Chapter 155: Matters of the Heart, Gu Xu’s Change (Second Update)

By the time they returned to the base, it was already afternoon. The dirty Toyota pulled up to the villa, drawing the attention of everyone outside: Aunt Zhao tending the vegetable patch, Ah Nan helping out, Wu Dalang doing leg stretches on a lounge chair, and Shadow, who had been brought out for some fresh air. All four turned their eyes to the car—those who could move went to greet them, while the less mobile ones sat up, watching the car with concern.

Just as they’d hoped, Bian Changxi got out of the car safe and sound. She was a bit bloodstained and disheveled, but clearly unhurt. Gu Xu was parking the car, so he must be fine too.

Aunt Zhao, never one to hide her feelings, patted her chest and gave Bian Changxi a reproachful look. “You just ran off this morning without a word! If I’d known you were going outside the base, my heart would’ve been pounding nonstop. Thank goodness Captain Gu went with you—otherwise, how could we not worry? You nearly scared me to death.”

Bian Changxi immediately raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I was wrong. Aunt Zhao, I’m so thirsty and tired—could you get me some water, please?”

Aunt Zhao, a true middle-aged woman, had grown close and familiar with everyone, and she loved to nag. Once she started, she could go on and on. She didn’t dare lecture Gu Xu, and thought Qiu Feng was always so polite and smiling that there was nothing to say. Qiu Yun never listened anyway, and Gu Pei was always well-behaved—except for sometimes copying his brother and skipping meals. Wu Dalang and Shadow were both patients; she only felt sorry for them and would never say a harsh word. Ah Nan was a bit slow, so talking to him was pointless.

So Bian Changxi, as the only girl and the youngest, became the main target of Aunt Zhao’s constant reminders.

Things like: “Girls shouldn’t stay up too late, it’s bad for your skin.” Or, “Don’t always wear black, it looks so heavy.” Or, “You should make a few close girlfriends, don’t just keep busy with work.”

Now, whenever Bian Changxi saw Aunt Zhao open her mouth, she felt a little nervous.

Aunt Zhao clapped her hands. “I’ll go right now! There are some freshly picked tomatoes in the fridge—I’ll get you a couple.”

Bian Changxi glanced at her own vegetable patch. In just over half a month, it had become lush and green—cabbage, chives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and even a small patch of corn. There was a pear tree and an apple tree, both growing beautifully. All thanks to her efforts. By now, she’d gained quite a bit of insight into how these ordinary plants grew. The fruits of her labor were healthy, thriving vegetables and fruits, and the patch had expanded from a few square meters to over ten.

Smiling, Bian Changxi felt especially content. She went over and patted the pear and apple trees, and the waist-high saplings shot up a bit more. Feeling even better, she greeted Wu Dalang and the others, grabbed a carton of milk, and chased after Aunt Zhao into the house. “Aunt Zhao, I have a watermelon—let’s cut it up and eat some!”

She sighed with satisfaction. Scouring the wholesale market had its perks—now she could openly bring out whatever she wanted to eat, even fruit and fish and meat, since she’d moved two whole freezers’ worth. In fact, even Gu Xu didn’t know exactly what she’d collected, since much of it was packed in cardboard boxes. Sometimes when the storeroom door was closed, she’d send her vines in to collect things, so he never saw the details.

So from now on, she could easily swap out the homegrown produce and fish for the new supplies.

She picked out a big watermelon—this one was from the market, since the one in her patch was just a vine so far—and handed it to Aunt Zhao, who washed and sliced it, then put it in the freezer to chill. Soon, they’d have ice-cold watermelon to eat. Bian Changxi grabbed a tomato, munching as she headed upstairs to shower and change.

Meanwhile, Gu Xu finished parking and came out to see his two teammates staring at the saplings in a daze. He looked over and noticed they’d grown taller. Wu Dalang grinned. “Looks like we’ll be eating fresh pears before long.”

Shadow asked, “She advanced?”

A glimmer flashed in Gu Xu’s eyes as he nodded. “She leveled up during the fight.”

“No wonder she couldn’t sit still in there. She’s got a bold, fighting spirit,” Wu Dalang said. “Shadow, we’re falling behind.”

Gu Xu said, “Rest up for a few more days. You’ll both have plenty to do soon.”

Bian Changxi advancing to level three meant it wouldn’t be long before the two of them could get back on their feet. That was the best news possible. Everyone felt invigorated. Wu Dalang and Shadow couldn’t pretend they weren’t anxious about their half-alive state. If they weren’t worried about discouraging the others, they’d have preferred not to drag things out for so long.

For people who had once fought life and death battles, being unable to fight was worse than dying. Their perseverance was, in large part, due to their trust in Bian Changxi’s abilities.

So when Bian Changxi was presumed dead not long ago, it hit them harder than anyone could imagine. Her sudden return brought a vitality to the villa that was impossible to describe—just like the vegetable patch, which had once been barren but now flourished, filling everyone with joy just to look at it.

After showering, Gu Xu glanced over to see Bian Changxi’s door still closed. She always seemed to lose track of time once inside, even though she was so efficient outside.

Maybe all girls were like this? Gu Xu shook his head and was about to go downstairs when—click—the door opened and Bian Changxi came out. Her short, soft hair was damp and clung to her cheeks like fine silk. She was running her fingers through her hair, wearing light orange short sleeves that made her skin look even fairer, and her calves looked slender and smooth in cropped pants. Even her feet in slippers were delicate and pretty, her toenails shining with a pearly glow—altogether, she looked adorable.

She saw him and smiled. “A shower feels so good! Can you believe it’s still this hot in mid-September?”

If only they had running water, she thought, then she could take a real shower. But with her little stream, even a soak was nice.

She realized Gu Xu was still staring at her and looked herself over curiously. “What? Is something wrong?”

Gu Xu’s gaze was open and analytical. “Is the change from advancing in wood abilities really this obvious? You look… a bit different.”

Bian Changxi understood what he meant and explained as they walked downstairs. “It’s probably my complexion. Wood powers are all about health and vitality—they quietly nourish the body. Have you noticed? Wood ability users are always healthy.” She laughed. “And you probably never paid attention to how much water ability users change after leveling up. The difference is huge—they get more and more radiant. I had a patient once, an auntie with level one water powers. After she recovered and leveled up, she came to thank me, and I swear she looked ten years younger, with amazing skin.”

Gu Xu just smiled faintly. Why would he bother noticing other people?

Aunt Zhao had cooked, using ingredients Bian Changxi provided. She’d made pork ribs with sticky rice cakes instead of just plain rice, since it was already two o’clock and regular rice would be boring. The dish was fragrant with the scent of pork and glutinous rice, the sauce glossy and sweet, sprinkled with spices and a bit of scallion—enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Gu Xu ate two big bowls in one go, and even Wu Dalang and the others couldn’t resist trying some. Aunt Zhao beamed and hurried back to the kitchen to make more. She finally felt confident in her role as the housekeeper—this was how it should be! Everyone worked so hard; how could they not eat well? Since Bian Changxi started growing vegetables, their meals had improved by several levels, but before, whether it was because the ingredients were from others or what, the food never tasted this good, nor did it create such a lively atmosphere.

Bian Changxi slipped into the kitchen and stuffed the sink and fridge full of all kinds of ingredients. “Aunt Zhao, don’t hold back on the food from now on. Gu Xu and I brought back loads of stuff today, and there’ll be more in the future. As long as we’re not having a full imperial banquet, we can eat well every day, no problem.”

Aunt Zhao was happy, but worried Bian Changxi might get carried away, so she gave her a playful glare. “There are so many people out there who haven’t seen a grain of rice in days, and you’re talking about eating well every day. My biggest hope is just to have a few more simple home-cooked dishes, with good nutrition every day.”

Bian Changxi stuck out her tongue, marveling at where Gu Xu had found Aunt Zhao—she was a great cook, caring, modest, grateful, and treated them all like her own nieces and nephews, attentive yet respectful. She was perfect—except for her tendency to nag.

She put down a bag of Thai jasmine rice. “Let’s cook this tonight—it looks delicious.”

“Alright,” Aunt Zhao replied. Seeing Bian Changxi poking around the kitchen, clearly in high spirits and looking for what they might need, she cautiously asked, “So you’re not worried anymore?”

Bian Changxi was taken aback.

Aunt Zhao, slicing frozen rice cakes, continued, “You’ve been so tense lately, everyone was worried about you. Last night, when you said you were leaving the base, we thought something was wrong.” She glanced outside, closed the kitchen door, and lowered her voice. “Captain Gu didn’t come back until the middle of the night. I saw his study light on all night, and this morning he rushed through his work and went after you. I know I’m just an outsider and shouldn’t say this, but since I’m a bit older, I’ll speak my mind.”

“I don’t know if you can rely on that cousin of yours, but I do know Captain Gu and the others have never said a word against you. You’re tough and independent, and it’s hard for people to stick around. Some see you as a comrade, but how many actually care for you as a girl, as a little sister? I bet your cousin doesn’t. You need to open your eyes and recognize who’s worth your trust and who isn’t. Don’t push away the people who truly care about you for the sake of those who don’t.”

Bian Changxi was deeply moved. Even though she’d already thought things through, hearing Aunt Zhao put it so clearly made her feel enlightened. She was silent for a moment, then smiled. “I know what I’m doing.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Aunt Zhao could tell she understood, and breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, seeing Bian Changxi tangled up with those relatives made her frustrated—such a good girl, stuck with family like that. In times like these, you have to cut ties when necessary. Who knows how long we’ll live, or how many days we have left? We’re all fighting with our lives on the line—why let people who don’t matter ruin your mood?

Thanks to Blue Butterfly for a pink ticket!

Thanks to ajulia for a pink ticket!"