Chapter 278 Hot Soup
After the two entered the small building, Sister Zhang poked her head out from the kitchen, still holding a soup ladle in her hand: "Minister Gu, you're back? The soup is still warm, and Xiaoman has already gone to bed."
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that Nan Zhiyi was being half-protected in Gu Xiao's arms, with tear stains still on her cheeks, and her emotions were obviously not right, so she wisely did not ask any more questions.
"Sister Zhang, you can go back now."
Sister Zhang nodded, turned off the stove, took off her apron, and quietly left.
Gu Xiao locked the door behind him, took off his coat and hung it up, went straight into the kitchen, ladled out a bowl of hot soup, and hurried upstairs.
Nan Zhiyi, still wearing her thick coat, sat blankly on the sofa, looking dejected.
Gu Xiao placed the soup bowl in his hand on the small table next to him, walked over to her, helped her untie her scarf, took off her coat, and casually draped it over the armrest of the sofa.
After doing all that, he bent down and pulled her onto his lap.
Nan Zhiyi nestled obediently into his arms, completely relaxing.
Gu Xiao adjusted his position to make her more comfortable. "Wife, are you still feeling unwell?"
She shook her head, then nodded.
"Fifth Brother, I just don't understand..."
"Some people and some things, once they change, they change."
"But Anping...she definitely didn't do it on purpose..."
Gu Xiao gently stroked her back with his palm. "I know what you want to say is, 'Anping was just saying it in anger, it shouldn't be taken seriously. How can more than twenty years of friendship be erased by a few muddled words?' Isn't that right?"
Nan Zhiyi, having her thoughts guessed, replied, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking."
"good."
Gu Xiao looked down at her and continued to guide her thinking.
"Zhou Anping suddenly broke down in tears tonight when she saw Lu Linlang living such a glamorous life. Because, in Zhou Anping's view, it's unfair to the Zhou family that Lu Linlang is doing well, so she hopes that Lu Linlang is not doing well. Don't you think so?"
Nan Zhiyi was somewhat uncertain, "Maybe..."
He posed the question, "In your opinion, Lu Linlang's previous actions were not wrong?"
Nan Zhiyi shook her head. "Everyone has the right to pursue a happy life. Lu Linlang wants to live well, which is naturally not wrong. But it's wrong for her to hurt or even sacrifice others in order to make herself better off. The Zhou family and Zhou Zhengping suffered because of her, and she ultimately reaped the consequences of her actions..."
She struggled to find the right words, "I never intended for Anping not to dislike her, but if she only hates her, or even targets her, how can Anping take care of her own life? I don't necessarily want Anping to let go, but rather for her to focus on her own life first..."
Nan Zhiyi's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, her thoughts becoming chaotic and tangled, and she even began to doubt whether her reasoning was sound.
Did she want Zhou Anping to retaliate? That might make things worse.
Do we hope Zhou Anping can completely let go of the past? But forcing him to let go is another kind of cruelty.
She guessed... perhaps Anping had tried something but failed, which was why she broke down in tears when she saw Lu Linlang, who was still as glamorous as ever...
“You might be right.” Gu Xiao affirmed her speculation. “Zhou Anping may not have done nothing wrong. It’s just that the result was unsatisfactory, or he may have even suffered a hidden loss, which is why he reacted so strongly when he saw the source of the disturbance.”
He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with his fingertips. "You want her to focus on herself, which makes sense. But when people are in the heat of the moment, they can't listen to reason. Especially when she feels that your life is going smoothly while she herself is stuck in the mud, any advice sounds like watching from the sidelines."
Nan Zhiyi suddenly understood what kind of psychological gap was hidden behind Zhou Anping's words "high and mighty".
She stared blankly at Gu Xiao, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
"So what should I do now? Am I just talking without understanding the situation? Am I really so superior?"
Gu Xiao looked at the confusion and self-doubt flickering in her eyes and said, "You're not high and mighty. If you really were, you wouldn't be so upset by her few words, and you wouldn't be doubting yourself here."
“You said, ‘It’s easy to talk when you’re not the one suffering.’ That’s true and it’s not true. Your ‘ease’ comes from your own hard work and progress, not from something you stole or robbed. You’re advising her to look ahead because you genuinely believe the scenery ahead is beautiful and you want her to see it too. That’s not wrong.”
"Then what should I do now?" Nan Zhiyi murmured. "Should I hate and resent her along with her?"
"Sometimes, comfort is not about pointing out a bright path, but about sitting with her in the darkness for a while. Let her know that even if she is covered in thorns and in a sorry state, you will not turn away."
He cupped her face in his hands, making sure she could clearly see the seriousness in his eyes: "Wife, you don't need to be responsible for her emotions, nor do you need to deny your own kindness and your more than twenty years of relationship because of them. You just need to let her know that whether she chooses to continue hating or try to let go, you will always be there for her."
His words were like a steady boulder, pressing down on the unease and self-examination surging in Nan Zhiyi's heart.
"good!"
Gu Xiao looked at her dazed yet still sad expression, sighed, and pulled her back into his arms.
"You did nothing wrong in this matter. But right now, doing nothing might be better than doing something. Give her some time, and give yourself some time too."
Nan Zhiyi nodded in his arms.
After a long while, Gu Xiao rubbed his chin against her cheek and said, "Don't think about it... Put it aside for a while, and it will show itself. Even if you keep dwelling on it, it will still be there."
He glanced at the chicken soup that had just been served; the rim of the bowl was no longer steaming.
"Are you hungry? Sister Zhang made some chicken soup, why don't you go have a snack?"
During the banquet, I was so busy dealing with everyone's attention and Zhou Anping's emotions that I didn't eat much, and my stomach felt empty.
Nan Zhiyi replied, "Okay."
The two didn't rush to the kitchen; instead, they went to check on Xiaoman by the bedside. The little one was wrapped in a small blanket, her cheeks rosy from sleeping.
After confirming that everything was correct, Gu Xiao closed the door and put his arm around Nan Zhiyi's shoulder as they went downstairs.
He went into the kitchen and busied himself boiling water, making noodles, and blanching vegetables.
Taking advantage of this time, Nan Zhiyi went to the bathroom to wash her face. She looked up at her slightly swollen eyes in the mirror, took a deep breath, and tried to exhale the pent-up feelings in her chest.
Back at the dining table, she sat quietly in her chair. Before long, Gu Xiao brought over two bowls of noodles.
A clear chicken broth forms the base, with thin noodles topped with vibrant green vegetables. In front of Nan Zhiyi, a golden-brown fried egg is trimmed into a perfect heart shape.
Nan Zhiyi smiled slightly and looked at him.
Gu Xiao was also looking at her, a smile playing on his lips: "My darling wife is finally smiling..."
The way he said it made it sound like making her smile was some incredible achievement.
Nan Zhiyi took his hand and made him sit beside her.
The two ate their noodles in silence. The rich and delicious chicken soup warmed their stomachs and seemed to dispel the chill in her heart.
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