Chapter 167 is on the agenda

Guo Zhenyi lay on the edge of the bed, turned to the side and looking at the door, his gaze still fixed on the direction she had left in.

Since separating from his ex-wife, he has never been interested in anyone else.

That marriage extinguished all his illusions about love.

My life only gained color after I met her.

This marriage must be put on the agenda.

He couldn't wait any longer, nor dared he wait any longer.

My parents passed away long ago, and my siblings are scattered all over the country.

This wedding probably won't even be able to have a proper banquet.

In the end, I guess all I can do is send a telegram to let my family know.

Most importantly, he had to go and propose marriage in person.

It's not something you can just brush off with a simple phone call; that's disrespectful to the woman and shows disregard for your own feelings.

Zhou Yujie...

Will you agree?

That person is usually calm and collected. Would he think that Guo Zhenyi's arrival was too sudden and reckless?

He was six years older than her and was in his second marriage.

What will her family think?

Do you think he's not good enough for her?

But just thinking about how she looked when she said "okay" warmed his heart.

Guo Zhenyi raised his hand and gently tapped his forehead, unable to help but laugh out loud.

"Sigh, I'm almost forty years old, why am I still like a young boy, so anxious and insecure?"

That's what I said, but the tension in my heart didn't lessen at all.

As soon as it was light, he got out of bed, no longer wanting to linger in bed and overthink things.

The well in the courtyard was still covered with the morning dew.

He pressed down hard a few times, and finally, with a "splash," a stream of clear, cool well water gushed out.

He poured a basin of cold water, scooped up a handful and splashed it on his face, which completely cleared his mind.

The kitchen door wasn't closed properly, leaving a narrow crack.

He walked over and gave it a gentle push.

The oil tanks were neatly arranged in a row.

The eggs were arranged neatly...

These were all left behind by Zhou Shufen before she left yesterday.

He knew she was worried that he couldn't cook and that he would be hungry as soon as he woke up.

Guo Zhenyi stood in front of the stove, holding an oil can in his hand. As he poured the oil, his hand suddenly paused.

He remembered what Zhou Shufen had said.

"I love soft-boiled eggs with a tender yolk, the kind where the yolk just flows out when you bite into it."

So he carefully turned the flame down a bit, controlling the heat.

Just as he was about to take the bowl out, the curtain was suddenly lifted.

Zhou Shufen came in.

Zhou Shufen was wearing a simple, moon-white blouse.

Her hair was gently pulled up with a wooden hairpin, and a few stray strands of hair in front of her forehead were carefully tucked behind her ears.

"Up so early?"

She asked softly and reached out to take the porcelain bowl that Guo Zhenyi handed her.

"Qingyan hasn't woken up yet, I'll cook some porridge."

"I'll do it."

Seeing this, Guo Zhenyi stepped forward and deftly took the rice jar from her hands.

"Sit down for a while and don't move. I can do this little bit of work."

"Shufen, I'd like to go to the department store this afternoon."

Zhou Shufen was squatting in front of the stove, holding a piece of dry firewood in her hand, and gently putting it in.

What to buy?

"Take some things for your older brother and sister-in-law, second brother, and youngest brother."

"Also... I'd like to find a matchmaker to propose marriage to you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the firewood in the stove exploded with a loud "pop".

Zhou Shufen's face flushed red instantly, her whole face burning.

She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look at him, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames in the stove.

Several seconds passed before she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"My family... listens to me."

She didn't say "I do" or "okay".

These few words are more powerful than a thousand words.

Suddenly, a loud coughing sound came from outside the courtyard gate.

Zhou Yujie pushed open the door and came in, carrying a shoulder pole.

He paused, his gaze falling on the two people at the kitchen doorway.

Hearing the noise, Guo Zhenyi picked up the freshly fried egg and handed it over.

"Yujie, it's fresh out of the pot. Try it while it's hot, don't let it get cold."

Zhou Yujie took the bowl, but his gaze slowly swept over Guo Zhenyi and Zhou Shufen.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

“Zhenyi, I’ve seen how you feel about my sister. I trust you. But…”

He knew Guo Zhenyi's ex-wife, a woman named Pan Yun.

She was shrewish, assertive, and intolerant of any wrongdoing; back then, she caused chaos throughout the entire production team.

“You know Pan Yun’s temper… If you really try to live a good life with Shufen, she definitely won’t let it go if she finds out.”

The kitchen fell silent.

Guo Zhenyi's face darkened.

At the mention of Pan Yun, a deep sense of disgust flashed in his eyes.

He looked up and said earnestly.

“Yujie, I broke up with her completely a long time ago. She went abroad, got married, and had three children. We have absolutely nothing to do with each other anymore.”

"Three children?"

Zhou Yujie asked casually.

"Is yours inside? Have you asked?"

These words struck Guo Zhenyi like a heavy blow.

He froze.

"I didn't ask."

The kitchen fell silent.

Zhou Shufen's hand froze in mid-air, her movements stiff.

Zhou Yujie put the bowl down and tapped the rim of it twice with his fingers.

“Zhenyi, I’m not one to meddle in other people’s business, and you know I’ve never liked to interfere in other people’s private affairs. But you and Pan Yun have been together for a few years now. Even though you’re not legally married, to outsiders you’re husband and wife. What if one day she suddenly comes to us with the child, claiming it’s yours, and insists on remarrying? We can’t let this go unchecked.”

Guo Zhenyi was squatting down, picking up firewood, his head down.

Upon hearing this, his hand froze.

The scene of his last meeting with Pan Yun suddenly flashed into his mind.

That day, she stood at his door, hands on her hips, her cheeks flushed red, and she cursed sharply and harshly.

"Guo Zhenyi! You ruined my future! You ruined my life!"

Her eyes were full of resentment. Without even saying goodbye, she turned and left.

"She and I... broke up a long time ago."

His throat tightened.

"That year she left without a word, without even saying goodbye. Later, when the movement ended, she wrote me a letter saying that we hadn't registered our marriage, so it wasn't a real marriage. She said she had decided to go to the Soviet Union, married a Chinese man, and had three children. That's all I know. I don't know anything else, and I haven't contacted her since."

Zhou Shufen suddenly stood up.

She grabbed two handfuls of dry firewood, didn't even look at them, and stuffed them directly into the stove.

"Let bygones be bygones, don't dwell on it. Zhenyi isn't the kind of person who drags things out or lies. If something really happened, he wouldn't hide it from me, much less joke about my feelings."

After she finished speaking, she turned to leave.

But her wrist was suddenly grabbed by a large hand.

It's Guo Zhenyi.

"Shufen, you have to believe me."

“I’ll immediately ask someone to investigate and find out if Pan Yun really has a child and whether it’s related to me. If she does have a child, I’ll do everything in my power to prevent them from bothering you and to prevent anyone from affecting our lives. But if she doesn’t, I’ll give you a clear explanation so you can’t keep feeling uneasy.”

Zhou Shufen looked at his eyes, which were slightly red and bloodshot.

The feeling that had been weighing on her heart suddenly eased a little at that moment.