Chapter 3: Marry Me

Hearing her mother say that, Niu Niu understood that the fierce uncle had been helping them.

After understanding this, she wasn’t as afraid of the uncle anymore.  With curious, wide eyes, she blinked and stared at him.

Strange, he was like a ferocious tiger just now, but now his eyes looking at her mother are so gentle, like a big puppy.

Gu Chengfeng chuckled, “It’s impossible to let a woman treat me.”

“You helped me, it’s only right that I treat you!”

As they bickered, an older woman who had spoken up earlier said, “I think you two should stop arguing. The food that man ordered hasn’t been touched, don’t waste it.”

“Right!” Shen Sisi chuckled inwardly. Although the food was ordered by Zhao Changjiang, it hadn’t been touched and hadn’t been paid for, so she wasn’t taking advantage of anyone.

Hearing that it was the “pervert’s” food, Gu Chengfeng lost his appetite.

“If you want to eat it, take it. Sisi and I will order something else.”

Shen Sisi sighed, Senior Gu was still as domineering and fastidious as ever.

“Alright… don’t waste it.” Shen Sisi tugged at his sleeve, gesturing for him to sit down.

Gu Chengfeng’s gaze fell, subtly glancing at the slightly wrinkled sleeve, the corners of his mouth curving upwards: “Fine, I can’t argue with you.”

As soon as he sat down, he reached into his pocket, holding the milk candy he had been clutching all the way, which was almost melted.

“This is for…” He looked at the sickly little girl.

Shen Sisi didn’t hesitate, introducing openly, “My daughter, Shen Xingyue, but we call her Niu Niu.”

Gu Chengfeng’s expression was subtle.  The surname Shen, she didn’t take her father’s surname.

He cracked a smile, trying to create a warm expression.  He hadn’t smiled in a long time, he didn’t know how strange his smile looked.

Niu Niu, timid, shrank back into Shen Sisi’s arms, making Gu Chengfeng flustered. He quickly took out the milk candy.

“Uncle came suddenly, I didn’t have anything prepared for you. This is a White Rabbit milk candy, it’s very sweet, try it?”

Gu Chengfeng was slightly incoherent.  He was good at scaring children, but comforting them… was a first.

Shen Sisi stroked the round little head in her arms: “Niu Niu, what did Mommy teach you? Be polite. Look, Uncle gave you candy, what should you say?”

Niu Niu timidly raised her head.  The moment she saw the candy, a spark ignited in her large eyes.

Milk candy… sweet and soft milk candy!

She was three years old and had only eaten milk candy once, almost forgetting what it tasted like, only remembering that it was sweet, very sweet, the more she ate, the more saliva she had.

Niu Niu swallowed, tentatively looking at Shen Sisi.

After getting her mother’s affirmation, she dared to reach out her small hand and said thank you, uncle, in a childish voice.

That “uncle” made Gu Chengfeng’s heart melt.

He carefully peeled the wrapper, and Niu Niu took it, but didn’t rush to put it in her mouth. Instead, she held it to Shen Sisi’s lips.

“Mommy, eat!”

Seeing her so well-behaved, Shen Sisi’s nose soured: “Good Niu Niu, Mommy doesn’t want it, you eat it!”

“Mommy eat!” Niu Niu stubbornly brought the candy to her mother’s lips: “Eat the candy, Mommy won’t be sad anymore…”

Shen Sisi’s arms tightened involuntarily, unable to believe that a three-year-old child could say such words.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Good girl, I’m not sad, with Niu Niu, Mommy is fine!”

Her pretense of strength was seen by him.

His hands clenched under the table, his knuckles whitening from the force.

He wanted to ask, but was afraid of touching on her sadness.

After all, they had just “accidentally met” and “reunited,” directly asking about her privacy would be too intrusive.

So, he suppressed his curiosity, asking with concern: “What’s wrong with the child…?”

“Tuberculosis. Niu Niu didn’t have enough milk when she was a baby, her constitution wasn’t good. Once she had a fever, there was no medicine in the countryside, and by the time we got to the city, it was too late.”

Every time she mentioned this, Shen Sisi felt immense self-blame.

It was her fault that she hadn’t taken good care of Niu Niu…

Therefore, she came to the city to find a father for Niu Niu.

Niu Niu’s tuberculosis was getting worse, if she didn’t get treatment in the city soon, she might not survive the winter.

Otherwise, why would she act like a commodity, meeting several men every day, being picked and chosen, being called names, insulted and humiliated.

Only if she married a man in the city, could her household registration be transferred, and Niu Niu could receive prompt medical treatment.

Thinking of the purpose of her trip, and the humiliation she had suffered these days, she forced back the tears, swallowing her bitterness, and said calmly: “It’s nothing serious, I’ll take good care of her.”

A deep darkness flashed in Gu Chengfeng’s eyes.

Tuberculosis, not serious?

With the current medical conditions, it was difficult to cure.

Gu Chengfeng knew she was strong and independent, but sometimes she could be less strong.

However, from her words, he seemed to smell the truth behind her blind dates for Niu Niu!

“So, you’re going on blind dates to get Niu Niu into the city for better treatment, right?” He asked directly.

Shen Sisi looked at him in astonishment, meeting his sharp, hawk-like gaze: “Indeed… nothing can be hidden from you.”

“That’s right, I do want to find a father for Niu Niu, to transfer her household registration to the city. I didn’t intend to hide this from anyone, after all, they have the right to know. If they agree, I can also live a good life with them, but…”

She chuckled self-deprecatingly. These days of blind dates had made her realize that no man would accept them.

They would rather accept a divorced woman with a child.

But they wouldn’t accept a woman who wasn’t married but had a child.

She didn’t want to tell Senior Gu these upsetting things, but since he already knew, she had nothing to hide.

Gu Chengfeng cleared his throat, his heart pounding in his chest. He took a deep breath, feigning ease: “You’re having difficulties, why didn’t you come to me?”

“You?” Shen Sisi raised an eyebrow: “How could you help me?”

“Marry me!” Gu Chengfeng said, his eyes filled with a gentle warmth, soft enough to make one’s heart flutter.

Luckily she hadn’t started eating, otherwise she would have sprayed her food everywhere: “Don’t tease me. I heard you’ve become a battalion commander, a promising young officer… there are plenty of girls chasing you.”

Unlike her joking tone, Gu Chengfeng was incredibly serious, his eyes firm as if making a vow: “I’m serious.”

“You’re not kidding me?”

“I’m not kidding!”

Shen Sisi’s smile cooled, looking seriously at the handsome and heroic face in front of her, beneath his sword-like brows, a pair of beautiful eyes were proud and aloof, his black pupils hidden starlight.

Compared to before, Gu Chengfeng had less of a ruffian’s arrogance and more of a soldier’s uprightness and firmness, coupled with his neat green military uniform, he would surely attract countless girls on the street.

Unlike her… notorious, despised.

They were worlds apart, how could it be possible…