People in the compound had a habit of napping. The two children hadn't rested well at the hospital, and after eating, they yawned with their mouths open.
The two little ones subconsciously walked towards that small study room.
They usually slept there.
Shen Lu thought of the narrow folding bed in the study room, where the brothers' feet dangled in mid-air when they lay down horizontally.
Children this age liked to toss and turn in their sleep, and had fallen to the floor several times.
However, every time the original owner heard them fall, her first reaction was to scold them for waking her up.
Over time, the two little ones slept stiffly, not even daring to turn over.
Thinking of this, Shen Lu spoke up to interrupt their actions.
"Wait, you can sleep in the master bedroom."
Shen Lu opened the door to the master bedroom and quickly made the bed, putting on the sheets and duvet cover.
Then she took out two buckwheat pillows and placed them on the bed.
"From now on, you two will sleep in this room."
Because he was sick, Gu Xingze looked listless and didn't say anything, obediently lying down on the bed.
Even though Gu Xingyu's eyes were too tired to open, he still opposed Shen Lu in every way. He stood at the door with his arms crossed, his little mouth babbling non-stop.
"I don't want to sleep with you, you big bad wolf. You'll definitely sell us while we're sleeping."
Shen Lu was amused and flicked Gu Xingyu's forehead lightly. "If I wanted to sell you, I would have done it long ago. Why would I make meat buns for you?"
Gu Xingyu covered his forehead, his beautiful big eyes glaring fiercely at Shen Lu, like a cat.
It wasn't until Shen Lu brought up that not sleeping well would stunt his growth that Gu Xingyu reluctantly lay down on the bed, his back to Shen Lu, his little bottom pouting.
"Hmph, fine, I'll sleep. When I grow as tall as Dad, I'll beat you, you bad woman..."
Gu Xingyu mumbled non-stop, but sleepiness overtook him, and he fell asleep before he could finish speaking.
Asleep, Gu Xingyu lost his fierce demeanor and became incredibly soft.
Shen Lu looked at the two adorable little cubs, her affection growing with every glance.
She couldn't help but lean down and place a gentle kiss on the heads of the sleeping pair before turning to leave.
Only when she heard the sound of the door closing did Gu Xingze open his eyes.
He reached out his little hand and gently touched the spot Shen Lu had kissed; it felt ticklish.
He had heard long ago that mothers would kiss their children as a reward.
It was true.
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While the two little ones were asleep, Shen Lu took her tools and went into the courtyard.
In the military compound, each household had its own small courtyard in front of their house.
Others had filled their courtyards with vegetables and seasonings, which they could pick whenever needed, making it very convenient.
Only Shen Lu's courtyard was a mess.
When Shen Lu was tidying up the room yesterday, she had already planned in her mind what to plant in this courtyard.
Taking advantage of the free time, Shen Lu worked quickly, clearing the weeds in the small courtyard and turning over the soil.
Now, all that was left was to buy some seeds.
After finishing all this, the sun had begun to set, and it was already 3 PM.
Shen Lu then remembered the two children.
The two little ones were sleeping soundly in their beds.
When Shen Lu saw them, a honey-sweet feeling welled up in her heart, and the afternoon fatigue instantly vanished.
Although she was reluctant to wake them up, she couldn't let the two children sleep indefinitely, or they wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
"Xiao Ze, Xiao Yu, time to wake up."
Gu Xingze and Gu Xingyu were woken by a gentle voice, still a little confused about who was in front of them.
Shen Lu held Gu Xingyu in her arms and helped him put on his clothes. Gu Xingyu's little head bobbed like a pecking chick, as if he would fall asleep at any second.
Shen Lu gently pinched his nose. "Little pig, you can sleep later tonight."
Perhaps because they had slept for too long, the two little ones hadn't fully woken up yet.
Shen Lu went to the bathroom, wet a towel, and wiped each of the children's faces.
After waking up, Gu Xingyu realized the person holding him was Shen Lu. The little fellow jolted and scrambled out of Shen Lu's arms as if escaping, his big eyes warily fixed on Shen Lu.
As he watched Shen Lu treat his older brother with the same gentleness, the wariness in the little fellow's eyes gradually faded, replaced by confusion.
That was the first time he had been held by this woman since he could remember.
Recalling the embrace just now, Gu Xingyu's ears quietly turned red again.
Her embrace was different from Dad's stiff one; it was fragrant, soft, and so comfortable.
But why was she being so good to them?
After Shen Lu had tidied up the two little ones, she reheated their lunch.
Thinking of giving the children some extra nourishment, she steamed a large bowl of egg custard.
Gu Xingyu had already experienced how delicious the steamed buns were. This time, he skipped the part where he made threats and directly grabbed the buns, eating them in big bites.
He had to eat a lot to protect his older brother and fight against the bad woman.
Shen Lu was deep in thought when a knock on the door interrupted her.
She opened the door to find Fan Cuiying, holding a cloth bundle, her intentions obvious.
"Sister-in-law, this is the money Mom asked me to give you."
Shen Lu took the money and was about to close the door.
"Wait, wait, wait..." Fan Cuiying immediately blocked the door with her body.
Her shifty eyes peered into Shen Lu's home.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Sister-in-law has something to tell you."
With the two children present, Shen Lu didn't want to get into a conflict with her.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly."
Fan Cuiying put on what she thought was a kind smile and said to Shen Lu earnestly.
"Our Mom is also thinking about your future. You see, you're already in a bad situation being stuck here. If you take too much money from Gu Xiao, it'll be even harder to break free later."
"If you continue to act as you did before, it won't be long before Gu Xiao divorces you voluntarily, and then you can pursue the freedom you desire."
Shen Lu's expression turned grim upon hearing this.
The original owner had been manipulated by Gu Youcai's family with the word "freedom," believing they genuinely had her best interests at heart.
Following their advice, she had caused trouble and become a notorious figure in the family courtyard.
Fan Cuiying, thinking Shen Lu was still as easy to manipulate as before, chattered on, repeating the same old theories.
"Since you're so keen on freedom, why don't you divorce Gu Youcai?"
Fan Cuiying's previously hypocritical smile froze on her face.
"Sister-in-law, I'm genuinely considering your well-being."
Shen Lu sneered. Genuinely considering her well-being by asking her to abandon her military husband and two children to pursue so-called freedom?
Only an idiot like the original owner would believe that.
Shen Lu retorted.
"Sister-in-law, I'm also genuinely considering your well-being. I recall you two don't have any children yet, right? Getting a divorce would save you from being mocked as a hen that can't lay eggs."
After saying this, Shen Lu looked coldly at Fan Cuiying. Don't think she didn't know that Gu Youcai's family was eyeing the twins because Gu Youcai had no sons.
Hearing the words "hen that can't lay eggs," Fan Cuiying's face turned uglier than if she had eaten feces.
When did this little vixen's tongue become so sharp, able to poke directly at people's sore spots?
She had been married to Gu Youcai for seven or eight years and still had no children.
Although everyone outwardly treated her politely as the manager's wife, many secretly mocked her and compared her to Shen Lu.
She knew it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't say anything.
If Gu Youcai found out the real reason because of her, he would beat her to death.
Fan Cuiying felt a pang of fear just thinking about it and didn't dare to retort to Shen Lu.
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