Seeking Happiness-Chapter 209

Chapter 209 Stealing a kiss

These past two days, the disaster relief workers and materials from the imperial court had been deployed one after another. Gu Xiran had also considered thoroughly the things that required to be planned and arranged. Now he only needed to follow the progress of disaster relief, allocate the arranged things and then got a good grasp of the overall operation. Therefore, although he was still busy, it was a lot more leisured compared to before where he could only close his eyes and then be disturbed to get up again.

After having a bit of leisure time, the time spent with Shu Huan became relatively more. The two often went to the countryside. They sometimes picked up some wild fruits and plucked some wild vegetables. If they were lucky, they could find two bird eggs and have a rare sumptuous meal afterwards. Moreover, as a result of providing disaster relief these days, many victims of the disaster living in this neighbourhood recognized Gu Xiran. When they saw them (GXR, SH), they often stuffed them (GXR, SH) with a variety of food and even gave them their own small straw basket and straw shoes. It made them (GXR, SH) feel embarrassed but at the same time also very happy.

On this day, they were tired of walking. Shu Huan relaxed her whole body, lay down on the grass and squinted her eyes to enjoy the sun and the breeze. She said, "It would be nice to live like this all the time."

Gu Xiran sat next to her and said with a smile, "No jewelry, no brocade garments, jade meals or even a bed, is that still nice?"

• Brocade garments, jade meals: a life of luxury.

Shu Huan waved away a bug flying around and in front of her. She said, "It doesn’t matter! Material things are to be compared. Everyone is living like this, so we won’t feel that it's too hard. Of course, if Jingtian City is rebuilt, life will go back to normal. If other girls have flowers to wear, I certainly hope I will have meat to eat, ah!"

Gu Xiran glanced at her with a smile. "Not bad. The typical happy-go-lucky type, very easy to look after."

"Who wants you to look after?" Shu Huan giggled. "I have five thousand silver liang of private savings. If I spend it slowly, it's enough to spend it until I die, right?"

"What a lack of ambition." Gu Xiran lay down and pillowed on his hand. "I thought you were going to say, yours is mine, mine is still mine!"

"That's also true," Shu Huan thought about it and was all smiles. "If you're willing to take care of me, I'm not giving you any face if I object."

The autumn sunlight on the body at noon was nice and warm. Talking in such a leisurely manner, Gu Xiran closed his eyes and unknowingly fell asleep.

Shu Huan didn’t realize at first. When no one answered, she sat up and turned her head to find out that he was asleep. She felt that it was a bit funny and she also felt some sourness in her heart.

He was too tired these days. Occasionally even if he got free time, he couldn’t rest. He had to make up for the busy time when he had neglected her, accompany her to look at the scenery and talked about nonsense with her.

Shu Huan sighed, untied the scarf she brought with her and gently covered his eyes with it. This way he could sleep better without being exposed to the direct sunlight. But the most striking of his features, his bright and clear eyes, was covered at the moment, so his lips stood out more.

For the first time, she found out that the shape of Gu Xiran's lips was also very good-looking. The slightly angular and not stiff outline made Shu Huan want to trace it with her fingertips, as well as those particularly seductive lips in the sun….

So dejected. Why should a man's lips be so beautiful? Of all things, Shu Huan happened to have no resistance to beautiful things. Watching him sleep soundly in front of her, the deepest part of her heart was touched. There was a kind of fondness, a fondness that was beyond words. She just wanted to accompany him and look at him like this. The feeling of staying with him until the earth and heaven get old began to entangle her heart.

• When the earth and heaven get old: a long, long time (often used by lovers in making vows of eternal love).

Unable to resist the urge to like, Shu Huan quietly put her head closer. She hesitated a bit, got closer, paused, and then got closer again. She was so close that her lips touched his lips. Like that, she gently and quietly stole a kiss.

She really just wanted to kiss him like this. Her heart was immediately filled with infinite joy.

But who knew that just after she stole a kiss and before she could retreat, she suddenly heard someone behind her shouting excitedly. "Second sister-in-law!"

Pack (the sound of smacking one's lips) …

Shu Huan was suddenly shocked. Her hand that was holding up her body, loosened, so her whole face hit Gu Xiran in the face. Their lips against each other, teeth knocked teeth. So close that it hurt so much when bumped.

The person who caused this ran over and said, "Second sister-in-law, it wasn’t easy to find you…."

In the middle of the speech, he saw that Gu Xiran who was covered by the grass was under her. His tender face blushed and he hurriedly turned. "I thought you were catching crickets, but I didn’t…didn’t expect…."

Gu Xiran was naturally awakened by this shouting and bumping, but he still hadn't figured out what was going on. As he hugged Shu Huan with one hand and sat up from the grass with the other hand on his mouth, he heard the words 'catching crickets'. He then looked at Shu Huan's face that was full of embarrassment and annoyance. Only now did he realize what had happened. He first glanced at her with a smile. Then, he turned his head and scolded, "What cricket? You're a cricket! What are you doing with your back turned? Come here!"

"Second big brother," Gu Xihe turned back reluctantly with a bitter red face and complained. "You and second sister-in-law are so outrageous. To actually run to such a place to…."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a pain in his face. First, he was ferociously pinched by Gu Xiran, and then he was finger flicked twice and hard on the forehead. Gu Xiran said,"Nonsense! You haven't seen anything at all. Be careful or I'll sue you for slander!"

Gu Xihe didn't dare to say any more but in his heart, he criticized silently: even if he didn’t see anything, he could guess it!

Seeing this disapproval appearance of him (GXH) and recalling Gu Xiran's words, Shu Huan suddenly had a feeling of being tricked.

Oh my God! It wasn’t that Gu Xihe didn’t see anything at all, but that she didn’t do anything at all. She really hadn't eaten mutton but invited foul smell. She felt more wronged than Duo E!

• Hadn't eaten mutton but invited foul smell: want to gain something but got into trouble or lose face instead.
• Duo E: The story follows a child bride turned widow, Dou E, who is wrongly convicted of crimes by a corrupt court official for actions perpetrated by a rejected suitor, Zhang the mule. After her execution, three prophesied phenomena occur to prove her innocence, including blood raining from the sky, snow in June and a three-year drought. After a visit from the ghost of Dou E, her father eventually brings the corrupt court official, a doctor and Mule Zhang to justice, thereby vindicating his daughter.

It was just that one just needed to let this kind of things pass. How could she explain to Gu Xihe, this brat, in front of Gu Xiran's eyes full of tease? She could only swallow this injustice secretly. Then she saw Gu Xiran pull Gu Xihe into his arms for a tight hug, patted him on the back, and then quickly let go of his hand and said, "Not bad. You still look the same, causing me to worry about you for nothing."

Gu Xihe wasn’t used to this way of expressing one's feeling with body language. He felt very awkward when Gu Xiran was holding him but when he (GXH) heard what he (GXR) said, the awkwardness turned into a very deep feeling. Tears immediately poured out like a broken dyke. He rushed up, hugged him and cried, "Second big brother…."

Gu Xiran and Shu Huan exchanged a glance, sighed softly and asked him (GXH) in a gentle tone, "What happened?"

"Old madam…I'm afraid old madam won't make it…." Gu Xihe sobbed full of tears till here and finally slipped down, knelt there, hugged Gu Xiran's leg and said, "Old madam, she wants to see you. Second big brother, can you go back with me and have a look at her…."

As soon as the initial joy of seeing Gu Xihe was gone, Gu Xiran expected that his (GXH) presence here definitely had something to do with something happening to Gu household. He (GXR) didn’t expect it to be so accurate. Moreover, seeing Gu Xihe crying so heartbroken, it must be that old madam's illness wasn’t faked. It was just that he really didn’t want to have anything to do with Gu household anymore. What should he do in face of Gu Xihe's pitiful pleas?