Chapter 254 - 233: Like
Chapter 254: Chapter 233: Like
When Zheng Shaolian saw the two of them enter the room one after another, he immediately moved to follow, but Gu Shaojun stopped him. "The family back in Beijing has a few things to tell Xiao Man. It’s not for you to hear, so just stay put and don’t cause a scene."
With that, he shut the outer door.
Standing on the balcony, Gu Shaojun rested his hands on Xiao Man’s shoulders, gauging their height difference and studying her face. Only two years had passed, yet the little girl had changed so much. He felt he could look at her forever. He smiled.
"They say a girl changes a lot as she grows up, and you’ve gotten more and more beautiful. If we’d suddenly met on the street, I might not have even recognized you. Still, you should eat more and grow a little taller."
Xiao Man lowered her head shyly. "I’m just average. Brother Shaojun, you’ve been all over and must have seen plenty of truly beautiful women."
"Oh? Being modest now, are we?" Gu Shaojun said, amused. He gently lifted her chin, meeting her gaze, and spoke slowly and earnestly, "There are indeed many beautiful women out there, but in my eyes, none of them can compare to Xiao Man. My Xiao Man, no matter what, is the best of them all!"
"The first time I saw you, you felt so familiar, like we already knew each other. You hung that Jade Token on me, wanting to protect me even at such a young age. I was so touched, and I treasured that moment. Mo Xiaoman, when you’re grown up, choose me, Gu Shaojun, to be the one by your side for the rest of your life... Xiao Man, I might have scared you. Don’t worry. You don’t have to pay any attention to the marriage agreement between the Tang and Gu Families, and you don’t have to answer me right away. Just give me a chance. Can you do that?"
"It’s just a chance, right? You’ve got it. Before we make things official, if you happen to meet and fall for another woman, I can forgive that. But after we’re official, that won’t fly! Now, I need to get to school. I’m going to be late," Xiao Man said.
Gu Shaojun froze for a second, then snapped back to his senses. Overjoyed, he scooped Xiao Man up and spun her around several times before setting her down. "I can finally relax! Come on, I’ll take you to school!"
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Zheng Shaolian’s voice. "Xiao Man, Xiao Man, don’t you have to go to school? Class is about to start, you know?"
Gu Shaojun opened the door and walked out with Xiao Man. "Give me the car keys. It’s a short drive; we’ll be there in two minutes."
Zheng Shaolian said, "I’ll take her. I know the roads better."
Gu Shaojun didn’t argue. "Let’s go together, then. I can stop by the department store and pick some things up."
"What department store? There’s just a supply and marketing co-op here, and it doesn’t have anything good."
"I just need to buy a toothbrush and a towel, that sort of thing."
"What do you need those for?"
"I’m staying here. You can come pick me up in two days."
Zheng Shaolian’s eyes went wide, and he stared at his older cousin as if he were some kind of monster.
Xiao Man had no time to listen to the cousins’ conversation. She and Lin Liuping were in the kitchen, packing things. They split the other untouched, large, free-range chicken in half. Xiao Man would take one half to school for Mr. Cheng, and Lin Liuping would take the other half to the teacher’s college for Teacher Yu, adding a few rice dumplings to go with it.
By the time the women came out with everything, the two cousins were already waiting at the door.
On the way downstairs, Xiao Man noticed Gu Shaojun hadn’t brought his small suitcase and quickly reminded him. Gu Shaojun said, "I’ll be coming back. I have a few days of leave, so I can stay with you for a couple of days."
Xiao Man stared at him, speechless. ’You could have just said you were staying! You made me rush around for nothing.’
Once in the car, Xiao Man gave Hao Hao’s old room key to Gu Shaojun and then handed her own to Lin Liuping. "I don’t get out of school until after five. It’ll be easier for you to get in if you have the keys."
Lin Liuping pushed the key back. "I haven’t seen Teacher Yu in ages, so I’ll just stay at her place tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go straight to the station to catch my ride home. I won’t come back here again. That way, I can avoid running into that Huang Hongliang. Just the thought of him is disgusting."
Xiao Man figured that made sense, so she didn’t insist.
They parked at the school gate. Xiao Man said goodbye, and, clutching a cloth bag, she dashed into the school just as the bell began to ring.
Gu Shaojun got out of the car as well, telling Zheng Shaolian to take Lin Liuping to Teacher Yu’s place. He himself decided to wander the streets for a while.
When they got home from school that evening, Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Linghui were surprised and delighted to see the dining table already set with a full meal. Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui turned their star-struck eyes on Gu Shaojun, their faces filled with adoration. They had long since figured Zheng Shaolian out—that guy had a terrible temper, and while he loved to eat, he would never lift a finger to cook. The only one who could have prepared such a spread was this newly arrived older cousin, Gu Shaojun!
’He’s not only handsome, but he can cook, too! Heavens above! Can’t there be more perfect men like him in the world?’
Gu Shaojun’s culinary skills weren’t actually that great. His only practice came from making large-pot meals in the army, meaning his food was merely cooked through with an adequate amount of oil and salt. You couldn’t expect it to be delicious; it was just something to fill the stomach.
Yet he still had the nerve to serve it. Xiao Man reluctantly offered a word of praise, but Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui were acting like total sycophants, repeatedly exclaiming how good it was and gobbling it down enthusiastically to show their support. Zheng Shaolian shot the two of them a look as if they were idiots, said nothing, and just ate in silence. He was a smart one—he wasn’t eating any of the new dishes Gu Shaojun had bought and cooked. The large portion of leftover white-cut chicken from lunch, now re-fried, and a plate of stir-fried green beans made by Xiao Man had been placed in front of him. He was perfectly happy eating just those.