“What’s all this noise? I could hear our family arguing from far away—how embarrassing if the neighbors heard!”
Hearing this robust voice, Qiao Yu instinctively turned her head toward the door.
The man limping in from the doorway appeared to be in his forties, his back ramrod straight, the wrinkles on his face radiating sternness.
If Qiao Yu remembered correctly, this man should be Gu Shaoyuan’s father, Gu Jianhua.
Gu Jianhua had once been a soldier but was discharged due to a leg injury. Unable to serve the country any longer, he had always felt regretful.
So, when Gu Shaoyuan turned sixteen, he sent his son off to the military.
Gu Shaoyuan had persevered through mission after mission, earning merits to reach his current position, only to be assigned to guard a remote island.
It wasn’t until Gu Jianhua entered the room that he noticed the elegant and dignified young lady in the house.
“You must be Old Qiao’s youngest daughter, Qiao Yu, right?”
Qiao Yu was surprised. “Uncle Gu, you still recognize me?”
She had assumed Gu Jianhua would mistake her for Qiao Xiang, just like everyone else.
Gu Jianhua smiled and uttered that classic line, “I held you when you were little!”
Qiao Yu pursed her lips. The old officer’s eyes were sharp indeed—having seen her just once as a child, he could still recognize her now.
“Alright, let’s eat quickly,” Gu Shaoyuan’s mother said, seeing everyone was present. “Xiao Yu, I’m sorry—we don’t have much to offer.”
She knew Qiao Yu had lived a pampered life in Shanghai, accustomed to fine food, and wondered if she could adjust to their home-cooked meals.
Gu Ling was about to say that if Qiao Yu couldn’t get used to it, she should just go back to Shanghai, but with her father watching, she didn’t dare speak up again.
Qiao Yu wasn’t picky. Having someone cook for her was already quite nice.
“Auntie, don’t say that. Your cooking is delicious.”
Gu Shaoyuan glanced down and saw Qiao Yu’s cheeks puffed out as she ate, clearly genuinely enjoying his mother’s cooking and not just being polite.
He suddenly thought this pampered young lady was quite interesting.
Liu Cuicui, watching the well-matched pair sitting across from her, their arms almost touching, couldn’t help but feel jealous.
“Brother Shaoyuan, have some more vegetables.”
She picked up a chopstickful of greens, trying to place it in Gu Shaoyuan’s bowl.
Gu Shaoyuan frowned, swiftly pulling his bowl back, and said sternly, “No need.”
He was now an engaged man, with his fiancée sitting right beside him. How could he let another woman casually serve him food?
Liu Cuicui’s hand, still holding the vegetables, froze mid-air. She hadn’t expected Gu Shaoyuan to be so blunt—after all, they had known each other since childhood.
Seeing Liu Cuicui’s apparent embarrassment, Gu Ling quickly said, “Sister Cuicui, I love this dish!”
Liu Cuicui was grateful for Gu Ling’s save. In the past, she had desperately tried to win Gu Ling over to build a good relationship with her future sister-in-law.
Now, it seemed her efforts had paid off—Gu Ling was on her side.
Even someone as oblivious as Qiao Yu could tell that Liu Cuicui had feelings for Gu Shaoyuan.
Why was she still encountering such clichéd drama?
Qiao Yu turned her head to look at Gu Shaoyuan’s sharply defined profile. Well, at least he was a straight man with zero romantic awareness.
If he had been less principled, he probably would have ended up with Liu Cuicui long ago. What would that have left for her?
After dinner.
Mother Gu called out to Qiao Yu just as she was about to return to her room, “Xiao Yu, since you’re new here and not familiar with the place, why not let Shao Yuan take you out for a stroll? The sea breeze in the evening is quite refreshing!”
Qiao Yu looked up at Gu Shaoyuan, as if seeking his opinion.
She had been on the island for most of the day and was quite eager to look around.
Originally, Gu Shaoyuan was supposed to lead the training session tonight, but Deputy Regiment Commander Li Jun had taken over the task.
Yang Zhongcheng said, “Regiment Commander Gu, your wife has just arrived in this unfamiliar place. You should spend some time with her. Deputy Regiment Commander Li can oversee the training!”
So Gu Shaoyuan was free for the evening.
“Let’s go.”
Seeing Gu Shaoyuan stride out, Qiao Yu hurried to catch up.
The man’s height was no exaggeration—his legs seemed longer than life itself. Qiao Yu couldn’t help but call out to him.
“Wait for me.”
Only then did Gu Shaoyuan pause and turn to look at Qiao Yu.
Seeing her holding up her skirt as she jogged toward him in small steps, Gu Shaoyuan’s eyes darkened slightly.
He had never taken a walk with a girl before and didn’t know how fast to go, so he had been walking at his usual pace.
Gu Shaoyuan said, “I’ll pay more attention next time.”
Qiao Yu pouted. Fortunately, her legs weren’t short either, or she really wouldn’t have been able to keep up with him.
It had to be said, the island was much quieter at night, aside from the faint sounds of soldiers shouting drills in the distance.
Qiao Yu asked curiously, “Don’t you need to go to training?”
“Deputy Regiment Commander Li is overseeing it.”
Gu Shaoyuan held a flashlight and stood beside Qiao Yu, illuminating the path ahead.
“Our garrison troops conduct daily patrols and maintenance, as well as tactical and physical training, so… I won’t have much time to accompany you during the day.”
Qiao Yu said, “That’s fine, as long as you’re free in the evenings.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere inexplicably turned awkward and ambiguous.
She didn’t know if Gu Shaoyuan had misunderstood, but Qiao Yu, with her mischievous mind, certainly had.
Back when she used to scroll through videos, she would occasionally come across clips of muscular men. Every time she admired their physiques, she would think to herself that she must find a partner with abs in the future.
She imagined using her partner’s abs as a washboard to do her laundry.
Now, after her Book Transmigration, Qiao Yu had directly gained a military officer fiancé.
Tonight, Gu Shaoyuan was still wearing his dark gray casual military uniform, short-sleeved, revealing the well-defined muscles of his arms.
He looked strong and capable.
Gu Shaoyuan had no idea what was going through her mind and only reminded her.
“Watch your step.”
Qiao Yu was six years younger than him, just twenty this year.
In Gu Shaoyuan’s eyes, although Qiao Yu was an adult now, she still seemed like a young girl.
He felt he needed to take care of her more. “Leave the household chores for me to do when I get back.”
“Alright.”
Qiao Yu didn’t refuse either. In his eyes, she was a pampered capitalist’s daughter who couldn’t lift a finger, so it was only natural she wouldn’t know how to do chores.
The island was remote, but its terrain was vast, and the facilities were well-equipped.
As Qiao Yu followed Gu Shaoyuan along the way, she even saw a hospital, a school, and a marketplace on the island. However, since it was nighttime, the marketplace was completely empty.
She had thought life on the island would be tough and had prepared a large stockpile of food. But now, it didn’t seem so bad after all.
Seeing her looking around like a curious child, the corners of Gu Shaoyuan’s tightly pursed lips unconsciously lifted into a slight smile.
Ever since he brought her home in the morning, Gu Shaoyuan had been distracted during training, her graceful figure repeatedly appearing in his mind.
How strange.
Gu Shaoyuan looked at Qiao Yu’s delicate face, his steps halting as he suddenly asked very seriously:
“Comrade Qiao Yu, have you truly decided to marry me?”
“You still have a chance to change your mind now. If you can’t endure life on the island, I can have my subordinates escort you back.”
Qiao Yu didn’t understand why he was suddenly asking this. She had already come all this way—of course she was prepared to marry him.
“I’ve already made up my mind to marry you.”
The authorities would soon be investigating the Qiao family. With her identity as a capitalist’s daughter, she had nowhere to go. The worst outcome would be being sent down for re-education.
It was better to stay on the island and marry him.
Gu Shaoyuan was quite handsome and had a good figure—marrying him wouldn’t be a loss.
If they really couldn’t get along, they could always get divorced later.