What he wanted was never a younger brother; he wanted Gu Zheng's other half.
However, he couldn't say it yet; he would have to wait until he returned to the Gu family home before he could tell them.
"Brother Zheng, can I bring my child to play with us then?"
He looked up at Gu Zheng with pleading eyes.
Gu Zheng: "Of course you can. The child is yours too. It's just that we can't tell the child the truth right now, so you'll just have to make do and be the child's uncle."
Gu En said, feigning nonchalance.
"It's okay, as long as I can be by your and the child's side, I don't care."
Hearing this, Gu Zheng felt even more guilty. He looked at Gu En but ultimately said nothing.
After Gu Zheng left, Xia Ran didn't go to sleep first. Instead, he waited until the child was asleep, and then watched TV while waiting for Gu Zheng to return.
Before Xia Ran knew it, it was past midnight again. Just as she was wondering if Gu Zheng would not be coming back, she heard the sound of the door opening.
He subconsciously looked up and saw that it was Gu Zheng. He immediately ran from the bed to Gu Zheng's side.
"You're back? Are you hungry? Do you want some late-night snack? I'll go make you something to eat, okay?"
Xia Ran looked at Gu Zheng with expectant eyes. In the past, when he asked this question, Gu Zheng would always say yes.
But today...
Gu Zheng refused, "I'm not hungry, I won't cook. Why aren't you asleep yet? Didn't I tell you not to wait for me?"
He had already eaten with Gu En before returning, so he wasn't hungry at all.
But Gu Zheng forgot that there were several times in the past when he wasn't hungry, but he still ate the late-night snacks that Xia Ran made for him.
Hearing that Gu Zheng wasn't going to eat, Xia Ran didn't force him.
"It's nothing, I'm just not sleepy."
Actually, he couldn't sleep and just wanted to wait for Gu Zheng to come back.
Gu Zheng looked down at him, his eyes seeming to hold something, but in the end he turned around and went to the wardrobe to find clothes.
"Even if you're not sleepy, go to bed early. Staying up late is bad for you."
The response to Gu Zheng was not Xia Ran's voice, but rather Xia Ran's action of hugging Gu Zheng's waist from behind.
“You’ve been working to support the family and haven’t come back. How can I sleep? Ah Zheng, you’ve worked so hard.”
Gu Zheng paused, still holding his pajamas, and was speechless for a moment when he heard Xia Ran's words.
His lips twitched, but he ultimately said nothing and turned to look at Xia Ran.
He denied that Gu En's appearance had disrupted many of his plans and concerns.
If it were before, he would have divorced Xia Ran without hesitation after Gu En returned.
But now he finds he can't do it, not only because of the child, but also because he feels he can't do it, otherwise it would be unfair to Xia Ran.
So he chose to treat Gu En as a younger brother. But even though he had agreed to treat him as a younger brother, he still couldn't help feeling guilty when facing Xia Ran, and even dared not talk to or look at Xia Ran.
Xia Ran blushed as she saw Gu Zheng staring intently at her.
He stood on tiptoe and kissed Gu Zheng's lips directly.
His face was flushed, but he still stared at Gu Zheng with his eyes open. When he noticed that Gu Zheng was stunned, he felt a little more confused.
Normally, Gu Zheng would take the initiative, but now that he was asked to do so, he was at a loss for what to do.
Moreover... why does he seem to smell a strong Chinese medicine scent on Gu Zheng?
Just as Xia Ran was about to step back and ask for clarification, Gu Zheng suddenly grabbed his waist and took the initiative.
Xia Ran was overwhelmed by Gu Zheng's fierce attack and could barely breathe, let alone speak.
Gu Zheng pinned her against the wall and kissed her, his hands somehow slipping inside Xia Ran's clothes.
Xia Ran couldn't help but let out a soft moan, which made Gu Zheng, who was already on the verge of attacking her, pick her up and carry her out the door.
Xia Ran wrapped her arms around Gu Zheng's neck and said breathlessly,
What if the child wakes up later?
"No." Gu Zheng's voice was also a little hoarse.
Once in the next room, Gu Zheng was more ferocious than ever before, and Xia Ran was completely overwhelmed.
He felt that Gu Zheng was a little different from before, but he also wanted Gu Zheng to love him like this, so that he would feel that Gu Zheng loved him very much in his heart.
This so-called game lasted for an unknown period of time, and in the end, Xia Ran was carried to take a bath by Gu Zheng.
However, after bathing the two of them, Gu Zheng himself was not sleepy at all. He was thinking about how to tell Xia Ran about Gu En.
He promised Gu En that he would pick her up tomorrow night, so he had to tell Xia Ran everything before noon tomorrow.
Would Xia Ran believe it? If Xia Ran saw how similar the two looked, wouldn't she have any doubts?
Gu Zheng had considered that Xia Ran might have doubts or disbelief, but he never considered not bringing Gu En back.
In his heart, Gu En had to come back, and as for Xia Ran, he would definitely try his best to persuade her.
So when Xia Ran woke up the next day, he saw Gu Zheng staring at him intently.
Thinking of the absurdity of last night, Xia Ran's face flushed red. Although it wasn't the first time, he still felt a little embarrassed.
Chapter 131 Knowing that Gu En has returned
"Zheng, what's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?"
Gu Zheng nodded. "I have something to tell you."
I just haven't figured out how to say it yet.
He was only talking about Gu En, his younger brother, coming back. There was nothing wrong with that, but he kept going on and on, unable to bring himself to say it.
Xia Ran noticed Gu Zheng's hesitation and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
"Ah Zheng, just tell me what's wrong. We're a married couple, we should face everything together."
He grasped Gu Zheng's hand. Gu Zheng's hand was bigger than his. Even though he was the one holding the other's hand, he felt a sense of security from Gu Zheng's hand.
Gu Zheng looked at him and finally spoke.
"Do you remember the photo in the frame that you broke in my study when we were first married?"
When Gu Zheng mentioned this, Xia Ran was stunned for a moment. Of course he remembered that he had cut his hand back then.
"I remember, what's wrong, Zheng?"
Xia Ran was actually a little uneasy. Could it be that A Zheng was only now coming to interrogate him?
Gu Zheng: "Did you see the two people in the photo?"
Xia Ran nodded, "I saw it. One of them was you, and the other... I heard Uncle Wang say it was your younger brother, right?"
"Yes, that person is my younger brother." Gu Zheng didn't know why, but when Xia Ran said the word "younger brother," he felt a sense of relief.
“We all thought he had died for some reason, but just two days ago we suddenly heard news about him. I had someone investigate and found out that he didn’t die back then, but was trafficked for some reason and only recently escaped.”
“After escaping, he didn’t dare go home. Instead, he secretly found me. Now, his leg has been injured again due to some accident, and he needs someone to take care of him. So I want him to come back and live here.”
Gu Zheng finished speaking calmly, but he couldn't help feeling nervous inside.
Upon hearing this, Xia Ran immediately sat up.
"Then hurry up and send him home. He's your brother, and of course he's my brother too. How can he be out there alone with his leg injured? Where is he now? Shall we go and bring him back together?"
Xia Ran's thinking was simple: as long as they were Gu Zheng's family, they were his family, just like how he had accepted the existence of Gu Chen without hesitation back then.
Looking at the clarity and worry in Xia Ran's eyes, Gu Zheng felt no joy, but rather a sense of unease, and the words slipped out of his mouth unconsciously.
"You don't mind?"
"Mind?" Xia Ran looked at Gu Zheng with some confusion. "Why would I mind? He's your brother, he's family. Of course I'm happy to find him, why would I mind?"
"Moreover, he was trafficked back then and must have had a very hard time. We should bring him back and make it up to him properly."
After hearing Xia Ran's words, Gu Zheng suddenly understood. Yes, he was just a younger brother. What did Xia Ran have to care about?
"Okay, I'll go pick him up this afternoon."
Xia Ran: "Then I'll go too. We'll go pick him up together. He'll definitely be even happier that way."
“No need.” Gu Zheng refused directly. “His mental state is different from before. I can pick him up myself. You can wait at home.”
After hearing Gu Zheng's words, Xia Ran didn't think much of it. She just wanted to cook a delicious meal herself that evening to properly welcome Gu Zheng's younger brother back.
He could tell that Gu Zheng cared a lot about his younger brother.
After talking to Xia Ran, Gu Zheng went to work, while Xia Ran took Gu Chen back to sleep. When he woke up, it was already past ten o'clock.
He led Gu Chen downstairs somewhat awkwardly. Gu's aunt and uncle were already watching TV in the living room, while Qin Hao came out yawning, as if he had just gotten up.
Seeing that the group had gotten up, Uncle Wang immediately went to prepare food.
Xia Ran said something to Aunt Gu and the others a little embarrassed, but Aunt Gu and the others were not angry at all, and instead smiled.
"It's okay, there's nothing to do anyway, I'll sleep as much as I can. I do want to sleep, but when you get old, you just can't fall asleep."
"No way, Auntie is still young." Xia Ran and Gu Chen finished a bowl of millet porridge, taking turns eating it.
Qin Hao ate his breakfast silently without saying a word.
At this point, his best option was to remain invisible to avoid being caught by his mother.
You know, he had been staying up late, and his mother had been nagging him incessantly, driving him almost crazy.
However, judging from how his mother treats Xia Ran, he seriously doubts whether he is her biological son. The difference in treatment is extraordinary!
"Oh, right, Aunt and Uncle," Xia Ran suddenly remembered something after finishing her meal, "should we prepare anything to welcome Xiao En back?"
“Ah Zheng said that Xiao En was abducted before and suffered psychological trauma. Now his leg is also injured. Shouldn’t we do something to let him know that we are all looking forward to welcoming him home?”
As Xia Ran finished speaking,
Everyone present, even Uncle Wang who had just come out of the kitchen with the soy milk, slightly changed their expression.
Aunt Gu took several deep breaths and looked at Xia Ran, asking,