TPMBW 03

The box was small and looked incredibly worn.

It seemed as though it had been smashed and battered countless times, its surface dented and uneven. Much of the paint had peeled away, making it look like something scavenged from a rubbish heap.

Yet the moment Gu Jiao saw it, an overwhelming sense of familiarity rose within her.

Her hands trembled slightly as she opened the box.

The instant she saw the contents, her mind went blank.

No way.

This was—

Her medical kit.

Her actual medical kit.

How could it possibly be here?

“I’m not dreaming, am I?”

She pinched herself hard.

Pain shot through her arm.

Definitely not a dream.

The box was real.

The medicines inside were real.

Everything was exactly as she remembered.

At last, Gu Jiao recalled that when the plane crashed, the medical kit had been beside her.

Could it have transmigrated along with her?

That was the only explanation.

Still…

Why had it become so shabby?

Where was its flashy golden exterior?

Back in her previous life, when the kit had gleamed like polished gold, Gu Jiao had always thought it was ugly.

Now that it looked like a battered relic…

She thought it was even uglier.

Yet none of that mattered.

A wave of affection flooded her chest.

Holding the kit tightly against herself, she laughed softly.

“Fine. I won’t call you ugly anymore.”

“From now on, I’ll treat you properly.”

Carefully, she wiped the dust and dirt from its surface.

Fortunately, only the exterior had suffered damage.

The contents remained untouched.

Gu Jiao immediately got to work.

She removed several pieces of gauze and a bottle of iodine solution.

First, she disinfected the wound on the back of her head.

Then she applied antibacterial ointment.

After swallowing two anti-inflammatory pills, she examined the injury again.

There was no need for bandages.

The treatment was complete.

Only then did she notice how hungry she was.

Placing the medical kit safely inside the wardrobe, she prepared to head to the kitchen.

Before that, however, she needed dry clothes.

After a moment’s hesitation, she crossed the main room and knocked on Xiao Liulang’s door.

“What is it?”

His cold voice came from inside.

“I want to borrow some clothes,” Gu Jiao said.

“All of mine are dirty, and I don’t have anything to change into.”

Silence followed.

A long silence.

Just as Gu Jiao assumed he would refuse, the door opened.

Without a word, Xiao Liulang handed her a clean robe.

The material wasn’t expensive.

The color had faded with age.

But it was spotless.

In her previous life, Gu Jiao would never have worn a man’s clothing.

Unfortunately, reality was cruel.

The alternative was a wardrobe full of moldy garments.

She chose the robe.

After changing clothes, she washed her dirty ones and then headed to the kitchen.

The kitchen was surprisingly tidy.

Xiao Liulang had probably cleaned it.

The rice jar was empty.

However, just as he had said earlier, there was still half a jar of cornmeal.

Not only that, Gu Jiao also found two eggs and a bundle of green onions.

Immediately, she got to work.

She mixed the cornmeal and eggs into batter, then cooked two cornmeal pancakes.

Finely chopped green onions were sprinkled over the top.

The leftover batter became a small pot of cornmeal soup.

Once everything was ready, she carried the food to the main room.

Xiao Liulang’s door was slightly ajar.

According to the memories she inherited, the couple had always eaten separately.

Whenever Xiao Liulang cooked, he left a portion for the original owner.

But more often than not, the original Gu Jiao went back to the Gu family home for meals instead.

After a brief pause, Gu Jiao knocked.

“What is it?”

His familiar voice answered.

“I made dinner.”

“Do you want to eat together?”

Inside the room, Xiao Liulang frowned.

Gu Jiao almost never cooked.

And even when she did, she certainly never cooked for him.

Originally, he had planned to wait until she finished eating before making his own meal.

The closed door remained silent.

“If you’re not eating, I’ll start first.”

Gu Jiao was genuinely hungry.

Her stomach was practically glued to her spine.

If she didn’t eat soon, she might collapse.

She sat down and reached for her chopsticks.

Just then—

Creak.

The door opened.

Xiao Liulang stepped outside.

He hadn’t come intending to eat.

At least, not initially.

But when his gaze landed on Gu Jiao, he froze.

The robe he had given her was one he could no longer wear.

Even so, it was still much too large for her.

Her slender frame seemed to disappear inside the loose fabric.

To make working easier, she had rolled up both her sleeves and her hair.

A pale, graceful neck was revealed.

Her wrists looked delicate and thin.

Most importantly—

She was quiet.

Gone was the madness.

Gone was the unreasonable temper.

She simply sat there, eating seriously.

For a brief moment, Xiao Liulang felt as though he were looking at a completely different person.

His gaze lingered.

Then he coldly looked away.

At that moment, Gu Jiao noticed him.

Smiling, she gestured toward the table.

“You’re here. Sit down and eat.”

Across from her sat another bowl and another pair of chopsticks.

She hadn’t been making a casual offer.

She had genuinely prepared food for him.

Still, Xiao Liulang didn’t move.

Gu Jiao understood his hesitation.

The original owner had treated him terribly.

A sudden display of kindness naturally seemed suspicious.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t exactly explain that she was no longer the same person.

After some thought, she found an excuse.

“We’re running low on firewood.”

“If you don’t eat now, we’ll have to waste more fuel reheating food later.”

For some reason, those words seemed to sway him.

At last, Xiao Liulang sat down opposite her.

The original Gu Jiao had indeed been impressed by Xiao Liulang’s looks.

Otherwise, she would never have brought him home.

Most villagers believed she later despised him because of his crippled leg.

Gu Jiao knew better.

The original owner had been foolish.

She wasn’t.

Looking through those memories, the truth became obvious.

Xiao Liulang had deliberately kept his distance.

Deliberately angered her.

Deliberately discouraged her affection.

He didn’t want to consummate the marriage.

He didn’t want her close.

As it happened…

Gu Jiao completely agreed.

She enjoyed teasing him.

But if anyone expected her to actually do anything romantic with him—

That was another matter entirely.

After finishing her meal, Gu Jiao cleaned her dishes and headed outside carrying a basket.

Xiao Liulang didn’t ask where she was going.

She didn’t explain.

That was simply how their relationship worked.

But just before leaving, she suddenly turned back.

“I wasn’t lying earlier.”

“We’re almost out of firewood.”

She glanced toward the darkening sky.

“I’m going to the mountain to gather some.”

“It looks like it might rain later.”

“If I haven’t returned, remember to bring in the laundry.”

Xiao Liulang looked at her deeply.

The old Gu Jiao would never have noticed a change in the weather.

Nor would she have bothered telling him where she was going.

Something truly was different.

After she left, silence settled over the house.

Only Xiao Liulang remained.

And the table full of food.

Food that he wasn’t entirely sure was safe to eat.

Life was difficult.

No matter how much he disliked Gu Jiao, he wasn’t about to waste precious food.

Frowning slightly, he picked up his chopsticks.

Then he reached for a piece of scallion egg pancake.