Chapter 36 Resistance

Chapter 36: Resistance

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, knowing that Xie Xinyi and her husband were returning to the capital, Xu Wenxia, who had been avoiding them for days, finally found a chance to step out for some fresh air. But before she could even cross the threshold, she was slammed into by a shadowy figure rushing in from the doorway.

Staggering to regain her balance, Xu Wenxia was about to look up and unleash a torrent of curses. However, before the expletive "son of a bitch" could escape her lips, she recognized the person as her long-missed daughter. She instinctively gasped, "Why are you back?" But before she could finish her question, her daughter clamped a hand over her mouth and nose and dragged her into a corner.

Standing in the corner, and after confirming they were unobserved, Xu Wenxia finally recovered her wits and whispered in shock, "Good heavens, my little ancestor, how did you get back?"

Ever since she had pushed the marriage onto Xie Xinyi, Xie Tingting had been throwing tantrums about going to the countryside. At first, Xu Wenxia thought her daughter was simply delirious with fever, assuming she would recover in a few days. But instead of her daughter coming to her senses, she received the list of sent-down youth from the Sent-down Youth Office.

Xie Tingting’s name was at the top of the list—she had heard her daughter had begged the neighborhood committee several times to be included. The assigned location, though in a neighboring county, was the poorest and most remote village.

Xu Wenxia was furious and almost slapped her daughter on the spot. But when she saw how weak and hungry her daughter looked, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Since going to the countryside was inevitable and Xie Tingting insisted on that specific village, Xu Wenxia had no choice but to call in favors to make arrangements for her daughter.

With connections secured and ration coupons prepared, Xu Wenxia expected her daughter to suffer hardships and struggle to adapt. She anticipated letters complaining about the difficulties and telegrams full of grievances. But she never imagined her daughter would sneak back home one day, giving her such a fright.

Staring in shock at her bundled-up daughter, Xu Wenxia whispered, half-accusing, half-concerned, then asked how she had managed to return.

"...I didn’t run away. I just came back to check on things."

Xie Tingting briefly explained her purpose without detailing why she had returned or what she planned to do. Xu Wenxia wanted to press further, but Xie Tingting stopped her with a look. "Mom, is there any food at home? I’m starving."

She pushed Xu Wenxia inside and was about to ask if her second brother was home when the door across from Xie Xinyi’s house suddenly opened.

Xie Xinhuan was clinging reluctantly to Xie Xinyi, accompanied by a strikingly pretty girl. Gu Yu followed behind carrying luggage, with Xie’s mother, her eyes red-rimmed, beside them.

The group strolled out of the house, just in time to bump into Xu Wenxia and her daughter, who were still jostling each other. Xie Tingting instinctively wanted to hide, but the other side didn't give her that chance.

Xie Xinhuan was the first to spot her, exclaiming in surprise, "Look, is that Xie Tingting?"

Then she pulled Xie Xinyi over and scrutinized her from head to toe across the courtyard. After confirming it was indeed her, she asked again, "Didn't she go to the countryside? How did she come back?"

Three consecutive questions left Xie Xinyi staring blankly at her, the bright girl's face full of shock. Even Gu Yu, who had been standing behind them with his eyes fixed straight ahead, turned to look.

Why must this happen to me? She had sneaked back, yet ran into someone who hadn't been home for ages.

Xie Tingting wished she could vanish on the spot. Xu Wenxia was pacing anxiously when Xie Xinyi, adding fuel to the fire, stretched her neck and loudly greeted the two, "It really is Cousin! When did you come back, Cousin? Does the village know? How long do you plan to stay this time?"

Another set of three deadly questions, as if afraid others wouldn't hear, her voice was as loud as a gong.

Xu Wenxia was so angry she felt her teeth grinding, not expecting the usually soft-spoken person to be so loud now. She glared at her with hatred.

But Xie Xinyi treated her like air, ignoring her glare and turning to her sister with an innocent look, "Those who went to the countryside have family visitation leave, right?"

Seemingly offering an excuse for Xie Tingting's sudden return, but actually digging a pit for her.

After all, once you went to the countryside, no matter how close you were to home, you couldn't return without permission from the organization.

Xie Xinyi had memorized the rules for going to the countryside in the first month after she arrived, and she knew very well that Xie Tingting's return was against the rules.

And as someone who had gone to the countryside, Xie Tingting must have known this too.

Understanding this in her heart but still taking the risk to return home, Xie Xinyi couldn't help but wonder how bold someone could be. That's why when she heard Xu Wenxia's exclamation earlier, she found it hard to believe and had to lean against the window for a long time, only leaving with the group after confirming it was indeed Xie Tingting.

It was deliberate, and her knowing questions also carried a bit of personal emotion.

She pounced on the other's mistake and fired off a series of questions, completely ignoring the murderous glare directed at her. After Xie Xinhuan nodded in agreement, she feigned confusion with a casual "Who could possibly know?", then blinked and turned her gaze toward the mother and daughter who were trying to sneak back inside.

"Cousin, the village knows about your return... right?"

With a deceptively innocent expression, the girl drew out the last word "right" in a soft, sweet tone, making it clear she meant trouble. Yet, when those dark, starry eyes turned toward her, Xie Tingting was so stunned she froze in place.

She stood motionless, staring at Xie Xinyi without speaking or responding.

Seeing this, Xu Wenxia quickly reacted. Under the gaze of the group staring intently at them, she vaguely muttered, "Yes, yes, they know," forced an awkward smile, and hurriedly ushered her dazed daughter toward the house.

As if afraid that staying any longer would lead to disaster, Xu Wenxia didn't even notice Gu Ying's suppressed laughter, intent only on making a getaway. In her haste, she smacked her head on the doorframe while entering.

A dull "thud" echoed—it sounded painful.

Xie Xinyi couldn't help but touch her own forehead. Watching the mother and daughter flee like the wind, she finally burst into laughter.

Having enjoyed the spectacle and vented her frustration, she bid a reluctant farewell to Xie's mother. Before getting into the car, she specifically reminded her younger sister to "take care" of their cousin, who rarely returned home.

Xie Xinhuan understood instantly, nodding with teary eyes.

Gu Ying hated goodbyes more than anything. After saying her farewells, she got into the car immediately, afraid that delaying even a moment would make it harder to leave, leaving only a deliberately casual figure for Xie's mother and the others.

Gu Yu didn't scold her for being impolite. After setting down the luggage, he went over to bid farewell to Xie's mother. "Mom, we'd better get going now."

His attitude was as sincere as when they had arrived, and the word "Mom" rolled off his tongue more naturally than ever.

Xie Xinyi stole a sideways glance, observing the man standing there obediently, listening to Xie's mother's instructions, and almost thought she was hallucinating.

Since when had the man, who usually hated endless chatter, become so compliant and well-behaved, standing there for so long?

She found it hard to believe, but the man saw nothing unusual about his behavior.

After patiently listening to Xie's mother's advice and respectfully accepting the snacks she had prepared for their journey, he even assured her that he would drive carefully when she expressed concern for their safety.

His unusual behavior reminded Xie Xinyi of the phrase "love me, love my dog." Recalling the man's earlier jealousy, she felt the urge to tease him again.

"Alright, it's time to go. Mom called and said Regimental Commander Gao is coming over for dinner tonight. We need to hurry back."

She deliberately emphasized Gao He's visit and urged him to speed up. If Xie Xinyi weren't the one stirring trouble, she might have reacted like Gu Yu—his face growing darker and stiffer with each word.

"Mom, we’ll be off now."

Satisfied with the man's reaction, Xie Xinyi bid a casual farewell to Xie's mother and her younger sister before getting into the car herself, paying no mind to Gu Yu's scowling expression, which nearly startled Xie's mother and the others.

When the man returned to the car, she pretended not to want to put Gu Ying in an awkward position and avoided mentioning Gao He or his visit for the rest of the journey.

In truth, Xie Xinyi had known since last year that Wen Shuhua wanted to invite Gao He over. But back then, Gu Ying, as the person involved, hadn’t taken the bait, so Xie Xinyi didn’t dwell on it.

Since she hadn’t paid it much mind, she naturally didn’t bring it up.

If Aunt Wen hadn’t called yesterday to ask when they’d return and mentioned that Gao He was coming for dinner that evening, she might have forgotten about Gao He—the source of the man’s jealousy.

Annoyed by his unreasonable jealousy and silent treatment, yet witnessing his model son-in-law act in front of Xie's mother, Xie Xinyi couldn’t resist teasing him.

Her provoking words had the intended effect: the man fell into his usual jealous mood.

He remained cold and silent the entire ride home. When they arrived and saw Gao He sitting on the sofa, he grabbed the luggage and went upstairs without a word, ignoring even his mother’s calls.

Not expecting the consequences of her man's anger to be so severe, the instigator Xie Xinyi had no choice but to step up and explain on behalf of her husband, "Our place doesn't have a shower, so Gu Yu is getting pretty ripe."

Cooking up a quick excuse, she offered an apologetic smile to the guest on the sofa, then, under Wen Shuhua's skeptical look, was pulled upstairs by Gu Ying.

"We haven't bathed in days. We’ll come down to eat after we’ve cleaned up."

Gu Ying threw out this line out of nowhere and made a swift escape, leaving Wen Shuhua—who had just praised her daughter for being demure—feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

What had she just said?

Oh, that Gu Ying was usually quite shy.

And wasn’t she? The moment she saw an unfamiliar man, she slipped away faster than a loach.

Wen Shuhua gave a helpless smile to the "esteemed guest" beside her, silently cursing her two rebellious children a thousand times in her heart, all while subtly shifting the conversation toward Gao He.

"How many years has it been since you last went home?"

"Oh, you just arrived in Beijing this year!"

"Don’t you miss home?"

"Oh, I’m used to it. I’ve gotten pretty used to it by now."

"..."

"..."

She maintained her smile as best she could, and only after asking everything she could think of—appropriate or not—did the two rebellious children finally dawdle their way downstairs.

"Just waiting for you two! Come, Wang Ma, let’s serve the meal!"

Wen Shuhua planned to deal with them later, so she didn’t even glance at them, instead pulling Gao He and Xie Xinyi to their seats.

After Gu Yu and the others left, Grandma Gu had gone to visit her sister’s house, while Gu Haoyi and Gu Kai’s family had gone to visit Gu Kai’s maternal grandmother and hadn’t returned yet. Wen Shuhua had been alone since the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Lonely? Not exactly—after all, Wang Ma had returned to keep her company within a few days, so she didn’t feel too bad. It was just that when she heard Wang Ma calling her grandson, she felt kinda off.

She couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly bothered her, but she suddenly remembered something Gu Kai had said before. After a moment’s thought, she called Gao He.

Knowing that Xie Xinyi and the others would return today, she didn’t want to waste a single second. She got straight to the point, asking Gao He about his availability. Hearing that he was free today, she immediately invited him over.

To Gu Yu, she said it was to liven things up—since she had been alone this New Year, it had been pretty quiet. Using her son’s sense of filial duty, she coaxed them into returning before dinner. To Gao He, however, she said that Gu Ying and the others were coming back today, and knowing he was alone here, she wanted to invite him for a simple meal.

Simple as it was called, it was anything but casual. Gao He glanced at the table piled with dishes of all sizes and guessed that, if not for propriety, Wen Shuhua might have prepared a full imperial banquet.

Keeping his thoughts to himself, he politely took his seat. Wen Shuhua had deliberately left the spot next to him vacant for her daughter, who was the last to come downstairs.

If their interactions at the hospital were out of courtesy and the previous visit was out of gratitude, this time felt somewhat intentional.

Gao He was no stranger to such situations. Xie Xinyi guessed he had already sensed Wen Shuhua’s intentions. She kept a subtle watch on the man’s reactions, unaware that, in a place she couldn’t see, a pair of intense eyes was tracking her expressions.

"Xiao Gao, help yourself to the dishes." Wen Shuhua served a portion of food into Gao He’s bowl, warmly urging, "Treat this place as your own home. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Auntie. I’ll help myself."

Gao He accepted politely, his face wearing a gentle smile, his demeanor humble as befitting a younger generation. He leaned slightly forward, his hand lightly supporting the bowl—a clear sign of good upbringing. No wonder Wen Shuhua was so pleased with him.

Xie Xinyi carefully observed his every word and action. Had she not already been suspicious of him, she might have been swayed by Gao He’s perfection.

Setting aside other factors, judging solely by family background and personal qualities, Gao He was indeed a perfect match for Gu Ying. Yet, from a broader perspective, nothing in the world is flawless. Excessive perfection often feels artificial, just as the moon waxes and wanes, and no person is without faults.

If someone appears too perfect, it naturally raises doubts about their motives.

What Gao He’s motives were, Xie Xinyi didn’t know, so she had to keep an eye on him.

There are no perfect people in the world. If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it. No matter how well Gao He disguised himself, if he had ulterior motives, he would eventually slip up.

Xie Xinyi was certain of this, so she found herself looking at Gao He more often—a detail not lost on the man beside her, whose eyes grew darker.

He couldn't be bothered talking to Gao He, only expressing his displeasure with a look when Wen Shuhua compared the two.

But he didn’t argue, giving Wen Shuhua face. It was only when his mother steered the conversation toward Gu Ying and Gao He that he suddenly interjected, "One is unmarried, the other is single. Being too close might lead to misunderstandings."

He deliberately emphasized the lack of official status, yet what he said was undeniably true.

Gu Ying was a girl, unlike him, who was already engaged. If she were seen getting too close to a single young man, it wouldn’t take long for rumors to spread.

Rumors—repeated enough, they become "truth." If Gu Ying and Gao He ended up together, fine. But if things didn’t work out, it would be much harder for Gu Ying to find a suitable match in the future.

Wen Shuhua was momentarily at a loss for words, and Gao He was also caught off guard by Gu Yu’s sudden opposition.

No one had expected the man to remain silent only to strike at the heart of the matter when he finally spoke.

A point everyone else had overlooked, he had observed with meticulous detail. Not only did he shatter Wen Shuhua’s sugar-coated illusions with a few words, but he also nipped any opportunism in the bud under the guise of protecting his sister’s reputation.

It had to be said, Gu Yu was exactly as rumors described him.

Gao He adjusted his demeanor and smiled in agreement, "Comrade Gu is indeed thoughtful."

And he had to be. The Gu family had only one daughter, doted on and cherished since childhood. They couldn’t just entrust her to someone without knowing his true character. That wasn’t the Gu family’s way—something Xie Xinyi understood better than anyone.

Wen Shuhua did want to marry Gu off early, but compared to her daughter’s happiness, timing wasn't her main concern.

Grandma Gu disliked forcing the children even more. As the most authoritative figure in the family, she hadn’t pressured her grandchildren about marriage when they reached the appropriate age, let alone now. Otherwise, how could Gu Ying have dared to insist on not marrying? It was only because the old lady backed her.

The family might seem anxious about Gu Ying’s marital status, but they were actually very strict, especially Gu Yu, her brother.

Though he often acted critically toward the sister born just half an hour after him, Xie Xinyi was certain that if anything happened, Gu Yu would be the first to step up.

When Gu Ying was injured and hospitalized, he had rushed over in his workout gear without even changing—proof enough of how much he valued his sister.

Perhaps because he had a stern face, most people assumed he was unfeeling. Xie Xinyi had thought the same when she first met him. But over time, she realized he wasn’t cold or indifferent—he just struggled to express his emotions.

Struggling to express emotions didn’t mean he didn’t care.

Without understanding Gao He’s character, Gu Yu would never easily approve of his sister getting involved with a stranger.

He was considering not only her reputation but also her future happiness.

Understanding Gu Yu’s personality, Xie Xinyi fully supported his opposition. The only issue was that he had phrased it too bluntly, leaving an awkward silence after he spoke.

Awkward—truly awkward. But what was awkwardness compared to a matter of lifelong importance?

Her eyes sparkling, she looked at him with admiration. When he noticed her gaze, their eyes met.

He frowned, confusion in his expression.

Apparently, he couldn't decipher why she was staring at him.

Xie Xinyi gave the man a playful eyebrow raise and smirk, then quickly averted her gaze and changed the subject. When Wen Shuhua asked about the fun stories from her recent trip back home, she immediately dragged Gu Ying into the chat.

“...Mom, you've no idea—this time when I got back, Gu Ying gained three pounds, and she even learned how to catch fish in the water and climb trees to pick fruit...”

Xie Xinyi chatted cheerfully and nostalgically about their time in Guozixiang, so much so that even Gu Ying, who hadn’t said a word since sitting down to eat, chimed in, “Yeah, I really did gain weight. The new coat I bought earlier this year doesn’t even fit me anymore.”

Girls usually care about their appearance, and they often hate it when others comment on their weight. Wen Shuhua remembered that when Gu Ying was fourteen, she had merely mentioned that her daughter seemed to have gained a little weight, and Gu Ying had been so upset she didn’t speak to her for over two months.

Now, with Xie Xinyi mentioning in front of everyone that Gu Ying had gained three pounds, Wen Shuhua expected Gu Ying to lose her temper with her sister-in-law right then and there. To her surprise, Gu Ying didn't even bat an eye. Instead, she went along with Xie Xinyi’s topic and played along with poking fun at herself with a laugh.

What was it she had said to rebut her back then?

*Do I not have any dignity?*

*How am I supposed to show my face?*

*What kind of mother says that about her own daughter?*

The sassy remarks from the past seemed to echo in Wen Shuhua’s ears as she watched her daughter, who was now chatting and laughing more animatedly than usual. She shot her son a look.

His face remained as stone-faced as always, and he pretended not to notice her hint.

Failing to get help from him, Wen Shuhua had no choice but to let the sister-in-law and daughter continue their self-deprecating banter.

“...Sis, look at my face—I’ve turned into a dark-skinned girl. Didn’t you say the sun wasn’t harsh where you live?”

Gu Ying touched her sunburned, flushed face and joked around with Xie Xinyi. If Wen Shuhua hadn’t stopped her, she would have gotten up and gone over to Xie Xinyi to let her feel it for herself.

As for why Gu Ying was disregarding her image like this, it was all to make an impression on the “distinguished guest.”

Her mother had invited him over without her consent, without discussing it with her or giving her a chance to refuse.

Gu Ying was unhappy about it but didn’t dare openly challenge her mother’s authority in front of outsiders. At first, she could only express her dissatisfaction by staying silent. But when Xie Xinyi threw her a bone, she immediately took the opportunity to join in the self-mockery as a small act of rebellion.

She had not only gained three pounds but had also gotten tanned, learned to climb trees, and even tried catching fish in icy rivers...

Now, she was neither pretty nor virtuous—hardly marriage material. She wanted to see how the “distinguished guest” would react.

Gu Ying was prepared to use this self-destructive approach to end this awkward blind date situation, but she never expected...

Alas... the “distinguished guest” didn’t take the bait.

Not only did the “distinguished guest” not take the bait, but he also got in on the action.

As Gu Ying and Xie Xinyi shared amusing stories from their time in Guozixiang, he became even more excited than they were, asking questions like how many fish they had caught or how many firecrackers they had set off.

Gu Ying was thrown off by his questions and after a long pause, mumbled, “A bunch.”

His unexpected response left Xie Xinyi equally surprised.

After several interactions, she found Gao He getting harder and harder to figure out.

If you said he had some agenda, he had never explicitly stated his intentions.

But if you said he had no motives, why did he see Gu Ying home on their first meeting and happen to rescue her when she was in trouble?

His actions didn't match up, and his vibe remained unclear.

He didn’t state his position, didn’t take initiative, didn’t reject advances, and didn’t take responsibility—it was almost like the attitude of a playboy in a modern relationship.

Xie Xinyi wanted nothing to do with such a person. After politely responding to him a few times, she fell silent.

When she stopped talking, Gu Ying also stopped speaking, and the dinner table once again fell into silence. The matchmaking session ultimately ended in failure.

Despite the failed matchmaking, Gu Ying was back to her usual self. The next morning, she happily went to work and even brought back plenty of gossip for Xie Xinyi at noon.

Xie Xinyi wasn’t scheduled to return to work until the tenth day of the lunar month. In the morning, she enjoyed the youtiao her husband brought home. At noon, she dished about the gossip her sister-in-law brought back. In the afternoon, she went shopping with Mrs. Wen at the department store. In the evening, she admired her loot—comic books.

Her days were jammed from dawn to dusk. She thought the remaining days of her holiday would continue leisurely, but little did she know that on her way to the suburbs with Aunt Wen to pick up Grandma Gu, she would bump into someone she never thought she'd see.