Gu Beizheng followed the sound and looked over. “Xu Zhouzhou?”
Under the shocked gazes of the group, Xu Zhouzhou limped hurriedly into the main room, her eyes fixed dead on the wine glass in Gu Beizheng’s hand.
“Oh no!” As she reached Gu Beizheng’s side, she “accidentally” stumbled and lunged straight into his arms. The wine glass was sent flying in a clean arc.
“Xu Zhouzhou, what are you doing?!”
Seeing the wine that had reached Gu Beizheng’s lips get spilled, Zhao Ying stomped her foot in fury.
Gu Beizheng steadied Xu Zhouzhou, who had collapsed into his embrace, and looked at her with some confusion. “Why are you here?”
Seeing the wine glass on the floor, Xu Zhouzhou let out a soft sigh of relief. She pushed against Gu Beizheng’s chest to stand upright, looked up at him, and blinked. “I… I came to find you.”
“To find me? Is something wrong?”
“Um, well…” Under Gu Beizheng’s scrutiny, Xu Zhouzhou began to come up with a lie on the fly. “Xiaotao isn’t feeling well. She needs you to go check on her.”
Sorry, Xiaotao. Save your teacher, please, Xu Zhouzhou chanted silently in her heart.
“What’s wrong with Xiaotao?” A trace of nervousness flashed across Gu Beizheng’s face, but then a hint of suspicion arose. If Xiaotao wasn’t feeling well, wouldn’t it have been closer for her to go straight to his sister’s house? Why limp all the way here to find him?
“She… her stomach hurts.” Xu Zhouzhou nodded with feigned certainty after speaking.
Although he didn’t know what game she was playing, he wanted to get away anyway.
“Alright, I’ll go with you to check.”
Gu Beizheng supported Xu Zhouzhou by the arm and bid farewell to the Village Head.
“Apologies, I’ll be heading out first.”
“Hey, Comrade Gu, don’t leave yet! You haven’t eaten the meal or drunk the wine.” Zhao Ying blocked their path, shooting a vicious glare at Xu Zhouzhou. Damn girl, what “Xiaotao has a stomach ache”? The word “LIAR” is practically carved on her face. She’s clearly here just to ruin my plans.
“Comrade Zhao, what’s more important: eating dinner or checking on a child? And what kind of nectar of the gods is that wine of yours that he simply must drink it?” Xu Zhouzhou raised an eyebrow and looked askance at Zhao Ying.
Female Lead, oh Female Lead. Sorry about that, but with me here, he won’t be drinking a single drop of your aphrodisiac-laced wine.
“I…” Zhao Ying glared at Xu Zhouzhou, fuming.
“Thank you, Comrade Zhao, I appreciate the thought.” With that, Gu Beizheng supported Xu Zhouzhou and walked out.
“Hmph!” Watching their retreating figures leaning against each other, Zhao Ying stomped her foot hard.
“It’s just a glass of wine, isn’t it? What are you getting so angry for?” The Village Head glanced at his daughter, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks to eat. He grabbed the pot of wine his daughter had brought earlier, poured himself a cup, and slurped it down with relish.
Such a good table of food, what a waste.
“All you know how to do is eat! That little vixen really knows how to seduce people. Even a hard man like Gu Beizheng fell for her tricks.” Wang Guihua cursed resentfully.
She had finally convinced her daughter: as long as the man drank that wine, they’d send him into the room, take off his clothes, and she didn’t believe any man could hold back. Once the raw rice was cooked, her daughter would be an officer’s wife. Who would have thought that damn girl would ruin everything?
“Hey, you two watch your mouths from now on. Comrade Gu just gave me a warning. Be more polite to that Educated Youth Xu in the future; don’t just say whatever comes to mind.”
The Village Head frowned and glared at his daughter and wife.
Zhao Ying looked back at her father, shocked. Could it be that Gu Beizheng really has his eye on that little vixen? Hmph, so what if he does? A woman with a problematic class background—how could she possibly marry an officer? Simply delusional.
She looked back at her father again. “Oh my god! Dad, why did you drink that wine?”
Wang Guihua looked at her husband’s face, which was gradually turning a dark shade of red, and was instantly dumbfounded. “Old man, are… are you okay?”
The Village Head tugged at his collar. “This wine has a kick to it. Drinking it has made me a bit hot.”
Zhao Ying gave a dry laugh directed at her mother. “Mom, I’m heading out. I won’t be back to sleep tonight.”
With that said, she took off running.
On the way back to the Educated Youth Center, Gu Beizheng walked ahead. With his long legs and wide stride, his pace was somewhat hurried. Xu Zhouzhou followed behind, limping.
She had rushed too fast earlier, aggravating the injury on her ankle, and now it hurt so much she was breaking into a sweat.
Gu Beizheng walked a few steps, and hearing no sound behind him, he turned back to look.
Xu Zhouzhou was standing there, her face drawn in misery, looking at him with a resentful expression.
He paused, walked back a couple of steps, and extended his arm. “Hold onto me.”
Xu Zhouzhou glanced at the passersby around them, hesitating slightly.
“Didn’t you tell people I was your partner? Are you afraid now?” Gu Beizheng looked at her, his eyebrow raising slightly.
Xu Zhouzhou slapped her hand onto his wrist with a smack. “Let’s go then.”
A barely imperceptible smile appeared on Gu Beizheng’s face as he turned and led her back.
……
“Xiaotao, where does it hurt?” Gu Beizheng asked with concern, holding Xiaotao by the shoulders.
Xiaotao: “…Huh?”
She turned her head to glance at Teacher Xu, whose face was full of guilt. She slowly extended a finger and pointed to her own head, but then saw Teacher Xu biting her lip and shaking her head gently, pointing to her stomach instead.
Oh~. Xiaotao understood immediately. She clutched her stomach: “Uncle, my stomach hurts.”
How could their little charade escape Gu Beizheng’s eyes? He smiled silently. “Is that so? Then let me take you to the doctor. We can get you an injection while we’re there, okay?”
“In the butt?”
“That’s right.” Gu Beizheng nodded and gestured to her. “Just a needle this long, with a syringe this thick, right in your butt.”
Xiaotao hurriedly waved her hands. “No need, no need, I don’t think it hurts that much anymore.” As she spoke, she cast a pleading look at Xu Zhouzhou for help.
Listening to Gu Beizheng’s description from the side, Xu Zhouzhou felt her own glutes clench in sympathy. She hurriedly went over and hugged Xiaotao. “The child isn’t in pain anymore, so there’s no need for an injection. Besides, getting shots at the drop of a hat isn’t good for you, right?”
Gu Beizheng stood up, narrowing his long, slender eyes at the two sheepishly smiling figures. He scoffed and scraped his finger down Xiaotao’s nose. “Little rascal, lying doesn’t make you a good child. Careful your nose doesn’t grow longer.”
After saying this, he lifted his gaze and shot a glance at Xu Zhouzhou.
Xu Zhouzhou quickly avoided his gaze, looking at the sky, the ground, the air—anywhere but him—while unconsciously reaching up to touch her own nose.
Seeing these little mannerisms, Gu Beizheng chuckled inwardly.
“Is your homework done? If it is, we’re going home.”
“There are still a few problems I don’t know how to do.”
“Let me have a look.” Xu Zhouzhou quickly took Xiaotao back to the desk, looked at the questions, and began explaining them earnestly.
Gu Beizheng leaned against a nearby cabinet, arms crossed, lifting his eyes to watch Xu Zhouzhou as she earnestly explained the problems to Xiaotao. Her eyelashes drooped slightly. The red marks left from the fight hadn’t faded yet; on her fair face, the red injuries didn’t look pathetic, but rather possessed the poignant beauty of a battle-worn survivor.
His heart felt as if it had suddenly been poked by something. Gu Beizheng’s brow twitched, and he withdrew his gaze unnaturally.
It was obvious she had tricked him into coming here on purpose earlier. Why didn’t she want him to stay at the Village Head’s house?
What were her intentions?
This woman was as vibrant as a rose. She should have bloomed in a greenhouse but had drifted to this barren land. However, flowers in a barren land were either thorny or poisonous.
Seeing the way she bared her fangs and brandished her claws during the fight today, he knew she definitely had thorns.
But was she poisonous?