Chapter 85: Dining Together

Listening to Wen Jiu's complaints, Gu Zehuai soothed her softly. After a long while, he led Wen Jiu to the bathroom and carefully helped her wash up. When he saw Wen Jiu still looking unhappy, Gu Zehuai leaned in and gently pecked the corner of her lips, whispering suggestively, "Let me help you..."

Before he could finish, Wen Jiu hastily covered his mouth, blushing as she stammered, "No, stop talking!" With that, she darted out of the bathroom.

Wen Jiu went straight to bed, pulling the covers over herself and pretending to sleep. Gu Zehuai shook his head with a soft chuckle, climbed into bed, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered, "Goodnight."

Only then did the two finally drift off to sleep.

The next morning, after having breakfast together, they each headed to their respective companies.

Meanwhile, at the old Gu family residence, as Madam Gu enjoyed her breakfast, she was suddenly struck by a whim. Turning to Mrs. Gu, she said, "Xianxian, it's been such a long time since we've visited A-Huai's apartment. How about we go and have a look today?"

Mrs. Gu considered it. It had indeed been quite a while since their last visit, and she missed Jiu Jiu as well, so she nodded in agreement.

"A-Huai won't be home until evening, so should we go then as well?"

Madam Gu waved off her concern. "We can just time our arrival with when A-Huai gets off work. By the time he’s back, we’ll have just arrived. Why don’t you give him a call around noon to let him know?"

Mrs. Gu nodded, understanding Madam Gu's intentions. After all, now that Gu Zehuai was in a relationship, she didn't want to intrude on the young couple without warning, so it was better to give them a heads up.

At lunchtime, Gu Zehuai received Mrs. Gu’s call and readily agreed to their visit. After hanging up, he messaged Wen Jiu to tell her about the call and asked if she wanted to join them for dinner.

Spending time with Madam Gu and Mrs. Gu was always comfortable, so Wen Jiu did not refuse. Her agreement made Gu Zehuai very happy.

Evening soon arrived. Wen Jiu finished work first. When she returned to the apartment and saw that the unit across the hall was still quiet, she guessed Gu Zehuai hadn't come back yet. He messaged to say he was out grocery shopping.

Wen Jiu waited at home. After more than ten minutes, she heard a knock at the door—it was Gu Zehuai. She glanced behind him, not seeing Madam Gu or Mrs. Gu, and asked, "Where are Grandma and Aunt? Are they at home?"

Gu Zehuai smiled. "They're still on the way—traffic is a bit heavy. Don't worry. Want to come over and wait with me?"

Wen Jiu nodded and followed Gu Zehuai back to his apartment.

Soon after, the doorbell rang at Gu Zehuai’s place. He went to open the door. Wen Jiu stood and walked to the foyer to greet them.

As soon as Madam Gu and Mrs. Gu entered, Gu Zehuai greeted them first, and Wen Jiu sweetly called out, "Grandma, Aunt."

Madam Gu entered first, Mrs. Gu following close behind. Each took one of Wen Jiu’s hands, smiling warmly. "Ah, Jiu Jiu."

The three of them moved to the living room and began to chat.

Watching the harmonious scene, Gu Zehuai went into the kitchen. During this time, Wen Jiu wanted to help, but both Madam Gu and Mrs. Gu held her back.

Mrs. Gu smiled at Wen Jiu. "Jiu Jiu, just relax and sit with us. Leave everything to A-Huai—there’s nothing to worry about with his cooking."

Madam Gu added kindly, "That's right, Jiu Jiu. Let's just sit and enjoy ourselves."

Wen Jiu nodded with a smile, and the three resumed their conversation.

From the kitchen, in the midst of preparing dinner, Gu Zehuai glanced at the scene of the three women happily chatting and felt a sense of contentment.

Soon, the dishes were ready. Gu Zehuai brought them out one by one, inviting everyone to the table.

At dinner, the two elders enthusiastically served Wen Jiu food. Fearing she might feel awkward, Gu Zehuai deliberately feigned jealousy, saying, "Looks like I've fallen out of favor."

The three women burst into laughter at his tone, and so Madam Gu and Mrs. Gu each served Gu Zehuai some food as well.