Chapter 7 Initiative
In the kitchen, Feng Xuemei's knife fell onto the cutting board with a dull thud.
She walked out of the kitchen in a few steps. "Zhang Yueran, go to the cafeteria and get some good dishes. Your sister is here, so you have to take good care of her."
Feng Xuemei handed Zhang Yueran two aluminum lunch boxes.
Zhang Yueran jumped up immediately, "Great! I'm getting to eat a few more bites of meat today because of my sister."
She waved to Nan Zhiyi, "Sister, you rest, I'll be right back!"
After saying that, he ran out of the courtyard gate like a gust of wind.
As Nan Zhiyi watched Zhang Yueran run away, the smile on her lips faded.
Feng Xuemei approached, her face filled with worry.
Nan Zhiyi spoke first: "Aunt Feng, don't look at me like that. I'm not that useless."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a strong sense of resilience.
Just as Feng Xuemei was about to speak, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Zhang Jianguo returned.
He looked hurried and gave Feng Xuemei a wink. The two quickly walked to the corner of the courtyard and whispered to each other.
Aunt Feng's expression was quite complicated, though she didn't know what Uncle Zhang had said.
Nan Zhiyi lowered her eyes and continued to fiddle with the bowls and chopsticks on the table.
She roughly guessed that she might have found someone to date, but she couldn't always look so self-pitying in front of Aunt Feng and Uncle Zhang. She had to pull herself together and not let her elders worry about her anymore.
When Zhang Yueran returned with her lunchbox, dinner was already prepared.
Just as the four of them sat down, steady footsteps sounded from the courtyard gate.
Gu Xiao stood at the door, his military uniform impeccably straight, his tall figure almost blocking out the light from outside.
The room fell silent instantly.
Zhang Yueran subconsciously shrank her neck, and Nan Zhiyi also froze. The two said in unison, "Fifth Brother."
Zhang Jianguo stood up and greeted, "Commander Gu? A rare guest! Come, bring another pair of chopsticks, just in time for a couple of drinks!"
Such was the prevailing social custom at the time; when people came to visit, they would simply say it was a small gathering of relatives and friends.
Gu Xiao's gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on Nan Zhiyi's pale face before he sat down.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was awkward.
The only sound was the clinking of glasses between Zhang Jianguo and Gu Xiao.
Nan Zhiyi and Zhang Yueran buried their heads in their food, like two quiet quails.
While Gu Xiao and Zhang Jianguo were still drinking, Feng Xuemei called Nan Zhiyi into the kitchen: "Zhiyi, come and get the soup..."
The kitchen was filled with steam.
Feng Xuemei held the soup bowl steady herself, not letting Nan Zhiyi touch it, and said in a low, urgent voice: "Zhiyi, it's him, Gu Xiao, Commander Gu."
Even though she had prepared herself mentally, Nan Zhiyi still found it hard to believe.
Feng Xuemei's face showed both joy and worry: "Zhiyi, this is a great thing! What kind of family is the Gu family? With just one word from him, your file can be transferred. He is also young and promising. He is a good son-in-law that you can't find even with a lantern in our compound."
You and he were childhood sweethearts, and neither your Uncle Zhang nor I could have imagined that he would actually take the initiative to bring it up with your Uncle Zhang..."
Looking at Nan Zhiyi's shocked face, she hesitated and said, "But... Zhiyi, this person... is too cold and too hard." Aunt Feng was also worried.
Laughter from Zhang Jianguo could be heard from outside.
Through the gap in the curtain, Nan Zhiyi saw Gu Xiao's profile, sitting upright, as cold and aloof as a rock.
She suppressed her turbulent emotions.
Whether it's a blessing or a curse, you have to face it.
She reached out to take the soup bowl from Feng Xuemei's hand: "Aunt Feng, give it to me."
Feng Xuemei handed it over, adding with concern, "Be careful, it's hot."
Nan Zhiyi served the cabbage and egg soup, her fingertips red from the heat.
She rubbed her earlobe and continued eating.
Gu Xiao and Zhang Jianguo drank two more glasses, but the atmosphere at the table remained somewhat distant and polite.
After finishing her meal, Zhang Yueran scurried back to her room like a rabbit.
Nan Zhiyi ate slowly, and there was still a little more than half left in her bowl.
Gu Xiao noticed that she hadn't eaten any meat, so he picked up the serving chopsticks, took a piece of stir-fried pea shoots, and put it in her bowl.
The movements were swift and decisive, like giving an order.
Nan Zhiyi was startled and subconsciously looked up, meeting his emotionless gaze.
"Thank... thank you, Fifth Brother." Her voice was a little dry.
Feng Xuemei's face immediately lit up with a smile, and Zhang Jianguo's tense expression also relaxed considerably.
Looking at the small amount of green in the bowl, Nan Zhiyi thought to herself: This person picks up food as if he is performing a tactical maneuver.
She silently finished her food and quickly put down her chopsticks, saying, "I'm full, Uncle Zhang and Aunt Feng, please enjoy your meal."
Gu Xiao frowned.
Nan Zhiyi's heart skipped a beat. She didn't dare to look at him and whispered, "Fifth Brother, please enjoy your meal."
After saying that, he fled into Zhang Yueran's room as if he were escaping.
As soon as the door closed, she leaned against it and let out a soft breath.
Zhang Yueran leaned in and whispered in his ear, "You scared me to death! The way Fifth Brother looked at you just now... Sis, he put food on your plate? Did the sun rise in the west?"
Nan Zhiyi gave a wry smile and lowered her voice, "Don't even mention it, his face is even scarier than when he was a child..."
Outside, dinner had finally ended.
Zhang Jianguo said to Nan Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, see Commander Gu off. He's going to the convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes. You're not familiar with this area, so this is a good opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with the way."
Nan Zhiyi was stunned.
This is her first time here. Should I ask her to lead the way?
She looked at Gu Xiao, who had already stood up and was looking at her without saying anything, seemingly in agreement.
She nodded reluctantly, "...Okay."
As she turned to go back to her room to get her coat, she paused, instinctively tidying up the stray hairs that had fallen across her temples in front of a small mirror on the wall.
Zhang Yueran watched as Nan Zhiyi followed Gu Xiao out of the courtyard gate before daring to peek out and muttered softly, "Mom, my sister doesn't know the way, how are we going to get her there?"
Feng Xuemei patted her on the shoulder: "You're just a kid, don't meddle in adults' business. Go and clear away the bowls."
The night was thick and quiet, with only the soft sound of their footsteps on the gravel road.
Nan Zhiyi could hear her own faint breathing, tinged with nervousness.
She didn't know how to start the conversation.
Gu Xiao broke the silence first, his voice particularly clear in the night: "Commander Zhang said he's introducing you to someone. I just happened to hear about it."
Nan Zhiyi paused slightly.
He brought it up himself.
"Fifth Brother," she carefully chose her words, "you should know... Zhou Zhengping and I..."
"I know," Gu Xiao answered readily.
"So...you also know my composition..."
Nan Zhiyi looked up at his profile. The night blurred his cold, hard features, but made him seem even more imposing.
"Transferring your personnel file will cause a lot of trouble with the background check. It might even affect your promotion in the future."
Gu Xiao didn't stop walking, his tone calm: "I know. It's alright."
Nan Zhiyi was speechless for a moment.
These obstacles, which she considered insurmountable barriers, were casually dismissed by him.
She didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or feel even more uneasy.
Between the two lies a huge gap in their social status and a long-standing sense of alienation.
"Fifth Brother, will Commander Gu agree?"
"I will solve this problem."
Nan Zhiyi: ....
His answer made Nan Zhiyi feel that he was particularly responsible, and she felt inexplicably relieved.
Her steps became lighter.
After walking a while longer, Gu Xiao spoke again: "I'll submit the marriage application tomorrow morning. After that, I'll transfer your file to that military region as soon as possible."
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