“Qingqing, this candy is very sweet.”
“Then eat more if it’s sweet.”
Nonsense, of course candy is sweet. Luo Qingqing thought to herself, Could Gu Jing’an be a love-brained idiot? Where was that dark, ruthless schemer he was supposed to be?
Under the glow of an oil lamp, the gray-white wall reflected the shadows of a pair of figures, one tall and upright, the other small and delicate, like a perfectly matched couple.
“The orange is ready. Eat all the pulp and juice together. Let’s observe how it goes over the next few days.”
Luo Qingqing handed him the bowl and spoon together.
“I want to eat it back in the room. There’s wind at night, it’s a bit cold.”
If Gu Qiran were here, he would probably be shocked out of his mind. His elder brother hated eating inside the house the most.
It was already late September. The days were still tolerable, but nights really did carry a chill. Thinking that his health was not good, she nodded in agreement. Anyway, they were not sleeping on the same bed, so what was there to be afraid of?
With Gu Jing’an’s looks, she would not be the one at a disadvantage.
Tsk tsk, what was she even thinking?
Luo Qingqing’s bedding had already been neatly laid out on the bed.
Next to the bed was the couch where Gu Jing’an slept. It was a little small, barely acceptable for Luo Qingqing, but for Gu Jing’an it would be cramped, his legs probably could not even stretch out properly.
“Gu Jing’an, you should sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No.” He refused firmly. “The couch is too hard. You won’t be comfortable.”
“You’d be so cramped your legs won’t stretch. You’ll end up not growing taller. I’ll be just fine here.”
She had already thought it through. The hotpot business was doing well, and with the silver she had on hand, she could buy a house in town within half a month. She would not have to sleep on a couch for long.
Because of her arrival, Gu Jing’an likely would not receive help from the original female lead’s family. She could not offer him much support in terms of power or politics, so she would earn more money to make up for it. Once they moved to town, she would expand into several other businesses.
“Qingqing, do you think I’m short?” Gu Jing’an asked softly, sounding a little aggrieved.
Luo Qingqing could not stand that kind of pitiful, big-dog look. She immediately softened her tone.
“Of course not. You’re tall and straight like bamboo, elegant and upright. The couch is just too hard, I’ll add another quilt. If your legs can’t stretch out, that would be so uncomfortable.”
So she really did have him in her heart. It was just that the little girl was too shy to admit it.
Then he would take the initiative. After all, as husband and wife, it made no difference who acted first.
Gu Jing’an smiled brightly. “Then I’ll eat faster and help you set it up.”
Seeing that he no longer objected, Luo Qingqing quickly finished arranging things. It was such a small task, there was no need for two people.
She worked too fast, and the orange was still too hot. Gu Jing’an stood up in a hurry and said, “Qingqing, it’s too hot. I’ll let it cool before eating.” As he spoke, he reached out as if to help set up the bedding.
Luo Qingqing warned him, “I’m a light sleeper. If your cough doesn’t get better soon, I won’t sleep in the same room with you.”
“……”
The next morning, Luo Qingqing stretched lazily. She had been worried she would not be able to sleep, but the moment she hit the pillow, she slept like a log.
She did not even hear Gu Jing’an coughing last night, so it seemed the orange had worked. She would steam it for him again tonight.
“Sister-in-law, good morning.”
“Good morning, Qiran, Xuanning.”
Breakfast was made by Gu Jing’an, the bowls and chopsticks were brought by Qiran, and the porridge was served by Xuanning. This kind of feeling of home was something Luo Qingqing had never experienced in her real life.
Her parents divorced when she was three or four years old. Later, they each formed new families. The only thing those two new families had in common was that neither of them had her.
She was sent to live with her uncle’s family. Her birthday fell on New Year’s Eve, a day when everyone else was supposed to reunite and celebrate.
But for her, it only reminded her that she was an unwanted child, someone her parents did not love.
Her eyes stung with heat. Luo Qingqing blinked quickly, trying not to let the tears fall, but they still did.
Just like her birth, nothing about it had been her choice.
“Qingqing, what’s wrong?” A hand with slight calluses gently wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye, his voice filled with urgency.
The tear fell onto his fingertip, feeling strangely burning, and that heat seemed to spread straight into his heart.
“Nothing, I just had a nightmare. I just remembered it, and it scared me a little.” Luo Qingqing spoke in a muffled voice.
Gu Jing’an lightly brushed the tip of her nose with his finger, his eyes full of tenderness.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
“Sister-in-law, I’m here too. I’ll stay with you.”
“I am too, I am too. Sister-in-law, I’ll protect you.”
“Alright.”
Yes, they were all here. This time, she was the lucky one.