“I know,” Ruan Tong replied softly.
Just then, Gu Bai’s voice came from outside the door: “Tongtong, Dad is calling you.”
“Coming.” Ruan Tong immediately stood up. As soon as she opened the door, she met Gu Bai’s deep gaze. Perhaps because of her mother’s earlier words, she felt inexplicably guilty.
But then she thought, why should she feel guilty?
It was the original host who had a lover, not her. So she straightened her back and walked out with confidence.
Seeing her like this, Gu Bai frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.
Wang Ying also stood up and said to Gu Bai with a smile, “Are you hungry, Xiao Gu? I’ll go make food now.”
“Not hungry yet, Mom. You can take your time.” Gu Bai glanced at the vegetables still being prepared on the table and replied thoughtfully.
To be honest, Wang Ying had always felt that her daughter and the Gu family’s Fourth Brother were a perfect match. The only regret was that he had a lame leg.
If you ignored his walking posture and only looked at his demeanor when standing, the dignified Gu Bai was a hundred times better than that Su family boy.
She couldn’t understand how her silly daughter had been so blinded as to fall for that good-for-nothing Su boy.
Seeing Wang Ying shaking her head to herself, Gu Bai glanced down at his lame leg, and his gaze couldn’t help but darken.
During lunchtime, the family of four sat on the kang, chatting and laughing, creating a rather harmonious atmosphere.
This was also the first time Ruan Tong had spent time with the original host’s parents since crossing over.
Watching her father constantly smiling while her mother kept a stern face, such a stark contrast was quite amusing.
Gu Bai had always been a man of few words, but he didn’t hold back when drinking, delighting Old Man Ruan.
He also finished all the food Wang Ying served him, indirectly indicating that her cooking suited his taste.
After the meal, Ruan Tong helped the slightly tipsy Gu Bai back to the room she had lived in before getting married.
As soon as they entered the room, Gu Bai broke free from Ruan Tong and sat directly on the kang.
Ruan Tong was momentarily stunned, then looked at the man sitting on the kang and spoke with some displeasure: “Fourth Brother, if you have any grievances, just say them outright. Don’t keep them bottled up—if you develop issues from it, I won’t be able to cure you!”
Gu Bai looked up at Ruan Tong before him, his deep eyes carrying a hint of confusion.
“Grievances? None.”
“…” This felt like punching cotton.
But the aloofness he displayed certainly didn’t seem like he had no grievances.
“Fine. The quilt and cover are newly changed. Rest for a while.” As she spoke, Ruan Tong climbed onto the kang and covered him with the new quilt.
“No need for the trouble.” Gu Bai took the quilt from Ruan Tong’s hands and was about to set it aside.
Before Ruan Tong could let go, the sudden tug made her lose her balance, and she tumbled directly into the man’s arms.
“Ouch…” Ruan Tong cried out in pain—her nose hurt so much.
Gu Bai lay on the kang, his hand resting on her lower back as he held her in his arms, his gaze somewhat dazed as he looked at the ceiling.
The beauty in his arms had misty eyes glistening with tears, looking as if she wanted to be teased.
Coupled with the fact that he had already been drinking, he felt even more intoxicated now. An inexplicable fire surged from his heart, reminding him of their wedding night, making him unable to resist.
“Fourth Brother, my nose hurts,” Ruan Tong bit her lip, her eyes already beginning to redden.
As soon as she finished speaking, someone’s palm caressed her back. With a turn, their positions swapped. The man lowered his gaze to meet her wide-eyed stare.
Looking at the man before her, Ruan Tong felt the scene was strangely familiar.
That’s right, that night, she had been bewitched by the man, and then… it all happened naturally… they consummated their marriage!
But now she was sober!
She gently pushed the man in front of her away: “Fourth Brother, you bumped my nose, it hurts so much.”
Her words, tinged with suppressed emotion and a hint of a sob, snapped Gu Bai back to reality. He quickly pulled her arm and sat up.
Having regained his composure, Gu Bai looked at her slightly reddened nose and asked with concern, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine now.” Ruan Tong covered her nose as she got up, her voice muffled: “Fourth Brother, you rest, I’m going out.”
Soon, the sound of the door opening and closing followed, leaving only silence in the room.
A long while later.
He took a deep breath, leaned back with a self-mocking expression, and covered his face with his hand.
The thought that had just crossed his mind had even startled himself.
Indeed, alcohol was no good thing.
…
That very afternoon, the two returned to Luoxia Village.
This was also the day they had spent the longest time together since getting married.
Logically speaking, their relationship should have eased somewhat.
But after returning, Ruan Tong realized she had thought too much.
Someone was even colder than before.
Before dinner, not wanting to stay in the same room with Gu Bai, who was radiating coldness, Ruan Tong hid in her mother-in-law’s room, learning how to mend clothes with her.
Drawing from her past memories, Ruan Tong sketched a cartoon rabbit pattern, cut it out, and used it to patch the hole on Erbao’s sleeve.
Erbao loved this rabbit very much, occasionally touching it with his little hand.
The cute and adorable sight made Ruan Tong unable to resist holding Erbao’s little face and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Beside them, Wu Minzhen smiled contentedly, growing fonder of her daughter-in-law by the day.
“Gu Laosi, the village chief is calling for you. Seems like someone from the team is looking for you.”
A shout came from outside the door. Gu Bai quickly responded and then limped his way out.
At that moment, Gu Qin cast a meaningful glance at Ruan Tong and deliberately said to Wu Minzhen, “Mom, is it Sister Qiuhong calling for my brother? I bet it’s her.”
“Go on, what nonsense are you spouting as a child!” As she spoke, Wu Minzhen even glanced guiltily at Ruan Tong.
Although Ruan Tong was sewing, her ears were not idle.
She had clearly heard the name “Sister Qiuhong.” Judging from Gu Qin’s tone, it seemed she held this “Sister Qiuhong” in high regard?
Could she be Gu Bai’s sweetheart from his time in the army?
Heh.
This was getting interesting.
Although Ruan Tong was very curious, she wouldn’t ask, because someone with little patience would surely deliver the answer to her doorstep.
So, Ruan Tong continued to lower her head and mend the clothes in her hands.
When only she and Gu Qin were left in the room, someone indeed couldn’t hold back. Smirking, she leaned over with a mischievous look.
“Ruan Tong, aren’t you curious about who Sister Qiuhong is? Beg me, and I might just be merciful enough to tell you.”
Ruan Tong curled her lips, set down Erbao’s clothes, then lifted her head to look at her and said calmly, “Such a grown girl, yet you don’t know any manners. Shouldn’t you be calling me Fourth Sister-in-Law?”
Little girl, trying to trick her? No way!
Gu Qin, having been scolded, immediately flushed with anger.
“You think you’re worthy of me calling you sister-in-law? You’re not even fit to compare to a single strand of Sister Qiuhong’s hair. She’s a cultural soldier in the team! Isn’t she much more impressive than you!”
Gu Qin said proudly, deliberately belittling Ruan Tong as worthless.
Heart-wrenching words like these didn’t anger Ruan Tong in the slightest. Instead, she grinned and said, “So what? What does that have to do with you? If you’re so fond of that Sister Qiuhong, why didn’t you try to set the two of them up? Why did your Fourth Brother marry me? After all that talk, you still have to call me sister-in-law, don’t you?”
“You!” Gu Qin gritted her teeth in fury.