Chapter 19 The Return Journey Is No Longer Alone
Time flows silently, like the quiet river in the fields.
After the awkward proposal of marital obligations on the night they registered their marriage, Lin Xili and Huo Nanchen seemed to have reached a tacit understanding.
They lived like roommates, under the same roof, maintaining a respectful but distinct lifestyle.
Every morning, when the clock strikes six, Huo Nanchen goes out for a run, his footsteps disappearing lightly and rhythmically at the stairwell.
Lin Xili would get up a little later and take a walk along the asphalt path behind the house.
Despite strict iodine restriction and a regular sleep schedule, the symptoms of hyperthyroidism did not improve. Huo Nanchen told her that this was a normal phenomenon, as the symptoms of hyperthyroidism became more and more obvious without medication.
After the matter of the red envelope was brought up, Lin Xili completely entrusted her illness to Huo Nanchen.
I no longer search online for all sorts of conflicting experiences regarding drug treatment or iodine-131 treatment.
He is a professional thyroid doctor; she should trust him.
Breakfast and dinner are usually eaten together.
Sometimes Grandma Huo would take charge of the arrangements, and sometimes Huo Nanchen would cook.
Lin Xili was surprised to find that Huo Nanchen's cooking skills were actually quite good; perhaps this was a case of poor children learning to be independent early.
Unlike her, who came from a wealthy family and whose parents, though uncaring, never had to do these family chores.
Huo Nanchen and his grandmother still use non-iodized salt and non-iodized soy sauce to accommodate her aversion to iodine.
There wasn't much conversation at the dinner table; Grandma Huo mostly chatted about interesting things in the town or asked about Lin Xili's health.
Huo Nanchen listened in silence most of the time, occasionally responding with a word.
Lin Xili played the role of listener, only giving brief answers when asked.
The days were peaceful to the point of being monotonous.
The town is not small, with a few main streets, some scattered shops, and scenery nestled against the mountains and by the water.
It wasn't very big, and after a few days, the novelty wore off.
For Lin Xili, who was used to the fast pace and high intensity of work in Hong Kong, this leisurely life of doing nothing was initially therapeutic, but over time it became a new kind of torment.
The symptoms of hyperthyroidism also prevented her from fully relaxing, and she always felt uneasy about wasting her time.
She can't go on like this forever.
I can't go back to my forensic work for now, but the knowledge and skills are mine.
She decided to use this time of forced suspension to recharge herself.
I opened an academic website that I hadn't logged into for a long time and began to look up the latest developments in forensic science both domestically and internationally, downloading a large number of documents.
She contacted her former supervisor to inquire about the possibility and requirements of pursuing a doctorate while working.
Her goal is to become a senior laboratory technician in the forensic department, which requires not only extensive practical experience but also a solid theoretical foundation and research capabilities.
Since we cannot access real-world case studies for the time being, focusing on theoretical study and paving the way for the future is the best option.
Her plan to pursue a doctorate through self-study gave her life a new anchor.
She keeps herself very busy, spending her days reading, researching, and writing research plans, and her evenings reinforcing her professional knowledge.
The bedroom, which was originally just for sleeping, gradually became filled with her books and documents, and took on her own unique character.
She only brought a few books, but to her surprise, there were quite a few books on the same subject on the bookshelf in the living room upstairs.
There are books on other subjects as well, making it like a small library. No wonder Huo Nanchen spends all his free time reading.
Lin Xili discovered that she and Huo Nanchen had something in common: they didn't like socializing and preferred books. She thought that was fine.
Huo Nanchen made no comment on her sudden immersion in books, but when she occasionally missed mealtimes because of research, he would quietly leave the food in the pot to keep it warm.
They maintain a delicate balance of non-interference and mutual respect.
The wedding of Lin Xuenuo and Xu Yanchi is like an inescapable shadow, gradually approaching.
The day before departure, Lin Xili began packing her luggage.
She didn't bring many clothes: a simple and elegant casual outfit, and a dress that she planned to wear to the wedding—one that wouldn't be too flashy but would be appropriate for her status.
Huo Nanchen also arranged for two days off.
"Let's go." His voice remained calm.
They need to take a two-hour inter-county bus from Lixiang Town to Maluan County, and then take the high-speed rail from Maluan County back to Xiangjiang City.
The bus swayed and rocked, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from familiar pastoral hills to unfamiliar landscapes.
Lin Xili leaned against the window, watching the scenery rushing past, her thoughts drifting back to less than a month ago.
She too fled the city alone, along this road, filled with panic and despair.
At that time, she had just experienced the double blow of being jilted and suspended from her job, and felt that she was the most unwanted person in the world, with a bleak future ahead.
Now, less than a month later, she is on her way home again.
But now there's someone else by her side—a man who is legally her husband.
She turned her head slightly to look at Huo Nanchen beside her.
He was resting with his eyes closed, and he exuded a clean and pure aura, as if he had been detached from worldly troubles.
Lin Xili was momentarily stunned by what she saw, and quickly turned her head to look out the window.
In a fit of pique to resist an arranged marriage that disgusted her, she impulsively tied herself to the small-town doctor she had only met a few times.
In order to appease his grandmother, he actually agreed to this absurd marriage arrangement.
There was no romantic relationship between them; they were just living together out of convenience.
Yet this very person is now accompanying her to confront the family she has always wanted to escape, and to attend her sister's wedding with her ex-fiancé.
Thinking of this, Lin Xili's heart clenched.
She could imagine the shocked and angry looks on her parents' faces when they saw Huo Nanchen and learned about his background.
Those harsh words, those snobbish scrutiny... she was already used to them, but what about Huo Nanchen?
Why should he have to endure all this because of her?
“Um…” she couldn’t help but murmur.
Huo Nanchen opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her.
"My family situation... might be rather... complicated."
Lin Xili carefully chose her words and said, "If they say anything unpleasant or do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you... don't have to put up with it. We can leave early."
She didn't want him to suffer because of her.
Huo Nanchen looked at her calmly, his eyes deep and unreadable.
After a few seconds, he spoke calmly, "I know, don't worry."
His tone was so calm, as if he were just attending a friend's wedding.
This unusual calm only made Lin Xili more uneasy.
He didn't understand the intricacies of relationships within wealthy families and the subtle, insidious methods that could kill without drawing blood.
When the bus arrived at the station, they transferred to the high-speed train.
The train sped along the tracks, and my feelings were completely different from when I arrived.
Lin Xili watched the bustling scene rushing past the window, skyscrapers gradually replacing the pastoral landscape, and Hong Kong City getting closer and closer.
She instinctively straightened her back to hide her inner panic.
Her hand was suddenly gently covered by a warm, dry hand.
She froze, turning her head in astonishment.
Huo Nanchen continued to look ahead, his expression unchanged, but he gently pressed his hand on the back of her hand. The pressure was light, yet it carried a strange, comforting power.
"Don't worry, I'm here!"
After saying that, he withdrew his hand, as if the touch just now was only her imagination.
Lin Xili stared blankly at the back of his hand that had just been touched, where the warmth of his fingertips seemed to still linger.
A surge of emotion welled up inside her; what she was unwilling to admit was that faint sense of dependence.
She had no choice but to quickly pick up the thermos and drink a few sips of the honeysuckle and chrysanthemum tea she had brewed to suppress her emotions.
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