Shen Zhihuan was stunned for a moment, but didn't think much of it.
"That's true. We got married too hastily. We need time to cultivate our relationship."
"Then let's sleep in separate beds for now."
Shen Zhihuan wasn't angry at the time; in fact, she understood that the other person was respecting her.
But she overlooked the furrowing of Gu Yuchuan's brow when he heard the word "first".
They also overlooked the fact that the person standing nonchalantly outside the door while they were saying those words was the one who was planning to stay at their house that night.
Tong Xinyue is Gu Yuchuan's cousin.
Shen Zhihuan thought that Gu Yuchuan was only temporarily separating from her.
Unexpectedly, this one point lasted from beginning to end, permeating the entire marriage.
But Shen Zhihuan wasn't bothered by this matter at the time.
After all, she had more important things on her mind at that time.
During her college entrance exam, she, who had always been a high achiever, suddenly felt dizzy and was in extremely poor condition during the exam. Several times she almost fell asleep on the table and ultimately failed to get into university.
Shen Zhihuan held a grudge about this matter; she was truly unwilling to accept it.
After getting married, besides managing household affairs and raising Gu Yuchuan's child, she squeezed out every available moment, like a sponge, to study and practice for exams.
Shen Zhihuan regarded the General Medical University as her sole target for exam preparation.
However, a special opportunity allowed her to join the army, which also accelerated the estrangement between her and the Gu family.
From then on, Shen Zhihuan became even busier, spending his time in the army either training or studying medicine, and rarely returning home on statutory holidays.
The fact that the couple slept in separate rooms also relieved her of a lot of pressure.
She only needs to go home occasionally, and doesn't need to take care of Gu Yuchuan's child, nor does she need to worry about anything else.
At that time, Gu Yuchuan was no different from a stranger sharing an apartment with her.
Later, Shen Zhihuan fulfilled her wish and became a battlefield medic.
She became busier, frequently traveling across the country to provide support and gain experience.
Sometimes when people ask about her marital status, she herself feels confused.
It turns out she also had a husband and a stepson.
Shen Zhihuan spends most of the year away from home without returning, and Gu Yuchuan has no objections whatsoever.
The few phone calls they made were mostly to ask where their belongings were kept at home.
Shen Zhihuan assumed that he was afraid of bothering her and didn't dare to say more, and at first she was quite touched.
Until that day, she suddenly took leave and went home.
The moment she opened the door, she saw her husband, who was usually stern and distant, rise to greet her with a face full of tenderness and affection.
But what he was shouting was—
"Xinyue, you're back."
Their eyes met, and both of them froze.
Shen Zhihuan stared at her husband, who had been smiling just a moment ago, as the curve of his lips slowly drooped, replaced by a hint of disgust, and asked coldly.
Why are you back?
It was as if she shouldn't go back, as if that wasn't her home.
She just couldn't understand it.
Isn't Tong Xinyue his cousin?
How could he be with his own cousin?
Shen Zhihuan asked a retired comrade-in-arms to help her find out, and that's how she found out.
It turns out that the pitiful, homeless "cousin" Tong Xinyue who had been living in her house all along was not Gu Yuchuan's biological cousin at all.
Tong Xinyue was adopted by Gu Yuchuan's aunt and grew up with Gu Yuchuan.
They used to be close siblings, but from another perspective, they were childhood sweethearts.
Shen Zhihuan couldn't help but wonder if they liked each other, but were just unable to be together openly because of their sibling relationship.
The only option is to marry someone else first, using a wife in name only as a cover, so that they can continue living together.
When this idea first came to her, Shen Zhihuan herself thought it was crazy.
After thinking about it, she decided to ask her stepson, whom she had taken care of for many years, Lele, the orphan of the friend that Gu Yuchuan had adopted.
She specifically chose a free afternoon to pick Lele up from school.
As she watched the child emerge, Shen Zhihuan was about to step forward when someone beat her to it.
Tong Xinyue, dressed in a fashionable long dress and wearing jewelry a hundred times more valuable than that in Chen Zhihuan's jewelry box, opened her arms to the boy who ran out of the school.
"Son, come here quickly!"
Lele familiarly and excitedly rushed into her arms, shouting happily.
"Mother!"
He affectionately took Tong Xinyue's hand and asked with a smile:
"Mom, what delicious food did Dad make today?"
Mother?
Shen Zhihuan was completely stunned.
You should know that after so many years of marriage, Shen Zhihuan has taken great care of her stepson, but all she gets in return is a "Auntie".
Sometimes this child wouldn't even call her "Auntie," and at the dinner table, she was very impolite, bossing Shen Zhihuan around.
"Hey, get me a bowl of rice!"
"Hey, wash the dishes!"
Like Gu Yuchuan, she was indifferent yet self-righteous.
Shen Zhihuan thought that he was young and had no biological parents, and with her mother-in-law keeping a close eye on him, she didn't care.
At that moment, Shen Zhihuan felt as if she had been struck by lightning, connecting all the past events in her mind.
Gu Yuchuan's indifference, his politeness, his indifference.
It wasn't out of consideration.
It was not because of disgust.
He didn't care that she didn't go back for years; in fact, he hoped it would be so.
Only in this way can he and Tong Xinyue have more opportunities to spend time together.
And her stepson, Lele, may not be the orphan of any friend.
He is Gu Yuchuan and Tong Xinyue's biological son.
They are the real family.
It all sounds so absurd, yet so intricately connected that it's impossible to find any loopholes.
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