Chapter 14: I don’t agree with you being together

Moments later, he walked up to Lin Moran, smoothly taking an apple slice from her hand, saying, “This apple slice was clearly meant for me.  Hmm, not bad, crisp and sweet.”

Lin Moran was startled, not expecting Gu Jingyao to return.

Even more unexpected was how naturally he took the apple from her hand.

“Comrade Gu, you seem to have made a mistake. This apple isn’t for you. It’s for my son.”

“If you want an apple, just ask, someone will send you sacks and sacks of them.”

Lin Moran said impatiently.

“Oh? It’s Quanzhe’s apple? I took the wrong one? I’ll buy another one later.”

Gu Jingyao found a stool, ignoring Lin Moran and Shen Haoyang, sitting down in front of Gu Quanzhe, asking, “Zhezhe, feeling better? Zhezhe is so brave, you didn’t cry during the injection.”

Gu Quanzhe’s thin face showed surprise.

Why was he here?

Didn’t he reject him?

Why was he back?

Did he come back because he cared?

He didn’t believe it!

After a moment, Gu Quanzhe’s face stiffened, then he turned away angrily, ignoring Gu Jingyao.

Gu Jingyao felt a little frustrated.

“Gu Jingyao, you should leave. Your presence only makes Zhezhe feel worse; it’s pointless.”

Shen Haoyang felt like an intruder with Gu Jingyao’s casual arrival.

He had abandoned Lin Moran and her son so decisively.

Now, he was back, acting as if he belonged here.

Gu Jingyao looked up, not even glancing at Shen Haoyang, calmly saying, “I said I’d be back.”

“So, should I thank you for keeping your word?”

Lin Moran sneered.

Gu Jingyao pulled a chair closer, his gaze on Lin Moran, his face expressionless, his voice low and gentle, “You’ve worked hard, sit down for a while.”

His actions were as natural as ever, even gentle, like a good husband.

What happened earlier seemed to have never happened.

“I can’t accept that.”

Gu Jingyao didn’t get angry but looked at Gu Quanzhe, “Quanzhe, Mom is tired, tell Mom to sit down and rest.”

Gu Quanzhe still ignored him.

Lin Moran didn’t sit either.

With no response, Gu Jingyao didn’t get angry or feel awkward.

He sat upright and steady.

His presence made the injection room instantly solemn. Other patients and their families didn’t dare speak loudly.

Even the children who had been crying and shouting “I don’t want an injection” became quiet.

Shen Haoyang was annoyed. Why was Gu Jingyao so comfortable?

He deliberately sat in front of Gu Quanzhe, clearly showing he wasn’t leaving.

If he didn’t leave, neither could he.

He had persevered for so long; leaving now would be a waste.

The scene then became three adults watching a child get an IV drip.

None of them spoke, yet the injection room felt tense.

The child’s IV drip was slow, others were “drip…drip…drip…”, his was “drip… …drip… …drip…”.

Two or three times slower than usual.

Shen Haoyang was getting sleepy, yawning when he noticed Gu Jingyao’s posture hadn’t changed, his military bearing radiating strength and authority.

He was still energetic and spirited.

Shen Haoyang instantly woke up. Gu Jingyao was doing this on purpose, trying to wear him out.

But he wouldn’t be worn out.

The three continued to wait.

It was late at night when Gu Quanzhe’s IV drip was finally finished.

Gu Jingyao covered Gu Quanzhe’s needle site to prevent bleeding, then held him in his arms.

Lin Moran: …

Shen Haoyang: …

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to hold Gu Quanzhe, they were simply no match for Gu Jingyao.

He was quick and decisive in picking up the child.

“Haoyang, thank you for your help tonight, get some rest.”

Leaving the hospital, Lin Moran turned to Shen Haoyang.

Shen Haoyang looked at Gu Jingyao warily, “I’m not reassured.”

“Who knows what he’ll do!”

Gu Jingyao turned, his eyes cold, his gaze meeting Shen Haoyang’s.  One was angry and aggressive, the other was expressionless and unconcerned.  The air crackled.

“It’s alright. At this hour, he won’t do anything.”

Lin Moran reassured Shen Haoyang.

Gu Jingyao had waited years to meet his beloved, he would surely remain faithful and wouldn’t touch her.

Shen Haoyang reluctantly left.

Gu Jingyao carried Gu Quanzhe home, putting him in bed, then looked around Lin Moran’s room.  Perhaps due to his life in the army, he had a natural fondness for this simple and slightly cold room.

“I’m late, is the child alright?”

Gu Jingyao asked.

“Whether he’s alright or not, you still left, didn’t you?”

Lin Moran retorted.

“Moran, the situation was special.”

Gu Jingyao explained.

“Yes, especially special, leaving me and Quanzhe twice in one night. Gu Jingyao, if you have a choice, don’t come back and bother Quanzhe, okay? He’s still young, he can’t handle your hot and cold attitude.”

“Also, I didn’t want to say this at the hospital. Now that Quanzhe is asleep, please don’t appear in front of us again.”

Gu Jingyao’s heart snapped, “Moran, do you have to be so heartless?”

Lin Moran’s eyes were cold, “You’re the heartless one, now you’re accusing me of being heartless?”

“Alright, don’t say anything. I don’t want to argue with you, please leave.”

Her words completely shut Gu Jingyao up.  Gu Jingyao looked at her intently.  He could handle any problem or enemy, but Lin Moran always made him feel helpless and frustrated.

Lin Moran was infuriating.

She never lost her temper, but her words were like needles, piercing you relentlessly.

“We’re still married, I don’t want to leave, and you can’t make me. You’re so eager to get rid of me, are you afraid Shen Haoyang will misunderstand?”

“He’s not the child’s father, and he’s not a good person. If you’re divorcing me to be with him, I disagree. I won’t file for divorce.”

Gu Jingyao said angrily.

“He’s not a good person, but you are?  All these years, whenever I and the child were in trouble, it was he who helped us, not you!”

Lin Moran sneered, “I know, because he mocked Xu Jingya at the hospital, and because he said ‘a friend’s wife is off-limits’, making you lose face, so you’re slandering him.”

“Lin Moran, would I target him just because someone said a few words about me?”

Gu Jingyao asked, his eyes dark and unreadable.

“Who knows?”

Lin Moran retorted.

“Time will tell, Moran. Time will give you the answer.”

“Then let time give the answer. Why are you in such a hurry? Shouldn’t you be filing for divorce first?”

“That’s my business.” Gu Jingyao said calmly.

Those few words immediately regained the initiative.

“You’re as spicy as chili peppers today. Get some rest. I’m leaving.”

Gu Jingyao opened the door and disappeared into the night.

Lin Moran gritted her teeth in anger.

Why did she marry him?

Even a divorce was controlled by him.

After Gu Jingyao left, he didn’t appear in front of Lin Moran for many days.

The only difference was that every two or three days, a bag of fruit would appear at her door: apples, bananas, and grapes.

Gu Quanzhe would bring the fruit inside.

He would eat some and give the rest to Old Chen.

Old Chen praised him for his kindness, but his face was sullen as he ate the apples.

Everyone asked who bought the fruit, but he remained silent.

He didn’t want to mention that old man, thinking that sending fruit every few days would make him forgive him?

He wouldn’t forgive him, absolutely not!

Lin Moran started to get busy.

She had saved a lot of money, and at her earning rate, she had enough for Gu Quanzhe’s surgery.

Now that the doctor said the surgery needed to be done as soon as possible, she had to earn more money.

She needed to save a lot of money for the surgery, to ensure his nutrition after the surgery, and to make ends meet.

Whenever she had time, she went out bargain hunting.

“Lin Moran, unless you help me recover my eighty yuan, don’t even think about bargain hunting! Don’t even think about making money!”

“I’ll follow you everywhere. I’ll buy what you buy, sell what you sell! If you don’t take me with you, I’ll report you!”

Lin Moran’s bargain hunting was immediately obstructed.

Gu Aihua appeared, striding towards her aggressively.

After Gu Jingyao’s last visit, Zhao Sumei had scolded her half to death. Her husband had wanted to beat her, but although he didn’t hit her, he ordered her to get the eighty yuan back, otherwise, she would go back to her parents’ house.

Gu Aihua was desperate. After her child was born, she stayed home to take care of the child and do housework.

Before marriage, her mother-in-law had promised her husband that after she raised the child, she would retire, and Gu Aihua would take her place.

Because of the eighty yuan, her mother-in-law went back on her word, saying she was so stupid that she couldn’t even do a simple job.

Without a job, she couldn’t earn money.

Where could she get eighty yuan?

Helpless, she had to ask Zhao Sumei for help.  Last time, with Gu Jingyao present, Zhao Sumei didn’t dare to be as domineering as before. Finally, she gave Gu Aihua an idea, “Just follow Lin Moran, buy what she buys.

If she doesn’t take you to make money, then monitor her and report her, get a reward from the government. It’s only eighty yuan, you’ll get it eventually.”

Gu Aihua thought this was a good idea.

She followed Lin Moran every day.

Lin Moran looked coldly at Gu Aihua; the Gu family were all masters at playing dirty.

Did Gu Aihua think this would threaten her and stop her from making money?