Chapter 268 Longing

After finally managing to coax the overly excited Xiaoman to sleep, Gu Xiao held Nan Zhiyi tightly in his arms and spoke after a long while.

"Honey, are you angry with me? I always leave you alone... to stay home and take care of the kids."

Nan Zhiyi quietly nestled against his chest, her fingers stroking his freshly shaved, still slightly rough chin.

Under the lamplight, his eyes were filled with pent-up longing.

“I told you, I’ve never blamed you.” Her fingertips traced along his jawline. “It’s just that this feeling of longing is so tormenting. It’s barely left my brow before it’s back in my heart… You think you’ve stopped thinking about it, but it pops up again on its own, there’s nowhere to escape it.”

Gu Xiao certainly felt sorry for her suffering from longing and loneliness, but if time could turn back... even knowing this, he would still walk towards her without hesitation and make her willingly become his wife.

He reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips and gently kissing her fingertips. The delicate touch made his Adam's apple bob.

“Zhiyi,” he called her name, his voice hoarse, “the longing I feel for you… you probably can’t even imagine.”

Before he could finish speaking, his kisses traced a path from her fingertips down to her soft palm, finally landing on the inside of her wrist, where the blood pulsed...

His tender kisses made Nan Zhiyi feel weak all over, and the slight resentment she had been feigning indifference had long since vanished.

She looked up into his deep eyes, where it seemed as if a whirlpool was about to suck her in.

"That……"

With a hint of provocation, or more like coquettishness, she said, "Can you imagine how much I miss you?"

Gu Xiao's gaze locked onto her. "I can't imagine it... but I can feel it. Just like now..."

He held her hand tightly against the spot where his heart was beating.

The strong, rapid heartbeat, transmitted clearly through her palm, was more powerful than a thousand words.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder; the old saying is truly true.

During Gu Xiao's vacation, Nan Zhiyi felt as if she had been disassembled and reassembled. Her whole body ached so much that she almost collapsed in bed and couldn't get up.

In a moment of passion, she bit his shoulder angrily, muttering, "Get lost..."

But to his surprise, this didn't make him restrain himself; instead, it seemed to ignite an even stronger fire, making him even more excited. He even coaxed her in her ear, begging her to bite harder...

Nan Zhiyi was so tired that she didn't even want to move a finger, and her eyelids were so heavy that she couldn't open them.

After satisfying himself, Gu Xiao was quite attentive, fetching warm water to carefully wash her clean. He couldn't help but shower her back with soft kisses, trying to please her: "Good wife... have pity on me..."

Nan Zhiyi didn't even have the strength to lift her eyelids and glare at him. Her voice was muffled and weak, muffled by the pillow: "It's been days... How can anyone... do this..."

Gu Xiao propped himself up, hovering above her, his eyes narrowed dangerously, but his tone was one of disbelief and grievance: "What, it's only been a few days... and you're already disgusted with me? Do you think I'm too old? Or do you think I... am not working hard enough?"

The last sentence was spoken almost right next to her ear, the heat making her shiver.

Nan Zhiyi had nothing to say, knowing full well that reasoning with him on this matter was futile, so she simply shut her mouth and pretended to be asleep.

But she remained silent, and Gu Xiao became even more audacious, holding her tightly, nuzzling and kissing her, coaxing her in a low voice, saying things that the cold and serious Minister Gu during the day would never say...

...

When Gu Xiao's vacation ended and Nan Zhiyi returned to school, her steps were still a little unsteady, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes.

During the break, Shan Xiaoyan came over, stared at her face carefully, and exclaimed in surprise, "Zhiyi, what's wrong with you these past few days? You look... increasingly haggard?"

Nan Zhiyi stammered, still unsure how to explain.

Yang Mei smiled and slowly said, "I don't look haggard. My eyes are bright and my skin is rosy. It's just... I think I worked too hard last night and didn't sleep well. I'm a little tired."

Yang Mei clearly realized that Nan Zhiyi's appearance was more likely due to "excessive indulgence" than to fatigue.

Upon hearing this, Nan Zhiyi's face flushed, and she quickly pinched Yangmei lightly under the table, signaling with her eyes to stop talking.

She never expected that Yang Mei, who usually seemed the quietest and most reserved, would have such keen observation skills and often say such surprising things, suddenly revealing truths that made people blush and their hearts race!

Yang Mei, having received her "warning," winked mischievously and readily changed the subject: "Zhiyi, I also want to thank you for your encouragement and urging before. I received my payment for the manuscript yesterday."

Nan Zhiyi then asked, "Is it the article related to celebrating National Day?"

Yang Mei smiled and said, "Yes, that essay, 'The Monument in the Square,' was accepted, and the payment is twenty-five yuan!"

Shan Xiaoyan temporarily forgot to ask about Nan Zhiyi's "worn-out" appearance and excitedly chimed in, "Mine passed too! The short story I submitted to 'Youth Literature' was approved, even though the editor asked me to revise it a few times!"

As she spoke, she patted Nan Zhiyi's arm and said sincerely, "Zhiyi, thank you so much! If it weren't for your encouragement and urging us to start writing, and your help in reviewing our first drafts and giving us feedback, we definitely wouldn't have had the confidence, and we wouldn't have been able to seize this opportunity!"

Yang Mei nodded earnestly beside her: "Yes, Zhiyi, it is you who made us feel that we can also try to walk the path of writing."

Seeing the brilliance they radiated from writing and the tangible progress they made, Nan Zhiyi was very gratified: "It's because you are talented and hardworking; I just offered some encouragement. From now on, let's work hard together and encourage each other!"

Yang Mei adjusted her glasses and added casually, "It's good to encourage each other to write, but in some aspects... we should still do what we can and take care of our health."

Nan Zhiyi was embarrassed and annoyed, so she secretly pinched her again.

Yang Mei winced in pain, then pursed her lips and stopped smiling. Just then, she saw the teacher appear at the classroom door and immediately said in a low, serious voice, "Okay, okay, I won't say anymore, the teacher is here!"

Shan Xiaoyan felt that the two of them had been exchanging glances and making faces, as if they were talking in riddles. But she was always carefree and easygoing. As soon as she heard the teacher was coming, her attention was diverted, and she quickly sat up straight and opened her notebook.

Nan Zhiyi also composed herself, took out her notebook and pen, and focused on listening to the lecture.

This class was on Classical Chinese, taught by an elderly professor surnamed Wang with gray hair and black-rimmed glasses. He had a very solid academic background.

Today, Teacher Wang talked about the radicals in the "Shuowen Jiezi" and their connection to ancient social culture.

He didn't just dryly explain the shapes and meanings of the characters; instead, he quoted extensively from classical texts, eloquently explaining the social life and ideas behind the characters.