Chapter 36
Nian Suian didn't take this small provocation seriously at all. Gu Junxing chuckled and said, "I can do it, but do you dare?"
Normally, Nian Suian would have gotten emotional at this point and shouted: "What wouldn't I dare to do?!"
But she didn't. She knew better than to engage in empty talk, as she had always been a cautious person. True, she was very attracted to Gu Junxing's face and physique right now, but that didn't mean she wanted to be his real wife.
"Haha, you dare, but I don't," Nian Suian said without a hint of embarrassment. "If you're so eager to build a real family, just let me know. We can get divorced immediately, as long as you return my money."
"You're thinking too much," Gu Junxing stared into Nian Suian's eyes, enunciating each word. Nian Suian could clearly see the meaning in his eyes: Coward, I knew you wouldn't dare.
Recently, Gu Junxing had been resting at home, which meant that Nian Suian and Gu Junxing would be spending every day together in the same house. Fortunately, this "house" was very large. Even if ten more people were to join them, everyone would still have their own independent space. Điscover new chapters at novelhall.com
For example, this afternoon, after their "friendly discussion" about the "dare or not" question, Gu Junxing went to the study to read, while Nian Suian returned to her room to watch TV shows.
They had dinner together, after which Gu Junxing went out for a walk, and Nian Suian continued watching her shows in her room.
At 9:30 pm, Gu Junxing returned to his room to rest, while Nian Suian waited downstairs with bright eyes for Gu Zhijing to return home from his evening self-study session.
"You're back! Are you hungry? Tired? Should I ask Nanny Zhang to make you a bowl of noodles?" Nian Suian "gently" inquired as soon as Gu Zhijing entered the door.
Gu Zhijing had just come home and was about to greet Nian Suian when he heard this unexpected welcome. He stood frozen in place, scratching his head in confusion.
"Little Stepmother, what kind of act are you putting on today?"
"He's annoying! He's been gloating in front of me for a whole month just because he scored higher than me once." Gu Zhijing felt he was simply distinguishing between right and wrong. He didn't dislike people who got good grades; he disliked those who weren't the best but still liked to show off.
Nian Suian thought this was more like how a first-year high school student should behave. He was still a child after all, and that earlier depth didn't suit him.
She comforted him, "Maybe he's just jealous that you're more handsome than him. Don't take it to heart. There are techniques for Chinese reading comprehension; you don't need to actually try to guess what the author was thinking. For high school reading comprehension, the themes are pretty repetitive. You can usually guess the main idea just by looking at the overall topic. I'll buy you a '53' exercise book later, and if you practice more, you'll get the hang of it."
"Of course, no one in our class is more handsome than me," Gu Zhijing said smugly.
Nian Suian laughed. So after all her talk and even sharing exam tips, he only caught the first sentence? His father wasn't this vain; she wondered where he learned it from.
"Be more modest. Girls won't like you if you're like this. Young girls prefer boys who are handsome but unaware of it, not those who constantly brag about their looks."
"How can someone be handsome and not know it? They'd have to be stupid. If you don't know you're good-looking, either there's something wrong with your brain or you're just pretending," Gu Zhijing scoffed. He knew he was very handsome, how could he not be aware of it?
"Alright, alright, suit yourself. If you want a late-night snack, cook the noodles yourself. The soup base is ready-made. I'm going upstairs now." They had been chatting for quite a while, and it was getting late. Nanny Zhang might already be asleep, so there was no need to wake her up. The soup base was prepared anyway, and Gu Zhijing should be able to cook it himself unless he was an idiot.
Nian Suian waved her hand and was about to go upstairs.
"Little Stepmother," Gu Zhijing suddenly called out to her.
"What is it?" Nian Suian turned back, wondering what else he had to say.
Gu Zhijing stood in front of the sofa, looking up at her: "Don't listen to what my dad says. He has no right to demand that you be a real mother, and neither do I. No one in the world has that right. The only person who has the right to choose whether to be a mother or not is the mother herself."
Nian Suian turned her back to him, "If you could write like that in your Chinese compositions, you'd be the model essay for sure."