Gu Ciyuan had no way to refute this.
He could only guarantee, “No matter what connections she has, I can assure the nation that Su Wantang would never commit any act of treason or collusion with the enemy. I will also oversee this personally.”
“Hmph, your glib tongue makes it sound more convincing than a song. I think you’ve been bewitched by lust.”
“While Su Wantang’s paternal family background is indeed problematic, on her mother’s side, all three of her uncles were soldiers who defended the nation. None of them returned alive from the battlefield. Her mother passed away early, leaving only her as the sole descendant.”
Commissar Wang had only investigated the Su Family and wasn’t very familiar with her maternal relatives. After all, Su Wantang’s mother had died young, and there were few remaining relatives on that side worth investigating.
“Is this true?” Commissar Wang asked.
“I wouldn’t joke about something like this,” Gu Ciyuan straightened up and said solemnly. “I’m not saying this to ask for special treatment from the organization. Her problematic background is a fact, but it’s also true that her three uncles sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. This can withstand investigation. I will apply for transfer to civilian work. Even if I can’t serve the country in the military, I’ll strive to make my contribution elsewhere.”
Seeing the conversation grow increasingly heavy, Commissar Wang glared at him irritably.
He picked up the application from his desk, almost throwing it in his face in anger.
“Your marriage application has been approved.”
The sudden news left Gu Ciyuan incredulous. “Approved? Really?”
He quickly examined the document, which bore the signatures and seals of military leadership. One of them was actually…
How was this possible?
“That little wife of yours has remarkable luck. I heard she was captured by human traffickers recently and managed to rescue an infant just one month old. That child happened to be the grandson of this senior officer. You participated in the recent stolen artifacts case, so you know how serious it was. The traffickers stole the child under orders, aiming for revenge.”
Even Commissar Wang had to marvel at Su Wantang’s fortune. Without this incident, Gu Ciyuan marrying her would have completely destroyed his career prospects. Even if transferred to other work, he would have had no promotion opportunities and might have faced further troubles.
But with this debt of gratitude, and with the senior officer guaranteeing her, the matter could be handled with flexibility.
Still, Commissar Wang had to be blunt. “The organization has approved your marriage, but I still advise you to think carefully. Despite your eloquent arguments, Su Wantang’s background remains problematic. If you proceed with this marriage, you’ll lose this promotion opportunity, and your future will definitely be affected.”
Gu Ciyuan was promising talent, and with his recent achievements, he was poised to remove that “deputy” from his title.
The thought of his career stagnating here was truly regrettable.
In Commissar Wang’s view, there were plenty of other women to marry. Ruining one’s prospects for marriage was complete foolishness.
Gu Ciyuan, however, breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Political Commissar. I’m already satisfied that the organization is allowing me to remain in the military.”
He had prepared for the worst outcome, never expecting to be able to stay.
After all this discussion, Commissar Wang could only feel resigned. He stood up and patted Gu Ciyuan’s shoulder, leaving behind nothing but a bitter smile.
Gu Ciyuan was being promoted, soon reaching the same rank as him.
A regimental commander at twenty-seven—how rare!
What a pity, truly a pity.
Even heroes struggle to resist the charms of a beauty!
Gu Ciyuan’s mood shifted from overcast to clear, as if a heavy stone weighing on his heart had suddenly vanished.
When he returned home, Su Wantang was sitting at the table with pen and paper, listing something. Various items were written on it.
Noticing his return, Su Wantang set down her pen. “I was thinking that since we’ll be living together, we can’t keep buying meals every day. We should get some things to cook for ourselves. What do you think?”
Gu Ciyuan glanced at the list and found himself looking at Su Wantang in a new light.
He had assumed she was a pampered young lady who knew nothing about managing a household, but the items she had listed were quite comprehensive.
Little did he know that before he returned, Su Wantang had specifically gone to consult the older sister next door.
“It’s quite thorough, but let’s hold off for now. We can manage for a couple more days. Once the house on the military base is ready and we move in, we can get everything then.”
For the time being, they would just buy a fan. The weather was indeed sweltering, and Su Wantang was pregnant—she couldn’t rough it like he could.
“The house on the military base?” Su Wantang’s eyes lit up at Gu Ciyuan’s words. “Has the organization approved our marriage?”
“Yes.”
Only then did Gu Ciyuan ask Su Wantang about her rescue of that child. The specific details were known only to her, and she had to fabricate a story to perfectly conceal the Space.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Gu Ciyuan. On the contrary, their interactions over the past few days had made her feel he was a good person.
But it never hurt to be cautious.
The next ten years would be unstable, and the Space was her only trump card.
After all, human hearts are fickle.
Even her own father could turn on her in an instant, let alone another man!
Perhaps because major matters had gone their way, minor things didn’t quite cooperate.
Right after they obtained their marriage certificate and Gu Ciyuan had just brought the fan home, the weather took a turn.
Dark clouds gathered rapidly, shrouding the entire sky in gloom. Large raindrops began to patter down noisily.
Each autumn rain brings a chill.
The fan they bought went unused even once as the weather cooled down.
That night, Su Wantang tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
She had actually gotten married.
They had even obtained the marriage certificate.
Gu Ciyuan’s considerations made sense—her pregnancy couldn’t wait. The sooner they registered, the lower the risks.
But transitioning from being unmarried to married felt both novel and unsettling.
“Brother Ciyuan, are you asleep?”
Gu Ciyuan’s closed eyes snapped open immediately. “What’s wrong?”
Su Wantang opened the door and looked at the tall man lying on two benches, which made him appear somewhat pitiful.
“Why don’t you come in and sleep?”
They had already obtained the marriage certificate; they were legally married now. Sooner or later, they would have to sleep together.
Su Wantang was trying her best to convince herself to get used to it.
In that moment, Gu Ciyuan’s eyes darkened imperceptibly.
When he turned to look at Su Wantang, his gaze held a trace of possessiveness.
He was no saint.
It was true that he had once seen her as a younger sister, but now she was his wife, carrying his child. Faced with such a beauty, it was impossible for him not to have any thoughts.
Moreover, she had invited him herself.
He could endure hardship, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.
Compared to the hard and narrow stool, the spacious and soft bed was naturally more comfortable.
But he was afraid of scaring her.
After waiting a while and seeing that although she was shy, she hadn’t changed her mind, he finally sprang up energetically.
Su Wantang had already settled on the inner side of the bed. Gu Ciyuan swiftly stripped off his clothes, leaving only his underpants.
This was something Su Wantang hadn’t anticipated.
She let out a gasp, pulling the sheet over her head. “What are you doing? I… I’m pregnant.”
“Didn’t you ask me to come sleep here?” Gu Ciyuan lay down beside her, the unique fragrance of a young woman washing over him, making his whole body tense.
He reached out and pulled away the sheet covering her face. The tension of recent days suddenly melted away, and a sudden urge to tease her arose. “What did you think I was going to do? Or perhaps… you wanted…”
“N-no, I didn’t want anything!”
She had invited him to sleep on the bed, not to sleep naked!
Su Wantang quickly turned her back to him, her flushed earlobes making Gu Ciyuan’s heart itch with desire.
Having this pretty little wife delivered right to his doorstep—it seemed he wasn’t getting a bad deal after all.
“Sleep now, I won’t tease you anymore.”
Hearing these words, Su Wantang finally relaxed.
But before she could fully catch her breath, he pulled her into his embrace, startling her and making her heart race.
“Don’t be afraid, Tangtang. Let your brother hold you. I won’t do anything else.”
This moment felt like returning to childhood, inexplicably bringing a sense of peace and security.
Yet Gu Ciyuan didn’t dare reveal his true thoughts.
No wonder those guys in the army complained about their shrewish wives while simultaneously being disciplined by them like dogs.
So this was how comfortable it felt to hold your wife while sleeping.
…
When the knocking sound came, Su Wantang quickly covered the preserved plums.
Since that episode of vomiting, the nausea had lingered intermittently. The preserved plums Gu Ciyuan bought happened to suit her taste perfectly, helping to suppress the queasiness.
She got up to open the door, but upon seeing who stood outside, she was so frightened she immediately tried to shut it.
However, the person raised a hand, blocking her attempt!