A night passed without word, and Cheng Su thought sheâd be unable to sleep with a "stranger" beside her, but that wasnât the case; she fell asleep and when she awoke, the sky was already light.
Touching the space next to her, she found it cool and couldnât help sitting up.
Had he risen so early? Or had he already left?
Cheng Suâs brows furrowed slightly, feeling somewhat melancholy for some reason.
It was strange; she wasnât familiar with Qi Taiguo, even though they were legally husband and wife. To her, he was still a stranger. Yet, she had managed to sleep peacefully through the night.
Could it be because itâs someone elseâs body with her memories inherited?
As Cheng Su pondered wildly, she heard voices outside the room, seemingly Mother Qi and Qi Taiguo. Her heart jolted, and she hurriedly got dressed.
Stepping outside, indeed it was the two of them, Qi Taiguo wearing only a pair of shorts, his upper body bare, bringing up a bucket of cold water from the well and dousing himself with it.
Mother Qi was nagging at him, saying something about the well water being icy cold and how it wasnât good to drench himself with cold water so early in the morning, and so on.
Qi Taiguo said he was used to it, that he had done the same after training in the military. It seemed he had gone for training early in the morning!
Seeing Cheng Su appear, Qi Taiguo looked at her unfavorably and huffed.
Mother Qi also saw her daughter-in-law and hurriedly said, "Go quickly and make breakfast. Taiguo has to eat and then return to the military. You can go back to your family later today for the home visit!"
Thatâs right, today was Cheng Suâs day to return home, three days after her marriage.
It was rather pitiable; married to a military man, even her return home had to be done alone.
A trace of sadness flitted across Cheng Suâs face.
Qi Taiguo said, "Iâll leave in the afternoon, no need for breakfast. Get ready, and letâs head back to your home!"
Cheng Su was startled and looked toward Qi Taiguo.
Mother Qi was also surprised and said, "Didnât you say you had to go back early this morning? Will it be okay if youâre late?"
"Itâs fine, I have a three-day leave anyway. Itâs okay if I go back later," Qi Taiguo replied indifferently. "Mom, you should prepare the gifts for the return visit too. She doesnât understand any of this, so itâs to avoid any issues with proper conduct."
Mother Qi felt slighted, but she knew her son was right. Even the old man had mentioned in private the night before that the gifts for the daughter-in-lawâs return visit should be well-prepared, to avoid criticism.
Now that the two families were linked by marriage, no matter how reluctant she felt inside, she had to ensure things looked good on the surface. Otherwise, it would make them the laugh of the town, suggesting the Qi family lacked manners and that even Taiguoâs reputation wouldnât be favorable.
Since it concerned the reputation of her family and her son, Mother Qi naturally wouldnât refuse and so went to get things ready.
Cheng Suxin felt content; this man did have some redeeming qualities.
"Donât get too pleased," Qi Taiguo snorted. "Accompanying the wife on her return visit is a matter of protocol. I just donât want others to look down on the Qi family or on me, Qi Taiguo."
In fact, as a soldier, if there was any urgent mission, forget the return visit, heâd have to skip even the wedding ceremony and prioritize the country.
So if he truly didnât accompany Cheng Su on her return visit, they could have made an excuse for it.
But just now, upon seeing the fleeting sadness on Cheng Suâs face, he impulsively said he would accompany her back.
How he regretted it, what was he thinking this early morning? Just last night, she was on guard as if she saw a lecher!
Qi Taiguo, annoyed, picked up the bucket and threw it harshly back into the well, drawing another bucket of water to drench himself, as if only by doing so could he conceal the barely visible irritation.
Cheng Su said with a smile, "Iâm quite happy, thank you," valuing her face.
Qi Taiguo was taken aback as he watched her return inside, feeling an unexpected slight easing in his heart. The corners of his mouth twitched up, but as soon as he noticed his own reaction, he huffed again.