Chapter 464 Goodnight
Emerging from the kitchen, the restaurant was filled with the aroma of smoke and tea.
Commander Gu, Gu Xiao, and several of his brothers and brothers-in-law were still sitting around the dining table, chatting about something, their expressions more serious than when they were eating.
Nan Zhiyi didn't go over to disturb them.
On the other side of the sofa, several sisters-in-law were watching TV with the children, the screen flickering with light and shadow.
Nan Zhiyi walked over and touched Gu Zhao's forehead, which was a little sweaty: "Are you sleepy?"
Gu Zhao, still staring at the TV, shook her head with a forced smile: "I'm not sleepy! Mom, I'll play a little longer."
Nan Zhiyi checked the time and saw that it was still early, so she let him go.
She greeted Li Xiuqin, Wang Juan, and others on the sofa, saying that she was going upstairs to completely organize her luggage.
As I passed by Gu Yan's room on the second floor, I noticed that the door was open.
Gu Yan sat alone at his desk, a cigarette between his fingers, the crimson glowing in the dim light of the desk lamp.
He was facing away from the door, gazing at the deep night outside the window, lost in thought; his profile appeared somewhat solitary.
He seemed to hear footsteps, turned around, and saw Nan Zhiyi. A smile appeared on his face as usual: "Zhiyi."
Nan Zhiyi frowned and walked to the door: "Why are you smoking again? It's bad for your health."
Gu Yan paused for a moment, but then obediently stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray: "Okay, I'll listen to my sister-in-law."
Nan Zhiyi leaned against the door frame and casually asked, "Will Anna come over with her parents again in a few days?"
A fleeting hint of annoyance crossed Gu Yan's eyes, but his tone remained relatively calm: "Yes, their family has a lot of rules."
He was actually incredibly annoyed.
Everyone thought Chen Anna would stay at the Gu family home and hold the wedding banquet on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Unexpectedly, right after the New Year's Eve dinner, she said that according to local custom, a daughter who hadn't officially married into the family couldn't spend New Year's Eve at her husband's family home and had to leave. Late into the night, the two had a rather unpleasant argument.
Finally, he relented and accompanied her to a hotel for one night. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Chen family's driver took her back to Huacheng.
He thought the wedding planning company had everything arranged, but the Chen family kept causing trouble. The wedding banquet menu alone was changed four or five times. There were also a lot of trivial matters, such as the style of the invitations and the seating arrangements. He got really angry when he talked to them on the phone.
He only briefly mentioned these trivial and frustrating things to Gu Xiao and didn't want to say anything more.
Seeing his expression, Nan Zhiyi knew there was a story behind it, but she didn't press him for details. Instead, she said, "I brought you and Anna a wedding gift. Did you see it when you were moving your luggage today? A flat..."
Gu Yan thought for a moment and shook his head: "I didn't notice. What was it?"
"Wait here." Nan Zhiyi turned and went back to her room. A moment later, she came back with a picture frame that was wrapped tightly in kraft paper and soft cloth.
She carefully peeled back the outer kraft paper and soft cloth to reveal the picture frame inside.
Under the glass was a meticulously painted portrait of Gu Yan and Chen Anna in watercolor.
Gu Yan, dressed in a light-colored shirt, looked radiant, while Chen Anna stood beside him, her smile bright.
"Fifth Brother and I really didn't know what to give you," Nan Zhiyi said gently, handing over the framed painting. "You lack nothing now. I just wanted to paint something myself..."
Gu Yan took the picture frame, his fingers pausing on the cold glass.
The self in the painting possesses a sharpness that he had almost forgotten, a sharpness that had not been worn down by the world.
He felt a mix of emotions, and forced a smile. "You haven't forgotten the skills Teacher Shi taught you. You drew me... much more handsome than I am now."
Do you still remember Teacher Shi?
Nan Zhiyi studied painting for several years under a teacher named Shi who had returned from studying abroad. Unfortunately, after those ten years, she lost all contact with Teacher Shi.
She said softly, "I was just trying to be clever. I really didn't know what would be a suitable wedding gift for you. Besides this painting, there are a few other small items stored in the safe deposit box that Dad arranged. We'll go get them tomorrow and give them to you together."
Gu Yan shook his head. "Sister-in-law, I really don't lack anything right now. This painting is perfect."
He looked up at her and said, "I understand your and my brother's feelings. We... are truly family. Why be so polite and put on these formalities?"
Nan Zhiyi insisted, "That won't do. We still need a gift. I'll go back and ask your brother what he thinks."
Gu Yan paused for a moment, then hummed in agreement, his gaze returning to the two figures standing side by side in the painting.
If only he were the only one in this painting.
The thought flashed by so quickly that it was impossible to grasp, leaving only a faint sense of melancholy.
He suddenly raised an eyebrow, smiled at Nan Zhiyi, and resumed his cynical tone, "Sister-in-law, how about painting another solo portrait for me? Make it even more handsome than this one, and hang it in my office."
Nan Zhiyi readily agreed: "Sure, I don't have anything to do these days. Fifth Brother also said he's going to take me to the temple fair tomorrow, so I can buy some art supplies while I'm there."
Gu Yan tapped the glass on the picture frame with his fingertip. "You really are something, you can't stop talking about Fifth Brother."
"You're talking nonsense!" Nan Zhiyi pretended to be annoyed. "Be careful, or I'll tell your brother."
Even so, she smiled, her gaze fixed on Gu Yan.
In recent years, Gu Yan has changed a lot. His experience in the business world has washed away his former sharpness and made him more reserved and mature.
His flamboyant and unruly demeanor as a teenager.
The man before me is still handsome, but he is like a painting whose colors have been slightly darkened by time.
She smiled again: "Okay, I won't disturb your rest anymore. I'm going back to my room."
"Okay, you, your brother, and Xiaoman should get some rest too."
Nan Zhiyi turned around, left the room, and considerately closed the door behind her.
She returned to her room, tidied up the remaining luggage, and then went downstairs to find Gu Xiao.
In the living room, the women were still chatting, while the children were sprawled out in all directions.
Nan Zhiyi chatted with her third sister and several sisters-in-law for a while, and when she saw Gu Zhao yawning like a chicken pecking at rice, she told him to go back to his room to rest.
Seeing this, the other women also got up, called their children to turn off the TV, and prepared to wash up and go to bed.
"Gu Zhao, go say goodnight to Grandpa," Nan Zhiyi gently reminded him.
Gu Zhao rubbed her eyes, nodded, and walked to Commander Gu's side, her voice sleepy: "Goodnight, Grandpa, I'm going to sleep now."
Commander Gu smiled and patted his head: "Good boy, go to sleep."
Gu Zhao, drawing inferences from one instance, turned to her father and uncles and said politely, "Dad, eldest uncle, fourth uncle, third aunt's husband, good night."
Then he took his mother's hand.
Nan Zhiyi led him upstairs, supervised him to wash up, change into clean pajamas, and get into bed.
The little guy closed his eyes almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Nan Zhiyi tucked him in, then took a shower and changed into her pajamas.
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