A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 57

Shen Sisi looked at Gu Chengfeng inquiringly, only to receive a reassuring nod in return.

“It’s a gift from Mom and Aunt. Accept it!”

The three people present watched her with eager, unblinking eyes, making her feel quite embarrassed. On such a wonderful day, Shen Sisi didn’t want to spoil everyone’s mood, so she finally nodded. “Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Aunt.”

“That’s more like it!” Gu Changmei’s face broke into a smile, her dimples appearing as she stood up to help Sisi put on the gold necklace.

Gu Chengfeng’s eyes hadn’t moved from Shen Sisi for a single moment. Her skin was very pale and her neck was slender and long, making her perfect for necklaces. He thought to himself that he should buy her several more gold chains in the future so she could change them every day.

Shen Sisi felt a physical weight on her body, but it wasn’t just from the gold necklace and the bangle—it was the heavy weight of the love coming from Xu Hongying and Gu Changmei. Gu Chengfeng’s family had not only accepted her and Niuniu but had given them the warmth of a true family.

Yet, the better they treated her, the more uneasy she felt. she worried that one day, when they discovered she was just an “impostor,” they would be heartbroken and disappointed.

While her mind was a whirlwind of complex emotions, Niuniu beside her was laughing happily. Her soft little hands played with the small round ring on her chest. A green stone! It was the first time she had seen such a thing; it was a total novelty. This was the first time she had ever received a gift from someone else.

The “scary old lady” didn’t seem so terrifying anymore. Niuniu played with the little stone over and over, unable to let it go even while eating.

After dinner, a gentle smile blossomed on Gu Changmei’s face. “Seeing you all so harmonious makes me feel at ease.”

She looked meaningfully at Xu Hongying. “Sister-in-law, Sisi has had a tragic past. You must treat her well and not bully her.”

Although Xu Hongying still had some lingering reservations, she felt that aside from the child out of wedlock, she couldn’t find a single fault with Shen Sisi. She let out a sigh. “Who asked for your reminder?”

As she spoke, a very suggestive smile curved on her lips. She reached out and placed Shen Sisi’s hand on top of Gu Chengfeng’s. Large hand on top, small hand on the bottom. She patted the back of Gu Chengfeng’s hand heavily.

“You two work hard. Hurry up and give me a grandson to hold!”

Shen Sisi’s eyes widened; she nearly choked on her own saliva. Underneath his wheat-colored skin, Gu Chengfeng’s face suddenly “ignited,” the heat instantly spreading to his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

“Mom, stop talking nonsense…” Gu Chengfeng’s voice was full of rebuke, but his eyes became subtle.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Xu Hongying asked indignantly. “You’re already twenty-four. When your father was your age, your eldest sister was already old enough to run errands to buy soy sauce. You’re young and full of energy, and Sisi has already had a child, so she has experience in this area. If you two work hard tonight, I’ll be able to hold a big grandson next year.”

At the thought of holding a chubby baby soon, Xu Hongying couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. Shen Sisi’s reputation might be poor, but looking at her figure, she should be very fertile, she thought. As long as she can give Chengfeng a fat little boy, I promise to cherish her in the palm of my hand.

The food in Shen Sisi’s mouth suddenly lost its flavor. She felt like she was sitting on a bed of needles, her entire body practically petrified in the chair. Was this… really something to be said in public?

Forget the fact that she and Gu Chengfeng were only a fake couple—even if they were a real couple, Gu Chengfeng “couldn’t” really do it… She looked at Gu Chengfeng with a gaze full of pity and helplessness.

It made him go crazy inside! In that moment, he felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to press Shen Sisi down and prove that he was actually quite capable—very capable, in fact. But… Forget it. I dug this hole myself; I have to jump in.

Gu Chengfeng quietly withdrew his hand, his eyes becoming unbeatably deep. “Mom, I’ve just been promoted to Regiment Commander. There are a lot of things to handle at the barracks…”

Xu Hongying immediately became anxious. She had originally only intended to tease the young couple, but her son’s words made her change her mind. She had to stay!

“You go about your business. It’s not like I need you to raise the baby—Sisi and I are here, aren’t we?” Xu Hongying decided right then and there. “I don’t care. If I don’t get to hold a grandson, I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here every day to supervise you both!”

“What?” Shen Sisi’s jaw dropped.

In the afternoon, hadn’t they agreed that Xu Hongying would take the train back to Beijing tomorrow morning? The ticket had already been bought! Shen Sisi had even bought several gifts for her to take back because she thought she was leaving.

But now, she wasn’t leaving!

Xu Hongying was like that—she acted on a whim, her mouth always moving faster than her brain. She had intended to return to Beijing, but Gu Chengfeng’s excuse had changed her mind. She would stay to ensure her son “worked hard” at night.

At the thought that she would have to share a bed with Gu Chengfeng not just tonight, but likely for a long time to come, Shen Sisi felt like she was going to collapse. Even if Gu Chengfeng “couldn’t,” he was still a man. A man and a woman sleeping in the same bed was incredibly awkward! Especially since… she wasn’t a very “polite” sleeper.

Recalling her posture when she woke up this morning, she felt so ashamed she wanted to crawl under the table. She secretly tugged at the corner of Gu Chengfeng’s shirt, signaling him with her eyes to say something to persuade his mother to leave.

Gu Chengfeng merely shrugged with a look of helplessness, indicating there was nothing he could do. But when he turned his head away, the slight curve of his lips—out of her sight—carried a faint, mischievous smile.

Xu Hongying had made up her mind; she had to personally supervise the young couple in completing the arduous task of “baby-making.”

Shen Sisi had thought tonight was a farewell dinner and she would be “liberated” after eating. Instead… it was the beginning of an ordeal.

At this hour, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative had long since closed, and the black market had packed up. Where was she supposed to buy another quilt? She could only sleep under the same blanket with Gu Chengfeng again, just like yesterday. She only hoped that tonight, she wouldn’t dream of that “giant furnace” again.

The family left the State-Run Restaurant and parted ways at the entrance of the Military District Compound. Gu Changmei had been busy with cultural performances for several days and was exhausted. The remaining three walked shoulder-to-shoulder toward the detached house with the courtyard in the back.

Xu Hongying was clearly in high spirits, not letting three sentences go by without mentioning the baby. “Sisi, you just focus on getting pregnant and giving birth. Mom promises to take care of you the whole way; I won’t let you worry or suffer a bit.”

Shen Sisi didn’t dare respond. She could only endure it in silence, nodding her head.

Perhaps because she had drunk a little wine, Xu Hongying began to recall the past, her eyes turning red. “When I was young, my husband didn’t cherish me and my mother-in-law didn’t love me. When I was about to give birth, I went to the hospital all by myself. After the baby was born, I did my ‘confinement month’ alone… In the middle of the freezing winter, I was still the one washing diapers for them.”

“Don’t worry. The rain Mom had to stand in will never fall on your head.”

Shen Sisi hadn’t realized Xu Hongying’s youth had been so miserable. She truly didn’t know why she had been so determined to marry Gu Changhe and have three children with him.

“Mom, do you regret it?” Shen Sisi asked softly.

Xu Hongying let out a long sigh. “I do. But there’s no medicine for regret in this world. Though I think… even if I went back to being a teenager, I’d probably still choose Old Gu!”

Shen Sisi suddenly understood. Back then, standing in the wind, Xu Hongying must have been lost too. Perhaps at that moment, her choice felt right. But who could have predicted whether the person they were marrying was a man or a ghost?

As the three shadows were stretched long by the streetlights, a pile of gifts suddenly appeared in their sight.

Who had left them at their doorstep?