Chapter 35 Brother Yu

Chapter 35: Brother Yu

At first, Xie Xinyi didn't quite process what was happening. As the warmth from behind grew increasingly distinct, her mind buzzed, and it took her a long moment to accept reality.

The man’s movements were practiced, clearly the work of an old hand at this. Pulling her into his embrace without the slightest hesitation, he seemed nothing like the person described in the book.

Yet the sensation, the warmth—it all felt strangely familiar to Xie Xinyi, making it hard to tell dream from reality.

Wait—dream or reality?

Suddenly, she thought of the body pillow she hugged every night.

Could it be… that none of it was a dream?

Xie Xinyi’s eyes widened in disbelief. The familiar comfort of the man’s embrace left her frozen in place, curled up and not daring to move, her reactions slowed to a crawl.

Behind her was the distinct warmth of his body; around her waist, his slim but strong arm. They were so close that Xie Xinyi could clearly feel the heat radiating from him.

Gu Yu was holding her—this man was actually holding her!

Xie Xinyi was stunned. Memories of the past flashed through her mind in an instant, and the things she hadn’t understood before suddenly seemed to make sense.

The first time she visited his home, he agreed to marry her; when she felt uncertain, he handed over his salary; the man who hated trouble willingly acted as a driver to pick up her mother; the hot water bottles he’d gone to great lengths to find; the nights he stayed up to take care of her during her period, bringing her water; and the icy glare he’d given when other men were mentioned…

No, something was very wrong.

Her revolutionary teammate had suddenly switched sides, heading further off track. Xie Xinyi’s heart raced, but she didn’t dare move, allowing the man to hold her.

He wasn’t the confirmed bachelor workaholic she’d expected. He didn’t work overtime incessantly, and despite claims of having no interest in love and rarely returning home, since their marriage, he’d come home on time every day unless he had assignments.

Having read the original book, Xie Xinyi had already formed preconceptions and prepared herself to part ways with the powerful man once he achieved success. But now, his demeanor had shifted unexpectedly, and he seemed to be acting out a sweet romance with her.

Xie Xinyi couldn’t believe it. Remembering the hidden preferences attributed to the powerful man in the original book, she hesitated to jump to conclusions.

With the man’s body growing warmer against her back and his arm tightening around her waist, the “well-informed” Xie Xinyi began to form an idea but didn’t dare believe it. She stayed silent, deciding to observe him discreetly for now.

Anxious and fearful, she woke early the next morning. With a plan in mind, she seized opportunities to interact with him while secretly observing his behavior.

She hadn’t considered it before, but once she started paying attention, the revelations shocked her.

From the toothpaste squeezed out for her in the morning to the fried dough sticks placed before her at breakfast, and even the hand that secretly warmed her feet at night…

Xie Xinyi sucked in a breath. After catching him glancing at her for the eighth time under the guise of coincidence, she suddenly said, “After we return, let’s invite Regimental Commander Gao over.”

Gu Yu, who had been chopping wood, turned with a frown. “Why invite him?”

“Didn’t Mom say he saved Gu Ying and is alone here?” Xie Xinyi replied casually. “Spending the New Year alone can be lonely. Having him over would liven things up.”

Whenever Gao He was mentioned before, the man would get sarcastic. At first, she thought he held a grudge against him, never imagining it could be jealousy.

Jealousy over nothing, and he never said a word about it.

Since he remained silent, Xie Xinyi naturally assumed he genuinely disliked Gao He. Now, faced with the familiar sarcasm, she knew she had to respond differently.

Glancing at Gu Ying, who was watching Xie Xinhuan weave bamboo baskets in the yard, Xie Xinyi mused thoughtfully, “Mom wants to matchmake Gu Ying and Regimental Commander Gao. As their older brother and sister-in-law, we should create some opportunities for them.”

“What opportunities do you want to create for them?”

The man set down his axe, unable to hold back any longer. His tone was as familiar as ever—dismissive and sarcastic. At first, it had gone unnoticed, but now she understood.

Xie Xinyi continued playing innocent. “What else? Opportunities to get to know each other. Regimental Commander Gao has such good qualifications—there’s probably a long line of families wanting him as a son-in-law. Mom’s right; we should make the first move.”

“A long line of families wanting him as a son-in-law?”

The man repeated her words with a dark expression. Just as Xie Xinyi had expected, Gu Yu’s focus wasn’t on his younger sister’s future but on how Xie Xinyi evaluated Gao He.

Hearing her praise Gao He’s qualifications and mention how many families wanted him as a son-in-law, Gu Yu stopped chopping wood altogether.

Xie Xinyi continued feigning ignorance. “Why wouldn’t there be? Think about it—he lives in a compound, is capable, handsome, and ambitious. With qualities like that, who wouldn’t want their daughter to marry him? We’re being conservative by just inviting him over for a meal. If I were in their shoes, I’d have already…”

“Already what?” The man’s voice dropped completely. Seeing Xie Xinyi’s words grow increasingly outrageous, his gaze turned aggressive. “If it were you, what would you do?”

“What else?” Xie Xinyi glanced at the man, whose jealousy had made him unusually talkative, and stifled a laugh. “With such a good marriage prospect, of course I’d try to get close to him, leave a good impression, and then slowly work to deepen our understanding…”

Before she could finish, Gu Yu grabbed the axe and slammed it into the wood with a loud “thud.”

The log split with a deep gash, startling Xu Wenxia, who had been about to step outside, into retreating hastily.

Xie Xinyi stifled a laugh. Unaware of the scene, the man picked up another piece of wood and brought the axe down with another resounding “thud.”

His face was colder than she’d ever seen it, his movements filled with unprecedented anger. It was clear—he was jealous of her and Gao He.

Otherwise, given his attentiveness, how could he have missed her unusual behavior?

She wasn’t a frivolous person, and after being married to her for so long, Gu Yu couldn’t possibly not know that. No matter how much she liked something, she never threw herself at it—whether it was an object or a person.

Moreover, if he’d been as observant as usual, he would have noticed that she was describing his own qualities but applying them to someone else.

A compound kid, living in a Western-style house, eating fine grains, handsome and ambitious—weren’t these the very conditions Xie Xinyi had valued when she agreed to marry him?

Now that she’d applied them to someone else, Gu Yu failed to recognize it. What else could it mean but that he’d lost his composure because of her?

He had feelings for her but refused to speak up. No wonder he’d remained single after divorcing Xie Tingting.

Served him right!

Xie Xinyi had always disliked male leads who couldn’t communicate. Though surprised that the powerful man in this life had developed feelings for her, she couldn’t bring herself to switch sides immediately.

Wasn’t this man the one who rarely spoke and often resorted to sarcasm?

Then let him stew in his own jealousy. Let him simmer, boil even—preferably to the point where he never spoke to her again. That would save her the anxiety of accidentally offending the future powerful man and having to tread carefully around him.

Xie Xinyi was not one to dwell on things for long. She certainly wouldn’t start sucking up to him just because she knew he had feelings for her.

She wasn’t that kind of person and wouldn’t act that way.

Seeing Gu Yu still taking out his frustration on the firewood, she dropped the topic and went to the kitchen to help Xie’s mother. When she returned, she noticed another person had joined the man.

“Brother-in-law, you should rest. How can we let you do such rough work?”

Xie Jianmin took the axe from Gu Yu, grumbling as he glanced around. “Where’s that dead girl Xie Xinyi? Why isn’t she here doing this work?”

Xie Jianmin had known since before the New Year that Xie Xinyi was bringing her husband back to her family home.

Fully aware of the Gu family’s status, he’d canceled all his New Year plans to cozy up to Gu Yu. He hadn’t even gone to his in-laws’ place with gifts, nor had he joined his childhood friends who’d repeatedly invited him to gamble.

Since Xie Xinyi arrived with Gu Yu, he’d been hanging around the house all day. On their first night back, they’d returned late, so he missed his chance to greet them. The next morning, Gu Yu went out early to line up for fried dough sticks, and Xie Jianmin, lacking the energy to rise that early, missed another perfect opportunity to bump into him.

For two consecutive days, Gu Yu either left early or returned late, leaving no opportunity for Xie Jianmin. Unwilling to give up, Xie Jianmin continued to wait at home, and finally, on the morning of the third day, he seized a rare chance.

Just as Xie Jianmin returned from borrowing money at his grandmother's house and stepped through the gate, he saw Gu Yu alone in the yard, chopping firewood. Xie Xinyi, that hothead, was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the Gu family's stuck-up eldest daughter.

Seizing the opportunity, Xie Jianmin quickly stepped forward, took the axe from Gu Yu with a great show of sincerity, and began chopping away noisily and forcefully. He ignored the earlier awkwardness of having written to ask for money only to be lectured in return, focusing solely on building a good relationship with this compound youth who should have been his brother-in-law.

"Actually, you don’t need to do this kind of work, brother-in-law. Just leave it there. Usually, Xie Xinyi is the one who chops the firewood in our house. When she sees it, she’ll naturally take care of it."

Gu Yu came from a privileged background—how could he be accustomed to such labor?

Xie Jianmin assumed that Xie Xinyi, that lazybones, must have been slacking off, and that Gu Yu, feeling uncomfortable idling around during his first visit, had taken it upon himself to do the rough work.

He proceeded to give his cousin an earful in front of Gu Yu. When the latter remained silent, Xie Jianmin thought his "advice" had hit the mark. After chopping a few logs, he paused, wheezing slightly, and began trying to get chummy.

"...You know, it’s quite a coincidence how things turned out. Initially, our younger cousin wasn't thinking straight and refused to marry you, but somehow, after all the twists and turns, you ended up with Xie Xinyi. So, in a way, we’ve still become in-laws."

Xie Jianmin started by referring to the earlier marriage arrangement between the Gu and Xie families, trying to explain what he thought was a misunderstanding, and shamelessly claimed kinship.

Gu Yu didn’t respond to this, quietly gathering the chopped wood into bundles.

Seeing this, Xie Jianmin immediately put down the axe and crouched to help. Sweating profusely despite the winter cold, he shifted the conversation back to criticizing Xie Xinyi.

"...Where has that Xie Xinyi gone off to? How could she let her husband do such rough work at her parents’ home?" He glanced around but saw no sign of Xie Xinyi, so he continued complaining, "That girl is just like that—can't do anything right, yet full of warped logic. You’re truly big-hearted to tolerate her, brother-in-law. If it were me, I would have..."

"Would have what?" Just as Xie Jianmin straightened up, ready to swagger, a scoffing female voice sounded behind him. "Cousin, you have quite some free time today, meddling in other people’s marital affairs?"

Xie Xinyi leaned against the kitchen door, ignoring Gu Yu’s presence, and directly exposed Xie Jianmin’s hypocrisy without giving him a chance to defend himself. After her sarcastic remark, she called out sweetly to Gu Yu, who was gathering firewood, "Brother Yu, come wash your hands—it’s time to eat."

Her voice was sweet, carrying a hint of a young girl’s shyness. Not only was Xie Jianmin stunned, but even Gu Yu himself felt the tips of his ears redden at the term "Brother Yu."

Brother Yu? How did she come up with that?

Most couples addressed each other by their full names, yet here she was, affectionately calling him "Brother Yu" right in front of family.

Gu Yu, holding the firewood, didn’t respond, while Xie Jianmin blinked in disbelief.

His cousin’s rebellious behavior was nothing new, and though Xie Jianmin had gradually learned to accept it, he still couldn’t believe that the girl who used to blush at the sight of boys would address her husband so intimately in public.

Sure, they were married, but what proper person would call their husband that?

Even Xie Jianmin’s own wife, who was the most obedient, had never addressed him so affectionately, no matter how much he coaxed, pressured, or tried to egg her on—let alone the unruly Xie Xinyi.

Xie Jianmin shot an incredulous glance at the girl standing at the door, who showed no sign of embarrassment despite his presence. When Gu Yu didn’t move, she repeated her call in an even more sugary tone. Xie Jianmin felt as if he’d seen a ghost, his eyes widening as he turned to look at the man who had been called "Brother Yu."

But Brother Yu said nothing. Brother Yu simply walked toward the kitchen like a puppet on strings.

Watching the man obediently carry the firewood into the kitchen, Xie Jianmin desperately wished he could take back everything he’d said earlier.

"That wretched girl—can't do anything right, yet full of warped logic."

Xie Jianmin never would have imagined that the aloof young master of the Gu family would be so obedient to Xie Xinyi. Recalling his own rash words and the increasingly cold look in Gu Yu’s eyes, he felt a chill run down his spine, breaking into a cold sweat despite the winter cold.

Earlier, his parents had told him to write to Xie Xinyi to ask for money. Thinking himself clever, he had sent the letter to Gu Yu’s workplace instead.

Knowing Xie Xinyi’s temperament, he was sure asking her directly would be futile. So, he had inquired about Gu Yu’s address and sent the letter to his workplace, assuming that a privileged young man like him would be generous and less calculative than Xie Xinyi. Yet, to his surprise, after sending the letter, there was no reply for a long time.

At first, Xie Jianmin thought the letter might have been lost, so he spent a considerable amount to send another one. But again, it sank without a trace.

Not receiving a reply to his letter, Xie Jianmin was seething with resentment but dared not go to the Gu family to make a scene. He swallowed his anger and took the loss silently, pretending the incident never happened. However, not long after sending the letter, he was visited by the neighborhood committee busybodies.

The reason for their visit was absurd: someone had reported him for impersonating a public official’s relative, and the letter he had sent to Gu Yu served as the most damning evidence.

Impersonation? And prying around!

Xie Jianmin was speechless with frustration, yet the ironclad evidence was right there. No matter how he explained, the committee members refused to believe him.

They grilled him thoroughly and warned him that if he dared to send such letters again, the consequences would be more than just a verbal reprimand.

Though disdainful, Xie Jianmin obediently attended three days of ‘educational’ sessions organized by the committee.

Very few people knew about his letter to Gu Yu—aside from his parents, who nagged him daily, only the recipient, Gu Yu, was aware.

Gu Yu, having grown up in a compound, was well-connected and raised with strong principles, not the type to stab someone in the back like a petty person.

He had merely sent a few letters without crossing any real lines. Not replying was one thing, but reporting him to the committee? Such an underhanded move had Xie Xinyi’s fingerprints all over it.

Xie Jianmin suspected her but wasn’t entirely sure. After all, his uncle’s family had tricked her into marrying into the Gu family. The Gus, having been deceived by the Xies, should have resented Xie Xinyi as a stand-in bride—how could they let her call the shots?

He speculated along these lines, never expecting reality to slap him hard in the face.

To his surprise, Gu Yu, who had married the stand-in bride, showed no displeasure whatsoever and instead was wrapped around Xie Xinyi’s finger.

The more Xie Jianmin thought about it, the more terrified he became. He grew convinced that the person who reported him wasn’t Xie Xinyi but the man standing silently beside her.

A chill ran down his spine, and Xie Jianmin froze in his tracks.

He spent a long time in fear, but fortunately, the couple paid him no mind. After Gu Yu placed the split firewood in a corner of the kitchen, everyone gathered around to eat, not even sparing him a glance.

Seizing the opportunity, Xie Jianmin scurried back to his room, trembling, and didn’t emerge until after Xie Xinyi and the others had returned to Beijing.

Clueless about the tension she’d caused, Xie Xinyi, who had only intended to teach her cousin a small lesson, assumed her calling Gu Yu "Brother Yu" had sufficiently intimidated him. She decided to fully embrace borrowing the tiger’s might.

When Xu Wenxia arrived with her daughter’s letter, pretending to complain to Xie’s mother, Xie Xinyi repeatedly praised Gu Yu—how good he was, how caring—leaving Xu Wenxia fuming with rage, her face turned rainbow-colored. Xu didn’t leave her house for several days afterward.

Then there was Grandma Xie, who returned from mooching at her younger brother’s house. Seeing the many gifts Xie Xinyi had brought home, she arrived with a basket, only to be told repeatedly that everything was bought by Gu Yu or specifically meant for Xie’s mother. Having previously suffered from Gu Yu’s cold and detached nature, Grandma Xie was so frightened that she hightailed it to her sister’s house that very night.

As for her Second Uncle, who loved playing the good guy but was actually the most scheming, Xie Xinyi didn’t say much. When Second Xie asked how long they planned to stay with her mother’s home, she simply batted her eyes lovingly at her husband and said, "It’s all up to him." This grossed out Second Xie so much that he avoided speaking to her for days.

With the most annoying members of the Xie family subdued and no one gossiping anymore, Xie Xinyi and Xie Xinhuan began to cut loose.

On the fifth day of the lunar new year, they took bamboo cages made by Xie Xinhuan to set in the frozen river behind the alley. In the afternoon, they went to the nearby mountains to pick wild fruits and catch rabbits. On the sixth day, they let Gu Ying experience climbing trees to raid bird nests and had an all-out snowball fight in the snow...

After this series of entirely new experiences, Miss Gu Ying exclaimed that she never wanted to return to Beijing.

"You love Guozi Alley so much—should I find you a husband here?" Xie Xinyi joked with a smile as she packed the chili sauce made by Xie’s mother into their luggage.

After a few days at her mother’s home, even Xie Xinyi felt reluctant to leave, let alone Gu Ying.

She would miss the idle chats with her mother, the heart-to-heart talks with her younger sister late into the night, the nights here, the tranquility, the chili sauce, the tangy pickles...

In the past, she had always been the one seeing her mother and sister off, never understanding how one could grow attached to a place. Now, roles reversed, she was the one leaving, and finally she understood why her mother had always been reluctant to come to Beijing.

What mother doesn’t miss her children? It’s just that they never learn to let go.

They were leaving for Beijing on the seventh day of the new year. Though Xie’s mother wore a smile on her face, she wished she could pack up the entire house for Xie Xinyi to take back.

The chili sauce had been prepared in advance, knowing how much she loved it with her meals; the pickled juice had been freshly made just the day before, and to ensure she could take some along, Xie’s mother even borrowed extra from Aunt Chen next door. Then there were the cured spicy sausages, the pickled vegetables... every single item was something Xie Xinyi adored.

Though puzzled by how her daughter’s tastes had changed from before, Xie’s mother made sure to note each preference down.

For Xie’s mother, remembering her daughter’s likes might not seem like much, but for Xie Xinyi, who had crossed into an unfamiliar world, it was the warmest, softest comfort in an otherwise cold existence.

She felt grateful, and Gu Ying also sighed with feeling, "I’d love to stay here too, but circumstances just don’t allow it."

Gu Ying had to return to work on the eighth day of the lunar new year. She had already pushed her limits convincing her mother to let her stay until the seventh. If she didn’t go back today, she was sure Wen Shuhua would come charging at her with a huge knife by tonight.

She didn’t dare gamble with her life by testing her mother’s patience, yet she couldn’t help feeling reluctant to part with the warmth Xie’s mother had shown her during this time. Hearing Xie Xinyi teasing her, she shifted the topic to poke fun at her own older brother.

"Gu Yu, why didn’t you ever try to become a live-in son-in-law or something back then? If you had married into Auntie Li’s family, would Xie Xinhuan and I have such difficulty saying goodbye now?"

She pulled over Xie Xinhuan, who had been quietly watching her second sister pack, deliberately lightening the heavy atmosphere with a cheerful tone.

Xie Xinhuan, obligingly playing along, forced a smile and muttered softly, "If only!"

"You think so too, right?"

"Of course."

"But someone else doesn’t see it that way."

Gu Ying shot a meaningful glance at the man focused on packing their luggage.

Xie Xinhuan chimed in, "Exactly!"

Her tone carried a hint of displeasure, her attitude becoming more cheeky.

Xie Xinyi couldn’t help but chuckle at their theatrical back-and-forth. She thought it was only natural for the female protagonist to carry herself with such confidence, but she wondered where Gu Ying found the courage to make such pointed remarks about her own brother.

Smiling, she waited for the drama to unfold, but to her surprise, the one who usually argued with Gu Ying the most remained completely silent this time. He simply focused on organizing the bags, carefully placing the chili sauce and pickled juice according to Xie’s mother’s instructions.

Not even a retort?

So out of character today?

Puzzled by the uncharacteristically quiet demeanor of the usually quick-witted man, Xie Xinyi was about to tease him when a loud exclamation erupted from the courtyard.

"My goodness, how did you come back..."