“Aunt, I’ve troubled you and uncle enough over these years, and I’m very grateful for your care. Now that I’ve grown up, I have my own life and path to follow. It’s not right to keep bothering you all the time. I plan to move out, which will also be a kind of training for my own life.”
After all, these were relatives who had taken care of him for so many years. Despite the anger in his heart, Gu Ciyuan couldn’t bring himself to speak too harshly.
Yet to Zhang Fang’s ears, his words still felt deeply uncomfortable.
No matter how much she tried to persuade him, Gu Ciyuan’s decision, once made, wouldn’t be easily changed.
Having no other choice, and fearing that the affection built over so many years might truly fade, Zhang Fang quickly packed two extra quilts for him with a pained heart.
That girl was delicate—even in the hot weather, she needed a quilt laid beneath the mat.
Zhang Fang wasn’t a cold-hearted person; she simply couldn’t bear to watch the child she cherished give up everything for a girl he didn’t even love.
If only Su Wantang’s background weren’t so sensitive, she would have been overjoyed to accept her and the child in her womb, even feeling relieved that Gu Ciyuan could finally marry and have children.
After all, he was no longer young, and his stubborn personality had caused both family and military superiors to arrange numerous matchmaking attempts—all of which ended in failure.
He had even declared outright that he would devote himself to the nation and never marry, which had worried Zhang Fang for a long time.
Though he held some resentment toward Zhang Fang, Gu Ciyuan still accepted her kindness.
Years of affection couldn’t be severed in a day—whether it was familial love or emotional bonds, they weren’t so easily broken.
As evening fell, the sound of cooking echoed through the corridors of the Tongzilou.
Gu Ciyuan went out to buy dinner, and after eating, he leaned against the doorway.
The cigarette between his fingers had burned down halfway, yet the worry on his brow hadn’t dissipated with the drifting smoke.
Su Wantang finished making the bed and looked up at the figure in the doorway, feeling somewhat fearful inside.
Although there were two rooms, there was only one bed—meaning they might have to sleep together tonight.
Having decided to marry him, certain things were inevitable, and Su Wantang wasn’t being overly delicate.
It was just that recalling the storm of that night, she truly found it hard to endure.
She comforted herself inwardly: that time, Gu Ciyuan had been under the influence of drugs; now that he was calm and rational, even if such things happened, it probably wouldn’t be so wild.
Seeing Su Wantang approach, Gu Ciyuan quickly stubbed out his cigarette.
Straightening up, his usual careless demeanor vanished.
“What’s wrong?” Days of exhaustion had left his voice slightly hoarse.
“The bed… is made.”
Su Wantang’s pale, delicate hands twisted the hem of her clothes, her small face flushed like a ripe apple, utterly captivating.
Of course, Gu Ciyuan was not among those captivated.
A flicker of understanding crossed his eyes. “Oh, you want to wash up, right? The water pipe is in the hallway. Shall I fetch water for you into the room?”
Girls were shy—everyone had just finished eating and was standing in the hallway chatting; she might feel too embarrassed to come out.
“No.” Su Wantang quickly shook her head, then, thinking of something, nodded. “Alright, then. Thank you.”
She turned and went back into the room, abandoning the idea of building affection first.
She would take one step at a time.
Su Wantang found herself overwhelmed by the neighbors’ enthusiasm, especially when they inquired about her relationship with Gu Ciyuan. Unsure how to respond, she remained silent, allowing them to mistakenly assume they were already married.
After washing up, she sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Gu Ciyuan went next door to borrow two stools, arranging them neatly in the living room.
With the front door left open, he lay down on them.
While she felt relieved, a sense of disappointment crept in, making her question her charm once again.
What did he mean by this?
Even if they were to marry, did he still see her as a little sister?
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she managed to sleep relatively peacefully through the night.
As soon as she awoke, she heard someone talking to Gu Ciyuan.
“Oh, Little Gu, why are you sleeping on stools? Did you have a fight with your wife?”
“Let me tell you, your wife is too spoiled. You’re injured and a soldier who defends the nation. Even if you upset her somehow, she shouldn’t make you sleep on stools—this is no place for a person to sleep!”
Gu Ciyuan replied, “You’ve misunderstood, auntie. I found the room too stuffy, so I slept in the living room. Leaving the door open lets in a breeze, making it more comfortable.”
“That’s true. The weather has been getting muggier lately—it’ll probably rain soon.”
After the conversation ended, Su Wantang opened the door and stepped out.
Due to the heat, faint beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
Gu Ciyuan noticed immediately. “I need to go back to the base later. Remember to lock the door when you’re home alone, and don’t open it for anyone except me. I’ll take you to buy a fan when I return this afternoon.”
He was mainly worried that Gu Changsheng might still have ill intentions and that Su Wantang could be taken away again.
Adjusting to a new place always took time, and this one was certainly less convenient than the Gu or Zhao residences.
For instance, using the restroom required going downstairs and walking 100 meters to a public toilet at the corner.
Compared to her current predicament, these inconveniences were trivial, and Su Wantang didn’t mention them.
“Are you going to the base about the marriage report?”
Su Wantang had known it might not go smoothly, but she had been naive—she thought the obstacle would be Gu Ciyuan’s reluctance, not such a complicated issue.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m just going to check on the situation. It shouldn’t be a big problem.” Gu Ciyuan, too, was experiencing this kind of powerlessness for the first time.
Back when Gu Changsheng wanted to marry Li Cuiping, he had felt anger, not this current state of mind.
…
As soon as Gu Ciyuan arrived, Commissar Wang called him into the office.
His stern expression gave Gu Ciyuan a bad feeling.
“You’re here about the marriage report, aren’t you?”
Gu Ciyuan nodded. “This marriage was arranged by my late grandmother. Before she passed, she was most concerned about me and Wantang, and repeatedly urged me to take care of her. Given her current situation, which I believe you’re aware of, I, Gu Ciyuan, could never be ungrateful.”
Seeing his serious demeanor, Commissar Wang scoffed. “Enough! Who the hell are you trying to fool? Your grandmother worked as a maid in their household. When you sought refuge there, it was decent of the Su Family to take you in, but a maid arranging a marriage between you and the young mistress? Do you think I’m an idiot, or that the military is easy to deceive?”
Gu Ciyuan’s case was so unusual that the investigation into Su Wantang had been more thorough than usual.
This investigation revealed something shocking—not only was she from a capitalist background, but she also had an aunt who had long since fled overseas.
Involving overseas connections was even more troublesome than her class status.
Her father and sister had intended to go abroad themselves and had already been sent down to a farm for re-education.
Yet both sisters were ruthless in their own ways.
When Su Wantang left Nan Province, she had publicly severed ties with Su’s Father through a newspaper announcement. Su Ye was even more extreme—not only did she cut off relations, but she also testified that she had been coerced by Su’s Father into fleeing and reported him for hiding assets.
Although the hidden assets were stolen by someone—and to this day, no conclusion has been reached on the matter—Su’s Father was still burdened with these charges.