Chapter 8 Agreement

Chapter 8: Consent

Regarding the incident where Grandma Gu led, with Wen Shuhua and Gu Ying echoing her, all three vocally denying eavesdropping yet simultaneously appearing outside the study.

Grandma Gu offered no explanation, Wen Shuhua feigned ignorance, and only Gu Ying, under her brother’s icy gaze, guiltily confessed everything.

“Grandma was worried and insisted on checking upstairs. Mom was also concerned you might bully sister-in-law, saying she’d just take a quick look and come right back down. I was just the scapegoat, standing at the back and didn’t hear a thing.”

Didn’t hear a thing?

Gu Yu wasn't born yesterday.

Gu Ying’s affectionate use of “sister-in-law” and her attitude, far more enthusiastic than when she first met Xie Xinyi, suggested otherwise. If she hadn’t heard anything, how could such a dramatic change have occurred?

Making excuses to protect herself was Gu Ying’s usual tactic, and Gu Yu had no intention of making a big deal out of it.

Besides, he and Xie Xinyi had already reached an understanding, so there was no need to keep it from the family any longer.

He thought this way, and Xie Xinyi felt the same. They exchanged a glance from a distance, and under the expectant gazes of the three, Gu Yu spoke calmly.

“I'm free tomorrow.”

“Should we take the photos now or…?”

So, he agreed!

Gu Yu, who had always vowed never to marry, actually agreed to marry his arranged-match partner!

The entire Gu family couldn't believe it. Wen Shuhua even gave Gu Ying’s leg a hard pinch to confirm it wasn’t a dream.

By the time Gu Yu strode upstairs to fetch the camera, the birds resting on the Gu family’s rooftop were startled into flight.

While the Gu family was immersed in the joy of Gu Yu’s agreement to marry, over in Fruit Lane, Grandma Xie, who had just returned from visiting relatives, learned that the arranged-match partner had been switched to Xie Xinyi and that Xu Wenxia had returned the martyr's certificate to the third branch. Furious, she gasped for air and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Xie Xinyi received the ‘good news’ letter from her younger sister nine days after she and Gu Yu had registered their marriage.

The Gu family handled everything meticulously. After setting the wedding date, they insisted on sending another round of betrothal gifts to Xie Xinyi’s family, despite having already sent engagement gifts once before.

Perhaps aware of the Xie family’s circumstances, this time the Gu family’s betrothal gifts included not only 200 yuan in cash but also practical, substantial items: a sewing machine, a television, and even two 26-inch bicycles tailored to the heights of Xie Xinyi’s mother and younger sister.

They had considered both face and substance for Xie Xinyi, and even the 200 yuan in cash was prepared by Wen Shuhua entirely in large-denomination bills.

Xie Xinyi was grateful for the Gu family’s thoughtfulness and openly wrote in her letter to her younger sister about the favoritism the Gu family had shown her—though this did not include her nominal husband, who had disappeared right after their marriage registration.

As for her and Gu Yu’s marriage registration process, it was like a rollercoaster ride.

That evening, after Gu Yu brought out the camera and had Gu Ying take their photo, he handed his passbook over to her first thing the next morning.

When Xie Xinyi refused, he pressured her by saying it was a family tradition. She couldn't argue with that, so she reluctantly agreed to hold onto it for him temporarily.

He then went to his military unit to submit the marriage report and took her to the registration office that afternoon.

Sitting on the bench in the hallway waiting, Xie Xinyi was still in a daze.

Although they had reached an agreement the night before, recalling her friend’s complaints about the book’s plot and Gu Yu’s series of unusual actions, she couldn’t shake her unease.

She glanced at him repeatedly, unable to believe it, and finally couldn’t resist confirming with him once more if he truly intended to marry her.

“The forms are already submitted. Are you having second thoughts?”

His profile was sharp, his eyes cold yet carrying a hint of defiance. As he spoke, his brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at Xie Xinyi with confusion.

At that, Xie Xinyi, ever the hypocrite, surrendered.

After surrendering, she didn’t dare look at him again, afraid of meeting those scrutinizing eyes once more.

In truth, her question was entirely out of a sense of responsibility toward the future big shot.

Who knew if such an important character came with additional bonus traits? If the plot were to twist someday, what if she, as a stumbling block, ended up hindering his grand plans?

Xie Xinyi was worried, but it wasn’t until she held the marriage certificate stamped with a red seal, with no other mishaps occurring, that she finally felt it was real.

Regardless of why he divorced in the book or whether he would become a big shot in the future, now that they were officially married, Gu Yu was her lawful husband.

A husband who was wealthy, was her type, successful in his career, and rarely came home—such a stroke of luck must have been a reward from the heavens for her hard work leading to her overtime death in her previous life.

Firm in this belief, Xie Xinyi accepted his kindness without hesitation after leaving the registration office, allowing him to take her home before he returned to his military unit.

What she didn’t expect was that after dropping her off, Gu Yu vanished. For several days, there was no sign of him, and even Wen Shuhua had no idea of his whereabouts.

“I asked his father to look into it. We’ll know the details when he returns.”

Wen Shuhua comforted her gently, but Gu Ying thought there was more to the story. She sprang up from the rocking chair, leaned toward Wen Shuhua, and said with a serious expression, “Mom, do you think my brother got cold feet and ran off to hide somewhere?”

Afraid of marriage and hiding?

Only Gu Ying could come up with such a reason!

Wen Shuhua pinched her daughter’s arm in exasperation. After venting her frustration, she turned to Xie Xinyi with a smile and explained, “Don’t listen to this girl’s nonsense. Gu Yu must have been held up by something.”

Xie Xinyi thought so too. After all, she, a woman, hadn’t developed pre-wedding jitters—how could the future big shot, who was destined for greatness, possibly have them?

She knew Gu Ying was just trying to divert Wen Shuhua’s attention. After all, which mother wouldn’t worry when her child had been missing for days without any news?

Wen Shuhua was worried but tried to hide it to avoid making others anxious. She spoke calmly to reassure Xie Xinyi, but the slight tremble in her hand as she held Xie Xinyi’s gave her away.

Xie Xinyi wasn’t actually worried about Gu Yu, but Wen Shuhua’s state concerned her.

To prevent Wen Shuhua from dwelling on the matter, she playfully went along with Gu Ying’s joke, “Your brother’s new wife only eats food, not people. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Her humorous remark made Wen Shuhua and Gu Ying laugh. Soon after, Gu Haoyi returned from work with news that Gu Yu had been assigned a mission.

So, he was on a mission. Wen Shuhua finally put her mind at ease. That evening, while resting, she talked with Gu Haoyi about their son’s marriage and sang Xie Xinyi’s praises repeatedly.

“Alright, you’ve said this countless times already.”

Gu Haoyi was usually busy with work and paid little attention to family matters. Moreover, his marriage to Wen Shuhua had been arranged by their parents, and he had little affection for his wife.

Wen Shuhua, a member of the military’s cultural troupe, came from a good family and was stunning. Her privileged upbringing had shaped her into a straightforward, capable woman who handled things meticulously. To outsiders, Wen Shuhua was an ideal match, but to Gu Haoyi, who had experienced free love, she was dull and uninteresting.

With Wen Shuhua, there were no romantic gestures or heart-wrenching emotions—only questions like what he wanted for dinner or what their son would do the next day.

His days at the military unit were already exhausting, and all he wanted when he returned home was to rest. But his wife, like a bee with its hive open, buzzed around incessantly, giving him a headache.

Gu Haoyi detested this kind of life. So, whenever Wen Shuhua brought up such topics, he would either interrupt her or simply stay silent. Sometimes, when he grew too annoyed, he wouldn’t even return home, opting to stay at the military unit instead.

He disliked Wen Shuhua and thought even less of her way of doing things. For instance, he simply couldn't fathom why she had personally gone to the Xie family to finalize the child betrothal.

Was there no one suitable in the provincial capital? Or were the Gu family so desperate for a daughter-in-law that they had to travel all the way to the distant Xie family, with whom they hadn't had any contact for ages?

Forget about whether they even knew what the child's temperament or looks were like—just the way the Xie family shamelessly came to their home to freeload made it clear they weren't a good match. And as for a child raised in such a family, how good could they possibly be?

Gu Haoyi had made his disapproval clear early on and had no intention of meeting the Xie family's child. So, in the days since Xie Xinyi had arrived at the Gu household, he had either been working overtime or busy with other matters. He had only run into the Xie girl once.

Looks-wise, she was the type his mother and Wen Shuhua liked—polite enough—but there was just something about this girl that felt shrewd and calculating. Otherwise, how could she have managed to charm his entire family into singing her praises in such a short time?

His wife's nagging still buzzed in his ear, but Gu Haoyi had no intention of listening further. He placed the book on the bedside table, got up to turn off the lamp, and turned over to sleep.

"Hey, I'm talking to you! Don't you even care about our son's future?" Wen Shuhua complained. Seeing that the person with his back to her showed no reaction, she didn’t bother pressing the issue. She turned off the light and lay down on her own.

That Gu Haoyi had no feelings for her was something Wen Shuhua had known since the day they met.

As for why she had insisted on marrying him, it was simply because she valued his capabilities and family background.

His parents were loving—none of the messy drama you'd find in her own family. His siblings got along well and were all capable individuals, none of them needing support from them in the future. Moreover, Gu Haoyi had become a battalion commander at a young age and was reasonably good-looking. Even though he was previously married with a child, she had married him without hesitation.

As a first-time bride marrying a divorced man, the Gu family always felt they owed her something and treated her with great respect. After she gave birth to the twins, Gu Yu and Gu Ying, Old Mr. Gu and Grandma Gu became even more protective of her.

Not only did they entrust her with all household matters, but every time Gu Haoyi used work as an excuse to avoid coming home, the elderly couple would criticize him.

Gu Haoyi was a filial son and always did as his parents said.

After the old man passed away and the children grew up, the protection of the elderly gradually shifted to the support of her son and daughter. Aside from her husband’s lack of affection, her life in the Gu family was actually quite comfortable.

When she was younger, she might have felt resentful or unwilling at times, but as she grew older, she gradually came to accept things.

What did all that talk about love and romance even matter? When it came down to it, every family had its own share of troubles.

And at her age, she had long since come to see men as tools for earning a living and supporting the family.

So, it was just as well that Gu Haoyi didn’t interfere. It saved them from arguing over disagreements about the wedding preparations.

Whenever the daughter-in-law fancied something, she would simply bring it home. As for the men, they just needed to provide the money and effort.

Wen Shuhua was open-minded and fell asleep soon after her head touched the pillow.

Meanwhile, next door, Xie Xinyi had just finished bathing and was sitting at her desk, reading a letter from her younger sister.

Author's note: