Chapter 55 Marriage is not about giving up one's own value and path.
Back in the dormitory, Lin Xili finished washing up and crawled into bed, even though the blanket was thick enough at the moment.
She inexplicably felt a chill on the soles of her feet, a coldness that seemed to travel straight from the soles of her feet to her heart.
However, after being away for only eight days, she found herself missing the winter nights in Lixiang Town immensely.
I miss the feeling of being firmly enveloped by Huo Nanchen's warm calves, that constant warmth that flowed continuously from me, a warmth that felt like it belonged to a "living body".
I miss that embrace even more.
His arms were steady and strong, his chest warm and reliable, encasing her completely in a comforting tranquility.
In that embrace, even the fiercest winds outside the window seemed to lose their power.
That warmth of being completely accepted and silently protected is like an addictive fentanyl.
The longing became especially clear and intense when she returned to her cold, solitary bed.
She turned to the side and looked at the blue snowflakes on the bedside table, which were quietly exuding a deep blue hue under the lamplight.
The blue plumbago was well cared for by my colleagues on duty during the Spring Festival.
As if possessed, she picked up her phone and opened the pinned WeChat chat window, which still had very few conversations.
My fingertip hovered over the screen for a moment, then finally typed three words:
Are you asleep?
After sending the message, she waited anxiously.
I thought he might have already rested by now, but a little while later, the screen lit up.
Huo Nanchen: [No, what's wrong?]
She looked at the line of text and suddenly didn't know how to explain this unexpected connection.
Should she say "my feet are cold"? That's so unlike her.
She carefully chose her words, and in the end only replied with a vague sentence, carrying a hint of coquetry that even she didn't realize:
It's nothing, just a little cold.
She hoped that he could say something like "a living heat source is best," just like he would in town, even if it was just through a screen, it would bring her a little comfort.
However, Huo Nanchen's reply remained pragmatic and remarkably lacking in romance:
【Yes, I've already had a cotton quilt made for you. It's pure cotton and quite warm. I'll send it to you by express delivery tomorrow!】
Lin Xili looked at the words and thought, "This is so Huo Nanchen. He always thinks of me so carefully in everything I do, which always moves me deeply."
Lin Xili: [Okay.]
Just when she thought the conversation was over, Huo Nanchen sent another message:
[I need to attend classes starting tomorrow for a week, and I can't bring my phone.]
Lin Xili was slightly taken aback when she saw the message.
Is he reporting his itinerary to himself? Just like when he went to that confidential training last time.
Lin Xili: [Understood, best of luck!]
Huo Nanchen: [Okay, get some rest!]
Their conversation fell silent once again.
Holding her phone, Lin Xili looked at the few remaining WeChat chat records, which made her feel that the eight days she spent with Huo Nanchen during the Spring Festival were like a beautiful dream.
He was going to study and wouldn't be able to contact her for a week. This advance notice, along with the warm quilt he had prepared for her, confirmed that she was real.
Lin Xili wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, recalling Wen Qing asking her if she loved Huo Nanchen.
The vague answer on the high-speed train, now I unconsciously miss him, is it just because I crave the warmth he brought me?
The delivery was very fast; it arrived in less than two days.
The quilt is of very good quality, fluffy and soft, not heavy to wear, and very warm to the touch.
Lin Xili wrapped herself in the quilt, but strangely, after lying there for a long time, the quilt gradually warmed up, but her feet were still icy cold.
She instinctively curled her legs up and rubbed them together, trying to create some warmth, but it still didn't work.
The coolness under her feet seemed to remind her that some warmth cannot be replaced by anything.
One week later.
Huo Nanchen pushed open the door, and Grandma Huo was putting the last dish on the table.
Seeing him return, a kind smile immediately spread across her face: "You're back? Perfect timing, time for dinner. You must have been studying hard, right? Go wash your hands and eat."
The grandmother and grandson sat facing each other. Grandma Huo would occasionally put food on his plate, but her gaze would linger on his calm face.
After a short while, Grandma Huo put down her chopsticks and sighed softly, "Nan Chen, there's something I've been keeping to myself for a long time."
Huo Nanchen looked up at his grandmother, put down his chopsticks, and indicated that he was listening.
"Look at you now, you and Xili are in opposite directions, one in the south and the other in the north, living apart for a long time. This can't be a long-term solution!"
Grandma Huo frowned. "Hong Kong is so far away from here, it's not easy for us to meet."
"The feelings that were finally cultivated during the Spring Festival, will they fade again as time goes by and the distance grows?"
Huo Nanchen listened in silence without responding immediately.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Grandma Huo continued, "Grandma knows that you support Xili's career. She is at a critical stage now, she needs to take the doctoral entrance exam and establish herself in the new department. It's not realistic for her to go back to our small town."
"Then... how about we go back to Hong Kong?"
"With your excellent medical skills, you'll definitely have a great future at a major hospital in Hong Kong, and then you two won't have to be separated."
Looking at his grandmother's earnest gaze, Huo Nanchen remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Grandma, if you want to go back to Hong Kong, I can talk to my brother and have him arrange for someone to pick you up."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Huo was both angry and anxious: "Can't you just make the sacrifice and go to Hong Kong for the sake of Xili?"
"It's a nice place, quiet and peaceful, but that happened five years ago, you wouldn't dare..."
"Grandma," Huo Nanchen said, interrupting his grandmother.
"It has nothing to do with what happened five years ago. I am no longer a member of the Huo family, so there is no question of whether I dare to or not return to Hong Kong."
“Grandma, she and I are both independent individuals first and foremost. Marriage should not be about one person completely giving up their own value and path for the other.”
"Xi Li's value lies in the Forensic Department of the Xiangjiang Municipal Bureau of Justice. Her professionalism, her ambition, and her current goals are all there."
He paused, then continued, "And that is where my value lies."
"I will go to Hong Kong to see her when I have time," he finally made a promise that was within his means.
Grandma Huo stared blankly at her grandson, the one who had arranged for Lin Xili to marry Huo Nanchen.
Another reason is that Lin Xili is from Hong Kong.
She believed that once the two got married and their feelings developed, Huo Nanchen would return to Hong Kong for Lin Xili and completely forget what happened five years ago.
Grandma Huo looked up and saw that her grandson was still in the same deadpan state, so she gave up.
She had no choice but to pick up her chopsticks again and put a large piece of fish on Huo Nanchen's plate: "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's eat, the food is getting cold."
Huo Nanchen also picked up his chopsticks and quietly continued eating.
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