After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The cool jade pendant pressed against her warm skin, making Ye Zhen tense up. Grandpa Gu's words, "a granddaughter-in-law who's set in stone," were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, unsettling her. Wasn't she here to act? Why was the stage getting bigger and bigger, even using family heirlooms?

Gu Zheng noticed her discomfort and stepped forward, half-jokingly and half-deceivingly saying to the old man, "Grandpa, this jade pendant of yours has really startled my daughter-in-law. She's easily embarrassed, so please be careful."

As he spoke, he naturally took Ye Zhen's hand, the warmth of his palm seeping through her skin with an irresistible soothing power. He turned to Ye Zhen and lowered his voice, "Come on, you've had a long morning. I'll take you back to your room to rest."

After saying that, without waiting for the old man to say anything more, she pulled Ye Zhen away from the study. Back in the guest room, after closing the door and shutting out the complicated gazes from outside, Ye Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief. She looked down at the jade pendant on her chest; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, yet also heavy.

"Don't feel pressured," Gu Zheng leaned against the door frame, seeing through her thoughts. "The old man just likes to give gifts, he'll give them to whoever he likes. Just consider it a greeting gift, and accept it."

Ye Zhen looked up at him: "Is this a greeting gift? It looks more like a curse to me."

"That depends on who puts it on you." Gu Zheng laughed, his eyes gleaming. "Sun Wukong had the golden headband put on him by Tang Sanzang, but in the end, he still became the Victorious Fighting Buddha, didn't he? My grandfather is just afraid that you, this great Buddha, will run away, so he's burning incense in advance."

This guy always has a knack for making serious things sound unserious. Ye Zhen was too lazy to argue with him, so she carefully took off the jade pendant and put it into her handbag.

Seeing this, Gu Zheng didn't bring it up again and changed the subject: "You didn't eat well at that treacherous banquet yesterday, did you? How about I take you out for something nice tonight, to try some authentic Beijing-style hot pot?"

This suggestion was exactly what Ye Zhen wanted to hear. She really disliked the veiled, sarcastic atmosphere at the Gu family's dinner table.

As dusk fell, the two quietly slipped out the back door. Gu Zheng didn't drive; instead, he led Ye Zhen through the crisscrossing alleyways of Beijing. Children chased and played beneath the gray-tiled walls, neighbors chatted on small stools in their doorways, and the air was filled with the faint smells of coal smoke and the aroma of food—a vibrant, everyday scene.

A 28-inch bicycle, its bell jingling crisply, suddenly sped up from behind the two, the young man on it still shouting, "Excuse me! Excuse me!"

Ye Zhen was lost in thought, gazing at the scene in the alley, unaware of the commotion behind her. In a flash, Gu Zheng stretched out his long arm, pulling her into his embrace and shielding her as he stepped aside. A bicycle swept past them, bringing a gust of wind with it.

Ye Zhen's cheek bumped against his firm chest, the clean scent of soap lingering around her nose. Her hand instinctively rested on his abdomen, and she could clearly feel the taut muscles beneath his clothes.

"Watch where you're going." Gu Zheng's voice came from above, tinged with a helpless yet indulgent tone. His hand was still around her waist, not letting go. Ye Zhen's ears burned a little, and she tried to pull away, but Gu Zheng simply took her hand in his.

His palms were large and warm, his fingers long and strong, enveloping hers so naturally, as if they had walked hand in hand through countless streets. Ye Zhen didn't struggle anymore, letting him hold her hand.

The hot pot restaurant was tucked away deep in a hutong (alleyway). It wasn't big, but it was bustling with people. Steam billowed from the copper hot pots, filling the air with the aroma of fresh mutton and the rich flavor of sesame sauce. Gu Zheng, familiar with the place, found a seat by the window and ordered a plate of hand-cut fresh mutton, a plate of tripe, some vegetables, and sesame flatbread.

He skillfully poured sesame paste, chive blossoms, and fermented bean curd sauce into Ye Zhen's bowl, then added a few chopsticks of chopped cilantro, carefully preparing the dipping sauce for her.

"Try it, our sesame paste is different from other places." He pushed the bowl of seasoning in front of her.

The broth in the pot was bubbling and boiling. Gu Zheng picked up a slice of mutton that was as thin as a cicada's wing, dipped it in the broth for a few seconds, and as soon as the meat changed color, he immediately took it out and put it in Ye Zhen's bowl.

"Eat quickly, it's at its tenderest now," he urged.

Ye Zhen picked up a slice of still-steaming mutton, dipped it in the sesame sauce he had prepared, and put it in her mouth. The mutton was tender, the sesame sauce was rich and fragrant, and the flavors of various seasonings bloomed on her tongue. A warm feeling rose from her stomach and went straight to her heart.

She looked at the man across from her; he was intently cooking tripe for her, his movements practiced and his expression natural, as if he were taking care of a naive child. The steaming hot pot blurred his features, but made the focus in his eyes exceptionally clear.

This was the first time since she came to this era that she had felt the warmth of "home." It wasn't the hypocritical politeness of the Lin family, nor the cautious compensation of the Ye family, but a sense of security that allowed her to completely relax.

"Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?" Gu Zheng looked up and met her gaze.

"I was wondering if Commander Gu was this good at taking care of people when he was a child," Ye Zhen said, making a rare joke.

"That's right," Gu Zheng laughed smugly, pointing to the alley outside the window. "When I was a kid, I was the notorious king of the kids in this alley. I was always leading a bunch of brats to climb trees to steal bird nests and go fishing in the river. I got beaten up by my grandpa a lot. Once, I got into a fight with three kids from the next alley and knocked out their front teeth. When I got home, my grandpa whipped me with a belt so badly that I couldn't get out of bed for three days."

He vividly recounted his embarrassing childhood stories, transforming the decisive and ruthless Commander Gu into a mischievous and naughty boy from the capital. As Ye Zhen listened, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, and finally, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Her laughter was clear and melodious, like the tinkling of a spring. Her eyes curved into beautiful crescents, their depths sparkling like stars, bright and clear. She was completely different from the calm and professional Dr. Ye she usually was.

Looking at her radiant smile, Gu Zheng felt as if something had suddenly struck his heart, followed by a burst of dazzling fireworks exploding within him. He was completely mesmerized.

On the way back, the night grew even darker. At the alley entrance, an old man was selling candied hawthorns; the bright red hawthorns, coated in glistening sugar syrup, shimmered enticingly under the dim streetlights. Ye Zhen slowed her pace, her gaze lingering on the strings of candied hawthorns for a second longer.

She only glanced at him, but the man beside her immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Wait here." Gu Zheng said these two words and turned to run towards the candied hawthorn stall.

A moment later, he returned to her holding the largest and reddest string of candied hawthorns, like a child presenting a treasure. "Here, the biggest one."

Ye Zhen took the heavy string of candied hawthorns and took a bite. The sourness of the hawthorns and the sweetness of the sugar coating intertwined in her mouth, creating a simple and pure joy. A corner of her heart was filled with this sweet and sour taste.

She ate in small bites, unaware that Gu Zheng beside her was watching her intently. His gaze was sweeter than the candied hawthorn in her mouth. He thought to himself, "I'm probably going to be completely smitten with this woman for the rest of my life."

Back at the Gu family home, Ye Zhen finished her candied hawthorn and went to her room, saying she needed to organize some documents. Late at night, Gu Zheng came out of his study and passed by her room, noticing light shining through the crack in the door. Almost unconsciously, he quietly pushed it open a crack and peeked inside.

Under the desk lamp, Ye Zhen was writing furiously at her desk. Unaware of the prying eyes at the door, she was as focused as an ascetic monk. English documents and draft papers covered half the table; she would pause from time to time, furrowing her brow in thought, before quickly scribbling down long strings of complex formulas and technical terms.

"A woman who is serious is the most beautiful." Gu Zheng didn't believe this before, but now she does. The light outlined her delicate profile, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes. That focused and dedicated air of hers had a fatal attraction.

He didn't go in to disturb her, but instead quietly turned around and went to the kitchen.

When Ye Zhen finally finished the last chapter of her thesis and stretched, she noticed a warm glass of milk, still steaming, had appeared beside her. A note was tucked under the milk.

She picked up the note, which had Gu Zhenglong's flamboyant handwriting on it: "Go to sleep early, future Grandmaster Ye."

Ye Zhen picked up the milk, took a sip, and the warm liquid slid down her throat, dispelling the chill and fatigue of the late night. Looking at the words on the note, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up again.