This wasn’t a favorable description, especially for Su Wantang who already had questionable social standing.
But she understood that Gu Ciyuan meant well.
“Mhm, I know,” she whispered softly.
Gu Ciyuan always wanted her to eat more, as if that was what’s best for her, ultimately resulting in overeating.
She began feeling grateful she hadn’t revealed she was the one from that night.
Their lifestyles were completely different, and Gu Ciyuan was such a decisive person – he would never compromise to accommodate her, instead wanting to change her way of living.
It wasn’t that Su Wantang couldn’t change, but habits formed over years weren’t easy to break, inevitably requiring painful struggle.
If only she weren’t a woman.
If she were a man, she could live alone somewhere without all these complicated worries.
How annoying.
Gu Ciyuan watched her deeply troubled expression with confusion. “Does it not taste good?”
He thought it was quite delicious – the pork and scallion flavor. Though not as refined as the Su family’s meals, it was generous in portion and quite tasty.
How could Su Wantang dare say it wasn’t good? She only claimed her stomach was sensitive and she had eaten too much.
Gu Ciyuan even laughed at her.
Before he could even put the lunchbox in the sink, Su Wantang vomited.
Gu Ciyuan hurried to the door to pat her back.
“You didn’t even eat that much. How did it come to vomiting?”
His words only made her feel nauseous again.
Especially after vomiting, the scallion smell emanating from her stomach became even stronger.
“How did Old Su raise you? You’re even more delicate than when you were little.”
With one hand still injured, Gu Ciyuan could only support her with his other arm. Su Wantang instinctively struggled.
“Don’t move. My hand is injured, I can only hold you like this. Let’s go out first, I’ll find someone to take you to the hospital.”
Su Wantang didn’t dare go, quickly saying, “I’m fine. The scallion flavor was just too strong and made me nauseous. I’ll be fine after sleeping, no need for the hospital.”
Seeing she seemed alright, Gu Ciyuan nodded. “Okay, tell me if you feel unwell. Don’t endure it silently.”
He was quite considerate, worried the bed might be too hard for Su Wantang. He brought another quilt from another room to lay beneath the mat, then brought a fan into the room.
Perhaps weakened from vomiting, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
But her dreams were restless.
She dreamed Gu Ciyuan discovered she was the pregnant one, forcibly dragged her to the hospital for an abortion, where she died from massive bleeding.
Su Wantang jolted awake in terror, drenched in cold sweat with all her hairs standing on end.
The afterglow of sunset still lingered at the horizon.
Su Wantang hadn’t expected to sleep so long – the entire afternoon had quietly slipped away.
Gu Ciyuan’s aunt and uncle were quite nice people, much more comfortable to be around than Li Cuiping anyway.
Knowing Su Wantang was the sister Gu Ciyuan had been concerned about for years, Zhang Fang specially prepared several dishes to welcome her, which eased much of the anxiety in Su Wantang’s heart.
No wonder Gu Ciyuan preferred staying here. Who wouldn’t want to be around people they felt comfortable with?
At dinner, Gu Ciyuan mentioned wanting to take Su Wantang to move out, but Zhang Fang urged them to stay.
Their own children had all started working, leaving just the couple living there normally. Having two more people would make the home livelier.
People of their age don’t actually prefer peace and quiet—they thrive on liveliness and bustle, which makes a place feel inhabited.
Gu Ciyuan didn’t say whether he agreed or not, thinking he’d ask Su Wantang’s opinion afterward. The young woman lived a refined life, and it would surely take time for her to adjust. He wondered if she could get used to living with others.
The fish had been caught by Uncle that afternoon.
Gu Ciyuan served Su Wantang a bowl of fish soup, praising Zhang Fang’s cooking skills as he did so. “Aunt’s culinary skills are the true legacy of Maternal Grandmother. Try it—do you remember this taste?”
When Su Wantang was little, she loved fish soup because Gu Ciyuan enjoyed fishing. But she never liked eating fish because she’d once gotten a bone stuck in her throat.
Su Wantang lifted the bowl and took a sip.
The fishy smell wasn’t strong, yet it still made her nauseous.
She quickly stood up and rushed outside, something no one had expected.
Gu Ciyuan patted her back while scolding himself for not insisting on taking her to the hospital earlier. “Feeling better? You must go to the hospital. Vomiting like this isn’t normal.”
“I’m really fine, just a bit of stomach discomfort,” Su Wantang insisted.
Gu Ciyuan was furious. “How can you say you’re fine when you’re vomiting like this? Even pregnant women don’t vomit as much as you do.”
He vaguely remembered someone saying that when their wife was pregnant, she vomited relentlessly, nearly driving him crazy.
“I’m really okay, no need to go to the hospital,” Su Wantang said, pushing his hand away. Not daring to stay any longer, she added, “Aunt, Uncle, my stomach isn’t feeling well. I’m going to lie down for a bit. Please continue your meal—don’t mind me.”
She fled back to her room like an escape. Zhang Fang watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
Gu Ciyuan, still worried, followed her but found that Su Wantang had already lain down. Since she was a grown woman now, he felt it inappropriate to enter her room, so he could only offer a few more words of advice before leaving.
When he returned, he saw Zhang Fang looking at him with a serious expression. “Ciyuan, take Wantang to the hospital tomorrow for a blood test. We can’t just let her refuse—health is important. She’s young and doesn’t understand, so we can’t indulge her whims.”
While he was concerned about Su Wantang’s health, Zhang Fang’s tone seemed excessively grave, as if she were overly worried.
“Alright,” Gu Ciyuan agreed.
That night, Zhao Jun asked his wife, “You told Ciyuan to take that girl to the hospital for a check-up—it’s not just because she vomited, is it?”
Zhang Fang sighed and, speaking frankly in front of her husband, said, “Not all vomiting is the same. Don’t you find her condition familiar?”
Zhang Fang had been pregnant herself. Though her morning sickness wasn’t severe, she had experienced various symptoms.
Zhao Jun frowned. “Surely not? Are you overthinking it?”
She’s an unmarried young woman—how could it be possible…?
“We’ll know for sure after the test tomorrow. It’d be best if it’s not,” Zhang Fang said worriedly. “I can see how much Ciyuan cares for her. If it turns out as I suspect, it could lead to serious trouble.”
Gu Ciyuan’s temper wasn’t exactly mild, and she feared he might act impulsively and ruin his future. No one understood better than they did how much hardship and suffering he had endured to reach his current position.
Early the next morning, Zhang Fang brought Su Wantang a bowl of egg tea.
Perhaps the water used to prepare the eggs wasn’t hot enough, leaving them half-cooked. The moment it reached her lips, Su Wantang gagged violently.
Zhang Fang’s expression immediately changed.
In private, Gu Ciyuan grew irritable upon hearing Zhang Fang’s words. “Aunt, please stop. Wantang couldn’t possibly be as you described—she just has a sensitive stomach.”
“I’m not saying it’s definite, only that it’s a possibility.” Zhang Fang knew Gu Ciyuan’s temperament would resist believing her, but she had deliberately prepared that bowl of egg tea in such a manner to test her suspicion. “Even if it isn’t the case, wouldn’t taking her for a check-up give you greater peace of mind? Ciyuan, I know you cherish her, but some things are better discovered early than late. A lovely girl like her traveling alone all the way from Nan Province was never easy. If she encountered ill-intentioned people during her journey, shouldn’t we address it promptly?”
Gu Ciyuan recalled both occasions when he’d seen Su Wantang—each time she was being harassed by someone with ulterior motives.