Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Too Poor to Even Drink Water
The next day.
Su Shuochi opened his eyes and gazed at the woman sleeping soundly in his arms. A gentle smile graced her lips, as if she were lost in a beautiful dream.
The morning light spilled into the room, making her sweet, smiling face dazzlingly bright.
This was why he loved to watch her sleep every morning when he woke up. To him, her sleeping face was a beautiful sight to behold each day.
’My dear wife, I’ll be gone for a few days. You have to eat well, you hear?’ Su Shuochi thought, looking at the woman in his arms.
He loved seeing her laugh with abandon and didn’t want her mood to be spoiled by petty squabbles.
That was why he had booked an 8:30 a.m. train ticket for this morning. He was going home to sort out the issues between his parents and his second sister.
’This little rascal is sleeping so soundly. Has she forgotten I’m leaving this morning?’
Smiling, Su Shuochi gently slid his arm out from under her and got up to make breakfast. Not long after he went downstairs, Gu Jiaojiao woke up.
Half-asleep, she thought she heard her husband getting out of bed and opened her drowsy eyes.
Sunlight streamed in, making her blink. She scratched her messy hair, stretched languidly, and yawned.
A glance at the watch on the bedside table showed it was already 6:30. She sat up with a jolt. ’Oh my god, Su Shuochi has a train to catch!’
Gu Jiaojiao quickly washed up and hurried downstairs, just in time to see her husband emerging from the kitchen.
A charming smile was on his face as he carried a plate of large meat buns. Hot congee and fried eggs were already laid out on the dining table.
"Honey, you’re up. Come have breakfast. Will you take me to the station after we eat?"
He asked a little sheepishly, because he’d told her last night—while they were wrapped up together—that she didn’t have to see him off.
"What do you mean, ’will I’? Of course I’m going to take you to the station." Gu Jiaojiao shot him a playful glare, her voice soft and coy.
"Really, honey? You’re the best." Overjoyed, he placed the hot congee in front of her.
"This is your favorite—pork and preserved egg congee. Take your time, we have plenty of it."
"Oof..."
"What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell, honey?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern as he watched her frown.
"It’s nothing, my back is just a little sore..."
"Then finish up and go back to sleep. I’ll call Geng Haoyi to give me a ride to the station."
"But I want to see you off. I want to go, no matter how tired I am," Gu Jiaojiao said, her eyes smiling as she looked at him.
A sweet feeling blossomed in her heart. She had only been married for half a year, but she had already discovered how incredibly good this man was to her.
He put her first in everything, and his meticulous care filled her with a sense of blissful happiness. More than anything, she loved seeing him smile.
Although he was often clingy, he was still excellent at managing their business affairs.
After finishing breakfast, the couple locked up and left. Gu Jiaojiao rode in the passenger seat while Su Shuochi drove.
"Jiaojiao, when I get to Qing City, should I give Eldest Brother Gu some money for new clothes for the fall?"
"Let’s just ignore him. Let him fend for himself. Besides, his work unit provides room and board, and they even issue all his clothes, from the inside out."
"They really do provide everything, so he won’t starve or freeze. In that case, I won’t bother visiting him."
"Oh, right, Su Shuochi. I think I forgot to tell your parents and Qin Chun on the phone last night that you were heading back today."
"Heh, it’s fine. I’m heading back anyway. I know that once Chun Ni starts talking about Eldest Brother and Sheng Yueyue, she can’t be stopped."
The couple had endless things to talk about, but the train station arrived all too soon. There weren’t many cars on the road back then, so parking was never an issue.
After parking, Su Shuochi got out and hoisted a massive travel bag onto his shoulder, not needing his wife’s help.
He was only bringing a couple of changes of clothes for himself, but the bag was stuffed with the many new outfits Gu Jiaojiao had bought for Mr. Su, Su’s mother, and Su Qinchun.
That’s why he was lugging such a huge travel bag. It also contained clothes Gu Jiaojiao had bought for Sheng Shiwu. The only one left out was Eldest Brother Gu.
Gu Jiaojiao bought a platform ticket and walked Su Shuochi all the way to his train car.
No matter how reluctant they were to part, the train began to move right on schedule. Su Shuochi pressed his face against the window, refusing to take his seat.
Gu Jiaojiao ran alongside the train on the platform, trying to keep him in her sights for a few moments longer. Even after the train was out of view, she kept waving.
This was a strange, new experience for her, an impulse she couldn’t control.
In her past life, she had traveled all over the world and occasionally taken high-speed trains. Whenever she saw couples or families chasing after a departing train, she would feel a sense of contempt.
But she never dreamed that one day, she’d be doing the exact same foolish thing.
In her past life, no one had ever seen her off. Her grandfather was elderly, and her parents had new families to look after and couldn’t find the time.
But Gu Jiaojiao was broad-minded, and besides, she wasn’t truly an eighteen-year-old girl. She quickly composed herself and walked out of the station.
On the train, Su Shuochi, who had a window seat, watched her run alongside it. The sight shook him to the core.
He had thought this morning that her casual demeanor meant she didn’t mind his departure. He hadn’t said anything, but he’d felt a pang of disappointment.
But seeing her run after the train, so reluctant to let him go, made his heart ache. He was terrified she might trip and fall.
He leaned against the glass, gazing out at the bustling metropolis, the image of her chasing the train replaying in his mind.
A wave of sadness washed over him, and he couldn’t help but reminisce about the beautiful days they had spent together.
As he recalled their sweet moments together, the corners of Su Shuochi’s mouth lifted into a soft, gentle smile.
His smile captured the attention of a mother and daughter sitting across from him. The girl watched him shyly, her eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
"Sir, aren’t you tired from standing? You should sit down. Was that your sister on the platform just now?"
"She’s my wife," Su Shuochi replied, his smile vanishing as his expression turned cold.
He wasn’t just being polite; he wanted to make it clear to everyone that she was his wife and he was a married man.
With that, he sat down and closed his eyes to rest. He ignored all their subsequent questions, starting to regret not taking a plane instead.
A man in his fifties sat in the same row. He was neatly dressed and looked like an official on a business trip.
He noticed the mother and daughter across the aisle chattering away, while the young man beside him clearly had no desire to talk.
He finally had to intervene. "Are you two going to stop? Can’t you see the young man isn’t interested in talking to you?"
The mother and daughter were perceptive enough not to push their luck, so they fell silent, looking rather disgruntled.
Gu Jiaojiao had packed plenty of snacks for Su Shuochi’s journey, but he didn’t take any of them out.
Given how shamelessly the pair had tried to hit on him, he knew that if he took out the aromatic food, they would surely ask for some.
Not wanting to deal with them, he stubbornly refused to take anything out, not even a sip of water.
A few hours later, the young woman whispered a complaint to her mother.
"Mom, he may be handsome and well-dressed, but he must be poor. He hasn’t even had a sip of water in hours."
