Seeing Jiang Wan, she quickly waved her hand: “Xiao Wan, come over quickly.”
Jiang Wan walked over, her serene face carrying a smile as she called out: “Grandma.”
“Ah, good child.” Old Madam nodded, smiling as she said: “Xiao Wan, Grandma has called Chen Ru here today. She is a master of qipao; I have never seen anyone with better craftsmanship than her. Let her take your measurements and make a few qipao for you.”
Chen Ru was in her fifties, with a well-maintained figure and skin, her hair tied up at the back, appearing graceful and dignified, quite a beauty.
Upon hearing this, she stood up and spoke gently: “Young Madam, this figure was made for qipao. It will look absolutely stunning when worn. No wonder you called me so early, Old Madam.”
Old Madam knew there was an element of politeness in Chen Ru’s words, but it was also somewhat true. Jiang Wan’s gentle and serene demeanor was perfectly suited for wearing qipao.
Old Mrs. Gu treated Jiang Wan as her own granddaughter, and hearing her praised naturally made her happy.
The old lady smiled and urged: “Chen Ru, quickly take Xiao Wan’s measurements. This child is pregnant, so don’t let her get tired.”
Chen Ru: “Look at me, I was so caught up in talking that I forgot the main task.”
As she spoke, Chen Ru took a measuring tape from her handbag and began measuring Jiang Wan.
While measuring, she marveled inwardly: How did this young lady grow up? Her waist was slender enough to be held in one hand, yet the two mounds of flesh on her chest were so well-behaved and delicate, growing just right—not an ounce too much or too little, soft to the touch like startled little rabbits, soft and tender.
Young Master Gu truly has good fortune.
“Young Madam, your figure is truly excellent,” Chen Ru wrapped the measuring tape around Jiang Wan’s chest and praised sincerely.
Jiang Wan’s face flushed with warmth upon hearing this, but before the blush could fully spread—
A boy of about ten suddenly appeared beside them, frowning at Chen Ru and saying sternly: “Let go of my sister-in-law. Don’t touch her randomly.”
Chen Ru: “Young Master, you…”
Instantly, Chen Ru’s hands froze in mid-air. It was the first time in her career that she had encountered a request not to measure a client.
Young Master, I’m just a female tailor. There’s no need to be so guarded.
Old Mrs. Gu quickly said: “Yuchen, don’t make a fuss. She’s taking measurements to make clothes for your sister-in-law.”
Gu Yuchen stood still, his gaze fixed on Chen Ru, as if to say, “If you don’t leave, I’ll keep watching,” determined to stand guard for his elder brother, who had finally found a wife.
“Third Brother said you can’t touch girls casually, only your own wife. So only Elder Brother can touch Sister-in-law.”
Jiang Wan: “…”
Old Mrs. Gu knew that once her little grandson had made up his mind about something, no amount of talking would change it.
So she told Chen Ru to finish the measurements quickly and leave.
Only after Chen Ru’s figure disappeared from the villa with her bag did Gu Yuchen reluctantly withdraw his gaze. He stole a glance at Jiang Wan and then walked over to sit beside Old Madam.
“You silly child,” Old Mrs. Gu helplessly patted his head. “What did Grandma tell you this morning? You forgot so quickly. Sister-in-law likes obedient, good children.”
Gu Yuchen placed his hands on his knees, looked at the ground, and shook his head: “No, I protected Sister-in-law. She will like Yuchen.”
Then he looked up, his eyes lacking childishness but filled with seriousness and a hint of barely noticeable expectation as he asked: “Right, Sister-in-law?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Jiang Wan quickly replied: “Of course, Yuchen. Thank you for protecting me today.”
In fact, as soon as Gu Yuchen appeared, Jiang Wan noticed the child’s rigid behavior and his strong insistence on what he believed to be true. Having taken psychology courses in college, she searched her memory for relevant knowledge and felt that Gu Yuchen’s condition somewhat resembled autism.
Old Mrs. Gu called Jiang Wan to sit beside her, and her words confirmed Jiang Wan’s suspicion.
“Yuchen was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old. He has his own ways of insisting on many things, and even I, as his grandma, sometimes can’t reason with him. Don’t take what happened earlier to heart, Xiao Wan.”
Jiang Wan knew that both individuals with autism and their families faced immense challenges.
She said with great understanding, “Grandma, I can understand. Besides, Yuchen didn’t mean any harm. He’s just unwell, and some of his thoughts are beyond his control.”
Old Mrs. Gu patted Jiang Wan’s hand. “Xiao Wan, you truly are a sensible and understanding child.”
While Jiang Wan was speaking with Old Madam, Gu Yuchen sat quietly nearby the entire time. Aside from being somewhat silent, he showed no other easily agitated or irritable behaviors, indicating he was a child with relatively mild autism symptoms.
Outside the window, the setting sun slanted westward, and the sky gradually darkened.
The wall clock chimed six times, its hands now pointing to six o’clock.
Gu Yuchen tugged at Grandma’s sleeve and whispered, “Third Brother is getting off work.”
Old Mrs. Gu immediately understood and said with a smile, “Go ahead, go to the courtyard to meet your third brother.”
However, after standing up from the sofa, Gu Yuchen didn’t leave. Instead, he looked at Jiang Wan, pursed his lips as if slightly shy, and hesitated before saying, “I want to go with Sister-in-Law.”
Unable to resist Gu Yuchen’s hopeful gaze, Jiang Wan excused herself to Grandma and went with him to the backyard.
In the backyard of the old house, there was a swing surrounded by several ginkgo trees, with scattered fallen leaves dotting the ground.
Jiang Wan picked up a tree branch, swept the leaves aside, and drew a little boy swinging on the ground, mimicking Gu Yuchen’s appearance.
Gu Yuchen crouched beside Jiang Wan, watching her impromptu drawing with intense focus.
“Is it good?” Jiang Wan looked up and asked with a smile, “Who does it look like?”
Gu Yuchen tilted his head and studied it for a moment. “Me.”
Concise and to the point, not a single extra word.
But Jiang Wan was also a quiet person and didn’t mind the other’s brevity.
She smiled and, just like that, temporarily became Gu Yuchen’s art teacher, teaching him how to draw.
Footsteps approached directly from ahead.
Jiang Wan and Gu Yuchen both looked up at the newcomer.
The man was dressed in a black suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a somewhat scholarly appearance that gave him an air of gentleness and refinement.
Seeing the two looking at him, he smiled and said, “Yuchen, if Elder Brother sees you making your sister-in-law crouch with you, be careful he might scold you.”
Gu Yuchen feared no one but his elder brother, Gu Shilan, because Gu Shilan held a tenth-degree black belt in Taekwondo.
He had seen his elder brother single-handedly beat up someone who bullied him until they were crying on the ground.
Then, he pulled Jiang Wan to her feet and called out to Huo Yiheng, “Third Brother.”
Huo Yiheng nodded, walked over, and patted his younger brother’s head as a gesture of thanks for waiting for him after work.
He then turned to Jiang Wan, adjusting his glasses with a light touch and said with a smile, “Hello, Sister-in-Law. My name is Huo Yiheng. I’m the child the Gu family took in from a young age.”
Huo Yiheng never concealed his background. He grew up in an orphanage and was later taken in by Old Madam and brought to the Gu family. Old Madam never showed favoritism, raising him as her own child.
Jiang Wan reached out and shook his hand lightly, responding, “Hello, Mr. Huo. My name is Jiang Wan.”
She almost followed his lead and introduced herself as Gu Shilan’s wife, but then she thought, since he already knew, repeating it would be foolish.
Pregnancy really does make you forgetful for three years…