Chapter 438 Changes
When Gu Xiao returned home, only a floor lamp was left on in the bedroom. Nan Zhiyi was curled up on the sofa reading a book. Hearing the noise, she put down her book and came to greet him.
Why aren't you asleep yet?
Nan Zhiyi followed him into the bathroom and leaned against the door frame as she watched him turn on the faucet to wash his hands.
Under the warm orange light, she tilted her head slightly: "Gu Xiao, do you think I've changed at all?"
Gu Xiao turned off the tap and examined her closely under the light. Her skin was radiant, her eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and she was as pretty and lively as ever, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.
"She looks even prettier than this morning," he said tentatively, reaching out to pull her closer so he could get a better look.
Nan Zhiyi pouted slightly: "That's all?" But she wouldn't move her feet.
Gu Xiao chuckled and gently pulled her into the bathroom: "Then I'll have to take a good look."
"Stop it..." Nan Zhiyi placed her hand on his chest, her voice soft, "I have to go to school tomorrow."
Gu Xiao leaned down and gently kissed her lips: "Oh, so you think so badly of me?" His fingertips traced her earlobe. "Didn't you tell me to take a good look? I also want to know what's different about my wife..."
Nan Zhiyi felt her ears burning from his gaze and simply confessed honestly: "I... went to get a beauty treatment with Xiaoxuan and the others."
She nudged his chest. "Take a shower first, and I'll tell you the details later."
Gu Xiao loosened his grip slightly, his gaze still lingering on her face: "Okay, I'll be quick." As he turned to adjust the water temperature, he glanced back at her again, "Hmm, my wife does look even more radiant now."
Nan Zhiyi spat at him, turned around and left.
After Gu Xiao finished showering, Nan Zhiyi sat on the edge of the bed with a dry towel and waited.
He obediently sat down, closing his eyes to feel her gentle movements as she dried his hair. Water droplets slid down his neck and into his collar; her fingertips brushed against them, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"My wife was unusually attentive today. She buttoned my clothes in the morning and dried my hair in the evening. I was flattered."
Nan Zhiyi deliberately wrapped his hair in a towel and rubbed it vigorously: "When have I ever mistreated Minister Gu? You are the pillar of our family."
Gu Xiao suddenly turned around and pulled her close, his damp hair brushing against her cheek: "Hmm, it would be nice if you were this attentive in bed..."
You're talking nonsense again!
Nan Zhiyi angrily reached out and pinched his ear: "Gu Xiao!"
"Sir, spare my life!" he begged with a smile, then pulled the man down onto the bed.
Nan Zhiyi hurriedly let go: "Did you hurt yourself?"
"Is that all the strength you have?" He chuckled as he pulled her down beneath him. "I think I've been too lenient with you lately..." His words were interrupted by her sudden flip and pressing down on him.
Nan Zhiyi straddled his waist and mimicked his usual scolding tone: "If you keep talking nonsense like this, you'll be sorry."
Gu Xiao calmly released his hand from her waist, his arms outstretched at his sides, looking completely at ease.
"Yes, take as you please."
She nestled shyly against his chest, feeling the firm muscles beneath her tremble slightly. "Alright, alright, I can't argue with you. Now, let's get serious."
Gu Xiao casually played with her hair: "Hmm, please give your instructions, sir."
Nan Zhiyi recounted the events of the afternoon in detail.
“We have a lot of money at home, so investing it out to make money is a good idea. Besides, the Chen, Zhao, and Qin families won’t let their wives lose money, so this business is practically a sure thing… I appreciate Xiaoxuan’s thoughtfulness in taking me along.”
Gu Xiao's hand stopped on her hair, and he chuckled softly, "Great, my wife is a small capitalist now."
"So, do you support it or not?" She gently tugged at his collar.
"Yes, I knew you would agree."
She nestled against his chest, feeling as if she were immersed in a hot spring, comfortable from head to toe. Having a husband like Gu Xiao, with whom she could speak her mind without reservation, was truly a great blessing in life.
"Fifth Brother," she snuggled closer to him, "don't you think I'm being too calculating? Xiaoxuan genuinely cares about me, but I'm only thinking about the potential gains and losses..."
Gu Xiao smiled silently in the darkness.
He recalled Li Xiaoxuan's shrewd brother's recent efforts to secure military orders, the overt and covert rivalry between the Qin and Chen families over the years, and the reorganization of the Light Industry Bureau where Zhao Liping's brother worked.
This is no simple sisterly partnership; it's clearly a meticulously woven network of relationships.
The sunlight from the snow outside the window shone through the curtains, casting the shadows of the two people onto the wall.
But there's no need to talk about those things and bother her.
Gu Xiao's hand gently stroked her back, lingering at her waist: "Xiaoxuan came to you because she trusts you. But don't use your real name to invest; go through a trust account."
Nan Zhiyi looked up in surprise: "Trust account? When did you set it up?"
“I had already prepared for it when I bought the courtyard house last time.” He glossed over it casually, as if it wasn’t a procedure specially approved by his old comrade-in-arms from the General Logistics Department. “Mrs. Gu is now a well-known writer, so her assets have to be properly planned.”
She sat up, staring at him in the dim light, a surge of heat rising in her chest: "Fifth Brother, you foresaw these investments?"
Before he could answer, she moved up a little more, her soft lips gently rubbing against his chin: "Have I caused you a lot of trouble?"
His eyes gleamed darkly in the night, his fingertips tracing the back of her neck: "I married a wife, not trouble."
These words made Nan Zhiyi's heart flutter. She suddenly opened her mouth and gently bit his chin: "Gu Xiao, you're so good to me..."
After so many years of marriage, he has done everything she could think of, and even things she hadn't thought of...
In fact, I've been so focused on studying and writing these past few years that I've been living in an ivory tower, barely having to worry about housework, daily life, or social interactions...
Feeling increasingly ashamed, she buried her face in the crook of his neck: "I don't think I've ever done anything decent for you..."
Gu Xiao lifted her burning chin with his fingertips, his thumb tracing her trembling lips. "Hmm, the gift and... bonus you gave me for our wedding anniversary last year," his Adam's apple bobbed, "I really liked it. How about..."
Nan Zhiyi felt hot all over, so she bit her lip and took off her nightgown.
She knelt on his waist, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, her expression a mixture of fearless shyness and a hint of resignation: "Then... shall we renew the bonus package once more?"
The bedroom was warm, and she still flinched slightly when his hand touched her.
"Are you cold, honey?"
Nan Zhiyi shook her head haughtily, "Wait a minute, I'll make you warm up."
Gu Xiao smiled, his eyes deep: "I really should be the one saying that."
"This time it's my turn..." Her hands trembled as she unbuttoned his pajamas, "I guarantee the service will be impeccable, Minister Gu will be happy to approve..."
The unfinished joke was swallowed between his lips and teeth.
She melted into spring water under his burning palms, and in a daze, she heard him say in a hoarse voice, "Silly girl, as long as you are Nan Zhiyi... that will be the best gift for me."
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