Chapter 58 Pregnancy

Chapter 58 Pregnancy

As the year drew to a close, the grocery store, soon to close for the holidays, was selling a lot more meat than usual. Aunt Wang, worried about potential food shortages during the festive break, headed to the market early in the morning and bought plenty of pork, duck, and chicken to freeze. She even brought back half a liver, knowing it was Xie Xinyi’s favorite.

With Xie Xinyi leaving for her hometown early the next day to celebrate the New Year, Aunt Wang pulled out all the stops, preparing three proper dishes with that half portion of liver: cold-tossed liver, stir-fried liver, and braised spiced liver.

When Xie Xinyi and Gu Yu returned from their shopping spree at the department store and saw a table full of liver dishes, they almost thought they had mistakenly walked into a state-run restaurant.

Xie Xinyi brought the gift she had bought for Aunt Wang into the kitchen, intending to joke with her, but the greasy kitchen smell made her nauseous.

"Ugh... Aunt Wang, ugh..."

She gagged several times, unable to bear it, and eventually stepped back to the doorway to ask, "What are you cooking today? Why does it feel so stuffy in here?"

"Stuffy?" Aunt Wang, wielding a large spatula without even turning to look at Xie Xinyi, focused solely on the dish in the wok and replied loudly, "Isn’t this the oil-braised shrimp you love? The logistics department just delivered them today—they’re super fresh."

Super fresh?

Tempted by Aunt Wang’s description, Xie Xinyi rose on her toes for a look into the wok.

Vibrant red shrimp, surrounded by large green peppers, glistening with oil and looking spicy and delicious.

She moved a little closer just as the shrimp were ready to be served. Aunt Wang casually picked one up and handed it to her.

Xie Xinyi held the shrimp by its antennae, about to put it in her mouth, but as her hand drew near, a wave of nausea surged in her chest.

"Ugh..."

She covered her mouth, the sudden discomfort giving her goosebumps.

After a few more dry heaves, she looked at the oily shrimp in her hand and suddenly lost her appetite completely.

"What’s wrong with you?" Aunt Wang finally noticed her unusual state. She stepped forward to rub Xie Xinyi’s back as she leaned against the counter to catch her breath, but the closer she got, the worse Xie Xinyi’s nausea became.

"Oh heavens, what’s going on? Should we take you to the hospital?"

Aunt Wang was so anxious she broke into a sweat, but Xie Xinyi waved her off, saying, "It’s nothing. I probably caught a cold this morning when I went out without a scarf. The wind got to me, and now I’m feeling a bit sensitive to oily and meaty smells. I’ll take some flu medicine after dinner, and I’ll be fine."

To reassure the worried Aunt Wang, she handed her the gift she had bought and said, "I saw this while shopping for my mom and thought it would suit you perfectly, so I bought it for you too."

Knowing Aunt Wang disliked her spending money unnecessarily, Xie Xinyi phrased it carefully, avoiding any mention of specially picked or how expensive it was. She simply called it a token of her appreciation and insisted Aunt Wang accept it.

But having lived in Beijing for so many years, Aunt Wang was well aware that Xie Xinyi always gave her top-quality gifts.

Last year’s fashionable Mid-Autumn Festival fabric, the malted milk and powdered milk before the Spring Festival, this year’s calcium milk biscuits and canned meat for Mid-Autumn Festival—all were high-end items in short supply during those times.

And then there was this year’s new donkey-hide gelatin.

Aunt Wang looked at the hefty gift in her hand, her eyes welling up. She tried to refuse while scolding Xie Xinyi for spending money recklessly.

"It’s for nourishing your health—how could that be considered reckless spending?"

Stepping out of the kitchen, Xie Xinyi felt much better. Smiling, she comforted Aunt Wang, using Grandma Gu and Wen Shuhua as excuses. "Everyone in the family has received gifts—Grandma Gu, Wen Shuhua, they all accepted. You can’t possibly turn me down, can you?"

Cornered by her words, Aunt Wang hesitated for a long time before reluctantly accepting. "Alright, but promise me you won’t buy me anything again next time."

She put on a mock-stern face to "threaten" Xie Xinyi, then carefully took the gift back to her own room.

During dinner, Wen Shuhua asked if Xie Xinyi had gotten everything for the family, and Aunt Wang happily mentioned that she had also received a gift.

"Since she gave it to you, just take it with peace of mind. If you really feel uneasy, just make more delicious food for her."

Grandma Gu comforted her, and as she spoke, she picked up some of Xie Xinyi's favorite stir-fried pork liver and put it in her bowl. She intended to set an example for Aunt Wang, but unexpectedly, as soon as Xie Xinyi put the pork liver in her mouth, she felt nauseous and rushed to the bathroom covering her mouth.

Grandma Gu: "...I just gave her a piece of pork liver."

She looked at Aunt Wang, who quickly waved her hands, "I cooked it just like I always do, without adding anything she doesn't like."

Aunt Wang explained herself, then recalled Xie Xinyi’s reaction earlier in the kitchen and turned to Gu Yu, saying, "...Xinyi said she forgot to wear a scarf when she went out with Gu Yu this morning, so she caught a cold from the wind and is sensitive to oily smells."

A cold?

As soon as Aunt Wang finished speaking, everyone’s eyes turned to Gu Yu.

"She forgot to bring it when we went out. I said we should go back to get it, but she said it was too much trouble."

It was rare for Gu Yu to explain so much about something. Gu Ying thought he would just say he forgot or didn’t bring it and leave it at that, as he had done before. But this time, her eldest brother not only explained why but also made his point clear. After saying this, he didn’t even care whether they believed him or not—he simply put down his chopsticks and followed Xie Xinyi to the bathroom.

Gu Ying: "..."

She was somewhat surprised, but it was also within her expectations.

Since Xie Xinyi married into their family, not only had Grandma and her mother changed, but even Gu Yu, who had once insisted he would never get married, had become someone she hardly recognized.

Especially Gu Yu. In the past, if the whole family questioned him, he would either bury himself in eating without explaining or simply brush it off with a casual remark. He had never explained so much at length as he did today.

Gu Ying was speechless, but after experiencing such things repeatedly, she’d gotten used to it.

She continued eating leisurely until Gu Yu helped Xie Xinyi out of the bathroom, grabbed the keys to drive her, and prepared to leave. Only then did she realize that the situation might be serious.

"You all keep eating. I’m taking Xie Xinyi to the hospital."

"Is it serious?"

Grandma Gu anxiously stood up from her seat. She and Wen Shuhua went to check on Xie Xinyi while asking Gu Yu, who was supporting her, "Isn’t it just a cold making her not want to eat? Why does she need to go to the hospital?"

"I’m fine." Seeing that Gu Yu didn’t answer, Xie Xinyi quickly stepped in to reassure the elders. "It’s probably just a cold. It’s just the smell of grease that’s making me nauseous."

After comforting them, she turned to Gu Yu to discuss, "It’s just nausea, no other symptoms. Maybe we should just wait and see instead of going to the hospital right away?"

She wasn’t one to make a fuss, especially when it came to illness. In the past, if she caught a chill, she’d take some medicine, a hot bath, and sleep it off—it would be over after a good night’s sleep. She had never gone to the hospital for a minor cold.

In her previous life, she’d been the same way, and in this day and age, she was even less willing to go to the hospital.

Remembering what her great-aunt had once said—that in this era, no matter what illness you had, the hospital would give you an injection first—Xie Xinyi, who was terrified of injections, couldn’t help but play up the charm in front of the man. "Let’s just wait one night. If I still feel like this tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the hospital."

She looked at him with big, pleading eyes. After dry heaving in the bathroom without bringing anything up, her face was pale and she looked utterly pitiful.

Wen Shuhua, who was standing nearby, had initially wanted to persuade her further, but seeing the girl like this, she couldn’t help but give in. And Gu Yu, who could never resist when Xie Xinyi turned on the charm, was even more so.

"Just one night."

He reluctantly made a final concession to the girl. Xie Xinyi nodded, about to thank him, when another wave of nausea hit her stomach.

She covered her mouth, knowing nothing would come up, and didn’t go to the bathroom.

“Is it because your stomach got chilled?” Aunt Wang went to the kitchen to make a cup of honey water. “Drink some warm water to settle your stomach; it might help you feel better.”

Xie Xinyi thanked her and took the cup, then forced herself to take a small sip despite the nausea, but…

It still didn’t work.

She covered her mouth, suppressing the urge to vomit again and again. Finally managing to hold back the nausea, her face turned even paler than before.

“Why is she vomiting so badly?” Aunt Wang said with a worried expression. “If she can’t keep anything down, what are we going to do?”

Grandma Gu was also concerned. She held Xie Xinyi’s hand and asked gently if she was still feeling unwell.

“Maybe we should go to the hospital after all?”

Wen Shuhua sat beside Xie Xinyi, watching her suffer and feeling even worse than if she were sick herself. “I’ve never seen anyone with a cold vomit like this—it seems even more intense than morning sickness during pregnancy?”

Everyone experiences cold symptoms differently: some feel sleepy, some sneeze, but Wen Shuhua had never seen someone like Xie Xinyi, who felt nauseous just from smelling food.

She looked at the girl sitting on the sofa, pale and listless, and a wild thought suddenly crossed her mind.

One moment she was fine, the next she was vomiting uncontrollably, yet nothing came up…

Remembering her own experience with morning sickness when she was pregnant with twins, she looked at Xie Xinyi and cautiously asked, “Xinyi, have you had your period this month?”

Her period?

Prompted by Wen Shuhua’s question, Xie Xinyi suddenly realized her period was indeed late.

Originally, this body had irregular periods, but after Grandma Gu took her to see an old Chinese medicine practitioner for two years of treatment, her cycle finally became regular this summer.

Now her periods didn’t cause her to faint from pain like before. Because there was no discomfort, Xie Xinyi had forgotten about her delayed period.

Sitting on the sofa, she thought back carefully. Her period should have come at the beginning of the month, but it was already the end of the month now.

Wen Shuhua sat beside her and, seeing her deep in thought without speaking, asked, “It hasn’t come?”

Xie Xinyi slowly looked up, her long eyelashes fluttering, her expression complicated. “It seems it really hasn’t come?”

As a 21st-century modern woman, she was beyond feeling embarrassed about discussing such a private matter in front of so many people. What was even more awkward now was the possibility that she might become a mother.

She looked at the man squatting on the floor, wanting to take her to the hospital. Their eyes met, and they both looked stunned.

Yes, stunned—like frogs suddenly caught in a flashlight beam in a summer field, frozen in place, staring blankly at her.

No frown, no cold expression. Having known Gu Yu for so many years, this was the first time she had seen him with such a look.

He stared at Xie Xinyi, rooted to the spot like a block of wood. It took a long time for that dazed look in his eyes to fade, replaced by something deeper and increasingly unreadable.

“It hasn’t come? Really? How long has it been delayed?”

Wen Shuhua was the first to react. Seeing the two young people frozen in silence, she quickly got to the main point and asked.

“…Probably… probably over half a month late.”

Before Xie Xinyi could decipher Gu Yu’s subtle expressions, Wen Shuhua’s question interrupted her. She turned dazedly toward her and quickly calculated. “Last month, it came at the beginning of the month.”

“Then that sounds right.”

Grandma Gu also did the math carefully—it was about twenty days late. Combined with Xie Xinyi’s reaction to the smell of oil earlier, she joyfully looked at Gu Yu and said, “Silly boy, you’re going to be a father.”

“Oh my goodness, what wonderful news! Xinyi is going to be a mother, and Gu Yu is going to be a father!”

Gu Ying, who had just gone upstairs to pack things to accompany Xie Xinyi to the hospital, came downstairs and heard her mother excitedly running toward her, grabbing her hand and saying something about her becoming an aunt.

Becoming an aunt?

She looked puzzledly at Grandma Gu, who then explained with a beaming smile, “Xinyi isn’t sick with a cold—she’s pregnant!”

Pregnant?

Who’s pregnant?

She looked in disbelief at Xie Xinyi, then at the girl sitting dumbly on the sofa and her motionless brother squatting on the floor, and instantly became the third dumb frog in the field.

Wen Shuhua ignored her stunned state and hurried to the telephone, happily saying she would call Gu Haoting, but Xie Xinyi, having regained her senses, stopped her.

“Mom, it’s not confirmed yet. Maybe we should wait until it’s certain before telling Dad.”

With year-end military duties keeping him busy, Father Gu was swamped every day, barely having time to eat. Since she wasn’t sure if she was really pregnant, she didn’t want to distract him with uncertainty. Moreover, Father Gu had always had a tense relationship with Gu Yu, and she worried his reaction might hurt Gu Yu’s feelings.

She held Wen Shuhua’s hand and gently persuaded her not to make the call.

“Xinyi is right. We can tell Haoting after it’s confirmed; there’s no rush.”

Grandma Gu also agreed with Xie Xinyi. She patted the girl’s hand caringly and asked if she wanted to eat or if she was still feeling unwell.

Aunt Wang was even more proactive. Without waiting for Xie Xinyi’s response, she went to the kitchen and brought out her special sour plum juice. “Here, try this and see if you can keep it down. When I was pregnant with my second child, I vomited everything and relied on sour plum juice to get by.”

She handed the prepared sour plum juice to Xie Xinyi, while Wen Shuhua put down the phone and brought a trash can and tissues to her side.

Everyone bustled around Xie Xinyi, except for Gu Yu, who remained kneeling on one knee, holding her hand gently and asking with disbelief, “What you just said… is it true?”

He looked up at her, his eyes filled with shock, astonishment, and incredulity. Xie Xinyi could feel the warmth from his palm and the tremor in his voice as he spoke.

She gently held his hand in return. “Probably… yes.”

“I’m going to be a father?” he asked, looking at her.

“Probably… yes.”

Xie Xinyi wasn’t sure either. After all, her period was only half a month late, and in the past, she often had irregular periods, sometimes going three or four months between cycles.

Although she had experienced two lives, this was her first marriage and possibly her first pregnancy.

If Wen Shuhua hadn’t asked about her period today, she might not have thought of pregnancy even if she were three or four months along.

Because she wasn’t certain, she didn’t give a definitive answer when responding to him.

She feared that getting his hopes up too high would lead to greater disappointment. Moreover, in the original story, the man was forced into marriage and never had any children before the divorce. She worried Gu Yu might not like children, and that raising his hopes too high might lead to a greater letdown. So, she suggested going to the hospital for a check-up the next morning.

“Yes, going to the hospital for a check-up will give us peace of mind,” Wen Shuhua and Grandma Gu said in unison.

So, early the next morning, Aunt Wang got up early to wait in line at the state-run restaurant and buy her some fried dough sticks.

After breakfast, Wen Shuhua originally planned to go with them, but Gu Yu firmly refused.

After a night of intense inner turmoil, Gu Yu was noticeably much more clear-headed today than yesterday.

He knew Wen Shuhua was practically obsessed with having a grandchild and was afraid that if the hospital checkup revealed nothing, her disappointed expression would put psychological pressure on Xie Xinyi. So after the meal, he took Xie Xinyi to the hospital alone.

“It’s so early—is the hospital even open yet?”

In the car, Xie Xinyi worriedly asked Gu Yu. She glanced at her watch, where the hands had just passed seven, and felt there was no need to go this early.

“They’re open,” Gu Yu said while driving, answering her question with certainty. However, twenty minutes later...

He stood before the tightly closed hospital gates, his expression darkening as he touched the tip of his nose. “It’s cold; wait in the car. I’ll go ask when the hospital opens.”

Xie Xinyi didn’t think much of it. “I’ll go with you; it’s too stuffy in the car.”

On the way over, during the twenty-minute drive, she’d thrown up five times. If it weren’t for needing to confirm whether she was really pregnant, she would have had Gu Yu turn back.

She wore the mask Wen Shuhua had prepared for her, and even though it was freezing outside, she didn’t want to stay in the car a second longer.

Gu Yu also knew she was uncomfortable, so he didn’t say anything. He just took off his scarf and gloves and, as soon as Xie Xinyi got out of the car, wrapped them around her.

The gatekeeper said the hospital wouldn’t open until eight, but fortunately, seeing so many people waiting to see the doctor, he opened the door early to let everyone in to sit and wait.

People in this era were generally warmer and more compassionate than in later times—this was Xie Xinyi’s strongest impression in the over two years she’d been here.

She sat in the wind-sheltered spot Gu Yu had searched for half the day, making small talk with him.

“Do you think what Mom and the others said is true? That morning sickness can make you vomit bile?”

Perhaps because she was nervous, Xie Xinyi’s voice trembled as she spoke.

She hadn’t been afraid when she crossed over to this unfamiliar world, nor when she came alone to Beijing to find Gu Yu and marry him. But ever since last night, when she learned she might be pregnant, she had been a nervous wreck.

Maybe it was prenatal anxiety, even though she wasn’t sure yet if she was pregnant.

She kept repeating to herself the words Aunt Wang and the others had said last night. The next second, a warm palm gently clasped her icy hands.

“...Grandma Gu said everyone’s reaction is different.”

The doctor who examined Xie Xinyi said the same thing.

Based on Xie Xinyi’s description and the assistance of a new ultrasound machine, the doctor concluded, “The fetus and the mother are both doing well. Go home and rest; be especially careful during the first trimester.”

Hearing the doctor’s words, Gu Yu finally relaxed his furrowed brow.

Thanks to having last night to process things, today he was no longer in a daze but instead, with clear thinking, asked the doctor about precautions.

“She vomited twenty-three times yesterday, couldn’t eat anything, and only had one bite of youtiao this morning.”

The doctor patiently explained, “This is a normal pregnancy reaction, mostly occurring in the early stages. Usually, this condition lasts until about three months.”

Then Gu Yu frowned again. “This condition will last until three months?”

“Yes!” the doctor continued patiently. “Three months is on the mild side; some cases last the entire pregnancy.”

“It can last the entire pregnancy?” Gu Yu’s expression turned serious. “Isn’t there any way to relieve it? Like taking some medicine?”

Doctor: “.......”

Xie Xinyi: “........”

Asking a pregnant woman to take medicine—this was probably the first time in the doctor’s career that someone had suggested such a thing.

Xie Xinyi pulled Gu Yu, who still wanted to ask more, out the door before the doctor could get angry.

Back in the car, Xie Xinyi didn’t ask Gu Yu why he remembered how many times she had vomited. She just stared blankly at the newly printed diagnosis sheet the whole way home.

Early pregnancy.

She was really going to be a mother.

Although unprepared, Xie Xinyi had spent the night adjusting her mindset.

The child was a gift from heaven.

To protect this gift well, she called her mother and younger sister on the 25th day of the lunar month.

She wasn’t one to broadcast news, but for something as big as pregnancy, she immediately shared the happy news with her family and also mentioned to her mother that she and Gu Yu wouldn’t be returning home for the New Year this year.

“Listen to the doctor; take it easy. Rest well at home.”

On the other end of the line, Xie’s mother’s voice, choked up, came through the phone. She advised Xie Xinyi on how to safely get through the early stages of pregnancy. It was clear Xie’s mother was truly happy; all her attention was on the child. She even forgot about the cost of the call she usually cared so much about, her words full of concern for Xie Xinyi.

Xie Xinhuan couldn’t contain her excitement either, chiming in excitedly beside them to talk to Xie Xinyi.

“Sis! Sis! Am I going to be an aunt? Has the child’s name been chosen? Can I pick it...”

The girl bubbled excitedly on the phone, completely ignoring her role as the heroine. She immediately asked how far along she was, when the baby was due, and whether she could see the child.

Holding the phone, Xie Xinyi—perhaps influenced by pregnancy hormones—suddenly felt her eyes welling up.

“You’ll have to discuss naming the child with your brother-in-law.”

Drawing on all the physiology she had learned in her previous life, she roughly calculated the child’s due date. It should be a Libra, the most perfect of the air signs.

Although the child would share the same zodiac sign as her younger sister, naming the baby was not something she could decide alone.

Xie Xinhuan didn’t actually insist on naming the child. Hearing that Xie Xinyi would need to ask Gu Yu’s opinion, she simply gave up and settled for securing the role of the child’s “cǎishēng person” after birth.

The first person to hold the child after medical staff, known in Beijing as the “cǎishēng person.”

Legend has it that this role is crucial for the child’s later growth. Usually, someone successful and well-respected among relatives and friends is chosen, to impart good fortune on the child.

Xie Xinyi had heard few elders mention this tradition in her previous life. Though there was no factual basis, it had been a custom through the ages.

Thinking of her younger sister’s future growth and achievements, Xie Xinyi readily agreed to her request.

Moreover, when Grandma Gu and the others heard this, they also thought it would be good for Xie Xinhuan to be the child’s “cǎishēng person.”

“I always wanted a daughter with a personality like Xie Xinhuan’s, but instead...” Wen Shuhua glared at Gu Yu and Gu Ying sitting on the sofa. “On the day the child is born, I’ll make sure to keep a close watch on these two at home. They must not be the first to hold the child.”

Grandma Gu also weighed in disapprovingly. “Yes, when the time comes, you make sure to keep an eye on them both.”

The child was still just an embryo, but the Gu family was already discussing all the plans for after the birth.

What surprised Xie Xinyi the most was the reaction of Gu Yu’s father, Gu Haoting.

After learning of her pregnancy, Gu Haoting acted completely normal on the surface, but privately he quietly had Aunt Wang make the meals more nutritious and even asked Gu Yu to bring Xie Xinyi’s mother and sister to Beijing for the New Year.

When Gu Yu brought it up with her, Xie Xinyi was absolutely thrilled.

Perhaps hearing about her strong pregnancy symptoms, her inability to eat the food prepared by Aunt Wang, and her low spirits, he thought of inviting Xie's mother over.

Firstly, because Xie Xinyi was used to her mother's cooking, and secondly, having family around would likely cheer her up.

She speculated this way but felt it unnecessary.

Strong pregnancy symptoms in early pregnancy are typical; even doctors say so. Moreover, given Xie's mother's reluctance to trouble others—she never wants to impose on anyone, not even her own siblings' homes—it was pretty much out of the question for her to come stay with the in-laws for the New Year.

Nevertheless, Gu Yu called up Xie's mother to ask, emphasizing Xie Xinyi's difficulty eating Aunt Wang's meals. The next morning, Xie Xinyi saw her mother and younger sister standing in the living room, loaded down with bags.

"How did you get here?"

She hurried over, asking as she moved to take the bags from her mother, but Gu Yu, who had just parked the car and followed them in, got to them first.

"Little Gu said you couldn't eat, so he asked me to come and tell Aunt Wang what you usually like," Xie's mother honestly explained the reason Gu Yu had invited her, adding specifically, "Little Gu didn't sleep all night; he picked up your sister and me and drove back overnight."

Xie Xinyi then looked at the man standing nearby. "Didn't you say you were taking Zhang Xin's shift last night?"

He had said it so seriously that Xie Xinyi hadn't thought twice about it, yet he had secretly gone to pick up her mother and driven two round trips overnight.

Looking at the weary man before her, she couldn't help but tease him, "You've got some nerve, learning to lie now."

Gu Yu didn't dare retort, knowing he was in the wrong. He quietly took the bags inside. Meanwhile, Xie's mother, hearing Xie Xinyi scold Gu Yu, gently tapped the back of her hand in warning, signaling her not to be too indulgent.

"It's fine, I was just joking with him," she made an excuse to reassure her mother, slipping her arm through her mother's as they walked toward the guest room.

Grandma Gu and Wen Shuhua had gone to visit Gu Yu's uncle early that morning and didn't know about Xie's mother's arrival. When they returned in the evening and saw the two helping clean up in the vegetable garden, they were first startled, then delighted, quickly stepping forward to lead Xie's mother into the living room.

"In-law, we've finally been waiting for you to come," Wen Shuhua handed Xie's mother a towel to wipe her hands. "You have no idea, since Xinyi found out she was pregnant, she hasn't been eating or sleeping well, and I've been worried sick."

"My Xinyi has caused you trouble," Xie's mother said apologetically. "I don't know who she takes after; when I was pregnant with my three girls, I didn't have any reactions at all."

As they moved into the living room, regarding Xie Xinyi's eating issues, Grandma Gu directly called for Aunt Wang and asked her to consult with Xie's mother right then about dishes Xie Xinyi enjoyed.

"I already learned from Xinyi's mom at noon. By dinner, Xinyi had eaten the sour and spicy shredded potatoes I made," Aunt Wang said, holding up a hand. "A full five chopstickfuls."

Though she still couldn't eat much, at least she was having something, which was better than an empty stomach.

Aunt Wang proudly recounted her achievement, while Grandma Gu and Wen Shuhua beamed with satisfaction.

That evening, as Xie Xinyi accompanied her mother to rest, Xie's mother, recalling the absent Father Gu, asked worriedly, "Your younger sister said Gu Yu's father is a senior officer in the military. I only met him once at your wedding since he was busy, and he seemed kind of intimidating. Do you think our coming to their house unannounced like this will cause trouble for you and Little Gu?"

"No trouble at all," Xie Xinyi reassured her. "Having you come was actually suggested by Gu Yu's father. And though he might look a bit stern, he's actually very easy to get along with."

To convince her mother, she gave examples of Father Gu's approachability, but before she could finish, a booming voice came from the living room: "Tell Gu Kai to come to my office tomorrow! I refuse to believe I can't get him in line!"

Xie's mother froze on the spot, and Xie Xinyi, who had just been praising Father Gu's amiability, was also stunned into silence.