Chapter 3

Lu Nong woke up in a daze, sitting up in bed with her head still spinning.

As her consciousness returned, she remembered that she must have fallen asleep while taking a shower.

But how did she end up back in her bedroom? Who moved her here?

And her body was in such a terrible state, it was time to take care of herself.

As she pondered these questions, Lu Nong froze when she saw another person in the room!

She had been lost in thought, and the bedroom was too dim to see clearly, so she had no idea someone else was there.

How could a dangerous person easily enter such a heavily guarded compound?

Just then, the man sitting by the window spoke, “You’re awake.”

His voice was low and indifferent, soft but clear enough to hear.

Lu Nong looked up and saw the dim light of dusk. The man sat in a chair by the window, the white curtains gently billowing in the wind. The light filtering through the curtains created an interplay of light and shadow on his face, enhancing his handsome features, though his expression remained aloof.

He wore a perfectly fitted military uniform, the top button fastened, and his demeanor radiated an air of restraint.

Lu Nong had never seen anyone express such a sense of self-restraint so vividly.

As she searched her memory, she realized that this man was actually the original owner’s second husband, Pei Ji’an.

When the original owner’s first husband passed away, both her natal family and in-laws caused a scene in front of his memorial. Overwhelmed by grief, she became lost in a daze, caught between her two families.

It was Pei Ji’an who appeared to resolve the conflict and presented a letter sent by Gu Weiguo, asking the original owner if she wanted to marry him.

Though the original owner couldn’t let go of her deceased husband, she recognized her own weakness and inability to deal with her demanding family. For the sake of her child, she felt she couldn’t continue living like this, so she reluctantly accepted Pei Ji’an’s proposal.

They obtained their marriage certificate the same day, and Pei Ji’an returned to his military duties, arranging for guards to help the original owner and her son move into the compound.

Lu Nong had come into this world during the move, and over the past three days, Pei Ji’an had not appeared once. She had almost forgotten that she even had a husband.

It felt a bit awkward.

However, it was already 1963, and if she wanted to get through the upcoming challenges safely, she truly needed to rely on this husband she had almost forgotten.

Fortunately, from Pei Ji’an’s actions, it was clear that he had married the original owner solely to take care of his late brother’s widow.

The few descriptions of the original owner in the novel supported this notion. After marrying Pei Ji’an, he was busy with work. Though he provided a comfortable life for her, their relationship remained polite and distant, lacking the warmth of a genuine marriage.

Since that was the case, she decided to maintain their relationship as described in the novel, treating Pei Ji’an like a roommate. They would keep their distance, and if one day Pei Ji’an found someone he liked, getting a divorce wouldn’t be too late.

With that thought, Lu Nong felt relieved.

“You have severe hypoglycemia. Don’t take long baths in the future. If I hadn’t found you in time, it could have turned into a disaster,” Pei Ji’an said when Lu Nong remained silent.

“…”! ! ?

“…What? You saved me in the bathroom?” Lu Nong struggled to speak.

The room fell silent.

“Yes.”

“What about my clothes…” Lu Nong asked, trying to find a way out.

“I asked Aunt Sun to help you change.”

Still… it was mortifying. She felt like escaping the city under the cover of darkness to save herself.

“…Thank you,” Lu Nong said, tears welling in her eyes.

Pei Ji’an replied, “You’re welcome.”

He stood up and placed the book in his hands back on the chair. It was a collection of Borges’ poems in the original language, the first issue published abroad just last year, a gift from Lu Nong’s cousin. The original owner had shown little interest in the collection, letting it gather dust in a box, but Lu Nong found it intriguing and decided to pull it out again.

Ever since the incident where Mother Lu spent all the money the original owner had saved for studying abroad, the original owner repeatedly told her uncle and his family not to send her money.

Her uncle’s family understood the nature of the Lu family and, since then, had mostly sent her food and clothing. A large portion of the original owner’s beautiful clothes were gifts from her aunt, and knowing her love for books and music, her cousin frequently sent her related items.

Lu Nong found herself lost in thought again.

When she returned to reality, she saw Pei Ji’an unbuttoning his military uniform, revealing a white shirt underneath.

“What are you doing?” she blurted out.

Pei Ji’an paused.

Then Lu Nong also remembered that there were three bedrooms on the second floor of the Pei family’s house, one for Pei Zheng and one for Gu Huai. So the one she lived in should be Pei Ji’an’s bedroom! ?

No wonder she felt that the dressing table and the off-white wardrobe in this room seemed out of place, and who has two wardrobes in their bedroom?

“Don’t be afraid,” Pei Ji’an said, his voice still calm, but his words were reassuring. He continued, “I didn’t know Xiao Zhou had arranged for you to stay here. If you’re uncomfortable, I can stay in the dormitory in the future.”

After saying that, he pulled out a simpler outfit from a cabinet, apparently only planning to change his outerwear.

“Um, that’s not necessary.”

Lu Nong thought for a moment before speaking up. She and Gu Huai each had their own rooms in this house, and now the owner had been forced to stay in the dormitory. Even if she had a thick face, she couldn’t agree to that.

Moreover, if Pei Ji’an actually moved into the dormitory, people outside would definitely talk. Lu Nong didn’t mind what others said, but it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Her family would think she and Pei Ji’an had a strained relationship, creating even more issues.

“This is originally your room, you don’t need to move out.” If necessary, she could move in with her son.

Pei Ji’an listened, unsure if he agreed, but he nodded thoughtfully.

“By the way,” Lu Nong suddenly remembered the two boxes of books she had tucked under the bed, “Is your study very confidential?”

The abrupt topic change caught Pei Ji’an off guard. He paused his actions and looked directly at her.

In that moment of eye contact, Lu Nong realized how deep and tranquil Pei Ji’an’s eyes were.

Some people’s eyes reveal their thoughts.

In an era with a high illiteracy rate, most people are more concerned about basic needs like food and drink. Even in modern times, while material culture can be rich and varied, the spiritual world remains barren.

Take Lu Nong herself for example, she feels like a salted fish with no thoughts or awareness.

Having thoughts is different from having culture.

She had never encountered someone like Pei Ji’an before, and she felt quite curious.

The two of them held each other’s gaze for a moment, the curtains fluttering gently in the breeze, until Pei Ji’an finally asked, “What about the study?”

“Oh right, I wanted to mention the study,” Lu Nong snapped back to reality and continued, “Can I keep my books in the study? I’d like to go there to read sometimes.”

“Sure,” Pei Ji’an replied succinctly.

Lu Nong felt relieved, it seemed the study wasn’t of utmost importance. After all, someone of Pei Ji’an’s stature wouldn’t keep official matters in a place where even a nanny could enter.

One must understand that a ruler’s secrecy ensures the loyalty of their subjects. Without it, they risk losing their lives. Pei Ji’an surely understood this principle.

There was a knock on the door.

Lu Nong has been hearing this method of knocking on the door three times for two days.

As expected, Aunt Sun’s voice came from outside the door. “Chief Pei, Comrade Lu, dinner is ready, please come down.”

Pei Ji’an looked at Lu Nong.

She understood and pulled back the covers to get out of bed. The two of them left the room together.

Downstairs, Pei Zheng and Gu Huai had already taken their seats at the dining table.

Gu Huai was sitting close to Pei Zheng. Although Pei Zheng looked disdainful, his body language leaned toward Gu Huai.

It was clear that his words didn’t match his actions. Lu Nong almost chuckled at her own thoughts and smiled to herself.

“Mom!” Gu Huai ran over, hugging Lu Nong’s leg and tilting his head to look at Pei Ji’an. “Uncle Pei.”

Pei Ji’an patted Gu Huai on the head and picked him up, placing him back in the chair next to Pei Zheng.

Gu Huai obediently sat down, waiting for the adults to begin dinner, indicating that he had been well taught by the original owner.

Only then did Pei Zheng slowly stand up. He caught Lu Nong smiling at him and shot her a glare, reluctantly calling out, “Dad, Aunt Lu.”

Lu Nong: “…” Ouch, brother.

Seeing Lu Nong’s expression suddenly change, Pei Zheng seemed to discover something new. He studied her closely, then his face lit up with realization and a grin.

“Aunt Lu, come sit down! Today is the first time our family has eaten together. Aunt Lu, please don’t be polite. Let’s get along well in the future, Aunt Lu.”

Pei Zheng was overly enthusiastic, leaving Aunt Sun, who was serving dishes, dumbfounded.

Aunt Lu, Aunt Lu, Aunt Lu… Lu Nong felt like her mind was about to be washed away by those three words.

“Oh my good son, I’m so touched! From now on, let’s get along well, my dear son!”

Lu Nong said with exaggerated emotion, thinking, let’s hurt each other.

Surprisingly, the blend of warmth and emotion truly reflected the stepmother and stepson relationship!

Now it was Pei Zheng’s turn to look unhappy. Just as he was about to say something, Pei Ji’an, who had remained silent until then, shot Pei Zheng a warning glance and said, “Let’s eat.”

Pei Zheng sat down, even less willing than before, and still found time to glare at Lu Nong.

Lu Nong returned his gaze with a smile.

“How are your grandparents doing?” Pei Ji’an asked Pei Zheng.

Pei Zheng quickly shifted his focus to the topic of his grandparents. After a moment of thought, he replied, “It’s been raining lately, so Grandpa’s knee hurts, and Grandma’s wrist is sore. I told her not to work too hard since we have a nanny, but she won’t listen and says she can’t sit still. Even my aunt can’t convince her.”

“But Grandpa and Grandma say the medicine from Uncle is effective.”

“Hmm,” Pei Ji’an nodded. “And what about you? You’ll be going to Peking University for school, have you started previewing your lessons?”

Pei Zheng felt a bit offended by this, thinking his father doubted his capabilities. Reluctantly, he said, “Don’t underestimate me! I got into Peking University, so I’m not worse than anyone else.”

Lu Nong, who had been focused on her bowl of rice, raised her head in surprise at Pei Zheng’s words. She only knew from the book that he hadn’t completed university and hadn’t realized he was attending Peking University.

If that’s the case, it made sense why Pei Zheng helped professors who were sent down to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. He likely thought of the teachers and classmates who had been similarly sent down, and he probably couldn’t get over that hurdle in his heart.

Pei Zheng assumed Lu Nong was surprised he got into Peking University and proudly tilted his head, letting out a smug “hmph.”

He indeed had something to be proud of: a sixteen-year-old university student would be considered a genius in any era.

Lu Nong didn’t burst his bubble. After admiring him for three seconds, she continued eating and even fed little Gu Huai a spoonful of soup.

The dinner consisted of steamed buns as the main dish, accompanied by stir-fried cabbage and greens, along with a tomato and egg soup, and Gu Huai had a special puree made just for him.

In theory, two dishes and a soup served with white buns in the 1960s was quite decent. However, Aunt Sun didn’t use much oil in her cooking, and since both dishes were low-oil vegetables, they ended up looking more like boiled dishes than stir-fried ones.

Even with a few pieces of fatty meat, the strong meat smell lingered. Lu Nong, who had been pampered since childhood and was used to exquisite food, really found it hard to adapt.

So, she only served herself a bowl of tomato and egg soup, eating it with a small piece of steamed bun.

After dinner, Pei Zheng picked up Gu Huai and walked out, pretending not to notice his father’s strange gaze. Surprisingly, Gu Huai didn’t cry or fuss and obediently followed him.

It was quite remarkable.

Pei Ji’an and Lu Nong returned to the bedroom to help her move her books to the study.

Originally, Lu Nong planned to ask Pei Zheng for help, but Pei Ji’an insisted it wasn’t necessary.

Once the books were in the study, Pei Ji’an sat at the desk to read, while Lu Nong busily organized her books on the shelf. She had quite a lot of books, and eventually, the shelf became a bit crowded. Noticing this, Pei Ji’an put down his book and said, “I’ll have Xiao Zhou make another bookshelf tomorrow.”

“Really?” Lu Nong was a bit surprised and, feeling encouraged, asked, “Could you also make a desk? I’d like a place to study.”

“Sure.”

Lu Nong didn’t expect Pei Ji’an to be so accommodating. She sincerely thanked him and felt increasingly reassured about their future life together.

It wasn’t until she finished washing up and got into bed that Lu Nong began to think she might have been too optimistic.