Chapter 275 Long After
As Zhou Xingzhi spoke, he handed over a slip of paper with an address and name written on it.
Nan Zhiyi accepted it with both hands; the service was extremely thoughtful.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Zhou, you've thought of everything."
Zhou Xingzhi remained as calm as ever: "It's my duty, I should do it."
After the drivers finished loading the truck, Gu Xiao and his group said goodbye to Zhou Xingzhi.
Two trucks followed Gu Xiao's jeep, slowly driving into the alley and stopping at the entrance of the courtyard house.
The experienced craftsmen were indeed highly skilled. Under the direction and assistance of Gu Xiao and Qin Fen, they first unloaded the relatively simple tables, chairs, cabinets, and other items from the truck.
The highlight was the canopy bed. Under Master Yu's guidance, the group carefully moved the components into the master bedroom in batches.
Master Yu took out the marked blueprints and, with his two apprentices, began assembling the parts at a leisurely pace.
Gu Xiao and Qin Fen also helped by handing over tools and stabilizing the large items.
Since Nan Zhiyi couldn't get involved, she just watched from the sidelines.
As noon approached, Nan Zhiyi found a privately owned teahouse. She discussed with the owner and paid extra money and food coupons to ask them to brew a pot of hot tea and prepare some simple and affordable dishes, such as steamed buns, dumplings, a large pot of stewed cabbage and vermicelli, and stewed potatoes and meat, and deliver them to the courtyard.
At lunchtime, hot tea and simple meals were served. The master chef, Gu Xiao, Qin Fen, and others squatted or sat in the cleared-out corridor and ate a simple meal.
Busy as the sun began to set and dusk approached, all the furniture was finally in its place, neatly arranged.
Master Yu and his apprentice cleaned the ground before leaving.
Gu Xiao patted the dust off his clothes and said to Qin Fen, "Old Qin, you've worked hard today. Come on, dinner's on me. We have to eat something good."
Qin Fen didn't refuse, "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'm definitely going to eat at your house today."
Gu Xiao glanced at him: "What good stuff doesn't your old man have? Does he need this meal from me?"
Qin Fen chuckled: "That's different. What you get by begging for food tastes better."
The three locked the gate and got into the jeep.
Gu Xiao drove the car smoothly to a long-established restaurant.
The restaurant was quite popular. A waiter with a white towel draped over his shoulder led them to a table by the window.
Once the food was served, Gu Xiao and Nan Zhiyi once again expressed their sincere gratitude to Qin Fen.
Gu Xiao picked up his teacup. "Thanks to you today, I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."
Nan Zhiyi also picked up her teacup and said softly, "Minister Qin, thank you so much for your help."
Qin Fen quickly waved his hand, smiled, and raised his glass in response: "Oh, Lao Gu, sister-in-law, you're too kind! There's really no need to be so formal. Now that Lao Gu has settled down in Beijing, we'll be seeing each other often in the future, and it's only right that we look after each other."
The meal was a pleasure for both the host and guests.
Gu Xiao insisted on driving Qin Fen back.
Qin Fen's family lives in a strictly managed compound for the families of government ministries. The three-story building with gray walls and red tiles exudes a low-key solemnity.
The car stopped at the gate of the courtyard. After getting out of the car, Qin Fen turned around to say goodbye to the two men before turning around and walking into the courtyard.
After dropping off Qin Fen, Gu Xiao and Nan Zhiyi drove back to their home in the Army Compound.
Night had fallen, and the courtyard was quiet.
Pushing open the door, Zhang Jie was sitting on the sofa waiting for them to come home.
Hearing the noise, Sister Zhang stood up: "Minister Gu, sister-in-law, you're back."
Feeling guilty, Nan Zhiyi quickly said, "Sister Zhang, thank you for your hard work. You've been waiting so late. Is Xiaoman asleep?"
"I'm asleep now, I'm so tired from playing, I'm sleeping soundly. You guys should get some rest too, I'm going back now."
As she spoke, Sister Zhang picked up her cloth bag, quietly closed the door, and left.
The couple breathed a sigh of relief, smiled at each other, and slowly walked upstairs hand in hand.
Gu Xiao gently pulled her closer, whispering in her ear, "Wife, you've been busy all day, you're covered in dust, want to take a shower together?"
Faced with his blunt invitation, Nan Zhiyi firmly refused: "Don't be silly... you've had a long day..."
Gu Xiao put his arm around her waist and led her towards the bathroom in the second bedroom, acting coquettishly, "I'm not tired, seeing you makes me not tired at all...wife..."
He used a combination of force and coaxing, and eventually succeeded in leading Nan Zhiyi into the bathroom of the second bedroom.
Fortunately, Gu Xiao was still concerned that Nan Zhiyi had to get up early for school the next day, so he restrained himself and didn't stay up too late.
After taking a shower, Nan Zhiyi's skin was flushed with a faint pink hue, and her eyes were as watery as water. When Gu Xiao carried her out wrapped in a large towel, even her strength to glare at him was weak and lacked any intimidation.
Gu Xiao carefully tucked her into the quilt before lying down contentedly, pulling her tightly into his arms.
Nan Zhiyi nestled in his arms and couldn't help but imagine every little thing about living there.
Gu Xiao put his arm around her, his fingers idly twirling her hair. After a moment of silence, he decided to make things clear.
"Zhiyi, there's something I need to make clear to you."
"Um?"
“That compound is yours, and you can go there anytime. However,” he said somewhat seriously, “given my status and military rank, I cannot move there permanently. We must make the family quarters in the Army compound our primary residence; this is the regulation and the discipline.”
He felt the person in his arms move slightly, so he quickly tightened his arms and patiently explained, "That place can be your resting place during the day for writing, reading, and meeting friends. It's a space that belongs entirely to you."
Alternatively, when I go on long business trips in the future, you can bring Xiaoman to stay for a few days to change the environment; that would be fine. But normally, our main home will still be here.”
After he finished speaking, he carefully observed Nan Zhiyi's expression, afraid that she would be disappointed.
Nan Zhiyi nodded gently in his arms, nuzzling her cheek against his chest. "Then... Fifth Brother, what about a long, long, long time from now? Can we live there together?"
Gu Xiao lowered his head and kissed her: "Of course I can. A long, long time from now, I'll stay with you in that courtyard every day. You can write in the study, and I'll tend to the flowers and plants in the courtyard, or brew a pot of tea and watch you from under the veranda. At that time, it will just be the two of us, and you can do whatever you want with me."
This vision of the future filled Nan Zhiyi with a sweet feeling.
She thought for a moment, then, with a hint of anticipation, asked, "Then... before that, could you occasionally... sneak over and stay with me for one night? Just one night."
Gu Xiao longed for it too. More than anyone else, he yearned to enjoy a pure world for two in that place that belonged to her.
“Silly wife, rules are rules, but people are flexible. Once I come back from a business trip, I can go to you in the evening and come back to visit you the next morning. That should be fine. But it can’t be too frequent, and we can’t make a fuss about it.”
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