Chapter 14: Then I’ll Take It Off for You

In the afternoon, Jiang Yue worked hard and sweated a lot. When she was preparing dinner, she had already boiled two large kettles of hot water, getting ready to take a bath later.

However, when Jiang Yue opened the wardrobe, she frowned immediately. The Original Owner had quite a lot of clothes, but since it was already May and the weather had warmed up, the clothes hanging inside were all summer attire—shirts, dresses, pants, and several floral print dresses. They were all ready-made clothes, each dress costing around twenty to thirty yuan, which was about the same as an ordinary worker’s monthly salary!

To Jiang Yue, however, these patterns were too old-fashioned, and the fabric was all made of synthetic fibers.

Jiang Yue knew that in the 1960s and 1970s, a fabric called “Dique Liang” was especially popular in China, which was essentially a type of synthetic fiber.

“Dique Liang” was more durable and long-lasting than cotton fabric, and there were many more patterns to choose from. Although it wasn’t cheap, it was highly sought after by the common people.

At the time, wearing clothes made of “Dique Liang” was considered quite prestigious.

In reality, though, this synthetic fabric was not breathable. Not only did it fail to keep the wearer cool, it made them feel extremely hot. As soon as they sweat, it would stick to the body, and when exposed to water, it would become transparent.

Jiang Yue shook her head upon seeing this, but then she recalled that the book had mentioned that Gu Ye had never mistreated the Original Owner. Looking at it from this perspective, it seemed that was indeed the case!

The Original Owner could afford so many “Dique Liang” clothes because of the money and cloth tickets provided by Gu Ye.

Without a private shower room, Jiang Yue always bathed in the room. First, she had to bring in the large washbasin, then carry hot and cold water to mix together. Just doing all of this made Jiang Yue so exhausted that she was panting heavily.

After taking her bath, she scooped the water from the washbasin into a bucket and carried it outside to dispose of it. However, when Jiang Yue tried to lift the bucket, she couldn’t move it.

“Gu Ye! Gu Ye!”

Gu Ye was in the courtyard, shaving bamboo. When he heard Jiang Yue calling for him, he looked up.

Jiang Yue was leaning on her waist, standing under the porch, gritting her teeth. “Gu Ye, can you help me lift the bucket out? I can’t move it!”

The bucket was made of iron, heavy by itself, and when filled with water, it became as heavy as a large chunk of iron. She had tried several times but couldn’t lift it, and almost hurt her waist in the process.

There was no other choice; she could only ask Gu Ye for help.

Gu Ye looked at Jiang Yue. At this time, dusk had fallen, and the light of the day was dimming. However, Gu Ye felt as if something bright had flashed before his eyes.

No, it wasn’t a flash of light. It was Jiang Yue’s skin, glowing like snow, exposed after her bath.

For a brief moment, Gu Ye’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly realized something was wrong and swiftly averted his gaze.

Then he paused. Why did the clothes Jiang Yue was wearing look so familiar?

Gu Ye eyed her suspiciously, and his expression turned strange as he stared at her. “Why are you wearing my clothes?”

“I have no clothes to wear, so I borrowed your shirt!” Jiang Yue’s skin was delicate; she only ever wore pure cotton or real silk, and she couldn’t tolerate synthetic fibers like “Dique Liang” for even a second.

By chance, she had seen Gu Ye’s white shirt hanging on the drying rack in the corridor, so she simply took it.

Gu Ye was 186 cm tall, and his shirt hung on Jiang Yue like a dress, reaching her knees, with the sleeves rolled up several times.

However, this white shirt issued by the military was made of cotton. While it wasn’t as soft, it absorbed sweat well, was breathable, and was roomy enough to wear loosely, making it quite comfortable as sleepwear.

“You say you have no clothes to wear?” Gu Ye’s expression became even stranger, and within that strangeness was a hint of mockery. “Didn’t I already give you cloth tickets this month? If you want more fabric, you’ll have to wait until next month!”

Jiang Yue’s lips twitched. Here it came again. Gu Ye was starting with his mockery once more!

“That’s not what I meant!”

Jiang Yue’s eyes shifted, and she quickly made up a reason. “I’m not sure if it’s because I fell in the water, but after I came back, my skin became very sensitive. I can’t wear ‘Dique Liang.’ You see, I wore that dress today, and now I have a rash all over my body!”

Gu Ye saw Jiang Yue walking toward him, pulling the shirt down over her shoulders as she walked, and his eyes were once again dazzled by her soft, fair skin.

“Put on your clothes!” Gu Ye commanded, quickly looking down, but then he caught sight of Jiang Yue’s two long, bare legs under the shirt, and he immediately didn’t know where to look.

Seeing Gu Ye acting all serious and upright, Jiang Yue felt a mischievous impulse and decided to tease him. She deliberately moved closer to him, tugging at his sleeve, and asked coquettishly: “Gu Ye, are you mad? Is it because I’m wearing your clothes?”

“No!” Gu Ye didn’t speak, and with a swift motion, he lifted his arm and pulled the sleeve from Jiang Yue’s hand, avoiding her touch with a slightly defensive posture.

Jiang Yue pouted and leaned closer to him again. “Then why aren’t you looking at me?”

Gu Ye’s tall body stiffened, especially when Jiang Yue got closer. A faint, refreshing scent drifted toward him, and he could feel the temperature in his body rising.

“I told you, I’m not angry!” Gu Ye took a step back, his jaw clenched tightly.

Damn, why was he getting hotter and hotter?

“Ah, you still say you’re not angry. Fine, it’s my fault for wearing your clothes without asking. I’ll just take it off and return it to you!” Jiang Yue deliberately sighed and pretended to unbutton the shirt.

“I’ll take it off, alright!”

A large hand suddenly shot out, grabbing Jiang Yue’s wrist, and Gu Ye’s voice followed, sounding nervous: “Don’t take it off!”

“Poof!” Jiang Yue looked at Gu Ye’s flushed face and his eyes, which seemed unsure of where to look, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

As expected, he was a typical straight-laced man. He was so easy to tease!

Gu Ye turned his head, realizing that Jiang Yue had been playing with him all along. She never actually intended to take off the shirt to return it to him!

“Jiang Yue!” Gu Ye’s dark eyes seemed to be burning with fire, and he looked rather exasperated.

“Ah! It’s just a joke! Don’t be mad! Don’t be mad!” Jiang Yue quickly backed off.

Although Gu Ye was angry, he still went into the room and easily carried the water bucket outside. After pouring the water out, he went back in and this time brought out the large washbasin as well.

Jiang Yue watched as Gu Ye effortlessly carried the water bucket with his left hand and the large wooden washbasin with his right. She couldn’t help but click her tongue. Sure enough, he came from the background of a top-tier soldier—Gu Ye’s strength was just too much.

After Gu Ye finished organizing everything, Jiang Yue moved closer: “Thanks, Gu Ye!”

Gu Ye snorted coldly and didn’t even spare her a glance.

By now, the sky had turned completely dark. Gu Ye pulled the light cord, brightening the living room. He called out to Ningning: “Time for a bath!”

Jiang Yue approached again: “Do you need help?”

Ningning was three years old, and although Gu Ye was a man, it wasn’t very appropriate for him to bathe a little girl, even if she were his biological daughter. And Gu Ye wasn’t her biological father.

Upon hearing this, Gu Ye stopped in his tracks. This time, he didn’t ignore Jiang Yue, but the coldness in his gaze was palpable.

“Jiang Yue, what exactly do you want?” Gu Ye’s voice had turned icy.

“I don’t want anything, I just want to help!” Jiang Yue was somewhat confused. What had she said that had triggered him?

“Help?” Gu Ye sneered: “You’d better not help. I can’t afford your help!”