Chapter 364 - 363: "Is That Asking for Too Much?

Xue Yue pouted. "You talk like such an expert, but you waited until you were twenty-eight to get married."

He Lang chuckled. "That’s because I was being careful. And look, didn’t I hit the jackpot?"

Xue Yue broke into a gentle smile, not refuting him.

Everyone present, aside from Gu Kai Zhi, was already used to the couple’s constant public displays of affection.

Gu Kai Zhi truly felt that He Lang and his wife had a wonderful relationship.

After leaving the restaurant, Gu Kai Zhi had to return to his quarters. After all, he was in Beijing City on a mission and had others with him.

"Brother Gu, if you need anything while you’re in Beijing City, just say the word. Don’t be a stranger. I know you’re busy, but get in touch if you have time. We still haven’t had you over to our place. It’s getting late today, but you must come over another time."

Gu Kai Zhi nodded. "Okay."

Xue Xingzhou clapped Gu Kai Zhi on the shoulder. "Come on, I’ll give you a ride."

Shiyi tugged on Gu Kai Zhi’s hand. "Uncle Gu, you have to come see me when you’re not busy, okay? I’ll be waiting for you."

Gu Kai Zhi smiled at him. "Okay."

Only after Xue Xingzhou had driven off with Gu Kai Zhi on his motorcycle did He Lang and the others prepare to head home.

The motorcycle obviously couldn’t fit that many people.

Daya said, "I’ll take the bus. You guys can go on ahead."

It was already dark, and Xue Yue didn’t feel comfortable letting Daya go alone. "He Lang, why don’t you take the kids home? Daya and I will take the bus."

"Okay."

As they walked, Xue Yue linked her arm through Daya’s, still sighing with admiration. "That Gu Kai Zhi is exactly as I imagined. So handsome and a soldier, too. Did you see his posture? He sits perfectly straight even when he’s eating. Just from listening to him speak, you can tell he’s an upright person. You know, sometimes you can tell a person’s character just by looking at their face. Of course, that’s just my experience, haha. Then again, he did save my son, so how could he not be upright? Listen to me rambling."

Xue Yue was clearly in a good mood.

Daya nodded. "He does seem very nice."

Xue Yue continued, "I heard from your uncle that he’s already a platoon leader in his early twenties. His future is boundless! And he’s not even married yet. With his qualifications, it must be because there are so few women in the army."

Daya just hummed in agreement, not knowing what else to say.

Suddenly, the image of Gu Kai Zhi’s eyes flashed through her mind, and Daya’s heart skipped a beat.

For the rest of the way, she listened to Xue Yue’s chatter, her mind somewhere else.

The next day at work, Xue Yue found a moment to ask Ding Ruzhi, "Weren’t you looking for a boyfriend? I want to introduce you to someone."

Ding Ruzhi’s eyes lit up instantly. "Really? What does he look like? More handsome than your man?"

Xue Yue shot her a look but answered honestly, "He’s good-looking, but not quite as handsome as my husband. He’s about your age, and he’s a soldier."

Ding Ruzhi frowned. "Oh, not as handsome as your husband, and he’s a soldier? Then wouldn’t I end up being a military wife?"

Xue Yue asked, puzzled, "Is being a military wife a bad thing?"

Ding Ruzhi pointed a finger at herself, deflated. "Do I look like someone who could be a military wife? I’d probably end up cheating on him."

Xue Yue said sternly, "I’m being serious. How can you talk about yourself like that?"

Ding Ruzhi nodded. "I’m being serious too. I just want to find a guy who’s handsome—the kind who’s so good-looking he makes your food taste better. Someone who can always be by my side, go shopping with me, watch movies with me, and make money for me to spend."

Xue Yue was stunned silent after hearing Ding Ruzhi’s list.

She mumbled, "Does a person like that even exist in this world? Are you talking about a god or something?"

Ding Ruzhi blinked, looking a little puzzled. "Are those standards really that high?"

Xue Yue stared at her. "High? They’re astronomical! No wonder you can’t find a boyfriend."

Xue Yue turned and walked away. ’What a pointless question,’ she thought. ’I should just save myself the trouble. I can’t do that to Mr. Gu. He’s our family’s benefactor.’

Leaving Ding Ruzhi to stand there and reflect for a moment.

She muttered to herself, "Maybe I should lower my standards a bit? But if he’s too ugly, and I have to wake up to a face I don’t like every day, what’s the point of living? And if he’s my boyfriend, shouldn’t he go shopping and see movies with me? A man is supposed to earn money. If he can’t even support his own wife, what’s the use of having him around?"

After reflecting for a while, Ding Ruzhi concluded that her standards couldn’t be changed. She felt they were the bare minimum. She hadn’t even mentioned that the man had to be over 1.8 meters tall, have a great body, and know how to cook. She was afraid if she said all that out loud, someone might actually beat her up.

Clearly, even she knew that it wasn’t easy for an average person to meet these conditions.

After getting home, Xue Yue told He Lang about what had happened that day, huffing, "I was thinking, Ding Ruzhi is pretty, her family is well-off, and she’s been wanting to find a boyfriend. I thought about introducing her to Mr. Gu. They’re about the same age, so they should have things to talk about. But then she listed her conditions and nearly scared me to death! That’s not looking for a boyfriend, that’s trying to pick out a god."

He Lang thought for a moment. "I don’t know, I don’t think her conditions are all that outrageous. Look at me—don’t I meet them all? I’m handsome, I make good money, and whenever you want, I can take you shopping or to the movies."

Xue Yue froze for a second, looking at He Lang. ’He has a point,’ she thought. ’Did I really overthink this?’

He Lang immediately added, "Of course, there aren’t many men like me out there, so her standards are definitely not low. But she’s right about one thing: she’s not suited to be a military wife. A military wife needs to be able to endure loneliness and hold down the fort at home."

Xue Yue nodded in agreement. "Forget it. I’m staying out of it. It’s a thankless job."

He Lang chuckled softly. "Gu Kai Zhi only said he wasn’t married. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a girl he likes already. We shouldn’t get involved."

"Okay, you have a point."

Gu Kai Zhi stayed in Beijing City for a week. The case was finally cracked; working with State Security, they caught two foreign spies. However, one of the soldiers under his command was injured. Gu Kai Zhi had the others return to report on the mission while he stayed behind to look after the wounded man.

Xue Xingzhou went to the hospital to visit.

Gu Kai Zhi told him, "The doctor said it’s not serious. No damage to the bones or tendons. He should be able to leave the hospital in three or four days. Once he’s back at the base and rests for a while, he’ll be fine."

"That’s good. It also means you can stay in Beijing City for a few more days. You’ve been so busy with the mission, you haven’t had a chance to look around the city, have you?"

Gu Kai Zhi laughed. "We just caught the guys. You have time to be my tour guide?"

Xue Xingzhou raised an eyebrow. "I don’t have time, but I can find a tour guide for you."

Gu Kai Zhi looked at Xue Xingzhou thoughtfully.

Xue Xingzhou softly uttered a name.

Gu Kai Zhi paused for a moment, then smiled.

Xue Xingzhou nudged him with his shoulder. "So? How about it? Want to have her show you around?"

Gu Kai Zhi rubbed the tip of his nose and cleared his throat softly. "You shouldn’t be asking me. You should be asking if she’s willing."

Xue Xingzhou’s face lit up with understanding. "Got it. I’ll go ask."