"You shouldn't see her for these few days."
Gu Yi, knowing he was in the wrong, didn't dare to retort, only nodding in agreement.
"But the men's academy opens the day after tomorrow."
"Then go the day after tomorrow. Don't go out tomorrow, and don't come to the clinic. Reflect properly at home." The home Gu Yitong spoke of was the small house west of town.
At that time, she had only wanted to find Gu Yi, and usually stayed at the clinic. Now that Gu Yi was back, it was indeed time to consider buying a larger house.
Gu Yi had been to that small house once. It was filled with his childhood toys. Although not his exact childhood toys, the styles were identical. It was evident how much effort Gu Yitong had put into finding them.
There were also some clay figurines carved by Gu Yitong, depicting Gu Yi and their mother. Gu Yi was the most frequently depicted, and some of them had bloodstains, likely from Gu Yitong accidentally cutting her hand when she first started carving.
Seeing Gu Yi nod, Gu Yitong didn't linger. She opened the door and left, as he needed to be punished for what he had done.
Lu Yu returned to the manor and told Shen Xuan about the matter. Shen Xuan was both surprised and delighted. "Are the two of them together so soon?"
"You knew?" Lu Yu was also surprised that her little husband knew about this.
"The day you bought the servant boy, he told me his feelings. But men are shy, and it was his secret, so of course, I couldn't tell my wife." Shen Xuan even tried to explain himself.
"I see." Lu Yu expressed understanding upon hearing this, as it was indeed something that shouldn't have been told to her.
"Is Miss Gu very angry?" Shen Xuan still wanted to know Gu Yitong's attitude towards the matter, as Gu Yi cared deeply about it.
"A little angry, but it's not a big problem." Lu Yu had seen through Gu Yitong's thoughts. "She will definitely agree because she can't bear to see Young Master Gu upset."
"That's good. I'm relieved." Shen Xuan sighed in relief upon hearing this.
"By the way, tomorrow I'll take you to Yitong's house to keep Young Master Gu company. Yitong told me today not to let Gu Yi go to the clinic tomorrow, but she's afraid he'll be bored alone at home, so she asked me to keep him company." Lu Yu conveyed Gu Yitong's original intention to Shen Xuan completely.
"No problem, I'll be there tomorrow morning." Shen Xuan was very willing, as Gu Yi was his good friend.
"I knew my Xuan'er was the most understanding." Lu Yu said, kissing Shen Xuan.
Shen Xuan smiled and pushed her away. "Don't fool around, we still have to eat. You're never proper."
"Then you—"
Before Lu Yu could finish, Shen Xuan picked up where she left off, "Don't you like it?"
"Wife, I've heard that so many times, can't you say it differently?" Shen Xuan teased Lu Yu with a smile.
"You good-for-nothing Shen Xuan, daring to mock your wife! Your courage has grown!"
Lu Yu, not to be outdone, tickled Shen Xuan. Shen Xuan was most ticklish and kept dodging, but Lu Yu pursued relentlessly, their laughter filling the entire house.
The next morning, Shen Xuan followed Lu Yu to Gu Yitong's residence to visit Gu Yi.
After sending Shen Xuan to the house and watching the three of them enter, Lu Yu left with peace of mind.
"Xuan'er, Afu, why have you come?"
"It's not that your sister was worried you'd be bored alone, so she asked us two to come and keep you company." Shen Xuan tapped Gu Yi's nose and said with a smile.
"Sister is very good to me."
"Yes, Miss Gu is really worried about you. She's afraid you'll be bored alone, afraid you'll be sad alone, and even more afraid you'll overthink things alone."
"So don't worry, Miss Gu will definitely agree to the two of you." Shen Xuan stroked Gu Yi's hair.
"Yes, Young Master Gu, don't worry. Miss Zheng is so good to you, and Miss Gu sees it all. She will definitely agree. She's just angry right now," Afu also chimed in to comfort Gu Yi.
"I believe my sister will agree, but I'm still very worried about her. She must be very sad to have learned this news alone, and I haven't even told her yet. She discovered it herself. She must feel that I've become distant from her. I used to tell her everything when I was little."
"How could that be? Miss Gu won't think that way. Boys have their own little thoughts as they grow up, and Miss Gu will understand."
"That's right, Miss Gu isn't petty. She won't think like that because of this matter." Afu sat on Gu Yi's other side, also offering comfort.
"There are so many toys in this room!" Afu's attention was quickly drawn to the toys in the room.
"These are the styles of toys I played with as a child that my sister found."
"Wow! Is this you? It looks so much like you!" Afu saw the clay figurines displayed in the corner of the room, held one up to Gu Yi's face, and compared them closely. "Which master made this? The craftsmanship is too good."
"My sister made these before." Gu Yi smiled at Afu's delighted expression. "If you like it, I'll ask my sister to make one for you another day."
"Ah? No, no need." Afu was a little surprised to hear that Gu Yitong made them, and quickly felt a bit awkward.
"Miss Gu's craftsmanship is truly excellent. They are so lifelike. It must have taken a lot of effort, right?"
Ever since Shen Xuan learned from Lu Yu that Gu Yitong might also have feelings for Afu, coupled with Afu's sulky expression when he argued with Gu Yitong that day, he had been paying close attention to Afu. Seeing Afu's awkwardness, he quickly changed the subject.
"It must be that my sister made these during the years I was away. But now that I've just returned to her side, and this has happened, she must be disappointed. Even I feel I've let my sister down."
"When I was little, I was closest to my sister. But now, after not seeing her for seven years, as soon as we reunited, I already had someone else in my heart. In the future, if..."
Gu Yi didn't finish, but Shen Xuan understood.
"Even if you get married, you can still come back to visit your sister. This isn't a permanent farewell," Shen Xuan could deeply understand Gu Yi's feelings. When he married Lu Yu, the only sad thing in his heart was that he might never see his maternal grandparents again.
"But even if Miss Zheng agrees, I won't be able to visit often. Once I marry her, I'll be part of her family. Moreover, she's the town mayor. How can I..."