Moreover, judging from Gu Zhiyuan's certainty, he probably had a hand in this as well.
They were still debating whether to continue clinging to Gu Zhiyuan, their golden thigh, until the Lu family was completely destroyed.
But since the Lu family is doomed, there's no need to dwell on it.
After the Lu family's downfall, Gu Zhiyuan will be transferred to the provincial heavy industry at the end of the year, which will be about half a year at most. Everyone should part ways amicably.
This also marks a perfect end to my previous relationship with this big shot.
Since that's the case, there's no need to continue the cold war with Gu Zhiyuan. Let's spend the last six months peacefully and amicably—perfect.
Moreover, there are definitely risks involved in Gu Zhiyuan getting involved here.
Although Gu Zhiyuan's involvement in this matter was mostly due to his own reasons, he also benefited from it and resolved the Lu family's problems. For that alone, he should remember the favor of that powerful figure.
Thinking about it, Xu Ningyan smiled sincerely: "That's great! The tomato stewed beef brisket probably won't be enough, so I'll stir-fry a couple more side dishes! I think we still have some of the wine from last time, how about you have a drink? I'll fry some peanuts for you?"
After so many days, Gu Zhiyuan saw Xu Ningyan's genuine smile again, not the perfunctory one, and he almost burst into tears.
It wasn't easy!
In high spirits, even he, who doesn't usually like alcohol, couldn't resist the urge: "Okay, I'll go get the wine!"
Seeing that Gu Zhiyuan was in such high spirits, Xu Ningyan stir-fried some spicy and sour edamame, a plate of peanuts, pan-fried a crucian carp, and added stewed beef brisket with tomatoes, and the meal was ready.
If this dish were made in modern times, sitting by the roadside, you could easily down two bottles of beer to enjoy it.
However, Gu Zhiyuan was quite perceptive. Knowing that Xu Ningyan couldn't drink alcohol, he went out for a while and came back with two bottles of orange soda.
Although it's not ice, it's still quite rare.
The two sat down in the courtyard. Gu Zhiyuan didn't dare to drink too much, so he only poured a small glass of wine and then put the bottle away.
Xu Ningyan was holding a bottle of orange soda.
They sat facing each other, eating and chatting.
They didn't mention the Lu family either, since the Lu family's fate was pretty much sealed.
Xu Ningyan resumed her old habit of sharing gossip with Gu Zhiyuan during meals.
This time, Gu Zhiyuan didn't just nod or hum in agreement like before.
Instead, she took the initiative to strike up a conversation, occasionally asking, "And then what happened?" or "And then what happened?" to guide Xu Ningyan to continue speaking.
Xu Ningyan's stir-fried edamame is exceptional; it's spicy and sour, very appetizing, and the more you eat, the more addictive it becomes. Even when your lips turn red from the spiciness, you still can't bear to eat less.
Aside from being Xu Ningyan's straight man, this was the only thing Gu Zhiyuan loved.
The spiciness made my forehead and nose sweat, and my lips were bright red and a little swollen, but I didn't put down my chopsticks.
In the end, Xu Ningyan gave him the remaining bottle of orange soda to relieve the spiciness. He gulped down half of the bottle in one go, which provided some relief.
Feeling hot all over, I couldn't resist unbuttoning two buttons on my collar to let some air in.
You should know that given Gu Zhiyuan's previous character, even in the sweltering heat of summer, he would always button his shirt up to the very top.
I must have had a little to drink today, and I was a bit tipsy, which is why I did this.
Xu Ningyan sipped her soda absently, glancing at Gu Zhiyuan's collarbone revealed after he unbuttoned his shirt. She couldn't help but think back to the last time she saw Gu Zhiyuan without clothes, back in the hospital, behind a curtain.
It's been almost a year now.
For a year, both of them received wages, the supplies from the machinery factory and the department store were not bad, and Sun Zhou, the black market boss, would occasionally bring them some rare and delicious food, in addition to the supplies from Xu Ningyan's space.
Both of them have changed a lot in the past year.
Although Gu Zhiyuan is still thin, he has gained a lot of weight compared to last year. However, he exercises every day, so his muscles have grown in a very well-behaved way, growing into the right places as tendons.
His facial features were no longer so sharp, and after Gu Zhiyuan officially started working, he cut his long hair that used to cover his eyes short, and he also got a pair of non-prescription glasses from somewhere, which added to his composure and maturity.
Add to that his upright posture and imposing presence, and even though everyone knows he's married, many young women and wives in the machine factory still blush and feel shy when they see him.
As Xu Ningyan looked at Gu Zhiyuan, Gu Zhiyuan was also sizing her up.
During this period of cold war, the two hadn't seen each other much. Now they were finally able to sit down and eat together peacefully. As usual, Gu Zhiyuan looked at her with almost greedy eyes.
The little girl I remember seems to have suddenly grown up and blossomed.
Xu Ningyan has grown taller this year and is now over 1.6 meters tall.
With a balanced diet, regular sleep schedule, and no need to work in the fields, the energy I had previously lost has been almost fully restored.
Her hair was jet black and shiny, and her skin was fair. Apart from the few old calluses on her palms that still bore some marks, no one would have guessed that she was a poor country girl who was struggling to make ends meet just a year ago.
Especially after her period started, Xu Ningyan's body gradually changed; it was no longer flat but had graceful curves.
Her face was rosy and glowing with good health, her cheeks were still a little chubby, and when she puffed out her lips, her dimples appeared, making you want to hug her and pinch them.
Especially her lips, which were covered in orange soda, looked like dew-kissed flower petals, so pink and tender that you just wanted to take a bite.
Gu Zhiyuan couldn't help but swallow, forgetting the edamame he had just eaten, and accidentally choked.
Suddenly, she started coughing violently, her throat burning with pain, and the fleeting thoughts she had just had vanished instantly.
Xu Ningyan quickly patted his back and poured him water.
When Gu Zhiyuan calmed down and looked up, his face was flushed, and his neck and ears were so red they looked like they could bleed.
Seemingly embarrassed by his blunder, Gu Zhiyuan avoided looking at Xu Ningyan for long afterward.
He just buried his head in his food.
I ate three large bowls of the braised beef brisket with tomatoes in one go before putting down my chopsticks.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Gu Zhiyuan got up to clear the dishes and then, as was customary, boiled a large pot of bathwater for Xu Ningyan.
When he came out, Xu Ningyan was already waiting for him in his room with books.
And you know what? During this Cold War, without Gu Zhiyuan explaining the problems, this math-challenged girl accumulated quite a few questions to ask.
Gu Zhiyuan seemed somewhat distracted when discussing the problems that evening.
He realized it himself, and after explaining two questions, he rubbed his temples and said, "Ah Ning, I drank some wine today and I'm a little dizzy. How about I explain it to you again tomorrow?"
Xu Ningyan naturally had no objections, gave him a few words of advice, and then went back to her room.
After thinking for a while, I made him a cup of honey water and told him to drink it so he could sleep better.
Gu Zhiyuan smiled and agreed, taking the honey water. After watching Xu Ningyan return to the room, he looked down at the honey water in his hand for a long time, then drank it all in one gulp, fell onto the bed, and covered his face with his hands.
Because she was in a good mood, Xu Ningyan slept very well that night.
When I woke up in the morning, I found that Gu Zhiyuan had already gotten up, and instead of going for a run, he was washing the sheets and blankets in the yard.
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