Nanny Liu glanced at Old Madam.
Old Mrs. Gu signaled for her to attend to her duties.
Then she calmly said, “He doesn’t need to drink any today. It’ll save him from getting too heated. When you have a wife in the future, you won’t be able to drink it either.”
Gu Shilan: “…”
Huo Yiheng: “…”
Gu Yuchen asked curiously, “Grandma, why can’t you drink chicken soup when you have a wife?”
Old Mrs. Gu: “Adults are talking. Children shouldn’t interfere.”
Since there were cola chicken wings—Gu Yuchen’s favorite—today, he really didn’t press further and focused on eating the wings.
“Xiao Wan.” After dealing with her troublesome grandsons, Old Mrs. Gu turned to Jiang Wan with concern. “Carrying twins is more demanding than a single pregnancy. You must pay extra attention to nutrition, or you won’t have enough strength when it’s time to give birth.”
Jiang Wan humbly accepted the advice. “Understood, Grandma.”
She scooped a spoonful of the delicious chicken soup and sipped it slowly, thinking to herself that it wouldn’t really matter if Gu Shilan had some too.
After all, they weren’t sharing a room.
He couldn’t do anything anyway.
However, after dinner, Jiang Wan immediately realized she had jumped to conclusions too soon.
After chatting with the elderly for a while after the meal, Old Mrs. Gu noticed it was getting late. Worried that Jiang Wan would be exhausted from traveling back and forth, she suggested the two stay overnight at the old mansion.
Touched by her grandmother-in-law’s concern, Jiang Wan agreed without hesitation.
Since they were staying overnight at the old mansion, they could no longer sleep in separate rooms.
Jiang Wan went to the bathroom in the second-floor bedroom to take a shower. Old Mrs. Gu had someone prepare pajamas for her.
Standing by the bed, she hesitated over the array of lace-trimmed sleepwear. After a long look, she chose a relatively conservative nightgown and headed into the bathroom.
Gu Shilan was concerned that if he entered while Jiang Wan was still showering, she might feel uncomfortable. So he showered in the guest bathroom first, then went to the study to handle some work.
But when he estimated enough time had passed and returned to the room, Jiang Wan was still lingering in the bathroom.
Seeing the empty room, Gu Shilan grew worried and walked over to knock on the bathroom door.
“Wanwan, are you alright?”
Jiang Wan was half-reclining in the bathtub. At his voice, she sat up straight and said, “Uncle Gu, I’m fine.”
Gu Shilan: “The air in the bathroom doesn’t circulate well. Staying in too long can lead to oxygen deprivation. Wanwan, don’t shower for too long.”
“Understood.”
Just as an ugly daughter-in-law must eventually face her in-laws, she couldn’t possibly spend the entire night in here.
Jiang Wan stepped out of the bathtub with her long legs and went under the showerhead to rinse off.
Distractedly turning on the shower, she completely forgot to check the water temperature. A stream of cold water poured down from the showerhead, drenching Jiang Wan and sending a chill straight to her bones.
Gu Shilan had only taken two steps away when he heard Jiang Wan let out a sharp “Ah!”
Worried she might have slipped, he immediately turned back to the door and, without a second thought, pushed it open.
Jiang Wan hadn’t expected to be assaulted by cold water first, only to be ambushed by Gu Shilan right after.
Her first instinct was to cover the important areas, but with only two hands, she could manage the top or the bottom, not both.
So her fair, delicate arms froze awkwardly in mid-air, unable to conceal anything.
Gu Shilan’s gaze swept over her body, confirming she wasn’t injured—only her wet, slippery long hair clung somewhat disheveled to her pale cheeks. He immediately understood what had happened.
This little fool had turned on the wrong water temperature.
Jiang Wan saw that not only did Gu Shilan not avert his eyes, but his gaze was actually roaming over her body.
Embarrassment transformed her into a fierce female warrior as she shouted at Gu Shilan, “Gu Shilan, close your eyes right now!”
But paired with her entirely pink and flushed appearance, it held no intimidation whatsoever.
“Sorry, Wanwan, I didn’t mean to.” Gu Shilan always kept in mind his persona as the “good uncle” and obediently turned his head away.
Facing the wall, he said, “I heard your voice earlier and was worried you might be in danger, so I rushed in impulsively to check.”
If she were to discover that the “mutual respect” he had cultivated was merely an act, and that he harbored an uncontrollable desire for her, this little rabbit would surely retreat back into her shell, frightened once again.
Hearing Gu Shilan’s words, Jiang Wan also felt her reaction had been a bit excessive. “…It’s fine, it’s my fault too for raising my voice at you. I accidentally turned on the cold water just now.”
Gu Shilan stared at the misty steam, feeling his body heat up again just after his shower.
His Adam’s apple imperceptibly bobbed as he masked his slightly hoarse voice, speaking with utmost righteousness, “Mm, you should finish your shower. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
With that, he left without looking back.
After finishing her shower, Jiang Wan came out only to find Gu Shilan not in the room, unsure where he had gone so late at night instead of sleeping.
She looked at the large bed with its dark gray sheets and chose one side to lie on, occupying only a small corner.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when, half-asleep, she felt the space beside her sink slightly, followed by an arm wrapping around her waist.
Jiang Wan was in a hazy dream, dreaming she was back in middle school, and in the dream, her mother was still alive.
During dinner, her mother had made braised pig’s feet for her—tender and soul-warming. Her mother enthusiastically urged her to try them, but her friend Lin Miaomiao said she had gained weight and needed to lose some.
So, while feeling wronged in the dream, Jiang Wan mumbled in her sleep, “Mom, I don’t want to eat braised pig’s feet.”
Gu Shilan: “…”
He genuinely suspected Jiang Wan was pretending to be asleep.
The next day.
A sliver of dawn light seeped faintly through the curtains into the bedroom. Gu Shilan opened his eyes and, in the dim light, saw Jiang Wan sleeping soundly in his arms.
Her cheek was pressed against the pillow, forming a plump, soft mound as sweet and tempting as a creamy pudding.
Unable to resist, Gu Shilan leaned in and gently kissed the tip of her delicate, straight nose.
Immediately, her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the person beside him seemed to stir awake.
Gu Shilan quickly and silently retreated to his side of the bed and closed his eyes.
When Jiang Wan woke up, she saw Gu Shilan’s face right in front of hers and instantly held her breath in shock, afraid of waking him.
Last night, she had clearly slept on the edge of the bed, yet somehow, she had ended up in Gu Shilan’s embrace.
The man beside her felt like a furnace, making her mouth and throat feel parched.
Jiang Wan swallowed dryly and shifted her slightly stiff body, only to discover that a certain part of Gu Shilan had woken up before its owner.
It was pressed against her…
Jiang Wan’s face flushed crimson instantly. After a moment’s hesitation, she whispered to Gu Shilan, “Uncle Gu.”
No response.
She called again, “Uncle Gu.”
Gu Shilan seemed determined to sleep as if dead.
Left with no choice, Jiang Wan slowly slid downward, then slid again, slipping out of Gu Shilan’s embrace.
As soon as she gained her freedom, Jiang Wan got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and hurriedly dashed to the bathroom.
The moment the bathroom door closed, Gu Shilan opened his eyes, unable to conceal the amusement in his gaze.
He rubbed his temples, got up, and headed straight for the guest room.
When Jiang Wan finished washing up and went downstairs for breakfast, Gu Shilan still hadn’t come down.
Old Mrs. Gu was already seated at the dining table. Seeing Jiang Wan alone, she asked, “Xiao Wan, why didn’t Shi Lan come down with you? That boy couldn’t still be sleeping, could he? What time is it already? Did he become a CEO by sleeping his way up?”
Jiang Wan: “…”