“Gu Tingzhou, uh… can I call you that?”
Lin Jiaojiao suddenly tilted her head and looked at him, asking.
Before they had obtained their marriage certificate, it was normal to politely address each other as “comrade.”
But now that they were legally husband and wife, she felt there was no need for such distance.
And as someone from the future, constantly calling each other “comrade” still felt strange to her.
“Of course.”
Gu Tingzhou was not a rigid or old-fashioned man, so he naturally agreed.
In fact, he even felt that removing the surname might be better.
Though he thought it, he didn’t say it out loud.
“Then you shouldn’t call me Comrade Lin anymore either. Just call me—”
“Jiaojiao.”
Before she could finish speaking her full name, Gu Tingzhou had already called her name.
This surprised her a little.
She had originally thought that with a man as reserved as him, being able to call her “Lin Jiaojiao” would already be impressive.
Yet he went further—he dropped the surname entirely.
And hearing his deep, low, magnetic voice call her name… why did it sound so pleasant?
Hmm. This man might not be as serious as she thought.
Thinking this, Lin Jiaojiao suddenly felt like teasing him.
Her fox-like eyes blinked as she looked at his dangerously attractive lips and smiled flirtatiously.
“Then I’ll call you Tingzhou? Brother Ting? Or… Brother Ting?”
Gu Tingzhou froze slightly upon hearing this.
Just as Lin Jiaojiao expected him to blush like before—
He suddenly leaned closer to her.
Lowering his voice beside her ear, he said, “Brother Ting… sounds pretty good. You can call me that when no one’s around. I like it.”
Then, before she could react, he straightened up and continued walking forward.
His posture was upright, his steps steady.
If she hadn’t been absolutely sure she wasn’t hallucinating, she would have thought those words hadn’t come from him at all.
So… she lost this round?
She tried to flirt, but ended up being flirted back?
If her friends—those elite women from various fields—heard this, they would definitely laugh themselves to death.
Thinking of this, Lin Jiaojiao shot a slightly resentful look at his back.
As if saying: So this is who you really are.
Gu Tingzhou, who had just felt like he had finally regained the upper hand, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
To ease the awkwardness, he stopped walking, turned around, and casually asked, “Jiaojiao, are you going to your uncle’s house or back to the Lin family?”
“The Lin family.”
She answered without hesitation.
If she didn’t go back, how would she deal with those scumbags?
“Should I walk you back?”
He asked for her opinion.
She originally wanted to refuse, but seeing his expectant expression, she nodded.
“Alright.”
Before it got completely dark, they finally reached the entrance of the textile factory residential compound.
Lin Jiaojiao looked at the brightly lit courtyard and said, “Tingzhou, I’m home. Thanks for seeing me back. Be careful on your way.”
She turned to leave—but he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
She looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he was doing.
Meeting her gaze, Gu Tingzhou only then realized his action. His face immediately turned hot with embarrassment.
He quickly let go of her hand.
But the softness and smoothness he had just felt lingered strangely in his mind.
He remembered clearly that yesterday her hands had been delicate but rough and slightly cracked from long-term labor.
How had they changed so much in just one night?
Of course, he didn’t know that Lin Jiaojiao possessed a hidden all-purpose medical space.
Before bed, she had applied a special hand treatment cream from it.
Of course her hands would change overnight.
Suppressing his confusion, he coughed awkwardly and said, “Jiaojiao, I wanted to ask… tomorrow I’d like to visit your uncle and aunt to discuss our marriage arrangements. Is that okay?”
Lin Jiaojiao waved it off casually.
She thought it was something serious.
“Of course. I’ll tell them in the morning. Let’s meet at the guesthouse at noon tomorrow and go together.”
“Alright. I’ll head back now.”
With that, Gu Tingzhou left without looking back.
Lin Jiaojiao watched his tall figure disappear, a faint smile forming on her lips, before she turned toward home.
Before she even reached the door, she heard shouting from inside.
“I won’t marry him! Even if I die, I won’t marry a thug!”
It was Lin Miaomiao’s voice.
Then came Xia Qiuyue’s.
“Mom doesn’t want you to marry him either. But when we got you out, we already promised Liu Quan’s parents—you’ll marry into their family once you’re released.”
“Besides, you already slept with him. Your reputation is ruined. What decent family would want you now?”
“So if you don’t marry him… who else would take you?”
“I didn’t sleep with him! It was Lin Jiaojiao! That bitch framed me! Mom, it was her!”
Lin Miaomiao grabbed Xia Qiuyue’s shoulders and shook her desperately, completely ignoring her injuries.
Xia Qiuyue winced in pain, but still didn’t push her away.
Standing nearby, Lin Fantong’s head was aching from the noise. He said sternly, “Enough! Stop arguing!”
“The Liu family has already taken the bride price. It’s settled.”
“Tomorrow, you will register your marriage with Liu Quan.”
“No! Dad, I don’t want to marry him!”
Lin Miaomiao cried, clutching his sleeve.
He sighed helplessly, still soft toward her.
“Dad doesn’t want this either. But we can’t afford to offend the Liu family.”
“Liu Quan’s father is the deputy director of the committee. In this city, he’s a powerful figure.”
“If we break the engagement, he won’t let us off. My job and your mother’s job could both be gone.”
“So no matter what, you must marry him.”
Hearing this, Lin Miaomiao’s heart sank.
But then her eyes suddenly shifted.
“Dad… actually, they just want a daughter-in-law. It doesn’t have to be me.”
Lin Jiaojiao, who had been eavesdropping, immediately understood.
A mocking smile appeared on her lips.
So even now, she still hasn’t given up.
Still trying to drag me into this mess.
At that moment, Xia Qiuyue also reacted, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes.
“Miaomiao, you mean…?”
Though she didn’t finish, everyone understood.
Lin Miaomiao nodded immediately.
“Yes, Mom. The Lin family doesn’t only have me as a daughter.”
“Lin Jiaojiao is much prettier than me. I’m sure Liu Quan would accept her.”
Heh.
Just as expected.