After a long moment, Lu Jin’an’s slender fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel. He turned his head to look at Gu Nianyi, his tone flat. “We’re already married.”
The unspoken implication was that he would go along with all the customs.
“Okay, thank you.” Gu Nianyi buckled her seatbelt, her expression returning to normal.
“That… never mind.” Just get through tomorrow, and then she could be herself while Blue Mountain Town remained Blue Mountain Town. On second thought, she decided not to say anything.
Others wouldn’t be interested anyway, and it would only burden them.
Seeing Gu Nianyi hesitate and then fall silent, Lu Jin’an didn’t press her. He wasn’t the type to pry.
If she wanted to say something, she would.
They drove from the city center toward the suburbs, going against the evening rush-hour traffic. The opposite lane was jammed solid with a long line of cars, but their path was clear and unobstructed.
Lu Jin’an drove steadily, neither hurried nor impatient.
During a red light, Gu Nianyi received a message from her father, Gu Guohua. She glanced at it and turned off her phone.
Even though they weren’t close, Lu Jin’an could sense her mood plummet. She wasn’t like when she’d first gotten in the car; now she just stared blankly out the window.
The car headed west, leaving behind the tall paulownia and ginkgo trees of the city. The landscape gave way to trees Gu Nianyi didn’t recognize.
Low-density Western-style houses and villas came into view. She’d been here before and knew they’d reached the affluent neighborhood in South City.
Gu Nianyi took a deep breath, digesting her negative emotions. She pursed her lips and practiced smiling.
Lu Jin’an’s mother, Ruan Zhixu, was waiting at the gate. She greeted them with particular warmth, taking Gu Nianyi’s hand. “Yi Yi’s here! How’d you get even thinner? Has Lu Jin’an been mistreating you? I’ll give him a piece of my mind.”
Gu Nianyi let her lead her inside by the hand, unsure where to put her own free hand. Her limbs felt awkward and uncoordinated, making her movements terribly stiff. “No, Mom, this is a gift for you.”
She had always been afraid of interacting with elders—a bit of social anxiety. Even on the street, she’d spot relatives from afar and duck out of sight.
Keeping her head down, she silently chanted to herself: Don’t see me, don’t see me.
Ruan Zhixu laughed. “Aiya, we’re all family now. Why so polite? Can I open it right away?”
Gu Nianyi nodded. “Of course.”
Inside the jasmine-green wrapping bag was a beige box. When opened, it revealed a shawl—one side brown, the other peacock blue. Ruan Zhixu couldn’t put it down and immediately draped it over her shoulders. “Girls are still the best. Unlike Jin’an, who just brushes me off with bags or jewelry I already have.”
Lu Jin’an, listening to his mother complain about him to Gu Nianyi, added indifferently from behind, “Different colors.”
Gu Nianyi lowered her lashes and smiled faintly. He even knew to switch up the colors—not a total lost cause when it came to women, then.
Lu Jin’an caught her smile, her eyes sparkling like pools of autumn water. So her laugh threshold was that low.
The housekeeper had already set the table in the dining room. Mindful that she was a guest in the Lu household, Gu Nianyi only picked at the dishes in front of her—even the celery she didn’t like.
She glanced a few times at the dishes across from her, but they were too far away. With a helpless shrug, she gave up.
Meals at the Lu family were casual affairs, full of chatter and none of that “no talking while eating or sleeping” nonsense. Without any awkward pauses, the atmosphere stayed light and pleasant.
Gu Nianyi focused on listening to Ruan Zhixu, chiming in now and then.
Throughout the meal, Lu Jin’an and Gu Nianyi ate quietly on their own, with no interaction between them—not even a single glance.
Ruan Zhixu and Lu Shaopu exchanged a look. She signaled toward their son across the table, who hadn’t even picked up a dish for his own wife. Lowering her voice, she said, “I really don’t know whose genes he got that from.”
Lu Shaopu replied, “Not mine, anyway.”
He hadn’t been the most romantic in his youth, but he wasn’t clueless about women either.
With no help from her son, Ruan Zhixu used the serving chopsticks to pile food onto Gu Nianyi’s plate. “No need to be so reserved. This is your home too—don’t leave a scrap for that boy.”
“Thank you… Mom.” It felt awkward changing her address, and Gu Nianyi stumbled over the final word.
She was so envious of this family atmosphere, something she’d never experienced.
After dinner, Ruan Zhixu brought out the gifts prepared for their return visit to Gu Nianyi’s family home. She admonished Lu Jin’an to behave well and not keep that poker face on.
The visit itself was secondary. She knew her son had enough sense not to embarrass them. The real reason she’d called him back was to nudge along some bonding between the young couple.
Of course, there was one even more important matter.
Ruan Zhixu called Lu Jin’an to the study on the third floor. “I need to talk to you. Yi Yi, just relax and have some fruit. It won’t take long.”
Gu Nianyi stood quickly. “Mom, no rush.”
In the study, Ruan Zhixu stood by the desk, fuming as she laid into Lu Jin’an. “Don’t think I don’t know. You haven’t come home once since getting married. It’s only been a few days, and you’re already staying out all night, leaving Yi Yi alone. How could you?”
She clutched her chest, anger flaring in her heart. Her son was going to be the death of her one day.
Why couldn’t he learn from her nephew?
To keep things from escalating, Lu Jin’an said, “Please calm down, Mom.”
He wasn’t avoiding home; he was genuinely busy. Too many surgeries at the hospital, finishing in the early hours. Not wanting to disturb Gu Nianyi’s sleep, he’d simply gotten an apartment nearby to crash.
Ruan Zhixu sat back down. “I can’t calm down. Things are different now—you’re married. You have to take responsibility for your family. And Yi Yi’s a good girl. Treat her right.”
Lu Jin’an replied lazily, “I know.”
Ruan Zhixu shot him a glance. “Know what?”
He was even too lazy to placate her now.
“No matter how late I finish work, I’ll go home to my wife.” Lu Jin’an drawled the word “wife” with deliberate emphasis.
Continuing this conversation would only make her more furious, so Ruan Zhixu waved him off.
She couldn’t bear to look at him any longer. He’d excelled at everything growing up, but emotions were the one area that had broken her heart.
The drive back was as silent as the trip there, the rustling wind whispering past their ears.
As they neared Cypress View Pavilion, during a green light wait, Gu Nianyi turned her head and said flatly, “Drop me off at the next intersection. I’m not going back tonight.”
Not going back? Lu Jin’an’s dark eyes flickered with confusion beneath his thick lashes. Was she upset?
He came home tonight, and she was leaving—easy to misunderstand.
Meeting his gaze, Gu Nianyi explained, “I’m worried about the cat. Once the housekeeper leaves, I’ll go back to my own place.”
On their wedding night, she’d asked Lu Jin’an if she could bring the cat. He’d said no—cats shed.
With no choice, Gu Nianyi had left her with Ming Yue.
In the first few days of marriage, she’d worried about surprise checks from her parents. But after observing, she’d spotted a loophole.
Luckily, her rental was close to the wedding house—just two intersections away.
The wedding house was in Gu Nianyi’s name, which was odd. She felt no sense of belonging to it.
Maybe because she hadn’t earned the money to buy it herself.
“Got it.” Lu Jin’an lowered his eyes briefly. “I’ll pick you up at 8 a.m. tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Their exchange was curt, devoid of warmth—like two robots talking.
As they reached the intersection, Gu Nianyi prepared to get out. Lu Jin’an’s fingers tapped the steering wheel, and he suddenly spoke up. “What’s your number?”
Gu Nianyi paused, then realized. She pulled out her phone. “I sent it to you on WeChat.”
The black car stayed put as Lu Jin’an watched Gu Nianyi walk into the complex until she vanished into the night.
A few more people entered behind her, and the security guard waved them through without a question. He frowned slightly. Not secure at all.
【Gu Nianyi, 152xxxx5201】
Lu Jin’an stared at the message—full name and phone number. He scrolled up through their sparse chat history and suddenly smiled.
Not even ordinary blind dates exchanged basics like “Eaten yet?” or “What’re you up to?”
Just notifications like “Civil Affairs Bureau, 9 a.m.”
Lu Jin’an copied the number, instinctively labeling it 【Gu Nianyi】 in his contacts. He set the phone back on the center console, then picked it up again to change it.
【Yi Yi】.
Not Mrs. Lu, and certainly not “wife”—just the little nickname others used for her.
The black car merged into the main road, blending into the night.
Gu Nianyi had texted Ming Yue ahead of time. Nian Gao had been brought back and was waiting at the door, head tilted up. “Meow meow.”
She crouched down quickly to scoop up Nian Gao, stroking her head and pressing her own forehead to the cat’s. “Aiya, little Nian Gao, did you miss me?”
Nian Gao burrowed into her arms, meowing excitedly. “Meow meow meow.”
The cat had missed her too.
Ming Yue sat on the sofa, peering behind Gu Nianyi. Nothing but empty air—no sign of a ghost, let alone anyone else. “Your husband’s not with you?”
She’d tried to talk her out of the marriage but knew how important her grandparents were to Gu Nianyi. Marrying to ease their worries was exactly the kind of thing she’d do.
Lu Jin’an was flawless on paper—looks, family, everything. One in a million, even. But as a surgeon, Ming Yue had heard the rumors about the profession: messy private lives and such. She couldn’t help her biases and didn’t want her friend tangled up in it.
So she’d spent that time digging into Lu Jin’an’s personal life. Nothing. Spotless dating history.
Either he couldn’t perform, or he didn’t like women. Even if he did, he clearly didn’t know how to sweet-talk them. Marrying him didn’t seem like the best choice.
But Gu Nianyi’s filial piety trumped everything. Her grandparents were her whole world.
Gu Nianyi didn’t care, grabbing a cat treat from the shelf. “He went home.”
Her eyes and heart were full of Nian Gao as she started playing with her. Three days— they’d never been apart that long.
Speaking of which, Ming Yue threw up her hands in exasperation. “He says no cat, so you don’t bring the cat? The house is in your name, Gu Nianyi.”
“The house is too big. I’m not used to it—I still prefer my little nest.”
This was the first place Ming Yue had lived after graduating, close to the office and familiar. She’d never even considered moving.
Not wanting to dwell on marriage, Gu Nianyi changed the subject. “How are things with you and… Xie Yunting?”
Xie Yunting was Lu Jin’an’s cousin and one of the groomsmen at the wedding.
She’d sighed countless times about how small the world truly was.
Ming Yue’s thoughts followed Gu Nianyi’s lead. She slumped onto the sofa. “We’re done. I don’t want to talk about him. Whose side are you on?”
It wasn’t a breakup in the usual sense. Their relationship had never been labeled boyfriend-girlfriend, but it had been real enough in every other way.
She never imagined the big shot she’d hooked up with during that part-time gig would turn out to be her best friend’s husband’s cousin—caught red-handed at the wedding, no less.
Her romantic entanglements were a tangled mess.
Ming Yue wasn’t against marriage in principle, but she dreaded stepping into it. She’d had enough of the stifling family life.
Gu Nianyi smiled, her lips curving gently. “Your side, obviously. I barely know the guy.”
She and Ming Yue had grown up together. For the past couple of years, Gu Nianyi had known her friend had a steady “lover,” though she’d never met him.
Ming Yue was fiercely independent—cool-headed, decisive, and never a worry. Gu Nianyi trusted her choices and supported every decision she made.
Their family backgrounds were eerily similar: patriarchal households where favoritism hung over them like a suffocating curse, robbing them of breath.
They understood each other deeply, huddling together for warmth. Not blood sisters, but closer than that.
Ming Yue warned her once more. “Don’t you dare defect. If he tries using Lu Jin’an to fish for my address, you hold the line.”
Their last encounter had been at Gu Nianyi’s wedding. Ming Yue as bridesmaid, Xie Yunting as groomsman.
They’d acted like strangers the whole time. But once the ceremony ended, he’d cornered her and dragged her up to the hotel’s top-floor suite. They’d burned through a full day and night in a haze of passion.
Even now, her legs ached at the memory. What a sin.
Gu Nianyi knew nothing about what happened after the wedding, and Ming Yue had no intention of letting her own mess strain her friend’s ties to the Lu Family.
Unaware of Ming Yue’s inner turmoil, Gu Nianyi raised four fingers of her right hand and swore to the ceiling. “Heaven and Earth as my witness, the sun and moon can judge me—I’ve told Lu Jin’an less tonight than I’ve told you. I would never betray the cause.”
Ming Yue stared up at the dark ceiling. “Good. Your mother-in-law’s actually pretty decent—no drama, no baby pressure. She’s even got everything sorted, like that qipao she had custom-made for your visit home.”
She’d seen the qipao Gu Nianyi had brought back: exquisite workmanship, thoughtful embroidery. Clearly the product of a master.
“It’s nice,” Gu Nianyi said. “We’ll just see how it goes.”
The two friends goofed around for a bit before crawling under the covers together.
The next morning, Ming Yue yanked Gu Nianyi out of bed. “Aren’t you going back to your parents’ place? Get up already.”
Gu Nianyi clung to the blanket. “Marriage is such a hassle.”
She and Ming Yue were the same age, but Ming Yue was incredibly disciplined—more mature, heartbreakingly sensible.
“I told you not to get married,” Ming Yue said. “But you were stubborn as a mule times eight.”
Gu Nianyi cracked her eyes open. “Don’t listen to Yue-jie, and you’ll regret it right away.”
“My treasure,” Ming Yue cooed. “The most beautiful girl in the world.”
The qipao accentuated her slender waist and graceful curves. The pink hue perfectly matched her gentle aura.
Before they headed out, Ming Yue couldn’t resist one last reminder. “If your parents pull the sob story on you, stand your ground.”
Gu Nianyi nodded. “Got it. This time, I’ll definitely listen to Yue-jie.”
At 7:50 a.m., Lu Jin’an pulled up to Moon Gazing Bay just as Gu Nianyi emerged from the complex. She wore a pink qipao, its gold and silver threads shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.
Gu Nianyi pulled open the car door and slipped inside. His car, parked over at Cypress View Pavilion, wouldn’t turn heads there—but in Moon Gazing Bay, it was in a league of its own.
Heads turned wherever it went.
Breakfast sat on the center console. Gu Nianyi figured he hadn’t eaten yet and there was time. She was about to suggest they eat before leaving when a crisp male voice beat her to it. “Eat breakfast first.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
“In the car?”
“Yes.”
He acted like uttering an extra syllable might cost him his life.
Gu Nianyi remembered the last time his young nephew had ridden with him. The kid had begged for candy, wailing and rolling around, swearing he wouldn’t make a mess. Lu Jin’an hadn’t budged.
She didn’t flatter herself that he was playing favorites. He just didn’t trust kids.
Blue Mountain Town lay under the jurisdiction of a neighboring city to South City. The highway drive took about two hours.
As they drew nearer, Gu Nianyi leaned toward Lu Jin’an. “Lu Jin’an, my relationship with my parents is… okay at best. Whatever they ask for today, don’t agree to it. And…”
Her voice was soft and even, devoid of inflection—like she was recounting someone else’s life. The lighter she made it sound, the more it tugged at the heart.
Before Gu Nianyi could finish, Lu Jin’an cut her off. “I know.”
His eyelids drooped slightly, half his face shadowed in the dim light, expression inscrutable. Gu Nianyi obediently fell silent, clutching the packaging bag.
The wedding was behind them; this homecoming visit should be a breeze. She was overthinking it.
The woman beside him suddenly went quiet. Lu Jin’an glanced over, his lips pressing into a thin line—he looked displeased.
His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel as he leaned toward her. “Are you coming back tonight?”