Chapter 38: The Demeanor of a Legal Wife

"Good morning!"

Gu Lanxi was not one for idle chatter; she offered a polite greeting and then stood quietly in the corner.

Du Rusheng, on the other hand, was quite talkative and soon struck up a conversation with Mrs. Zhong.

"You two are dressed so beautifully today. Where are you headed?"

"Hehe, we're going to see the stars at the Great Wall at night."

"Aren't you afraid of the sun if you go out this early?"

"We're going to browse the mall first. The gold hairpin we ordered a while ago called yesterday to say it's finished. We're going to try it on."

The mother and daughter on the tenth floor were enthusiasts of Hanfu and loved participating in various activities that promoted traditional culture. Gu Lanxi had a very good impression of them, and hearing this, she couldn't help but ask

"May I ask which shop you ordered from? If they are good, I would appreciate a recommendation, Mrs. Zhong."

She wanted to commission some gold jewelry.

She had seen many weddings in her clan, and every time the spectacle was grand. What she remembered most clearly was the dazzling gold.

The spectacle didn't matter; she wanted to possess those pieces of jewelry because they were imbued with beautiful symbolism, even if she didn't particularly enjoy wearing them.

She wondered if the popular styles in the North were very different from those in her hometown.

She had somehow married herself off quite unexpectedly.

Originally, she only wanted to settle the complications, but now she wanted to do it properly.

To secretly save up a dowry alone, without elders to help manage it or best friends to offer advice—it felt a little pitiful when she thought about it.

But she was never one to indulge in self-pity.

So many people in this world were in far worse situations than hers, yet they lived happily enough.

At the very least, she was capable enough to act like a little squirrel gathering food for winter, moving things she liked into her nest bit by bit.

Gu Lanxi was gentle with everyone, but she was undoubtedly the most difficult person in the entire building to get close to.

Mrs. Zhong was quite surprised when she asked for the contact information of a gold shop, but she reacted quickly, immediately pulling out her phone and taking the opportunity to add Gu Lanxi on WeChat.

"This jewelry shop specializes in traditional pieces. I'll send you the owner's business card; you can tell him whatever you want to order. He doesn't say much, but his craftsmanship is impeccable."

Gu Lanxi nodded slightly and thanked her with a smile.

Mrs. Zhong's parking spot was on the first basement level. Once the elevator arrived, she took her daughter down, leaving only Gu Lanxi and Du Rusheng in the elevator.

Fortunately, the second basement level was arriving soon.

When the elevator doors opened, Gu Lanxi tossed out a "See you later" and intended to go to her car, only to see a man wearing a bucket hat, yawning, carrying a fishing gear bag and dragging a wheeled suitcase toward her.

As soon as he saw Gu Lanxi, he came charging toward her like a Husky seeing a meat bone.

The suitcase seemed to be filled with quite a lot of things; it made a rumbling sound that was startlingly loud.

It was Wu Feng, who lived on the eighth floor.

The Wu family had been deeply involved in the outdoor goods industry for three generations. Wu Feng was the second son of the current head of the family. Because he loved fishing, he had founded a fishing gear brand called "Shenwei," and it was doing quite well.

To be fair, he was quite handsome—sunny, cheerful, and robust. However, because he loved fishing all over the place, his skin was very tanned. When he stood next to Gu Lanxi, he looked like chocolate meeting a marshmallow.

Not long after Gu Lanxi moved in, she ran into him downstairs, and since then, Wu Feng had launched a vigorous pursuit of her.

But Gu Lanxi was not one to linger in complicated emotions; knowing he wasn't her type, she had rejected him decisively.

After being rejected, Wu Feng no longer pestered her, but every time he saw her, he would still come over to say hello with great enthusiasm. Gu Lanxi couldn't bring herself to be inexplicably cold to a neighbor.

After all, there weren't many residents in the complex; as long as they didn't go bankrupt, they would likely see each other's faces for many years.

"Where have you been fishing all night?"

Wu Feng was a truly warm person whose liking for her was sincere. Hearing her ask this, he couldn't help but grin, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

"It was just too hot during the day, so I couldn't go out at all. Last night, I went to Roma Lake with a few friends—fishing, camping, picnicking. Look, we had a great harvest last night! These little crucian carp are the size of a palm; I've been keeping them oxygenated, so they're all alive! They make wonderful soup. Should I bring some over for you later?"

Gu Lanxi hurriedly waved him off. "No need, thank you. I have a medical checkup scheduled, so I might not be home for dinner today."

A fisherman's catch is never-ending. Some people catch fish and are too lazy to take them home, so they just release them; others like to bring them back to give to friends and family, or process them and put them in the freezer.

Gu Lanxi liked crucian carp tofu soup, but she wouldn't just accept fish from others.

Especially from someone who had pursued her and been rejected.

"Oh, then you must still be hungry! I won't take up any more of your time. See you!"

With that, Wu Feng grabbed his suitcase and ran off.

Gu Lanxi smiled, found her car, and soon headed to the private hospital she had an appointment with.

Little did she know that in order to successfully deliver those few little crucian carp to her, Wu Feng had delivered fish to every single neighbor in the building.

However, for everyone else, he sent their nannies to deliver them; only for Gu Lanxi did he come to the door personally.

It wasn't that Gu Lanxi disliked these wild little crucian carp; she just didn't like him at the moment.

He intended to create more opportunities to meet; perhaps if she understood him better, her feelings might change.

After finishing her checkup, Gu Lanxi had just stepped out of the hospital when she received a call from Fei Yunxiao. He said the studio had encountered an unsolvable problem, so he had to find a restaurant for a quick meal before heading to the studio.

Lu Nanting had slept a long, satisfying sleep. Upon waking and learning that Gu Lanxi wouldn't be back for lunch due to business, he felt a slight sense of disappointment, though he knew this was the norm for them.

After eating the lunch Auntie Wang had specially prepared for him alone, he rested for a while before entering the gym with a sense of guilt.

While he was sweating profusely, he heard Auntie Wang talking to someone.

It was a young man; it seemed he had come to deliver something.

Lu Nanting was never a man to shy away.

He grabbed a towel to wipe his sweat and walked out of the gym.

"Auntie Wang, who is here?"

Auntie Wang had been taking care of female artists since she started her career; Gu Lanxi was her third Best Actress, so her experience was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Hearing Lu Nanting's lazy inquiry, she remained calm on the surface, replying, "It's a neighbor from downstairs, coming to deliver some wild crucian carp he just caught," while her inner voice screamed, "Destroy it all! What kind of battlefield is this?!"

Auntie Wang had been looking after Gu Lanxi even before she moved here. She had seen more clearly than her employer that Wu Feng had pursued her and, despite being rejected, had not given up.

Gu Lanxi was very busy and was away from home often. When she wasn't at a film set, Auntie Wang was at home every day, and there were many things Gu Lanxi didn't know that she did.

Because she went downstairs for walks every day, she inevitably encountered the nannies of other households.

Though she kept her mouth shut, she couldn't stop the other nannies from being talkative.

Thus, she knew that of all the fish in the building, only the 18th floor received them personally from Wu Feng.

All just to create chances to see Gu Lanxi a few more times.

If he went sea fishing, he brought sea fish; if he went wild fishing, he brought wild river fish. Occasionally, if he scooped up a bag of river shrimp, he wouldn't forget Gu Lanxi.

Because the fish were distributed to the whole building every time, not accepting them would actually offend people.

Gu Lanxi would do as the neighbors did: accept them first, then find an opportunity to return the favor.

Auntie Wang felt the bitterness in her heart.

In this profession, everything else was fine, but one's soul was inevitably tormented.

Knowing too much, yet being unable to speak.

Her three historical employers had all been peerless beauties, with suitors as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river. Auntie Wang likely knew more about various pursuit tactics than romance novelists.

But this was her first time encountering someone of Wu Feng's sincere and simple type.

Sensing the scent of a romantic rival, Lu Nanting tossed his towel aside. As he walked out in his slippers, he naturally lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe his sweat, perfectly revealing his beautiful abs.

And the sparkling wedding ring on his hand.

When it came to acting cool, a hundred fishermen stacked together couldn't compete with the steady, composed Lu Nanting, the top star.

The same movement could look greasy and slovenly on one person, but on another, it was full of youthful charm.

"Oh? Hello, please come in and sit for a moment!"

Lu Nanting lowered his shirt, displaying the poise of a host, and reached out to take the small bucket from Wu Feng's hands.

"Oh, these little fish are so lively! You are very thoughtful!"

Lu Nanting was a hand's breadth taller than him. He tilted his head slightly and gave a gentle smile—red lips, white teeth, and long lashes—looking very dignified and not at all effeminate.

The woman the entire internet had been searching for for two days turned out to be the goddess he had loved for years.

If Lu Nanting were just an ordinary singer, it would be one thing, but he was the most pampered youngest son of the Lu family's direct line.

Wu Feng's heart shattered into eight pieces. He had to force himself to maintain social etiquette, and the agony in his heart was indescribable. After a few words, he left the 18th floor.

He didn't go home afterward; he drove straight to a bar.

That feeling of losing the moment he appeared—he would probably never forget it for the rest of his life.

Rival -1

I made an appointment with the Luoyang Museum to take Er Mao to visit.

At the Treasure Gallery on the second floor, full of anticipation, we had just reached the entrance when Er Mao hugged my leg, wanting to go back to Chengdu. Second Master missed home.

I said, "Maybe Mom can only come here once in her life. Let me see it once, even if it's just a fleeting glance, I don't need to see it in detail."

"No, I want to go home."

Once we left the museum, he immediately perked up. Standing on the steps, he pointed across the road: "Mom, I want to go there!"

Fine, let's go then. It's just across the road, not a whole galaxy away; a mother can accept that.

However, across the road was the Luoyang Sui and Tang Dynasty Relics Botanical Garden, filled with peonies everywhere. It was just pure chaos.

There were actually streets inside, and they were super large. A main road would stretch forward for a long time; without a map, I wouldn't even be able to find my direction.

Fortunately, there were many white geese in the ponds, allowing him to intuitively experience the poem "Red feet paddle the clear waves." He would probably remember that poem much more firmly now.

I wanted to take him out to broaden his horizons.

As it turned out, he broadened mine significantly.

It turns out that a three-year-old and a thirty-year-old cannot be travel buddies.

Also, when ordering Henan noodles, be sure to order the small portion.

The more you eat, the more it seems, as if the noodles are emerging from the bottom of the bowl. You eat until you cry and still can't finish, fearing the owner will come over and ask if the food isn't good.

After finishing, I apologized profusely: "It's not that the noodles aren't good, it's just that I'm not good..."

The bowl was so big, and there were so many noodles...

Now I want to go home too.

My friend's computer is unfamiliar to me, so typing is very slow. The suggested words are basically none of the ones I usually use.

Life is easy at home, but everything is difficult when you are away.

Sigh.

(End of Chapter)