The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Sun Jiaming gently let her go. Gu’er’s face was completely flushed.

Looking at Gu’er, a warmth surged through Sun Jiaming. She was so lovely, like a ripe apple begging to be bitten. How could he possibly restrain himself? He gently wrapped an arm around her, pulled her into an embrace, and kissed her on the lips.

Gu’er’s eyes flew open. Her mind went blank—she couldn’t think at all. She had always trusted Sun Jiaming. She’d assumed that before they were married, the most he would do was hold her hand, or maybe hug her at most. She never expected that he would actually kiss her today.

’He’s kissing me.’ His lips, pressed against hers, were scalding hot. But strangely, she didn’t seem to hate the feeling. Sun Jiaming’s mouth wasn’t foul-smelling like Zhang Da’s, which had always been unbearable to her.

She remembered how every time Zhang Da kissed her, she felt disgusted and would pull away. He even hit her for it. Eventually, he stopped kissing her and would just get straight to the act. It was always painful. The more it hurt, the more afraid she became; the more afraid she became, the more it hurt. She only felt liberated when Zhang Da fell ill and could no longer touch her. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

’So, does a kiss feel different with a different person?’

’Why don’t Sun Jiaming’s lips make me feel sick?’

As Gu’er was lost in thought, she realized after a moment that she couldn’t breathe. ’Isn’t he already kissing me? Why won’t he pull away?’

Gu’er wanted to open her mouth to gasp for air, to protest. But the moment she parted her lips, before she could take a breath or voice her objection, she felt something wet and warm enter her mouth.

It was Sun Jiaming’s tongue.

Feeling Sun Jiaming’s tongue moving gently inside her mouth, coaxing her own, Gu’er’s mind started to buzz. Her heart began to pound, and her body started to go limp.

’Why is this happening? Why does it feel like my heart is about to leap out of my chest? Why is my body so weak? This feeling is so strange, yet... there’s something wonderful about it.’

Gu’er wanted to push Sun Jiaming away, but her arms felt weak. She didn’t know how to respond, either, so she just stood there in a daze, letting him kiss her.

Suddenly, she felt a scorching-hot hand touch her breast. It was as if a bomb had gone off in Gu’er’s mind. On pure instinct, she shoved Sun Jiaming away and jumped to her feet.

Gu’er gasped heavily for air. The sensation was completely foreign, making her panic, yet she didn’t feel repulsed.

Sun Jiaming was breathing heavily, too.

"Gu’er, I couldn’t help myself. Every time I see you, I just want to hold your hand, to hold you in my arms. Gu’er, I don’t want to apologize for today, because I was only doing what my heart told me to. Still, I was too forward. I scared you, didn’t I?"

Sun Jiaming stood up and walked over to Gu’er. His voice was slightly hoarse, a low timbre thick with passion.

Gu’er’s face felt hot, her blush deepening.

"Brother Jia Ming, I know. I don’t blame you. It’s just... it’s just..."

Gu’er didn’t know what to say. She was a very traditional woman at heart. After her rebirth, she had even considered never marrying at all. She eventually accepted Sun Jiaming, but she couldn’t let things get physical with him before they were married.

"I know, Gu’er. I was too rash. Don’t be scared. I won’t do anything more."

Sun Jiaming gently pulled Gu’er into his arms and softly stroked her long hair.

Gu’er gently rested her head on Sun Jiaming’s uninjured shoulder. His embrace felt warm and secure.

"Gu’er, can we get married sooner?"

Sun Jiaming asked. As things stood, Gu’er wouldn’t be able to marry him until next year, and even then, no specific date had been set.

"When would you like to get married, Brother Jia Ming?"

Gu’er’s voice was quiet, but understanding his intentions, she wasn’t opposed to getting married sooner.

"Let’s stick with next year. We’ll get married once the house is renovated. I figure around April should work. I can wait."

Sun Jiaming let out a soft sigh. In his heart, he wished he could bring Gu’er home as his wife right now. Then he could be with her, openly and honorably. But with several people already living at his place, there just wasn’t enough room. He couldn’t very well force his grandmother and Li Hua to share a room, and he certainly couldn’t make Gu’er sleep on the sofa with him. He had no choice but to wait for the big house to be ready.

’The new house should be ready around February. Then I can hire people to start the renovations. I’ll have them work overtime to get it done quickly so I can marry Gu’er sooner.’ He told himself not to be impatient. Haste makes waste, after all. He had to provide a good home for Gu’er.

"Okay, next April then."

Gu’er nodded. She didn’t have an opinion on when they got married. The only thing she cared about was the man she was marrying. And since that man was Sun Jiaming, she was willing.

The two held each other for a long time, but they did nothing more. They stayed that way until Gu’er’s legs went numb and she became unsteady on her feet. Sun Jiaming steadied her, helping her move her legs to get the feeling back.

Neither of them spoke, but their eyes were soft, and every glance they shared was filled with unspoken love.

Sun Jiaming walked Gu’er back to the Lin Family’s house before heading home.

"Why are you back so late?"

Chen Fengjiao asked. Gu’er was usually home much earlier.

"Brother Jia Ming hurt his shoulder, so I stayed with him for a while before coming back."

Gu’er didn’t hide anything.

"Really? Is it serious? Did he go to the hospital? Why is that child so careless?"

Chen Fengjiao asked about Sun Jiaming’s injury.

"He’s from the countryside. Country folk are tough, what’s a hurt shoulder to them? If you ask me, people from the villages are good-for-nothing. Even when they get to the city, they’re just destined for manual labor. Getting hurt just serves him right."

Lin Sui’er said with a sneer.

Gu’er’s gaze turned cold.

"Don’t talk such nonsense. Jia Ming will be your brother-in-law one day. Your sister is already upset that he’s hurt, how can you say something like that?"

Chen Fengjiao shot Lin Sui’er a glare. Lin Shan had business today and said he wouldn’t be back until ten. If he’d been home to hear Sui’er’s comments, he would have given her another lecture.

"What did I say that was wrong? He’s a grown man, and he still manages to get hurt. If that isn’t stupid, what is? He’s just a failure. They went out together, and nobody else got hurt, just him. He’s a total loser."

Lin Sui’er didn’t care. Her father wasn’t home, so she had nothing to fear.

"Brother Jia Ming is great, he’s not stupid."

Lin Zheng objected.

"Lin Sui’er, Brother Jia Ming was injured today saving me. If it weren’t for him, I’d be the one lying in a hospital bed right now. I’ve always let you have your way, not because I’m afraid of you, but because you’re Mom and Dad’s daughter, and I didn’t want to make things difficult for them. So I chose not to stoop to your level. But you’re not a child anymore. You need to be responsible for your own words. People won’t coddle you forever, and we have no obligation to give in to you. If I ever hear you talk like this again, or say another bad word about Brother Jia Ming, don’t blame me for not being so polite."

This was the first time since that incident that Gu’er had spoken so harshly to Lin Sui’er. She had thought Lin Sui’er had changed a great deal, but she never expected her to still be this way.