Chapter 253: Unconcerned with the Details
As Su Shuochi sat in the car, he chatted about the construction progress of the medical equipment facility, just as if they had never been apart.
Gu Jiaojiao was quickly captivated, listening with great interest. She had recently been researching a preventive medicine that she hadn’t managed to perfect in her past life.
Then Su Shuochi mentioned that he had built a large laboratory for Gu Jiaojiao, modeled after the one in the pocket dimension.
This thrilled her. No one understood her better than Su Shuochi.
The little bit of disappointment from not embracing when they first reunited had long been replaced by a wave of emotion. ’This man really gets things done.’
An old saying goes, "Great men don’t sweat the small stuff."
Su Shuochi didn’t take Gu Jiaojiao to their new courtyard house, but back to the two-story building in the main compound.
When they arrived at the front door, Gao Xiangming drove off without going inside. He and the others were now living in the other courtyard house that Su Shuochi and his wife had bought.
The rice they had there was long sold out. Su Shuochi had recruited quite a few talented people, and since not many people came to the city for work these days, housing was provided for all of them.
The moment Gu Jiaojiao stepped into the living room, Su Shuochi swung the door shut behind him with a loud SLAM. Just as she was wondering what was going on...
"Honey~ You’re finally willing to come home. I’ve missed you so much I was about to go crazy~~"
She was pulled into his warm embrace, and his deep, trembling voice resonated above her head.
It was filled with immense joy, but also suppressed tension and worry, as if he were afraid of startling her.
"Su Shuochi~~"
Gu Jiaojiao whispered his name, tears welling in her eyes. She leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck.
It was only then that the two of them, like lovers reunited after a long separation, held each other tightly.
Su Shuochi’s arms tightened around her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her like a pouting child.
"Why did it take you so long to come back? How could you bear to leave me all alone? Don’t you know I..."
A single teardrop fell onto the hollow of Gu Jiaojiao’s neck. It was scorching hot as it traced a path over her collarbone, searing itself into her very heart.
She turned her head and reached up to wipe away the tears still glistening on his cheek, her voice gentle. "I know. I know it all."
"What do you know~ You little heartless thing, did you even miss me? Or were you having so much fun you forgot all about coming back?
For me, a day without you felt like three years. I missed you so much I couldn’t eat or sleep, so I just buried myself in work every single day..."
"I... I missed you too~"
Gu Jiaojiao’s face flushed beet red, but she couldn’t resist lifting her head to meet his gaze, her eyes twinkling with a bright, happy smile.
She had beautiful eyes. With her pearly teeth and sparkling gaze, her every glance seemed to overflow with the vibrancy of spring.
One look was all it took for Su Shuochi to lean in and kiss her, pulling her onto his lap as he did.
Gu Jiaojiao’s hands rested on his shoulders as she tilted her face up to return his kiss.
The moment their lips touched, Su Shuochi felt his heart melt into a puddle, his pulse quickening with every passing second.
His body grew hotter and hotter. He held her tighter, pulling her deep into his embrace.
A long time later, he reluctantly let her go. "Honey, now that you’re back, my heart can finally settle back into my chest."
Listening to his deep, intoxicating voice, Gu Jiaojiao looked up and saw the unrestrained joy now flowing freely across his face.
’So he’d been holding back his emotions this whole time.’ Her heart ached for him.
"Su Shuochi, I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll take you with me wherever I go. May we never be parted again, and may our lives be free of storms."
"Honey, it’s so good to have you back. I’ll go get some water for you to wash up. I already stewed your favorite pork ribs and corn in the pot."
"I can get the water myself. You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? You rest for a bit. I’ll serve the soup as soon as I’m done washing up."
"Honey, you’re tired. Let me do it." Su Shuochi couldn’t bear the thought of his wife tiring herself out.
When Gu Jiaojiao came out after washing up, she saw the table was already set with two sets of bowls and chopsticks, a large bowl of pork rib and corn stew, and a dish of chilled cucumber salad.
"Honey, come and have a taste. I made it myself. See if you like it."
"You made the pork rib and corn stew? And you made the cucumber salad, too?" Gu Jiaojiao was completely surprised.
She had assumed Su’s mother made it beforehand!
"Wow~ Su Shuochi, I never knew you had a talent for cooking! This is absolutely delicious~"
"Is it really? Honey, are you sure you’re not just saying that to be nice?"
"I mean it. Truer than gold," Gu Jiaojiao said, her mouth still full of pork rib.
She looked just like a little hamster. The smile on Su Shuochi’s face hadn’t faded since she walked through the door, and his gaze was scorching hot as he watched her.
"What’s with that look? You’re looking at me like I’m a sack of your family’s rice!"
"Honey~ What do you have to do with our family’s rice?" Su Shuochi asked, a look of confusion on his face.
"There’s no relation, except that not only does everyone love rice, but even mice love rice, you know~"
After hearing this, the man leaned forward. "Then you must be our family’s rice. My family all likes you, and I love you very much~"
"Ooh~ Someone’s words are as sweet as honey today~"
"Sweet or not, I really don’t know. Why don’t you have a taste and find out, honey~" he said, reaching out to cup her chin.
The light calluses on his fingertips sent a shiver through her.
"Just talk, why do you have to get handsy~ Eat your food." She turned her face away from his hand.
He studied her expression for a moment before letting go. "Alright. So what you’re saying, honey, is that a gentleman uses his words, not his hands~"
"Mhm, mhm..." Gu Jiaojiao nodded her head like a chicken pecking at grains.
Seeing her reaction, Su Shuochi smiled. Gu Jiaojiao thought his smile looked a little strange.
He gently captured her lips in a tender kiss, lingering softly.
But he pulled back just as quickly. "Honey’s hungry, you should eat~ I was just proving a point. I only use my mouth, not my hands~"
She stared at him for a long moment before finally saying, unable to hold it in any longer, "Don’t kiss me while I’m eating from now on. I almost choked just now~"
"You’re right, honey. My bad." Su Shuochi apologized sheepishly while patting her on the back.
She snorted. "Stop patting me. You eat, too."
"Okay~" Su Shuochi quickly picked up a piece of pork rib and popped it into his mouth. In truth, he was perfectly content just watching her eat.
But he didn’t dare say that out loud, so he just kept eating with a dopey grin on his face.
The sight of him made Gu Jiaojiao want to laugh, but she was truly famished, so she decided to eat her fill in silence before talking more.
After dinner, the couple playfully fought over who would do the dishes. In the end, they went out to the hand-pump well in the courtyard to wash them together.
Gu Jiaojiao asked in a hushed voice, "You think the neighbor will be spying on us while we wash the dishes?"
"She won’t. Uncle Zhou already married that lunatic off."
"Ah~"
That was completely unexpected for Gu Jiaojiao. ’I didn’t think the Zhou family would be so sensible.’
But on second thought, it was understandable. After all, the Zhou family also came from the countryside. With the father and son having promising futures, their lives were going well.
It wouldn’t be worth it to have their daughter ruin everything.
Su Shuochi wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s business, so he had no idea who their neighbor, Zhou Mei, had been married off to.
After the couple finished the dishes, Gu Jiaojiao went back to their room to give him a physical examination. Suddenly, a furious roar ripped through the sky.