Jacket.
Qiao Tan Yuan watched Xiao Bao interact with Gu Jiao Wu for a long time. Xiao Bao loved to pinch Gu Jiao Wu’s face if he carried Xiao Bao. He was a good sport to let Xiao Bao pinch his face. Sometimes Xiao Bao called him fir-da instead of dada, but he laughed it off and kissed Xiao Bao’s cheek.
In the evening, Xiao Bao fell asleep on the way home. At home Qiao Tan Yuan and Gu Jiao Wu tucked Xiao Bao in bed. Then they walked to the living room and they sat on the sofa. He ma.s.saged Qiao Tan Yuan’s tensed shoulders.
‘Tan Yuan are you tired?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
‘Um, I want to sleep,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
‘Then go to sleep,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘I’ll go cook dinner, and I’ll wake you up for dinner.’
‘Is there anything left in the fridge?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.
‘Don’t worry,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘I bought groceries in the morning.’
Gu Jiao Wu noticed Qiao Tan Yuan could barely keep her eyes open. He stopped ma.s.saging her shoulders, and he carried her to her bed.
‘Jiao Wu…’ Qiao Tan Yuan called in her sleepy state.
‘Sleep,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
‘Xiao Bao… milk…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and closed her eyes.
‘If Xiao Bao wakes up, she has me to take care of her,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Don’t forget I have two nephews the same age as Xiao Bao.’
‘OK…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and fell asleep.
Qiao Tan Yuan slept to the morning. She woke up, but she didn’t see Gu Jiao Wu next to her. During the night, she felt him lying next to her and hugging her while she was sleeping.
Qiao Tan Yuan got out of bed, and walked to Xiao Bao’s bedroom. Xiao Bao was sleeping soundly. Afterward she walked to the living to look for Gu Jiao Wu. But only his jacket was draped on a sofa arm. She picked it up to wash his jacket for him. It made her think about how Chu Da did many things to take care of him. Whereas she didn’t do anything to care of him like wash his clothes before. She loved him, but she didn’t think about what she could have done to be a good wife to him.
Qiao Tan Yuan sat on the sofa and held Gu Jiao Wu’s jacket. Since she lived in Denmark, apart from washing clothes and taking care of Xiao Bao, she had her chef to cook and clean the kitchen. She hated housework. If Gu Jiao Wu wanted a housewife, she wouldn’t be a good housewife. After Xiao Bao went to preschool, she planned to work again. She didn’t want to change into someone else, like being a good housewife. If Gu Jiao Wu could accept her for who she was, what reason did she have left to hesitate?
Qiao Tan Yuan stood, and checked Gu Jiao Wu’s jacket pockets for any loose items before washing his jacket. She found a medical report for… bowel cancer. Why didn’t Gu Jiao Wu say anything? She sat back on the sofa, and she cried for a long time. She had to be strong. She wiped her eyes, put the medical report back and draped the jacket on the same sofa arm.
‘You’re awake,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. He waved a bag of food. ‘I went to an Asian restaurant nearby. I bought you and Xiao Bao buns and soybean milk for breakfast.’
Qiao Tan Yuan saw Gu Jiao Wu putting on a brave act for her, and she wanted to cry again.
‘Tan Yuan, what’s wrong?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘Were you crying?’
‘I… I woke up and I thought you flew back home,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
Gu Jiao Wu put the bag on the coffee table, and he hugged Qiao Tan Yuan.
‘Tan Yuan, you dummy,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘I wouldn’t fly home without you and Xiao Bao. Besides you love living here. Of course I’ll stay here with you and Xiao Bao.’
‘But… don’t you need to work?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.
‘I’m planning to resign,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Don’t worry, I can still take care of you and Xiao Bao even if I don’t work.’
‘No,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
Qiao Tan Yuan hugged Gu Jiao Wu tightly. She knew the real reason why he wanted to resign.
‘Tan Yuan, what’s wrong?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
‘I’m OK,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘What do you want to do after you resign?’
‘Mum is getting older and she wants me to help with her company,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Qiao Tan Yuan knew w.a.n.g Tu Ya was an only child, and w.a.n.g Tu Ya’s father pa.s.sed w.a.n.g’s company to w.a.n.g Tu Ya after he died. She also knew Gu Jiao Wu had a lot on his plate managing Gu’s company so w.a.n.g Tu Ya didn’t pressure Gu Jiao Wu to manage w.a.n.g’s company too. Was Gu Jiao Wu resigning to help w.a.n.g Tu Ya as a final filial son gesture?
‘Breakfast is getting cold,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘We’ll wake up Xiao Bao for breakfast. I’ll take you and Xiao Bao to Copenhagen to play after breakfast.’
‘Jiao Wu…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
End of Chapter 145