Chapter 32 Night Talk
Back in her room, Nan Zhiyi let out a sigh of relief.
The tension in my neck and shoulders after a long day finally eased.
Gu Xiao frowned: "Tired?"
Nan Zhiyi nodded gently, then shook her head: "It's okay. It's just... a little mentally exhausted."
Gu Xiao didn't speak, but stroked her back to comfort her.
"See? Whether it was afternoon or evening, those who should have kept quiet have kept quiet."
Nan Zhiyi was taken aback.
Gu Xiao's fingertips slid down her back to behind her ear, pinching her earlobe with a touch of intimacy.
"Second Brother's mouth was still trying to chatter at noon. Fourth Brother's thoughts couldn't be hidden when he came back in the afternoon."
He snorted, "Do you really think they're that honest? They've all been 'talked to' by me beforehand. In front of you, they'd better swallow all that useless nonsense."
"It's none of their business to tell my people what to do."
Nan Zhiyi felt relieved and reached out to grab his collar: "Thank you, Fifth Brother."
Gu Xiao tightened his grip on her earlobe, saying, "Thank you? Just words?"
With nowhere else to retreat, Nan Zhiyi pleaded softly, "Fifth Brother... there are people next door..."
"Then I'll be quieter..." His lips sealed hers.
He gripped her waist tightly with one hand, pulling her towards him, while his other hand rudely slipped inside the edge of her clothes, exploring her body.
Nan Zhiyi was breathing rapidly, trembling as she tried to push him away: "Not here...."
Gu Xiao didn't stop until her legs went weak and she cried out, then he carried her into the bathroom.
Nan Zhiyi silently finished washing up and crawled into bed.
Her voice was muffled, shy and frightened: "You...you're really too bad!"
Gu Xiao pinched her waist lightly through the blanket, causing her to gasp and wrap herself up even tighter.
"Is this bad? There's something even worse yet, it hasn't even been used."
Nan Zhiyi, disregarding her embarrassment, lifted a corner of the blanket and glared at the woman, her eyes wide: "How...how could you say such a thing?!"
Is he still the aloof Fifth Brother?
She looked incredibly alluring when she peeked out from under the covers.
Gu Xiao closed his eyes restrainedly, not wanting to lose control.
He lifted a corner of the blanket and lay down, stretching out his long arm to pull her into his embrace and hold her tightly.
"Okay, that's enough." He pulled the blanket up neatly. "Go to sleep."
After being exhausted, Nan Zhiyi was overcome with sleepiness and quickly fell asleep.
Gu Xiao sighed: It's inconvenient here...
After she finishes her mourning period...
At the other end of the corridor, the guest room door was slammed shut.
Zhang Xiufen walked silently to the bedside with a sullen face, pushed Qiangzi and Gangzi further in, and tucked them in.
Gu Jianjun slumped into the sofa by the window, sighed comfortably, and unbuttoned the top button of his Zhongshan suit, revealing the yellowed collar of his undershirt underneath.
"I'm exhausted. It's so much more comfortable at home."
He was completely oblivious to his wife's expression.
"Comfortable?" Zhang Xiufen turned around, her voice sharp. "You're quite easygoing!"
Gu Jianjun looked at her, puzzled: "What is it now?"
"What's wrong?" Zhang Xiufen walked up to him, her finger almost poking his nose.
"Are you blind? Didn't you see Wang Juan's face? All she cares about is her capitalist sister-in-law and her husband! That silk scarf, made in Shanghai! Why didn't she give me one too? Does she even respect me, her sister-in-law?"
She grew angrier as she spoke, "And Dad! The red envelope he gave Nan Zhiyi was so thick it was practically bursting! I secretly asked Aunt Wu, and the greeting gift he received when she first came in was also incredibly generous! How much did we get? She's just an outsider..."
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Gu Jianjun interrupted her impatiently, his brows furrowed. "That was given to me by Dad! Is it any of your business?"
"How can I not care?" Zhang Xiufen's voice rose slightly, then she quickly lowered it again. "What's her family background? A capitalist's daughter! If it weren't for Lao Wu and Dad, would she have been able to enter the Gu family? Would she be living such a glamorous life? Wang Juan, on the other hand, is so eager to curry favor! The Commander even said something about 'shared glory, shared glory,' but I think she's just a troublemaker! Lao Wu is the same, protecting her like the apple of his eye, as if he's afraid others won't know he married a gold nugget!"
"Alright!" Gu Jianjun waved his hand impatiently. "Don't you know what kind of temper Lao Wu has? You saw it at the dinner table today! He's protecting him, and Dad has given in. What more do you want? Will you die if you just shut up?"
He spoke gruffly, and he was also holding back a lot of anger.
Nan Zhiyi's imposing presence and the heavy red envelope struck a chord in his heart, a "local official" neglected by his family.
But he couldn't argue with his wife, nor could he challenge his domineering fifth brother and authoritative father, so he could only vent his anger on Zhang Xiufen, yelling, "Go to sleep! If you keep nagging, get out!"
Zhang Xiufen trembled at his shout, her eyes instantly reddening. She turned away, looked at her sleeping son on the bed, her shoulders twitching slightly, but ultimately remained silent.
The atmosphere was different in the other room as well.
Gu Weimin stood by the window, a cigarette between his fingers. The usual smile on his face had vanished, leaving only a deep sense of contemplation.
Wang Juan had changed into a silk nightgown and was sitting in front of her dressing table, carefully applying face cream to her cheeks and neck.
"Did you understand what Dad said today?" Gu Weimin didn't turn around.
Wang Juan didn't stop what she was doing. She glanced at him in the mirror and said, "Isn't it just telling us to keep our mouths shut and not cause trouble? 'One for all, all for one's own'—easy for you to say. Gu Xiao certainly knows how to pick his timing. Relying on his father's power, he dares to marry someone of this status! Doesn't he fear what might happen one day..."
"Shut up!" Gu Weimin warned. "You're not allowed to say that in the house either! Since Dad has spoken, he's set the tone. The Gu family can't afford any trouble now."
"Fifth brother, a 28-year-old regimental commander," he said with a bittersweet ache and apprehension, "the fighting is fierce in the Northwest, and he really has a ruthless streak when leading troops. He has people who appreciate him. Dad also favors him."
After applying the face cream, Wang Juan looked at herself in the mirror from left to right and patted her cheeks with satisfaction.
She stood up, gracefully walked to the bedside, and sat down next to Gu Weimin, leaving behind a fragrant scent.
"If you ask me, why do you care so much? Fifth sister-in-law is beautiful, gentle, and generous. So what if she's a capitalist? Being a capitalist means she has a solid financial foundation! Look at her air about her, that watch she's wearing... tsk tsk. No matter how capable the fifth brother is, his allowance is only so much. How can he support such a delicate woman without some savings? In the long run, the little they casually slip through their fingers will be better than your meager salary."
She reached out and smoothed the collar of Gu Weimin's pajamas. "Dad is right. We're family, so harmony brings wealth. I think my fifth sister-in-law is easy to get along with."
Gu Weimin remained silent, letting his wife adjust his collar, seemingly lost in thought.
The night outside the window was so thick it seemed impossible to see through.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com