Chapter 18.1….,…………..

With a gossipy mindset, Old Wang lifted his gaze and looked toward Gui Xiwen.

And what he saw shocked him.

Gui Xiwen was feeding Gu Ying!

Gui Xiwen held a bowl of millet porridge, scooped a spoonful, blew on it gently, and after confirming it wasn’t too hot, brought it to Gu Ying’s lips and said gently, “Here, have a sip.”

Gu Ying obediently took a sip and said, “No more.”

Gui Xiwen coaxed her softly, “No, that won’t do. You’ve eaten too little. Just one more sip.”

“Okay then.” Gu Ying reluctantly took another sip.

“Do you want a tea egg?” Gui Xiwen reached out to peel one.

Gu Ying pressed down his hand. “No, I don’t like the taste of tea eggs.”

“Alright, then we won’t eat it. How about a pan-fried bun?” Gui Xiwen asked again.

“No, too greasy.” Gu Ying shook her head with distaste.

“Okay, then we won’t eat that either. So what do you want to eat?” Gui Xiwen asked gently.

Gu Ying thought for a moment. “I want tofu pudding. The salty kind.”

Gui Xiwen immediately stood up. “Alright, I’ll go get it for you.”

Sure enough, he came back obediently carrying a bowl of tofu pudding, and just like with the porridge, fed her patiently spoon by spoon.

This scene left Old Wang dumbfounded.

Not just Old Wang — even those who knew Gui Xiwen were stunned stiff.

Who was Gui Xiwen? The troublemaker of the compound, infamous for his bad temper. In the past, even a snort from him was like a warning of an impending storm.

But this same man was now acting all sweet and attentive, carefully feeding his wife.

In an instant, everyone looked at Gu Ying with curious eyes.

This new wife… seemed to have some skills.

Across from them, when Ming Xue saw this scene, she nearly exploded with anger.

She tugged hard on Zhang Kuo’s sleeve, face flushed red with frustration: “Did you see that? Did you see? Gui Xiwen is doing this just to get at me!”

That bad-tempered Gui Xiwen was actually hand-feeding Gu Ying — it was disgusting!

He was doing it on purpose. He had to be doing it on purpose!

Ming Xue was so furious that she gripped her spoon tightly, the entire table of delicious food becoming unappetizing.

Zhang Kuo remained silent. His gaze flicked briefly toward Gu Ying — just a moment, but enough to catch her expression.

Gu Ying looked genuinely happy. Had she already become so close with Gui Xiwen?

Zhang Kuo unconsciously tightened his grip on the chopsticks.

If Ming Xue believed Gui Xiwen was doing it to spite her, then what about Gu Ying? Was she doing this to spite him?

Zhang Kuo suddenly recalled the time he spent with Gu Ying in the past. Nothing had ever been clearly expressed between them, yet they naturally understood each other, intuitively knowing what the other thought — no words needed.

So then… could his actions have seemed like a betrayal in Gu Ying’s eyes?

Zhang Kuo began to understand why Gu Ying agreed to marry Gui Xiwen. She must be punishing him. Yes, that had to be it.

And the sad thing was — the punishment seemed to be working.

Zhang Kuo didn’t dare look across the table again. He gently grasped Ming Xue’s shoulder and said mildly, “Don’t overthink. Let’s just eat our breakfast.”

Though she was angry, Ming Xue calmed down quickly upon hearing Zhang Kuo’s voice.

Zhang Kuo was always like this — composed and steady no matter what. It seemed like nothing could ever shake his emotions.

Through continued contact with him, Ming Xue grew more aware of Zhang Kuo’s charm. Combined with the halo of his future-rich-man potential, she genuinely believed she’d fallen in love with him.

She nodded obediently. “Okay, let’s eat.”

So, in a seemingly harmonious atmosphere, the two couples finished breakfast sweetly and contentedly.

Zhang Kuo and Ming Xue had work, so they left first. Gui Xiwen and Gu Ying followed shortly after, full and ready to go home.

On the way back, Gui Xiwen thought about the breakfast scene just now and felt a bit uneasy.

Gu Ying, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease. She reminded him, “You have to treat me nicely when we’re out in public from now on.”

That same line again. She had said the same thing during breakfast!

Gu Ying always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking — was she deliberately playing along with him? Had she seen through his intentions from the start?

Only now did Gui Xiwen realize how little they had really talked. He didn’t actually know what kind of person Gu Ying was.

“Um…” Gui Xiwen called out to her.

Gu Ying stopped and looked up at him. “What is it?”

Facing her clear, bright eyes, Gui Xiwen froze mid-sentence.

Just then, Gu Ying caught sight of something familiar lying on the ground ahead. She bent down and picked it up.

Gui Xiwen walked over to look — he recognized it immediately.

“Isn’t this Ming Xue’s Chinese knot?”

Gui Xiwen recalled the breakfast they had at Old Chen’s before — they had run into Ming Xue that day. Ming Xue had proudly shown off this Chinese knot to Li Qing and the others, and Gu Ying had asked to see it, even asked Ming Xue to give it to her.

Gui Xiwen remembered — the Chinese knot Ming Xue had back then was exactly the same one Gu Ying was now holding.

Gu Ying stared coldly at the familiar knot in her palm, sneering inwardly.

She had made this knot herself and given it to Zhang Kuo. When Zhang Kuo was going to marry Ming Xue, she had asked for it back — and Zhang Kuo said he had thrown it away.

Ha. Zhang Kuo lied to her!

As she was lost in thought, hurried footsteps approached from ahead.

Zhang Kuo came rushing back and bumped into Gui Xiwen and Gu Ying — Gu Ying was holding the Chinese knot in her hand.

With a calm expression, Zhang Kuo walked over and politely said, “That’s a Chinese knot I just dropped. May I have it back?”

Gu Ying snorted inwardly.

She lifted her eyes and carefully studied Zhang Kuo’s face. He showed no guilt, as if the Chinese knot had nothing to do with her, as if the lie he told before had never happened.

Gu Ying almost wanted to throw the Chinese knot she had once woven with her own hands directly into the river nearby.

Across from her, Zhang Kuo was still pressing her, “Can you give that back to me? Someone gave it to me, and I can’t afford to lose it.”

Zhang Kuo’s tone was utterly sincere—almost pleading—as if this thing were some rare and priceless treasure to him.

Gu Ying let out a sarcastic laugh.

Gui Xiwen was still standing right next to her, yet Zhang Kuo, counting on the fact that Gui Xiwen knew nothing, was speaking so brazenly and unrestrained.

Zhang Kuo must have assumed she wouldn’t show any suspicious emotions in front of Gui Xiwen. That’s why he dared to say such hypocritical, sarcastic things so openly.

Gu Ying looked at Zhang Kuo in front of her, loosened her grip, and the Chinese knot fell into Zhang Kuo’s wide palm.

“Oh? Since someone gave it to you, then of course you wouldn’t throw it away willingly,” Gu Ying said expressionlessly.

She was giving Zhang Kuo a reminder—he wasn’t a fool; he’d surely understand.

But to her surprise, Zhang Kuo looked her in the eye and replied without changing his expression, “It was given to me by someone very important. I wouldn’t throw it away.”

Gu Ying: “……”

Gu Ying glared at Zhang Kuo, utterly disdainful of his behavior. “Really? Then was this Chinese knot given to you by Mingxue? I suppose for a married man, it would only make sense to keep something from his wife.”

As soon as Gu Ying finished speaking, Gui Xiwen pulled her away without saying a word.

After walking a while, Gui Xiwen suddenly stopped. He resumed the previous topic coldly, “That Chinese knot was probably from Mingxue.”

Gu Ying felt a strange pang of guilt in her heart as she listened.

She glanced at Gui Xiwen with a slightly guilty look.

After saying that, Gui Xiwen fell silent again.

He recalled some old memories and found them laughable. So Mingxue and Zhang Kuo were already involved back then—that was probably when Mingxue had just proposed to break off their engagement.

To be involved so soon after breaking off the engagement—it was hard to believe they hadn’t had something going on before.

Gui Xiwen’s expression grew darker and darker, like a shroud of cold mist. His entire demeanor turned sharp and frigid.

The two returned home, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.

At noon, Zhang Dongling came back with a large bag of supplements after shopping outside. As soon as she got home, she bustled into the kitchen to start cooking.

Gu Ying offered to help, but Zhang Dongling shooed her out, saying the kitchen was dirty and telling her to stay in the living room. If she had nothing to do, she could sort through the medicinal herbs on the table.

Gu Ying went to the living room, opened the package on the table, and saw that it really did contain Chinese medicinal herbs.

Having been chronically ill, Gu Ying had to drink Chinese medicine to regulate her body every time it got cold. She was very familiar with these herbs and could recognize many of them.

She picked up a few and examined them carefully. The more she looked, the more something felt off.

Deer antler, Morinda root, Cistanche, Rehmannia, Eucommia…

Judging by the effects of these herbs, if she wasn’t mistaken…

Gu Ying coughed lightly and put the herbs down with a red face.

She didn’t yet know who the herbs were for—whether they were meant for Gui Xiwen or her father-in-law.

It felt like she had stumbled upon something extremely private. The flush on her face quickly spread, turning her ears red.

Just then, Gui Xiwen came out of the room and saw her face getting redder as she looked at the herbs. He walked over and asked in a low voice, “Are those medicines for you?”

Logically, the only person in the household who needed medicinal supplements was likely Gu Ying.

Gui Xiwen’s assumption made sense—but unfortunately, it was wrong.

Zhang Dongling stuck her head out of the kitchen and chimed in, “That’s not for Xiaoying—it’s for you.”

Gu Ying now confirmed it—her mother-in-law was concerned about Gui Xiwen’s performance. Her face turned even redder.

Gui Xiwen picked up on her reaction. Though he hadn’t yet processed it fully, his instincts had already responded: “Mom, where did you get this weird stuff? I’m not drinking it.”

“This isn’t weird stuff—this concerns your future…” Zhang Dongling paused, didn’t finish the sentence, then changed the topic. “By the way, Xiwen, did you submit the application for your marital housing?”

“You’ve nagged me about it over ten times. Would I dare not submit it?” Gui Xiwen said as he stuffed the herbs back into the bottom of a cabinet.

“Oh, that’s good. When do you think the allocation will happen?” Zhang Dongling asked again.

“If things move fast, maybe in a month. But no guarantees—you’ll just have to wait.” Gui Xiwen wasn’t too concerned about the matter.

He would soon report for work at the Forestry Bureau, which was the position he’d been assigned. When she heard the news, Zhang Dongling was thrilled.

She had somehow heard from the grapevine that the Forestry Bureau job was very relaxed—either strolling around the mountains or sitting in the office drinking tea.

Plus, the benefits there were supposedly great. The housing was bigger and more spacious than at other workplaces. And since Gui Xiwen was a university graduate, an elite talent, he had a clear advantage when it came to housing allocations.

Zhang Dongling figured now that Gui Xiwen was married, continuing to live with his parents would be inconvenient. It would be better for the newlyweds to move out and enjoy some private time together.

Upon hearing that the new house might be ready in about a month, Zhang Dongling was very satisfied and casually mentioned, “Your dad said Zhang Kuo also applied for housing from the factory. He had always lived with his parents, but now that he’s married to Mingxue, they’re setting up their own home.”

“But there are a lot of applicants for housing at the factory right now, and many are still waiting in line. Mingxue’s father had thought about pulling some strings to get Zhang Kuo bumped up, but with the housing shortage being so tight, he didn’t dare be too obvious—he’d get caught.”

Zhang Dongling rambled on, not realizing no one was responding in the living room. Still, she kept talking to herself: “Your new place will definitely be better than this old house. Ours was built many years ago—no bathroom. You still have to use the public toilet, and sometimes it’s so crowded you can’t even get in. Have to queue up.”

“But you’ll be better off soon. The new buildings all have private bathrooms—you can bathe and use the toilet in your own home, no need to fight over the public one or run off to the bathhouse. When you get the new place, we’ll just move all the furniture from your current marital home over as is.”

Zhang Dongling, lost in her own pleasant imaginings, happily made lunch.

After lunch, Gu Ying rested at home, while Gui Xiwen, feeling agitated, went out to find Zhang Tao for a game of basketball.

Zhang Tao had a two-hour break at noon. Since he wasn’t fond of taking naps, he would always round up a few young guys from the factory for a game of basketball after meals. Occasionally, Gui Xiwen would join in.

Seeing Gui Xiwen approaching with a gloomy expression, Zhang Tao threw an arm around his shoulder and teased, “Stayed up too late last night, huh?”

Gui Xiwen shrugged him off and gave him a glare.

Zhang Tao grinned and spread his hands. “Why are you glaring at me? Did I say something wrong? I’m just concerned about your sleep, that’s all. Is there a problem with that? But if your mind went elsewhere, well, that’s not on me.”

Gui Xiwen didn’t respond and just rushed to the court to start playing.

The scorching sun blazed overhead. Even walking a bit briskly would make one sweat, let alone playing basketball. By the end of the game, both Gui Xiwen and Zhang Tao were drenched in sweat.

Seeing Gui Xiwen still frowning, Zhang Tao patted him on the shoulder. “What’s wrong, brother? It’s only your second day of marriage, and you already look burdened with worries? No wonder people say marriage is the grave of love. I say it’s not just the grave of love — it’s also the grave of freedom and happiness.”

“But still, if I had the chance to enter that grave, I’d do it.”

Zhang Tao’s rambling didn’t lift Gui Xiwen’s mood. Gui Xiwen wiped the sweat dripping from his chin, his breath heavy.

Noticing this, Zhang Tao dropped his joking tone and asked seriously, “What happened? Who pissed you off?”

“You,” Gui Xiwen replied.

Zhang Tao jumped up in shock. “Hey, don’t talk nonsense. When did I ever offend you?”

Gui Xiwen glanced at him. “Didn’t you say Zhang Kuo and Ming Xue were clean?”

Zhang Tao’s mind spun rapidly. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “Yeah, I did say that. Why?”

Back then, when Zhang Tao stopped Gui Xiwen from confronting Zhang Kuo, he had confidently claimed that there was nothing between Zhang Kuo and Ming Xue.

Now that Gui Xiwen was here questioning him, could it be that he found some evidence?

Zhang Tao felt uneasy. “You think Zhang Kuo and Ming Xue weren’t clean?”

Gui Xiwen frowned and briefly explained how Gu Ying had picked up the Chinese knot.

Zhang Tao instantly relaxed. “Oh, that? That doesn’t prove anything. I was there when Ming Xue was showing off the knot. I remember she had already broken off the engagement with you at the time. Even if she was involved with Zhang Kuo by then, you can’t conclude that it started earlier.”

“Unless you find evidence that they got together before the engagement was broken, there’s no way to prove they were unclean. Don’t you think I’ve got a point?”

After Zhang Tao finished, Gui Xiwen said nothing.

Zhang Tao patted him on the shoulder and went back to joking. “Bro, you’ve been stressing over this?”

“No,” Gui Xiwen denied it.

In truth, he had a strange feeling. Lately, he couldn’t quite figure Gu Ying out—especially when she saw the Chinese knot. Her expression and tone didn’t seem off at the time, but Gui Xiwen couldn’t shake the feeling that he had missed something.

For instance—why did Gu Ying try to snatch the Chinese knot from Ming Xue in the first place?

He had only been focused on himself back then. Now, looking at it from Gu Ying’s perspective, her agreeing to marry him also seemed oddly out of character.

“Zhang Tao, what kind of person do you think Gu Ying is?” Gui Xiwen suddenly asked.

Zhang Tao choked on his own spit in shock. “Whoa there… Gu Ying is my sister-in-law now. I wouldn’t dare comment recklessly.”

He was honestly afraid that he’d say the wrong thing and annoy Gui Xiwen—who might then punch him out of anger.

Zhang Tao wisely decided not to comment and instead threw out a joke. “Seriously? You don’t even know what kind of person your own wife is?”

“Get lost!” Gui Xiwen kicked him.

“Fine, I’m really leaving. It’s about time anyway.” Zhang Tao sniffed at his sweaty clothes and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I’m going home to change.”

Gui Xiwen collected his thoughts and stood up. “I’m going to the bathhouse. Bring me a change of clothes.”

Every time they played basketball at noon, Gui Xiwen would go directly to the small bathhouse near the boiler room to shower, while Zhang Tao would go home to change.

Since their routes overlapped, Zhang Tao would always bring Gui Xiwen a change of clothes after changing his own, saving Gui Xiwen the hassle.

Before, Zhang Tao never thought twice about it—it was just a small favor. But this time, after changing clothes, he saw Gu Ying walking out of Gui Xiwen’s house and suddenly felt indignant.

Gui Xiwen had a wife now—why was he still the one delivering clothes?

Shouldn’t this kind of thing be done by the wife?

Zhang Tao immediately pulled Gu Ying aside and seriously instructed, “Xiwen’s at the small bathhouse by the boiler room. Go bring him a change of clothes.”

Gu Ying, who had just woken up from her nap and stepped outside to get some fresh air: “?”

She stopped the departing Zhang Tao. “What did you say?”

Zhang Tao quickly repeated himself, “I said, Xiwen is at the small bathhouse by the boiler room taking a shower. Bring him some clothes. He’s at the boiler room bathhouse—not the big one in the factory. Don’t go to the wrong place.”

After giving his instructions, Zhang Tao grinned and ran off. “I have to get back to work, no time to deliver the clothes. You have to go, okay? You wouldn’t want to see him walking out naked, would you?”

Gu Ying: “……”

Author’s Note:

Gui Xiwen: “……”

Zhang Tao, you sneaky bastard—you’re completely unreliable!