“Th-this damned little woman, what kind of look is that?”
Look all you want, but why is she looking at him with such pity, as if he didn’t measure up?
Ridiculous!
Gu Tingzhou’s dark eyes narrowed dangerously. Suddenly, he had the urge to prove to her—exactly whether he was capable or not.
Sensing the shift in his mood, and realizing what she had just done to provoke him, Lin Jiaojiao quickly coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
“Heh… um, Comrade Gu, have you had lunch?”
“No.”
Gu Tingzhou gritted his teeth.
Lin Jiaojiao: “…”
Could this conversation still continue?
But thinking she couldn’t afford to offend this “big golden thigh” in front of her, she forced a sweet smile and asked, “Then… how about I treat you to a meal at the state-run restaurant?”
She said this while thinking it was still early—barely past ten in the morning, far from lunchtime.
If he wasn’t trying to take advantage of a free meal, he definitely wouldn’t agree.
He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t.
“Alright.”
Gu Tingzhou nodded without hesitation.
Lin Jiaojiao: “…”
This man is poisonous.
It wasn’t that she was stingy about treating him to a meal—it was just that she had already eaten. If she went with him, would she just sit there and watch him eat?
No matter how she thought about it, it felt awkward.
Gu Tingzhou looked at the conflicted expressions constantly flashing across her face and suddenly felt very pleased.
He wasn’t hungry at first—but seeing her uncomfortable somehow made him feel quite satisfied.
“Then let’s go now,” Lin Jiaojiao said weakly, turning to leave.
But she was stopped by Gu Tingzhou.
“Comrade Lin, did you come to see me today for something?”
Lin Jiaojiao immediately turned back and said, “Yes. I already discussed it with my uncle and aunt about our marriage arrangements. You can talk to them directly.”
“As for my scum father, you can ignore him completely.”
Gu Tingzhou nodded.
Not because he was particularly easy to deal with, but because after parting with her yesterday, he had not only submitted his marriage application but also sent people to investigate her background.
So he already knew about her uncle’s family situation.
They were honest, kind, and treated her very well.
As for her biological family, just as she had said—they didn’t treat her like a human being.
Beating and scolding her since childhood, giving her less food, making her do all the work.
Even her clothes were hand-me-downs from her stepsister Lin Miaomiao.
No wonder she had shown up to such an important blind date in patched clothing.
There was just one thing he found strange—the Lin Jiaojiao in the investigation report seemed very different from the one standing in front of him.
Completely different personality.
Just like when he woke up after being drugged—something didn’t feel right either.
Same person, yet it felt like two different people.
“Do you have anything you want to ask about my family?”
Seeing how readily he agreed, Lin Jiaojiao couldn’t help but ask.
But she quickly understood.
Right—this was just a temporary arrangement. No need to be so serious.
“No,” Gu Tingzhou said. “I’m marrying you, not your family. And I’ve already looked into your situation.”
In his view, the one he would spend his life with was only her.
As long as she was someone who could live properly and steadily, everything else didn’t matter.
Unknowingly, he had already started treating her as someone he would spend his entire life with—completely forgetting their “three rules” agreement from yesterday.
Lin Jiaojiao stared at his flawless face and sighed inwardly.
What kind of heavenly man was this?
If only he weren’t… that way, she might really consider becoming proper husband and wife with him.
Thinking of this, she glanced at him again.
What a pity.
I wonder if it can be cured…
Gu Tingzhou’s jaw tightened again.
That damned look again!
If it weren’t for his strong self-control, he would have dragged her right now and made her personally verify whether he could or couldn’t!
“Comrade Lu, we should go.”
Feeling the cold air radiating from him, Lin Jiaojiao quickly muttered and bolted out like a rabbit.
Watching her fleeing back, Gu Tingzhou let out a helpless laugh, put on his coat, locked the door, and followed her out.
When they arrived at the state-run restaurant, it was just past eleven—perfect lunchtime.
But in this era, life was difficult, and even during peak hours, there weren’t many customers.
After all, only the wealthy or well-connected could afford to eat here.
Ordinary people simply couldn’t.
Food required both money and ration tickets.
Compared to later generations, there was no “customer-first service.” Customers lined up at the counter and ordered whatever dishes were available—nothing was made to order.
“Go sit over there. I’ll line up and get the food,” Gu Tingzhou said, pointing to a relatively clean table.
That meant he was paying.
But Lin Jiaojiao immediately shook her head. “I said I’m treating you. You sit, I’ll go.”
“I was just joking. Why are you taking it seriously?” he said with a smile. “Besides, we’re going to be husband and wife soon. Who pays doesn’t matter.”
That actually made sense—but also felt a little off.
“Go sit,” he said again, then went to queue at the counter.
Lin Jiaojiao quickly ran over. “Comrade Gu, I already ate at home. You just order for yourself.”
He frowned slightly, then nodded.
She smiled and went to sit down.
Soon, he returned carrying three dishes and one soup.
A plate of braised pork, stir-fried pork liver with garlic, spicy tofu skin, tofu glass noodle soup, two bowls of rice, and five meat buns.
Good heavens—this man was seriously extravagant.
All that must have cost several yuan at least.
More importantly—could he even finish all that?
When he set the food down and saw she was only staring without eating, he frowned. “Eat quickly. It won’t taste good when it gets cold.”
“I already told you, I ate at home—cured meat rice and tomato scrambled eggs.”
Gu Tingzhou only thought she was shy and embarrassed, so he handed her chopsticks anyway.
“Eat a little with me. Eating alone is boring.”
Lin Jiaojiao: “…”
Eating is for filling your stomach—since when did it become about “fun”?
She truly wasn’t hungry at all, but seeing his “you don’t eat, I won’t eat either” attitude, she could only take the chopsticks helplessly.
A satisfied smile appeared on Gu Tingzhou’s face.
He handed her a meat bun.
She quickly shook her head. “I’ll just eat rice.”
He didn’t insist. He took a bite of the bun himself, then used an unused pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork and put it into her bowl.
Looking at the glistening, fatty piece of meat, she couldn’t help swallowing.
Not from craving—but from worry…