Good Beginning
The daylight had completely arrived, and the sparse sunlight illuminated the faded sign of the state-owned restaurant. There were also state-owned snack stalls nearby, with people coming and going as usual. Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng sat together and each had a bowl of noodles.
Both of them had dressed up beautifully today. One was handsome and tall, while the other was charming and lovely. When they sat together, it was hard not to attract attention.
“Are you two a couple? Are you in the military?”
“We’re getting married today.”
“Oh, congratulations! Consider this meal on the house, we won’t charge you.”
…
Well, they ended up having a free meal of two bowls of noodles.
Their underground party cell was off to a good start.
“Let’s add an egg for both of you, wishing you an early and blessed child.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Gu Sheng: “…”
That was unnecessary.
She took a bite of the noodles and looked up at Gu Sheng beside her. With the daylight now, she could see his handsome face clearly without any hindrance. His nose, his brows and eyes, they indeed were…
Zhan Aiping’s heartbeat slowed for a moment, thinking that this guy did look quite attractive.
Her mind calmly wandered to the thought of Ye Fangjing’s food vouchers being secure.
That’s how calm she was thinking.
Gu Sheng ate the noodles quickly, finishing a large bowl in just a few bites. People from their military background were like this – they ate quickly, showered quickly, slept quickly, everything was expected to be fast and efficient. After he finished, he was surprised to find that there was still a lot of food left in Zhan Aiping’s bowl.
Zhan Aiping took a sip of the soup with a spoon. She had been living a leisurely retired life for a long time, so she naturally savoured her meals slowly and took small sips of the soup for the sake of health and digestion.
Gu Sheng secretly chuckled at her. She had only retired not too long ago, and she had already turned into this.
A slacker.
Even if she were to marry him for three years, she probably wouldn’t be able to beat him in a fight, not even with one finger.
Gu Sheng smirked in satisfaction, rubbing his nose. In the breeze, besides the fragrance of the noodles in front of him, he also caught a faint and delicate scent, which seemed to emanate from his buddy beside him.
It was a very gentle fragrance, not a floral scent, but more like a woody fragrance.
She had dressed up carefully today. Her eyes were sparkling and moist, her eyelashes were curled and long, her small nose was cute, and eating the noodles had left some soup on her lips, making her cherry-red lip colour even more vibrant and enticing.
Gu Sheng’s gaze was drifting, initially not wanting to pay attention to her lips, but well, it was all because this buddy had a small face, and there was no room for anything else on his face except for his mouth.
Zhan Aiping asked, “Why are you looking at me?”
Gu Sheng sniffed around her and asked, “What did you put on yourself? I used to only smell mud and sweat from you, how come now you—”
Zhan Aiping gritted her teeth. Mimicking his tone from before, she raised an eyebrow and said, “Do you have to care?”
Gu Sheng replied, “What did you use?”
Zhan Aiping coldly snorted and copied his tone from the last time, raising an eyebrow, “Are you policing me?”
Gu Sheng said, “…”
Gu Sheng put his arm around her shoulder and leaned close to her ear, saying, “Comrade, can you be a bit more cooperative? It’s our organization’s first day, and you’re already thinking of exposing yourself?”
Zhan Aiping said, “…”
She lowered her head and cast a shy glance at him. Leaning towards him, she looked up at him with a smile on her lips and carefully fed a spoonful of soup to his mouth. “Try this soup, it’s delicious and fresh.”
Gu Sheng drank the soup without expression, lowering his head.
Zhan Aiping smiled charmingly and gently touched his handsome face. She spoke with a voice only they could hear, “Comrade Gu, for the victory of the revolution, sacrifices in our bodies are sometimes inevitable.”
Despite the conservative atmosphere at the moment, the romance of young couples in Shanghai was one of the best in the country. Even during the strictest years, couples could still be seen enjoying each other’s company by the riverside park.
Gu Sheng said, “You shouldn’t have studied medicine in the first place. You should have joined the arts troupe.”
Zhan Aiping replied, “Pot calling the kettle black.”
“Let’s wait and see.”
“Who’s afraid of who?”
After a short period of “adjustment,” the two of them in the organization finally officially started their work. It happened to be a good day, and besides this newlywed pair, there was another new couple in the state-owned restaurant. The man’s last name was Tong, and the woman’s last name was Zhou. Both were workers from state-owned factories and were quite particular about things. It was said that they had even hired the best photographer in Shanghai to take their pictures, and they had taken quite a few photos in a lively manner.
The photographer noticed that Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng were good-looking and approached them proactively, saying, “You two are also newlyweds today. Let me take a few photos for you.”
People who liked photography enjoyed taking pictures of good-looking subjects, even if they didn’t charge any money. The photographer wanted to take some pictures for them.
Zhan Aiping was about to decline; she wasn’t particularly interested in photography. Decades later, with the advent of smartphones, Old Gu used to take photos of her every day, claiming to be documenting their life, and she had grown tired of it.
Luckily, Young Gu Sheng wasn’t into photography during their younger days, and he himself claimed not to like taking photos.
“Sure, thanks a lot. Let’s go, Aiping, we’ll take a few shots too.” Zhan Aiping hadn’t even refused yet when Gu Sheng readily agreed, even offering the photographer a cigarette.
He glanced back at her, as if saying, “You better not refuse, or else I’ll be upset about this cigarette.”
Zhan Aiping was left speechless.
She wasn’t sure if Gu Sheng genuinely liked taking photos or if he was preparing to “sacrifice himself to destroy the enemy” by competing with her.
“All right, this is a good cigarette. Thanks a lot. I’ll make sure to capture you both beautifully.” The photographer happily welcomed them over to take pictures.
Gu Sheng hugged her from behind, and their faces were pressed together, appearing affectionate. “Pingping, give us a smile.”
” Pingping, does this pose work for you?”
” Pingping…”
Zhan Aiping was getting a little irritated by his repeated use of ” Pingping.” His tone made it sound like a fox visiting a chicken, and she could tell he wasn’t up to any good.
When the photographer went to change the film, Zhan Aiping turned her head and pushed his face gently. “Didn’t you say not to call me Pingping?”
Gu Sheng pushed her into a corner, leaning against the wall with one hand while looking down at her. He tenderly caressed her dark hair, his peach blossom eyes filled with affection, and his voice was deep. ” Pingping, call me ‘Wuge’ and see how it sounds.”
He finally revealed his ultimate goal.
Zhan Aiping replied with just lip movements: “What are you thinking?”
The amusement in Gu Sheng’s eyes deepened, and he taunted her from his elevated position. ” Pingping, you’ve become more and more confused since you left the army. You lost.”
“I’m observing and learning. What about you?”
“Listen to how the newlyweds address each other. You should learn from the new bride. Be shy and blush a bit during photos, or else it’ll look fake.”
“Do you know what happens when the underground party is exposed? Tiger bench? Chili water?”
Zhan Aiping remained expressionless. “…”
What kind of military academy did this guy attend? The drama school owes him an acceptance letter. He even knows how to take advantage of the situation for his own benefit.
“…Wuge.”
The smile on Gu Sheng’s face deepened. “Say it louder.”
“Wuge, Gu Wuge.”
“Good, Pingping. Wuge likes you, Gu Wuge has liked you since childhood.” Gu Sheng was now thoroughly enjoying himself. He had tried to make Zhan Aiping call him “brother” before, but she had always resisted. Now she had finally relented.
With his long-cherished wish fulfilled, Gu Sheng couldn’t be happier. He even started to whistle a little tune.
Zhan Aiping felt like cursing. Even the older Gu had failed to make her call him “brother,” and now this little drama king had succeeded.
Gu Sheng patted her shoulder and winked. “We’re good siblings now. Calling me ‘brother’ is the right thing to do. Your big brother will protect you.”
Zhan Aiping warned, “You’ll regret this.”
This guy had no other skills except for provoking her competitive spirit.
When Zhu Jiaorong and her daughter, Zhu Aijia, arrived, they saw Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping taking intimate photos. The two of them were standing close together, with Gu Sheng gazing at Zhan Aiping with affectionate eyes, and Zhan Aiping blushing and smiling, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue.
The two of them occasionally lowered their heads to exchange affectionate words, truly appearing as a loving newlywed couple.
As soon as Zhan Aijia saw this scene, the string in her mind snapped instantly.
That was Gu Sheng, unmistakably him! It was the real Gu Sheng! He was really going to marry Zhan Aiping, and… did he actually like her?
Upon seeing them, Zhu Jiaorong finally let go of the anxiety she had been feeling. A hint of amusement appeared in her eyes.
She was Zhan Aiping’s stepmother and favoured her own child, but she knew better than to offend the Gu family. When Zhan Aiping mentioned her intention to marry Gu Sheng, Zhu Jiaorong didn’t dare to ask too many questions. Even Zhan Bo didn’t dare to inquire further. The union of the Zhan and Gu families was a significant connection for the Zhan family.
Knowing that her eldest daughter could marry into the Gu family, she didn’t want to jeopardize the marriage. She hadn’t asked any questions, and even the matter of He Mingzhang had been forgotten by Zhan Bo.
“Let it be. I won’t ask or interfere. It’s better not to disrupt this matter. Whatever methods she uses, if she can make Gu Sheng marry her, it’s her skill.”
Zhu Jiaorong didn’t want to ruin this marriage. If Zhan Aiping could truly marry into the Gu family, having Gu Sheng as her son-in-law would bring her prestige. She had sternly warned Zhan Aijia before leaving the house.
“If you dare to meddle in your sister’s wedding, your father won’t hesitate to disown you.” Zhu Jiaorong made herself clear. If her son and daughter dared to disrupt the marriage between the Zhan and Gu families, Zhan Bo would go mad. He wouldn’t just disown Zhan Aijia but probably Zhu Jiaorong as well.
Seeing Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng, Zhu Jiaorong was unsure how to start the conversation. It was Zhan Aiping who introduced her first, saying, “This is Auntie Zhu, and my stepsister, Zhan Aijia.”
“This is Gu Sheng, my future husband.”
After exchanging greetings, Zhan Aijia still couldn’t believe it. How was this possible? How could Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping get along so well? She widened her eyes and asked, “Gu Sheng, how could you marry my sister? Aren’t you—”
Zhu Jiaorong’s heart raced, and she gave Zhan Aijia a stern look, signalling her to stop.
Gu Sheng, on the other hand, smiled and hugged Zhan Aiping tightly. “I love Aiping. Having the opportunity to marry her is my good fortune.”
Zhan Aiping leaned against Gu Sheng, listening to his heartbeat, feeling incredibly reassured. She gave Zhan Aijia a teasing and provocative look. Despite all the internal conflicts and disputes she had with Gu Sheng, if there was an “external enemy,” Gu Sheng would undoubtedly be the one to protect her.
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