Gu Zhiyuan slept very soundly.
When he woke up, it was already afternoon.
Opening her eyes, she saw sunlight streaming through the window, illuminating golden dust particles floating in the air. A gentle breeze blew in, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the courtyard, and the sound of Xu Ningyan whispering to her lackey.
A rare moment of peace and tranquility.
Gu Zhiyuan felt as if his bones were soft and fluffy. It was rare for him to wake up and not want to move. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. At this moment, his heart was finally at peace.
The lackey, however, seemed to have noticed the change in Gu Zhiyuan's breathing inside, and barked a few times towards his room.
Xu Ningyan, unaware that Gu Zhiyuan was already awake, quickly whispered a scolding tone, "Don't wake him, let Brother Gu get some sleep!"
The lackey sobbed a couple of times, deeply regretting that he couldn't speak human language, otherwise he would have told Xu Ningyan that the two-legged beast inside had already woken up and was still lying in bed.
Upon hearing Xu Ningyan's voice, Gu Zhiyuan's eyes crinkled into a smile, and he stopped lingering in bed, turning over and getting up.
He folded the bedding neatly before pushing the door open and coming out.
Xu Ningyan was sitting under a tree, slowly cutting the edamame pods with scissors, planning to make spicy edamame for dinner.
There were also fresh water chestnuts and lotus pods on the side, along with tender lotus roots.
She bought all of these after Gu Zhiyuan fell asleep.
Although Jingshan County is surrounded by mountains, half of the county is plains with numerous ponds.
This is the season when large quantities of water chestnuts, lotus pods, and tender lotus roots are available on the market.
Xu Ningyan plans to make a lotus root stir-fry with three ingredients tonight, which is light and nutritious.
Seeing Gu Zhiyuan come out, she smiled and gestured for him to come over, "These water chestnuts and lotus pods just came into season today, would you like to try them, Brother Gu?"
Gu Zhiyuan agreed, went to the well to fetch water and wash his face, then sat down next to Xu Ningyan. He took a lotus pod out of the basket, and his slender fingers quickly peeled out a handful of tender lotus seeds, gesturing for Xu Ningyan to eat first.
Xu Ningyan wanted to eat, but with scissors in her hand and having just touched edamame, it was really inconvenient, so she could only shake her head regretfully: "I'll eat later."
Gu Zhiyuan gestured for her to open her mouth and popped two pieces into it.
The lotus seeds are tender, sweet, and very refreshing. They have no residue when you eat them and taste absolutely delicious.
Xu Ningyan couldn't help but gesture to Gu Zhiyuan to throw two more into his mouth.
Next, Xu Ningyan was cutting edamame while being fed by Gu Zhiyuan. After feeding her a lotus pod, he peeled out several tender water chestnut kernels.
Tender water chestnut kernels are also crisp and sweet, making them a favorite summer seasonal fruit and vegetable among the locals of Jingshan County.
The two worked together seamlessly, their hands and mouths never idle.
After feeding a few, Gu Zhiyuan stopped, went to the kitchen, took out a large bowl, and put the peeled lotus seeds and water chestnuts into it.
Then they started talking about going to the Northwest Military Region.
"What were your thoughts on going there this time to testify for Xu Changfeng?"
Gu Zhiyuan asked, "I need to figure out Xu Ningyan's attitude first before I can plan my next move."
Xu Ningyan rolled her eyes without any hesitation: "Of course I'm telling the truth! Do you really expect me to cover for them? Do you really think I'm some kind of sucker who won't fight back or talk back, and who will just suffer in silence!"
Gu Zhiyuan smiled; he knew this little girl was always vengeful.
“This trip to the Northwest will definitely not go smoothly! I don’t know what the situation is like there! Xu Changfeng has been in the Northwest Military Region for many years and must have some connections. If they don’t use force, they will probably try a softer approach first, playing the emotional card—” Gu Zhiyuan reminded.
"I know! My so-called biological mother might try to morally blackmail me using the bond of motherhood and filial piety! But I'm definitely not morally right in their eyes! Trying to blackmail me won't be that easy! I'm not afraid of being soft-hearted, and if you want to be tough, I'll just go all out and let everyone be ruined together! When you're down on your luck, you have nothing to lose. Let's see who can outmaneuver whom!"
With Gu Zhiyuan by her side, Xu Ningyan felt confident.
Gu Zhiyuan smiled and reached out to pat Xu Ningyan's head: "Fine, if you don't want to, no one can force you!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Ningyan knew that Gu Zhiyuan was promising to protect her, and immediately gave Gu Zhiyuan a bright smile.
Gu Zhiyuan's eyes narrowed, and his heart skipped a beat. He suppressed the excitement in his heart and stood up: "I brought you something this time. Would you like to take a look?"
Without waiting for Xu Ningyan's reply, he went inside and came out a moment later carrying a large bag of things.
A brand new women's military overcoat, several large pieces of chocolate, and a bag of milk candy.
Xu Ningyan saw him come in; he only had one bag, and these things probably took up four-fifths of the bag.
Xu Ningyan felt a mix of emotions—sour, sweet, and bitter—and almost couldn't help but wail: "This big shot is not only powerful and wealthy, but also incredibly handsome and devoted to me. Who can resist him?! What should I do? My head is itching; this love-struck brain is about to grow out of control!"
Taking a few deep breaths to barely control her racing heart, Xu Ningyan changed the subject: "Why did you bring me a military overcoat in this August weather?"
Gu Zhiyuan saw Xu Ningyan's face turn red and her eyes darting around, and he was secretly pleased. It seemed that the little girl wasn't completely oblivious to him.
Especially her deliberate attempt to change the subject and cover up the truth made her even more adorable, making you want to pinch her rosy cheeks. With a smile, she said, "It's cold and windy in the Northwest at night, so I'm bringing this just in case."
"And what about you?" Xu Ningyan couldn't help but ask.
Gu Zhiyuan waved his hand dismissively: "I'm healthy, I don't need it."
Well, this is a token of Gu Zhiyuan's affection, carried all the way from the capital, so she naturally couldn't refuse it.
I quietly put my things inside, checked the sky, and when it was almost time, I went inside to prepare dinner.
Gu Zhiyuan habitually followed him inside to help add firewood.
He then mentioned his own plans: "Have you packed your luggage? I've brought the letter of introduction and food coupons, so don't worry. Just bring plenty of clothes and luggage. If everything is ready, I'll have someone buy the tickets. We'll leave tomorrow afternoon."
Xu Ningyan's own luggage was already packed, so everything was fine. "I've got everything ready here, but wouldn't you like to rest for another day? After all, it's going to be a long train journey again—"
Gu Zhiyuan felt a warmth in his heart. This girl, after all, he hadn't spoiled her for nothing; she even knew how to care about him. "It's alright, it's better to get things sorted out sooner rather than later!"
Since there were no problems with Gu Zhiyuan's side, Xu Ningyan also felt that it would be better to resolve Xu Changfeng's side as soon as possible.
The two reached an agreement.
The next morning, Xu Ningyan started preparing food for the journey at home. The weather was hot, and many things couldn't be kept for long, otherwise they would spoil.
So Xu Ningyan thought about it and made fried noodles and pancakes. She also put the beef sauce she had made last time into two small jars.
Then I opened the braising pot and braised a little bit of eggs and a little bit of braised meat. I also steamed a pot of steamed buns for dinner.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
