Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Sister and Brother Reunite

Zhong Luoning had said that Gu Lanting worked at the Overseas Chinese Hotel, which was close to the city center.

It was still early, and going over now would probably disturb him at work, so Gu Qinghuan decided to take the children for a walk nearby and look for a suitable place to stay first.

This area wasn’t far from Beijing City Hospital, which would make it convenient to get medical treatment for Xu Huai’an later.

As for the two apartments Zhong Zijun had given her, she wasn’t sure what the situation was yet, so it was better not to go there rashly and alert anyone.

The two of them checked out several places before finally settling on a small house in an alley. They weren’t looking for anything fancy—just a place they could leave at any time. Most landlords wanted long-term tenants, but since they didn’t know what would happen next, they only wanted a short-term rental.

Renting a house was much more cost-effective than staying at a guesthouse. They could cook for themselves, have some privacy, and most importantly, it was cheaper.

Guesthouses in Beijing weren’t cheap, so they had to save where they could.

Once they’d settled their luggage, it was about lunchtime.

Gu Qinghuan took the family to the Overseas Chinese Hotel to look for Gu Lanting.

Gu Lanting was huddled in a small storage room, gnawing on a cold steamed bun with some water.

Although the hotel meals were subsidized, they still cost money. He didn’t think it was worth it and wanted to save as much as possible to send to his sister.

At that moment, the storage room door suddenly opened.

“Gu Lanting, someone’s here to see you.”

With that, Gu Lanting looked up and saw his sister, whom he hadn’t seen in over a year. For a moment, both of them were frozen in place.

Gu Qinghuan felt an indescribable sense of closeness, a deep affection and longing for her younger brother that came from the original owner of this body.

“Jie?” (Sister?)

“Lanting, you’ve lost weight.”

They spoke at the same time.

Gu Lanting quickly stood up, hiding the cold bun behind his back, then rushed over with a big smile and gave his sister a huge hug.

Gu Qinghuan had never experienced this kind of blood-deep connection before. This was her little brother, her family, someone bound to her by blood.

She gently hugged Gu Lanting back. This guy had starved himself down to skin and bones—did he really think she hadn’t noticed him hiding that bun?

Sigh, it was all because of money.

But now that she was here, things would be different.

After the initial excitement, Gu Lanting started to feel guilty. Why had his sister come looking for him? It must have been Luoning who told her.

“Jie…” He lowered his head guiltily, sneaking glances at her expression.

Gu Qinghuan wasn’t angry—she just felt sorry for this kid.

“Come on, let’s talk outside. I’ve got a surprise for you this time,” Gu Qinghuan said mysteriously.

Gu Lanting never expected his sister’s “surprise” would be… a brother-in-law with two kids.

This wasn’t a surprise—it was a shock!

How could his wonderful sister marry a divorced man with children?

Even if the man was good-looking…

Hadn’t his sister always liked Yun Nianzhou? Had she really let go?

Gu Lanting glared at Xu Huai’an, his eyes practically shooting fire, as if he wanted to see right through him.

Gu Qinghuan just watched the drama unfold, not stepping in.

Xu Huai’an scratched his head awkwardly. Clearly, this little brother-in-law was hostile toward him, but he could understand why. After all, he had stumbled into a great bargain.

So however Gu Qinghuan’s family treated him, he felt it was only fair.

“Lanting, hello, I’m Xu Huai’an,” Xu Huai’an said warmly, reaching out his hand.

Gu Lanting glared at him fiercely, but still reached out to shake his hand, even squeezing hard in a childish attempt to show dominance.

To his surprise, Xu Huai’an acted as if he didn’t feel a thing, showing no reaction at all. He just smiled and said, “Let’s go eat first. We can talk more after we’re full.”

“Kids, you haven’t greeted your uncle yet,” Xu Huai’an said, pulling the two children out from behind him.

The children had already noticed Gu Lanting’s unfriendly attitude toward their father and felt a bit scared, but they still greeted him timidly, “Hello, Uncle.”

Gu Lanting was actually a good kid. He was just full of hostility toward Xu Huai’an for “stealing” his sister, but he was much gentler with the children.

“Hello. You must be hungry. Let’s go eat first.” Gu Lanting patted his pockets, feeling the last two yuan and thirty cents and a few food coupons, unsure if it would be enough. He felt a little anxious.

He’d never known hardship before and never cared about a couple of yuan, but now he had to bow to reality.

These years had taught him a lot, making him mature beyond his age.

Since his sister had brought them all together, she must have accepted them in her heart. If he acted too hostile, it would make things difficult for her and affect her relationship with her husband.

But as a younger brother, he still had to show his attitude and let this new brother-in-law know his sister wasn’t someone to be bullied.

Gu Qinghuan saw all this and couldn’t help but feel a natural fondness for her little brother.

He really was a good kid.

They walked down the street and found a place to eat. Beijing was so much better than small towns—there were plenty of restaurants, all state-run.

Gu Qinghuan sat down with the two children. Gu Lanting wanted to go order food, but Gu Qinghuan pulled him back. “Sit down. Let your brother-in-law do it. That’s his job.”

Gu Lanting didn’t want his brother-in-law to look down on them on his first visit, but Xu Huai’an had already gone over naturally, so he didn’t insist.

Xu Huai’an still had the pocket money Gu Qinghuan had given him, and he’d been the one to buy food and run errands all along.

After living with Gu Qinghuan for so long, he had a good idea of her tastes.

He ordered Beijing specialties: baodu (quick-fried tripe), roast duck, stir-fried liver, shredded pork in Beijing sauce, a plate of stir-fried greens, and rice.

Watching dish after dish being brought out, Gu Lanting wanted to say it was too much, too extravagant.

But seeing his sister and her “cheap” husband acting like it was perfectly normal, and even the kids not looking particularly excited, he could only swallow his doubts and focus on eating.

After the meal, with a bit of time to spare, Gu Qinghuan took Gu Lanting to the small courtyard where they were temporarily staying. The siblings hadn’t seen each other in so long—they naturally had a lot to catch up on.

Xu Huai’an thoughtfully took the two children out for a walk to help them digest, leaving the space for the siblings.

“Jie, what’s going on? How did you…?” Marry this man?

“It just happened by chance. Your brother-in-law is a retired soldier. He’s a good man, treats me well, doesn’t mind our family background, takes good care of Grandpa, Grandma, and Mom, and the two kids were adopted before he left the army.

Don’t overthink it. I’m doing well now,” Gu Qinghuan said lightly. She truly felt things were pretty good now.

Xu Huai’an wasn’t the domineering type. He understood her, respected her opinions, and the two kids were well-behaved. Living together like this was just fine.

But Gu Lanting didn’t see it that way. He thought his sister had given up on herself, just going with the flow and abandoning her own happiness."

"Chapter 92: A Sibling Conversation, Persuading to Study