Chapter 1928: Chapter 959: Fulfillment
After Gu Changqing returned to the new room, he told Yuan Baolin about Gu Chengfeng’s situation.
Upon hearing that he’s already in love with someone, Yuan Baolin knew her sister’s affections were destined to be misplaced.
She never suspected that the person he loves might be Yuan Tong, because if it were Yuan Tong, there wouldn’t be an issue with speaking of it openly.
The experience of a seasoned reader of romantics told Yuan Baolin that Gu Chengfeng must have fallen for someone he shouldn’t have.
She’s quite curious, yet she doesn’t pry into her brother-in-law’s privacy.
That night, Gu Xiaobao came over.
He’s still young and clings to his mother, and while the Yao Family was staying at the mansion these few days, she brought him along.
Normally, he’d already be in bed by this time, but today he had napped too much during the day, and couldn’t sleep at the moment, so he came to find his big brother and sister-in-law.
“Big sis, I want to see the magic tricks.”
Two-and-a-half-year-old Gu Xiaobao said clearly.
On the wedding day, Yuan Baolin had shown Gu Xiaobao a few little tricks, and he liked them a lot. He felt that his big sis has magical powers, even better than his big bro.
“Alright.” Yuan Baolin gladly agreed, took out some small props from her tiny dressing box, and began performing magic tricks for Gu Xiaobao.
One big and one small, they sat cross-legged on the bed. First, she showed Gu Xiaobao her hands: “There’s nothing, right?”
“Yes.” Gu Xiaobao nodded.
She snapped her fingers behind Gu Xiaobao’s ear, then brought her hand before him with a coin pinched at her fingertips.
Gu Xiaobao: “Wow!”
Gu Changqing, with nothing else to do, also watched from the side to pass the time.
The interaction between sister-in-law and brother-in-law was harmonious, like a true family.
Gu Chenglin and Gu Chengfeng shared a courtyard, always roughhousing with sounds of laughter echoing out.
He’s been living alone all along, with the courtyard inside and outside excessively quiet; only in Bishui Alley could he feel a trace of familial warmth.
Yet right now, somehow, he suddenly felt a sense of belonging to a home.
Yuan Baolin performed another trick for Gu Xiaobao, conjuring flowers out of thin air. Though the box in his hand was empty, when he shook it and opened it again, a vibrant and delicate flower had appeared inside.
Yuan Baolin laughed: “This flower was conjured by Xiaobao using magic!”
Gu Xiaobao was so excited that he regressed somewhat, clapping his small hands on his little chest: “Wow, Xiaobao’s amazing!”
For half a year, he hadn’t done this childish action.
He was very happy playing.
Little children can fall asleep suddenly, and after a burst of laughter, Gu Xiaobao fell backward, sprawling out as he slept.
Yuan Baolin, who had never raised a child, was shocked, fearing she’d played Gu Changqing’s little brother into a faint!
Gu Changqing found her thunderstruck look amusing: “It’s okay, he’s just sleeping, I’ll carry him back.”
“Ah, alright.” Yuan Baolin wiped some cold sweat from her brow.
Scared Xiaobao silly!
Gu Changqing carried the sleeping Gu Xiaobao back to the Yao Family’s courtyard, and when he returned, Yuan Baolin wasn’t asleep yet. She sat by the table, holding a document, looking vexed.
He walked over and recognized it as their prenuptial agreement.
He glanced at the agreement on the table, furrowing his brows involuntarily.
Yuan Baolin saw the shadow on the ground, turned her head, and said: “You’re back, do you have some time? I have something I’d like to discuss.”
“I have time.” Gu Changqing sat down opposite her.
Yuan Baolin looked at the document on the table and said: “It’s this agreement. I just reviewed it thoroughly and felt that we drafted too hastily back then, without considering many aspects. Of course, it’s neither your fault nor mine—we haven’t been married before and couldn’t anticipate various post-marriage sudden situations.”
Once sudden situations were mentioned, Gu Changqing thought of that indescribable wedding night.
Enticing scenes flashed through his mind, and his whole body’s blood surged.
He mustn’t think about it.
They’re only pretend spouses; thinking about it would be disrespectful to Yuan Baolin.
He forced himself to calm down, looked at Yuan Baolin, and asked: “So you’re suggesting—”
To annul the agreement?
Because he was too beastly and didn’t adhere to the terms, was their partnership ending here?
Yuan Baolin looked at the agreement and said: “I’m thinking, maybe we should draft a new one and detail some general parts.”
Gu Changqing: “That’s fine.”
Yuan Baolin glanced at him and said: “You don’t have to agree so quickly; hear me out on the specifics first.”
Gu Changqing, looking composed, said: “Go ahead.”
“The first item, originally either party could propose to break up at any time, but you said you wouldn’t propose to break up anymore.”
“Yes, this item is now only for you to propose.” He had violated their mutual agreement by touching her, so he should revoke this right from himself.
Yuan Baolin picked up the brush, dipped it in the ink from the inkstone: “Then I’ll write it down.”
“Okay,” Gu Changqing said.
Yuan Baolin finished writing and continued down: “The second and third items aren’t problematic, and the fourth—’Support each other outside as if in a harmonious marriage, but don’t make excessive demands on each other.’ We didn’t define what counts as excessive demands back then.”
“You can request anything I’m capable of doing,” Gu Changqing said, pausing before adding, “Without breaking any laws or rules.”
Yuan Baolin’s eyes rolled: “But what if you can do it but refuse to? For example, if you just returned from the military camp, very tired, and I ask you to comfort me, would you agree?”
Gu Changqing thought for a moment: “Sure.”
“Even that…” Yuan Baolin muttered weakly, pursed her lips, coughed lightly, and asked sincerely, “What if I ask you not to take concubines?”
“Sure,” as he hadn’t planned on taking any anyway.
Yuan Baolin was startled for a moment, staring at him without blinking: “You shouldn’t agree too quickly; hesitate a bit, or once it’s written down, you won’t have room to back out.”
Gu Changqing met her doe-like eyes, speaking seriously: “I won’t go back on my word.”
Yuan Baolin softly said: “You mean…I can do anything I want with you?”
“As long as it doesn’t break laws or rules,” Gu Changqing emphasized.
Yuan Baolin said: “I know, after all, you’re an official, I wouldn’t ask you to commit crimes. Really…anything’s possible?”
“Yes,” Gu Changqing nodded.
Yuan Baolin’s eyes moved again: “Including not sleeping in the study?”
“Why?” Gu Changqing asked in surprise.
Yuan Baolin blinked and justified: “Why else? If you sleep in the study…people will think we’re not getting along, and the servants will give me a hard time!”
“They wouldn’t dare,” Gu Changqing replied.
“Are you agreeing or not?” Yuan Baolin asked.
Honestly, sharing a bed with her was a huge test of his restraint as a man; it’s not as if he had issues in that area.
Gu Changqing took a deep breath and calmly said: “I’ll mostly be at the military camp, only returning during holidays, but if you insist, I can rest in your room. And rest assured, it won’t happen again.”
Yuan Baolin sulked.
Gu Changqing watched her reaction closely, uncertain if something he said was wrong: “Aren’t you happy? Are you afraid I can’t keep my word? I said I’d move into the military camp, and I’ll do it, I said I won’t cross the line again, and I won’t.”
Yuan Baolin whispered: “What if I agree to let you cross the line?”
Gu Changqing looked at her in shock.
Yuan Baolin cleared her throat and said aggrievedly: “I mean… I’ve already been… crossed. It’ll be hard for me to marry again… But it’s also pitiful to be pretend spouses for life… You say you won’t abandon me, but promises from men are unreliable! What if, one day, you decide not to honor your promise, and I’m all old and wrinkled, what am I to do?”
On the battlefield, Gu Changqing excelled in strategy, quick adaptability, and tactical acumen, but in some matters, he was stubborn beyond belief.
He once believed himself to be a martyr and never questioned it until Tang Yueshan shattered the illusion mercilessly.
And now, he firmly held on to the belief that Yuan Baolin harbored no romantic feelings for him, leading him to view whatever odd requests or statements she made as solely driven by necessity and circumstance.
Having erred first, he felt he had no right to negotiate with Yuan Baolin.
He looked at Yuan Baolin: “How do you want me to act?”
Yuan Baolin shyly lowered her head, squeezed her handkerchief, blushing slightly: “At the very least, I need to have my own child to depend on for the rest of my life…”
Gu Changqing froze.