Chapter 322 Wild Chrysanthemum
In Gu Xiao's heart, his Zhiyihe should always be bright, pampered, and carefree, just like when they were in Jian'an, always surrounded by friends and laughter.
But now, she has largely withdrawn from her life, content in this small home, tending to her manuscripts, him, and her child, living such a... quiet life.
He always felt that the shadow cast by the sudden passing of his parents-in-law and the decline of their family fortunes was too deep, causing her to retreat into her shell, afraid to look out easily for fear of losing something else.
He felt sorry for her, and even more heartache for her almost cautious "satisfaction".
Gu Xiao sighed silently, his breath brushing against her hair.
Nan Zhiyi raised her fingertips to stroke his furrowed brows, teasing him sweetly, "Oh my, what's wrong with my fifth brother? His brows are furrowed so tightly, he's almost turned into a little old man."
Gu Xiao's brows relaxed as he followed the pressure of her fingertips.
He took her hand and held it in his palm, repeating solemnly once more: "Zhiyi, I hope you are happy, truly happy, and happy as you please." Not just content with the status quo.
Nan Zhiyi felt a warm glow in her heart, as if she were immersed in warm water.
"Gu Xiao, I'm happy right now, really."
She looked up at him, her fingertips scratching at his palm. "And you? Are you happy?"
"Of course I'm happy."
He lowered his head and nuzzled her nose, their breaths mingling. "I'm happy when you're by my side."
At this moment, words were superfluous, and the two embraced silently.
Just as this tender moment was unfolding, Xiaoman's voice and Sister Zhang's smiling reply could be faintly heard from outside the courtyard gate, growing closer as they approached.
Nan Zhiyi jumped off Gu Xiao's lap.
He reacted extremely quickly, firmly supporting Nan Zhiyi's arm the moment she landed.
Nan Zhiyi took his arm and turned her head to give him a sweet smile.
The couple exchanged a glance and walked towards the door together in tacit agreement.
Xiaoman clutched a few drooping yellow wild chrysanthemums tightly in her hand, ran all the way to Nan Zhiyi, held the flowers high, and said, "Mom, these are for you! Flowers!"
Nan Zhiyi squatted down and solemnly accepted the flowers. "Thank you, son, they're so beautiful! Where did you go to play just now? How did you manage to pick such pretty flowers?"
Xiaoman pointed outside with her little finger: "On the grass! And there's a big garden!"
Following behind, Sister Zhang explained with a smile, "It's that overgrown grassy slope at the east end of the compound, which used to be the old playground. Nobody took care of it, and a lot of wildflowers and weeds grew there. Xiaoman saw these little yellow flowers and loved them so much that she insisted on picking them for her mother."
After saying that, Sister Zhang hurried off to prepare dinner.
Nan Zhiyi: "I didn't know there were such fun places in the compound. Xiaoman, take your mom to see them next time."
Xiaoman nodded: "Okay." He then reached out for his mother to hug him.
Nan Zhiyi was a little disgusted with her son, so she reached out and patted his little bottom, which was still covered with bits of grass.
"Alright, little hero, come with Daddy to take a bath. Look at you, you're all dirty."
Xiaoman looked up at Gu Xiao standing to the side, thought for a moment, and said, "Dad, I'll bring you one next time too!" He probably felt it was unfair to only give one to his mother.
Gu Xiao raised an eyebrow; this kid really was thinking about his father.
He held up two fingers and gently pinched his son's wrist. "Good job! A man keeps his word!"
Xiaoman patted her chest and said, "I will definitely do it!"
He obediently followed his father's lead and went inside to wash up.
Nan Zhiyi did not immediately follow them inside.
She walked to the swing under the grape trellis, slowly sat down, and gently touched the ground with her toes, letting the swing sway slightly. The few wild chrysanthemums in her hand looked even more delicate in the deepening twilight.
She lowered her head and sniffed; there was only a faint, fresh scent of wild grass.
The courtyard quieted down, with only the soft sound of the evening breeze rustling through the grape leaves.
Nan Zhiyi looked at the lights coming on in the room and imagined Gu Xiao putting Xiaoman into the bathtub, and couldn't help but laugh.
She sat for a while longer, until she heard her son's giggling laughter and Gu Xiao's deep voice coming from inside, before jumping off the swing and walking briskly toward the light.
The grapevines in the yard are much more lush, with thick leaves and clusters of small, unripe fruits, heralding the arrival of midsummer and also signifying the approaching end of the semester.
At the end of June, the final exams were finally over.
Emerging from the exam hall, Shan Xiaoyan breathed a sigh of relief and energetically suggested, "Finally, the exams are over! I heard there's a new restaurant near the school that's pretty good. Shall we go eat something nice to celebrate? Summer vacation is coming soon, and we won't see each other for two months!"
Nan Zhiyi and Yang Mei both laughed and agreed, "Yes, it's time to relax."
The three walked side by side on the tree-lined path of the campus, feeling slightly tipsy from the summer heat.
"Summer vacation is finally here," Shan Xiaoyan stretched her arms. "I need to find some time to write some articles; I've been too busy dealing with exams before."
Yang Mei glanced at her with a smile and teased, "You still remember this? I was afraid you wouldn't have time to write anything once you're on vacation."
"How could this be!"
Amidst laughter and conversation, the three entered the restaurant, found a table by the window, and ordered several home-style stir-fried dishes.
After the waiter left, Shan Xiaoyan picked up where she left off, slightly indignant: "How could I not remember? It's just that I've been busy with my studies this semester and haven't had any free time."
Yang Mei clearly didn't believe her story. She leaned closer to Nan Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, you don't know, Xiaoyan, she..."
Upon hearing her tone, Shan Xiaoyan blushed and reached out to cover Yang Mei's mouth, urgently saying, "Yang Mei! Don't talk nonsense! It's just... it's just something that happened a few days ago..."
Nan Zhiyi watched the two of them speaking in riddles, and Shan Xiaoyan looked unusually embarrassed. She couldn't help but laugh, but she didn't rush to ask any questions. Instead, she picked up the teapot on the table, poured tea into the cups of the three of them, and helped set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing her like this, Shan Xiaoyan felt a little embarrassed and stammered, "I...I really didn't mean to hide it from you. It's true...we've only known each other for a short time, there's nothing to say."
Nan Zhiyi then revealed a curious expression, "Xiaoyan is dating someone?"
Shan Xiaoyan hurriedly waved her hands, "No...not yet..."
Yang Mei explained with a smile, "It's someone Xiaoyan and her friends met through their hometown association. He's a junior from the class of '78, and he's from the same place as her."
Seeing Shan Xiaoyan's face growing increasingly red, she added mischievously, "A couple of days ago, the two of them had dinner together alone in the cafeteria."
Shan Xiaoyan's face turned completely red, and she lowered her head, "We just...we just had a meal together...we're still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage, really...we haven't decided what to do next..."
Yang Mei wasn't about to let her off the hook, and continued with a smile, "That's right, getting to know each other is great. We'll 'happen' to be on the same train home tomorrow, so we can keep each other company on the way. What a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better!"
Dan Xiaoyan was so embarrassed by what she said that she almost buried her head under the table. Her usual cheerful and generous demeanor was completely gone, leaving only the shyness of a young girl.
Nan Zhiyi found it amusing to see her like this. "So you've found someone you want to get to know better. No wonder you said you didn't have time to write articles."
"Hey! You two... stop talking!"
Shan Xiaoyan finally couldn't take it anymore. She covered her burning cheeks with her hands and begged for mercy, "It's not even close to being confirmed yet. Can't I wait... wait until there's some progress before I report back to you?"
Seeing that she was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground, Nan Zhiyi and Yang Mei exchanged a smile and finally kindly let her go, no longer continuing the topic.
Just then, the waiter came over with the dishes, temporarily relieving Shan Xiaoyan's predicament.
The conversation at the dinner table then turned to summer vacation plans and local customs.
Shan Xiaoyan is from Heihe in Northeast China, while Yang Mei's hometown is Wuhan in Hubei. Both of them said they would bring Nan Zhiyi some unique local specialties when they returned for summer vacation.
Nan Zhiyi listened with a smile in her eyes: "Then thank you in advance for your concern."
She then asked, "Have you bought your train tickets?"
Shan Xiaoyan nodded: "The school booked the tickets together. I'm taking the train tomorrow afternoon, and I should be home by eight or nine o'clock tonight." The blush on her face had long since faded, and she had regained her usual cheerful demeanor.
Yangmei, "I ordered it for early morning the day after tomorrow, and it will arrive home around evening."
After finishing their meal, the three left the restaurant and said goodbye to each other.
"Be careful on the road," Nan Zhiyi instructed.
"Okay, Zhiyi, you should also enjoy your summer vacation and write more articles!" Shan Xiaoyan waved her hand.
Yang Mei smiled and nodded goodbye.
Nan Zhiyi took the tram home.
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