Chapter 137
Qiao Hui took Gu Xi's advice to heart.
She wasn't someone who couldn't listen to advice, and besides, Gu Xi was special to her, so she felt that what Gu Xi said made a lot of sense, which made her want to have a heart-to-heart talk with her husband.
Qiao Hui suppressed her thoughts and waited for Gao Wenbin to come home.
Gao Wenbin came back very late today. They had all eaten dinner, and it was already completely dark, but he still hadn't returned.
This is quite normal. Sometimes when I'm busy, it's common to come back in the middle of the night. Plus, I just finished my annual leave, so I have a lot of work to do and inevitably have to spend more time on it.
Before anyone returned, Qiao Hui had no choice but to put her already sleepy daughter to bed.
She woke up in the middle of the night and vaguely realized that someone was lying down next to her. She was awake for a moment and felt someone holding her. She quickly fell asleep again in the familiar scent.
When the mother and daughter woke up the next day, Gao Wenbin was no longer at home.
"Mommy~~"
The little girl smiled at her mother after waking up, and then sat there playing by herself.
Seeing her daughter's fair and lovely smiling face, Qiao Hui couldn't help but smile, picked her up, and said, "It seems your dad has been quite busy lately, so we'll have to postpone it for now."
It wasn't until after the first month of the lunar calendar, when new buds sprouted on the jujube tree branches in the yard, that Gao Wenbin finally got to rest at home.
Because she hadn't seen him for a while, Qiao Hui's original intention to talk to him had gradually faded. But now that she saw him at home, she couldn't help but wonder if she should talk to him.
Gao Wenbin was playing with building blocks with his daughter when he noticed her staring at him. He turned around and asked, "Huihui, is something wrong?"
Qiao Hui hummed in agreement. "There's something I want to tell you."
Thinking she had something important to do, Gao Wenbin entrusted his daughter to Sister Zhu's care and went to the study to talk with her.
Upon entering the study, Gao Wenbin sat down by the window and asked, "What is it?"
But she started to ponder it, recalling what had happened during the New Year, and felt that what she was going to say must be related to this.
He knew she had been wronged and that this year had not been pleasant for her. He decided that he should go back less often in the future. Anyway, his parents were still young and could work hard for another twenty years. They were unlikely to come to the army. It was better to keep some distance between them.
Qiao Hui sat opposite him, looked up and noticed that he wasn't wearing his glasses today.
Since his daughter was born, he usually doesn't wear his glasses at home, afraid that they might hurt her delicate skin. In addition, as she grows up, she likes to grab things and is particularly curious about her father's glasses. If you're not careful, her hand will suddenly grab them, and you can't defend yourself from it.
Gao Wenbin also developed the habit of not wearing glasses in front of his daughter.
Without the glasses to conceal it, this guy's face was refined and handsome, lacking some of the air of a scoundrel, but he still didn't look like a good person.
Being good-looking doesn't conflict with not being a good person.
"Huihui?" Gao Wenbin called out, looking at her with a puzzled expression, wondering why she was suddenly staring blankly at him.
He knew very well that his wife didn't seem to like his appearance and also had a lot of opinions about her own looks, fearing that their daughter would look like them.
This is their daughter, so she must look like both of them.
Qiao Hui came to her senses and said calmly, "I didn't actually want to marry you back then."
Gao Wenbin's heart sank instantly.
For a moment, he thought a lot. Why did she suddenly bring this up? Could it be that she was provoked during the New Year and finally made up her mind to get a divorce?
The incident back then caused such a huge uproar that the rumors just wouldn't stop. If they didn't get married, her reputation would be completely ruined, and she might even be attacked by rumors until she was driven to her death.
But he also knew that she really didn't want to get married at that time.
In her heart, he was Qiao Rui's boyfriend, and they were about to get married. He was definitely her cousin's husband. She was a person with a strong sense of morality and would never be willing to marry her future cousin's husband.
Qiao Rui's questioning of her about whether she deliberately seduced her brother-in-law was utter nonsense.
Before this, he had only met Qiao Hui once. When he and his parents first visited the Qiao family, he politely didn't look at her much because she was his future sister-in-law. The two were complete strangers, and he couldn't possibly have any feelings for her.
Gao Wenbin's mind raced, but he didn't show it on his face. He even smiled and said, "Yes, I know." Then, he changed the subject and continued, "But we've been married for almost ten years and have a child. You wouldn't want a divorce, would you?"
Thinking back on all these years, she has always refused to join the army because she couldn't get over that hurdle in her heart.
He didn't want to pressure her. Since he had married her, she was his wife, and he had never thought about divorcing her.
She suffered so much during this Chinese New Year trip home. If she really can't take it anymore and wants a divorce...
Gao Wenbin felt very uncertain.
She didn't need his protection; even if she felt wronged, she could immediately back down. But she never thought of relying on her husband, unaware that he could actually protect her, which frustrated him greatly.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Hui frowned and asked, "You want a divorce?"
She hadn't thought about that. If he wanted a divorce... she could give up everything else, but she would definitely take her daughter with her, so that he wouldn't become a stepfather if he remarried and it wouldn't be good for her daughter.
"I don't want to." Gao Wenbin said firmly, holding her hand and looking at her earnestly. "Huihui, I have never thought about divorce. You are my wife, and we have a daughter. I will not get a divorce."
Hearing him say that, Qiao Hui felt relieved.
Although the two spent little time together after marriage, she knew his personality to some extent. He never lied to people about important matters, so if he said he didn't want a divorce, then he meant it.
Qiao Hui continued, "I wanted to ask you, what were you thinking back then? If that hadn't happened, you should have married Qiao Rui..." After thinking for a moment, she said, "Qiao Rui is indeed quite suitable for you. Your parents and several older sisters all like her. Her personality is very likable, and she would definitely be willing to come to your military post and stay with you after marriage..."
Unlike her, who stubbornly refused to come over until seven years into their marriage, she was not willing to compromise.
If it were Qiao Rui, she would never have embarrassed him like that.
She had actually listened to the criticisms from her parents-in-law and sisters-in-law, but she was simply unwilling to compromise.
"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Gao Wenbin's scalp tingled, and he quickly said, "Wife, let's be realistic. Let's not make assumptions about things that haven't happened! You've always been my wife. You're the one who gave birth to my daughter, and you're the one I'll spend my life with... It was destined from the moment we got married."
He didn't marry Qiao Rui, so why would he care about her or whether she would be suitable?
If you really think that way, it would be disrespectful to them.
Qiao Hui stared at him. "Don't change the subject. What were you thinking back then?"
Seeing her insistence on getting an answer, Gao Wenbin had no choice but to say, "I haven't thought about it much. Qiao Rui and I are not meant to be, so naturally I won't think about it. The girl I want to marry is you, and I want to take responsibility for you."
He spoke very seriously, and that was indeed what he thought.
Although the two families were interested in each other, Qiao Rui was the first one they chose.
But at that time, he and Qiao Rui had only met twice. Once was when they met for the first time, and the other time was when he visited the Qiao family. He and Qiao Rui did not spend much time together, and since they were not married yet, they had to keep their distance from each other. They hadn't even held hands, so how could he have any thoughts about her?
He never dwells on things that don't exist, nor does he make assumptions about them.
Qiao Hui looked at him for a while, then continued, "So, when you were forced to marry me... did you regret it?"
If it weren't for saving her, none of those things would have happened. Later, to protect her reputation, he had no choice but to marry her.
To be honest, she was grateful to him for saving her life, but gratitude didn't mean she had to marry him. Similarly, he had no obligation to marry her, and if he hadn't wanted to, she wouldn't have resented him.
If the rumors simply won't subside, she will choose to go to the countryside to avoid all of this.
There is a solution.
"Why do you regret it?" Gao Wenbin asked in surprise. Seeing her tense face, he seemed to understand and was immediately happy.
Actually, he had always wanted to have a proper talk with her and clear things up.
But she had always avoided the topic before, and he didn't want to pressure her. He knew very well that she didn't want to marry him back then, and he was afraid that she would want a divorce, which is why he had dragged it out until now.
Gao Wenbin got up and sat down next to her, then reached out and picked her up, holding her in his arms.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly made a move. When Qiao Hui sat on his lap, her face turned red. She struggled to jump off, but he held her down.
"Huihui." His voice became hoarse as he held her tightly in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "I've never regretted it! You're my wife. You're beautiful, intelligent, well-educated, and a college student... I don't know how many men envy me for having such a wife, and I'm so happy..."
Qiao Hui was dumbfounded.
She stared at him blankly, never expecting that he would think that way.
After a long pause, she opened her mouth and said, "But I'm not pretty. My appearance... is very easy to attract criticism... People like Qiao Rui are considered pretty and very likable."
She had always envied Qiao Rui's appearance; she didn't need to be outstanding, just pretty and charming.
Gao Wenbin touched her face, which was as beautiful as a flower petal. As she grew older, she became more and more charming. It was a kind of charm that a fully mature woman exuded. Every move she made could easily stir a man's heart.
Men are visual creatures. They say they want to marry a virtuous wife, but what man wouldn't want to marry a woman who is as beautiful as a fox spirit, bright and alluring, yet strangely possessing a refined scholarly air that suppresses her overly seductive beauty, making her seem contradictoryly charming?
Gao Wenbin knew how beautiful his wife was and how easily she could make a man lose control.
However, her appearance is not something that the general public can accept, and even she herself feels very inferior about it.
“In my heart, you are very beautiful,” Gao Wenbin said sincerely, looking at her with a smile in his eyes. “There is no woman more beautiful than you.”
Qiao Hui was somewhat at a loss, and stammered, "Nonsense, Gu Xi is the prettiest..."
He put his arm around her and said matter-of-factly, "No matter how beautiful she is, it has nothing to do with me."
Qiao Hui remained silent for a long while, then blushed and looked away, saying, "I'm sorry, all these years... we haven't had a proper talk." She lowered her eyes and said with some bitterness, "Back then, I didn't want to marry you, and you were forced to marry me. I've always felt that we're not suitable for each other..."
At one point, she even considered divorcing him.
Gao Wenbin was very unhappy and retorted, "Nonsense, we are a perfect match!"
"Don't interrupt, listen to me!" Qiao Hui scolded him playfully, "That's why I don't want to go with you to the army. I feel like we're just forced together, and there's nothing to talk about with you..."
After listening to her self-analysis, Gao Wenbin had only one thought in his mind: his wife's moral sense was too high, which made her very vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
At times like these, one should look for problems within oneself and reflect on one's own actions instead of blaming others.
If he were more despicable, he could manipulate her, easily trapping her and making her completely become what he wanted her to be...
"From now on, let's live a good life together," Qiao Hui concluded, "and raise our little girl well."
She smiled as she finished speaking.
Gao Wenbin patiently waited for her to finish before saying, "I was also at fault. I didn't explain things clearly to you, which caused you to misunderstand..."
The thought that she had once considered divorce sent chills down his spine.
Although divorce is impossible, what if his parents think they both want a divorce and decide to help them get one before she goes to the military base...?
Gao Wenbin also began to reflect on his actions, realizing that he couldn't let his wife be the only one reflecting on her actions.
Actually, both of them were at fault and had misunderstood each other. In comparison, he felt that he was more at fault because he knew her personality but never talked to her about it, which led to her misunderstanding.
Before marriage, it was fine, but after marriage, he really liked his wife. She was beautiful, outstanding, and intelligent. She was a college graduate, a typical cultured person, and worked at a publishing house, editing books...
How could he not like a wife like that?
Knowing that she liked working in publishing, he gave her time and didn't force her to join the army.
Gao Wenbin thought this way, and he said it.
He was a very cunning man who knew how to manipulate a person's heart and understood that some things couldn't be kept secret and needed to be told so that she would know.
However, his wife was too thin-skinned, and soon her face turned red, as if she would hit him if he continued to talk nonsense, so he had no choice but to shut up.
**
"Hey, you finally got to the bottom of things with Chief of Staff Gao?"
Gu Xi looked at Qiao Hui in surprise, noticing her slightly flushed face, and thought to herself that the couple had not only opened up to each other, but had probably gone even further... cough.
Qiao Hui smiled and held Gu Xi's hand, saying, "Gu Xi, thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have decided to ask him... We're all fine now, and things will be alright from now on."
Thinking about how inseparable the couple had been these past few days, her face couldn't help but flush.
It's quite surprising that they've been married for almost ten years before they're finally experiencing what it's like for young people to fall in love.
The two had many misunderstandings in the past, and marriage felt like being forced together, so she couldn't feel anything for him.
Now... that man is indeed a master of nonsense, always saying things that make her feel so ashamed she wants to hit him.
Gu Xi looked at the relaxed and open-minded look in her eyes, and the joy in them, and was happy for her too.
She smiled and said, "That's good, congratulations!"
Qiao Hui smiled, feeling too embarrassed to talk about these things with her, and changed the subject, asking, "How are you feeling today? Are you still throwing up a lot?"
Gu Xi picked up a glass of water and took a sip. She said weakly, "I feel like throwing up. Nothing tastes good to me now. I can't stand strange smells or strong flavors."
She thought her morning sickness wasn't too bad because she was eating well during the Lunar New Year period, but it turned out that it was coming anyway.
Recently, for some reason, she has started experiencing severe morning sickness, vomiting violently after eating just a little bit.
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