To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

"Gu Juncheng! You wouldn't be jealous of a child, would you?" she said hastily.

Jealous?

Gu Juncheng had never thought about this question.

He thought for a moment, coughed twice, and said only, "You and Zhiyuan are getting along really well now."

"Of course!" Lin Qingping was still caught up in the memories of her past life. All she knew was that after Zhiyuan came out, he returned to Gujia Village and lived with the Gu family elders.

Thinking back, she must have felt guilty towards the Gu family elders in her past life. The two old people were kind and forgiving towards her, but later, she moved away from the county town to the provincial capital and never went back to see them again...

"Lin Qingping".

In the darkness, she heard him call her name.

"Ok?"

"Have you ever had a very difficult time?" He looked into the distance, his fingers running through her loose hair, gently stroking her scalp.

Lin Qingping felt very comfortable being touched like that, and became drowsy, just like a cat she had raised in her previous life, which she often stroked.

Oh, right, that cat. When she was terminally ill, she asked Zhiyuan to come to her house and take it away, telling him to treat it well. I don't know if her brother gave the cat away.

They must have given it to me, right?

Her brother doesn't like the cat...

As for whether she's not doing well...

She's really having a hard time!

However, Gu Juncheng was asking about her before she turned twenty, right?

Having witnessed her mother and brother's behavior, Gu Juncheng could probably guess what kind of life she had lived for the first twenty years of her life.

But he didn't know that she was the bad one in her past life.

She has weathered decades of storms, delivering boxed lunches in freezing weather, fighting for a place to make a living among a pack of hungry wolves. She has indeed succeeded, but every penny she earned was truly hard-earned.

It's funny.

During her marriage to Gu Juncheng, she squandered the Gu family's money. Whenever she wanted to buy something expensive, she would always ask Gu Juncheng for it. But when she finally earned her own money, she became reluctant to spend it.

She couldn't bear to spend it all, so she filled her family's bottomless pit with money.

He ended up alone, his life extinguished.

His only companion was the cat he raised in his later years.

Gu Juncheng questioned her, asking why she never told him what happened and had to bear it all alone.

That's because she's gotten used to carrying that burden for decades...

Who can shoulder this burden for her? Only she herself.

Whether it's business or personal life, from major business failures and becoming penniless to minor issues like a broken light bulb or a leaky pipe, she has to bear it all on her own. She not only has to support herself, but also her entire family, including her mother and brother's endless demands and requests...

There has never been anyone I can rely on, and I've gotten used to not relying on anyone.

Perhaps this is her retribution?

Why did she not cherish what she had when she had it?

She smiled, her eyes a little moist, nestled in Gu Juncheng's arms, her fingers gently digging into his vest, "Gu Juncheng, with you, I'm perfectly content."

She nestled in his arms, unable to see his expression, only feeling his arms tighten around her, and then his soft lips whispered in her ear, "Things will get better from now on."

"Hmm..." Things will definitely get better and better! "Gu Juncheng, are you leaving again first thing tomorrow morning?"

He usually goes back to school on Sunday nights. If he gets a day off and doesn't go back, he goes very early the next day to do morning exercises. Every time she wakes up, he's not there.

Gu Juncheng paused, "Yes..."

"It's nothing." Lin Qingping reached out and covered his mouth. "I didn't mean anything by it. When you leave, please call me, okay? Just tell me. Even if I can't wake up, I can hear you."

"Okay," he agreed, his fingers continuing to run through her hair. "Go to sleep, aren't you tired?"

"Mmm." She was already drowsy, and the massage from his fingers made her even more sleepy. In her hazy state, she mumbled, "Gu Juncheng, I used to have a cat named Chengzi..."

Gu Juncheng's fingers paused slightly in her hair.

The next day, Gu Juncheng had to go back to school before dawn. After dressing neatly, he stood by the bed. Lin Qingping, who was fast asleep, was hugging the pillow he had slept on, her cheeks flushed pink.

He hesitated for a moment, then bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Lin Qingping, I'm going back to school."

As a result, there was a loud "slap" sound, and she slapped him across the face in her sleep.

"Mosquitoes!" she muttered with her eyes closed.

He covered his face, both amused and exasperated. What happened to the promise that he could hear him?

He got up, gently closed the door, and went out.

He hadn't expected that someone from the school would be looking for him today.

Because he assisted the police in cracking a case involving an illegal casino and organized crime, the police will conduct further investigations and he will be commended again for his meritorious service.

When Lin Qingping woke up, she was completely bewildered: Gu Juncheng had left without a sound again? What happened to waking her up?

Downstairs, Zhiyuan was eating noodles. Sister Zhao was waiting for him; they would take Zhiyuan and Xiaomai to kindergarten together in a little while.

Wheat didn't look well; there was a bowl of noodles in front of her, but she hadn't touched it.

"What's wrong, Xiaomai?" Lin Qingping asked as she came downstairs.

"I don't want to eat..." Xiaomai's voice was soft.

Zhiyuan, who was engrossed in eating noodles, suddenly said, "If you don't eat properly, you'll be punished by standing in circles!"

Zhiyuan was pointing to the circle that Gu Juncheng had drawn yesterday, the circle where Lin Qingping had stood.

Lin Qingping: ? ? ? What are you talking about, brat?

Sister Zhao, unaware of the story behind it, asked in surprise, "What kind of circle is this? I was just about to wipe it off!"

"Don't wipe it, don't wipe it!" Zhiyuan said. "If you wipe it, how will Uncle Gu punish my mom by making her stand in circles next time she does something wrong!"

"You brat! What nonsense are you spouting?" Lin Qingping couldn't take it anymore.

Sister Zhao couldn't help but laugh out loud, "What? What is this?"

While stealing glances at Lin Qingping, Zhiyuan quickly said, "It's my Uncle Gu's way of making my mom stand at attention as punishment! She had to stand here for half an hour last night!"

Sister Zhao was absolutely stunned, laughing so hard she bent over. "Oh my, this is hilarious! Qingping, what did you do that Commander Gu is making you stand for half an hour?"

"Don't listen to Zhiyuan's nonsense!" Lin Qingping picked up a feather duster and charged at Zhiyuan. "You brat, I'll teach you to talk nonsense!"

Zhiyuan yelled and ran around the room, "Help! My mom's going to hit me!"

"If you don't discipline him for three days, he'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles!" Lin Qingping wasn't really going to hit him; she was just threatening him. After chasing him around, she said angrily.

Wheat smiled as she watched this scene.

From then on, the joke about Lin Qingping making Pingzi stand in circles at home spread. Even Gu Youlian would sometimes remind her brother when he came home, "Don't punish Pingzi by making her stand in circles all the time! She's not your soldier! Who treats their wife like a soldier?"