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Chapter 30: Marrying You Without a Care for the Consequences
On the first day of the New Year, Xu An was woken by the noisy sounds coming from the courtyard. She opened her eyes, pushed herself off the bed, and got dressed in her pajamas and slippers. In the kitchen of the business hotel, Zhou Yu had already warmed up hot water. When he saw Xu An awake, he picked up the teapot and set it aside before starting to heat up the leftover food from the day before.
Xu An prepared warm water to wash her face, then opened the door to brush her teeth, only to see the Zhou family bustling about with various bags and packages.
Seeing Xu An squatting at the door in her cotton pajamas with her delicate face still glistening with moisture, Zhou Dandan couldn’t help but scoff. She was clearly a mess, yet somehow still managed to look good, which irked Zhou Dandan.
Zhou Dandan pursed her lips. The noise from the east room indicated that her second brother was cooking. “It’s no wonder you don’t have family in the capital. You can sleep in as long as you want, huh? Must be nice and easy.”
Xu An spat out the water, raised her gaze to Zhou Dandan, and said coolly, “Of course, unlike you, little sister, I don’t even know where my family will be in the future.”
“Judging by your looks and temperament, it’s uncertain whether you’ll even have a family.”
Zhou Dandan took a deep breath, feeling insulted that this village woman dared to say she was ugly.
Looking at Xu An’s porcelain-white face, Zhou Dandan huffed, “Well, at least you look good, and you willingly married my second brother.”
Her second brother was a lifelong cripple; marrying him was certainly better than being her second sister-in-law.
“You really are your brother’s good little sister,” Xu An said sarcastically, her eyes landing on the Zhou family members preparing to head to Feng Yirou’s family with their bags. She let out a cold laugh. “The Zhou family certainly has good upbringing to raise such a good sister.”
With such a pampered and unsophisticated attitude, Zhou Dandan would eventually be the one to ruin herself.
Zhou Dandan glared and was about to retort when Zhou Hongguang pulled her hand. “Dandan, if you don’t want to go to your big sister-in-law’s place, just stay home.”
Hearing this, Zhou Dandan immediately looked down and fell silent.
The Zhou family packed their things and headed out, not bothering to greet Xu An or Zhou Yu.
Watching them leave, Xu An stood up and turned to Zhou Yu, whispering, “If you had found a wife from around here, you could go visit your mother-in-law this year.”
Now that she had married him, neither of them had anyone to rely on, making their small courtyard seem a bit desolate.
As soon as Xu An finished speaking, a knocking sound came from the courtyard door. Blinking in surprise, she put down her toothbrush and went to open the door.
Seeing the person at the door made Xu An’s eyes light up. “What brings you here?”
Fang Shu was holding a gift and, seeing Xu An’s sincere smile, stepped inside. “An An, I came to wish you a Happy New Year. Are you welcoming me?”
Xu An took the things from her hand and called out, “Of course, welcome!”
She led Fang Shu inside, and as they passed the courtyard, Fang Shu glanced at the cold and quiet yard but didn’t say anything.
Xu An got Fang Shu a chair, put the gifts into the room, and took out some fruits and snacks she had bought, placing them on an enamel plate to serve at the stove.
“Fang Shu, have you had breakfast?”
“Yeah, you guys don’t need to worry about me; I already had breakfast.”
Zhou Yu took two bowls and served Xu An rice.
Xu An sat next to Fang Shu, who smiled a bit shyly. “Am I interrupting your time together?”
She rubbed her nose and continued, “My husband had something to do early this morning and probably won’t be back until night, so I thought of coming to find you.”
Xu An was naturally pleased to have her. Not only was Fang Shu her first customer, but she was also her first friend here.
“I wouldn’t mind if you came to keep me company every day; I’m all alone too.”
Fang Shu could sense Xu An’s sincerity and felt more relaxed, her smile becoming more genuine.
Xu An couldn’t help but sigh internally, wondering why Fang Shu’s husband was so busy on New Year’s Eve.
After Xu An and Zhou Yu finished their meal, Fang Shu pulled Xu An into conversation. Zhou Yu initially lounged across from them, his gaze lingering on the way Fang Shu held Xu An’s arm. His expression narrowed slightly before he stood up and walked outside.
“I’ll be out for a bit,” he said, leaving Xu An with only his back.
Seeing Zhou Yu leave, Fang Shu turned to Xu An, looking a bit embarrassed. “Am I interrupting your little life together?”
Xu An shook her head repeatedly. She and Zhou Yu didn’t have any little life; he probably didn’t want to spend time with her anyway, as he never said a nice word.
Fortunately, Fang Shu was unaware of the situation. Xu An whispered, “He probably went to see Wu and the others; let’s just talk.”
Fang Shu nodded and continued chatting with Xu An without any burden.
The two women talked for the whole morning, and in the afternoon when Zhou Yu returned and saw Fang Shu still there, he didn’t show any expression and went straight to the inner room.
Xu An called out to him, “Zhou Yu, I was just talking to Fang Shu. Can you help me heat up the dishes?”
After a whole morning, the food had long since cooled.
Zhou Yu, with a cold expression, put the pot on the stove without a word.
Xu An smiled at Fang Shu, “We’ll have lunch at home.”
Fang Shu nodded. Now that Xu An was with her, she didn’t feel as lonely as she used to when her husband was busy.
Watching Zhou Yu heat the food, she felt a twinge of envy. She and her husband had a good relationship, but…
Her husband was always busy. She didn’t have any complaints; after all, she was doing well, and the people around her dared not speak ill of her. Whenever her husband had time, he would spend it with her, and she understood that.
Xu An turned to Fang Shu and asked softly, “Did your husband spend New Year’s Eve with you yesterday?”
Fang Shu nodded with a smile. “Yeah, he rushed back last night with bags full of the New Year’s Eve dinner. We celebrated the New Year at home before he went back to work.”
Her tone wasn’t one of complaint; she even spoke of her partner with happiness, which reassured Xu An a bit.
It seemed that he wasn’t the kind of man who neglected his family for work.
Noticing Xu An’s worried expression, Fang Shu smiled and said, “I’m fine; my relationship with him is great.”
Then her tone shifted, “It’s just that we don’t have our own kids.”
She gently squeezed Xu An’s hand, her voice softening. “We haven’t been able to have our own children, so he works even harder. Plenty of people come to seek us out, and they don’t dare to offend him, so they won’t speak badly about me.”
Xu An sighed lightly. Despite the one-child policy, many people still secretly had children or paid fines, and not having children was often spoken of as a national policy while behind the scenes, the criticism of women for being unable to give birth was relentless.
Even if one’s life was good, it could still be thrown into question.
With Xu An as someone to talk to, Fang Shu couldn’t help but confide, “My husband is doing some business now and has had some success, and his relatives can’t help but think of taking advantage.”
“At first, they just wanted to persuade my husband to divorce me so they could marry their own relatives to him. Seeing that our relationship is strong, they now have other ideas.”
“Claiming it’s in line with the national one-child policy, one of his uncles suggested adopting a child and raising it as our own, so we’d all be one family.”
She looked at Xu An with a mocking expression. “They just see us living well and are envious; they want to take everything away from us.”
Xu An frowned. “Do you still keep in touch with those relatives?”
Fang Shu smiled brightly and shook her head. “Those scheming relatives? If I were still in touch with them, I’d be a fool.”
“Now, my husband’s relatives are visiting less and less; even the New Year feels cold and quiet.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I know everyone usually calls me a jinx for not having children, and that’s all they can criticize me for.”
Xu An lowered her gaze slightly and bit her lip. “Fang Shu, um… do you want to have kids?”
Hearing this, Fang Shu was taken aback for a moment before giving a self-deprecating laugh. “An An, you might laugh at me, but I want to have a child.”
“Not for any other reason, but I don’t want my husband to work so hard just to maintain the appearance of our small family. Plus, I’m quite looking forward to having our own child.”
Listening to the anticipation in her voice, Xu An suppressed her expression, her brows furrowing as she hesitated to ask.
Fang Shu could tell what she wanted to ask from her expression and raised her
eyebrow, speaking nonchalantly. “We both went to the health clinic for checkups; it’s my issue. I’m actively cooperating with treatment, but there hasn’t been much effect. It’s been five years, and while I feel regretful, I’ve also given up.”
After all, they were doing well and didn’t lack money. Moreover, no one dared to offend them or speak ill of her behind her back; they only dared to gossip in secret.
At first, some shameless women even tried to compete with her for her husband, but he chased them away easily.
Thinking of this, Fang Shu couldn’t help but smile, looking at Xu An with a light laugh. “The hospital diagnosed me with a problem, and it’s difficult for me to conceive. At first, a lot of women wanted to get pregnant for him and push me out. He drove them all away, and later on, rumors spread that we couldn’t have children because of his issue, not mine, and no one bothered him anymore.”
She could still laugh about it now, which probably meant she had truly let it go. Xu An’s eyes softened.
Seeing Zhou Yu had finished heating the leftovers, Xu An stood up to bring the bowls and chopsticks over, serving both of them rice before sitting down, feeling a bit embarrassed as she looked at Fang Shu. “Fang Shu, we only have leftovers at home; I hope you don’t mind.”
Inviting her sponsor to eat leftovers felt a bit too bold for Xu An.
Fang Shu didn’t mind at all and smiled brightly at Xu An. “I know your cooking is great; I’m more than happy to eat leftovers.”
Seeing her unfazed, Xu An smiled and nodded.
Lifting her gaze to Zhou Yu, who had an unreadable expression, she picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in Fang Shu’s bowl before casually asking Zhou Yu, “Zhou Yu, are you done with your business?”
After entering, he hadn’t said a word since being put to work, and now his expression was a bit darker as he nodded slightly.
Xu An smiled and gave him a piece of meat. “You’ve worked hard.”
Having just come back and helped heat the food for them, he was also tolerating their chatter.
Zhou Yu stared at the two women, who were somewhat trying to curry favor, before looking down to eat the food Xu An had given him.
After lunch, Xu An continued chatting with Fang Shu while Zhou Yu washed the dishes clean. Fang Shu watched the couple, imagining if her husband weren’t so busy, they might be living this kind of life too.
Fang Shu gently sighed, and in the afternoon, she got up to say goodbye to Xu An.
Xu An couldn’t keep her from leaving but thought of something and quickly called out, “Fang Shu, I have a New Year’s gift for you. Take it before you go.”
Fang Shu was surprised to hear she had prepared a New Year’s gift for her and immediately stopped with interest.
Xu An quietly exhaled, raising her voice. “The gift is in the house; I’ll go get it.”
After saying this, she pressed Fang Shu down onto the chair before hurrying back into the inner room.
As Xu An returned to the room and sat on the bed, she immediately called out to the system in her mind.
[System, is there any medication in my mission rewards that can help treat women’s infertility?]
The system seemed to be searching for data, not responding until Xu An was about to ask again.
[Host, do you mean the Yanggong Pill?]
Did this mean they had it?
Xu An’s eyes brightened as she quickly responded.
[System, can you give me one?]
As expected, the system directly refused.
[Host has not completed the mission.]
Xu An lightly coughed and began negotiating.
[System, after work starts this year, I plan to open a shop. By then, I will definitely be able to complete the mission. Please advance me one Yanggong Pill, and I won’t ask for any other rewards when I complete the mission.]
Worried the system might not agree, Xu An hurriedly added.
[Fang Shu is my first customer and is still my friend. She might become my network in the future. To succeed step by step, connections are very important. As a system, you need to help me expand my network.]
After saying this, Xu An held her breath, waiting for the system’s response.
As time passed, she felt her heart rate slow, until finally, the system sent the message about the mission reward.
[Host has received an advanced reward: one Yanggong Pill. Please complete the phase mission as soon as possible to improve yourself.]
Xu An let out a sigh of relief, repeatedly acknowledging in her mind.
Then, she eagerly exchanged for the reward. Feeling a slight weight in her palm, Xu An looked down to see a small, translucent, exquisite pill. She quickly found a small box in the cupboard to put the pill in, then took the box and headed outside.
At the door, Fang Shu was patiently waiting for her to come out. When she saw Xu An, her smile brightened as she looked at Xu An, eagerly anticipating her gift.
Xu An stood before Fang Shu with the box in her hand. Zhou Yu, who had originally been standing at the door, walked a few steps closer and leaned against the door frame, lazily watching Xu An.
Xu An leaned close to Fang Shu and handed her the small box.
Since it was such a small box that couldn’t hold much, Fang Shu assumed it would be something like earrings or a bracelet and asked with anticipation, “Can I open it now?”
This was a gift from her first friend, and she was really looking forward to it.
Xu An nodded, “Mhm.”
Fang Shu lowered her gaze to the light box that didn’t weigh much and slowly opened it. When she saw a small pill inside, she was slightly taken aback and tilted her head, staring at Xu An with confusion. “What is this?”
Xu An smiled gently at her, bending slightly to whisper in her ear.
“This is the Yanggong Pill.”
The Yanggong Pill…
Just hearing the name, Fang Shu understood what it was. Her gaze fell on the transparent pill, and just from its quality, she knew it was not something cheap.
Her heart felt warm and a bit sour, regardless of whether this thing was useful; her friend had thought of her.
Fang Shu felt both sweetness and bitterness in her heart, the emotions hard to decipher.
She looked up at Xu An, her eyes glistening with tears as she opened her arms toward Xu An. Xu An’s expression softened as she bent down and hugged her tightly, Fang Shu wrapping her arms around Xu An.
Xu An whispered softly in her ear.
“Shu Shu, this is my New Year gift to you.”
“Happy New Year.”
“I wish you can have your own child in the future.”
Fang Shu’s face was almost buried in Xu An’s neck, muffled as she replied, “An An, I really like you.”
“Thank you.” Being friends with An An was truly the best decision she had ever made.
Xu An gently patted her back and softly said, “This pill is harmless to your body. You can try it when you go home.”
She couldn’t say for sure how effective it would be but could only comfort Fang Shu like this.
Fang Shu nodded, “I know.”
“An An, I’m already very happy that you can think of me.”
As for the pill, Fang Shu didn’t hold much hope. In her most frantic years, she had taken countless medicines and tried countless remedies, and she had consumed a great many such pills without any effect.
She hadn’t accepted unnecessary treatments for a long time, but since this was a gift from An An, she felt she had to give it a try.
The two women hugged for a long time before Fang Shu finally released Xu An, carefully putting the box away and looking at Xu An with red-rimmed eyes.
“An An, thank you. This is the best New Year gift I’ve received this year.”
Xu An shook her head.
Fang Shu put away the small box, stood up to say goodbye to Xu An, and exchanged pleasantries with both her and her husband before leaving.
After seeing her off, Xu An returned to the room, only to suddenly meet the gaze of the man looking at her.
Feeling the indifferent gaze of the man, Xu An felt a bit guilty and avoided eye contact, walking past him into the room.
The man followed her inside, his shadow covering Xu An as she lowered her head, not turning back. She sat down on a chair, propping her chin on her hand without saying a word.
“That Yanggong Pill, where did you get it?”
She hadn’t expected him to ask directly. Xu An pursed her lips slightly and replied softly, “I got it from home, unintentionally. I heard it’s very useful, so I wanted to let Shu Shu try it.”
“Tsk, how long have you known her? Xu An, what are you thinking? Don’t act recklessly!”
Unable to hold back his criticism, Xu An turned back to glare at him. “That’s just how I am—reckless.”
The glimmer of tears in her eyes and her soft tone pierced through. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have married you, a stranger.”
“Marrying you was also my reckless choice.”
Staring into her watery eyes, Zhou Yu’s lips moved slightly as he turned his head away, pulling out a chair to sit beside Xu An, his gaze deepening as he stared at her.
“That’s why I say you act recklessly. How can you step into a pit once and still not learn your lesson?”
Xu An was slightly taken aback, her gaze locking onto Zhou Yu’s deep eyes. He was serious; he truly believed that he was a pit Xu An had stepped into.
Xu An’s brows softened slightly as she gently shook her head. “I don’t know how it will be in the future.”
“At least for now… you’re not a pit.”
“Since we got married, even though your temper has been a bit rough and you lack patience, and you’re more flawed than you are good…”
“But you’ve never forced me to do anything, and all the money at home is with me. I can spend it however I want. You can do housework and earn money.”
“I’m doing well now.”
Zhou Yu gritted his teeth, initially wanting to teach this ungrateful woman a lesson so she wouldn’t be so naive and reckless again.
But now, hearing her every word, he tightened his jaw, barely keeping himself from laughing out loud.
In a lowered voice, he said seriously, “Xu An, the world isn’t full of good people.”
Xu An gently pursed her lips, obediently nodding. “I know.”
She looked at Zhou Yu and asked, “So if I want to give someone a gift next time, should I definitely ask for your opinion first?”
Next time?
Zhou Yu was almost laughing in anger as he stared into her eyes, yet he could only compromise and respond in a low voice.
Hearing his agreement, Xu An sighed in relief and blinked, saying softly, “Also, the thing I gave her is harmless to her body; I don’t even know if it’s effective.”
Zhou Yu reluctantly accepted her reasoning and didn’t pursue the matter further.
Xu An let out a sigh of relief.
When the couple finished dinner together, Zhou Yu’s family returned through the door. Compared to their lively departure with bags full of items, they returned empty-handed and with less enthusiasm on their faces.
Xu An stole a glance out the window but didn’t continue to look.
After dinner, she took her pajamas to the bathroom to shower, leaving the dishes for Zhou Yu to handle.
As Xu An emerged with a towel drying her hair, her damp hair slightly shaking, she sat on a chair.
Zhou Yu watched the thin silhouette of the woman, along with her soft breathing, and said in a deep voice, “Is there no hair dryer in the bathroom?”
Xu An looked up at him and shook her head.
“It was there before; I didn’t see it just now. It must have been put away.”
Zhou Yu looked at her red-tipped fingers, took a dry towel, and walked behind Xu An. He held the towel, gently drying her hair.
Xu An’s hand holding the tips of her hair stiffened, almost feeling the warmth of the man’s body behind her.
Zhou Yu was drying her hair.
Was this man mentally sound?
Xu An frowned slightly, lowering her head and softly saying, “Zhou Yu, I can dry it myself.”
“Stop dawdling; it’s annoying to watch.”
The man’s
tone was cold and unyielding, leaving no room for argument.
Xu An’s desire to do it herself was stifled as she felt the gentle touch on her head, and she obediently allowed Zhou Yu to dry her hair. She was also happy to be relaxed, slowly closing her eyes as if taking a nap.
It wasn’t until Xu An’s hair was half dry that Zhou Yu took the towel and went outside. Xu An sat in the chair, tilting her head to watch him leave.
After a while, her hair dried, and Xu An yawned, turning back to the inner room. She took a comb from the cupboard, smoothed her hair, and then lay back down on the bed.
The electric blanket in the bed was already warm, wrapping Xu An in a cozy embrace, and she felt no chill at all as she curled up and closed her eyes.
The lights outside were turned off, and after a while, Xu An felt a shadow fall over her head. The man’s footsteps, light and heavy, entered the room, and Xu An slightly opened her eyes, tilting her head to see Zhou Yu turning onto the bed. In the darkness, she could only see the outline of the man.
Xu An gently pressed her lips together and softly called out, “Zhou Yu.”
The man replied in a low voice.
Xu An softly said, “I want to expand the stall a bit.”
Her tone was somewhat gentle, “Do you think I can?”
After a moment, the man’s deep voice came through, “What do you want to do?”
Xu An spoke frankly, “I want to open a small shop, it doesn’t have to be big.”
“We’re currently mainly using plastic bags for takeout. Regular customers bring their own containers. If I open a smaller shop, we can do more, have all the dishes and tables ready, and we won’t have to move everything back and forth from home to the stall every day. It’ll be much more convenient. Do you think it’ll work?”
He had just said that she should discuss things with him, and now she was coming to him with this.
Zhou Yu curled the corners of his lips slightly, stating the facts.
“Sure.”
“Xu An, think it through.”
This woman wasn’t particularly ambitious, always easily satisfied, Zhou Yu said coldly.
“Once the shop is open, it’ll only be more tiring than now. Think it over, and be prepared.”
Xu An softly replied, “I know.”
“Xiaoyang and Yaowu are both experienced now. I want to hire another reliable employee. They can work together; it won’t be too tiring.”
It seemed she had already made her decision. Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow and lightly responded with an “mm.”
“There’s a batch of goods that needs to be handled after the New Year. I estimate I won’t be able to help you every day.”
“I know, you focus on your work, I’ll hire someone.”
As she spoke, Xu An grew a bit curious and turned towards Zhou Yu, “Can you manage alone? Do you need someone to help you?”
The darkness was quiet, and after a while, Xu An finally heard Zhou Yu’s voice.
“I was going to ask Yaowu for help.”
The implication of that statement was that she had snatched away his helper?
Xu An lightly coughed, realizing that these two had a deep friendship. It was normal for Zhou Yu to want to ask Wen Yaowu for help.
But now that Yaowu was working for her, Xu An felt a bit embarrassed and softly said, “Then I’ll hire a couple more people, and let Yaowu teach them. You can take him back to help you later.”
Zhou Yu said in a deep voice, “No need, I’ll find someone else.”
Xu An gently tugged on the sleeve of the man beside her and whispered, “It’s fine. You’re out there alone, you definitely need someone you can trust. Yaowu is the most suitable choice. He must want to follow you. After the New Year, when the shop is set up and the employees are hired, let him come to you.”
The strength coming from the crook of his arm was light, but Zhou Yu replied heavily.
Hearing him agree, Xu An let out a sigh of relief.
She loosened her grip on Zhou Yu’s sleeve and retreated a bit, yawning softly.
“Goodnight.”
She mumbled before closing her eyes.
Zhou Yu answered softly.
After the New Year, businesses began to reopen one after another. By the seventh day of the New Year, the street was completely back to normal.
Xu An’s small stall also needed to start operating again, but she planned to begin on the ninth day, a couple of days later than others, to also check out the shop.
On the seventh day, Xu An dragged Zhou Yu with her to the post office to send a letter home.
After finishing the letter, Xu An combined it with the gifts she had bought to send home before leaving the post office with Zhou Yu.
When they returned home, Xu An noticed a sneaky figure peeking into their yard.
Furrowing her brows slightly, she focused on that familiar silhouette. Wasn’t that Gao Jincheng? He wasn’t supposed to be here, especially after spending time with his sweetheart.
Xu An stared at that back and tugged on Zhou Yu’s sleeve.
Zhou Yu glanced at it coolly, said nothing, and led Xu An over.
The two appeared behind Gao Jincheng, startling him, as he looked at Xu An and Zhou Yu with lingering fear.
Xu An noticed the slight bruise on Gao Jincheng’s face and raised her eyebrows.
Who had beaten him up?
Seeing the odd expressions on their faces, Gao Jincheng immediately straightened his back, trying to appear normal while looking at Xu An with a gentle demeanor.
“An An.”
“Long time no see.”
He stared at this childhood friend who was becoming increasingly beautiful, feeling a bit dazed.
Zhou Yu’s expression shifted slightly, and he stepped in front of Xu An, his frost-covered face glaring at Gao Jincheng.
Although Gao Jincheng knew that this man had a limp and believed Xu An wouldn’t like someone like that, he still instinctively felt smaller when faced with Zhou Yu.
He both looked down on and feared him.
He could only bypass Zhou Yu and speak to Xu An.
“An An, is Wei Ping still with you?”
Xu An tilted her head slightly, peeking out from behind Zhou Yu.
“You’re looking for my brother?”
After saying this, Xu An recalled something and pointed at the not fully healed wound on Gao Jincheng’s face, tentatively asking, “Did my brother hit you?”
Gao Jincheng coughed lightly, not denying it, and sweetly addressed Xu An over Zhou Yu.
“I don’t blame Wei Ping. An An, you shouldn’t blame him either.”
“I was the one who let you down. Wei Ping was just acting for your sake when he hit me.”
He had been lying in a clinic for several days after that fight, spending most of his New Year in the hospital.
Now that he felt better, he was afraid Wei Ping would say something random upon returning, so he could only endure his not yet fully healed body and come looking for someone.
Xu An blinked, giving Gao Jincheng a look as if he were crazy, and said lightly, “I naturally won’t blame my brother. I know he has my best interests at heart.”
“Even if you’re missing a limb, it has nothing to do with me.”
Xu An’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at Gao Jincheng with confusion, “As for my brother, he left a while ago, and isn’t here now.”
Upon hearing Xu An say that Wei Ping had left earlier, Gao Jincheng couldn’t help but shift his gaze to the intimidating man in front of Xu An.
“Wei Ping left?”
His voice almost became frantic. “How is that possible!”
“An An, how could Wei Ping allow you to marry a cripple?”
Previously, he and Xu An had only been dating, and they hadn’t even held hands. Wei Ping had been watching him like a hawk and clearly didn’t think highly of him at all.
How could he possibly think highly of a cripple?
Gao Jincheng didn’t believe it. He originally thought that after Wei Ping had taught him a lesson, he would wait to bring Xu An back home before leaving.
He didn’t expect the other party to easily accept a cripple, which was something Gao Jincheng found hard to accept.
How could he, who couldn’t compete with a cripple, be accepted by Xu An’s brother?
Xu An noticed that Zhou Yu seemed to want to step forward, so she reached out and held onto the back of his shirt, staring at Gao Jincheng.
“My brother respects my choice.”
“When we were dating, although my brother didn’t like you, he never forced me to break up with you. It’s the same now; as long as I’m happy, he doesn’t care who I marry.”
At this point, Xu An’s brows and eyes were smiling as she looked at Gao Jincheng.
“And… how do you think you compare to Zhou Yu?”
Xu An’s disdainful gaze landed on Gao Jincheng’s face, causing him to feel a mixture of shame and anger.
How could a cripple be compared to him? “An An, I know you’re just saying that out of anger for me letting you down.”
“You can’t gamble with your future out of spite.” He sighed, “I still need to call Wei Ping back, even if he beats me again, at least he’ll take you back to Nancheng.”
“Gambling out of spite?” Xu An pointed to herself and then to the somewhat disheveled Gao Jincheng.
“Do you really think I’m doing this out of spite?”
Gao Jincheng looked at Xu An’s fair face and the brighter smile than before, making it hard for him to say that she was acting out of spite.
But the childhood friend willingly marrying a cripple and being happy, made it even harder for him to accept.
“An An, this is only temporary. He won’t be able to support you in the future.”
Xu An blinked, watching Gao Jincheng as if he were a joke.
“When we were dating, you didn’t support me either.”
“Let’s not talk about how I can support myself; not only can he support me now, but he can also support me in the future.”
“Gao Jincheng, if you want to come to the city to take advantage of others, focus on your own affairs and stop trying to mess with others. If you can find someone in the kyoto, so can I.”
Gao Jincheng moved his mouth, feeling a bit speechless.
Xu An stepped out from behind Zhou Yu, looking at Gao Jincheng with indifference.
“Did you come looking for my brother because you’re afraid he’ll spread your shameful deeds here?”
Gao Jincheng’s face flushed, embarrassed by the exposed shame. “An An, I indeed let you down, but young people in the new era have free love, and it’s normal to have breakups. This isn’t anything shameful.”
“Making things big will be worse for your reputation as a girl.”
Xu An blinked, “So young people in the new era can have two relationships at the same time without breaking up?”
“As for reputation, I’m already married. As long as he doesn’t mind, I don’t care about my reputation in Nancheng. But you, if your reputation gets ruined and you can’t stay in the capital, it’ll be hard for you to find someone if you go back.”
Gao Jincheng, under Xu An’s curse, dared not say anything back, feeling suffocated as he walked away, his steps limping, looking even more ridiculous than Zhou Yu, who was genuinely limping.
“Since Wei Ping isn’t here, I’ll take my leave.”
“An An, take care of yourself.”
Even as he left, he had to maintain the little pride he had. Xu An couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. The man not far away stiffened slightly before continuing to walk away with a limp.
Xu An turned back, looking up at Zhou Yu, and raised an eyebrow, “My brother really beat him up badly.”
Saying this, Xu An couldn’t help but chuckle, “He’s been beaten to this state and still calls my brother Wei Ping. He’s also quite impressive.”
Zhou Yu glanced at Xu An and scoffed lightly, “No matter how impressive he is, he can’t compare to you. You’ve got an ex still haunting you even after marriage.”
Xu An wrinkled her nose and couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the man who couldn’t speak well in front of Zhou Yu, stepping into the yard.
As soon as she entered the yard, she ran into Zhou Dandan, who was secretly hiding behind the door.
Seeing the two enter, Zhou Dandan felt guilty for a moment but quickly became assertive.
She glared at Xu An, accusing her, “I knew you wouldn’t be a well-behaved person, always mingling with the wrong crowd. Now even your ex is coming to your door.”
“You’re really an unashamed little fox.”
After cursing, she hurriedly turned to Zhou Yu, “Second Brother, she’s just not the kind of person who can settle down. You need to hurry and divorce her so Mom can find you someone else.”
Her second brother hadn’t cared about the house since getting married, making a mess everywhere. It made her remember how diligent he used to be before he went to prison.
Moreover, none of the money this couple earned ever came to her pocket. The sooner they broke up, the better.
This sister-in-law, looking all charming, clearly came from the countryside, working hard every day. How could she develop such a charming appearance? She must be slacking off at home and letting the man support her, so Zhou Dandan felt justified in her logic.
Xu An smiled at Zhou Dandan, softly laughing, “I’m not like you, Little Sister, with a plain look that makes it obvious I’m a well-behaved person. I definitely won’t have any chance to mess around.”
“You!”
Every word from Xu An seemed to praise her, yet Zhou Dandan felt frustrated.
Xu An casually linked her arm with Zhou Yu’s, lightly raising an eyebrow, “Little Sister, stop focusing on me and your Second Brother. After the New Year, you should go to school and focus on studying for your exams.”
Everyone in the Zhou family knew that Zhou Dandan’s grades were poor. Watching Xu An and her Second Brother return to the East Room, she stomped her foot in anger.
After Xu An and Zhou Yu entered the house, Zhou Yu swept Xu An’s arm off his, distancing himself.
Xu An lightly coughed, saying softly, “We’re husband and wife now. Unless we divorce, we’ll always be.”
“You should adapt quickly.”
Hearing the woman’s words, Zhou Yu stared at her intensely, speaking in a deep voice, “Are you sure?”
Xu An met his gaze, feeling a bit of danger in his deep eyes. Laughing awkwardly, she replied, “If you’re not used to it, take your time; we have plenty of time.”
Seeing him like a small animal retreating into its nest, Zhou Yu’s expression darkened. “Xu An, don’t provoke me.”
“You used to like Gao Jincheng; he and I… are worlds apart.”
Xu An furrowed her brows. That was the original owner’s type, which was also worlds apart from her.
“People can change; I don’t like him anymore.”
She raised her eyes, looking directly into the man’s eyes, “It’s him who’s worlds apart from you. You underestimate yourself too much.”
Zhou Yu avoided her gaze, speaking in a low voice, “I don’t.”
“You act recklessly,” yet he wanted to calculate her gains and losses.
Xu An said softly, “I’ve already said we have a long time ahead of us. I acted impulsively, but I’ve never regretted it up until now.”
“Do you regret it?” Zhou Yu’s expression darkened slightly; he had regretted it since three years ago. Acting on impulse without considering the consequences, especially now, meeting someone like her after he had injured his leg, made him feel even more regretful. How could he have been so foolish?
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