Chapter 65. Here, or is it still us?
The week before Christmas went by quickly.
On Monday, Shang Shu finally regained some energy after lying in bed for two days. She begged Gu Sui to make her sweet potato porridge again. Gu Sui laughed at her, saying she never got tired of it. She retorted that she never got tired of not only the porridge but also herself. Gu Sui pretended not to hear her, so by evening, it wasn't just her ears that were being licked by Gu Sui.
On Tuesday, the two woke up in the second bedroom again and lay in bed until the sun was high in the sky before getting up. In the afternoon, Gu Sui had to have a video conference with the professor and others. After lunch, she asked Shang Shu to pick out a turtleneck for her in a cool voice.
In front of the video call, Shang Shu lingered in the study, wanting to listen from the side and refusing to leave. Gu Sui, never one to back down, said he didn't care. But halfway through the call, listening to Gu Sui's refined and sexy British accent and seeing him deliberately playing with his glasses, it was Shang Shu who couldn't take it anymore and fled in panic.
On Wednesday, the Gu family held a family banquet to welcome Gu Sui's aunt back from France. Gu Sui went back to accompany her in place of Gu Qi. Shang Shu had been feeling down ever since she heard the news. She felt like she was becoming more and more clingy and spineless, so she kept it to herself all day and even endured not sending Gu Sui any messages all night. She couldn't even read a single word of the S&S annual financial report that she had originally planned to read carefully.
Later, Gu Sui came back and brought her a few hot Portuguese egg tarts, which finally appeased her. Gu Sui said that these were not the ones served at the banquet, but rather that she had asked a pastry chef hired by the Gu family to teach her how to make them after everyone had left. So, while stubbornly saying that it was not good to eat so late at night, Shang Shu happily ate them like a hamster.
Thursday night was Christmas Eve. Shang Shu went to the company in the morning to listen to the year-end report and also to pick up the ring she had hidden in the office, which she was afraid Gu Sui would find if she took it home.
When Shang Shu returned to the waterfront in the afternoon, she was pleasantly surprised to see a three-meter Christmas tree standing next to the stairs as soon as she entered.
"When did you buy it?" Shang Shu tilted her head back and happily circled the Christmas tree several times.
The colored lights on this tree aren't coiled and wrapped like in the traditional way; instead, they cascade down vertically from the top, just like the ones on the tree in Edinburgh.
"A couple of days ago, when you said you wanted to stay at home," Gu Sui said, leaning against the stairs and smiling at her.
The Christmas tree was delivered in the morning. Knowing that Shang Shu wanted some time alone, she sent the housekeeper home early in the morning, after helping her hang the lights.
Shang Shu had only planned to cook dinner at home with Gu Sui, cuddle up and complete her little ritual, and then do something indescribable with him. But now the surprise exceeded her expectations. In her excitement, she felt that it would be a shame not to do something special for the atmosphere.
"Gu Sui, let's go to the supermarket, and then come back and bake apple pie ourselves, okay?" Shang Shu skipped over to him and tugged at Gu Sui's sleeve.
Thinking back, the last time they went grocery shopping together was a few years ago in Edmonton. In Australia, they rarely went out on their own. They would usually just tell their housekeeper what they needed and have her buy it in advance, or they would just order delivery. Also, Shang Shu was too busy, and she didn't have much leisure time before, so this activity was rather unusual for them.
Hearing the name "apple pie," Gu Sui felt a warmth on her ears, as if it were a secret romantic code unique to them, always bringing back those innocent and beautiful memories.
"Okay, then I'll go change my clothes." She smiled, put her arm around Shang Shu's waist, and led her upstairs.
"Let's make something to eat ourselves. You can teach me, or I can find a recipe online. I think I can make apple pie. Later, no, I'll check what ingredients we need in a bit. We can also..."
Listening to Shang Shu chatter away, Gu Sui smiled as he looked into her bright eyes, finding the little girl extremely adorable.
The two eventually decided to go to the largest imported supermarket in the city center. Gu Sui held the steering wheel with one hand, while Shang Shu continued to enthusiastically make a shopping list while navigating the navigation.
"Be careful not to get carsick." Gu Sui glanced at the girl whose eyes were glued to her phone screen and smiled helplessly.
Shang Shu kept her head down, her fingers sliding up and down: "I need to take a good look, otherwise what if I forget to buy something later?"
She takes tonight's event very seriously, so she is being particularly cautious about this procurement.
"Just have the housekeeper buy more, or order delivery." Gu Sui turned the steering wheel and couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the little girl shopping at the supermarket as if she were about to take an exam.
Shang Shu then looked up at the person, puffed out her cheeks, and shook her head: "It's different."
Gu Sui didn't stop him anymore, only nodded with a smile, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead, and his other hand gripped the steering wheel.
The supermarket was indeed very large and crowded, with a strong festive atmosphere. Red and green elements were everywhere, and colorful balls or snowflakes hung upside down from the ceiling of each floor. Christmas trees and decorations were placed on the largest and most eye-catching shelves, making people want to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere.
Gu Sui pushed the shopping cart slowly, while Shang Shu held her phone and directed the way, occasionally reaching her hand between Gu Sui's hands to push the cart together.
"Gu Sui." Walking down the long corridor, with colorful candies displayed on shelves on both sides, Shang Shu softly called out the person's name.
"Um?"
"Suddenly I feel...so warm and cozy."
"Is this still us?"
"Yes." Shang Shu smiled at the person, shifted her hand from the handle to the other side, and raised it to take Gu Sui's arm.
Gu Sui eased the pressure of pushing the shopping cart slightly and slowed his pace: "If you like it, come often."
Shang Shu narrowed her eyes like crescent moons and sweetly replied, "Okay."
Actually, there weren't many things to buy, but Shang Shu made a very detailed list. She wanted both low-gluten and all-gluten flour, unsalted butter, and a mix of sweet and sour apples to add layers of flavor.
"Gu Sui, which of these two bags of green apples looks better?"
Gu Sui examined it for a moment and pointed to the left.
"What about these lemons?"
Gu Sui pondered for a moment, then nodded towards the third option.
"Gu Sui, help me find some nutmeg."
"Gu Sui, and cinnamon powder."
"Gu Sui, vanilla pods."
"..."
Gu Sui patiently cooperated, even though she probably already had all these things at home. However, seeing Shang Shu's enthusiastic expression, she just kept putting things into the shopping cart.
After finding everything on the list, the two strolled around leisurely for a while. Seeing that there were many people at the Christmas decorations area, Shang Shu also wanted to check it out. She put the shopping cart in a place where it wouldn't get in the way and held Gu Sui's hand as they weaved through the crowd.
Christmas trees come in all shapes and sizes, some realistic, some cartoonish and lit up. Shang Shu looked around and then turned to whisper to Gu Sui, "None of them are as pretty as ours."
Hearing "our family," Gu Sui's heart softened again, and her hand holding the little girl's hand went a little weak, but she still held it even tighter.
Gingerbread men wearing scarves, penguins wearing Santa hats, and reindeer with red diamond-patterned antlers—Shang Shu would occasionally grab something to show Gu Sui. After receiving Gu Sui's expected "Buy it if you like it," she would happily put it back. Then, after taking a few steps and looking back, she would find that they had reappeared in her shopping cart.
After realizing she was becoming increasingly clingy, Shang Shu also began to feel that she was easily satisfied. Gu Sui's actions, words, or even just a glance could make her feel as sweet as honey, and her sensitivity had increased several levels compared to when she was in Aicheng.
Wouldn't that be a bit too pathetic?
As she walked, she stared intently at her toes, lost in thought, completely unaware that the person beside her had stopped.
“Ah Shu”.
Hearing Gu Sui's voice from a few meters away, Shang Shu turned around and saw that Gu Sui had somehow brought out a large red velvet bow about half an arm's length.
Gu Sui was dressed casually today, wearing a black turtleneck top, an olive green shirt tucked halfway into black jeans, a brown lambskin belt around her waist, and a pair of Martin boots. She was holding a large red bow in her hand, the long end of which reached her knees, perfectly matching her outfit.
Looking at that tall and slender figure, Shang Shu suddenly swallowed. She had been so busy making a list that she hadn't had time to take a good look at him. This person was unbelievably handsome.
She shuffled over, fiddling with the ribbon of the bow with her fingers: "What are you doing? Are you dressing yourself up as a gift for me?"
Gu Sui chuckled: "Didn't you just say you wanted to find a bow for the Christmas tree?"
Yes, she just mentioned it briefly. What on earth is going on in my head?
Shang Shu gave an awkward smile: "Haha, it's...it's fine, take this one."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a hand appeared around her waist, pulling her into an embrace with a slight pull. A bow was tucked between the two of them, rising and falling gently with their breaths.
Gu Sui's voice, tinged with laughter, was both noble and alluring: "Yes, it's for you."
Shang Shu felt she really should re-examine her ability to judge people, but it was a bit difficult now because she felt like every pore of her skin was burning.
“Someone…” She gently removed her hand from her waist, took a half step back, and quickly glanced around. Fortunately, only someone passed by in the passage and did not notice them.
"Going home?" Gu Sui looked down at the bow, then looked up at Shang Shu, his eyes not exactly innocent.
Shang Shu understood what this meant, but there was something else she wanted to relive. Looking at Gu Sui's slightly pink ear tips, Shang Shu didn't answer. Instead, she took the hand that wasn't holding the bow and walked towards the wine area not far away.
The liquor section is always less crowded than other areas, something they knew back in Edmonton. Back then, they would secretly kiss in front of the liquor shelves, starting with just a few light kisses and gradually progressing to full-on kissing. They indulged in this forbidden pleasure, and afterwards, dressed impeccably and nonchalantly, they would pick out a bottle of their favorite liquor to take home and continue doing what they hadn't finished.
As Shang Shu led the group through the wine racks, she felt a little nervous doing this again after so many years. By the time she found a suitable spot and turned around, Gu Sui's kiss had already assaulted her.
They were indeed of one mind.
It wasn't the wine rack in Love City; I had wines a hundred times better at home. But their intimacy and passion remained unchanged. Bows covered their faces, and ribbons gently draped over their shoulders. They used their most tender parts to passionately express their love for each other.
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Author's note: Another month has passed~ Thank you to all the readers who have been here. I hope you enjoy reading!
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