Seeing everyone leave, Chen Lishu couldn't hold back any longer. She stood up and said to Gu Xingdong, "Come in with me for a moment."
Gu Xingdong, seeing her serious expression, felt a jolt of unease. He quickly ran through everything that had happened that day. Although her position at home was already unshakeable, with her carrying twins now, he wanted to cherish her even more, as if holding her in his mouth for fear she might melt, or lifting her to the sky for fear she might be startled.
Years of married life had taught Gu Xingdong the importance of reflection. He believed in admitting mistakes proactively and sincerely as soon as he sensed something was wrong.
However, he had been out all day with Lin Qi decorating their house, so it couldn't be anything from today. Could it be that Zhao Guiying and the others had visited?
Chen Lishu saw him follow her in and turned to close the door.
Hearing the door close, Gu Xingdong breathed a sigh of relief. At least she still cared about his dignity, so the problem likely wasn't too serious.
"Ahem."
Before Chen Lishu could speak, Gu Xingdong turned and looked at her, taking the initiative to say, "Old Wu and Li Weimin did ask me out for drinks the day before yesterday."
Chen Lishu was taken aback. Why was he suddenly telling her this?
Gu Xingdong glanced at her, wondering what her silence meant. Was she so angry that she couldn't even speak?
"Don't be angry. Come, sit down, and I'll explain it to you slowly."
Chen Lishu let him help her to the bedside. By now, she had some inkling of what was happening. Gu Xingdong must have thought she knew something and was preparing to confess.
Well, this was an unexpected bonus.
Chen Lishu glanced at him, deliberately putting on a stern face, and said, "You speak. I'm listening."
Judging by the tone, she was indeed very angry.
"It's just that Li Weimin bought a house and was happy, so he invited a few of us to drink at the dormitory, and we ended up sleeping there. Who knew that Wang Jianshe's youngest son had a stomach ache, and his wife took the child to the clinic herself... then the couple had a huge argument. If you really wanted to get to the bottom of it, it actually had nothing to do with me."
Chen Lishu had originally intended to discuss Rui Rui with him privately, but she hadn't expected this.
"Is that all?"
When Gu Xingdong heard her question, he really thought about it seriously. After confirming that there was nothing else, he shook his head and said with certainty, "Nothing else."
Seeing his earnestness, Chen Lishu couldn't help but want to laugh, but she managed to hold back. She nodded, her voice softening involuntarily, "You should drink less in the future. It's bad for your health."
Knowing that this matter was over, Gu Xingdong immediately stepped forward happily and began to massage her shoulders. "I knew my wife cared about me the most."
Thinking of Rui Rui, Chen Lishu, without further worry, recounted the day's events to him. "You say he's a boy, what if we just let him have his way? Will his courage grow, and will he often get into fights and brawls in the future?"
She recalled the news reports of rebellious teenagers in later generations who could do anything.
"What if we are too strict? What if he becomes timid in the future?"
"It's not that serious. Who hasn't gotten into a fight as a child? I haven't seen many who turned out badly. Don't overthink it. Leave this to me. I'll talk to the child later."
As Gu Xingdong spoke, he got up to leave. Chen Lishu quickly reminded him, "Talk to him properly, and whatever you do, don't hit him."
Before anything had even happened, she was already protecting him.
Gu Xingdong nodded and opened the door to go out.
Rui Rui was sitting alone in his room, feeling dejected. He hadn't been in good spirits since he had lied to Chen Lishu earlier that day. Hearing a knock on the door, he looked up and saw Gu Xingdong standing at the entrance. "Dad," he called out.
"I noticed you seemed a bit down during dinner. Did you have a falling out with a classmate?"
Rui Rui shook his head, then thought for a moment and asked, "Did Mom tell you everything?"
Gu Xingdong looked confused. "Tell me what? Your mother didn't tell me anything."
"Oh." Rui Rui finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, being a child, he couldn't help but spill everything that had happened to Gu Xingdong.
"...The teacher was originally going to find our parents, but then she said that it wasn't entirely our fault. After criticizing us, she said to let it go."
"So, you already recognize your mistake?"
Rui Rui nodded. "Fighting is wrong, and we won't dare to do it again."
Gu Xingdong raised his hand and stroked his little head. "They bullied you, and you fought back, which itself isn't wrong. However, everything has its rules. You are students, and you must abide by the school's rules. When problems arise, you should first tell the teacher and your parents. If it can't be resolved, then you can use your own methods. You skipped so many steps and went straight to the final one. Fortunately, it was resolved in the end. What if they had also found students? What would you have done then? Waited to be beaten?"
Rui Rui pursed his lips tightly, a hint of regret in his expression, clearly realizing his mistake.
"Alright, let this matter go. You have school tomorrow, so go to bed early."
Hearing him say this, Rui Rui's tense little face instantly broke into a smile of relief. "Dad, I understand. Next time, I'll definitely tell the teacher, you, and Mom first."
"How was it? Finished talking?"
Chen Lishu asked when she saw him come in.
Gu Xingdong nodded. "Yes, it's all settled."
Hearing his words, Chen Lishu finally felt relieved.
Meanwhile, because Gu Xingping lived closer, Lin Qi and Chen Liyuan first took her home before returning to the electricity meter factory together.
"The factory entrance is just ahead. Brother Qi, you can go back now," Chen Liyuan said to Lin Qi, pointing to the dimly lit factory gate not far away.
"It's only a few more steps. I'll watch you go inside."
Seeing his persistence, Chen Liyuan could only nod.
Unexpectedly, as they reached the factory entrance, a figure suddenly appeared from the side, startling Chen Liyuan. If Lin Qi hadn't been beside her, she would have screamed.
Upon closer inspection, she frowned. "Shi Nan, why are you here?"
Ever since Shi Nan learned about her family situation, he believed she had deceived him. After multiple attempts to reconcile failed, his desire to conquer was ignited. The more Chen Liyuan refused, the more he was determined to win her over.
However, knowing that Chen Liyuan hadn't returned home today, he had originally been worried about her safety and wanted to wait there to pick her up and show off. He didn't expect to see a boy escorting her back.
He hadn't agreed to the breakup yet, and to see Chen Liyuan quickly find a new partner, Shi Nan's expression turned very ugly.
"I saw it was getting dark and you hadn't returned so late. I was quite worried about you. It seems I was overthinking things."
Chen Liyuan ignored him and turned to Lin Qi. "Brother Qi, I'm at the entrance now. You should go back early too."
Lin Qi glanced in Shi Nan's direction and hesitated before asking, "Are you really okay?"
Shi Nan sneered. "Who is this guy? You're calling him so intimately. Doesn't he know you're my girlfriend?"