Su Jin Yue woke to a ray of sunlight slipping through the gap between the curtains.
She lay still for a few seconds, her eyes still clouded with sleep.
It took her a moment to remember where she was.
This was not the bedroom at the Su residence.
It was Gu Jing Shen’s home.
The thought that she was actually living under the same roof as a man with whom she had barely shared any connection made Su Jin Yue feel strangely excited about what was to come.
This marriage was becoming more interesting by the day.
She got out of bed, changed her clothes, and opened the door.
The apartment was completely quiet.
Su Jin Yue glanced at the clock.
Seven fifteen.
She walked through the living room, intending to head into the kitchen to find something to eat, when she happened to see Gu Jing Shen stepping out of the master bedroom.
He was already dressed impeccably.
A white shirt, dark trousers, the sleeves rolled up just enough.
His hair was still slightly damp, clearly freshly washed.
Their eyes met.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
Finally, Su Jin Yue greeted him first.
“Good morning.” “Good morning.” Gu Jing Shen replied before walking straight toward the kitchen.
Su Jin Yue watched his back for a moment before following him.
The moment she stepped into the dining area, she stopped in surprise.
Breakfast had already been laid out on the table.
There were freshly made youtiao, steamed buns, soy milk, boiled eggs, and several other dim sum dishes.
“Did you buy all this?” “No.
I made it.” Gu Jing Shen’s answer left Su Jin Yue staring at him in astonishment.
Seeing the comically stunned expression on her face, the corners of Gu Jing Shen’s lips lifted slightly.
He remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly quite pleased with her reaction, before finally saying: “I was joking.
I went out for a workout this morning and picked these up on the way back.” Su Jin Yue stood frozen in place.
It took her several seconds to recover.
Had he just tricked her?
Looking at Gu Jing Shen’s perfectly calm expression, Su Jin Yue suddenly had no idea how she was supposed to react.
The man looked so serious all the time, yet he actually knew how to tease people?
And he had said it with such a straight face that, for a moment, she had genuinely believed every dish on the table had been prepared by him himself.
At first, Su Jin Yue had thought Gu Jing Shen was the type of man who was cold and strict, someone who always kept his distance from others.
But after living with him for only one day, she had already discovered that beneath that exterior, there seemed to be another side to him.
He knew how to care.
He knew how to look after someone.
He even knew how to tease people.
Su Jin Yue looked at the breakfast spread before her, then at the man standing across from her.
Perhaps living together would not be as boring as she had imagined.
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I bought a little of everything.” As he spoke, Gu Jing Shen opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of water, drank a sip, and placed it back in exactly the same spot.
Then he took out some coffee and began preparing it.
“Do you want a cup?” Gu Jing Shen glanced at Su Jin Yue.
“No, thank you.” Every movement Gu Jing Shen made while preparing his coffee was neat and precise, without a single unnecessary motion.
Su Jin Yue stood beside him and watched for a while.
She suddenly felt that this man was far too orderly.
Everything he took out was returned to exactly the same place once he was finished using it.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, she asked: “Are you always like this?” Gu Jing Shen turned to her.
“Like what?” “Everything has to be put back in exactly the right place.” “Is there a problem with that?” Su Jin Yue shook her head.
“It’s just that I feel if you ever woke up one day and discovered your cup was one centimeter away from where you left it, you might not be able to rest easy.” Gu Jing Shen looked at her.
“Not to that extent.
I just have a habit of keeping everything neat and in its proper place.
That way, when I need something, I don’t have to waste time looking for it.” He paused for a moment, his gaze passing over the cup on the table before he continued: “To me, being tidy isn’t a strict rule.
But if things can be kept organized, that’s always better.” Su Jin Yue pulled out a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him, the corners of her lips curling upward.
“What if I accidentally put something in the wrong place later?” Gu Jing Shen looked at her.
“Just put it back.” He took a calm sip of his coffee before adding: “But if you deliberately put something in the wrong place just to annoy me, that’s a different matter.” Su Jin Yue froze for a second before bursting into laughter.
“Don’t worry.
I’m not that bored.” Gu Jing Shen looked at the smile on her lips, and the corners of his own mouth lifted slightly.
“Good.” Su Jin Yue was about to say something when an itch suddenly rose in her nose.
“Ah-choo!” She quickly covered her mouth.
Gu Jing Shen paused, then looked at her.
“Are you coming down with a cold?” Su Jin Yue rubbed the tip of her nose.
“I probably took a shower a little too late last night and caught a chill.” Gu Jing Shen’s gaze swept over her face.
Her complexion did seem a little paler than usual today.
But she was still alert, and there was nothing particularly unusual about her demeanor.
Su Jin Yue picked up a steamed bun and took a bite.
The bun was soft and fragrant, with a savory filling that suited her taste.
She looked up at Gu Jing Shen.
“Not bad.” “If you like it, I’ll buy it again next time.” Su Jin Yue ate another steamed bun and took a few sips of soy milk before standing up.
She took her cup to the sink, rinsed it, then turned to Gu Jing Shen.
“I’ll head to work first.” Gu Jing Shen glanced at the clock.
“If you’re not in a hurry, wait two minutes.
I’ll take you.” “No need.
I’ll drive myself.
It’s more convenient.” Su Jin Yue picked up her handbag and had barely taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped.
A wave of dizziness hit her without warning, making her vision sway for a brief moment.
She instinctively reached out and grabbed the back of a chair.
A few seconds later, the dizziness quickly passed.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Jing Shen asked.
“Nothing.
I just felt a little dizzy.” With that, Su Jin Yue headed toward the door.
She had only taken two steps when the world suddenly went dark before her eyes.
The dizziness came back more violently this time.
Everything around her seemed to be covered by a thin veil, and the room that had been so clear moments ago suddenly began to spin.
Su Jin Yue instinctively reached out, searching for something to steady herself against.
But before she could touch anything, her body went limp.
“Jin Yue!” Gu Jing Shen’s expression changed instantly.
He practically lunged forward on instinct, catching her around the waist just as she lost her balance.
Su Jin Yue leaned her entire weight against him, her mind still spinning.
She tried to steady herself, but her legs seemed to have lost all their strength.
Gu Jing Shen bent down, slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, and decisively lifted her into his arms.
The sudden sensation of leaving the ground made Su Jin Yue instinctively wrap her arms around his neck.
He carried her quickly toward the guest bedroom.