Chapter 35
Smiling
Gu Zi thought about all of this and looked at Su Shen gently. She said, “Mr. Su, I have something to do in the city tomorrow.”
When Su Shen heard that Gu Zi wanted to go to the city, his first reaction was that Gu Zi wanted to leave. He felt a little uncomfortable, but he still nodded and agreed. “Sure.”
“Then I’ll get Aunt Chu to take care of Lele.” Su Shen’s gaze fell on Lele, who was in Gu Zi’s arms. He still remembered that when he went home in the past, Lele would always hide in a dirty place and refuse to let Aunt Chu carry her.
It was a stark contrast to her behavior now. Lele seemed to be unable to leave Gu Zi at all times.
When Gu Zi heard the words “Aunt Chu”, her brows furrowed slightly. She shook her head and said, “That’s not necessary. I can take Lele to the city with me.”
Gu Zi did not want Aunt Chu to take care of Lele anymore. Given Aunt Chu’s behavior, she feared she might mistreat Lele.
If it weren’t for the fact that she wasn’t familiar with Su Shen, she would have simply asked Aunt Chu to leave.
Besides, Aunt Chu was more reliable in Su Shen’s eyes compared to her. If she badmouthed Aunt Chu, Su Shen might not be pleased and might even suspect her of having ulterior motives.
It was better to avoid unnecessary complications.
Su Shen’s deep black eyes briefly gleamed as he considered that she might be homesick. Bringing a child to town might lead to people gossiping about her. “Is it convenient for you?”
Actually, he could understand Gu Zi’s situation. She was a young lady from a wealthy family, but in the end, she married a man who was more than ten years older and had three children.
If this became public knowledge, there would surely be gossip and criticism.
Gu Zi smiled and said, “It’s alright, I just need to run some errands.”
Su Shen, however, observed her with a gaze that held a hint of something more.
..
Gu Zi woke up naturally the next morning.
In an era without smartphones or computers, she no longer had a reason to stay up late, and had gone to bed early the night before.
As she got up, she walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and opened it wide.
Fresh air rushed in, and she gazed at the distant green hills and clear waters. She felt rejuvenated.
Heading downstairs, she heard some activity coming from the kitchen. She figured it might be the two children preparing breakfast.
Although she was responsible for taking care of the three children, she wasn’t a nanny and couldn’t handle every detail.
Besides, boys learning to cook was a plus, and they would figure it out as they grew up.
She believed that if she could help Su Bing overcome his aversion to women, that would already be a significant accomplishment.
When she reached the dining room, she saw Su Li, who had been half-leaning on the table, immediately stand up straight and lower his head, pretending not to notice her.
Without saying anything, she walked towards the kitchen and found Su Bing standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot.
She opened the kitchen door and noticed Su Bing becoming instantly alert.
Without commenting, she approached the pot, looked at what was inside, and furrowed her eyebrows. In a soft voice, she asked, “Is this little amount enough for a meal?”
The children here didn’t come home during lunchtime, and the school didn’t have a cafeteria. It seemed like the students had to bring their own lunch.
Gu Zi looked at the two pitiful sweet potatoes in the pot. These two children only ate two sweet potatoes during the day.
She then remembered the dinner Aunt Chu had made for them and instantly understood why these two children had become so thin. They hardly ate anything during the day.
No wonder these two children, who were clearly around ten years old, were not as robust as seven or eight-year-olds from other families.
She remembered it clearly from the book she had read.
“Su Bing admired his father, Su Shen, the most, especially his father’s tall and strong physique, which gave him a sense of security. However, his own body was too frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. He had to give up his dream of joining the military and chose the path of scientific research…”
Knowing this, she realized that the larger sweet potato was probably meant for Su Li, while Su Bing would be left with the smaller one.
She looked at Su Bing beside her, initially intending to say something but ultimately remaining silent, just pursing her lips.
Su Bing noticed her subtle movement and couldn’t help but feel a lump in his throat. He maintained a calm demeanor and said, “Do you want to eat sweet potatoes too? I can… I can wash a few more sweet potatoes.”
Gu Zi looked into Su Bing’s eyes. He had disguised his emotions very well, but she could still see the fear and horror in his eyes.
Perhaps Su Shen’s previous wife left a dreadful impact on Su Bing. He seemed to be afraid of her too.
However, Su Bing had a refined appearance, especially his eyes, which resembled Lele’s.
Imagining him as Lele, she couldn’t help but laugh.
This made Su Bing even more nervous.