Chapter 31


Lin Qingping was not truly an ignorant twenty-year-old. She was an old monster who had lived for decades. Even the few fragmented lines she had overheard were enough for her to piece together the complete story in her mind.

She stood outside the door, her head buzzing. It was not until Lei Sufang saw her standing there foolishly and called her in that she snapped back to reality.

But once she sat among the crowd, she could no longer take in a single word. Her mind was muddled, filled with the echo of those sentences.

Even when others asked her questions several times, she could not hear clearly what they were asking. Only later did she realize they were inquiring about Zhiyuan’s condition.

She gave a few perfunctory replies and then sank back into her own thoughts.

So, was this the reason Gu Juncheng had always been avoiding her, even in their past lives, refusing to have relations with her?

Was it because… he was no longer capable?

No wonder he had been so delighted when he learned she was on her period.

One had to admit, the human mind was remarkably good at patching itself together.

The more Lin Qingping thought about it, the more she felt that there had always been traces of this everywhere.

When she stitched together clues from both past and present lives, what had started as a mere suspicion solidified into a conclusion.

Once she had reached that conclusion, she no longer panicked. A decision formed in her heart: in any case, she had come back for Gu Juncheng himself.

At first, she truly had thought of having children with him and living a good life together. Now, she simply could not have children—but that did not mean she could not live a good life with him.

Having figured this out, she no longer felt lost. She politely bid farewell to the military wives and left early.

That day, Gu Juncheng came home fairly early and had time to dine with her. But he found his “unreserved” wife a bit strange today.

The way she looked at him no longer carried that fiery passion that always seemed ready to swallow him whole. Instead, it was laced with an inexplicable sympathy and… compassion.

Gu Juncheng: ??? What was with the compassion? Was he seeing things?

As the two of them headed to the canteen for dinner, Gu Juncheng found himself bathed in that gaze the entire way.

After they got their food and sat down, Lin Qingping went even further—she kept pushing the good dishes from her own bowl into his.

Gu Juncheng could no longer keep silent. “Lin Qingping, what’s going on with you today?”

Just as Lin Qingping was about to deliver a piece of egg into his bowl, his sudden question startled her, and the egg nearly slipped from her chopsticks. She quickly sat up straight, her gaze more gentle and benevolent than ever. “Nothing. Your training is hard—you need to eat more and replenish your strength.”

Gu Juncheng’s sharp eyes swept across her face again and again, practically spelling out four words: Who are you trying to fool?

“Lin Qingping, did you take your meds today?”

“I did…” Hmm?

Lin Qingping suddenly felt something off about the way he asked that—was there a double meaning behind it?

She thought it over, then leaned in slightly and whispered,
“You’re… not cursing me, are you?”

Gu Juncheng gave her a sideways glance. “Look who’s suddenly good at understanding human speech.”

“Gu…” Her cheeks puffed up on both sides, but almost immediately, she found yet another piece of evidence to support her earlier conclusion. No wonder he was always in a bad mood and so irritable—could it be due to his hormones?

If that were the case, then she certainly would not argue with him anymore. She had to soothe him!

That benevolent smile returned to her face. She patted Gu Juncheng’s hand with all the gravity of a wise elder.

“Juncheng, I understand the pressure you’re under. Don’t worry—I’m not some shallow, vulgar person.”

Gu Juncheng: ??? Why was this making less and less sense?

Juncheng?

Didn’t she always call him Gu Juncheng, full name and all?

“It doesn’t matter! It really doesn’t matter!” she exclaimed, moving her chopsticks, only to find there were no more good dishes in her bowl left to give him.

She cleared her throat twice and said, “Juncheng, let’s be soulmates, shall we? Spiritual companions.”

Gu Juncheng: ????

“I will never force you again!” Lin Qingping was filled with regret.

Why had she acted so… well, eager before?

She truly wasn’t that impatient about that matter!

She was a pure person! Yes—pure and innocent.

From now on, she needed a new persona!

Gu Juncheng frowned. Even with eyesight sharp enough to hit a target dead-on from two hundred meters away, he still couldn’t see through what kind of medicine Lin Qingping was selling today.

But what he could see—and could not tolerate—were the few green strands of cabbage left in her bowl. Without a word, he pushed the lean meat she had given him, along with his own portion and the egg, back into her bowl.

A few military family members passed by—some of the women Lin Qingping had only just met today. Each of them greeted the couple, teasing cheerfully.

“Oh, Commander Gu really knows how to dote on his wife!”

“Exactly, you’d never guess it from how he normally acts.”

“Xiao Lin is amazing!”

The laughter of the military wives faded as they moved on. Lin Qingping looked at the food in her bowl and tried to return it to Gu Juncheng, only to be stopped by a sharp, low voice.

“Eat it. All of it.”

“I…”

“If you say another word, go stand in the corner.”

Lin Qingping thought of how practiced Zhiyuan was at standing in the corner at home. She herself wasn’t afraid of it, really—but standing in the corner at her age was a bit embarrassing, wasn’t it?

In the end, under Gu Juncheng’s watchful gaze, she ate half a bowl more than usual.

Lin Qingping held her stomach as she walked back with Gu Juncheng. Once they got home, she pulled him around the room to walk with her and help with digestion.

As Lin Qingping paced back and forth, she kept thinking—surely they couldn’t just wander around the room all night, could they? What should she do with Gu Juncheng later? She mustn’t let her mind drift toward that direction again. She had to protect Gu Juncheng’s dignity!

With that thought, she tugged him down to sit beside her, looked out at the white snow falling beyond the window, and said to him: “Juncheng, shall I read you a poem?”

Gu Juncheng: ????? What strange illness had struck this time?

Lin Qingping gave it some thought. It seemed she didn’t remember many poems in full. Should she recite one of her nephew’s old school texts instead? That sounded like a fine idea!

And so she began:

“The ancient prefecture of Yuzhang, now the new capital of Hongdu.

Under the stars of Ji and Zhen, neighboring the lands of Heng and Lu.

Embraced by three rivers and girdled by five lakes, it commands the southern tribes and reaches to Ou and Yue.

Its natural beauty is a gift of heaven, its treasures blessed by the stars—dragon’s light gleams in the region of the Ox and Dipper…

A formation of wild geese startles the autumn chill, their cries falling silent by the shores of Hengyang.”

She recited as she walked, her head swaying with rhythm and pride. At first, Gu Juncheng simply stared at her in confusion. But eventually, he gave up questioning her antics and just sat there watching, amused.

In the end, Lin Qingping could no longer continue under his gaze. Her voice grew smaller and smaller. She grabbed his hand, sulking. “You’re laughing at me!”

Her voice stretched, brows raised in playful challenge, a mix of defiance and flirtation. “You continue!”

“With my robes loosened and mind at ease, soaring thoughts came rushing free. From the clear tones arose a gentle breeze, from delicate songs the white clouds ceased…”

Lin Qingping’s eyes widened. She had always thought of him as a rough man…

“Lin Qingping.” After reciting a section, Gu Juncheng fixed his sharp gaze on her. “Did the village middle school ever teach this?”

Lin Qingping’s face turned deathly pale on the spot. That was… a high school-level text her nephew had studied.

“I… I studied it on my own, isn’t that allowed?” She quickly changed course. “Forget it, I won’t recite this anymore! Gu Juncheng, let’s talk about life and dreams instead!”

She let go of his hand and sat beside him, solemn and sincere. “Gu Juncheng, in your opinion, what kind of life is a meaningful one?”

Gu Juncheng looked at her and could no longer hold back—he reached out to feel her forehead.

“I’m not running a fever!” She smacked his hand away. “We should live our lives together as husband and wife with high ideals and a noble sense of purpose!”