“She’s clearly young, and you’re old enough to be her uncle. How can you say such things without shame?”
“Hey, what’s wrong with a man being older? Older men know how to cherish their partners better. Besides, I’m only 26, not 62. Forget it, what would a thousand-year-old iron tree like you know!”
When Jiang Hongqi said this, he completely overlooked that he was only a year younger than Gu Ciyuan.
If Gu Ciyuan was a thousand-year-old iron tree, what did that make him?
In truth, Gu Ciyuan’s words were indeed meant for Su Wantang.
But it wasn’t because Su Wantang had a problematic background—after all, he hadn’t recognized her as the young mistress he once held in his arms as a child, nor the pitiful woman he pinned beneath him just a month ago.
That night, he was tormented by the drug, disoriented and unaware of how potent the dose the Su father and daughter had given him was. Even with his iron will, he completely lost his rationality and couldn’t distinguish who was in front of him.
So, he had always believed that the woman he slept with was Su Ye, that scheming woman.
It was that night’s experience that made him headache at the sight of women.
The reason he said those words earlier was that he could tell the daughter of Yu Ba was no innocent.
The female comrade had gotten entangled with those hooligans while trying to save her. If he and Jiang hadn’t noticed her panicked expression while running and proactively asked, she might not have even thought to seek help for that comrade, with unthinkable consequences.
Gu Ciyuan never imagined that Su Wantang also had a problematic background and perfectly misinterpreted his words, leading to inevitable misunderstandings in their subsequent interactions.
Waves crashed against the shore, one after another.
Here, Su Wantang also made a new friend, Zhou Xinyue.
Perhaps due to shared experiences, they developed a special bond.
In this world, female comrades always faced more hardships than their male counterparts.
When she saved Zhou Xinyue, Su Wantang thought that lending a hand in others’ time of need was also a hope that, if she ever faced misfortune and difficulties, kind-hearted people would extend their aid to her.
Moreover, during the earlier chase, her letter of introduction had fallen to the ground, soaked and torn by water.
Zhou Xinyue said she had a way to help her board the train.
Su Wantang had relied on connections to get her train ticket when she arrived, but without those ties now and being in an unfamiliar place, it was quite challenging.
Covered in mud, she found it hard to refuse Zhou Xinyue’s invitation and mustered the courage to follow her home.
Zhou Xinyue’s family house had long been divided by others, and she and her ailing mother were only allotted a dilapidated room in the backyard, barely habitable.
The entire village relied on fishing for a living, and the yard was hung with various seafood drying in the sun. Su Wantang’s Space had already accumulated quite a bit, so she wasn’t particularly drawn to these.
Waiting anxiously until dark, Zhou Xinyue brought a man inside, startling Su Wantang.
“Wantang, this is my brother. He’ll see you onto the train later, alright?”
Zhou Xinyue’s brother had the appearance of an honest man.
But it’s better to be safe than sorry, and when it came to her safety, Su Wantang remained cautious.
“Xinyue, just give me the ticket. I can go by myself and won’t trouble this comrade.”
Zhou Xinyue wore an apologetic expression. “Wantang, I’m sorry, but I really can’t get a train ticket either.”
It turned out her so-called solution was to have her own brother help Su Wantang sneak onto the train!
…
Under the cold moon and sparse stars, the desolate surroundings echoed with the chirping of insects and croaking of frogs, sending chills down one’s spine.
Su Wantang had lost count of how many mosquito bites she’d received, feeling an unbearable itch covering her entire body beneath her clothes.
Not far from them stood two other individuals, likely also taking desperate measures due to unavailable tickets.
Su Wantang had initially been reluctant, doubting her ability to climb onto the moving train.
But after Brother Zhou’s repeated assurances, and with no other options, she’d finally been persuaded.
Though regret was already creeping in, seeing Brother Zhou’s genuine desire to help made any words of refusal stick in her throat.
Forget it, I’ll just risk it, she told herself inwardly.
If they were still in Nan Province, she might have been able to pull some strings, but here in this unfamiliar place, she didn’t dare spend money recklessly even if she had it.
As her thoughts swirled chaotically, the distant sound of a train whistle cut through the night.
Brother Zhou quickly pulled her back two steps, instructing her on how to seize the moment to climb aboard, while also making friendly overtures to the other two comrades, hoping they’d lend Su Wantang a hand when the time came.
When the train reached their spot, its speed had slowed to a crawl.
Su Wantang still didn’t believe she could make it.
But she had underestimated both her own capabilities and Brother Zhou’s determination to get her on that train.
With Brother Zhou boosting her up and the other two pulling and dragging, Su Wantang ended up half-sitting in the train carriage, feeling as if she’d nearly lost her life in the process.
She swore she would never do anything like this again in her lifetime!
It was truly terrifying.
Fortunately, the danger had passed. Once she reached the capital and found Gu Ciyuan, everything would be fine.
She comforted herself with this thought.
The journey from here to the capital would take about a day and a night, during which Su Wantang experienced what true discomfort meant.
Having sneaked aboard, she not only had no seat but also had to evade the ticket inspectors.
When she could no longer endure it, she slipped into her Space during a bathroom break, finally allowing herself to catch her breath.
The Spirit Spring Water in the Space had remarkable effects—each sip left her feeling refreshed and clear-headed, making her already fair skin even more radiant, as enticing as a freshly peeled egg.
Throughout the train ride, she longed to arrive quickly, but when her feet finally touched the ground in the capital, she was filled with apprehension and unease.
Yet, what must be faced could not be avoided forever.
At the military family compound, Su Wantang mustered her courage and approached. “Hello, comrade soldier, I’m looking for Gu Ciyuan. Could you please help me call him out?”
That book mainly focused on Su Ye’s romantic escapades in Hong Kong, interspersed with some career development. She and Gu Ciyuan only appeared in the opening plot and occasionally in Su Ye’s memories.
So, Su Wantang actually knew very little about Gu Ciyuan.
The limited information she had came from when Su’s Father had praised him, mentioning only that he was now very successful and came from a good family background.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have considered scheming against him.
“Looking for Deputy Regiment Commander Gu? What’s your relationship to him?”
“I’m… a relative from his mother’s side.”
It turned out that Gu Ciyuan, despite his young age, had already attained the position of deputy regiment commander—no wonder Su Ye was so determined to latch onto him.
But Su Wantang didn’t dare say outright that she had come to become his wife.
What if Gu Ciyuan didn’t accept her, or worse, flew into a rage and exposed her on the spot? She would become a laughingstock.
Claiming to be his relative first would leave some room for maneuver, both for her and for him.
Even if he didn’t want her, she hoped that when Gu Ciyuan returned, he might remember their childhood bond and spare her too much humiliation.
The person who had initially been quite stern became noticeably more approachable upon hearing she was Gu Ciyuan’s relative.
“Deputy Regiment Commander Gu hasn’t been back for some time, but there are people at the Gu residence. Let me pass on a message for you.”
Gu Ciyuan wasn’t even home—and hadn’t been for quite a while.
Su Wantang, already uneasy, grew even more anxious.
She didn’t know anyone else in the Gu family, and with Gu Ciyuan absent, she had no idea what to do or whom to turn to.
Just as she was about to say it wasn’t necessary, she saw the person had already picked up the telephone.