Lu Shaoting’s forceful stance silenced everyone in the Lu family.
By the time Lu Jianming and his wife Qin Xiulian arrived, Lu Shaoting had already gone upstairs to the second floor.
The military personnel who had accompanied him escorted him to the living room before being directed to wait outside.
After Lu Shaoting finished speaking with his family, it was Gu Xia who was sent to call them in, helping Lu Shaoting up to the second floor.
No one in the Lu family showed any concern, not even suggesting that he, with his mobility issues, stay on the first floor.
Instead, they were all fixated on Lu Shaoting’s intention to marry Gu Xia, with opinions sharply divided.
Lu Jianming, not seeing Lu Shaoting, asked as soon as he entered the living room, “Where’s Old Fourth? Has he returned?”
“I’ve sent someone to investigate Gu Xia’s background in the northwest. He absolutely must not act impulsively. Old Fourth and Gu Xia are worlds apart—how could they possibly have been involved? Gu Xia must have deliberately concealed something.”
Beside him, Lu Xiaojing immediately chimed in:
“That’s right, Mom. You can’t just go along with Old Fourth’s recklessness. Even if he insists on marrying Gu Xia, we must first clarify everything and confirm whether the child in Gu Xia’s belly is really Old Fourth’s.”
“Otherwise, we might end up raising someone else’s child.”
Their voices in the living room were far from quiet.
Gu Xia, who had accompanied Lu Shaoting upstairs to the second floor, naturally overheard their conversation.
The person who had helped Lu Shaoting upstairs had already left.
Lu Shaoting’s room had been unoccupied for a long time, and he disliked anyone coming up to the second floor. Whenever he was away, he rarely allowed anyone to clean there.
Usually, when he returned, the maid would quickly mop the floor and wipe the tables upon seeing him.
But she never dared to touch any of his personal belongings.
Today, Lu Shaoting had returned home without prior notice, and the maid was busy with other tasks, so she hadn’t gone upstairs.
This was Gu Xia’s second time in Lu Shaoting’s bedroom.
She didn’t dare to touch anything and had no idea what to do.
Lu Shaoting watched Gu Xia standing awkwardly in place.
His tone was indifferent as he said, “Since you claimed you would serve me, you must be prepared to take care of others. Start by changing the bedding. There’s a mop in the second-floor bathroom—use it to clean the floor.”
“Gu Xia, I know what you want to use me for—my status, my influence. But remember, my decision to marry you and let you have this child isn’t because I have any particular fondness for you.”
Before he could finish, Gu Xia quickly interjected, “I know. You also want to use me to deal with them.”
It had only just dawned on Gu Xia that Lu Shaoting’s relationship with his parents, especially his mother, as well as with his older brother Lu Jianming and older sister Lu Xiaojing, was extremely strained.
As for why their relationship had deteriorated to this extent, Gu Xia didn’t know.
But she was quite curious.
She had even considered deliberately using Lu Shaoting to bring Lu Jianming’s family to heel.
But would the cold and indifferent Lu Shaoting obediently allow himself to be used by her?
Gu Xia had no confidence in that.
Seeing Lu Shaoting in a fit of anger, she didn’t dare to ask him how he planned to help her parents and sister.
Gu Xia’s mind was now filled with more worries. She had overheard Lu Jianming’s words—he intended to send someone to the rural northwest to inquire about her family.
Gu Xia had run away secretly.
She had only left a note for her sister, saying she had something to attend to and would be away for a while, returning once everything was settled.
Beyond that, she had said nothing else.
They would never have imagined that she could return to Beicheng and even go straight to the Shen family’s doorstep.
Gu Xia quietly and obediently completed everything Lu Shaoting had asked her to do.
Carrying the changed bedsheets, she placed them in the basin in the bathroom.
Before she could go wash them, she heard a loud clatter…
Gu Xia quickly walked to the bedroom and saw Lu Shaoting had fallen from his wheelchair.
“Take it slow, don’t move, I’ll help you.”
“If you need anything, just call me. I already said I’d take care of you, and I definitely will. Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”
Lu Shaoting’s entire body pressed down on her slender shoulders. They were so close that their breaths seemed to intertwine.
Lu Shaoting said in a low, hoarse voice, “I need to use the bathroom. Can you help me?”
But Gu Xia, blushing, nodded seriously. “I can.”
She was truly serious, treating taking care of Lu Shaoting as her job.
Lu Shaoting seemed to have deliberately adopted a teasing attitude toward her.
Leaning on his crutch with one hand, his arm resting on Gu Xia’s shoulder, he let her support him to the bathroom.
After he stood steady, Gu Xia turned to leave.
But Lu Shaoting said, “I can’t undo my pants with one hand. You’ll have to help me.”
Gu Xia hesitated, biting her lip tightly, then steeled herself and stood in front of him.
Gu Xia, around 1.63 meters tall, appeared especially delicate and petite next to Lu Shaoting, who was over 1.8 meters tall.
She was also thin and frail, looking like a fragile orchid in a mountain stream…
Lu Shaoting looked down and could only see her eyelashes, fluttering like butterfly wings with every blink.
They fluttered so much they unsettled his heart.
He couldn’t help but urge, “Hurry up.”
Gu Xia didn’t know how to undo a man’s belt, but Lu Shaoting had insisted on wearing his military pants when leaving the hospital.
She grew so anxious that beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Only then did she manage to undo it, and Gu Xia said with relief, “Done.”
Lu Shaoting didn’t speak again, and Gu Xia finally turned and left.
When she heard the sound stop, she asked, “Are you done?”
Lu Shaoting didn’t answer, using one hand to pull up his pants and fasten his belt.
He knew his own body. The wound site was quite severe, but it had healed well after surgery, with basically no major issues.
But his leg bone was injured, which would require some time to recover.
He had injured his leg, not his hands, so he could manage simple self-care tasks.
He had just wanted to tease Gu Xia on purpose, but he never expected the joke would end up being on him.
Useless thing.
After Gu Xia helped Lu Shaoting back to the bedroom and onto the bed,
watching her bustling around, truly putting her heart into her work,
Lu Shaoting finally said, “Regarding your parents, I’ll contact an old comrade of mine. He can provide them with some assistance in their daily lives.”
“But transferring them to the city and arranging jobs isn’t that simple. Your parents’ political issues are unclear, especially now, when investigations are particularly strict.”
“And you, try to go out less when you have nothing to do. If they really start investigating you, no one will be able to protect you.”
Gu Xia nodded.
What Lu Shaoting said was all true.
After thinking it over, she decided to ask.
“Lu Shaoting, do you really want to marry me? Get a marriage certificate?”
Getting a marriage certificate would, for her, be a form of identity protection.
Lu Shaoting looked at Gu Xia and asked,
“Do you want a marriage certificate? You need to understand one thing: once we get a marriage certificate, if you divorce me and remarry later, you’ll be considered a divorcee.”
Gu Xia said quickly, “I won’t get married. If I never marry anyone in the future, can you get a marriage certificate with me?”
Lu Shaoting asked her, “Why do you want to get a marriage certificate with me?”
Gu Xia answered truthfully, “If I have a marriage certificate, no one will bully me anymore.”
Lu Shaoting was momentarily at a loss for words, feeling a trace of pity for Gu Xia in his heart.
Yet he remained suspicious—was Gu Xia deliberately saying this to win his sympathy?