Chapter 31
My birthday was a sunny autumn day.
When Jiang Xueru woke up in the morning, she received a text message from Gu Qingyue: "Come home for dinner tonight, there's a surprise."
She stared at the text message for a long time before replying with "Okay".
She was in a state of subtle anticipation and tension all day.
After trying on several outfits, I finally chose a simple off-white dress, loosely tied up my long hair, and applied some lipstick.
Knowing everything about the script, Qiuqiu was excited from the morning, circling around her and saying, "Mommy, you look so beautiful today!"
"Qiuqiu is beautiful too."
Jiang Xueru braided the little girl's hair into a delicate braid and tied it with a bow.
In the evening, Gu Qingyue returned on time.
She was carrying a cake box and a small dark blue velvet box.
Jiang Xueru's heart skipped a beat.
Dinner was plentiful, featuring dishes that Jiang Xueru loved.
Gu Qingyue cooked these dishes, and although some were clearly made by a novice, they tasted surprisingly good.
Qiuqiu was all smiles the whole time, busy serving food to her mother and pouring drinks for her father.
After finishing her meal, Gu Qingyue took out a cake.
It's not a fancy style you can buy in a store; you can tell at a glance that it's handmade. It's a bit crooked, and the cream isn't spread very evenly.
Jiang Xueru looked at the ugly cake and couldn't help but laugh.
It's unbelievable that after all these years, this person's cooking skills haven't improved at all. It seems all their talent has been put into acting.
"I tried to do it myself."
Gu Qingyue was a little embarrassed, "It might not look very good..."
"It looks great," Jiang Xueru said softly.
Qiuqiu insisted on singing the birthday song, her sweet, childlike voice echoing in the warm room.
Halfway through the cake, Gu Qingyue finally took out the small dark blue box.
He placed it on the table, pushed it in front of Jiang Xueru, and said with a slight blush on his face, "Birthday present."
Jiang Xueru opened the box.
Inside was a bracelet.
The pale pink pearls and delicate silver chain create a simple yet elegant design, just her preferred style.
"I just bought it randomly."
Gu Qingyue looked away, her voice a little unnatural, "I don't know if you'll like it..."
That's a lie.
He didn't buy it casually at all; he prepared it with great care. But he didn't dare say that, afraid of putting pressure on her, afraid that she would accept it just because she was touched.
Jiang Xueru opened the box and stared at the bracelet for a long time.
The pale pink pearls gleamed with a warm luster under the light, and the design was simple and elegant—exactly her preferred style.
She picked up the bracelet and gently stroked the smooth beads with her fingertips.
Just then—
"Daddy is lying."
Qiuqiu's clear voice suddenly rang out.
The little girl had somehow gotten close, pointed at the bracelet, and said loudly:
"This wasn't just bought randomly; Dad secretly knitted it in the living room every night! Qiuqiu saw it!"
Jiang Xueru's fingers paused.
She looked up at Gu Qingyue.
His face flushed bright red instantly, his lips moved as if he wanted to explain, but he didn't know what to say.
Qiuqiu continued talking, her little face filled with the seriousness of "I want to expose the truth".
"Dad spent several nights knitting it! His hands were red from the thread! He also took it apart many times! Qiuqiu saw it when she got up to drink water in the middle of the night!"
The living room fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Xueru looked down at the bracelet in her hand, then looked up at Gu Qingyue's flushed face and the hand he had instinctively hidden behind his back, where there were indeed fine red marks on his fingertips.
A surge of warmth suddenly welled up in her heart, making her eyes sting.
So that's how it is.
It turns out that during those days when he left early and returned late, and those nights when she thought he was busy working, he was actually in the living room, weaving this bracelet for her over and over again.
Even with her fingers reddened from the thread, she kept going, unraveling and starting over whenever she messed up, all so that she could give her a casually bought gift on her birthday.
This realization made Jiang Xueru's heart soften completely.
The hesitations she had been struggling with these past few days—whether to confess, whether it would be too sudden, and whether he actually liked her—suddenly became crystal clear at this moment.
He likes her.
In the most clumsy yet most sincere way.
And she liked him too.
Jiang Xueru gripped the bracelet tightly; the slightly cool touch of the pearls made her feel incredibly warm.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.
Then, she looked at Gu Qingyue and said:
"Gu Qingyue."
Gu Qingyue was still at a loss because of Qiuqiu's "exposure". When she heard Qiuqiu call her, she subconsciously responded: "...Hmm?"
"Our contract expires in one year."
Jiang Xueru's voice was calm, but her fingers holding the jewelry box turned slightly white.
Gu Qingyue's heart sank.
These words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing all his expectations.
Looking at her calm expression, his mind went blank.
Is it... coming to an end for her?
Does he think that once the contract expires, they should break up? Was all the warmth he felt these past few days just wishful thinking on his part?
A massive panic ensued.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out.
He felt a chill run through his body, as if he had suddenly fallen into an ice cave. He didn't even dare to look into her eyes, afraid of seeing a resolute look.
Jiang Xueru didn't stop and continued:
"I don't want to renew my contract."
Gu Qingyue's fingers tightened unconsciously, her fingertips digging into her palm.
He lowered his eyes, staring at the ground, trying hard to control his expression so she wouldn't notice his loss of composure.
So, it really is coming to an end?
That's true, it was a marriage of contract to begin with.
She never said she liked him; it was all his wishful thinking. Those warm daily moments and tacit interactions were perhaps just her cooperation out of a sense of responsibility and obligation.
Gu Qingyue smiled bitterly to herself.
But at that moment, Jiang Xueru's voice rang out again, softer than before, yet more resolute:
"Because it's either a renewal or a contract."
Gu Qingyue paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head.
Jiang Xueru looked at him, a gentle light flowing in her eyes: "I don't want to be your contractual husband anymore."
She stood up, walked up to him, and got very, very close.
Gu Qingyue looked up at her, his mind blank.
He didn't know what she was going to say next; he only felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if it were about to burst out of his ribs.
Then, he heard the most unbelievable thing he had ever heard:
"I want to be your real wife."
Time seemed to stand still.
Gu Qingyue stared at her blankly, his eyes widening little by little.
Did he mishear? Or is he dreaming?
Jiang Xueru said she wanted to be his real wife.
He blinked mechanically. Jiang Xueru was still in front of him, her face flushed, but her eyes were firm, without a trace of joking.
Seeing that the person was still in a daze, Qiuqiu quickly gave them a push, "Don't just stand there!"
Gu Qingyue came to her senses.
"What...what did you say?" His voice was so dry it didn't sound like his own.
“I said.”
Jiang Xueru took a deep breath and spoke each word clearly and forcefully, "Gu Qingyue, I like you. It's not a contract, it's not acting, I really like you. I've liked you for a long time."
Gu Qingyue still couldn't believe it.
He looked at her for a long, long time, until he was sure of the seriousness in her eyes, and that this was not a joke, not an illusion.
A surge of warmth flowed from my heart to every part of my body, dispelling all the coldness and panic I had felt moments before.
Gu Qingyue's hands trembled slightly with excitement. He looked at Jiang Xueru, his throat tightened, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.
Jiang Xueru looked at his stunned expression and suddenly laughed.
She handed him the bracelet: "Then, Teacher Gu, could you put it on me yourself?"
Gu Qingyue finally recovered from her huge shock.
He took the bracelet, and when his fingertips touched the skin of her wrist, they both trembled slightly.
He lowered his head and carefully placed the bracelet he had been weaving for several nights on her wrist.
The pale pink pearls accentuated her fair and slender wrists.
It looks great.
It was even more beautiful than he had imagined.
After putting it on, he didn't let go immediately, but gently held her wrist.
Then, he raised his head, looked directly into her eyes, and said, word by word:
I like you too.
"I've loved it since a long time ago, when I cried and said that no one remembered me."
"I've liked you ever since you won the Best Actress award and smiled like a little sun."
"From the moment you agreed to marry me, I decided to love you for the rest of my life."
Jiang Xueru's tears fell.
But her smile was particularly radiant.
She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
Qiuqiu watched from the side, nodded in satisfaction, and then very sensibly slipped back to her room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
In the living room, only the two of them remained, embracing each other.
The moonlight outside the window is gentle, and the stars twinkle.
Jiang Xueru looked up from Gu Qingyue's arms, her eyes sparkling: "So, you were originally planning to confess tonight too?"
Gu Qingyue's ears turned red again: "...Mm."
"How long have you been preparing?"
"......long time."
Jiang Xueru laughed and poked his cheek: "What can we do now? I beat you to it."
Gu Qingyue held her hand and kissed her fingertips: "It's okay. It doesn't matter who speaks first."
The result is the same anyway.
They finally got together.
It's not a contract, it's not acting.
It is a true, mutual love.
Jiang Xueru leaned on his shoulder, looking at the bracelet on her wrist, "I like it very much, I like it very much."
"I will make you a gift every year for your birthday from now on."
"No. It's too hard."
"It's not hard work," Gu Qingyue said earnestly. "Nothing I do for you is hard work."
Jiang Xueru felt as warm as if her heart was filled with sunshine.
She looked up. "It's a deal then. We'll have one every year."
"Yes, it's settled."
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