his finger, unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time, first revealing his collarbone and then… moving downward.

In an instant, Su Nianmei buried her head beneath the blanket.

She propped herself up on two fingers at the edge of the quilt, leaving a small hole for breathing, her eyes darting around in the darkness as she struggled to resist the urge to peek.

After a while, with no movement in the room, Su Nianmei slowly began to inch her way out of the blanket, resembling a silkworm. Just as her head emerged, her hair was ruffled a couple of times.

She heard Gu Xichao’s voice from above, tinged with teasing. “Wife.”

Su Nianmei felt as if she were about to burst from embarrassment; surely, even her toes were turning red.

Then Gu Xichao noticed the silkworm wriggling back into the blanket.

A moment later, a soft voice emerged from the blanket. “You—You put your clothes on first.”

I—I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.

After speaking, Su Nianmei felt a sudden weight beside her, instinctively shrinking back against the wall.

Gu Xichao reached out with his long arm and pulled her back, amusement in his eyes.

In the dim light, Su Nianmei found herself nestled in his embrace, her head resting against his chest, the cotton of his coat feeling cool against her skin.

Gu Xichao lay back on the bed, his long legs hanging off the edge.

For some reason, Su Nianmei felt a little disappointed inside.

Gu Xichao said, “Wife, you’re really cute.”

He felt the girl in his arms tighten her grip.

He had initially wanted to tease her about being shy after they had already kissed, but after considering the consequences of what he might say, he changed his words to compliment her cuteness instead.

Having heard Su Nianmei praise their Xiaobao’s cuteness all day, it naturally rubbed off on him.

Now, it seemed to have the desired effect.

Suddenly, a rumble of thunder echoed outside.

Su Nianmei had been a little afraid of thunder since she was young. She would hide alone in her room to avoid bothering her grandmother, covering her head to wait it out. Yet, even with a change of body, her instinctive reactions remained unchanged.

Gu Xichao noticed that his wife had clutched him even tighter.

She was practically leaning against him.

He gently patted her back, reassuring her, “It’s okay, I’m here.”

The small head resting on his chest rose slightly; perhaps the dim lighting gave her courage. She leaned into his shoulder, burying her head and exhaling warm breaths against Gu Xichao’s neck.

After the thunder passed, the girl seemed to think of something else. She turned and found a comfortable position, nestling herself into his embrace, her arms wrapping around his waist.

“Why weren’t you happy today?” Su Nianmei pondered for a long time, trying to make her voice sound calm and cute.

She liked being open about her feelings, but sometimes she was afraid to ask, worried that the answer would end up making her sad.

She quickly added, “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it.”

Gu Xichao gazed down at her, the delicate bridge of her nose making her look even cuter. In a moment of mischief, he playfully nibbled at it.

Su Nianmei blinked in surprise a couple of times before gasping in shock.

Aunt Ge heard the sound and wanted to check, but Uncle Ge stopped her.

Su Nianmei saw the light in Uncle Ge’s room flicker between darkness and brightness.

She shot Gu Xichao a glare, her cheeks puffed up in annoyance.

Then she turned away, pretending to fall asleep.

Gu Xichao quickly lay down beside her, gently squeezing her fingertips, admitting his fault. “I’m sorry.”

Su Nianmei huffed, “What did you do wrong?”

Gu Xichao replied, “I shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have—” But before he could finish his sentence, Su Nianmei covered his mouth.

Her petite hand rested on his lips, carrying the scent of the girl, and the temperature in the room suddenly rose. Gu Xichao extended his tongue to lick her palm.

The girl’s hand jerked back suddenly, turning completely away from Gu Xichao.

Gu Xichao was left speechless.

He kicked off his shoes and lay down fully on the bed.

“Let me tell you a story,” he said.

Su Nianmei still didn’t respond, only mumbling an unclear “mm.”

“Five years ago, we went on a mission. During an incident, our battalion leader, who was with us, was killed.”

“His name was Ge Rui, the only son of Aunt Ge. He sacrificed himself to save me.”

There was no need to elaborate; those few words made the whole story clear.

Ge Rui saved him, just as he had saved Xiao Fang.

Wearing the military uniform came with a heavy sense of responsibility.

As Su Nianmei listened, she realized that although Gu Xichao’s words were brief, she could envision the dangers contained within them.

Gu Xichao continued speaking, his tone calm and steady.

She turned around and said, “I’m cold. I want a hug.”

The way she stretched out her words had a hint of a pout that Gu Xichao found adorable.

He knew that his wife was worried about him.

He wrapped his arms around Su Nianmei, holding her quietly without saying a word.

He wanted to give her a better life and future. Over the years, he has had many opportunities for advancement. Yet, he had remained in the position that Ge Rui had held back then. It was time for him to let go.

They spent a night of sweet dreams.

The next morning, Gu Xiaobao ran out to play.

Old Sixth Gu walked behind Jin Chunfen, holding Gu Xiaobao’s jacket in his hands, worried that the child might catch a cold.

Leaning against the car, Ji Yuan spotted Gu Xiaobao rushing toward him.

“Uncle Ji!”

The little guy was sweating from playing, and as soon as he reached Ji Yuan, he leapt into his arms.

Ji Yuan didn’t mind at all. He hugged the little one close, reaching out to pinch the boy’s cheek without any expression.

So soft.

When Ji Yuan’s gaze met that of Mrs Jin Chunfen behind him, he caught sight of Gu Xiaobao’s flushed cheeks. He awkwardly withdrew his hand, placing Gu Xiaobao back on the ground. He quickly regained his composure and held Gu Xiaobao’s hand instead.

“Hello, who are you?” he directed his words toward Ms. Jin but looked at Gu Xiaobao.

Gu Xiaobao tugged at Ji Yuan’s hand with two fingers. “Uncle, that’s my Grandpa and Grandma.”

Ji Yuan set his feet down, standing straight, and tried to smile to please the elders. “Hello, you can call me Xiao Ji. I’m a friend of Gu Xichao’s. Just a moment, please.”

He turned back to the car, grabbed a pen, and wrote something down.

When he returned, he handed the note to Jin Chunfen.

“Aunt, this is my address in Kyoto. I’m leaving today, but when Xichao and the others come over, they can find me here.”

Jin Chunfen looked at the spirited young man and patted his shoulder. “It’s great to have a friend like you for Xichao. You’re leaving, and Aunt didn’t have time to bring you anything.”

Ji Yuan replied, “It’s fine; this is what I should do. Aunt, you take Xiaobao to play. I’ll be leaving soon.” He pinched Gu Xiaobao’s cheek playfully. “Uncle is leaving.”

He opened the door and sat in the back seat.

Waving goodbye to Gu Xiaobao, he glanced back.

Jin Chunfen and Old Sixth Gu watched the car drive away, exchanging glances, wondering why their Xichao was being transferred to the capital.

Inside the car, Ji Yuan felt restless, unable to shake off his inexplicable concern for Su Nianmei. Just a moment ago, he had given out his home address. With his departure, there was a possibility they might meet again, or perhaps they would never see each other again.

He rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette.