Chapter 487 Approval

Gu Zhao had already gone into the bathroom to wash his hands, and the sound of running water accompanied his reply: "I didn't go out! I was just in our compound, playing with Hu Zi and the others, when I ran into Hong Hong and her parents coming to the compound. It seemed like they were going to visit someone for the New Year. She ran over and gave this to me."

Nan Zhiyi said "Oh".

Gu Zhao shook the water droplets off his hands and ran out, deftly peeling open a piece of chocolate wrapped in gold foil and stuffing it into Nan Zhiyi's mouth.

“I didn’t really want it,” he winked, a hint of smugness in his eyes, “but then I remembered you’ve never tried this brand before, so I accepted it.”

A slightly bitter yet mellow sweetness melted in her mouth, and Nan Zhiyi smiled and nodded: "Mmm, very sweet. Thank you, son. Now that you've received such an expensive gift, how are you going to reciprocate?"

"I've already made up my mind!"

Gu Zhao said confidently, "I can give her my new model! Or... I can give her a set of my new toys!"

Nan Zhiyi nodded, then reminded her, "This box of chocolates isn't cheap, and it might be quite hard to find. Your return gift doesn't necessarily have to be about the price, but you should put some thought into it and make it seem thoughtful, okay?"

"Okay!"

Gu Zhao agreed and placed the box of chocolates on the desk. "Mom, you can have all of these. I ate too much candy and pastries this Spring Festival, and I don't like pastries anymore."

He spoke with a very serious expression.

Nan Zhiyi looked him up and down, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Well done, our little Gu Zhao has really grown up. He even knows to give the best food to his mother now."

Gu Zhao was even more smug, raising his chin: "Of course! After you finish eating, I... I can use my New Year's money to buy you some more!"

He has recently gained a new understanding of New Year's money, and now feels that it is a large sum of money that he can freely dispose of.

Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, then Mom will be waiting."

Gu Zhao chuckled and squeezed next to Nan Zhiyi to sit down, wanting to read with her mother.

Nan Zhiyi tapped the tip of his nose: "Perfect timing, Uncle Lin brought some new children's books and put them on your desk in your room. Go and see if you like them."

Gu Zhao suddenly remembered what he needed to do, immediately jumped up from the sofa, turned around and ran to his room, his footsteps thumping loudly.

Gu Zhao didn't come out of her room until dinner time, when Gu Xiao also got off work and went home.

Nan Zhiyi and Gu Xiao talked for a while downstairs.

Gu Xiao inquired about the publishing house's situation, and Nan Zhiyi briefly mentioned the interviews and reprints.

As darkness fell completely, there was still no sign of her son.

Gu Xiao squeezed Nan Zhiyi's hand and stood up: "I'll go call him."

Nan Zhiyi nodded, watched him walk up the stairs, and then turned and went to the kitchen.

Sister Zhang was wiping the stove. "Everything's ready. We can eat now. The soup's still hot on the stove."

"Okay, Sister Zhang, you can go back now that you're done packing. It's getting dark and the roads are slippery. We'll eat around Xiaoman."

Sister Zhang agreed, quickly took off her apron, gave a few more instructions on keeping the food warm, and then left.

Nan Zhiyi brought several stir-fried dishes and soups to the table, and after waiting for a while, the father and son came down one after the other.

Gu Zhao's cheeks were still flushed, and her hair was a little damp. Gu Xiao's expression remained as calm as ever, except that he had rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing a section of his tanned forearm.

"Sit down and eat quickly," Nan Zhiyi called to them, her gaze sweeping over her son's face before asking Gu Xiao, "What did you say to our son? Why have you been staying inside for so long?"

Gu Xiao sat down next to her, first serving her a bowl of soup, before slowly saying, "Your son is obsessed with his new model. He couldn't get one part right, and he was sweating profusely, insisting that he wouldn't come down to eat until it was assembled."

He glanced at Gu Zhao, who was eating with his head down, the tips of his ears a little red.

"The room was warm enough, so there was no rush. We helped him find the right spot and set it up before coming down."

He explained it in great detail, which is unusual for him.

Nan Zhiyi thought to herself that this was a rare moment of time for father and son to spend together in the past six months. She gave Gu Xiao a rewarding look, picked up a piece of braised pork for him, and then looked at her son.

Gu Zhao looked up, a little embarrassed: "Mom, actually... I invited Honghong to come to the compound to play tomorrow afternoon, and I need to give her the model then... so I have to finish assembling it today."

He spoke a little fast, and after finishing, he quickly shoveled some rice into his mouth.

Nan Zhiyi suddenly realized: "So that's why you're in such a hurry, afraid of breaking your promise to the kids tomorrow?"

She placed a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs on her son's plate, his favorite dish. "I was thinking of taking you to Aunt Xiaoxuan's house tomorrow..."

With a rib in her mouth, Gu Zhao blinked upon hearing this and said almost without hesitation, "Mom, you go find Aunt Xiaoxuan yourself. I... I already made a promise with Honghong, and I can't go back on my word. Besides, we really haven't played together in a long time."

"Okay. Then be careful and don't go too far. If you get tired, bring her over to our house for a while."

Nan Zhiyi felt that it was good for the child to have his own social life, and that she could relax a bit without Gu Zhao.

After the meal, Gu Zhao offered to help clear the dishes, his movements clumsy but his attitude positive. Gu Xiao followed his son into the kitchen.

Nan Zhiyi was in charge of wiping the dining table.

Once everything was tidied up, Gu Zhao rushed back to the room to busy herself, leaving the couple alone in the living room.

Gu Xiao turned on the TV and tuned to the news program, which was reporting on the meeting between national leaders and foreign guests, as well as the progress of spring plowing preparations in a certain area.

The couple nestled together on the sofa in perfect unison. Gu Xiao reached for a thin blanket from the other end of the sofa and covered her legs with it.

Looking at the screen, Gu Xiao asked, "I'm going to see Xiaoxuan tomorrow, do you want me to give you a ride?"

Nan Zhiyi's voice was a little lazy: "Hmm...no need. There are plenty of taxis on the street now, and if all else fails, public transportation is convenient."

Gu Xiao didn't respond to her question, but simply said, "It's still not safe."

He seemed to be thinking about how to persuade her, and finally came up with a seemingly practical excuse, "...You are a clean person. If you take a car outside, your clothes will smell and you'll have to go through the trouble of washing them."

Nan Zhiyi felt a surge of joy in her heart, but insisted, "Then let's wash it. We can't keep bothering you just to save ourselves this trouble, Minister Gu."

It wasn't that she was ungrateful; it was just that the military-plated jeep was a bit conspicuous. She would rather suffer the inconvenience herself than let him give others cause for gossip over such trivial matters.

Gu Xiao turned his head and looked down at her. "No trouble at all," he said simply, pulling her closer with his arms.

Nan Zhiyi leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "Really, it's not necessary. Thank you, Minister Gu. It's just a car ride, it's nothing."

Gu Xiao didn't refute her words, but simply leaned down and kissed her forcefully in return.

After a long pause, he stepped back slightly and said, "I understand."

He felt that the person in his arms was both pitiful and adorable. She could rely on him and live a little more willfully, but she always thought things through first and was considerate in every way.

Nan Zhiyi nudged him and whispered, "Stop fooling around... This is the living room, what if our son sees us..."

Gu Xiao restrained himself a bit, but he didn't loosen his grip on her hand.

He simply stood up, pulled her up, and led her upstairs to the bedroom. "Let's go back to the room," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

Nan Zhiyi gave him a reproachful look, but didn't break free, letting him lead her upstairs.

"You go back to your room first, I'll go check on our son." He needed to get his son to sleep as soon as possible...

"good."

He watched as his wife went into the bedroom.

Gu Xiao turned and went to the children's room. He was always busy, and the time he spent at home was as fragmented as sand.

Having finally found some free time, spending time with my son is also an important thing.

This habit seemed to be etched into his genes, just like Commander Gu in his memory, who, no matter how busy he was, would always find time to test his studies or watch him practice boxing in the yard.

This is a silent legacy, about responsibility, and also about love.

He stayed in Gu Zhao's room for quite some time.

When he returned to the master bedroom, Nan Zhiyi was still hunched over her desk.

Hearing the door open, she didn't turn around, her pen still in motion, but with a smile, she asked softly, "Has our long-awaited father-son time come to a perfect end?"

Gu Xiao walked up behind her. "Yes, absolutely perfect."

After saying that, he reached out and took the pen from her fingers.

Under Nan Zhiyi's reproachful gaze, he bent down, put one hand under her knees and the other around her back, and with a little effort, lifted her up from the chair, sat down himself, and let her sit sideways on his lap.

"Now it's... time for married life. How about it, Mrs. Gu?"

Nan Zhiyi looked up into his eyes, which were so close to hers, and saw her own face reflected in them.

She arched her eyebrows, hooked her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against him:

"Yes, it's approved."