Chapter 137: Gu Jingchen, Go to Sleep

The car headed steadily toward the city center, toward their new home.

The new home Gu Jingchen had prepared for the two of them was a small, detached house in the heart of the city, tucked away from the bustle.

The landscaping throughout the complex was beautiful. As soon as the car drove in, the noise of the outside world was quickly shut out, leaving only a lush sea of greenery.

Their house stood deep inside the neighborhood, some distance from the road.

After parking, he opened her door with a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Come on, let’s take a look at our new home.”

He had bought the house several years ago. Whenever work projects ran late, he would come here to rest instead of going home and disturbing his parents.

The house was only a little over eighty square meters on the first floor, which contained nothing but a spacious living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

His room—no, their room—was on the second floor.

Without giving He Yunzhi any chance to object, he naturally carried all her things upstairs and put them in the bedroom.

He Yunzhi did not have much. Her parents had always been strict with her, and most of her clothes were simple basics in black, white, and gray. They took up only a tiny portion of the wardrobe.

Gu Jingchen glanced at her clothes. “Let’s go shopping for some clothes tomorrow. Buy whatever you want to wear.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she nodded seriously. “Okay.”

By the time they finished putting everything away, it was already getting late. Han Mo drove He Huanhuan away, leaving the two of them alone.

The entire house instantly felt empty, with only the two of them left inside. He Yunzhi felt a little uncomfortable.

She did not know what to say, but remaining silent seemed awkward too.

Noticing her unease, Gu Jingchen smiled and asked, “Would you like to take a walk?”

She immediately nodded. “Okay.”

As they reached the door, he naturally took her hand. She looked up in surprise, but Gu Jingchen did not look at her. He simply led her forward. “There’s a large patch of mock privet up ahead. It’s in full bloom right now. I’ll take you to smell it.”

The smile at the corners of his lips betrayed a hint of smugness, and she could not help smiling along with him. “Okay.”

The property management company had planted a huge patch of mock privet in the complex. The shrubs came up to their chests, and their small clusters of flowers were not particularly eye-catching, but their fragrance was extraordinarily rich.

Hand in hand, they strolled slowly around the flowering shrubs, breathing in the scent together and learning about the unassuming mock privet together...

By the time they completed their walk and returned home, the unfamiliar feeling had faded considerably.

She felt completely at peace, far more relaxed than she ever was at home.

At home, her bedroom door was never allowed to be locked, no matter the time of day.

Even though she was already thirty-one.

That oppressive tension had made it impossible for her to relax. After coming here, the pressure weighing on her heart had finally eased a little.

She let out a long sigh of relief inwardly.

This was nice.

Then she heard Gu Jingchen ask, “Should we establish three ground rules?”

She looked at him in surprise. “What?”

His gaze settled fully on her. “About our habits, about adjusting to each other’s personalities, and about...”

He paused abruptly. “About married life. If you have any thoughts, you can tell me. We can discuss them together.”

His gentle invitation made her blush instantly.

Could they really discuss that too?

How were they supposed to discuss it?

But they were legally married now. It did seem like this had become an important matter.

Although she had never been in a relationship, her age and education had given her plenty of theoretical knowledge.

She thought she should be able to handle it. She should, right?

Putting on an air of calm, she shook her head. “There’s no need to set rules deliberately. We’re married, not attending a class. Let’s just let things happen naturally.”

Her life had been constrained by rules and regulations for far too long—at school, and at her parents’ home too.

Now that she had come here, she did not want things to remain that way.

She wanted to be more casual, more natural, and also...

“Then shall I go shower first?”

When she heard those words beside her, her pupils trembled. “Huh?”

Now?

A mischievous glint flashed through Gu Jingchen’s eyes. “It’s been a long day. I’m going to take a shower on the third floor and relax. There’s a bathtub on the second floor. Would you like me to run a bath for you?”

Her face immediately flushed crimson, and she hurriedly shook her head. “No need! I can do it myself!”

Good heavens! She had misunderstood him!

What had she been thinking?

Even after she lowered herself into the bathtub, the heat in her cheeks still refused to fade.

She felt as though her mind was filled with thoughts she should not be having, yet perhaps they were not thoughts she should not be having after all.

She was already over thirty, old enough to legally possess and enjoy sex.

Besides, she and Gu Jingchen were now in a relationship that was legal, proper, and entirely acceptable.

She could not help thinking a little daringly: Even if they tried tonight, so what?

She had grown up under her parents’ control. She had been directed through high school, university, graduate school, and her doctorate, until she finally began working at a university.

For thirty years, she had lived according to her parents’ arrangements.

Her girlish worries had been about whether she would rank first in her exams and whether she would be scolded when she got home.

Puppy love, college romance, or even a late-in-life relationship—none of them had ever had anything to do with her.

And now, all at once, she realized that she could finally give it a try...

Her thoughts were still wandering when she faintly heard several soft footsteps coming slowly down from the third floor.

They were quiet, yet each one struck her heart like the beat of a war drum.

Suddenly, she became resolute.

Tonight, she was going to sleep with Gu Jingchen!

If she wanted to be reckless, then she had to be reckless.

People who had spent too long being obedient were still obedient even when they tried to be wild.

They had registered their marriage, and Gu Jingchen had met her parents and brought her out of her family home.

As long as they did not sleep in the middle of the street, how could that even count as being reckless?

But for He Yunzhi, making this decision of her own accord already qualified as the ultimate act of rebellion.

She quickly dried herself and opened the bathroom door, only to walk straight into a pair of eyes hazy with steam.

Those eyes looked at her with a smile. “Finished showering? There’s a television in the bedroom. Do you want to watch something?”

Her mind instantly stopped functioning.

“Should we sleep?”

“Hmm?”

For the first time, a trace of surprise appeared in those normally composed eyes, and she could not help feeling pleased.

So he could be surprised too.

That was right. He was clearly two years younger than her, yet why did he always act as though everything were under his control?

She was two years older than him. She should have been the one making all the decisions.

She held his gaze and continued, “Gu Jingchen, shall we sleep?”

Under her unwavering stare, his eyes trembled. It took several seconds for his expression to return to normal. Then he asked her in an unreadable voice, “Are you sure?”

She nodded smugly. “Of course.”

She was the one who had suggested it, so naturally she was sure. Not only was she sure, she intended to take charge and control the entire situation.

She...

She failed to notice the spark of fire that swiftly ignited in Gu Jingchen’s eyes, silently locking onto her.

His hand closed around her wrist in an instant. The bedroom door shut with a click, and a faint huskiness entered his voice.

“It’s dark now. It is indeed time to sleep.”

“...”