Accidentally Married to the Big Shot

Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Heirloom

“When I was a kid, we didn’t have air conditioning, so I slept on the rooftop in summer,” Gu Wei said.

“Did you grow up here as a child?” Su Meixi asked again.

There was a rare atmosphere suitable for chitchatting about family matters.

Lying on the lounge chair, looking up at the moon, Gu Wei said, “Not exactly, I just came back once or twice a month, and during the winter and summer vacations.”

“So you mean your parents have another house in the city.”

“Yes, they did, but after my father passed away and my mother went abroad, that house has been rarely lived in. My older brother bought his own place outside, and so did I. Brothers grow up and need to separate eventually.”

Su Meixi sighed, “Your family must be quite wealthy, unlike mine… I feel like I don’t even deserve you.”

Gu Wei paused for a moment.

He hadn’t even gotten to the core of the matter, and already she felt unworthy?

“My family’s situation… is just average,” he said.

Su Meixi shook her head, “At least it’s a middle-class family.”

Middle-class status in Feng City was highly coveted, with many striving for it, often requiring efforts across several generations.

Then she fell silent.

Blowing in the cool breeze, watching the moon a while longer, smelling the scent of the flowers and plants in the air, she felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, and before long, she fell asleep.

Seeing that Su Meixi had fallen asleep, Gu Wei went downstairs to get some mosquito repellent to spray on her and covered her with a thin blanket, then he lay down as well.

…

The next day.

Su Meixi was awakened by a chorus of bird calls. @@novelbin@@

“Chirp chirp, chatter, chirp chirp!”

She opened her eyes, but the first thing she saw was Gu Wei’s handsome face.

Somehow, during the night, his lounge chair had ended up next to hers. Although they weren’t on the same bed, it felt no different than if they were.

They hadn’t hugged the night before; perhaps he hadn’t been able to sleep, which is why he had moved so close to her.

Seemingly sensing something, Gu Wei also opened his eyes at that moment.

The two of them lay there, face to face, just looking at each other.

The rooftop plants were lush, the air fragrant with blossoms, birds hopped about on the grape trellis, the dawn sky was a rosy red, and not far off, villagers could be heard talking loudly…

But in their eyes, there was only each other.

Just as Gu Wei’s head moved closer to her lips, a loud “clang” suddenly came from the stairwell entrance.

They both instinctively sat up.

It was the cat Grandpa kept on the rooftop to catch mice; seeing the birds, it too got excited, tried to chase them, and had toppled over a basin.

A while later, Aunt Zhang came up as well.

Seeing them on the rooftop, she couldn’t help but say, “You slept here last night? Little Wei really likes sleeping on the rooftop, he’s loved it since he was small.”

…

After lunch, Gu Wei and Su Meixi were about to leave Grandpa’s house.

Just as Su Meixi was about to go, Grandpa Gu handed her a box wrapped in a silk kerchief, “Xiao Su, take this bracelet.”

Su Meixi saw that the box looked like a jewelry box, and it was wooden, seeming to have some age to it.

Not sure if she should accept it, she looked at Gu Wei; Gu Wei nodded, “Take it, it’s a gesture of kindness from Grandpa.”

Su Meixi reluctantly accepted it.

It wasn’t until their car had left the village that Su Meixi curiously opened the box.

It was a Jade Bracelet.

Even though Su Meixi didn’t understand jade, she could tell that this bracelet was valuable, as its quality was transparent and clear like a lake in the desert.

At first, it felt cool to the touch, but after holding it in her hand for a while, it warmed up.

Su Meixi was flattered. Since their meeting yesterday, Grandpa Gu had been busy, and they hadn’t spoken much, but the fact he gave her such an expensive bracelet upon parting showed he acknowledged her as his granddaughter-in-law.

She couldn’t help but ask Gu Wei, “Gu Wei, this isn’t your family heirloom, is it?”

Gu Wei laughed and said, “It actually is.”

“But if it’s a family heirloom, shouldn’t your mother be the one holding onto it? How did it end up in my hands?”

“Well…” Gu Wei pondered and then said, “There’s a bit of a misunderstanding between my mom and my grandpa. She doesn’t want anything from Grandpa.”

Is that even possible?

Gu Wei continued, “We have a lot of family heirlooms. This jade bracelet was handed down from my great-grandmother. You don’t need to feel burdened. If Grandpa gives it to you, just keep it.”

Su Meixi couldn’t return it, but she also couldn’t wear it every day, lest she lose it.

After returning home, she tucked the Jade Bracelet away on the top shelf of her wardrobe.

If one day Gu Wei regretted their marriage, she could still return the Jade Bracelet to him.

…

“Eh, isn’t that Ah Xi?”

Su Meixi had just arrived at the hospital lobby when someone called out to her.

A woman in her 50s suddenly appeared in front of her, her face bright with excitement.

The auntie was dark-skinned and thin, her hair grey and white, dressed in a floral blouse and black trousers, with a look that screamed rural.

Su Meixi felt she looked somewhat familiar, and after thinking for a while, she remembered that this was Qi Anran’s mother, who had visited the hospital once last year for her eyes, and they had eaten together in the cafeteria.

“Auntie,” Su Meixi politely greeted the older woman.

To her surprise, Mrs. Qi chuckled, “Why call me Auntie? You should be calling me ‘Mom’ by now!”

Su Meixi: “…”

It was working hours, and the lobby was filled with people, mainly doctors and nurses heading to work.

“Auntie, didn’t Qi Anran tell you…”

“Ah? He mentioned you on the phone yesterday, said you two are having a conflict, and it’s possible you won’t get married. That’s why I rushed here from the countryside in a hurry. Ah Xi, I brought you a box of oranges from my orchard, freshly picked. Even though I’ve sold the orchard, you can still pick the oranges whenever you want.”

After saying that, Mrs. Qi turned around to lift a box of oranges from the ground, attempting to hand them to Su Meixi.

Su Meixi quickly stepped back, “Auntie, Qi Anran and I have already broken up.”

“Oh, you can’t just say break up so casually. What if my son takes it seriously? Sometimes he doesn’t get how to sweet-talk girls. If he’s done something wrong, please don’t take it to heart. Just be a bit forgiving of each other — that’s all.”

Su Meixi: “…”

Mrs. Qi persisted in offering the oranges, and Su Meixi continued to dodge.

The spectators around them watched their tug-of-war, amused, until Qi Anran suddenly appeared and called out, “Mom, what are you doing here?”

Seeing Qi Anran, Mrs. Qi immediately sought credit, “Didn’t you say you were having a dispute with Ah Xi yesterday? So I came to give you both a little advice.”

Qi Anran looked awkwardly at Su Meixi, then said to his mother, “Mom, we’ve broken up.”

“Why are you talking about breaking up so easily too? What if Ah Xi takes it seriously, who will you find then? Do you know how hard it is to find a wife in the countryside nowadays? Especially someone as pretty as Ah Xi. Look at her, with her chest and her hips, in the countryside, she’s built to bear sons.”

Qi Anran got even more embarrassed.

At that moment, the elevator arrived, and Su Meixi hurriedly went in.

The other doctors looked at her sympathetically.

Everyone knew she and Qi Anran had broken up. Now with Qi Anran’s mother showing up, either he hadn’t told his mother the truth, or she had a thick face and wanted to win back a wife for Qi Anran.