Chapter 23: Second Update

"Yaoyao, what's going on between you and Captain Gu..."

Chen Baozhen pulled Qin Yao to the balcony of the master bedroom on the second floor, where the evening breeze dispelled the solemn atmosphere from the dinner table. Gu Cheng's voice was filled with barely contained anger, exuding an intimidating presence. Although Chen Baozhen disliked him, she was actually quite afraid of Gu Cheng.

When Gu gave a lecture, it was like ice shards falling from his mouth, sending a chilling coldness.

Chen Baozhen preferred upright and honest men like Gao Jianguo and Zhao Mingjin, who were sunny, honest, and robust. Compared to them, Dr. He seemed a bit too delicate. With these three men, she could joke freely and without restraint.

Gu Cheng, however, was different. He was like an icicle hanging under the eaves in a northern winter, beautiful to look at but capable of causing serious harm if it fell.

No matter how icy, he was still a lecher!

Chen Baozhen guessed that Gu Cheng had developed feelings for her dear friend Yaoyao because she had lost weight and become an extraordinary beauty.

Qin Yao: "It's not officially a relationship. I'm assessing him."

"Assessing?" Chen Baozhen mulled over the word, "I see, it's a delaying tactic. Yaoyao, are you afraid of him too?"

"If he forces you, we'll resist to the death."

Qin Yao was left speechless, thinking, 'He can't force me. Only I can force him.'

"I'm not afraid of him."

Chen Baozhen shook her head, "Could it be that you've developed feelings? It's understandable if you really like him. Captain Gu has an excellent family background, good looks, and outstanding work abilities. But compared to Little Zhao and Dr. He, being with him will likely lead to some grievances."

"There's nothing certain yet."

Qin Yao had intended to tell Chen Baozhen the truth about her interactions with Gu Cheng, but thinking of the "three-line love poem" in the candy box and how she had forced him to wear a polka-dot apron earlier, she felt too ashamed.

Compared to people who dated through matchmaking in this era, it was too improper.

Qin Yao valued her dignity and couldn't bring herself to say it.

"If Captain Gu is sincere, he would indeed be a good match. However, Yaoyao, there's something I need to tell you." Chen Baozhen pressed her lips together, her heart troubled. The wind blew her hair into a messy nest.

She tucked the hair behind her ears, but the breeze still made the strands on her cheeks brush against her like a brush, causing an itchy chin that was quite distracting.

"Zhou Fangyu is here. He's working as a doctor at the Military Hospital. You've just returned and might not know yet. When you start working at the Military Hospital, you'll see him." As Chen Baozhen spoke, she reached out and grabbed Qin Yao's hand.

Zhou Fangyu was the male idol Qin Yao had once harbored a crush on. He was much older than her and had grown up in the same compound. After graduating, he became a military doctor.

He had a childhood sweetheart fiancée, Zeng Manli. They had grown up together and, despite frequent quarrels, eventually got engaged. When Zhou Fangyu and Zeng Manli got engaged, Qin Yao cried a lot and even ate a few more steamed buns those days.

Zeng Manli had a bad temper and often argued with Zhou Fangyu, sometimes even threatening to break up. They had a big fight once, and Qin Yao, foolishly, hoped Zhou Fangyu would wait for her to grow up and marry him when she turned eighteen.

Zhou Fangyu rejected her but was gentle towards Qin Yao, not rejecting her advances. Qin Yao gave him many gifts, such as handkerchiefs and snacks.

Though Qin Yao was a bit chubby, she was truly beautiful. There were those who called her fat, but there were even more who praised her beauty.

Zeng Manli was provoked and had a huge argument with Zhou Fangyu. The two reconciled, and in the compound, Zeng Manli mocked Qin Yao, comparing her to a pig and calling her a toad who wanted to eat swan meat, not even worthy of a second glance.

Zeng Manli's mother often sneered at Qin Yao's mother. Qin Yao's parents agreed to let her travel thousands of miles south to the island in hopes that she would find an officer husband, not inferior to Zhou Fangyu.

Unexpectedly, they met again. After a few months on the island, Zhou Fangyu was transferred here.

Chen Baozhen was eager for Qin Yao to pick a suitor so she wouldn't be overshadowed. Whether it was Dr. He or Zhao Mingjin, neither was inferior to Zhou Fangyu.

Even at 140 pounds, Qin Yao was beautiful. The only thing that could be criticized was her weight. Now that she had slimmed down, she was incomparably more beautiful than Zeng Manli. Chen Baozhen feared that Qin Yao might lose her rationality and get entangled with these two again.

"Captain Gu may have a bad temper, but his personal qualities are unmatched. If Zhou Fangyu and Zeng Manli knew that Captain Gu was pursuing you, they would probably be furious. Our Yaoyao deserves the best."

"Dr. He, Little Zhao, Captain Gu, you can pick any of them!" Chen Baozhen exclaimed indignantly.

Qin Yao laughed, recalling who Zhou Fangyu was. In the original novel, Chen Baozhen's eccentric best friend, Qin Yao, was a "simp" who juggled two relationships. She dated a senior regiment commander in a matchmaking event, but because her idol Zhou Fangyu quarreled with his fiancée, she became entangled with him in an ambiguous relationship. Eventually, she was publicly humiliated by Zeng Manli, becoming a laughingstock in the compound.

Qin Yao said with a smile, "I'll choose Gu Cheng then. He has a good face and is obedient."

Chen Baozhen: "???!!!"

Obedient?

Dear sister, what has blinded your eyes?

Downstairs, Gao Jianguo and Gu Cheng were drinking and eating peanuts. There were too many dishes for tonight's dinner, and now, with two fewer men, there was a lot left over.

The dinner table had been too awkward earlier to ask much, but now that the women had gone upstairs, they could discuss some private matters between men.

A cup of hot wine down, Gao Jianguo couldn't help but remark, "Captain Gu, I really didn't expect you to have feelings for Little Qin."

"Little Qin has slimmed down and become prettier, and you've taken an interest?"

"What if she gains the weight back? Dr. He wouldn't mind if she put on twenty or thirty pounds. You need to think carefully and calm down."

After all, Qin Yao was the wife's best friend. Although Gu Cheng's conditions were excellent, they weren't a good match. In Gao Jianguo's opinion, Qin Yao would be happier marrying Dr. He.

With Gu Cheng's uncompromising attitude towards women, whoever was with him would suffer.

"Feelings should follow a first-come, first-served order. Don't act impulsively."

Gu Cheng said coldly, "I knew her first."

"That time you came to my house for dinner? That doesn't count. That was an official matchmaking."

Gu Cheng chuckled coldly, thinking, 'Who isn't officially matchmaking? Even then, I was ahead of everyone.'

"Earlier than that." With his arms crossed, Gu Cheng spoke of his meeting with his beloved, "We took the same boat to the island."

Gao Jianguo was stunned. He really hadn't expected that Gu Cheng and Qin Yao had met before. "Back then at my place, you two didn't seem acquainted."

"She was pretending," Gu Cheng said, referring to a past that had been glossed over with a rosy glow. "The weather was bad, the boat had to stop, there was a heavy downpour. She begged me to help her carry her luggage back to the guesthouse."

"We shared an umbrella, and she even fed me candy."

As he spoke, recalling the events, Captain Gu felt a surge of sweetness in his heart, overlooking his past pretense of being an employee of the Fishing Company; everything else was a sweet memory.

He brushed his finger across his lips, lost in the memory. "I didn't want to agree at first, but she was so cute, acting all stubborn, insisting I see her off."

"On the boat, she fell asleep on my shoulder, and we watched the stars together on the deck..."

"That's what destiny is."

The more Gu Cheng spoke, the more excited he became. These things had been pent up in his heart for so long, and now he finally had someone to share them with.

When he finished, he glanced at Gao Jianguo and saw that Gao was holding a glass of wine, frozen in his seat, looking completely dazed.

Gao Jianguo had seen Gu Cheng in his cold and serious mode many times before; even when he was on a blind date with a woman, he never put on a good face. Seeing him now, reminiscing with a look of infatuation, was downright creepy.

Too bad there was no mirror; Gu Cheng had no idea how he looked.

Gu Cheng was truly smitten.

"No wonder Xiao Qin was in the kitchen earlier..." Gao Jianguo blurted out subconsciously, then realizing something was off, he gave Gu Cheng a strange look. "Captain Gu, even if my wife asked me to wear that red polka-dot apron, I would firmly refuse."

Gu Cheng's face darkened instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his expression cold and aloof, putting on a demeanor that he didn't care for anyone. He spoke lightly, "I couldn't be bothered with their bickering. It was too noisy."

There was no way he would listen to a woman's demands or be threatened by one. But that kiss had made him happy for half the day.

He subconsciously rubbed his chin, still savoring the moment.

"Magnanimity," Gao Jianguo nodded. This was the Gu Cheng he was familiar with.

Gu Cheng had better conditions, but if he could marry Qin Yao, it would be far better than He Doctor or Zhao Mingjin. He wasn't the type that Chen Baozhen liked, nor did he have the attentiveness of He Doctor.

Compared to Gu Cheng, he was a solid good husband in marriage.

It was just that Qin Yao might have to endure some grievances, and he and Baozhen would be there to console her.

Either way, he was better at cherishing women than Gu Cheng.

After their private conversation, Chen Baozhen and Gao Jianguo, as a couple, exchanged intimate words on the first floor. Gu Cheng went upstairs to the guest bedroom, where Qin Yao would be staying for the night before officially starting work at the Military Hospital in two days, moving into the dormitory.

This was the first time they had been alone together in such a long time.

The usually composed Gu Cheng, who only dared to secretly hold hands, couldn't hold back anymore. He hugged his beloved girl from behind.

Holding her in his arms, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and soap, the warmest and most delightful fragrance in the world, Qin Yao was incredibly soft, and Gu Cheng felt as if he was drowning in a sea of tenderness. Even if he were to die the next moment, he wouldn't want to break free.

This was the most fragrant and sweet "storm" he had ever encountered in his life.

Holding the fragrant and soft girl in his arms, face-saving was the least of his concerns.

He wanted to hold her so much.

The taste of claiming ownership was too wonderful.

Qin Yao, held from behind, struggled a bit but couldn't break free, feeling helpless. This guy, so dignified and composed outside, was like a big dog behind closed doors, sniffing and making her itch.

"It's ticklish, don't," Qin Yao said, swatting his head away.

Gu Cheng said in a hoarse voice, "Yao, when I go back, I'll submit a relationship report."

In this era, no matter the unit, couples had to submit a report to the organization to date, and also to marry.

Qin Yao reminded him, "The three-month observation period isn't over yet."

"After the observation period, I'll submit a marriage report."

Qin Yao: "..."

"Dating without the intention of marriage is just playing around."

Qin Yao advised, "Don't be so high-profile. Think it through. Just like before, don't let others know. If we don't work out in three months, don't delay me finding someone else."

"No way!" This sentence hit Gu Cheng hard, making him wish he could set off firecrackers and announce to the world that he and Qin Yao were a couple.

Captain Gu realized how foolish he had been all this time.

If he had declared ownership earlier, would he have needed others to hand out wedding candies? This was his prey, how could he let her go?

Qin Yao said with a smile, "Then go confess to Nurse Ge what you did."

Gu Cheng: "..."

The debts from the past would have to be repaid sooner or later.