The voice pulled Gu Nianyi back to reality. She turned her head and saw Lu Jin’an standing there.
His tall, upright figure cast a sharp jawline and chiseled features half in shadow, half in the warm yellow light.
He stood quietly by the door, not wanting to disturb her.
All these were birthday gifts? That was way too many.
A smile tugged at Gu Nianyi’s lips as she tilted her head. “Dr. Lu, thank you.”
She had to say it.
Because he had kept her birthday in mind, even if it was just out of husbandly duty.
And she was truly happy.
Lu Jin’an met her gaze. “You’re welcome. I have some things to take care of. Dinner in half an hour.”
He closed the door, leaving her with some private space.
Now it was her time, her space, with Nian Gao helping her unwrap the gifts.
Just like in her dream.
Some dolls were already unpacked and displayed on the shelves, while other gift boxes sat on the floor.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Gu Nianyi was enveloped in the warm white glow of the lights.
In her past twenty-four years, the gifts she’d received didn’t amount to even a fraction of these.
Gu Nianyi sat on the floor, hugging Nian Gao, as she unwrapped more presents.
It turned out Lu Jin’an hadn’t just prepared dolls. There were also designer bags, jewelry, clothes, home goods, and gadgets—he’d practically brought home one of everything.
He’d even thoughtfully gotten clothes for Nian Gao.
Just as he’d said, he really treated Nian Gao like a member of the family.
The dolls lined up neatly on the shelves, sorted by size and color. Dr. Lu wasn’t just a neat freak; he had a touch of OCD too.
She loved how he’d decorated this room for her.
There were blue hydrangeas, green grass, a fluffy carpet, a white swing, and so many Esther dolls.
No one here to ruin her fun. No one to complain that the family had no money, only to turn around and buy Ultraman toys for her little brother.
No one to say she was wasting money on useless junk.
No one to mock her for buying childish dolls at her age.
Just a room full of the dolls she loved.
Suddenly, Gu Nianyi’s eyes were drawn to a row of dolls in the corner—limited editions from overseas, out-of-print ones from years ago, even styles she’d desperately wanted as a child but could never afford.
This was thoughtfulness that money alone couldn’t buy.
Gu Nianyi carefully lifted the transparent cover and cradled the doll in her arms. Its cheek felt soft and gentle against her skin. This wasn’t a dream; it was real.
Twilight settled in, the evening breeze rustled through, and the swing swayed gently—a fragile beauty that wouldn’t shatter.
Gu Nianyi went downstairs. Lu Jin’an was already seated in the dining room, waiting for her.
“Dr. Lu, where did you get those out-of-print dolls?”
From what she knew, ones that were decades old and still pristine were incredibly rare. Most people wouldn’t part with them.
Lu Jin’an had his excuse ready. “A friend bought them to cheer up his girlfriend, but they broke up, so he couldn’t give them. If you don’t want them, toss them.”
“Ah.” Gu Nianyi shook her head quickly. “The dolls are innocent! Which friend? Thank him for me.”
“No need. He’s just relieved to be rid of them.”
Far away at the office, pulling an all-nighter, Lin Qianyu sneezed suddenly. With the weather cooling down, it was time to put on some winter padding.
Lu Jin’an glanced up, meeting her curved eyebrows and eyes, then changed the subject. “You’re looking at me now?”
Gu Nianyi lowered her head. “I’m not avoiding you.”
It was the embarrassment of having her vulnerability laid bare, especially to the man she shared a bed with.
She didn’t want his pity. She didn’t want to be accused of whining about nothing.
Lu Jin’an could guess. The sudden hug had caught her off guard, and now that she was thinking clearly, she regretted it.
But he didn’t regret holding her. He only regretted not coming home sooner.
“We’re husband and wife. We didn’t know each other before marriage—that’s true. But now we do, and that’s true too. I’ll take the good moods and the bad ones.”
He spoke like a patient teacher, guiding her on how to navigate their relationship.
“Dr. Lu…”
Lovers could tolerate negative moods once or twice, but over time, even they grew sick of each other. And they had no foundation of love.
Gu Nianyi nodded anyway. “Okay.”
Seeing her dazed expression, Lu Jin’an hoped she truly understood—and wasn’t just being polite.
After dinner, Lu Jin’an headed to the master bedroom. He spent much less time in his study these days.
Gu Nianyi’s large doll was propped up against the headboard just like him, each claiming their side of the bed.
The doll stared at him with its smiling eyes, looking just like Nian Gao downstairs.
The cat had claimed the human’s nest, and he was helpless against it.
Where was his wife?
After dinner, she’d gone back to the Doll Room, so absorbed in her joy that she’d forgotten bedtime.
Lu Jin’an waited until 11 p.m. 【I’m going to sleep.】
The message was curt, no emoji or greeting—cold and to the point.
Gu Nianyi was used to it. Dr. Lu wasn’t the type for emojis; he was always concise.
【Okay, Dr. Lu. You go ahead and sleep. I’ll be quiet. Good night.】
Polite and considerate.
Just not considerate of the man and the doll in the master bedroom.
—
The next day at work, Gu Nianyi reported Qin Shiyu’s earlier request to her boss via WeChat.
She could have just knocked on his door, but she chose the online route.
【Director, I have something to report. Baichuan Group is planning to tender for weather data services externally. They’re asking if we’re interested in participating.】
Cheng Fanglin set down his gray thermos. 【It’s not on their website yet. How do you know?】
Baichuan Group was one of South City’s top companies, and their tenders were multimillion-dollar deals. Gu Nianyi was just a regular staffer—how would she know about an unannounced project?
Gu Nianyi thought for a few seconds before replying. 【A while back, I ran into a friend who works at Baichuan. He knew I was at the Meteorological Bureau and asked me about it.】
Cheng Fanglin: 【We’ll participate. Providing paid weather services is a revenue stream for the bureau. Keep me updated on any progress.】
If they landed it, his promotion next year was in the bag. As for Gu Nianyi, she’d only provided the tip.
Gu Nianyi: 【Got it, Director.】
With his approval, Gu Nianyi forwarded the info to Qin Shiyu right away. 【Shiyu, sorry I forgot about what you mentioned last time. I checked with my boss, and he said yes, we’ll join.】
Qin Shiyu didn’t mind at all. 【Great. They’ll probably announce it publicly next week. I’ll have Assistant Yun contact you.】
She wanted to handle it personally but worried about gossip—that she was abusing her position, which wouldn’t be good for Gu Nianyi either.
Gu Nianyi: 【Sounds good, Shiyu.】
She added Yun Ran to her contacts. She didn’t mind branching out; it was a chance to learn more.
The green indicator in the bottom right blinked again—another message from Cheng Fanglin. 【Little Gu, the director praises your work ethic. It’s end of month, so you need to prepare the report. Whip up this PPT after hours.】
Empty promises and manipulative flattery were standard leadership tactics, but she’d made her peace with it. Just consider it practice.
It was only a summary report. She’d written plenty here—monthly, quarterly. She had it down pat.
Still, her colleagues griped on her behalf. Cheng Fanglin clearly saw her as a pushover, someone who wouldn’t complain, so he kept piling it on.
Gu Nianyi smiled faintly to herself. Without a powerful family backing her, it was the same everywhere—maybe worse. At least this was stable.
Look on the bright side: no messy drama, no forced socializing. That was something.
She was pulling another late night. Again.
Finally, after rushing through it, she finished the monthly report and breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Jin’an was on night shift today. Ming Yue happened to be free and invited her out to eat.
The two women hadn’t seen each other in a while. They hugged upon meeting, then immediately cringed at how cheesy it was.
The weather had cooled; the high was barely over 20 degrees. They settled into a hot pot restaurant.
Ming Yue unwrapped the chopsticks. “How’s it going with Lu Jin’an?”
Gu Nianyi pondered for a few seconds. “Not bad. Better than I expected.”
In their months of marriage, they hadn’t fought once. Their habits meshed well. He wasn’t chauvinistic, always respecting and considering her views.
He never pushed her into anything she disliked, not even their marital duties.
They treated each other with polite respect to the extreme—life was wonderfully comfortable.
Ming Yue said, “He called me that day. Scared me half to death.”
Looking back, his tone had been so urgent and tense.
Gu Nianyi scanned the menu to order. “So that’s how he knew my real birthday. You spilled it.”
Ming Yue’s eyes flickered. After a brief hesitation, she asked, “How’s your mom been lately? Still giving you grief?”
They knew each other’s tastes inside out. Gu Nianyi quickly placed the order. “She’s backed off. Hasn’t bothered me, and I haven’t reached out. That’s that.”
Her old hopes had vanished with the 500,000. No more illusions about her parents; she’d done enough.
“Good. Yi Yi…” Ming Yue hesitated unusually.
Gu Nianyi added ribs to the spicy broth. “What’s up?”
Ming Yue gave a wry smile. “Nothing. I forgot. Must not be important.”
“If something’s wrong, don’t hide it from me.”
Gu Nianyi didn’t dwell and used the serving tongs to put a piece of beef in Ming Yue’s bowl.
To deflect, Ming Yue changed the subject. “How did you even dare marry Lu Jin’an? You’d never met.”
Gu Nianyi stared at the beef tripe simmering in the pot. “Grandpa and Grandma have already met him, so there’s definitely no issue. Now that I think about it, it really is strange. I hadn’t even seen his face before, but I went ahead and got the marriage certificate with him anyway. It doesn’t matter, though. Whether he’s my white moonlight or the cinnabar mole on my heart, I’m dirt poor and have nothing to my name. If anyone’s got reason to worry, it’s them.”
She had a point. When doors didn’t match and households were worlds apart, Lu Jin’an ought to be the one fretting more.
“Enough about me. What about you and Xie Yunting? How do you feel? Marriage is whatever—as long as you’re happy and don’t get hurt.”
Ming Yue’s gaze dimmed. “Honestly, I don’t know. You know my family; it’s as good as having none at all. Things are different for you and Dr. Lu. Your grandpa saved their lives. Me? I’ve got nothing to offer.”
Even the most confident person turned unsure when facing someone they liked.
Gu Nianyi set down her chopsticks and spoke with utmost seriousness. “That’s not true at all. You’ve got a beautiful face, a perfect figure, a kind heart, and a strong spirit. You’re the best person in the whole world. Xie Yunting finding you is the good karma he earned in his last life. And knowing you this lifetime? That’s my good karma.”
Ming Yue always claimed Gu Nianyi had saved her, but Gu Nianyi saw it as mutual rescue—a pair of lights piercing through long, joyless years to illuminate each other.
Ming Yue rubbed her arms. “Ugh, that’s so cheesy. I’m getting goosebumps.”
In the whole world, only Gu Nianyi saw her that way.
As she watched Gu Nianyi’s figure vanish at the end of the neighborhood, Ming Yue made up her mind.
She would give it a shot. How else could she find out how things might turn out?
Gu Nianyi pushed open the front door and was surprised to see Lu Jin’an. He was crouched in front of Nian Gao, feeding her cat strips.
He betrayed no awkwardness at being caught in the act.
“Dr. Lu, you’re sneaking snacks to Nian Gao again.”
She had suspected as much for a while but lacked proof—until today, when she caught him red-handed.
Lu Jin’an didn’t bat an eye. “Her mom’s not around. She’s just too pitiful.”
Gu Nianyi fell silent.
So it was her fault, was it? She’d been pulling overtime lately, coming home late and neglecting Nian Gao in the process.
“You’re the one who fed her, so you get to take her out for some exercise.”
“No problem.”
Lu Jin’an stroked Nian Gao’s head. “Your mom’s busy, so I’ll take you out for a run.”
Nian Gao let out an excited “Meow meow.”
Thrilled, she tugged at Lu Jin’an’s pant leg, eager to head out. Beauty and treats had won her over completely.
She was no longer the haughty cat who breezed past Lu Jin’an without a glance.
Gu Nianyi let out a silent sigh. What could she do? Nian Gao was a girl, after all.
With National Day approaching, a blast of cold air swept south, ushering in the shift from summer to autumn. The hospital grew hectic.
Lu Jin’an had warned her ahead of time about a major surgery and told her not to wait up for dinner.
Gu Nianyi ate alone that evening. The housekeeper had packed meals in advance and set them aside, explaining that Mrs. Lu worried about Dr. Lu’s health.
He often skipped meals, and his stomach wasn’t the strongest. She hoped Gu Nianyi could drop some off and make sure he ate.
Cypress View Pavilion lay close to the hospital, so it was no trouble at all. As Lu Jin’an’s wife, it was only natural.
Gu Nianyi grabbed the lunchbox and cabbed it to South City First Hospital. She’d ordered midnight snacks ahead of time for pickup at the entrance.
She gazed at the inpatient building before her, its windows ablaze with light. Each room sheltered someone clinging to hope for recovery.
Every visit filled her with awe at how precious health truly was.
The nurses knew Gu Nianyi by now; the snacks were for them.
“Yi Yi, you’re spoiling us again.”
“You all work way too hard.”
They told her Lu Jin’an was still in surgery and hadn’t emerged yet. She could wait in his office.
After getting directions to the operating room, Gu Nianyi dropped off the lunchbox and headed to the door to wait.
She hadn’t quite reached it when a clamor reached her ears.
Puzzled, she wondered why such a noisy disturbance echoed from a place where silence was the rule.
The sounds were coming straight from the operating room.
Gu Nianyi broke into a jog. As she drew nearer, she saw the OR light had gone dark.
A crowd had gathered by the iron door—several family members talking over one another. She couldn’t make out their words at first.
A few more steps, and their voices clarified.
“He was perfectly fine when we brought him in. How’s he just gone now? The hospital owes us an explanation!”
“Right? We only came here because we heard the doctors were top-notch.”
“No way—this demands answers from the hospital.”
Gu Nianyi got it now: a medical dispute. The relative had passed, but instead of grieving, they hounded for compensation.
Their demands grew relentless, unending. They started shoving, hurling personal attacks.
“Leading the surgery at such a young age? No wonder it failed. God knows how he even got the job.”
They didn’t hesitate to sling mud, desperate to vent their rage.
Lu Jin’an had ignored the initial barbs, but even he had his limits. “Sir, mind your manners. Words carry weight, and as I explained, his heart had already stopped by the time he arrived. We did everything in our power.”
The family member kept up the nonsense. “No chance. He was full of life when we dropped him off. Your skills just weren’t up to it. Kid, you’re barely out of diapers—leading surgery? Get me the dean. I’m filing a complaint!”
Lu Jin’an remained unruffled. “Be my guest.”
It was the first time Gu Nianyi had seen Lu Jin’an take such accusations.
The man with his prominent brow and pursed thin lips stood refined and aloof, like bamboo groves after rain—detached, proud, utterly indifferent to prying eyes.
Truth be told, he simply saw no point wasting breath on them.
The furious man, his blows landing on air, raised his fist for a real strike. Lu Jin’an didn’t flinch.
In that split second, Gu Nianyi dashed forward and planted herself between them. The fist halted mid-swing.
Gu Nianyi opened her eyes and stayed put, shielding Lu Jin’an. “Dr. Lu wanted to save your loved one, same as you. But doctors are only human, not gods. They can’t bring back the dead.”
The burly man grew more incensed, jabbing a finger at her. “And who the hell are you? Out of the way—don’t interfere!”
Gu Nianyi didn’t back down. She stared him straight in the eye and lifted her chin. “I’m his wife.”
Ignoring whatever he might say next, she pressed on. “My husband’s been in surgery for eight hours straight and hasn’t eaten a thing. We’re going.”
When she looked up again, her gentle phoenix eyes held only ice.
Her voice came flat and wintry, laced with glacial chill—nothing like her usual warmth.
With that, deaf to their protests, Gu Nianyi seized Lu Jin’an’s wrist and strode toward the office.