"Are you afraid of him?" Su Mianmian hesitated, her lips trembling. "I'm just a little unaccustomed to it." Unaccustomed to two people who weren't very familiar with each other suddenly having to spend every day together.
The thought of sleeping in the same bed with Gu Yizhou that night made her inexplicably nervous; her heart pounded, feeling like it might jump out of her throat at any moment. Gu Yizhou understood her anxiety.
He took a few steps back, giving Su Mianmian enough distance to feel safe. "Mianmian, I'm your husband. I won't force you if you don't want to." Hearing this, Su Mianmian breathed a long sigh of relief, like a convict receiving a pardon.
Then, she felt awkward. Her eyes pleaded, and she tentatively asked, "Can I not stay in the master bedroom for now?" Gu Yizhou chuckled, rubbing his temples. This little woman, seemingly timid, was actually playing dumb, testing his limits step by step.
He couldn't let her have her way. "I'm afraid that won't work. I've said before that I don't accept living together as a partnership." Su Mianmian said dejectedly. Sleeping in separate rooms was definitely not normal for a married couple.
But Gu Yizhou said he wouldn't touch her… Su Mianmian was a little doubtful. They were already sleeping in the same bed; could he really resist? Seeing Su Mianmian pursing her lips and remaining silent, Gu Yizhou guessed what she was thinking. "Mianmian, look at me."
Su Mianmian had heard many people call her "Mianmian" since she was little. But perhaps because Gu Yizhou's voice was exceptionally deep and resonant, it sounded strangely tender and affectionate. Su Mianmian's heart pounded, and her watery eyes slowly lifted.
Gu Yizhou was also looking at her, his dark, deep eyes like whirlpools, unexpectedly drawing her in. "I've said I'll cherish our marriage, and I hope you can do the same, instead of thinking about how to escape."
Gu Yizhou was extremely patient, coaxing her gently. Su Mianmian nodded, as if bewitched. "I won't run away, but I need time," Gu Yizhou said, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes relaxing. "Hopefully, this time won't be too long."
After opening up to each other, Su Mianmian finally felt less reserved. The two then toured all the rooms in the house, and Su Mianmian discovered that it was fully functional; one could exercise, watch movies, read, and enjoy the scenery without leaving the house.
Su Mianmian especially loved the space in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, where a plush carpet covered the floor. She could sit on the carpet and read a book, or pet the cat…the cat! Su Mianmian suddenly thought of her Tangtang; it would be wonderful if she could bring Tangtang along.
Thinking of this, she immediately decided to ask Gu Yizhou. After searching around, she finally found him in the kitchen. Gu Yizhou was busy at the counter, his tall figure slightly hunched, his back looking broad and upright.
The cuffs of his white shirt were slightly rolled up, revealing a small section of his fair and muscular arms. Holding a kitchen knife, he skillfully and deftly sliced the ginger on the cutting board into thin slices.
Hearing the noise at the kitchen door, Gu Yizhou stopped what he was doing, looked up, and saw Su Mianmian. "What's wrong?" Su Mianmian said "Oh," her eyes sparkling. "I wanted to ask you if it's okay to bring Tangtang here?"
Gu Yizhou took a couple of seconds to remember that Tangtang was Su Mianmian's Ragdoll cat. A smile played on his lips. "Of course you can. You're the lady of the house; you can easily make that decision."
Su Mianmian's heart leaped with joy. "Then how about we go pick it up tonight?" Gu Yizhou thought for a moment. "Tomorrow, let's go back to the old house first, then stop by to pick it up."
Su Mianmian said "Oh," then nervously pursed her lips. "Why are we going back to the old house tomorrow?" Gu Yizhou smiled. "Although we didn't have a wedding, we've already registered our marriage. It's only right that we take you home to meet our elders."
Su Mianmian blinked twice. "Are all your elders as fierce as Second Master Gu?" Su Mianmian still vividly remembered Second Master Gu's stern expression at home that day. Gu Yizhou couldn't help but chuckle. "You can't call him that. He's my second uncle."
"Oh, so will they be as fierce as Second Uncle?" Gu Yizhou looked at Su Mianmian's obedient appearance and resisted the urge to pat her head. "No, Mianmian is so well-behaved, no one would have the heart to be fierce to you."
Su Mianmian's cheeks flushed, and she said "Oh." Her bright eyes darted around. "Are you planning to make dinner?" Gu Yizhou hummed in agreement. "Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll make it for you." "Anything is fine?" Gu Yizhou smiled. "As long as it's not too difficult."
Su Mianmian thought about it seriously. "Then I want sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy and sour lotus root, and salt and pepper shrimp." Gu Yizhou's lips curved upwards. "Go wait outside." So calm; it seems he really knows how to cook.
Su Mianmian turned and slipped into the living room to play on her phone. Half an hour ago, Song Zhi sent her a message: "Mianmian, my beautiful girl, I have to confess something to you. I accepted a bribe!" Su Mianmian's eyes widened instantly after reading it. "Zhizhi, what happened?" Song Zhi:
"Cheng Yuli just gave me a box of chocolates, my favorite brand. I couldn't resist and accepted it T^T." Su Mianmian breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there any necessary connection between this and accepting a bribe?" Song Zhi: "Of course!
Accepting his gift means I'll be creating more opportunities for him to get close to you in the future. Mianmian, I'm sorry..." Su Mianmian: "..." Song Zhi: "Mianmian, what do you mean by the ellipsis? Are you speechless or disappointed in me?"
Su Mianmian: "Not really. I just feel like, Zhizhi, have you considered that Cheng Yuli bought that box of chocolates specifically for you, not because he wanted to use you to get close to me?" Song Zhi: *confused face* "So who is he trying to contact through me? Tan Huilin?
Damn, that can't be true!" Su Mianmian was speechless. It seems everyone has weaknesses. Song Zhi is smart and cute, but when it comes to her own feelings, she's a bit slow to react. Su Mianmian:
"Never mind what I said. Also, don't worry about that box of chocolates, don't feel guilty." Song Zhi sent a bright pouty lip emoji. "Mianmian, my beautiful girl, I knew you were the best."
Su Mianmian put down her phone, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She inexplicably looked forward to the day Song Zhi would find out that Cheng Yuli had always liked her—how would she react? "What are you laughing at, so happy?"
Su Mianmian was startled by a deep voice and almost fell off the sofa. Standing up, she straightened her clothes, which were scattered on the sofa. "Is dinner ready?" Gu Yizhou hummed in agreement. "Go wash your hands, let's eat."
Su Mianmian said "Okay," and obediently went to the sink to wash her hands. Suddenly, she remembered the tone of Gu Yizhou's voice when he told her to wash her hands—it sounded so much like an elder!
On the table, three dishes and a soup were laid out. Besides the spicy and sour lotus root, sweet and sour pork ribs, and salt and pepper shrimp that Su Mianmian had ordered, there was also a winter melon and clam soup.
The dishes looked enticing, and the aroma was irresistible. Su Mianmian glanced at the dishes on the table, then at Gu Yizhou, incredulous. Gu Yizhou, who seemed so otherworldly, could actually cook, and cook so well!
Before picking up her chopsticks, Su Mianmian couldn't resist and weakly asked, "Can I take a picture?" Gu Yizhou smiled, "Take any picture you like." So Su Mianmian posed and took a picture that was enough to make anyone's mouth water just by looking at it.
She then posted the picture on her WeChat Moments with the caption, "Only delicious food should not be missed..." After posting, she looked up and saw Gu Yizhou smiling gently at her. She felt a little embarrassed. "I've taken the picture, you can eat now."
Gu Yizhou then picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs on Su Mianmian's plate. "Try it, see if it suits your taste." Su Mianmian took a bite; it was fatty but not greasy, and fragrant. She immediately gave a thumbs up. "Delicious!"
Gu Yizhou smiled with satisfaction. "Then eat more." He then placed a few more pieces of ribs on her plate. While eating, Su Mianmian watched Gu Yizhou leisurely peel the prawns.
His hands were too beautiful; his fingers moved nimbly, flipping and turning, and a perfect piece of prawn meat was easily extracted from the shell. Then, it fell into her bowl. Su Mianmian was a little embarrassed. "Don't just peel them for me, eat some too."
Gu Yizhou smiled. "I won't peel them for free. In exchange, you can chat with me so I can get to know you better." Su Mianmian chewed on her chopsticks, thinking for a couple of seconds. "What do you want to hear?" Gu Yizhou picked up another shrimp. "Just tell me about what made you happy just now."