“The eldest son of the Liu family is only a little foolish during the day and looks simple-minded, but at night, he becomes a complete madman.”
That was how the village secretary described him.
Gu Yunzhe paused for a moment before asking again, “Then… did Comrade Xiao Mu marry him?”
“No. Guiying won’t turn eighteen until the 23rd of next month, and she still doesn’t have household registration.”
The village secretary tossed his tobacco pouch into the basket, slipped on his shoes, and headed toward the side room where Gu Yunzhe was staying to check on Mu Guiying.
As he walked, he muttered, “That child has had a hard life. No parents, raised in the village without even a birth certificate, so she’s considered undocumented. Her life in the Liu family has been even worse. Liu E wants her to marry that fool, but did she ever ask whether I’d agree to issue Guiying a marriage introduction letter? She’s not even of legal marriage age yet. Without household registration, she can’t get the paperwork anyway. In the end, the village custom of early marriage couldn’t bind her. You could say misfortune turned into luck.”
Gu Yunzhe’s heart trembled.
So… he had misunderstood her.
The moment the two men stepped into the side room, they saw Mu Guiying collapsed beside the heated brick bed. Her face was pale with a bluish tint, and dried blood stained her white shirt patterned with red flowers.
“Commander Gu, hurry and save her!”
The village secretary’s shout snapped Gu Yunzhe back to reality.
He strode over quickly and lifted Mu Guiying into his arms.
Graduating from military academy and known in the army for his cold, distant demeanor, this was the first time Gu Yunzhe had ever carried a woman. He hadn’t expected Mu Guiying to be so soft… and so light.
Even with her bloodless face, she was still beautiful, like a rose on the verge of withering, carrying a piercing sadness.
A wave of guilt rose in his heart.
Holding her, he called softly, “Comrade Xiao Mu, wake up!”
The village secretary was about to fetch the village doctor when Gu Yunzhe stopped him.
“Secretary, judging from her condition, it looks like hypoglycemia. Do you have any white sugar at home? Make her a bowl of sugar water.”
The village secretary nodded immediately and hurried his wife to prepare it.
When the bowl of sugar water arrived, Gu Yunzhe found himself in a difficult position.
Mu Guiying was unconscious. The sugar water simply wouldn’t go down.
He tried feeding her with a spoon twice, but it only trickled from the corners of her lips.
The village secretary anxiously rubbed his hands together.
“Commander Gu, have you ever heard the storytelling tale The Generals of the Yang Family?”
Gu Yunzhe frowned, not understanding why the conversation had suddenly shifted there.
Somewhat impatiently, he replied, “No.”
“After Mu Guiying saved Yang Zongbao, she fed him medicine mouth-to-mouth to save his life. So… maybe you could try that too?”
The moment the village secretary made the suggestion, Gu Yunzhe shot him a cold glance, though the tips of his ears had already turned red.
Looking at Mu Guiying leaning weakly against the bedhead only because he was supporting her shoulders, Gu Yunzhe hesitated.
He had grown up under strict family discipline and orthodox education. After entering military academy, he had always obeyed military law and organizational orders.
After graduation, he was assigned to the army as a deputy company commander. Through solid military theory, technical skill, and leadership ability, he climbed step by step to become the youngest regimental commander in the entire army.
Before this, Gu Yunzhe had never even held a woman’s hand, let alone carried one.
And now the village secretary wanted him to feed Mu Guiying sugar water mouth-to-mouth.
Gu Yunzhe simply couldn’t do it.
He stared at her porcelain-white face. Her skin was delicate enough that he could see the tiny fine hairs on it clearly, while her pale lips resembled snow-colored jasmine flowers carrying the faint fragrance of a young girl.
His thoughts grew chaotic. It felt as though if he stared at her even a moment longer, he would lose all restraint and want to kiss her. The weak shoulders beneath his hands seemed to radiate heat that burned at his fingertips.
He lowered his eyes quickly.
“Secretary… I can’t do it. Let’s think of another way.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yunzhe released her.
But the unconscious Mu Guiying slid downward like a boneless snake, about to fall off the bed.
Gu Yunzhe reacted swiftly and caught her.
After the commotion, Mu Guiying ended up leaning against his chest once more. The soft, boneless sensation of her body made his spine stiffen instantly. Looking down at the unconscious girl in his arms, his heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.
Gu Yunzhe felt like a fleeing soldier struck senseless by a wild horse. His body grew hot and sweaty, his face flushed red, and even his gaze became dazed.
The village secretary watched Gu Yunzhe hesitate while Mu Guiying’s complexion worsened by the second.
“Commander Gu, where am I supposed to find someone else right now? Hurry up! If you keep delaying, this girl might really lose her life. The people’s soldiers serve the people. What’s wrong with making a little sacrifice for Guiying?”
Prolonged hypoglycemia could lead to shock.
Thinking of this, Gu Yunzhe finally cast aside his hesitation. He picked up the porcelain bowl, drank a mouthful of sugar water, pinched Mu Guiying’s chin, and pressed his thin lips against hers, transferring the sugar water into her mouth.
Was this… a kiss?
Did that mean his first kiss had been given to Mu Guiying?
Gu Yunzhe pressed his lips together. The soft warmth of her lips lingered against his, startling him so much that he immediately pulled away before taking another mouthful and feeding it to her again.
Again and again, until the final mouthful was gone.
Just then, Liu E’s shrill voice rang out.
“The big official from the capital molested my Guiying! Folks, didn’t I tell the truth?”
Gu Yunzhe turned around to see a crowd of villagers packed at the doorway.
Seeing Liu E shamelessly reversing black and white, the village secretary exploded with anger.
“Liu E, what nonsense are you talking about? Do you really think I don’t know what you’ve done?”
The village secretary explained that Mu Guiying had fainted from hypoglycemia and that Gu Yunzhe had only fed her sugar water to save her life. There had been no molestation whatsoever.
Seeing the secretary furious, Liu E restrained herself slightly.
Rubbing her hands together, she said, “Commander Gu, I actually came to bring Guiying home.”
Gu Yunzhe’s expression darkened.
After settling Mu Guiying properly, he stood and looked at Liu E.
“You want to take Xiao Mu back so your foolish son can keep bullying her?”
Liu E’s expression turned guilty as she muttered quietly, “My eldest son likes Guiying. How could he bully her?”
Gu Yunzhe let out a cold laugh, his authority naturally intimidating.
“Violating women and children is against the law. Your son may be mentally unstable, Liu E, but you can still be held responsible.”
His words stunned both Liu E and the surrounding villagers.
Some of the women who had gathered to watch were quickly dragged away by the more sensible men in their families.
“You foolish woman, stop crowding around and come home with me. What kind of person do you think an officer from the capital is? Wouldn’t the village secretary know?”
They might not know Gu Yunzhe well, but seeing the secretary treat him respectfully made them fearful.
Liu E glanced at Mu Guiying lying on the bed.
Suddenly, she sat on the ground and began throwing a tantrum, slapping her thighs dramatically as she cried.
“I don’t care! I raised Guiying. I can’t let her stay overnight in Commander Gu’s room without a proper explanation. I’ll wait right here until she wakes up!”
After wailing theatrically for a while, she shouted to the remaining villagers, “Once my Guiying wakes up, she’ll tell everyone exactly what happened!”
Several villagers who had intended to leave stayed behind again. Some were genuinely worried about Mu Guiying, while others simply wanted entertainment.
Gu Yunzhe looked at Liu E, who appeared so certain of herself, then glanced worriedly at Mu Guiying.
Would she once again try to escape the Liu family by insisting he had wronged her, forcing him to take responsibility and bring her back to the capital?
He had already decided to take Mu Guiying away.
He only hoped she would not disappoint him… and would stop scheming.
The village secretary was furious and repeatedly urged the unrelated villagers to go home, but a few stubbornly refused to leave.
At that moment, Mu Guiying slowly opened her eyes…