AYLS – Chapter 7 Negotiating Terms

So fragrant, so fragrant.

The smell was getting closer and closer.

Lin Qiao started swallowing her saliva.

Gu Huayuan chuckled, sitting at the table, eating the now-cold porridge while saying, “Mm, it’s really fragrant.”

Lin Qiao immediately opened her eyes wide and sat up, staring eagerly. “What are you eating?”

“Steamed egg custard,” Gu Huayuan replied, “with sesame oil. Refreshing, very refreshing.”

In the past, when Lin Qiao heard about egg custard, she wouldn’t even bat an eye.

Now, with Gu Huayuan’s description, her mouth was practically watering.

She craned her neck, peering at the table.

Gu Huayuan turned his back to her, lowering his head and taking big bites. “The cooks are really improving. Smells good, tastes even better.”

“Really?” Lin Qiao stretched her neck out and asked. “It’s just egg custard. Can it really be that delicious?”

Gu Huayuan simply ignored her.

But Lin Qiao couldn’t hold herself back anymore.

On one hand, she had decided to quietly leave this damned game world, live or die as fate decided.

But on the other hand, when the fragrance of the egg custard wafted over, her body seemed to betray her, desperately wanting to go on living.

After an inner struggle, Lin Qiao rubbed her fingers together and said, “It’s that delicious? Then… then I’ll try some too.”

She carefully got out of bed and walked over.

But Gu Huayuan closed the lunch box. “There’s only one bowl. I barely have enough for myself.”

Lin Qiao immediately puffed up her cheeks. “You’re so stingy!”

Gu Huayuan smiled. “Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to live anymore? Since you’re going to die anyway, why waste it on eating? Even if you eat, it’s just a waste.”

As he lifted the lid again, the steaming hot egg custard released an aroma that only intensified hunger. For someone as starving as Lin Qiao, it was overwhelmingly tempting.

Her eyes locked on it, and she secretly swallowed hard.

Gu Huayuan muttered to himself, “What a good custard. Two whole eggs went into it. Eating it, it’s almost like…”

“Pudding…”

“Oh… sounds like some kind of Western dessert,” Gu Huayuan mused. “Probably not as good as this though.”

Lin Qiao: “…I don’t believe you. Let me try.”

“You said you didn’t want to live. What a waste. Food is scarce now, egg custard even scarcer. Every bite you eat is one less for me. If I eat, I can still contribute to the country. If you eat…”

Gu Huayuan sighed regretfully.

Lin Qiao panicked. “Who said I don’t want to live! I—I was just half-asleep just now!”

“Really?” Gu Huayuan looked skeptical.

“Really!” Lin Qiao nodded frantically.

Gu Huayuan studied her for a moment, then slid the lunch box toward her. Just as Lin Qiao reached for it, he didn’t let go. “If you want to eat, fine—but tell me, why were you making such a fuss earlier?”

Lin Qiao: “…”

No way she could say it was because she couldn’t get married, that life here had no ending, and that hopelessness drove her to despair.

If she admitted that, this Gu fellow would probably get smug, thinking she was desperate to marry him.

Lin Qiao thought quickly. “I… I just think life here is too hard,” she said, her voice trembling with grievance. “Not even a bite of tasty food. Every day it’s the same awful meals. And the toilets… so filthy, so smelly, full of bugs…”

Her eyes welled up and she burst into tears.

She had to stop there—if she kept talking, even the egg custard would stop smelling good.

Gu Huayuan: “…”

He really hadn’t expected that to be the reason.

There were actually people who wanted to give up on life because the food was bad and the toilets stank.

All he knew was that there were people in this world who, just to survive, even ate dirt.

But judging from Lin Qiao’s reaction, she wasn’t lying.

“So after eating this, you’ll still keep making a fuss?”

Lin Qiao: “…”

That… she really couldn’t promise.

Gu Huayuan finally pushed the aluminum lunch box in front of her. “Eat.”

It happened so suddenly that Lin Qiao almost couldn’t believe it. “You’re really giving it to me?”

“Mm,” Gu Huayuan nodded.

With his confirmation, Lin Qiao eagerly opened the lunch box, inhaled the rich aroma, and picked up the spoon to eat.

Even at a time like this, she still looked good eating—small bites, but hurried.

Clearly, this was a habit formed over years.

Gu Huayuan sat across the table, watching her carefully.

“What did you do in that capitalist family?” he asked.

Lin Qiao was happily enjoying her “delicacy.” The question made her freeze for a moment. Then she quickly whispered to Fat Cat, “What did I do before?”

Fat Cat replied, “You were the young lady’s personal maid.”

Lin Qiao: “…Her private secretary.”

No way was she admitting she’d been a maid.

Gu Huayuan raised a brow. “Private secretary? What exactly does that do?”

Lin Qiao counted on her fingers, “Just… accompany the young lady to eat, study, play.” That’s what her assistant did for her.

Gu Huayuan: “……” Was she raising a servant, or raising a pampered heiress? Do capitalists’ families really have such jobs?

Actually… it did sound like that.

Otherwise, how could little Lin Qiao have been spoiled into this state? Only, what he’d heard from his mother about those wealthy families didn’t quite match this. Or maybe this Song family was just different from the rest? He really ought to find time to look into it.

After finishing a bowl of steamed egg custard, Lin Qiao felt like she had been revived. Her requirements for life were already very low now—so long as she could eat a bowl of egg custard, she could still endure.

So she looked at Gu Huayuan with hopeful eyes, “Will there be more tomorrow?”

“No,” Gu Huayuan smiled as he got up to clean the bowls and chopsticks, “You can now go lie back down and think carefully about whether you want to keep living or not.”

“……”

Lin Qiao was dumbfounded. She actually started considering the question seriously.

If not for this bowl of egg custard, she might have gone through with it all in one breath. But now… the thought of death was terrifying after all. If she hadn’t been driven to such despair before, she wouldn’t have chosen that path.

But now, to go through it again… she… she didn’t dare anymore. After all, if it was something that could be solved with just a bowl of egg custard, maybe it wasn’t worth dying for.

Except… now there wasn’t any egg custard. She still had to face everything else again…

Gu Huayuan asked, “Well? Have you thought it through? I need to make arrangements for tomorrow.”

Lin Qiao felt both ashamed and aggrieved.

Somehow, it felt even sadder than before.

She started sobbing pitifully, “Why are you so mean!” She had been ready to die, but now she no longer had the courage. And yet he wanted her to keep living in despair. She had never seen anyone bully others this way!

With her nasal tone, her voice carried a faint softness. Gu Huayuan cleared his throat and said seriously, “I’m respecting your personal will.”

No matter if she had once been a pampered heiress or just a maid, he couldn’t indulge this Lin Qiao.

If she kept living like this, life would become impossible. What would come of it in the future? Wouldn’t she become utterly spoiled?

Lin Qiao cried so hard she hiccupped, completely out of breath.

But Gu Huayuan didn’t react at all.

She was left with no choice. “I can put up with the food, but the toilet… the toilet I really can’t bear.”

She could eat less, but she couldn’t just not go to the toilet.

But it was just far too filthy. Every trip was torture.

She never thought she would one day be seriously discussing toilet problems with a man.

Even if he was just a game boss, she still felt embarrassed, her face burning with shame.

Gu Huayuan: “…… What kind of requirements do you have for this matter?”

“The kind with porcelain, that can flush…”

Lin Qiao made a flushing motion with her hand.

Gu Huayuan chuckled. “I know that kind, but don’t get your hopes up. There’s no such condition here.”

Lin Qiao’s face fell into a look of despair, as if her world had collapsed.

“How about this: I’ll try my best to get you something cleaner and more hygienic. But you… also need to make some changes.”

Lin Qiao narrowed her eyes and asked, “What changes?”

Gu Huayuan looked at her seriously. “You need to quickly adjust your mindset and integrate into life here. You can’t stay shut in all day. That won’t do you any good in the long run. And here, everything’s distributed according to work. You’ll have to take part in labor.”

Lin Qiao let out a breath of relief. “That’s fine, I can work!”

She wasn’t useless! Wasn’t it just a matter of working to earn money? She even felt eager to try.

Gu Huayuan was skeptical of her quick agreement. It didn’t sound reliable. But he didn’t press further. Since she had said it, that was enough.

Although she was a bit spoiled, she wasn’t impossible to manage.

Lin Qiao’s looks belonged to that soft, delicate type. When she was being obedient, she easily stirred a touch of affection. Seeing her sitting there, serious and well-behaved, Gu Huayuan’s heart softened a little. After all, she was a woman who had come all the way out here, and she’d already suffered plenty in the past two days. So he added a few comforting words: “Just hold on for a few more days. When I get some free time, I’ll take you to the county to buy a few things.”

Of course they couldn’t keep eating like this forever. Once they had their own cooking, meals could definitely improve.

He wasn’t someone who insisted the people around him had to suffer hardship alongside everyone else. But the prerequisite was that they had to be able to bear some hardship. As for good days, of course those should be lived too. It was just a matter of balance.

Hearing that they’d go into town, Lin Qiao lit up with joy. The city meant food, drinks, fun. She nodded eagerly.

This time, when Gu Huayuan left, Lin Qiao personally saw him to the door and reminded, “Don’t forget what you promised.”

“Got it.” Gu Huayuan waved his hand with his back to her. “Lock the door and get some rest early.”

“Got it, got it,” Lin Qiao quickly shut the door.

Gu Huayuan: “……”

Passing by the house next door, Gu Huayuan called out for Battalion Commander Wang from outside the courtyard.

Wang’s wife came over to open the door. Their family had just finished eating as well and was cleaning up.

Seeing Gu Huayuan, she asked if he had eaten.

“I have.”

She smiled, “With Comrade Lin Qiao? Dinner was a bit late today. I even thought I heard some noises earlier. You’re not bullying her, are you?”

Gu Huayuan said, “We were talking about her past. Comrade Lin Qiao used to work as a servant in a capitalist family…”

He only said half of it, leaving the rest for Wang’s wife to imagine.

Hearing that, Wang’s wife immediately felt pity.

“She’s been strictly controlled and is shy of strangers. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of her more.”

Battalion Commander Wang, smoking at the side, said, “Wenqiu, you should give her more guidance.”

“Do I need you to remind me? Just from hearing about her past, I already feel I should help her.” Then she patted her chest in assurance, promising she’d take good care of Lin Qiao and help her adapt to life here as quickly as possible.

Gu Huayuan finally smiled, thanked them, and left.

As soon as he was gone, Sister-in-law Wang chatted with Captain Wang, laughing. “This Little Gu is such a cautious one. Even though he came back late, he still made sure to stop by our house to explain. Was that really necessary? Even if he stayed the night there, I wouldn’t spread it around. They’re engaged—what’s there to fuss about?”

In those days, breakups were very rare. Once both families had met and things were settled, it was pretty much set in stone.

Captain Wang said, “There’ll always be gossips around. Even if he doesn’t need to guard against you, he has to guard against others saying things. Just look at how people talk about Little Xu’s wife. She wears a new dress and it becomes a topic of gossip. You should help them out more often. When Little Gu first talked to me, he said it was because he trusted you that he decided to live next door.”

Hearing that, Sister-in-law Wang couldn’t have been more pleased. “Don’t worry,” she said.