Chapter 17 Marriage is nothing more than living together as a couple.
Grandma Huo called, inviting Lin Xili to go out for dinner.
Lin Xili's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little.
It seems that Huo Nanchen did it voluntarily.
She took a deep breath, quickly changed into a simple and clean casual outfit, and went downstairs.
Grandma Huo and Huo Nanchen were already waiting in the courtyard.
Huo Nanchen was still dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, with a tall and straight figure.
He looked over, his gaze lingering on her for a moment, his dark eyes even more unfathomable than usual.
He didn't speak first, and quickly looked away.
"Come on, come on, are you hungry?" Grandma Huo greeted Lin Xili with a smile, taking his hand. "Grandma will take you to get something good to eat!"
She took one person in each hand and enthusiastically led them toward the town center.
The restaurant wasn't big, but the aroma of home-style dishes wafted through the air.
The shop owner was very familiar with Grandma Huo, so he greeted her warmly: "Grandma Huo is here!"
"Oh, Nan Chen is here too. And who is this...?" The boss's gaze fell on Lin Xili, and he asked curiously.
"This is my granddaughter-in-law, her name is Xili."
Grandma Huo's voice was filled with undisguised pride and joy.
Lin Xili's cheeks instantly flushed. She lowered her eyes uncomfortably, staring at the tips of her shoes.
Huo Nanchen merely frowned slightly, without saying anything.
After taking her seat, Grandma Huo picked up the menu and started ordering.
"I'd like some stir-fried seasonal vegetables, steamed pork ribs with garlic, chicken soup, and braised tofu..."
She went on and on, then solemnly instructed:
"By the way, don't put any chili peppers in anything, and absolutely no seafood at all, not even dried shrimp or seaweed!"
The boss nodded repeatedly and wrote everything down.
Just then, Huo Nanchen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke to the boss, "Boss, wait a moment."
He took a package from Grandma Huo's cloth bag; it was an unopened package of table salt.
The words "No Iodine Added" are prominently displayed on the packaging.
He handed the salt packet to the shop owner: "Use this when you're cooking our dishes," he instructed.
The boss was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and accepted it.
"Okay, I promise I'll use this salt to stir-fry it for you!"
This scene completely stunned Lin Xili, who was on the other side, and her gaze fell on the ordinary bag of salt.
My heart skipped a beat, and a surge of warmth, a mixture of absurdity and comfort, rushed through my limbs.
Huo Nanchen… he actually prepared non-iodized salt? He actually prepared non-iodized salt for her.
Just to ensure that she can strictly avoid certain foods when eating out.
This care may simply stem from a doctor's instinct. Yet, it is more concrete and real than any so-called family.
The food was served quickly. As expected, there was no spicy food or seafood.
Grandma Huo warmly served food to Lin Xili.
"Xili, eat more! Look how thin you are!"
Lin Xili thanked him in a low voice and ate in small bites.
It doesn't taste as good as Grandma Huo's cooking.
But she used the salt that Huo Nanchen had brought. She felt especially at ease eating it.
During the meal, Huo Nanchen remained a man of few words.
Grandma Huo was mostly the one livening up the atmosphere.
She asked Lin Xi if the food was to her liking and then introduced the local customs and culture of the town.
Huo Nanchen only responded occasionally.
Or you could serve Grandma some of her favorite dishes.
His gaze rarely met Lin Xili's.
The meal was eaten quietly, even somewhat awkwardly.
But Lin Xili's heart was no longer tense; those guarded thoughts and speculations had quietly disappeared.
She secretly glanced at the man beside her.
He lowered his eyes and ate quietly.
Long eyelashes cast a soft shadow under her eyes, her nose was high and straight, and her thin lips were tightly pressed together.
He was her doctor and her husband.
The overlap of the two identities created a strange feeling.
Grandma Huo looked at them with satisfaction. The man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. Although they didn't talk much, they were pleasing to the eye.
She felt that she had made the right move.
When paying the bill, the owner deliberately shook the bag of unused salt.
He smiled at Huo Nanchen and said, "Dr. Huo, are you keeping this salt for next time?"
Huo Nanchen nodded slightly.
Stepping out of the restaurant, the evening breeze carried a chill.
Just then, Grandma Huo suddenly slapped her forehead, remembering something important.
She grabbed Huo Nanchen's arm: "Nanchen, Xili is getting married on the eighth of next month."
"Perfect timing, you can come along. Now that you're married, you should at least meet your parents-in-law, right?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xili's mind went blank, and the slight warmth that had just risen vanished.
Oh, right, she hasn't told her family yet that she doesn't need to marry into the Wang family.
She... is already married. Her husband is a doctor in this small town.
She could almost imagine her parents' fury when they found out.
Will they storm this town immediately? Will they use every means to force her to "change her ways"?
She instinctively clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palms, and a slight stinging pain came through.
Just then, the cell phone rang.
What's meant to happen will happen eventually.
Lin Xili took a deep breath, walked to the side, and pressed the answer button.
On the other end of the phone, Song Yuan's impatient voice came through.
"Xi Li, when are you finally coming back?"
"The Wang family has made arrangements, and they're just waiting for you to meet them and get your marriage certificate!"
"Stop delaying, there's no time left!"
Lin Xili closed her eyes, then opened them again.
She gripped her phone tightly and spoke clearly, word by word:
"Mom, no need. I'm already married."
There was a moment of complete silence on the other end of the phone. After a full five or six seconds, Song Yuan's voice finally broke through.
"What did you say? Lin Xili, say it again!"
"Who did you marry? Who is your spouse?"
The sound was so loud that even Huo Nanchen, who was a few steps away, could hear it.
He watched Lin Xili's profile tense up instantly, and her fingers tremble slightly.
I see.
She hastily accepted her grandmother's arrangement and married a stranger.
It was all to resist her family's pressure to get married. Using one marriage to fight against another transaction.
We are both wanderers in this world.
A very faint smile curved his lips.
The mockery, it's unclear whether it was directed at her or at himself.
"You'll find out when the time comes. I'll go back with him to see you and Dad at Jon Snow's wedding."
Lin Xili didn't say anything more and hung up the phone directly.
She held her phone and stood there for a few seconds.
Only then did he slowly turn around and walk towards Huo Nanchen.
Grandma Huo immediately waved her hand.
"You two young people chat, I'm going to go chat with Old Mrs. Zhang next door to help me digest my food!"
She tactfully walked away.
Lin Xili raised her head, looked at Huo Nanchen, and apologized, "Dr. Huo, I'm sorry."
“My family forced me to marry a divorced man. I had no choice but to take advantage of my grandmother’s good intentions, which has dragged you into this mess.”
"It's nothing, I was just trying to put Grandma at ease," Huo Nanchen replied.
It turns out they were accomplices.
Lin Xili was surprised by his calmness, even his understanding.
“Dr. Huo,” she began hesitantly, “if you don’t want to, or… you have someone you like.”
“We can get a divorce.” She paused for a moment, “but… it will give you the stigma of being a divorcee.”
Upon hearing this, Huo Nanchen smiled slightly and said calmly, "No need. Neither of us wants to be pressured to get married anymore. Besides, for many people, marriage is just about living together."
Living together as a couple...
Lin Xili silently repeated these words in her heart.
Cold and realistic. That's exactly what she expected and needed from marriage.
"You just said your sister is getting married on what date?" he asked.
“I can take a day off in lieu of my workday.”
Lin Xili was somewhat surprised, "Don't you... go to work every day?"
"That was true before," Huo Nanchen explained casually, "When I was on vacation before, I didn't know what to do."
It turns out that it's not that we can't rest.
There's just no reason or desire to rest.
Lin Xili seemed to glimpse a hint of loneliness beneath his calm demeanor.
But the thought flashed through her mind and she quickly suppressed it.
"The eighth day of next month," she replied. "That's... my family..."
She paused, carefully choosing her words: "What I'm saying might be a bit harsh. They... might care a lot about your... background."
“I understand,” he interrupted her.
"From a small town, a doctor at a local health center. Meager salary, not a good match for him."
His tone showed no displeasure, as if he were recounting someone else's story.
"That's all there is to it."
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