Chapter 756 - 655
Chapter 756: Chapter 655
Xiao Man took out the festive bedding set again, along with a large red Chinese knot, red lanterns, colorful strings and baubles to hang from the ceiling, and various paper-cuttings. These were originally intended for Mo Qiuyan to play with, but now the two adults were having fun with them instead.
They decorated the room with great enthusiasm. Maybe it was because he was actively involved, or perhaps, as Gu Shaojun had suggested, he’d built up a resistance after the last few incidents. In any case, he surprisingly made it through the entire process without a single nosebleed. However, not long after they tried lying down together under the big red quilt, he shot up and ran to the bathroom again.
Xiao Man giggled and comforted him, "There are plenty of fish in the Space Spring Lake—big, fat ones too! Crucian carp, mandarin fish, common carp... I’ll steam some for you tomorrow. It’ll help you get your strength back!"
Hearing her treat him like an invalid, Gu Shaojun didn’t know whether to be exasperated or amused. Still, a warm and comforting feeling spread through his chest.
Seeing it was getting late, and knowing he had to get up for Cultivation in the pre-dawn hours and then head to work, Gu Shaojun knew they couldn’t delay sleep any longer. The couple prepared for bed. He knew Xiao Man’s usual routine was to enter her space to cultivate before sleeping, but with her soft, warm body in his arms, he couldn’t bear to let her go. He coaxed her, saying:
"I’ll wake you up when it’s time, and we can cultivate together. Then after I leave for work, you can go back to sleep if you want. The meetings these next few days are very important, and everyone will be eating lunch together, so I can’t come back. If you don’t feel like cooking, have Xiao Yu take you to the main cafeteria. You can order whatever you like there. If you get bored during the day, you can go out for a stroll, or just lock up the apartment and go play in your space. I’ll be back at six tonight."
Xiao Man nodded. Gu Shaojun got up and pulled the cord for the light, plunging the room into darkness. It didn’t affect his vision, however. He dashed back to the bed in a few strides, wrapped his arms around his soft, delicate fiancée, and pulled her under the comfortable warmth of the big red quilt.
They snuggled close, whispering to each other for a while. Perhaps she was tired from the day; feeling completely safe in her beloved’s arms, Xiao Man was the first to fall asleep. Gu Shaojun gently traced the outline of her brows and eyes with his finger. He let out a soft sigh and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. Suppressing his desires, filled with a sweet and joyful ache, he lay there in bittersweet torment until, after some time, he finally drifted off to sleep as well.
At four in the morning, Gu Shaojun’s eyes opened. The girl in his arms was still sleeping soundly. Not having the heart to disturb her sweet dreams, he intended to gently shift her so she could keep sleeping, but Xiao Man stirred and woke up. She rubbed her eyes, rolled over, and got out of bed with him.
After they washed up, Gu Shaojun led Xiao Man to a small hill near his work unit. It wasn’t particularly high, but it was covered in towering, ancient trees whose thick canopies cast deep shadows. In the pre-dawn winter air, the place felt a little gloomy, which was probably why very few people came here for morning exercise. A stone path led straight to the summit, and a gentler, paved road circled the base. They chose the direct path and ascended quickly. Xiao Man saw at a glance that Gu Shaojun had set up a Spirit Gathering Array in a spot on the eastern face. Wisps of Spiritual Energy were slowly drifting in from all directions to converge there. Although the concentration of Spiritual Energy was very thin, it was better than nothing.
Gu Shaojun took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped off a flat boulder for Xiao Man to meditate on. He himself sat down directly on the dry grass to the side. Xiao Man didn’t say anything. The tracksuits they wore today were from Lu Yang Company. Yang Liu’er, a perfectionist, had done her best to imitate famous future-era brands; the fabric was sturdy, durable, and of excellent quality. Out of the thirty men’s and women’s sets Xiao Man had acquired, besides those for the Mo family siblings, she and Gu Shaojun each had five to wear freely.
After three hours of Cultivation, the sky had only just begun to lighten. It looked like it would be another overcast, sunless day. Gu Shaojun took Xiao Man’s hand and led her briskly down the winding, paved road, giving her a chance to get familiar with the hill. The air was fresh and the surroundings were tranquil—a perfect spot for a leisurely walk. Unfortunately, Gu Shaojun was not a man of leisure at the moment; he had to hurry back for work.
When they returned to the apartment, Xiao Yu had already brought breakfast over and was setting the table. He was a little surprised to see Xiao Man returning with Gu Shaojun from a morning workout. ’I thought she’d still be asleep in the bedroom,’ he thought. ’I didn’t expect her to be up so early to exercise.’
After breakfast, Gu Shaojun went into the bedroom and came out a moment later carrying seven of the net bags Xiao Man had packed the previous night. He had taken out the apples and snow pears, however, replacing them with large yellow pears and mandarin oranges from Grandpa’s home. He handed the bags to Xiao Yu, telling him to distribute them among the seven people who had returned from Wancheng with him yesterday. They had all seen him bring back local specialties from the countryside, so it wouldn’t be right not to share. He’d removed the apples and pears because they weren’t something you could get from a Southern Village, so including them wouldn’t make sense.
Once Xiao Yu had left, Xiao Man asked, "That’s seven shares gone just like that. There won’t be enough left, will there? Should I get some more?"
"You’re right, it’s not enough. I’ll just buy more later, and I can add some things like milk powder for the children at the same time."
Gu Shaojun said, "We should save the food from your space for ourselves, to eat slowly over time. Try not to constantly restock it with store-bought things. You have to remember, your space is alive. Storing items, especially food, consumes a lot of Spiritual Energy."
Xiao Man lowered her gaze and pouted. ’Getting lectured again,’ she thought. ’He’s such a taskmaster.’
Gu Shaojun tapped her nose with his knuckle. "If you have a problem with it, say it out loud. What are you secretly grumbling about me for?"
"That you’re a taskmaster."
Gu Shaojun laughed in exasperation. "Me? A taskmaster? Are you calling me stingy? Well, you’re right. I *have* to be the stingy one. It’s not my fault my wife is too generous! It’s called balance. We complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses!"
Xiao Man: "..."
Unable to win the argument, she turned and went back into the bedroom in a sulk. She grabbed a clean set of underwear from the wardrobe, shoved it into his hands, and told him to shower and get to work.
Gu Shaojun was incredibly fast in the shower. All she heard was the WHOOSH of rushing water from the bathroom, and five minutes later, he emerged with his hair already washed. Xiao Man quickly grabbed a dry towel to help him dry it, then handed him his coat, shoes, socks, and hat. Just as he was fully dressed and about to leave, he pulled Xiao Man into his arms and gave her a hard kiss. His usual gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by a roguish, possessive tone as he warned her:
"Be a good girl and wait for your husband to come home and take you out, alright? If you absolutely must go out on your own, remember: no talking to strange men. Got it?"
Xiao Man gave him a playful, sideways eye-roll. ’He’s really milking this for all it’s worth,’ she thought. ’I call him a taskmaster, so he decides to act even more controlling.’
Completely charmed by his fiancée’s expression, Gu Shaojun reached out and playfully ruffled her hair. In a fantastic mood, he grinned and headed out the door for work.