Chapter 211: Moving
"Oh my god! The people picking you up got here so fast!" Second Brother Gu, who had been quiet until now, exclaimed.
The shock made his chopsticks clatter to the floor, and Second Brother Gu just got up to open the door.
"Hehe~ I didn’t realize I was in such high demand," Gu Jiaojiao joked, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Her antics made everyone laugh, and they all felt a sense of shared pride in her success.
Once the laughter subsided, Grandpa Gu asked with a look of reluctance, "Jiaojiao, does this mean you have to leave with the car right away?"
"I’ll probably leave today, but Mom and Dad want to move into the new house. I’ll drive all of your clothes and essentials over there before I go."
"Jiaojiao, let’s help you pack your things first. Your eldest uncle can just drive us over later," Mrs. Gu said glumly. She couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter going so far away all by herself.
As she spoke, Second Brother Gu had already opened the door, leading Xi Guodong and an assistant into the living room.
"Comrade Su, my apologies for the intrusion. We received a call from the Imperial City and have been ordered to come to the Su family’s home to escort Divine Doctor Su Gu."
"Mm. When are you planning to depart?" Su Shuochi asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
"The sooner the better, of course. We’ll head to the airport as soon as we’ve picked up Divine Doctor Su Gu," Xi Guodong replied urgently.
’Divine Doctor Su Gu had stunned him last time, an impression he hadn’t been able to shake. He hadn’t expected to see her again so soon.’
"You’re actually flying there?" Second Brother Gu and Su Qinchun exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
"Yes. Those are our orders from above."
"In two hours, go wait for Divine Doctor Su Gu on Xiangyang Street. We have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you."
Su Shuochi dismissed them, his tone glacial. ’And here I thought my wife wasn’t leaving until tomorrow.’
"Comrade Su, why don’t I give you a ride to go pick up Divine Doctor Su Gu?" Xi Guodong suggested, wanting to see the person he’d been thinking of so much sooner.
"That won’t be necessary. She doesn’t like strangers knowing her whereabouts."
"Very well. We’ll be on Xiangyang Street at three o’clock sharp to wait for Divine Doctor Su Gu." After saying this, Xi Guodong left.
The Su family was normally very hospitable, but this time, they hadn’t even offered Xi Guodong a glass of cold tea.
"Grandpa, Mom, Dad, are your things all packed? Let’s move them to the car now."
Gu Jiaojiao waited until Xi Guodong and his assistant were gone before speaking up to break the silence.
Her second brother didn’t know how to drive, and she wasn’t sure if her eldest brother did. Besides, he still hadn’t fully recovered.
So Gu Jiaojiao planned to put her car into her pocket space to take with her, just in case.
"My dear in-laws, what’s this about moving house?" Mr. Su asked, looking completely baffled.
"We bought a new house with a courtyard with Shuo Ci, and we’re planning to move in over the next day or two."
"You bought it with Chi? In that case, we’ll move in too," Su’s mother declared without a second thought.
"Mom, Chun Ni still has to go to school in the compound!" Su Shuochi exclaimed. ’He couldn’t believe his mom actually wanted to live with his mother-in-law’s family.’
"After Jiaojiao starts the school term, her family will be going to the Imperial City. We can just move back then."
"That works too. The new house is already furnished with beds, wardrobes, bamboo mats, and summer quilts. Everyone just needs to bring a change of clothes," Su Shuochi said, looking at his parents. ’It was a good thing they’d taken some blankets and daily use items out of the space yesterday.’
"Alright. We’ll go pack our clothes now and put them in your car. We won’t take a ride over, though. We still have to set up our stall to sell cold noodles this afternoon. We’ll just ride our bikes over after we close up."
Mr. Su made the decision decisively, and Su’s mother had no objections.
Su Shuochi then looked at Gu Jiaojiao and said, "Honey, let’s go inside and pack a few changes of clothes for ourselves."
’He was desperate for a moment alone with his wife; there was still so much he needed to remind her of.’
Yet, once they were in the room, neither of them spoke. It wasn’t that they had nothing to say.
Rather, they were locked in a tight embrace, as if they never wanted to let go.
Ever since they married, the couple had shared a bed every night and were practically inseparable by day.
The most they were ever apart was for a few hours each day when Gu Jiaojiao had classes.
This time, however, they would be separated for days, and they didn’t know for exactly how long.
"Honey, do you really have to go?" Su Shuochi asked, holding her and unwilling to let go.
Gu Jiaojiao smiled and nodded. "I’m going to heal the sick and save the dying. I’ll be back soon."
"But I... I don’t want to be apart from you," Su Shuochi confessed, voicing the deepest desire in his heart.
Gu Jiaojiao said softly, "It can’t be helped. Who told you to have such an outstanding wife?
So why don’t you take this opportunity to focus all your energy on building the factory? Try to get it completed early so you can join us in the Imperial City."
"You heartless little thing. Are you saying you weren’t planning on taking me with you to the Imperial City before?"
"Mhm," Gu Jiaojiao admitted with an honest nod.
Just as Su Shuochi’s heart was aching, Gu Jiaojiao added languidly, "I never planned on being separated from you. You were the one who insisted on building the medical equipment factory in Qing City."
"Alright, honey, it’s all my fault. Land in the Imperial City is worth its weight in gold. Buying a plot to build a factory there just isn’t realistic!"
"You’re right. We’re still young; this isn’t the time to get lost in romance. ’If love between two hearts can last for an age, why need they stay together day and night?’"
"But I happen to care about the ’day and night’ part. You have to remember to call me every day, okay? Otherwise, I’ll chase you all the way to the Southern Border."
Gu Jiaojiao was speechless.
"Honey, I really don’t want to be apart from you," Su Shuochi said urgently when Gu Jiaojiao didn’t answer.
Her cheeks flushing, Gu Jiaojiao bit her lip. "Su Shuochi... I don’t want to leave you either..."
A note of sadness entered Su Shuochi’s voice. "If there was nothing wrong with my leg, I could go with you. We wouldn’t have to be apart this time."
His words made Gu Jiaojiao’s heart ache, but she couldn’t let it show.
She’d originally thought that being apart for a few days wouldn’t be a big deal. In her previous life, she had never known the reluctance that came with parting.
She had boarded at school, spent her summers in various tutoring programs, and once she started working, she was either performing surgery or on her way to one.
She spent her holidays attending academic conferences, flying all over the world.
But after arriving here, she was always doting on Su Shuochi, even though most of that time was spent administering silver needles to treat his poison.
But this man relied on her so much. The thought that they would have to face separations for all sorts of reasons in the future...
Gu Jiaojiao could only take the initiative and give him a comforting kiss. "You silly goose, if there was nothing wrong with your leg, we never would have gotten married!"
Su Shuochi froze for a moment. ’That’s right. If his leg hadn’t been crippled, he never would have married Gu Jiaojiao!’
Time was short, so he stopped thinking about it. He immediately took the lead, deepening the kiss.
After what felt like an eternity, Gu Jiaojiao felt his body’s reaction and tried to push him away.
"Honey... let me hold you for a little while longer..." Su Shuochi’s voice was low and hoarse, full of a magnetic quality, his breathing ragged.
"Jiaojiao, Shuo Ci, are your clothes packed yet?" Mr. Gu asked from outside the door.
When Su Shuochi and his wife emerged, they were each carrying a bag. The trunk of the car was packed full.
The Su and Gu families officially began moving into their new home.