Chapter 25: Tired, Mrs. Gu

“Now that you’re awake, heat up breakfast before you eat.”
He fastened his tie, bent down, and pressed a gentle kiss to her brow, his voice low and intimate.
Wen Zhixia’s cheeks retreated into the comforter, her whole body lazy and languid, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, but in the end, she didn’t open her eyes.
Gu Pingsheng chuckled softly, “You must be tired, Mrs. Gu.”
He rarely called her “Mrs. Gu”; habit had long ago carved her nickname into his heart. This time, the words were full of tenderness.
Wen Zhixia tugged at the corner of her lips. Though she didn’t say anything, she was genuinely happy.
The Wen family was far from wealthy; in fact, they were somewhat strapped for cash. Her father was idle and fond of mahjong—not gambling heavily, but losing a thousand or two each month was commonplace.
Her mother had grown accustomed to being the breadwinner, strong-willed and partial to Wen Zhixia’s younger brother. Anything tasty or fun went to him first. Wen Zhixia was sensible from an early age; though she envied the attention, she never asked for anything.
She was never truly valued at home. Her parents seemed to think that feeding her, providing a place to stay, and covering her high school tuition was the greatest kindness they could offer.
After all, as her parents often said, “What more could you want? Do you know how many girls in remote areas can’t even go to school? Your success is thanks to us paying your tuition.”
Whenever it came to that, Wen Zhixia said nothing more. Even if she argued about how much money she’d sent home over the years, even if she described how hard it was to juggle studies and part-time jobs, it seemed to make no difference.
When a person isn’t cherished, the hardships they endure are taken for granted; their efforts are deemed obligatory.
Gu Pingsheng was the one who taught her what it felt like to be held dearly, treasured.
It was like an addiction—once tasted, impossible to quit.

After Gu Pingsheng left, Wen Zhixia slept for another hour before finally getting up.
While washing up, she discovered she had another nosebleed.
Lately, she’d been having nosebleeds often, along with an overwhelming fatigue.
The bell chimed—
As she ate breakfast, Wen Zhixia received a health check notification from the hospital. Gu Pingsheng had arranged it for her; no matter how busy he was, he always made sure she got her annual checkup.
But in the past two years, his work kept him occupied, and he only reminded her to go on her own.
At that moment, Gu Pingsheng received the same hospital reminder.
The difference was, he was already at the hospital.
On the bed lay Zhao Fuhe, burning with fever.
“38.5 degrees. Prepare for an IV,” the doctor said after the examination.
Zhao Fuhe gazed at Gu Pingsheng with pitiful eyes. “It’s always like this—once I get a fever, it lasts for days. Medicine doesn’t help at all. The rain yesterday was so heavy, and you weren’t there. I had to tough it out alone.”
Gu Pingsheng replied, “Get some rest. I’ll talk to the doctor.”
Zhao Fuhe gave him a sweet smile. “Alright.”
Outside the ward.

The doctor, seeing him follow, briefly explained the schedule for IVs and dietary needs.
Gu Pingsheng listened, though it was unclear if he took it to heart. Suddenly, he asked, “She says her fevers always run high and won’t subside. Could there be some underlying health issue?”
The doctor shook his head, then, as if recalling something, smiled. “If you’re concerned, you can arrange a physical for your girlfriend.”
“She’s not,” Gu Pingsheng paused, then continued, “But… let’s schedule a checkup anyway.”
Li Yueting came to deliver documents that needed his signature that morning, just in time to overhear the conversation between Gu Pingsheng and the doctor.
A simple fever warranted a medical examination—could he really be falling for this woman?
After the doctor left, Gu Pingsheng pulled out his phone, glanced at the health check notification, and called Wen Zhixia, repeating, “Did you see the reminder from the hospital…”
Wen Zhixia, phone in hand, called him noisy, but her lips were curved with a smile the entire time.
She was, in truth, so easy to please. A little care and attention was enough to make her genuinely happy.
Li Yueting gripped the documents tightly. Wen Zhixia on the left, Zhao Fuhe on the right—what exactly was she lacking?!