After a brief silence, Lu Jin’an rubbed his chin. “No.”
He quickly added, “I think we should let nature take its course, without all those rules and restrictions. When I picked you up from work today, you weren’t happy about it.”
His magnetic voice carried a lazy, detached tone, resonating with the crisp chime of the wind bells on the balcony.
Gu Nianyi shook her head. “I’m not unhappy. It’s just unnecessary. I’m not used to it.”
Truth be told, she was a little unhappy, but she didn’t want to rebuff his good intentions and hurt his feelings.
Lu Jin’an’s lips suddenly curved into a smile. “Then get used to it gradually.”
The conversation circled back to square one with no progress, and Gu Nianyi even felt like she’d been talked into it.
The phone on the corner of the table rang—being on call twenty-four hours a day was his habit.
Lu Jin’an said, “I have to head to the hospital. Not sure when I’ll be back.”
With that, he walked to the entryway, then paused abruptly. In a serious tone, he said, “What I mean by letting nature take its course—you should think about it. Life doesn’t need preconditions.”
“Alright, I’ll consider it.”
Gu Nianyi gazed at the moon rising outside the window. After a pause, she added, “Drive safely.”
Lu Jin’an replied, “There’s one precondition: you need to face our relationship head-on.”
He was in a rush, speaking faster, but he enunciated each word clearly.
Gu Nianyi stared at the firmly shut door, turning those words over in her mind again and again. Our relationship?
Her relationship with him?
There was only one answer: husband and wife.
Her thoughts tangled into knots, impossible to unravel—like trying to solve a riddle, which she was terrible at.
Unable to figure it out, Gu Nianyi decided not to dwell on it. One of her strengths was not splitting hairs. Instead, she went to harass Ming Yue.
Ming Yue griped: 【Your hubby’s night shifts are piling up, huh?】
Gu Nianyi: 【Are they? I’m not sure.】
She rarely went to the hospital, and the two of them had never really discussed each other’s work.
Living alone in the big house had become the norm. Nian Gao wriggled in her arms for a bit before wandering off to play with her ball.
Just then, Lu Jin’an sent over a copy of his hospital shift schedule.
Gu Nianyi recognized every word on it—day shift, night shift, post-night recovery, days off—but she had no idea what it all meant in practice.
Right after, he followed up with explanations for each term.
She did the same, sharing her own work hours and days off with him.
Was this letting nature take its course? If so, she would give it a try.
She had been narrow-minded from the start, imposing limits on this marriage and stifling its potential. She’d been so sure they had no future.
Just like Li Huiling had told her: if she didn’t even dare ride an electric scooter, how could she learn to drive? And yet now she could do both.
For her schedule, Lu Jin’an simply replied: I know.
He knew. Gu Nianyi suddenly remembered that when he’d driven her to the Meteorological Bureau, he hadn’t used navigation.
Now armed with his shift schedule, Gu Nianyi figured out when he’d be home and started leaving early to avoid overlapping.
It didn’t sit right with her to have him, fresh off an all-nighter at the hospital, drive her to work too. 【Dr. Lu, get some proper rest. I’ll drive myself.】
She attached a photo of her driver’s license—she’d had it for three years.
The message seemed straightforward and innocuous, but picking a form of address had stumped her. In the end, “Dr. Lu” was the safe choice.
A transferred patient had arrived at the hospital unexpectedly, turning the night into chaos before it finally settled.
As the group returned to the office, Lu Jin’an picked up his phone and saw the message from his top contact. His thin lips curved into the faintest arc.
Zhou Ziyu glanced over casually and caught the subtle change. “Tch,” he said. “What’s got Dr. Lu so happy?”
How was it the same “Dr. Lu,” yet it sounded completely different coming from her?
Lu Jin’an kept his expression neutral. “Nothing.”
He flipped through the photo of her license. Gu Nianyi had forgotten to blur out her ID photo—her face looked so young back then, even with a bit of baby fat.
For some inexplicable reason, he tapped save on it.
Keep pretending, Zhou Ziyu thought, sneaking another peek. The man swiftly turned off his phone and pocketed it.
He hadn’t seen a thing.
Lu Jin’an dropped a bombshell: “Cover my night shift this Friday.”
Zhou Ziyu: “…”
Heartless, utterly shameless—and it was a Friday, no less! He was in the wrong, owed him that much.
Lu Jin’an’s work hours were erratic, often flipping his days and nights. After she started avoiding him deliberately, they rarely crossed paths even under the same roof.
Nian Gao, on the other hand, saw him often. Cats were aloof by nature, and she seemed to embody that—sort of.
At first, she’d wait by the door, rubbing against his legs.
But after a few days of interaction—no cuddles, no treats, no playtime from him—Nian Gao reverted to her high-and-mighty self. At the sound of the door, she’d poke her head out. If it was Lu Jin’an, she’d flop back into her bed.
Not a single extra glance, as if to say, I’ve got standards too.
If it was the housekeeper or Gu Nianyi at the door, though, Nian Gao would come bounding over, thrilled beyond measure.
These days, even cats had mastered double standards, playing favorites like pros.
On Friday, Lu Jin’an had the day off. He woke to an empty house—Gu Nianyi had already left—leaving just him and the cat.
Was this how she usually spent her time at home?
Nian Gao patrolled her territory as usual, strutting past his legs with her tail held high.
Lu Jin’an crouched down. “What, even you ignoring me now?”
Nian Gao said nothing, turning to leap onto the sofa and bat at the blanket.
What a grudge-holding little furball.
Finally, the happiest time of the week arrived for Gu Nianyi: alone time with Nian Gao in the sprawling house.
As the setting sun melted into gold, she came downstairs and spotted only the cat. She set down her bag, scooped Nian Gao into one arm, and switched her phone to speaker.
Ming Yue asked, “Is your hubby off this weekend?”
“Not sure. He didn’t say, so I didn’t ask.” The housekeeper had already prepared dinner and set it on the table before leaving early.
Gu Nianyi went to fix Nian Gao’s evening meal, boiling some chicken breast.
Ming Yue vented indignantly: “Baby, what do you know about him then? You’re basically living like a widow. I’m not trying to be cynical, but surgeons have so much stress—they need an outlet. What if he’s got flags fluttering outside and brings home an illegitimate kid one day, and you have no clue?”
Illegitimate kids even had inheritance rights these days, without the debts.
Gu Nianyi shredded the meat by hand and shot back instantly: “He’s not that kind of person.”
Ming Yue: “Don’t trust men too much. Even the report from Xie Yunting—I’m taking it with a grain of salt now. ‘Clean-living’? He could be hiding something. You know the face but not the heart.”
Gu Nianyi didn’t forget her friend. “Got it. I’ll keep my eyes open. How about you and him? What’s going on?”
Ming Yue was carefully painting her nails, sounding nonchalant. “Same old. He’s paying my salary, after all—I won’t fight with money. Yi Yi, you’re different from me. I can roll with anything, but I want you to be happy.”
She smudged a bit, wiped it off with tissue, and started over.
Gu Nianyi said earnestly, “That’s what I want for you too. Don’t shortchange yourself.”
Ming Yue: “I know, I know. You know me.”
Gu Nianyi’s focus was in the kitchen when she heard steady, powerful footsteps approaching from nearby. She turned, so startled she forgot to school her expression. “You… how are you home?”
“Day off.”
Lu Jin’an descended the stairs in deep blue pajamas, one button undone, his forehead hair still dripping faintly.
He carried a chill about him, fresh from a shower.
Gu Nianyi hurriedly told the person on the other end of the line, “Ming Yue, I gotta hang up.”
The very subject of their discussion was right there at home. Gu Nianyi steadied herself, her clear eyes meeting his. “You heard?”
Lu Jin’an walked to the water bar and poured himself a glass. “Mm. I heard.”
His tone was even, betraying no emotion.
The man took a sip and added, “Starting from the ‘day off’ part.”
Someone had assumed he wasn’t home and hadn’t lowered her voice—the whole conversation had poured straight into his ears.
He’d heard everything. Gu Nianyi’s face flushed crimson in an instant.
Lu Jin’an occasionally came home to sleep these days, but not this early. Even with the schedule, he rarely stuck to it—doctors’ rest times were unpredictable.
Right now, Gu Nianyi’s brain short-circuited, her mouth slightly agape, words failing her.
Any response now would sound like an excuse.
Was there a hole she could crawl into?
Lu Jin’an drew closer, stopping right in front of her. Her fair oval face was tinged pink, embarrassment written all over it.
He defended himself. “I’m healthy in body and mind, no bad habits, no messing around. Your friend’s worries are unnecessary.”
His tall frame loomed over her, his clear voice drifting down from above, carrying an intangible pressure.
She clutched her sleeve and changed the subject. “The food’s getting cold. You eat first. I’ll feed the cat.”
She darted to the side, picked up the cat bowl, and carried it to the kitchen doorway.
“Nian Gao, Nian Gao.”
Gu Nianyi softly called the cat’s name, stroking her head nonstop as she ate.
She lingered there, unsure how to face Lu Jin’an at the table.
Squatting on the floor, she looked every bit the scared quail. Lu Jin’an prompted gently, “Food’s cold. Let’s eat.”
Gu Nianyi psyched herself up inwardly. “Okay, coming.”
She pulled out the chair diagonally across from him and sat—no direct eye contact that way.
The table was still small, though, so reaching for dishes meant glancing up inevitably.
Gu Nianyi quickly looked away. Never again would she badmouth someone behind their back—especially after his explanation, which left her mortified.
The awkwardness lingered all the way into bedtime. What had once been mere unease sharing a bed now felt magnified a thousandfold.
Gu Nianyi dawdled downstairs, in the study, and in the media room until eleven o’clock before finally returning to the master bedroom.
Lu Jin’an was leaning against the headboard, scrolling through his phone with no apparent intention of sleeping. All told, the two of them had hardly ever shared a bed, so she had no idea when he turned in for the night.
Gu Nianyi stole a few glances at the man beside her with her peripheral vision. His profile was smooth and well-defined, his expression indifferent, as if the evening’s little incident hadn’t fazed him at all.
After pondering for a moment, she spoke slowly. “My friend was just worried about me. That’s all there was to it.”
Ming Yue was her friend, after all, and everything she’d done had been for Gu Nianyi’s sake. She didn’t want Lu Jin’an to get the wrong idea about her.
“I know. I didn’t mind.” It was just normal conversation between friends—nothing serious.
Gu Nianyi said gently, “Then I’ll get some sleep. Good night.”
She lifted the covers on her side of the bed and lay down on the far edge.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the room plunged into darkness. Lu Jin’an slipped under his covers, and a vast gulf stretched between them, like a galaxy separating two distant stars.
She was grateful for the bed’s generous size and for the fact that they each had their own quilt—no risk of accidental contact.
Once again sharing a bed, Gu Nianyi’s nerves were stretched taut like an overpulled rope. She stayed on high alert all night and barely slept a wink.
When she finally woke, it was already past ten.
Nian Gao wasn’t waiting at the door like she usually did. Gu Nianyi didn’t even have time to change out of her pajamas before she went looking for her. “Nian Gao! Nian Gao!”
She leaned over the second-floor railing, scanning from her vantage point. There was Nian Gao, munching on snacks in front of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, with someone squatting beside her.
It was Lu Jin’an. Why was he still home? And hanging out with Nian Gao, no less.
They were getting along peacefully—it was almost miraculous.
Catching the movement from upstairs, Lu Jin’an turned his head. “Aunt Liu wants to know what you’d like for lunch. She’s heading out to buy groceries.”
The young woman was dressed in cartoon pajamas, her hair a fluffy mess. She looked utterly natural and unmasked, without her usual gentle facade.
“Anything’s fine. Just some home-cooked dishes.”
Gu Nianyi glanced down at the enormous cat pattern on her pajamas, then over at Lu Jin’an in his crisp white T-shirt. She suddenly felt childish by comparison.
It was the longest they’d spent together since getting married.
Lu Jin’an was petting the cat, but she hissed at him aggressively. Gu Nianyi watched the scene and couldn’t help but smile, pursing her lips.
Sunlight streamed into the room, the wind chimes tinkled softly, and Nian Gao let out a lazy meow. It was the essence of an autumn day’s gentle warmth.
When Aunt Liu returned from shopping, she spotted the two of them in the living room. She snapped a photo and sent it to Ruan Zhixu with a grin. “Mrs. Lu, no need to worry. Things are getting better between them.”
She couldn’t resist taking another look. They made such a perfect pair.
The peaceful interlude lasted until the afternoon. Lu Jin’an emerged from the study holding a file bag, which he placed in front of Gu Nianyi. “This is my physical examination report.”
They’d done premarital checkups, but those weren’t always comprehensive, and some people hid certain medical histories.
Now that they were married, they ought to be open with each other.
That was Lu Jin’an’s principle.
The manila file bag felt heavy in her hands as Gu Nianyi pulled out a dining chair and sat down.
Before her lay reports not just from one clinic, but from several. She stared in stunned silence.
Lu Jin’an had come prepared, thinking it through meticulously. Worried she might doubt a report from his own hospital, he’d gotten checked at five different ones.
Gu Nianyi skimmed through them perfunctorily. Everything seemed fine. “Okay. I’ll go find mine.”
Lu Jin’an grabbed her wrist. “No need.”
He released her almost instantly.
The man spoke in his unhurried way. “No exes. No one I’m interested in.”
“Huh?” Gu Nianyi’s brows furrowed, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn.
Lu Jin’an gazed steadily into her eyes. “What about you?”
He didn’t move, his dark eyes deep and inscrutable, waiting for her answer.
Gu Nianyi’s mouth opened and closed. “Same here.”
The man across from her didn’t seem satisfied. He pressed, “Same how?”
“No exes. No one I’m interested in.” Gu Nianyi echoed his words, giving him a clear answer.
A married couple playing this game of full disclosure?
Gu Nianyi badly wanted to ask if it wasn’t a bit late for this now.
Lu Jin’an thought of something else. “The person from the wedding?”
The man who’d sent a gift of ten thousand and one yuan—the one who’d been the only emotional ripple for her that day.
She hadn’t even cared about the kiss at the wedding.
Gu Nianyi answered honestly. “That was Xu Wenyan, my high school classmate. We hardly kept in touch after graduation. I never expected him to find out about the wedding.”
It was only when she saw the gift amount that she realized Xu Wenyan had feelings for her.
All those little clues from before suddenly made sense.
He’d walk her to and from school, bring milk for the whole class—but double for her. Whenever she was upset, he’d always show up.
Coincidence? Too many coincidences stopped being coincidences.
Back then, Gu Nianyi had been focused solely on her studies, desperate to grow up and escape that house. She’d overlooked the obvious signs.
After graduation, she only knew he’d gone to police academy. Then they’d lost touch.
He’d never confessed, and by now he probably didn’t like her anymore. He had his own life.
Maybe the gift money was just his way of putting that old crush to rest.
Lu Jin’an had no way of knowing her thoughts.
He connected the classmate album to the gift money.
The person who’d written “across the calm distance” wasn’t an ex-boyfriend, yet he’d shown up at her wedding with such an ambiguous gift.
He hadn’t dared enter the venue himself, handing it off to Chu Shuyan instead.
One in ten thousand. One in ten thousand.
Lu Jin’an didn’t know why he’d asked about the man from the wedding. Plenty of people liked Gu Nianyi—her colleagues, for instance.
Why fixate on Xu Wenyan?
He had no idea.
The man with his chiseled features rose to his feet, an air of aloofness about him, his eyes like fathomless pools. He said offhandedly, “I was just asking casually. Don’t read into it.”