Chapter 3
Once back home, Nanny Wang prepared to take little Chengjia to wash up. The little guy was an early sleeper and was already rubbing his eyes. Nestled in Nanny Wang's arms, he reached out to mommy, "Mommy, wash."
Luo Zhengzheng went over, held him, and pinched his little face. Now he was so soft and cute, wanting mommy for everything. When they went shopping together after he started high school, he was a head taller than her and he'd self consciously linked her arm. He was so much cuter when he was little. Nanny Wang went to the bathroom to run the water. The little guy sat in the bathtub and his sleepiness instantly disappeared, "Ducky, Mommy, ducky!"
Nanny Wang put his little duck in the bathtub. Luo Zhengzheng pinched the duck, making him giggle. After giving him a bath, she herself was wet. Nanny Wang said, "I'll put him to sleep. You go and take a shower and change your clothes."
Little Chengjia knew he'd been naughty and gotten mommy's clothes wet, so he obediently let Grandma Wang dry him and dress him.
Drenched, Luo Zhengzheng went upstairs. Gu Shi wasn't in the room. She glanced at the study. The light was on, so she knew he was working and didn't disturb him. She went to the bathroom.
After washing up, Gu Shi was already back in the room, leaning against the headboard reading. She looked at him, handed him the hairdryer, and said, "Help me dry my hair." Since there was a free tool, why not use it? She sat down on the chair next to the vanity.
Gu Shi took the hairdryer, put down his book, and looked at her wet hair, seemingly studying how to dry such long hair. After all, his own hair was short and only needed a casual blow. He'd never dried anyone else's hair before.
Luo Zhengzheng's hair was never permed or dyed. It was jet black, shiny, and smooth. Gu Shi held the hairdryer very gently as strands of hair slid through his hands. She didn't speak, took out her cosmetics, and patted water onto her face.
Gu Shi glanced down at her. His gaze caught a glimpse of her chest—it seemed she wasn't wearing a bra. His eyes darkened slightly before he looked away and continued drying her hair. After a long pause, he spoke calmly, "Dry."
Luo Zhengzheng touched her hair and examined in the mirror. Her hair was smooth and cascading down her back. This man's hair-drying skills were quite good; she could leave the hair-drying to him from now on. Smiling, she said, "Thank you."
Gu Shi glanced at her. "No problem." He then took his bathrobe and went to the bathroom.
Luo Zhengzheng continued working on her face and then moved onto her body. When Gu Shi came out of the bathroom, she was still applying lotions.
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him. The man was tall and slender. The bathrobe loosely draped over his body, revealing his broad chest and strong, taut abs.
Luo Zhengzheng suspected he was trying to seduce her, but she had no proof. After all, he hadn't even glanced at her. His face was calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever. Every move he made seemed to say, "I'm celibate; don't mess with me."
Luo Zhengzheng looked away, inwardly thinking, "After being widowed for over ten years, no one is as celibate as me."
After applying lotion, she stood up and yawned. Her spaghetti-strap nightgown barely covered her hips, and her snow-white skin appeared even more smooth and translucent under the light. Every movement exuded a youthful and alluring charm.
Luo Zhengzheng thought, "Another benefit of my rebirth is that I'm younger. No matter how much I take care of myself, forty-year-old me can't compare to me in my twenties."
She was extremely satisfied with her current state: her breasts were firm and elastic, her skin was delicate and radiant. Not only were there no crow's feet around her eyes, her eyes were also bright and clear. This was the age where she could confidently go out without makeup.
Since her roommate was so abstinent, she relaxed as well. Having gone over ten years without marital relations, she was adjusting to the fact that Gu Shi was still alive and had no desire for anything to happen with him. She lifted the covers and said, "So sleepy, I'm going to sleep."
Then she really did fall asleep.
Seeing that she had fallen asleep so soon after she finished speaking, Gu Shi put down his book, rubbed his temples, and glanced at the woman beside him who was already fast asleep. This woman was actually asleep.
The two hadn't been intimate for half a month. He thought her outfit was a hint, since she was going back to her parents' home tomorrow and wouldn't be back for several days. Now it seemed he'd overthought it.
While this couple slept without any physical contact, the two elders sat on the bed chatting idly.
Gu Boyuan, lying on the bed, couldn't help but say, "That old thing Liu Chenglin doesn't know how to raise children. Look how spoiled second son's wife is! She speaks whatever she wants and doesn't consider others' feelings. Simply have no respect for anyone and don't act like an elder sister-in-law at all. It's only because the fourth son and his wife don't argue with her. In other families, they would have already had a fight."
He then cautiously glanced at his wife.
Ye Li glanced at him coldly: "Alright, stop trying to cover for them. I know better than you what kind of people the second son and his wife are."
Gu Boyuan said awkwardly: "I should talk to Liu Chenglin and tell him to discipline the children. If we, as their in-laws, can't manage them properly, we'll be the ones getting complaints."
Ye Li was very dismissive: "What I'm afraid of is that the more they try to discipline them, the more they'll scheme."
The Liu Family was getting worse and worse. A few of their investments have lost money and they were hoping the Gu Family would help them. Their only daughter married into the Gu Family, and while the other daughters-in-law received shares, she didn't. Liu Chenglin must be unhappy about that.
Gu Boyuan snorted: "No matter how much she schemes, what shouldn't be given won't be given."
He couldn't let the Gu Family's shares fall into other hands.
Ye Li boasted, "Gu Shi has done very well these past few years. A few projects have yielded considerable returns. It won't be long before Ye's Group surpasses your Gu's Group. Even if you give Zhengzheng more shares, Gu Shi won't work for Gu's Group. It's not worth competing with the eldest and second sons for that little bit of inheritance."
"What do you mean by 'that little bit of inheritance'? Who are you looking down on!" Gu Boyuan retorted. "Gu Shi isn't just your son; he's also my flesh and blood. It's only right that he joins Gu's Group."
He couldn't help but sigh. If Gu Ming and Gu Xian were as shrewd and decisive as Gu Shi and have the ability to recognize talent and foresight, Gu's Group wouldn't have to worry about losing to Ye's Group.
Ye Li saw there was no need to argue with him about something impossible. Her tone was excited: "Do you think if I bring Chengjia over, he'll want to be with me? Will he like me?"
Gu Boyuan looked at her: "You're his grandmother, how could he not like you?"
Ye Li sat up, muttering to herself, "I won't be going to work for the next few days. Zhengzheng is leaving Jiajia with me; I have to take good care of the child. Since I can manage such a big company, I can definitely handle the little one too."
Gu Boyuan sighed again. He had to go to work early the next day. Thinking of the stacks of documents on his desk, he felt his wife was lucky. When could he retire?
The next day, Luo Zhengzheng woke up early and packed her things. After breakfast, Gu Shi was still sitting on the sofa. She asked, "Not going to work today?"
Gu Shi glanced at her, his gaze light and fleeting. Luo Zhengzheng detected a subtle emotion in it, but thinking she was mistaken, she looked again. He had already looked away and said, "After I see you off, I'll go to the company. These things are for your parents."
He pointed to the boxes on the coffee table.
Luo Zhengzheng nodded.
At this moment, Ye Li arrived, followed by her assistant carrying several bags. She said, "I'll take Jiajia over there least that he cry later."
Her face showed a hint of excitement.
Little Chengjia, unaware that mommy was going back to her maternal home and was happy to see Grandmother and wanted a hug.
Ye Li picked him up and pointed to the bags in her assistant's hands: "Take these things back to your parents. You can stay at your parents' house for a few more days. It'll be fine. Leave Little Chengjia to me."
She then carried Little Chengjia away.
Little Chengjia, still oblivious, said goodbye to mommy.
Luo Zhengzheng stared blankly as Mother-in-law carried her son away. She turned to Gu Shi, "Did I just see wrong? Mom seemed really happy?"
Gu Shi glanced at her and gave a curt "hmm" without expression.
His face always looked the same, so Luo Zhengzheng didn't notice anything amiss. She had Xiao Zhang take the packed things to the car, went back to her room to change into a white tracksuit, put on a hat and sunglasses, slung her bag over her shoulder, and prepared to leave.
Gu Shi followed behind her and said, "Little Chengjia has never been away from you before. Won't he be unaccustomed to it?"
Luo Zhengzheng didn't seem to care. "It's alright, Auntie Wang is here."
She used to be inseparable from her child, taking him everywhere. Now she was more mature, no longer a mother who couldn't be separated from her child. Her son, Jiajia, also needed to get used to mommy's frequent absences, especially since he would be starting kindergarten in a little over a year.
Gu Shi nodded: "Then come back early, so Chengjia won't miss you."
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at him, noticing he was acting strangely today, but didn't dwell on it, "Okay."
She got into the car, waved to him, and rolled up the window.
Gu Shi stood there, silently watching the car drive away.
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