“Of course, I have even more confidence in you.” Cheng Ran finally raised his hand, which he had been holding back for so long, and gently stroked her hair.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Jiang Wanqing's lips twitched slightly, and she moved to the side, but she couldn't help but freeze when she met his gaze.
She cleared her throat: "Ahem... I can go with you to meet your parents."
She thought about it for a while. She would be staying in Beijing for a few more days. As the saying goes, even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually. If the Cheng family knew that she had come to Beijing but hadn't even stepped foot in their house, it would be considered that she was impolite, and that would inevitably be used against her by those with ulterior motives.
"Really?!" Cheng Ran's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Hmm, you... tone it down a bit."
His unexpected reaction made Jiang Wanqing take a small step back.
"Then tonight..." The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and Cheng Ran was worried about her staying in the guesthouse alone, so he suggested, "Shall I stay and keep you company?"
"No need!" Jiang Wanqing made an X in front of her chest.
He frowned, his eyes revealing his disappointment. His mood had been so volatile today that he was losing his temper, especially when facing her. He couldn't be too lenient or too harsh, leaving him helpless.
He sighed. "Okay."
Jiang Wanqing gestured for him to leave, and he faced her, slowly backing away before reluctantly opening the door and going out.
She breathed a sigh of relief, went to check if the door was closed properly, put the safety latch on, sat back down on the bed, and patted her chest.
Winters in the north are too cold, and showering at the guesthouse is inconvenient, so she quickly tidied up and went to rest.
In the middle of the night, she was awakened by severe abdominal pain. Her period had started suddenly, giving her no time to react. In addition, the weather was cold, and curling up in the blankets did not alleviate the pain at all.
Unlike hotels decades later, guesthouses in those days didn't allow you to simply call the front desk for anything you needed. She had to force herself to go and ask a staff member for some hot water.
Jiang Wanqing got out of bed, casually put on her coat, and opened the door. She almost froze on the spot, shivering violently before continuing to walk out.
The staff member was asleep on a cot, wrapped in a military overcoat, snoring loudly.
"Hello comrade...I have something to say..."
"Comrade!"
"Wake up, comrade! I need hot water..."
After being called several times, the staff member simply turned over, his sleep completely unaffected.
Having no other choice, she slammed her hand on the front desk, finally waking the man up. He opened his drowsy eyes and the first thing he said was a string of curses.
"What the hell are you doing! Staying up so late at night, what are you trying to do?!"
"I need hot water," Jiang Wanqing said weakly.
After glancing at her, the staff member not only didn't get up, but instead pulled his military coat up to cover half of his head and continued sleeping.
"There's no hot water. It'll be dawn in a few hours. It'll get warmer when the sun comes out. You're such a fuss."
It's obvious they don't want to give her hot water; they won't even provide her with the tools to boil it.
The other person fell fast asleep again. It was unusually cold outside, and even if Jiang Wanqing wanted to settle accounts, her current physical condition was not suitable.
She returned to her room in despair, her vision beginning to blur with discomfort. She tried to open the lock with the key but couldn't.
She twisted the door hard, and it opened from the inside. Just as she fell, Cheng Ran caught her steadily and carried her into the room.
Pale-faced and unable to struggle, she simply accepted his help.
"You didn't leave."
He had originally planned to leave, but he was really worried about her, so he booked a room next to hers. He woke up when he heard the sound of the door opening and leaving next door, and then he heard the door open again. When he opened it, he was surprised to see her.
"Thank goodness I didn't leave," he said thankfully.
Just as he was about to carry her to bed, she shook her head and hugged his neck tightly: "It will make the bed dirty."
He frowned in confusion: "Are you feeling unwell?"
"My stomach...I'm on my period, and I couldn't get hot water," she said truthfully.
Upon hearing her words, Cheng Ran's face showed anger. He put her on the bed and covered her with the blanket.
"Wait, I'll take full responsibility for any losses. I'll be right back."
He told her not to leave, that he would be back soon. Jiang Wanqing didn't know what he was going to do, but it was true that she couldn't move.
He returned to his room in less than ten minutes, carrying a kettle of boiled water. A corner of his ID was sticking out of his pocket, presumably after he had used it and casually stuffed it back in.
Having status certainly makes things easier in any era, from something as small as a pot of hot water to something much bigger...
"Isn't Battalion Commander Cheng abusing his power?"
"You still have the energy to joke around, so you seem to be in pretty good shape." He pulled out another set of clothes from somewhere: "Change into this first, and I'll take you to buy a new one tomorrow."
She was feeling very unwell, so she changed her clothes, poured hot water into her mouth, and held her stomach. Cheng Ran also made her some brown sugar ginger water with hot water.
She was carrying her dirty clothes and was about to go back to the next room when he stopped her.
Where to?
"Thank you, I'm going back to sleep."
"What if you don't feel well again? Who will take care of you? Stay here tonight."
His attitude hardened, showing no intention of letting her go, causing Jiang Wanqing to frown in distress.
"But...this is a guesthouse, it's not appropriate." She made up a reason: "What if someone reports us..."
"What are you reporting? We are a legally married couple with a marriage certificate."
Jiang Wanqing choked. How could his mind work so fast sometimes?
"I still..."
Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Ran pulled her into his arms, covered her with a blanket, and turned off the light, all in one swift motion.
"sleep."
"Hmm, just one commanding word," Jiang Wanqing was taken aback and shifted slightly in his arms.
"The bed is too small," she persisted.
As soon as he finished speaking, the arm he was using to support the back of her head moved. Just when she thought he was finally going to let go, he flipped her over and she ended up lying on top of him.
"You're not a child anymore. Go to sleep. If you keep making a fuss, I'll have to sleep on the floor. You don't want me to get sick, do you?"
He gently patted her back, like coaxing a child. Perhaps the hot water bottle was too hot, because the heat spread to her face. Jiang Wanqing and he were skin to skin, their breaths mingling, and she dared not move.
I slept like that all night, and when I woke up the next day, my whole body was warm. When I opened my eyes, it was already daylight outside...
She felt uncomfortable and tried to move over, but Jiang Wanqing held her down.
"Wife, don't move, I feel uncomfortable."
She wanted to ask him if his legs were numb, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she realized something else and froze.
"Cheng Ran! Let go of me first!"
"Hmm... let me take a moment."
A minute or two later, Jiang Wanqing was put down by him. Her stomach pain had subsided, and the hot water bottle was warm. She took it out and put it away.
"We're going to your house today, it's getting late, hurry up and get ready."
She got out of bed and put on her shoes. Cheng Ran, rubbing her forehead, got up.
"No rush, they're home all day."
"I don't want to leave a bad impression."
Jiang Wanqing tied her hair up, straightened her clothes, and had her arms wrapped around her waist, gently rubbing against her neck.
"With me here, it won't happen."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
