Chapter 508 - 446: Something’s Different
Chapter 508: Chapter 446: Something’s Different
Gu Shaojun was born into a military family and had loved the army since he was a boy. The sacred, arduous duty of protecting his home and country was both challenging and adventurous—an irresistible calling for any passionate young man. He had always been proud to be a capable and courageous soldier. But now, for the first time ever, a sliver of doubt shook his conviction in his chosen profession. ’Do I really want to be a soldier for my entire life?’
’His little girl was so wonderful and loved him so much. He couldn’t bear to make her suffer the pain of separation and the ache of longing.’
’But her face, her smile, her very scent were already woven into his flesh and blood. He loved her more than life itself and could no longer imagine a world without her.’
’And because he loved her, he didn’t want her to be miserable, lonely, or sad.’
Gu Shaojun considered his life with utmost seriousness. As the eldest son of the Gu family and a young officer being groomed by the nation for a key position, leaving the army was impossible, both now and in the future. He had no choice but to forge ahead and climb to the highest echelons. There was no turning back.
’In that sense, he was fortunate that she was still young. For the next few years, he could throw himself into his career and rise to a certain rank. Then, after they married, he hoped he could give her a stable and peaceful life where they could be together, happy and content, just like any ordinary couple.’
Despite having formulated this plan, Gu Shaojun couldn’t shake another thought: holding their engagement ceremony as soon as possible.
’It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Xiao Man. He just hated how some people would pretend not to know—or to have forgotten—about their marriage arrangement, and then stare at his girl with those cloying, repulsive gazes.’
’His little girl wasn’t some ingenue, naive about love. She’d known for a long time what kind of man she wanted, and once she set her sights on him, she acted decisively! She loved him, and her heart was his. But she still had to attend school and live a normal life. The moment she stepped outside, she’d be swarmed by those people, buzzing around her like flies, and he couldn’t just rush back to chase them away. It was so frustrating! It left him with no peace of mind!’
One day, as he was seeing his father out, Gu Shaojun hopped into the car as well. Gu Qiming gave his son a surprised look, his stern expression instantly melting away. "Come to the military base with me," he said cheerfully. "A few of the old-timers have been wanting to see you!"
Gu Shaojun shook his head. "Father, you know I’m very busy right now. I don’t have time."
Gu Qiming’s eyes widened. "Then what did you get in my car for?"
Gu Shaojun glanced at the aide sitting in the front seat but decided he couldn’t worry about that now. "Father, I’m leaving in a few days, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I think... I want to hold an engagement ceremony with Xiao Man as soon as possible!"
Gu Qiming’s eyes grew even wider, and the corner of his mouth twitched. "You rascal... You think it can happen just because you want it to? I’m warning you, don’t you dare scare Manman, or you’ll have me to answer to!"
Gu Shaojun was speechless. ’Where are you even getting that from? Why would an engagement ceremony scare Manman?’
He looked at Gu Qiming, his gaze earnest and insistent. "Father—"
Exasperated, Gu Qiming turned his head away. He didn’t understand why, but whenever his son looked at him like that, he couldn’t help but give in. "You know Tang Qingshan. He may seem laid-back, but he’s a man of strong principles. He’ll never agree to move up the date."
"I’m not asking you to approach Mr. Tang directly. You and Mother should talk to Grandfather and Grandmother first. Grandfather can then bring it up with Grandpa Tang."
"If you’re in such a hurry, why don’t you go to your grandparents yourself?"
"It must be done through the proper channels—a proposal from the parents. It’s completely different for you and Mother to go than for me to bring it up myself!"
Gu Qiming snorted. ’As if I don’t know what’s going on,’ he thought. ’This kid acts all prim and proper, but he’s just getting impatient. He sees Manman has blossomed into a young woman—radiant, vibrant, and utterly captivating—and he’s feeling the pressure. He’s worried someone will snatch his future wife away, so now he’s in a panic.’
However, the thought of his son, already twenty-five, having been tempered by the crucible of war and having cheated death on several occasions... he should have been married with children by now, but instead, he had to wait several more years. Gu Qiming didn’t have the heart to scold him further. He waved a hand dismissively. "Go on, get back. What’s yours is yours; she’s not going to run away. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll talk to your grandfather."
"Thanks, Dad!" Gu Shaojun hopped out of the car and gave it a jaunty military salute.
Gu Qiming glared at him again. "Wipe that smirk off your face! And stop acting like that hooligan Shaozheng!"
Gu Shaojun: "..."
As the car pulled away, the corner of Gu Qiming’s mouth twitched into a smile. ’Ah, to be young,’ he thought. ’Watching that boy takes me right back to my own twenties.’
「On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the holiday came to an end. The flurry of visits to relatives and friends tapered off as people packed away their festive moods and prepared to return to work.」
That day, Xiao Man was taking Gu Shaojun to visit the Lu family.
Lu Jian Country was very courteous. Earlier in the New Year, when the Tang family hosted a banquet, Grandpa Tang had asked Xiao Man to invite the entire Lu family, but Lu Jian Country had simply offered thanks on his family’s behalf and declined to attend.
Xiao Man understood his reasoning and didn’t press the issue.
They had spoken on the phone the day before, on the seventh day of the New Year. Lu Jian Country had said that Yang Liu’er and Weiwei missed her and wanted to invite her over for dinner. When Xiao Man asked if she could bring someone along, Lu Jian Country had laughed heartily. "Bring ten people if you like! We’ll have more than enough food and wine!"
The weather during the holiday had been decent, with snow at night and clear skies during the day, which made getting around easy. The streets were bustling with pedestrians. Gu Shaojun drove at a steady, unhurried pace while Xiao Man, in the passenger seat, focused on wrapping presents. Yang Liu’er had told her over the phone that besides Weiwei, they had two more children at their house—the grandchildren of Weiwei’s grandaunt. They had come for a New Year’s visit the day before, and the kids were having so much fun together that they refused to go home. Their grandaunt had to leave them there, planning to pick them up in a couple of days.
Preparing two extra red envelopes was easy enough. The problem was that Xiao Man had already prepared a separate New Year’s gift for Weiwei, which was beautifully wrapped. With two extra children, she had to give them gifts as well. You couldn’t give one child something and not the others; that was just asking for a crying fit.
Seeing that Xiao Man was too busy to pay him any mind, Gu Shaojun stayed quiet and extended his Divine Sense, scanning the area around them.
To his surprise, he made a major discovery.
In disbelief, Gu Shaojun probed the area again more carefully. He sighed and said to Xiao Man, "Well, I think I’m about to get an earful from my grandfather."
Xiao Man glanced up at him before lowering her head to continue fiddling with the wrapping paper. "Why’s that?" she asked casually.
Her tone made Gu Shaojun unsure whether to laugh or cry. ’His little girl had two roommates from the same town in the Northeast. She found their accents amusing and had subconsciously started mimicking them. Now she sounds just like a local. If she put her mind to it, she could rattle off a few phrases of the regional dialect so convincingly that anyone who didn’t know her would swear she was from there.’
He reached out and gently squeezed Xiao Man’s plump little ear, pointing in a certain direction. "Over there. See who that is?"
Xiao Man followed his finger, but all she saw was a crowd of people coming and going. Many had scarves wrapped around their faces to block the wind, making it impossible to tell anyone apart.
Knowing Gu Shaojun was just teasing her, Xiao Man pouted. She released a wisp of her Divine Sense to scan the area and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Bai Junfan? Why does he seem... different?"