Chapter 542: Is This Love?

"I'll come to pick you up tonight."

Li Xuewu dropped Gu Ning off at the villa entrance. As she got out of the car, he instructed, "We're going to my godmother's place tonight. I'll take care of the gifts."

Gu Ning stood by the car door, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked hesitantly, "That... should you keep the documents, or..."

"You keep them."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I'll be moving in sooner or later anyway, so there's no point in moving them back and forth."

Gu Ning knew Li Xuewu was teasing her on purpose, but this time she didn't shy away. Instead, she smiled at him and said, "Zhou Jie used plastic to make some little cabbages; should I bring some for godmother?"

"That would be even better."

Li Xuewu nodded and said with certainty, "It seems you'll be the one getting all the praise from now on. Sigh~"

Watching Li Xuewu pretend to sigh, Gu Ning smiled at him, grabbed her bag, and turned to walk into the compound.

Li Xuewu watched the gate close and smiled, then started the car and headed toward his unit.

Li Xuewu had naturally noticed the change in Gu Ning's attitude, which he attributed to the shift in their status.

From today on, the two of them were husband and wife, legally speaking, so both Li Xuewu and Gu Ning felt that many things had changed.

This was also what Ji Yuxiu had wanted to ask when she ran into them at the entrance.

This feeling must be wonderful; one could tell just by the smiles on Gu Ning's and Li Xuewu's faces.

"Any happy news, Section Chief Li?"

Old Zhang from the maintenance workshop saw Li Xuewu pull in with that Willys again and couldn't help but ask, seeing the smile on his face.

"Can't I smile if there's no happy news?"

Li Xuewu tossed a pack of cigarettes to Old Zhang and said with a laugh, "Is it not allowed to be happy just seeing you?"

"Haha, I'm pretty happy to see you too."

Old Zhang waved the cigarettes in his hand, then tossed them to the apprentices and workers watching behind him.

The crowd erupted into a lively commotion, scrambling for the pack of Da Qianmen.

Old Zhang walked over to Li Xuewu's car, inspected it, and asked, "Is there something wrong with the car?"

"No, just help me check it over."

Li Xuewu pulled out another pack of cigarettes, handed one to Old Zhang, and helped him light it.

After lighting his own, he puffed on it, tapped the hood, and said, "It's been half a year; I'm afraid it might suddenly break down and leave me stranded on the road."

"If everyone used their cars the way you do, there wouldn't be so many major issues,"

Old Zhang said with a smile as he opened the hood, "Alright, go about your business. I have some new parts for modifications here; I'll replace anything that looks worn out for you."

Li Xuewu smiled at Old Zhang and reminded him, "The old rules."

"Understood."

Old Zhang knew Li Xuewu was referring to the labor costs and parts expenses. Li Xuewu never took advantage of the factory; that was the old rule.

After Li Xuewu left the workshop, the apprentices crowded around again.

A young one squeezed up to his master and, watching him inspect the vehicle, couldn't help but ask, "Master, what's Section Chief Li's background? How come he has his own car?"

Old Zhang looked up at his apprentice and pointed to the screwdriver on the ground.

The young man immediately crouched down, picked up the screwdriver, and handed it to his master.

But he saw his master flick his wrist, the screwdriver flipped in his hand, and the master gripped the blade end, followed by a sudden "thwack" on his head.

"Sss~"

The young man hissed from the tap; it didn't hurt much, but it was very sudden.

Before the young apprentice could ask, Old Zhang tapped the license plate and the serial number stamped inside the hood with the wooden handle.

Once the onlookers saw it clearly, everyone went silent.

Old Zhang didn't explain anything to his apprentices; they weren't children anymore. They didn't need their master to teach them what could be said and what couldn't.

The car had a standard license plate, but it had special markings inside—what else could it be?

Old Zhang had discovered this the first time he serviced Li Xuewu's car. The only difference was that the license plate hadn't been changed back then.

That was why Old Zhang was especially polite to Li Xuewu and particularly admired his low-key personality.

In the rolling mill, some people were hard to read; caution and discretion were always the right path.

Another person who felt some people were hard to read was Yang Yuansong, though in his case, it was derogatory.

Looking at the study notices issued by Li Huai De to the logistics, scheduling, and security departments, and comparing them with the study notices issued by the Party Committee, he reviewed the feedback from these three departments.

Yang Yuansong now just wanted to grab Li Huai De by the collar and ask what he was trying to do—was it because he hadn't become the Executive Deputy Director that he wanted to take a shortcut and pry him out of his position as Party Secretary?

However, he had figured out Li Huai De's goal over the past few days: to force him to take a stand.

Either support Li Huai De's promotion or allow Li Huai De to carry out his plans, achieve results, and take a roundabout path to promotion.

Otherwise, Li Huai De would cause trouble and form cliques within the Party Committee's work.

Yang Yuansong was not fond of Li Huai De's unscrupulous methods. He wasn't afraid of what Li Huai De could do; he was afraid that Li Huai De would use the wind from outside to stir up trouble within the rolling mill.

If things started shaking, he wouldn't be able to control it, and that would be the real trouble.

The struggle between Li Huai De and Yang Fengshan was something Yang Yuansong was happy to see; in fact, he was the one who had instigated the division.

Of course, he didn't think Li Huai De could beat Yang Fengshan; that was the imbalance of power he had created himself.

But now he couldn't just sit by and watch Li Huai De mess things up. If the city found out, there was no telling if the higher-ups would doubt his ability to maintain control.

Although he didn't favor Li Huai De, he had to show some support now; the scales couldn't tip too far.

As long as the struggle between the two remained benign and within his control.

After thinking it through, Yang Yuansong picked up the phone and called Gu Weijie.

Deng Zhiwang and Jing Yunong were newcomers, but because Yang Fengshan had handed two major projects to them, they naturally gained their support.

Coupled with Nie Chenglin, who was already aligned with the Factory Director, and with Xue Zhifu staying on the sidelines and Xiong Bencheng playing dead, Yang Fengshan was firmly in the lead.

Li Huai De, upon receiving the feedback from the Propaganda Department, tapped his desk with narrowed eyes. He wanted to call Li Xuewu, but held back.

This operation didn't need the Security Department for now; involving Li Xuewu would only make Yang Yuansong wary.

So, after much thought, Li Huai De picked up the phone and called the designated Zhang Guoqi.

Logistics Department Chief Zhang Guoqi was a veteran, a long-time section-level cadre, and headed the largest department in the logistics system, so he carried significant weight.

Upon hearing the leader's instructions, he felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

Just as the leader said, someone had to step up, someone had to make sacrifices, but Zhang Guoqi wasn't a selfless person; he preferred to sit back and reap the rewards.

But now that the leader had named him, there was no way he could get out of it.

Looking toward the Security Building, he really wished he could trade places with Li Xuewu and have that level of trust from the leader.

What a damn honor!

Li Xuewu hadn't even reached lunchtime in his office when he heard a bombshell of news.

"Section Chief."

Sha Qizhi walked into the office and whispered to Li Xuewu, "I just heard that Section Chief Zhang and Deputy Factory Director Jing are having a row."

"Is that so?"

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, looked up at Sha Qizhi, and leaned back in his chair, waiting for him to continue.

Sha Qizhi bowed slightly and said in a low voice: "Because of the preparation for the joint enterprise, Deputy Factory Director Jing is preparing to dismantle the Labor Protection Factory and Tool Factory of the Logistics Division to establish a cooperative factory."

Li Xuewu nodded. That was nothing; those two factories were already subsidiary factories under the rolling mill, existing as a support force.

Sha Qizhi raised an eyebrow and continued to explain, "Because after the dismantling, the two factories are to be carved out, Deputy Factory Director Jing is cutting the Logistics Department's overall financial budget and apparently wants to lay off some personnel."

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes. Adjustments between departments were the most troublesome. When the Armed Forces Department was merged, Li Xuewu had been cautious to the extreme, careful to the extreme, and only accepted the department after Gu Weijie compromised.

Finance, human resources, and so on—you could always find trouble if you looked for it. It seemed Zhang Guoqi was going to be the vanguard.

"Section Chief Zhang said the debts owed to the border office haven't been paid, and now they want to cut the budget and personnel; the Logistics Department can't support that."

"Deputy Factory Director Jing said this is according to regulations—the two factories need to travel light, optimize their structure, and can't set a bad example for the cooperative enterprises."

Sha Qizhi said with a hint of amusement, "The two are sticking to their own arguments, arguing up a storm on the third floor. In the end, Section Chief Zhang said the joint enterprise in Deputy Factory Director Jing's hands is just a hen that won't lay eggs, and also said the project overseen by Deputy Factory Director Deng, who came over to mediate, is a Pixiu—it only eats money and shows no progress in the project."

"How lively."

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes, not a hint of a smile on his face. He paused and asked, "Did the leaders not intervene?"

"How could they intervene?"

Sha Qizhi curled his lip and said, "The other leaders acted as if they couldn't hear anything. It wasn't until Director Xu saw Section Chief Zhang slam the table that he persuaded them to stop."

Li Xuewu nodded. It was indeed Old Xu who came out to play the peacemaker; Factory Director Yang must have heard it.

What a perfect time to choose. Tomorrow, the leaders from above are coming for an inspection, and today the Logistics Department uses this opportunity to kick up a fuss.

If the Party Secretary doesn't care and the Factory Director doesn't show up, then if the people in charge of these two projects can't give a reasonable explanation, Zhang Guoqi might really become the pawn that sacrifices the knight.

Even if they give an explanation, Zhang Guoqi probably won't have any trouble; after all, they are arguing about work matters, and as a veteran, his questioning is understandable.

Heh heh, Li Huai De is truly ruthless. If you won't let me have my way, I'll smash the whole table.

Li Xuewu rubbed his chin, eyes narrowed in thought. He had said all along that Li Huai De wasn't an honest fellow.

Sure enough, at the critical moment, he dealt Factory Director Yang a hammer blow.

He could also figure out why Zhang Guoqi was the pawn—he had seniority, ability, and his department was the right match.

As for other reasons, Bi Yuding had been playing dead and acting useless with Li Huai De, and his former henchman Wang Jingzhang hadn't shown his face in Li Huai De's camp since switching sides.

Old Wang was now riding high, relying on Jing Yunong's support to get funding and budgets, and was making a big splash in the factory with his sanitation and service reforms.

Li Xuewu could indeed see the results—the environment was cleaner, and there were more fake smiles at service counters.

But this was just a passing wind; it would be a miracle if Wang Jingzhang could keep it up for a month.

But Wang Jingzhang wouldn't play games with Li Huai De now, let alone act as a traitor to backstab Jing Yunong for him.

Aside from these few, the only ones left who could be used were Li Xuewu and Zhang Guoqi.

Besides Zhang Guoqi being a better match, perhaps Li Huai De was afraid Li Xuewu would play too hard; if he didn't keep an eye on that kid, he'd be pulling knives and guns.

So Li Xuewu figured he was the first to be excluded, then placed as a backup behind Zhang Guoqi.

"Sss~"

Thinking of this, Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, looked at the work he had almost finished on his desk, pointed to Sha Qizhi, and said, "That, Qizhi, did the branch bureau ask me to go check the security situation at the textile factory?"

Sha Qizhi looked at Li Xuewu, instantly understood the leader's intent, and nodded, "I'll go call Jiankun to get the car ready."

"Mm, go."

Li Xuewu nodded, picked up his fountain pen, and began tidying up the documents on his desk.

After notifying Han Jiankun, Sha Qizhi walked back into the room and asked, "It's almost lunchtime now. Should we go to the brigade and then go to the textile factory in the afternoon?"

"No."

Li Xuewu shook the fountain pen in his hand and said to Sha Qizhi with a smile, "Let's eat at the textile factory; their food is better than the brigade's."

Sha Qizhi smiled. At the establishment ceremony of the Public Security Brigade last time, the Section Chief had gotten along very well with the Security Section Chief of the textile factory.

He still remembered that the first person to bid on the car was the Security Section Chief of the textile factory.

But the Section Chief had called him a "donkey-leader"—another term for a shill.

The two shared a laugh and left the rolling mill before the lunch break.

Yu Decai naturally saw Li Xuewu leave with Sha Qizhi, but that was normal; if there was business at the branch bureau, Li Xuewu wouldn't be eating in the cafeteria.

He did recall what Sha Qizhi had told him earlier and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

In the afternoon, Yu Decai had just finished lunch and returned to his office, intending to rest, when he received a call from Logistics Section Chief Zhang.

Zhang Guoqi asked on the phone where Li Xuewu was, and upon hearing from Yu Decai that Li Xuewu was out, he asked for the Public Security Brigade's phone number.

Yu Decai naturally gave it to him; it was official business. However, he was certain Zhang Guoqi wouldn't find Li Xuewu today.

If he really wanted to hide, Zhang Guoqi didn't have the ability to find Li Xuewu.

All afternoon, Zhang Guoqi made two calls to the Comprehensive Office, one to Secretary Yang, and one to Deputy Secretary Gu, but until the end of the workday, none of them could find Li Xuewu.

Even the Jeep Li Xuewu had left at the maintenance workshop was sent to Li Xuewu's home by Yu Decai's arrangement.

Li Xuewu also clocked out right on time after inspecting the patrol work of the Public Security Brigade.

"Section Chief, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Sha Qizhi knew Li Xuewu was deliberately avoiding those troubles and that he was going to Steel City on Thursday, so he confirmed the itinerary before Li Xuewu got out of the car.

Li Xuewu leaned against the car door, thought for a moment, and said, "Go to the Public Security Brigade in the morning, then go to the First Detention Center. As for the afternoon, the leaders should be about done looking, so we'll go back to the factory for a meeting."

Sha Qizhi nodded with a smile and said goodbye to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu walked into the compound with a smile and even stopped to chat for a moment with Master Dou, who was coming out of the courtyard.

Once he entered the front courtyard, he was called over by his mother, who was cooking dinner.

"Hand it over."

"What is it?"

Li Xuewu smiled at his mother's outstretched hand and placed his handbag on it.

Liu Yin gave Li Xuewu's handbag a playful slap and asked, "Are you playing dumb with me? Where's the marriage certificate?"

"Oh, it's with Gu Ning."

Li Xuewu saw his mother about to glare and quickly laughed to deflect: "What's so fresh about that thing? It's the same as my big brother's, just with photos of me and Gu Ning."

"That's not the same."

Seeing Li Xuewu speak, Liu Yin felt relieved; at least there hadn't been any accidents.

She wasn't obsessed with seeing that piece of paper; she just wanted to confirm whether Li Xuewu had actually registered the marriage.

Now that Li Xuewu had said so, it must be registered. Li Xuewu might be a rascal, but he wouldn't lie about something like this.

He was different from that brat Banggeng in the backyard. Banggeng wasn't as mischievous as Li Xuewu was when he was little, nor was he as naughty, but at least after getting a beating, Banggeng wouldn't cry at his age.

Liu Yin could still hear the wailing of that child in her ears; it was truly lingering, echoing for three days.

Li Xuewu told his mother he was going to see Section Chief Wang tonight and asked if he should have Gu Ning bring the marriage certificate over for her to see when he picked her up later.

Liu Yin gave Li Xuewu a playful slap and shooed him off to the backyard to wash his face.

The playful banter between mother and son was witnessed by Li Shu, who was playing in the courtyard with the old lady. Seeing her father get hit, she giggled.

Li Xuewu walked over and gave his daughter a playful pat on the bottom, causing Li Shu to chase after him as he ran toward the backyard.

When she couldn't stand steadily and had to squat down, she pointed at her father, who had entered the third gate, and babbled a few things to the old lady.

The old lady looked at Li Shu, who was tattling, and said to Liu Yin, "This little devil is the best at tattling."

Seeing the old lady ignoring her, Li Shu tried to stand up and came running back.

She now preferred running to walking, so she calculated the distance to the old lady and wouldn't run beyond her comfortable radius.

Liu Yin stood at the door and smiled at the old lady, "This is just while she's at home. If she really goes to live with her father, let's see who she'll tattle to."

Hearing this, the old lady affectionately picked Li Shu up and kissed her.

Ever since Li Shu was brought back by Li Xuewu, the old lady had been taking care of her. Although she approved of Li Xuewu living with his parents,

the sudden departure of her heart's treasure was hard for the old lady to bear.

People became soft-hearted as they aged, unable to part with their grandchildren, finding them precious no matter what.

Seeing the old lady's attitude, Liu Yin suggested, "Why don't we tell Xuewu to wait until Li Shu is a bit older before taking her over?"

"No matter how reluctant I am, how long can I raise her?"

The old lady teased Li Shu while talking to Liu Yin. It was better to let her spend time with Gu Ning while she was young; if she raised her any longer, she wouldn't be close to Gu Ning.

Liu Yin naturally understood this logic, but she could also see the reluctance in the old lady's eyes.

This little one, though naughty, was the old lady's source of joy, bringing vitality to her every day with her laughter.

"Then you can take care of her during the day, and let the couple pick her up after work in the evening."

Liu Yin turned around, used the fire poker to add some firewood to the stove, and after finishing, turned to look at the silent old lady, "Anyway, they have to work during the day, and no one else is there to watch the child."

The old lady held Li Shu, helped her straighten her clothes, and asked hesitantly, "Is it convenient to go back and forth?"

"What's inconvenient about it?"

Liu Yin knew the old lady was tempted and continued according to her wishes, "Xuewu has a car for his commute every day. It's just a ride; he can stop by here, pick up the child, and bring her back the next morning."

"Forget it."

The old lady thought for a moment, shook her head, and said, "It's too much tossing and turning for the child; she can't handle it. Let him find someone else to watch her."

"Why don't you go with them in the evening, and if you want to come back after having breakfast there, you can just come back."

Liu Yin tore a piece off a steamed bun and walked over to hand it to her eldest granddaughter.

Li Shu was delighted to see the food and wrapped her little hands around her grandmother, giving her a kiss.

Now the little demon had learned to clap and flatter to get food, and even more so, to use it as a condition for acting spoiled or tattling.

"This little smarty."

Liu Yin actually loved this child to pieces, but children were ultimately meant to live with their parents. If it were Gu Ning's own child, it wouldn't matter; she would be her own flesh and blood regardless.

The key was Li Shu's background; she had to let the child have more contact with Gu Ning, otherwise, it would be irresponsible to the child.

If the old lady went over to watch the child, Li Xuewu would naturally be happy; he had already asked the old lady if she was willing to live at the villa.

It was the old lady who refused, fearing she would interfere with the couple's life.

Furthermore, the old lady was used to living in a single-story house and wouldn't be comfortable moving into a building.

But looking at the little person right in front of her, she really couldn't bear to part, and hearing Liu Yin's words, she was moved.

Liu Yin squatted in front of her granddaughter, supporting her as Li Shu held the bun and nibbled on it with her little mouth.

"It's only for a year or so. By then, the eldest daughter-in-law will have given birth, and you'll have to come back anyway."

"We'll see."

The old lady was clearly moved by her daughter-in-law, but although she smiled, she didn't commit.

Liu Yin had lived with the old lady for half her life; how could she not understand what she meant?

Li Xuewu had just gotten married, and the family was a bit worried. Liu Yin was thinking of using this as an excuse to let the old lady live with them for a while.

Sometimes newlyweds tended to argue; having an elder around to mediate would help things pass.

She was just afraid that if they argued without an elder there to keep things in check, they might break up over pride.

While they were talking, Li Xuewu had finished washing up and walked over from the backyard.

Liu Yin stood up, helped her son straighten his collar, and instructed, "Tell your godmother to come over when she has time. The two of them don't go out for walks on Sundays; they just stay cooped up at home."

"Understood."

Li Xuewu squatted down, looked at his daughter, and asked, "What are you eating? Give Dad a bite."

Li Shu looked at the "bad" father who had just hit her, put her little hand holding the bun behind her bottom, and looked at him blankly, shaking her head.

"Hey! You little ungrateful thing!"

Li Xuewu made a ghost face to scare his daughter, pretending to snatch it, causing Li Shu to scramble on her little legs and hide behind the old lady.

"Stop teasing her, she might choke."

Liu Yin stopped her son and urged him to leave quickly so he wouldn't be late.

Li Xuewu exchanged glances with his daughter hiding behind the old lady, making Li Shu giggle, and then left under his mother's urging.

Li Xuewu had also thought about the child's situation. If the problems in Steel City weren't fully resolved this time, Zhou Wang Yamei and her son would have to stay here for a while, and the child would be temporarily cared for by Zhou Wang Yamei.

If the Steel City issue was resolved, Zhou Wang Yamei and her son would return to Steel City, and he would have to arrange for someone to go to the villa to help him watch the child.

But there was still time; he wasn't in a hurry. On the way, he only talked to Gu Ning about the situation at home, not mentioning the child.

Gu Ning's performance regarding the child had already exceeded Li Xuewu's expectations, so he didn't want to put too much pressure on her.

He would do whatever he could himself; he had decided to raise the child, and his parents had already helped him enough.

Besides, his big brother's child was also on the way; it wouldn't be right to have the old lady take care of two children, she would be exhausted.

While talking to Gu Ning, his mind on other things, the car arrived at his godmother's small courtyard.

"Is that Aunt Xiao Ning?"

Hearing the car, Wang Shuhua had already come out from the kitchen. Seeing Li Xuewu and Gu Ning enter the courtyard, she greeted them with a smile.

Li Xuewu carried a piece of meat from the back seat and a bag of little cabbages prepared by Gu Ning, following her into the courtyard to introduce them.

"Godmother, this is Gu Ning."

"Hehe, good, good."

Wang Shuhua liked Gu Ning very much. With her three-dimensional bone structure and wearing a milky-white shirt, she looked even more gentle and dignified.

Her face, unadorned by makeup, was as warm and moist as jade, looking very fair—a jade-like white.

She had heard Li Xuewu describe Gu Ning's appearance, but seeing her today, she realized her godson had truly married a great beauty.

Even the most discerning "beauty peak" (widow's peak) she had; every angle revealed a different temperament.

Wang Shuhua understood a bit of physiognomy, though she didn't speak of it aloud.

Looking at Gu Ning's proper hairstyle, clear jawline, and dignified, elegant, melancholic temperament—a beauty with both the characteristics of the era and a new-age aesthetic—it was no wonder she could captivate this rascal Li Xuewu.

With flawless fair skin and a pair of bright, expressive eyes, who wouldn't be moved by that deer-like, moist gaze when she looked at you?

Looking at it this way, when she heard Liu Yin praising this second daughter-in-law last time, she knew she hadn't just been saying nice things.

"Dad, let's have a drink tonight."

Seeing Zheng Shusen come out of the room, Li Xuewu raised the wine bottle, meat, and vegetables in his hands.

Zheng Shusen greeted them with a smile, nodded at Gu Ning after Li Xuewu's introduction, and smiled.

Wang Shuhua took Gu Ning's hand and chatted intimately, leading her into the room, while Li Xuewu took the items to the kitchen.

Once back in the room, seeing his godmother finding dried fruits and candies for Gu Ning, he couldn't help but laugh: "Mom, we're about to eat."

Wang Shuhua also smiled and nodded, bringing a handful of peanuts and melon seeds, placing them on the coffee table in front of Gu Ning.

"Sit for a while. It's your first time at godmother's house, don't be reserved."

"Yes."

Gu Ning was a bit overwhelmed by Wang Shuhua's enthusiasm and kept looking at Li Xuewu, but that rascal had sat down on the other side of the sofa.

Li Xuewu took the initiative to brew tea with the tea set on the coffee table and started chatting with Zheng Shusen.

Wang Shuhua held Gu Ning back when she tried to get up to help and went back out to the kitchen to get busy. She had received Li Xuewu's call long ago and had arranged for them to come over today.

Moreover, she knew today was the day Li Xuewu and Gu Ning registered their marriage, so she had to prepare a table of good dishes to host them.

Seeing Li Xuewu chatting with Uncle Zheng, Gu Ning looked around the room, feeling a bit reserved.

Perhaps because only Zheng Shusen and his wife lived there, the room was clean and tidy, and the furniture was typical of a cadre's home.

Only the cabinet full of books gave the room a cultured atmosphere.

While chatting with his godfather, Li Xuewu placed a cup of brewed tea in front of Gu Ning and then stopped paying attention to her.

There would be many such situations in the future; she had to get used to people and events.

Besides, Li Xuewu didn't expect Gu Ning to be a social butterfly; how much she adapted depended entirely on her own willingness and growth.

Zheng Shusen didn't talk about work with Li Xuewu either, only asking about his recent life and the wedding preparations.

Li Xuewu naturally trusted Zheng Shusen and took the initiative to share some interesting anecdotes from his life and work.

Gu Ning looked at the eloquent Li Xuewu with envy; he naturally had the ability to talk to anyone, while she seemed a bit silent beside him.

She held the teacup and took a sip, feeling that having such a well-rounded person by her side made her feel more secure.

People always wanted to pursue perfection, but who was perfect?

Wang Shuhua had been busy since getting off work, and they hadn't finished when Li Xuewu arrived, preparing a full six dishes to host them.

Li Xuewu opened a bottle of Xifeng; his godmother and Gu Ning drank a little, and the rest was finished by Li Xuewu and Zheng Shusen.

Actually, there wasn't much; the two of them chatted while they drank.

Because his godmother kept asking questions, Gu Ning never felt left out and chatted with her with a smile.

Zheng Shusen didn't like to linger over drinks or stay at the table for long, so they left the table once they were done.

Gu Ning took the initiative to help clean up this time, and Wang Shuhua didn't refuse, praising Gu Ning repeatedly.

It wasn't until Li Xuewu and Zheng Shusen had another cup of tea that they let them leave.

"Don't you like this kind of thing?"

Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning beside him, who seemed a bit tired.

"No."

Gu Ning leaned back in her seat, looking ahead, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm just not used to it."

"And before?"

Li Xuewu didn't look at Gu Ning again, focusing on driving, but asked about her past.

"Before... my family rarely had relatives over."

Gu Ning's voice was slow and languid, carried by the wind blowing through the car windows into Li Xuewu's ears.

"My parents rarely went out to socialize, and even when they did, I rarely went."

"Don't you feel lonely?"

Li Xuewu lit a cigarette but didn't light it, continuing to ask, "I mean, people ultimately have to live in a collective; there must be social interaction and a life."

"Maybe."

Gu Ning was also confused, as if the life before her wasn't her own. Looking at the night scenery flashing past the car, she said softly, "Maybe I enjoy loneliness."

"Heh, is it a form of cultivation?"

Li Xuewu turned to look at Gu Ning with a light laugh. It was the first time he had seen Gu Ning in this state. Was it because she had been drinking?

"I don't believe in Buddha, nor do I follow the Dao."

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu and emphasized, "Where would cultivation come from?"

"Cultivation doesn't depend on faith."

Li Xuewu didn't light the cigarette in his mouth; he was just enjoying the sensation. He held it with his hand and explained to Gu Ning, "Some people compare life to a form of cultivation, and loneliness is one part of it."

Gu Ning was curious about this perspective and looked at Li Xuewu, waiting for him to continue.

Li Xuewu saw the meaning in Gu Ning's eyes, smiled, and continued to explain, "Life has never existed independently of loneliness. Whether it's birth, growth, falling in love, or even success and failure, it's like a shadow."

"No one can escape loneliness."

Li Xuewu waved the cigarette in his hand and emphasized, "If you fear loneliness, you will rush into the bustle, lose yourself, get used to following the crowd, lose your own thoughts, and wrong yourself. You might be 'fitting in,' but you've lost your true self."

"So,"

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Does that mean my state is actually a strength?"

"Raising a cup to invite the moon, making three with my shadow?"

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow with a smile, then said half-seriously, "Actually, the loneliest moment for a person isn't walking alone, but standing in a crowd without seeing a single smiling face, feeling no care, and not knowing where to go."

Gu Ning stared blankly at Li Xuewu, as if everything had been explained by him, yet everything had become blurred.

The hesitation and confusion of these years had suddenly become illusory and simple in Li Xuewu's words.

"Then..."

"Actually, you're already changing."

Li Xuewu didn't wait for Gu Ning to finish, answering directly, "When you no longer fear loneliness, when you can see the smiling faces of those around you, when you can feel my warmth."

Gu Ning looked down at the large hand holding hers—gentle, firm, and warm.

Is... is this love?

Li Xuewu steered with his left hand and held Gu Ning's hand, which no longer dodged him, with his right.

The two didn't say anything else on the way, but Gu Ning, sitting in the passenger seat, felt as if Li Xuewu had said everything.

The Jeep's headlights weren't very bright, but they illuminated the road ahead. Gu Ning had never been so eager to experience life as she was now.

The anxiety and confusion before registering the marriage, the myriad thoughts on this day—all were sublimated at this moment. Gu Ning even wanted to make this moment eternal.

Li Xuewu gently squeezed Gu Ning's hand, indicating he felt her emotions, making Gu Ning smile at him.

They hadn't drunk much tonight, but the tipsiness of love made them both a bit intoxicated.

"Just back?"

"Mm, it's not late, is it?"

Li Xuewu turned slightly, looked down at his watch by the light of the gatehouse, and saw it was only eight o'clock.

Yushui looked at Li Xuewu and said hesitantly, "I've been waiting for you."

"Is that so?"

Li Xuewu nodded. Seeing that Yushui had something to say, he gestured toward the backyard and said, "Have a cup of tea?"

Without waiting for Yushui's reply, he rolled his neck and walked toward the hanging flower gate.

Yushui looked at Li Xuewu's back and followed him.

The entrance wasn't the place to talk, and since it was night, it would only invite gossip in the courtyard.

The young man on duty at the gatehouse had called over a few other young men to play cards, and it was quite lively. Seeing Li Xuewu enter, they didn't pay much attention.

Even with Yushui following into the courtyard, no one thought of looking for something strange; everyone knew the relationship between Li Xuewu and Seeing Sha Zhu, and Yushui had a very good relationship with the inverted house.

Because of this, Yushui followed Li Xuewu all the way to the backyard, greeting neighbors on the way.

Li Xuewu seemed very casual, while only Yushui was a bit silent.

She was usually a bright and cheerful person, so seeing her like this was a bit unusual.

Li Xuewu changed into slippers, entered the room, first took the pistol off his waist, placed it casually on the tea cabinet, and picked up two teacups to brew tea.

When he turned around and saw Yushui still standing there, he asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Playing the stranger with me?"

Yushui twisted her mouth, glanced at Li Xuewu, took the tea, and sat on the sofa.

"I'm here to apologize to you. I'm sorry..."

"Is that so?"

Li Xuewu seemed to hear a casual remark, nodded, and said indifferently, "I accept."

Yushui looked at Li Xuewu, who was sitting on the sofa holding a teacup, feeling as if the punch she had thrown with all her might had landed on cotton.

She had thought about it for a long time yesterday, and today, hearing the news of Li Xuewu registering his marriage, she knew that if she wanted to apologize, today was the best day to say sorry.

"What?"

Li Xuewu looked at the stunned Yushui and asked with a smile, "Not enough ritual? Do you want to submit a self-criticism to me?"

Yushui knew Li Xuewu was joking, but she still looked at him with guilt and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to help her do anything to hurt you."

"I know."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "So I didn't mind. Don't have any psychological burden."

Yushui had thought that by formally apologizing to Li Xuewu, her mood would improve, but for some reason, Li Xuewu's easy forgiveness didn't make her feel unburdened.

Looking at the downcast Yushui, Li Xuewu took a sip of tea and said, "Is my situation making you feel confused? Or are some things making you feel burdened?"

"No..."

Yushui was eager to deny it. When she looked up, she saw Li Xuewu leaning on the sofa with his teacup, his eyes not looking at her.

"Contradictory people doing contradictory things, bearing contradictory fruits—those who see it will naturally feel confused."

Li Xuewu's voice was a bit hollow, but his words were solid. To Yushui, this was Li Xuewu explaining his own love life.

"So, those of yours..."

Yushui didn't know how to bring it up, but since there were only the two of them in the room, she wanted to know why Li Xuewu would do such things.

"Will you organize your love life? Including... them?"

"Them who?"

Li Xuewu sat up with a smile, placed the teacup on the coffee table, and when Yushui stared at him, he shook his head slightly and said, "In my emotional world..." ===== CHAPTER 543 =====