Chapter 495 - 434: Matters of the Heart
Chapter 495: Chapter 434: Matters of the Heart
Some worries can be set aside, but others cannot. For Gu Shaojun, this one was like a raging fire in his heart, growing more scorching the longer he suppressed it. He finally couldn’t bear it any longer. He was on pins and needles, desperate to drag Xiao Man somewhere private and pour out all the words and feelings he had bottled up inside.
From last night until now, from the Gu family estate to the Tang Mansion, he had managed to get a few chances to be with Xiao Man. But there were always people around, making it impossible to have a quiet, proper talk. He was already frustrated, but the appearance of Sun Yiming—a descendant of Imperial Doctor Sun—was utterly suffocating.
This was especially true when Grandma Tang called Xiao Man away to talk with the female guests. Gu Shaojun chatted with a few male guests for a short while, but when he turned around, he saw Sun Yiming walking out of the small living room with Xiao Man. Both of them were smiling. Sun Yiming was so close to Xiao Man, and she didn’t seem to mind. Gu Shaojun felt a dull ache in his chest, as if a thousand-pound boulder were crushing his heart.
’That Sun Yiming is an expert at seizing every opportunity. He was clearly watching for his chance. The moment I turned my back, he sidled up to Xiao Man!’
They were a bit too far away, and he still had to mingle with the guests. If he just abandoned them and walked over, it would be abrupt and rude. Staring fixedly in their direction wasn’t a good look either. Gu Shaojun turned his head away and used his Divine Sense to see what the two of them were doing.
Xiao Man was holding such a thick stack of red envelopes that she could barely hold on. Sun Yiming held out his hands, and Xiao Man promptly placed all the envelopes into them. The man, dapper in his crisp suit and exuding an air of refined elegance, didn’t seem to think it was beneath him to handle the money. He gathered the pile, holding them for her as if they were treasure. His voice was gentle and smiling, full of playful indulgence:
"Look at you, striking it rich! You have to treat me. I want to go to Fragrant Pavilion for the roast pigeon and the salted pig’s trotters!"
Xiao Man chuckled. "That’s not what they’re called! The restaurant’s signature dishes have such lovely names, and here you are, you phony foreigner, just shouting whatever you want. The owner would have a fit!"
"I don’t care. As long as he knows what I mean!"
"Fine, I’ll treat you when school starts. Auntie has made all the arrangements. The food and drinks are already on the tables in the main hall, and the banquet is about to begin. Grandma asked me to get the fruit wine from the second-floor storage room, so I might as well take these red envelopes up there, too."
Xiao Man neatened the stack of red envelopes in Sun Yiming’s hands, then took them and ran upstairs. Sun Yiming, however, observed proper etiquette and didn’t follow without an invitation. He just stood at the bottom of the stairs and called out, "Be careful! Is that fruit wine heavy? Should I help you?"
Xiao Man replied, "No need. It’s just two glass bottles of my grandma’s homemade grape wine for the guests to try."
When Xiao Man came back downstairs, Sun Yiming helped her carry the two bottles of wine over to Grandma Tang. Ai Wenli also came over to find Grandma Tang. She said that Tang Qingshan wanted some sobriety soup prepared just in case, and she thought they should also brew a pot of Digestive Tea. However, the pre-mixed tea blend was in the second-floor storage room, so she needed to get the key from Grandma Tang.
These days, Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang were extremely strict about managing anything that came from Xiao Man. Everything was kept in the second-floor storage room, and Grandma Tang personally held the key. If anyone else knew, they might think the Tang family was being petty. ’It’s just some everyday household items, why lock them away in a separate storeroom?’ But Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang couldn’t care less what others thought. Fortunately, their daughter-in-law, Ai Wenli, was so easygoing she didn’t find it strange at all. ’Everyone has their quirks. It’s perfectly normal for my mother-in-law to enjoy carrying her keys around!’
Since the key was still in Xiao Man’s possession, she was naturally the one to make another trip to the second floor. They couldn’t have a pregnant woman running up and down the stairs, could they?
Xiao Man had just stepped into the storage room when Gu Shaojun followed her in.
Gu Shaojun paused, his handsome eyes deep as he met her gaze. "I need to apologize to you. The nature of my job is different from other people’s. I often have to carry out various missions, and the nation’s interests come before everything else. I can’t always be by your side, and sometimes we’ll have to be apart for a very, very long time... But I still want to be with you, because I love you. I love you so, so much! I can’t be without you! So, Xiao Man, please forgive my selfishness—I’m going to use our engagement to hold on to you tightly and never let go!"
Xiao Man’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment before she focused on Gu Shaojun’s face. "The drinking hasn’t even started, and you’re already drunk? Or did something... upset you?"
Gu Shaojun’s face grew hot, but thanks to his tanned skin, it wasn’t obvious. "I’m being completely serious. Didn’t you hear me clearly? I’ll say it again!"
Xiao Man looked a little embarrassed, a pink blush rising on her cheeks, but she quickly composed herself into a serious expression. "You just said you’d never let go. Does that mean you won’t let go, ever? No matter what I become, you’ll stay by my side?"
Gu Shaojun straightened his back, his gaze resolute. "Of course! Whether you’re in the bloom of youth or time has aged you and changed your face, I will hold your hand tightly, love you, cherish you, and walk by your side until the very end. I’ll never let go!"
"I believe you can do that. But what if... and I’m just saying, what if..." Xiao Man’s gaze locked with Gu Shaojun’s as she asked, word by word:
"Let’s say you were severely injured and disabled in the line of duty. You become what people would call a true cripple, tormented by pain day and night, needing someone to take care of your every need—eating, dressing, everything. In that situation, would you use some noble-sounding excuse to let me go?"
Gu Shaojun’s breath hitched, and the dull ache returned to his chest. He subconsciously tightened his grip on Xiao Man’s arm, swallowed hard, and said with difficulty, "Unless I’m dead, I’ll stay by your side as long as I’m alive! As long as I can hear you and feel you near me, I can endure any amount of pain and suffering!"
"Good. I heard you. You’d better remember what you just said. If you dare go back on your word, I won’t let you get away with it."