“Sister-in-law, you’re amazing.” Gu Xuanning blinked her starry eyes and looked at Luo Qingqing with admiration.
Gu Qiran nodded in agreement beside her. Li Ping was always pestering his brother and had not the slightest bit of a young lady’s modesty. How could she possibly compare with his sister-in-law?
“Of course. I’ve never lost an argument.” Luo Qingqing’s face was full of pride, as though she had accomplished something truly remarkable.
The smile on Gu Jing’an’s face grew even wider, and the tenderness in his eyes was enough to melt ice. It seemed that he was very important to her.
The two children went to do their homework, while Gu Jing’an followed her into the kitchen.
The fish had already been cleaned. After washing it, Luo Qingqing cut it into pieces and stir-fried them in the pot. She added shredded ginger to remove the fishy smell, then poured in water. After boiling it for a while, she added tofu and removed the ginger. She then simmered everything over low heat until a pot of milky-white fish soup was ready.
Since there was no meat grinder, Luo Qingqing used a knife to pound the river shrimp into a paste. It took quite a while.
Luo Qingqing began reviewing the argument she had just had. This was her usual habit. She liked to analyze whether she had argued well, whether there had been any gaps in her reasoning, and what she could improve next time so she would not make the same mistakes again.
“That kind of thing between husband and wife—how would an outsider like you know? My husband is very satisfied with me!”
Luo Qingqing wanted to die. Had she really said that? How had she even dared to say it? She had completely lost her filter!
“I’m very satisfied with Qingqing.”
Gu Jing’an had said he was very satisfied with her? The two of them had never actually consummated their marriage. He had probably just taken the opportunity to put an end to Li Ping’s advances.
“Sister-in-law, sister-in-law?”
“Huh? Xuanning, what is it?” The little girl was tugging at her skirt.
“Sister-in-law, I called you several times. What were you thinking about? The river shrimp are already chopped.”
“Nothing. Xuanning, go get me two eggs.”
Luo Qingqing added the chopped shrimp paste to the egg whites and mixed them together. With one hand, she squeezed the shrimp paste into small balls, while using a spoon in the other hand to scoop them into the pot. Once they were almost cooked, she removed them.
She heated oil in the wok, then added scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers and stir-fried them until fragrant. Finally, she added the shrimp balls and stir-fried everything together before serving.
She used the remaining egg yolks to make an omelet, sliced it into thin strips, and mixed them into the prepared rice.
Gu Xuanning liked the spicy shrimp balls even more. Despite gasping from the heat, she kept reaching for them with her chopsticks. Luo Qingqing ladled a bowl of fish soup and placed it in front of her.
“Xuanning, drink some fish soup. Eating too much spicy food will upset your stomach.”
“Thank you, Sister-in-law.” The little girl obediently nodded and picked up the bowl of fish soup.
“Have some more.” Gu Jing’an placed a piece of fish belly into her bowl.
Luo Qingqing was somewhat flattered. She was already full, but the big boss himself had put food into her bowl. She didn’t dare refuse.
“Thank you.” She lowered her head and quietly ate the fish.
Gu Jing’an felt somewhat defeated. Ever since she had started preparing the shrimp, something about her mood had seemed off. She kept avoiding his gaze.
Seeing that the two children had nearly finished eating, Gu Jing’an signaled for them to leave.
As soon as the two children were gone, Luo Qingqing quickly put down her chopsticks. She wanted to run, but Gu Jing’an grabbed her.
One large, slender hand encircled her delicate wrist. His grip was very gentle—she could easily have pulled free, but she was too timid to do so.
“I have no feelings for her. From now on, I won’t let her come bother you again. Don’t be angry anymore, all right?”
A look of astonishment appeared in Luo Qingqing’s eyes. She had actually seen a hint of grievance on his face. After a long moment, she finally found her voice.
“I…I’m not angry.” She really wasn’t.
“Then why won’t you look at me?” Gu Jing’an stepped forward, a trace of unease in his eyes.
How was she supposed to answer that? She needed to think carefully first and organize her words so she wouldn’t say something ridiculous again.
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Gu Jing’an took another step forward. Startled, Luo Qingqing retreated.
Just like that, the two of them backed all the way to the wall, leaving her nowhere else to retreat.
“Qingqing…”
Gu Jing’an lowered his head and buried his face against her flushed neck. His warm breath made Luo Qingqing shiver, and she struggled to get away.
“Be good. Let me hold you for a while.”
His voice sounded beside her ear, slightly husky and carrying an indescribable allure. Luo Qingqing, lacking all backbone, surrendered.
When he sensed the little girl in his arms relax, the corners of Gu Jing’an’s lips curved upward.
He had discovered something: compared with his face, she liked his voice even more.
But what about himself? When had he started caring about her every movement?
Perhaps it was the gentle way she spoke to and cared for Xuanning.
Perhaps it was the malt candy she had given him after that bitter medicine.
Perhaps it was that rainy night when she had held Qiran and softly comforted him.
Perhaps it was the remedies she had searched for to treat his cough.
Perhaps it was the way she had worried about the expenses of his journey to the capital for the imperial examinations.
…
Perhaps she was simply too warm.
He did not want to let go, nor did he want to divorce her.
What elder-brother status? What accompanying dowry? She was his.
She could only be his.