Chapter 205 Summer Palace
Gu Xiao grasped her wrist and whispered in her ear, "Because I had my vasectomy."
Upon hearing this, Nan Zhiyi's eyes widened. "When did this happen?"
“I had it done as soon as I was transferred to Beijing in 1976.” He gently bit her earlobe with his teeth. “The head of the urology department at the military hospital performed the surgery himself. It’s much simpler than female sterilization… How could I bear to let you suffer again?”
Nan Zhiyi's eyes welled up with tears: "Are you... in pain? Why didn't you tell me..."
"They used anesthesia, so it didn't hurt at all."
She propped herself up and looked at him: "Is this really... foolproof?"
“We’ve had three follow-up tests, and the sperm motility is zero,” Gu Xiao said solemnly. “No contraception method can guarantee 100% protection. I will do my best to protect you... Even if something happens, I will never let you experience pain again.”
Nan Zhiyi's tears suddenly fell, landing on his open collar: "But... what if Dad finds out..."
“He has enough grandchildren to form a basketball team.” Gu Xiao kissed away her tears. “Besides, there’s Gu Yan. Let him have as many children as he wants. That kid has plenty of free time anyway.”
He suddenly lifted her up by the bottom and asked, "Are you relieved now?"
Nan Zhiyi wrapped her arms around his neck and was carried into the second bedroom.
"Gu Xiao..." she mumbled softly as she sank into the blankets, "Actually, I can take my medicine..."
"Every medicine has its side effects." He bit open the button of her nightgown. "My method... will solve the problem once and for all."
Nan Zhiyi suddenly rolled over and pinned him down, kissing his Adam's apple: "Then, I'll make it up to you..."
How will you be compensated?
He smiled and supported her lower back. "Like this? Or..."
Nan Zhiyi traced her fingertips across his chest and leaned closer.
The night was deep, and suddenly a downpour began outside the window.
The raindrops pattered against the banana leaves, drowning out the suppressed breathing inside the house.
Her damp hair clung to his chest, and she could hear his heart pounding like a drum.
“Zhiyi…” He found her lips and kissed her deeply and intensely.
He wanted to say something to express his love... but chose to express it through his actions.
Finally, she curled up in his arms, drifting off to sleep. His fingers casually twirled her long hair as he chuckled, "The best thing about ligation... you can enjoy yourself anytime..."
Nan Zhiyi was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, so she raised her hand to cover his mouth: "...Don't say it."
Gu Xiao held her wrist and kissed her fingers inch by inch...
He didn't know when, but he carried her to clean her up and returned to the master bedroom.
As dawn broke, the rain stopped, and water droplets dripped from the grape leaves.
Xiaoman woke up whimpering in his crib. Nan Zhiyi tried to get up, but Gu Xiao pressed her back down onto the pillow: "I'll go carry him downstairs."
He got up, carried his son downstairs and handed him to Sister Zhang, then came back and hugged her again: "Sleep a little longer... you were tired last night." His hand naturally rested on her lower back, his fingertips gently massaging it.
Nan Zhiyi nestled against his chest and hummed softly, actually taking another nap.
Gu Xiao had two days of rest after completing the mission.
Although he said he was taking a break, he wasn't idle at all.
He let Xiaoman play in the yard, allowing Nan Zhiyi to concentrate on her studies.
In the afternoon, he carefully tidied up the vegetable garden and flower bed.
This is the first year that the grapes have borne fruit, and only a few clusters of unripe grapes are hanging on the ground.
Gu Xiao picked the smallest grape to tease his son, Xiao Man. He took a bite and immediately wrinkled his face in disgust at the sourness, which made the couple burst into laughter.
The next day, the weather was clear and sunny, and Gu Xiao drove his Jeep to the Summer Palace with his wife and children.
In September, the garden is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus, and scattered wooden boats float on Kunming Lake.
Nan Zhiyi carried Xiaoman through the corridor, pointing to the colorful paintings on the beams and teaching him to recognize flowers and birds. Gu Xiao followed behind with his camera, the lens tracking the mother and son.
Upon reaching the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures, Nan Zhiyi leaned against the vermilion railing, watching the fish frolic among the lotus leaves, and suddenly exclaimed, "The layout of this courtyard is truly wonderful. I wish I could live in a courtyard like this..."
Gu Xiao held up his camera to take pictures of her, and upon hearing this, he laughed and said, "I can't afford to buy this place. A courtyard house would be more practical. I've heard that some private courtyard houses are traded quietly."
He adjusted the focus to capture a shot of her hair being blown by the wind, saying, "I'll ask around."
Nan Zhiyi turned her head in surprise: "Can private individuals buy and sell real estate? Aren't they all public housing?"
She recalled hearing people in the compound discussing real estate a while ago, saying that the policies seemed to have loosened up a bit, but no one knew the specifics.
Gu Xiao looked down at the film and answered seriously, "There are indeed few privately owned courtyard houses, but it's not entirely impossible."
He knew that a retired senior officer in the military region had privately purchased and renovated a small courtyard last year. "You have to find the right way and go through many approvals... But as long as Madam Gu likes it, there's always a way."
While Xiaoman was playing by herself, he secretly hooked his finger around Nan Zhiyi's palm, and she pinched it, making him blush.
While resting by the stone boat, Nan Zhiyi was still thinking about the courtyard house. "Actually, our home is fine now... let's not make any more trouble."
Gu Xiao knew that she didn't really not want it, but she just couldn't bear to see him go through all the trouble and effort for it.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he pulled her to sit on his lap: "Let's find out first, just in case we meet someone suitable later."
Nan Zhiyi boldly wrapped her arms around his neck, "Okay, there's no rush..."
Xiaoman suddenly staggered and fell towards the willow tree by the lake. The two hurriedly chased after her, and the conversation came to an abrupt end.
As the setting sun painted Kunming Lake a golden-red hue, Gu Xiao put away his camera: "Shall we go to Old Mo's Western Restaurant tonight?"
Nan Zhiyi's eyes lit up suddenly. "Great! Let's see what Western food is like in the capital."
On the way to the Western restaurant, she held her son and hummed a song softly, clearly in a very good mood.
Upon arriving at the Western restaurant, we saw many cars parked in front of the gilded, carved porch.
Stepping through the revolving door, crystal chandeliers hang from the dome, and long tables covered with snow-white tablecloths are neatly arranged, with silver cutlery gleaming under the light.
A waiter in a black vest led them to a booth, where the red velvet seats were so soft they made you want to sink into them.
"Two Capital Set Meals, please." Gu Xiao ordered skillfully, then pointed to Xiaoman, "Give the child a serving of mashed potatoes and milk pudding. And an ice cream too, bring it on now."
Nan Zhiyi looked at him in surprise: "You still remember that I like to eat dessert first?"
"When someone ate Western food in Jian'an, they always insisted on having ice cream first." Gu Xiao said with a smile in his eyes, having heard Gu Yan recount those past events.
The ice cream arrived first, served in a gilded glass bowl.
Nan Zhiyi scooped up a spoonful of vanilla flavor and brought it to Gu Xiao's lips: "Want to try some?"
He stared at her for a while, until she was about to get annoyed, before opening his mouth and putting the spoon in his mouth. "It's very sweet."
Nan Zhiyi's ears burned, and she glared at him.
Then, she used another spoon to scoop some up and fed it to Xiaoman. After he tried to lick it, his whole little face lit up and he cried out.
Nan Zhiyi quickly pressed down on her son's little hand: "You can only eat a little bit, otherwise your tummy will hurt."
Xiaoman slammed her hand on the table in frustration, clearly unhappy.
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