"Willing, of course I'm willing!" The surprise came too suddenly. Sheng Zexi caught himself smiling so wide, afraid Gu Jia Ning would catch it, and quickly tried to flatten the curve of his lips, pacing back and forth in the room for a while before finally sitting down.
"I'm so good, plus I'm an officer—anyone with eyes would know to pick me. Finally, you saw straight this time and didn't miss your shot."
Gu Jia Ning: This guy's fine, but damn, his mouth really is poisonous.
Sheng Zexi kept feeding her until Gu Jia Ning finished all the sweet rice wine boiled eggs.
Not sure if it was the painkillers or the eggs, but Gu Jia Ning's stomach finally stopped hurting, and her complexion wasn't so pale anymore.
"I'm heading out. Wait for me tomorrow." He'd snuck in, so he couldn't stay too long.
His rough hand gently ruffled Gu Jia Ning's hair now that she was already lying down, and then, just like when he came, Sheng Zexi slipped out through the window.
Gu Jia Ning stared at the window, which was now shut again, for a long time before she finally looked away.
Sheng Zexi didn't leave right away; he glanced toward the Educated Youth Station, his eyes dark and brooding.
By dusk, everyone finished work. Wen Zhqing hobbled back toward the Educated Youth Station, his refined face wrapped in gloom.
At noon, someone beat him up— a burlap sack dropped out of nowhere, and before he could fight back, fists and kicks rained down on him. By the time he broke free, there was nobody around.
Who could've attacked him?
Thinking about Gu Jia Ning's river jump today and the Gu Family's temperament, Wen Zhqing narrowed it down to a suspect: Gu Family's hot-tempered, tight-fisted, and fiercely protective Old Third Gu—Gu Yunzhou!
His hand touched his eye, a sharp pain stabbing—Wen Zhqing gasped, squinting. Once he got Gu Yunting's job, Gu Yunzhou wouldn't get away with it!
Thinking about Gu Jia Ning jumping into the river today, maybe it'd be a day or two before she could see him and hand over the job. Unconsciously wandering to a deserted spot—only him around—Wen Zhqing suddenly got a bad feeling. Turns out his gut was right, because in an instant, another burlap sack dropped from above, and he got thrashed all over again.
No idea how long it lasted, but the beating finally stopped. He didn't hear a sound; whoever it was had left.
After a long struggle, Wen Zhqing wrestled free of the sack and gulped down fresh air, feeling for the first time like he'd truly survived.
The delicate face now swelling and purple, looking like a pig's head—not a trace of his usual refinement left.
Wen Zhqing was certain—someone totally jealous of his looks. Every punch, nearly all of them aimed at his face.
After gathering himself for a while, Wen Zhqing braced himself against a tree just to get upright; everything hurt, his body, his face—everywhere.
His expression was dark, eyes cold and vicious.
This time, who was it?
He was sure it wasn't Gu Yunzhou, so who then? Another Gu Family member, or some Educated Youth jealous of him?
Wen Zhqing couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman—no footsteps, not a sound at all.
They'd better not let him find out, or else...
Wen Zhqing barely dragged himself back to the Educated Youth Station. When the others saw him, they gasped.
When asked, he just said he'd accidentally fallen, but subtly and purposefully brought up Gu Yunzhou's name.
Among the Educated Youth, plenty of girls liked Wen Zhqing and now they were indignant.
"Must be Old Third Gu, venting anger over Gu Jia Ning jumping into the river by beating you up!" Zhao Weihong clenched her fists, face tense as she guessed.
"It's obviously Gu Jia Ning always pestering you, making your life hard, and now she stirs things up by jumping into the river. The villagers still blame Wen Zhuqing. How could Wen Zhuqing possibly force Gu Jia Ning to ask Gu Family's eldest for work?"
In Zhao Weihong's mind, Wen Zhuqing was gentle as jade, good looking, mild-mannered and thoughtful, plus he's from Hucheng, from a good family, basically the perfect husband.
Even with her tomboy looks and rough voice, Zhao Weihong started liking him after he gave her a steamed bun once, and since then she'd always shield him.
Whether in the Educated Youth Station or Huaihua Village, plenty of women crushed on Wen Zhuqing.
But Wen Zhuqing had said: He went to the countryside to help build the new rural society, not to rush into dating or getting married.
Zhao Weihong thought Wen Zhuqing wasn't just good looking and good-natured; he had high ideals, which made her like him even more.
Of all the women who liked Wen Zhqing, her biggest gripe was Gu Jia Ning.
Always using her dad being the village chief as a pretext to run over and bug Wen Zhuqing at the Educated Youth Station. Wen Zhuqing was just too nice, didn't know how to reject her, afraid of hurting feelings, so Gu Jia Ning only pushed her luck more and more.
She was scared that someday, Wen Zhuqing would, because of social pressure, end up with Gu Jia Ning.
With two braided pigtails and a sweet face, Li Juan carried a basin of water inside. "Wen Zhuqing, use this to clean up; wash your face, then put on some medicine."
She seemed to have overheard Zhao Weihong's rant and said, "We Educated Youths are weak here in the village, can't really stand up to them. What they say, goes, even if we suffer—we just have to put up with it."
As she spoke, she almost casually brought up something else, "Oh, right, I heard something—seems there was a matchmaker in Huaihua Village today. Someone's coming to see Gu Jia Ning, and Gu Jia Ning agreed."
Wen Zhqing, half reclined on the bed, eyes flashed, brows furrowed for a moment before relaxing.
Must be fake.
Wen Zhqing knew full well Gu Jia Ning's heart was all towards him—even jumped in the river today for him, just to beg for a job and curry favor, to date him. No way she'd suddenly agree to see someone else.
The girls didn't dare confront the Gu Family over Wen Zhqing getting beaten; instead, they secretly schemed a little. Since Wen Zhuqing wasn't doing well lately, this was their chance—they'd take extra care of him, make a good impression, and try to get closer emotionally.
-
Sheng Zexi drove from Huaihua Village to the town hotel by evening.
Lying on the bed, hands behind his head, his long frame nearly took up the whole two-meter bed, straight legs carelessly crossed, lazy and relaxed. He glanced sideways at the gift bag already prepared on the cabinet, recalling his day with Gu Jia Ning, lips curving faintly, bright phoenix eyes shining.
Seemed to think of something, Sheng Zexi's just-unfurrowed brows tightened again.
He could tell Gu Jia Ning probably really liked that Wen Zhuqing before.
But now, she'd changed her mind and was willing to give him a try.
"Wen Zhqing, that pretty boy!" Sheng Zexi muttered, almost gnashing his teeth—jealousy growing like thorns, stabbing deep into his chest.
After a deep breath, Sheng Zexi finally calmed down a bit.
He knew Gu Jia Ning didn't like him all that much. Maybe only had a bit of goodwill, really.
But, that's okay.
His only thing now—grab the matchmaking opportunity, get Gu Jia Ning to marry him soon, take her with him in the military, keep her tightly by his side.
Once she was his, he was absolutely confident—eventually, he'd settle deep into that silly girl Gu Jia Ning's heart, grow into a towering tree, and kick that whatever Zhqing or Juqing dog out for good.
Heh—being able to egg a silly girl on to jump in the river in the dead of winter just for a job, what kind of person is that? Today's beating—just collecting a bit of interest.
Only thing is...
His health—when he talks about it tomorrow, who knows what Gu Jia Ning and her family will think? Maybe they'll refuse him?