Yi Cheng looked at the woman flirting with him, and for some reason, a chill ran down his spine. But his mother had told him to be polite. To avoid making Qin Yue overthink, he could only force a smile and reassure her, "No, I really like Aunt Qin Yue."
Getting the satisfactory answer, Qin Yue immediately turned to Xiaobai and asked, "What about Xiaobai? Do you like Aunt Qin Yue?"
Xiaobai had always been a sweet-talking girl. Upon hearing Qin Yue's question, she immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, I do!"
Chen Lishu watched this scene unfold and felt something was a bit odd for some reason. Qin Yue wasn't usually very familiar with the two children, so why did she seem to be deliberately trying to get close to them today?
Unable to pinpoint the reason, Chen Lishu didn't think much of it, attributing it to Qin Yue's fondness for children. She then turned back to the kitchen to continue her work.
Qin Yue watched Chen Lishu's retreating back, a calculating glint in her eyes. She turned to Li Xiulan and said with feigned innocence, "These two children look so cute. It must be wonderful to be a mother. If I had my own children, I would have motivation in life and would definitely manage the household well."
Hearing this, Li Xiulan's brows furrowed. It wasn't that she was superstitious, but rather the environment she had lived in. No woman would casually talk about becoming a mother before even finding a man. Saying such things was truly indecent.
However, these were just thoughts that could only be kept to herself; saying them aloud would likely embarrass the young lady. She wasn't the type to be sharp-tongued and force her own opinions on others.
Qin Yue saw Li Xiulan frowning and wondered what she was thinking. She mistakenly believed that things were proceeding according to her plan, and that Li Xiulan's impression of her was deepening. If she could just get rid of Chen Lishu, she would be the most suitable woman for Gu Xingdong.
With this thought, Qin Yue's lips curved upwards slightly, but she quickly concealed it. She looked worriedly at the stormy weather outside and said, "The weather really changes on a whim. I wonder how Brother Gu is doing all alone out there."
Mentioning Gu Xingdong, Li Xiulan instantly put Qin Yue's matters aside. She had initially thought that the couple could resolve this matter themselves, but since they had been arguing for two days, if the awkward atmosphere wasn't broken, the family might fall apart.
So, during dinner, Li Xiulan adopted an elder's demeanor and asked Chen Lishu, who was feeding the children, "Where has Gu Xingdong gone? He hasn't been home for two days. The weather outside is so bad; as his wife, aren't you worried he might encounter some trouble outside?"
What trouble could he encounter in a day? He came home every night anyway.
Chen Lishu, who was feeding the two children, almost blurted out the sentence. She suddenly remembered Gu Xingdong's instructions from the previous night. She quickly reacted, then changed her tone:
"Mom, please don't worry. He'll be back tonight. He's a grown man, and he also has martial arts skills. What trouble could he possibly get into?"
Upon hearing that Gu Xingdong would be back tonight, Li Xiulan felt a sense of relief. She was about to inquire about the reasons for their fierce argument, but when she saw Chen Lishu's casual demeanor, the words she was about to speak were swallowed back.
It was better to wait for Gu Xingdong to return and clarify the situation. If she blindly investigated, it might just add fuel to the fire. Gu Xingdong was her son; she should trust that he could handle it himself.
Thus, the meal finally concluded with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Around ten o'clock, everyone retired to their rooms.
Su Nian saw Qin Yue still sitting on the sofa and asked in confusion, "What are you still doing sitting here? Hurry back to your room and sleep. Don't come in and out late at night and disturb me."
Qin Yue snorted and said, "I'm not sleepy yet. I'm going to watch some TV. Go to sleep if you want to. Don't worry, I definitely won't disturb you late at night."
Su Nian didn't say anything further and turned back to her room.
About half an hour later, Qin Yue saw that all the room lights were off. She then turned off the living room light. In the darkness, she took off her outer jacket, revealing a cool pajama set underneath.
After doing all this, she sat back down on the sofa.
A man, when receiving blows and feeling wronged, would find a special place in his heart for the woman who comforted him. This action was the best opportunity to replace Chen Lishu.
She waited for an unknown amount of time before the door was opened. It was already a tempestuous night outside. Qin Yue looked at the incoming figure by the dim light from outside.
The person was tall and sturdy. Who else could it be but Gu Xingdong?
She quickly sprang up from the sofa, casually picked up a towel she had prepared, and deliberately asked, "Brother Gu, is that you?"
Hearing Qin Yue's voice, a cold glint flashed in Gu Xingdong's eyes. He responded in a low voice, "Mm."
Qin Yue fumbled in the darkness towards Gu Xingdong, her voice laced with a hint of nervousness and concern. "Brother Gu, why are you back so late? It's raining so heavily outside; your body must be soaked! I have a towel ready for you. Hurry and wipe yourself dry, don't catch a cold!"
After speaking, Qin Yue held out the towel, intending to help Gu Xingdong dry himself. She couldn't believe that on such a dark and stormy night, with the opportunity ripe, Gu Xingdong would have no feelings for her at all!
However, imagination was beautiful, but reality was cruel. Before Qin Yue's hand could touch Gu Xingdong, he took a step back and directly turned on the room light.
When she saw the scene before her, her face darkened. Qin Yue had changed into an even more revealing outfit than before, with a large portion of her chest exposed and her legs also prominently displayed.
Qin Yue seemed to feel Gu Xingdong's gaze fixed on her. She blushed and was about to press her advantage when she heard Gu Xingdong say coldly, "Pack your things early tomorrow morning. I'll send you back to the military base. Old Yang will arrange a new assistant for me."
Wh-what? Qin Yue thought her ears were deceiving her. She looked at Gu Xingdong with confusion, only to meet his eyes, which were full of disgust. This made her absolutely certain she hadn't misheard.
After all, Qin Yue came from a good family and was beautiful. In the military, which man didn't dote on her? Why did she constantly hit a wall with Gu Xingdong?
The sense of frustration made Qin Yue somewhat annoyed. She gritted her teeth and said with a pitiable tone, "Brother Gu, don't send me away. If you don't like this appearance, I can change, can't I?
Actually, I don't have any other intentions. I just see that Brother Gu is so formidable in the military, but so meek at home. I feel it's unfair to you!"