The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 92

First time.

‘Why do I have to wash dishes?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked. ‘You’re the one who brought me here.’

‘True,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘If you live in Denmark with Xiao Bao, do you plan not to cook and wash dishes too?’

‘I… I will invite aunty Chu to come to Denmark,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘There’ll be times aunty Chu will be sick and take leave,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘What will you cook to feed Xiao Bao?’

‘I’ll take Xiao Bao out to eat,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Good idea,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘But there’s no aunty Chu or restaurants here so you need to wash dishes.’

‘You…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan stomped her foot, and walked to the kitchen.

Gu Jiao Wu sat on the sofa, and watched TV. It didn’t take him long to hear clank-clonk noises. But after he heard the sounds of plates breaking, he walked to the kitchen.

It was the first time Qiao Tan Yuan washed dishes in her life. After plates and bowls slipped out of her hands, she froze and didn’t know what to do.

Gu Jiao Wu glanced at the broken plates and bowls on the kitchen floor then he looked at Qiao Tan Yuan’s soapy hands.

‘I remembered I asked you to wash dishes not break dishes,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘Go away,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan thought knowing how to wash dishes wasn’t a big achievement. She wasn’t going to let Gu Jiao Wu mock her because she couldn’t wash a couple of dishes.

‘Don’t move,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu grabbed a broom and dust pan then he swept the broken pieces off the floor. Afterward he stood behind Qiao Tan Yuan, and looked at the sink of overflowing bubbles.

‘How much dishwas.h.i.+ng detergent did you use?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘About one third of the dishwas.h.i.+ng bottle,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Gu Jiao Wu was speechless. He pulled the sink plug, and showed Qiao Tan Yuan how to wash dishes.

‘You only need to use a little dishwas.h.i.+ng detergent,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Soak the dishes, scrub food sc.r.a.ps off the dishes, rinse the dishes and stack them on the tray to dry. Then you can use them the next day.’

Gu Jiao Wu noticed Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t move from her spot. He stood behind her, and helped washed her soapy hands.

Qiao Tan Yuan was fl.u.s.tered by Gu Jiao Wu’s closeness, and by the way his hands lightly rinsed soap off her hands.

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t see Qiao Tan Yuan’s red face. He dried his hands, and helped her dry her hands too.

‘Today I gave you a demonstration,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Tomorrow you’ll wash dishes on your own.’

‘I…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She took her hands out of Gu Jiao Wu’s hands. ‘Who wants to wash dishes? I told you I hate being in the kitchen the most. I want you to take me home.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘I left our phones at the village. If you want to go home, you’ll need to wait for the villagers’ boat returning in the week.’

‘Gu Jiao Wu, you left the phones there on purpose!’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Gu Jiao Wu turned Qiao Tan Yuan around to face him, and he kissed her frowning lips.

Qiao Tan Yuan’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s were engorged, and she realised she hadn’t breast fed Xiao Bao for more than a day. Gu Jiao Wu ma.s.saging her b.r.e.a.s.t.s helped ease the pain, but also expressed breast milk too so she pulled his hands out of her T-s.h.i.+rt.

‘Gu Jiao Wu, keep your hands to yourself,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Gu Jiao Wu felt milk on his palms, and knew Qiao Tan Yuan’s engorged b.r.e.a.s.t.s were causing her discomfort.

‘Does your b.r.e.a.s.t.s hurt?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘You… what nonsense are you saying?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Gu Jiao Wu pointed at Qiao Tan Yuan’s wet T-s.h.i.+rt.

‘Your T-s.h.i.+rt’s wet,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘Oh,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan ran to the bedroom to express milk.

‘Gu Jiao Wu, go outside,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘I can help you,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu took off his clothes, and stepped closer to Qiao Tan Yuan.

‘Stay away,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She stepped back, and her legs touched the bed. ‘I don’t need your help.’

Gu Jiao Wu pulled Qiao Tan Yuan onto the bed, and took off her clothes. He sucked her nipples to help her express milk while his hand fondled between her legs. When she discharged on his hand, he entered her wet pa.s.sageway.

In the middle of the night, Gu Jiao Wu let go of Qiao Tan Yuan’s exhausted body.

‘AH!’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and turned her back to face Gu Jiao Wu.

‘If you’re not tired, I can help relieve your body again,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Qiao Tan Yuan had starved Gu Jiao Wu for a week so he had no trouble satisfying them the rest of the night.

‘You…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan closed her mouth. If she cursed Gu Jiao Wu again, she wouldn’t get any sleep.

‘Do you want to take a bath?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘No, I want to sleep,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan knew Gu Jiao Wu’s idea of bath involved more than water.

Gu Jiao Wu got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Qiao Tan Yuan closed her eyes, but couldn’t sleep because her body was sticky and sweaty. She put on her T-s.h.i.+rt, and walked outside but b.u.mped into him at the door.

‘Where are you going?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan was weary of what was underneath the towel around Gu Jiao Wu’s waist.

‘Taking a bath,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘I can help you take a bath,’ Gu Jiao Wu said and smiled.

‘I don’t need your help,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan ran to the bathroom, and realised she forgot to bring clean clothes to change into. She walked back to the bedroom, and didn’t see Gu Jiao Wu in the bedroom. She opened the wardrobe, and found a suitcase of her clothes inside. She grabbed night clothes, and walked back to the bathroom.

After she bathed, she walked outside the house to look for Gu Jiao Wu. He had put two white portable reclining chairs on the sandy beach. She walked to him, and laid on the vacant chair next to him. She looked up the night sky with him, and was mesmerised by the bright twinkling stars.

‘It’s a beautiful night view here unlike the smoky city,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘If this is a private island, how come you’re allowed to come here?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Do you like it here?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘You didn’t answer my question,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘If I told you I own this island, would you believe me?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘You’re joking,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan looked at her surroundings. The house was a tiny sh.e.l.l compared to the rest of the forest on the island. She didn’t believe Gu Jiao Wu would burn all his money on a big island.

‘Um, I’m joking,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘This island belongs to a friend.’

‘A friend?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan only met a couple of Gu Jiao Wu’s friends. There was a lot she didn’t know about Gu Jiao Wu like how he became friends with Ling Hu, and someone who owned an island.

‘How did you meet your friend?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Gu Jiao Wu sat up and looked at Qiao Tan Yuan.

‘If you’re curious about my life, does that mean you’ve decided to accept my proposal?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan thought about everything that happened. Her panic when she thought she and Xiao Bao were kidnapped, and why Gu Jiao Wu brought her to the island.

‘Gu Jiao Wu, if you brought me here to convince me to change my mind then you can keep dreaming,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Four years ago, I didn’t take you on a honeymoon,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘I brought you here to make up for not taking you on a honeymoon.’

‘If you feel you owe me then you can marry another woman and let me free to marry another man,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Qiao Tan Yuan, is it that hard for you to believe me?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘Yes,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘I don’t believe you now, and I won’t believe you in the future.’

Qiao Tan Yuan wanted to provoke Gu Jiao Wu enough to make him leave. But there was nowhere for him to leave to on the island. He sat on her chair, pulled her onto his lap.

‘Seven days,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘If after staying with me here for seven days you still won’t change your mind then I’ll let you leave.’

‘Really?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Yes,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘If in seven days you won’t believe me then I’ll take you home.’

‘What about Xiao Bao?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Xiao Bao… will return to the Qiao Mansion with you,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘You can’t break your promise,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Um, I promise,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘But I have one condition.’

‘What condition?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘For seven days you can’t say no to me,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Qiao Tan Yuan blushed.

‘You…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘If for seven days you don’t say not to me, I promise to take you home,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

End of Chapter Ninety-Two