宅男的天堂

Gu Jiao’s back was aching a bit, stinging like fire, but she didn’t pay too much attention to it and went to the kitchen to cook dinner.

Xiaoshun was squatting in the backyard, feeding the chicks. Halfway through, he scooped up a small yellow chick and waddled over to her. “Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, Xiaoqi won’t eat! Is it sick?”

“I told you you don’t know how to take care of chickens. See, you’re going to starve it to death.”

It was Xiao Liulang’s teasing voice.

Xiaoshun spun around, stomping his foot indignantly. “I didn’t! Xiaoqi’s not going to die! I’ve been taking good care of it!”

“Let me see.” Gu Jiao reached out her hand.

With a beleaguered expression, Xiaoshun placed Xiaoqi in Gu Jiao’s palm.

He spoke with confidence, but his eyes were slightly red.

It was clear he was genuinely worried he might be the death of the little chick.

Gu Jiao felt the chick’s belly and laughed. “It’s full, it can’t eat anymore.”

“What?” Xiaoshun stared at the chick with wide, glossy eyes, then scratched his head, asking it with a sorrowful face, “Xiaoqi, did you sneak more food again?”

The chick: “Tweet!”

Xiaoshun took back the chick, pulled a sour face at his brother-in-law, and flounced back to return Xiaoqi to its cage.

Xiao Liulang watched him go with amusement, then turned to Gu Jiao and noticed her face was a ghostly pallor.

“Dinner is ready, let’s eat,” Gu Jiao said.

Xiao Liulang paused, “Alright.”

During dinner, Gu Jiao didn’t have much of an appetite.

Hugging his bowl and chopsticks, Xiaoshun asked her, “Jiaojiao, are you full too?”

Xiao Liulang looked at her complexly.

The granny gave her a glance too.

Gu Xiaoshun lifted his head, alarmed. “Sis, why is your face so pale? Are you sick?”

Xiaoshun put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up on his stool, “Nonsense! Jiaojiao isn’t sick!”

“I’m not sick.”

Indeed she wasn’t. It was more likely she had been injured.

It was painful, but this kind of pain was something she had grown used to in her past life. She didn’t dwell on it. But she forgot that her body in this life was fragile. How could it withstand the beating of a military general?

At night, Gu Jiao’s condition worsened.

The pitch-black night sky was filled with flashing lightning and rumbling thunder, casting erratic light and shadow onto the room.

On the bed, Xiaoshun was sprawled on his little pillow, drool trailing from his mouth.

Xiao Liulang opened his eyes, looked toward the door, hesitated a bit, then sat up. He first pulled up the blanket Xiaoshun had kicked off, then put on his robe and headed to Gu Jiao’s room.

Gu Jiao used to lock her door until one night Xiaoshun was startled awake by a nightmare. He ran over to seek comfort from her, but couldn’t open her door, so he cried for a long time.

After that, Gu Jiao stopped locking her door.

Xiao Liulang pushed open the slightly ajar door, and was immediately greeted by a faint smell of blood.

Xiao Liulang furrowed his brows, hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside the room.

“Gu… Gu Jiao.”

He called her once. There was no response, so he approached her bedside.

He reached out his hand to touch Gu Jiao’s forehead. It was burning up!

Another flash of lightning lit up the room, and Xiao Liulang saw a bloody garment on a chair.

His face changed, and he held up the garment. Then he realized it was a small piece of clothing.

It wasn’t a soft, expensive fabric, but something that had chafed against her delicate skin, under the pungent smell of blood, it still held traces of a faint, innocent fragrance.

His ears flushing red, Xiao Liulang noted the location of the bloodstains and confirmed that Gu Jiao had been injured on her back. He took a deep breath, planning to turn Gu Jiao over and call for a doctor.

But as his hand approached Gu Jiao, it was grabbed by her icy grip.

She murmured, “What are you doing up so late? Trying to take advantage of me?”

Xiao Liulang felt embarrassed and tried to explain, “No, I am…”

“Don’t take too much advantage.” Gu Jiao mumbled and then drifted off to sleep.

So… was she sleep talking?

Xiao Liulang was left panting and sweating nervously.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

When he turned his head accidentally, another flash of lightning revealed the ominous presence of the grandmother standing in the doorway.

Goosebumps prickled his skin!

The grandmother entered the room expressionlessly, placing a bottle of healing balm on Gu Jiao’s table.

Xiao Liulang’s shirt was soaked with sweat.

He was unsure whether he was more scared or guilty.

After all, his hand was still on her chest, and even though she had pulled it there, from any angle, it looked like he was the one who initiated.

“Granny, you misunderstood…”

“Aren’t you two married? What’s the misunderstanding?”

The grandmother set down the healing balm, huffed, and left.

Unbelievable!

What a perfect night!

Why don’t they hurry up and present her with a great-grandchild!