"He who eats another's bread sings his praises." While enjoying the shrimp Gu Yizhou peeled for him, Su Mianmian recounted the story of Song Zhi and Cheng Yuli. She ended by asking, "Do you think I should remind Zhizhi again?"
"No need." Gu Yizhou placed the last shrimp on Su Mianmian's plate. "Don't you think this is interesting? The matchmaker, in the end, discovers that the other end of the red thread is her own; perhaps there will be a different kind of surprise."
Su Mianmian nodded. "I thought so at first too, but Zhizhi said before that she's not used to innocent-looking guys; she likes…" Su Mianmian stopped mid-sentence, biting her chopsticks with a strange expression. Gu Yizhou raised an eyebrow. "Why did you stop?"
Su Mianmian's cheeks flushed even more. "She said before that she likes people like you." Hearing this, Gu Yizhou paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across the table and landing on Su Mianmian's rosy cheeks. "So, Mianmian, what type do you like?"
Su Mianmian hadn't really thought about this question seriously. She used to think she really liked Tang Yunzheng, but after he publicly declared she was his childhood sweetheart, she was angry and depressed for a while.
Even later, every time she saw Tang Yunzheng, she would inexplicably think of the day she was humiliated, and then feel even angrier.
But these past few days, she suddenly realized that perhaps she didn't even like Tang Yunzheng. Being rejected by someone you like should make you sad, heartbroken, or despondent. She seemed to have never experienced any of these emotions.
Su Mianmian shook her head. "I don't have a specific type I like yet." Gu Yizhou nodded. "Then I'll keep trying, and strive to become someone like me that Mrs. Gu likes as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Su Mianmian choked on a piece of shrimp, coughing violently. Gu Yizhou quickly handed her a glass of water and then patted her back. "What's wrong? Don't you want to like me?" Su Mianmian coughed even harder, her eyes welling up with tears, her cheeks flushed red.
Gu Yizhou's lips unconsciously curved into a smile, and he thought again of the little kitten at the old house, just like her, so adorable and cute. ...Gu Yizhou said he had to have a video conference, and after dinner, he went into his study, leaving Su Mianmian free to do as she pleased.
Su Mianmian read for a while, then scrolled through her phone. The food photo she'd posted earlier had unsurprisingly garnered a lot of likes from foodies. Song Zhi sent a string of drooling, angry emojis: "You didn't even invite me to eat delicious food! I'm so unhappy!!!" Su Mianmian replied:
"I was just teasing you on purpose. How about it, are you drooling?" Song Zhi: "Mmm, just looking at the picture makes me want to eat two bowls of rice! Mianmian, which restaurant is this? Take me there next time, kisses..." Su Mianmian: "It's not a restaurant."
Su Mianmian didn't dare say too much more. Although Song Zhi was slow to react emotionally, her intelligence was always on point. She didn't want anyone to know about her marriage to Gu Yizhou yet. Just as she was about to turn off her phone, Tang Yunzheng suddenly popped up a video call.
Su Mianmian hurriedly hung up. Tang Yunzheng: ??? Why did you hang up on me? Su Mianmian: It's inconvenient, just say what's up. Tang Yunzheng: Where are you? Why is it inconvenient? Su Mianmian: What's it to you?
Tang Yunzheng popped up another video call. Su Mianmian frowned tightly and hung up again. Su Mianmian: What do you want? Tang Yunzheng: Didn't you leave with your brother-in-law after school? I'm seeing when you're going home.
Su Mianmian was surprised that Tang Yunzheng recognized Gu Yizhou at the school gate, and felt a little embarrassed. Su Mianmian: Tang Yunzheng, who are you to me? What right do you have to tell me what to do? Tang Yunzheng was speechless, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and he angrily threw his phone onto the bed.
Su Mianmian was right, who was he to her? What right did he have to tell her what to do? He was really asking for trouble! But remembering the look Su Mianmian's brother-in-law had given him earlier, he felt a surge of unease.
And that picture Su Mianmian had posted on her WeChat Moments earlier—he'd zoomed in, and a man's hand was clearly reflected in the glass. Who was that man? Cheng Yuli? Or Su Mianmian's brother-in-law?
As far as he knew, Su Yang wasn't in Jiangcheng recently, so why was Su Mianmian getting into her brother-in-law's car alone? Tang Yunzheng felt he was understanding Su Mianmian less and less. …Su Mianmian played until after nine o'clock before finally dawdling and going to the master bedroom.
There was a walk-in closet inside, filled with a whole row of clothes, from underwear to outerwear and dresses—everything imaginable. Gu Yizhou had specifically told her that this was specially prepared for her, and she could wear whatever she wanted.
Su Mianmian chose the most conservative nightgown, white cotton, with a lace trim around the collar and hem. After showering and putting it on, she looked at herself in the mirror; sweet with a touch of demureness, it suited her quite well.
Gu Yizhou was still in the study. Su Mianmian touched the large bed and quietly climbed on. The blankets were brand new, with no unusual smell. Su Mianmian lay stiffly on the bed, her heart pounding.
Just as she was lost in thought, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside. Su Mianmian quickly closed her eyes. Footsteps slowly approached her, accompanied by a very faint scent of sandalwood. Su Mianmian felt as if she were enveloped in a shadow.
She held her breath, afraid to move. After a while, just when she felt like she was about to suffocate, the shadow moved away, and the footsteps faded into the distance, heading towards the bathroom.
Only when she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom did Su Mianmian dare to open her eyes and exhale a deep breath. Honestly, why did she pretend to be asleep?
Su Mianmian pricked up her ears, constantly monitoring the sounds from the bathroom. After about ten minutes, the bathroom door opened again. Su Mianmian quickly closed her eyes, having already moved to the very edge of the bed.
She felt a pleasant scent of shower gel waft over, the mattress beside her slightly sagged, and then the blanket was pulled up, letting in a cool breeze before being pulled back over her.
But Su Mianmian clearly felt a warmth under the blanket that wasn't hers. This feeling was strange. Su Mianmian's body stiffened like a stick, her fingers gripping the corner of the blanket tightly, when she heard a very soft laugh behind her.
"Mianmian, can you move a little closer? There's not enough blanket." Su Mianmian's body stiffened even more, afraid to move for a long time. She faintly heard a sigh, and the person behind her moved closer, speaking in a soothing tone. "Sleep, be good, I said I wouldn't touch you."
Su Mianmian let out a soft breath, her body finally less stiff, but she still couldn't suppress her tension. Only when she heard even breathing behind her did she gradually relax and slowly drift off to sleep.
Being a child at heart, she slept soundly, completely still, and wouldn't wake up. Gu Yizhou slowly opened his eyes in the darkness, looking at the slightly rounded mound in front of him, feeling the sweet fragrance of the girl in his breath, his heart felt filled with something.
...The next day, Su Mianmian woke up, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, momentarily disoriented. It took her a couple of seconds to remember that she was in her and Gu Yizhou's room.
Looking around, she saw that the spot next to her was empty. She had slept so soundly that she hadn't even noticed when Gu Yizhou had gotten up. She quietly got up, washed up, found a dress suitable for meeting her elders, changed, and then left the bedroom.
As soon as she entered the living room, she smelled the sweet aroma of porridge. Su Mianmian took a deep breath, feeling refreshed. Gu Yizhou was sitting in a dining chair reading a newspaper. Seeing Su Mianmian, a smile appeared on his lips, "Did you sleep well?"
Su Mianmian was a little embarrassed, "Did you get up very early?" Gu Yizhou gestured for her to come and have breakfast. "I'm used to waking up early, my biological clock is set, you don't need to worry about it." Su Mianmian said "Oh," and sat opposite him, watching expectantly as he served her porridge.
"You're so busy with work every day, and you cook every day, don't you feel tired?" Gu Yizhou handed her the porridge. "While you're in school, a housekeeper will come and take care of all three meals a day. I only cook occasionally on weekends, it's not tiring."
Su Mianmian felt a little ashamed. "Actually, the housekeeper can cook on weekends too. I'm not a picky eater." Gu Yizhou looked at Su Mianmian's delicate, doll-like face. "Hmm, let's talk about it later. I want to enjoy some time alone with you first."