Chapter 476: Chapter 476: Extremely Sour
Mu Ziquan held the blueprints, but his mind wasn’t on them. He was eavesdropping on the others as they discussed Gu Jiaojiao.
He especially recalled when Gu Jiaojiao had given him acupuncture; her occasional touch on his skin, those slender, delicate fingers, had indeed been soft.
A smile unconsciously spread across his face. Fortunately, everyone else in the lab was too busy daydreaming about their future wives to notice.
Just as the discussion was heating up, a clear, bright voice suddenly called out, "Ziquan, we came all this way to pick you up from work!"
Everyone in the lab, including Mu Ziquan, looked up toward the door at the same time. There, they saw Xiao Jiyan trailing behind her cousin.
She was wearing a camel-colored trench coat today, her hair tied in a high ponytail that made her look playful and cute.
A wide smile graced Xiao Jiyan’s face, her eyes curving into crescents. They were as bright and clear as a fawn’s.
Her long eyelashes fluttered as she spotted her Ziquan in the crowd at a single glance.
"Xiao Jiyan? What are you doing here?" Mu Ziquan asked, surprised. He then felt a wave of awkwardness.
Just a moment before she had appeared, he had, for a split second, been thinking about her.
In the past, he had always clearly rejected Xiao Jiyan whenever they met, but she never held a grudge, always returning with fiery enthusiasm.
’Since the one that got away was already living a happy life, perhaps marrying someone who loved him deeply wouldn’t be a bad choice.’
’He had just been thinking of Xiao Jiyan, and now here she was. How could he not be embarrassed?’
"I told you, I came all this way to pick you up from work!" Xiao Jiyan answered excitedly.
This afternoon, her younger cousin had secretly called to tell her that Mu Ziquan had also started working at the Jiaoci Medical Equipment Factory.
So, she had called her older cousin and asked him to pick her up from the research institute, and then come here together to get her Ziquan from work.
’This was the first time Ziquan hadn’t looked at her with those icy eyes.’
She joyfully ran up to Mu Ziquan. "Ziquan, let’s go."
Without waiting for a reply, Xiao Jiyan took hold of his wheelchair and started pushing him toward the exit.
Mu Ziquan was a bit flustered by her enthusiasm, but he didn’t resist, simply letting her push him along.
’A miracle. He wasn’t as repulsed by her as he’d expected. Had he been single for too long? Did he really want to get married?’
Seeing that her Ziquan wasn’t angry, Xiao Jiyan grew even more delighted. The corners of her mouth curved into a lovely arc.
’She hummed a little song to herself, not daring to make a sound for fear that Ziquan would find her annoying.’
’After all these years, Ziquan finally didn’t seem to hate her so much. This was wonderful!’
Mu Ziquan couldn’t see Xiao Jiyan’s expression from his wheelchair, but he could easily imagine how happy she looked.
He frowned slightly. ’Could it be that I’ve been paying attention to her this whole time without even realizing it?’
Xiao Jiyan sensed the change in his mood and immediately stopped. "Ziquan?" she asked, a little confused. "What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing..." Mu Ziquan reined in his thoughts and shook his head. "Let’s go."
When they reached her cousin’s car, Mu Ziquan turned and noticed Xiao Jiyan standing frozen in place, her cheeks faintly flushed.
’That’s strange,’ he thought. ’What’s with her today?’
Meanwhile, Xiao Jiyan mustered up her courage and said to Mu Ziquan, "Ziquan, the truth is... well... I’ve always wanted to marry you."
She lowered her head as she spoke. ’This is the first time Ziquan has been nice to me. I have to take this chance to confess, I don’t care if he gets angry.’
"Okay. I’ll go back and discuss it with my grandfather. We’ll find a matchmaker to pick an auspicious date, and then I’ll come to your family to formally propose."
Mu Ziquan wasn’t surprised to hear her words. After all, her desire to marry him had always been written all over her face.
He wasn’t one for dramatics. Once he made a decision, he acted on it.
Mu Ziquan’s casual words struck Xiao Jiyan’s ears like a clap of thunder, exploding in her chest.
A torrent of excitement rushed to her head, leaving her completely disoriented. Her heart hammered in her throat.
"Whoa, did Ziquan really just agree to marry my cousin? Bro, am I hearing things?"
Upon hearing this, one of the Xiao family cousins grabbed his older cousin’s hand and asked loudly.
"You’re not hearing things. I heard it too. It’s really happening. Our cousin has finally seen the clouds part to reveal the moon."
After getting a firm confirmation from his older cousin, he bounced over to Xiao Jiyan. "Cousin, let’s get in the car and go home, quick!"
He had to get back and tell their grandpa and his eldest uncle the good news. The whole family had been worried sick about their cousin’s marriage!
Su Shuochi, blissfully unaware of what had just happened in the factory lab, had his sleeves rolled up and was busy stir-frying.
The moment Gu Jiaojiao got home, she was greeted by the aroma of cooking. "Su Shuochi, you’re back even earlier than me today! I thought you’d be late since you were taking on an apprentice."
"Many hands make light work. I finished up early today, so I came home to cook for you. Don’t you worry about me not being able to support you, wifey."
Su Shuochi said with a laugh, his hands never pausing their work over the wok.
"Hah, how can you say that? Never mind that we’re raking in cash every day; even if we had no income..."
"I’ve got more than enough gold, silver, and treasure in my pocket dimension. The two of us could eat and wear whatever we want and still not use it all in three lifetimes," Gu Jiaojiao said smugly.
"That’s different. We’re going to have children, and I can’t let them lose at the starting line."
"Besides, money isn’t the only metric for quality of life. Contributing to our country and our people is far more meaningful."
"My husband is not only capable but also kind and daring. That’s exactly my type."
"Forget the fact that we’re a loving family—even if we’d just met on the street, we would’ve become kindred spirits. HAHA..."
Hearing his wife call him "husband," Su Shuochi felt like fireworks were exploding in his chest. A sweetness spread through every fiber of his being.
If he weren’t holding the wok in one hand and a spatula in the other, he would have pulled her into a passionate kiss.
"My soulmate, come wash your hands. It’s time to eat," Su Shuochi said, hoping she would come closer.
"I’ll go wash up at the water pump in the yard," Gu Jiaojiao said playfully. She knew exactly what he was thinking.
The couple enjoyed their sweet, delicious dinner together. Afterward, Su Shuochi cleared the dishes and wiped the table.
Gu Jiaojiao casually peeled a tangerine, popped a slice into her mouth, and—yikes, that’s sour.
She squeezed her eyes shut as she swallowed the slice. When she saw Su Shuochi emerge from the kitchen after washing the dishes, she immediately walked over and popped a slice into his mouth.
"You worked so hard, honey. Here, have some tangerine. See if it’s sour."
"Not sour at all. A tangerine peeled by my wifey is perfectly sweet—sweeter than honey, even."
Su Shuochi genuinely didn’t find it sour. His wife, with her soft, delicate hands, had peeled the tangerine and fed it to him herself.
As she stood beside him, gazing at him with such affection and smiling so sweetly, he felt that even if she had fed him aged vinegar, it would have tasted like rock candy.
