Chapter 20 20. Ring It’s time to practice kissing. (Intermediate revision)…
The marked parking spaces on both sides of the street went from crowded to empty, except for the black commercial vehicle parked opposite Jianuo Veterinary Clinic in the night that remained motionless.
In a blink of an eye, it was eleven o'clock and the lights in the clinic near the door dimmed. Mi Yanyan chatted with the receptionist for a few words, then walked out with her hands in her pockets.
After the major surgery, I didn't expect that I would feel so uncomfortable.
Her ankle ached slightly, so she squatted down and pinched it. When she was busy, she had no time to think about other things, but once she was free, some words would come out without warning.
Last night's hug, which I couldn't escape but felt quite warm, this morning's gift, which seemed full of sincerity, and Shi Jingzhou's high-profile announcement of marriage on Yu Wan's phone just now...
All the emotions revolved around his ambiguous words - it was decided by the family.
Mi Yanyan admitted that the moment she heard it, she felt powerless as if reality had shattered her.
People are always so self-centered. She also openly said that she had no feelings for Shi Jingzhou and that their marriage was a hasty one introduced by their family. But she heard these words from his mouth with such certainty.
It would be a lie to say I'm not disappointed.
Perhaps it was because Shi Jingzhou had taken the initiative to propose it and given her some sweetness, she always felt that even under the guise of an arranged marriage, as long as they didn't talk about it face to face, they could live in peace.
She realized something terrible.
I started to have expectations.
She took a deep breath in the evening breeze. Her cell phone rang again, and her mother's name popped up. She pretended not to see it.
Unexpectedly, the opponent continued to fight relentlessly.
"Hello, Mom." Mi Yanyan thought that something might have happened to her grandfather, so she answered the phone with gritted teeth.
"I just got home and saw the souvenirs Jingzhou sent. They were well prepared and high-end and of standard."
Zhang Qiaoshu always had a good time, so being able to go home near midnight was considered a good performance. She replied, "Well, as long as you are satisfied."
The other party heard the sound of a car whizzing past and asked angrily, "Why are you still outside?"
"work overtime."
"I've told you this profession has no future. A poorly-known veterinarian has to work overtime until this hour. What does Shi Jingzhou think? Does your in-laws have any objections? You're so stubborn and have no regard for your family's feelings..."
"Mom," Mi Yanyan interrupted her, "Didn't you just get home?"
The call fell silent. Mi Yanyan stared blankly at the traffic light at the intersection. The dim countdown kept looping, as if it would never end.
“Mi Yanyan, I can’t tell you anymore?”
"I'm very tired."
"You choose the path yourself."
"Mingyuan doesn't work overtime? He doesn't perform surgeries or stay up late? Why is it so hard to meet your expectations? Since you didn't care before, why don't you just ignore it forever?"
Zhang Qiaoshu suddenly lost his composure. "Why are you yelling at me? What right do you have to talk to me like that? If it weren't for you, I would have broken up with your dad a long time ago. For whom? For whom!"
For, yourself.
Mi Yanyan gritted her teeth to hold back what she wanted to say. Her teeth were trembling, and before the sourness in her chest was about to burst through her throat, she chose to hang up the phone.
The other party was still calling, but she didn't answer and let the phone vibrate beside the flower bed.
Ever since she became conscious in junior high school, she noticed that her parents were in a strange state.
They seemed more like they were playing a couple, and some of their affectionate expressions would disappear in a flash when no one was around.
Sensitive girls are always good at catching clues in life, such as someone calling "little daughter" on her father's mobile phone.
And her name is Mi Yanyan.
For example, my mother would look around and get into another man's car, and when she returned home, she would smell like shower gel.
She was like a forgotten little actor backstage, watching the revolving door of middle-aged widowed marriages year after year.
The phone finally quieted down, and there was a new message after a long time.
She thought it was still Zhang Qiaoshu, but when she looked again it turned out to be her grandfather.
It’s obvious that Aunt Qian helped take the photo, with Grandpa holding a box of wedding candy.
【Xiaoyan's favorite chocolate.】
She chuckled, she didn't expect that the old man was still awake at this time and had replied to the message.
【You can’t eat something so sweet at night. 】
A tear fell on the screen, and she realized that she was crying.
Standing at the hospital door, colleagues might come out for some fresh air at any time. She hurriedly searched for paper in her pocket, but found a wrinkled ball of paper. She splashed it on her face without caring whether it was clean or not.
She didn't dare look at the photo again. Every time she looked at it, she couldn't help but think about what she would do when he was gone.
As a result, her tears flowed uncontrollably, so she simply pressed paper against her eyes, raised her head and stomped her feet.
Get angry with yourself.
I kept telling myself, stop crying, stop now.
The sadness eased a little, and she finally wiped her eyes and was about to wipe her nose.
I saw Shi Jingzhou standing in front of me.
He was still wearing the same outfit he wore when he went out this morning, but without the suit and tie. His black shirt was crisp and fitted, with two buttons slightly open. His every move and gesture seemed unruly and uninhibited.
She was stunned for a moment, put a ball of wet paper into her pocket, and asked, "Why are you here?"
He pinched the half-exposed tissue between his fingers, held it in his hand, and walked two steps to the trash can to throw it away.
Mi Yanyan quickly turned her face away and patted her cheek with her palm.
Make sure there are no traces of tears.
When he came back, he half-knelt down, lifted up his trouser leg and looked at her ankle. It was still red and swollen, so he rubbed it for her.
"I just happened to be passing by and came to pick you up from get off work."
Mi Yanyan uttered an "oh" and took a half step back with her calf. Shi Jingzhou grabbed her again and held her in his arms as she swayed back and forth due to her unstable center of gravity.
This posture is indeed awkward, standing while squatting, with the back of the thigh being held in the arms, and the two of them facing the hospital gate.
She felt like there were countless gossipy eyes staring at her from behind the glass, so she quickly broke free and casually asked, "When did you come?"
After saying this, she glanced back. Sure enough, three or five doctors, tall and short, thick and thin, were standing in a crisscross formation, some searching their white coat pockets, some folding their arms and chins in thought, all watching the show without buying a ticket. "I saw you running to the operating room with Xigaodi, but you didn't go in," Shi Jingzhou stood up and asked for her car keys. "Uncle Wu has something to do at home, so I'll drive you."
She lowered her head and searched her pockets, thinking about it over and over again. Something was wrong. Today, the patient at West Highland who came to see her for treatment had an emergency with a torn ligament and was admitted to the hospital for surgery at around five o'clock.
The key fell into her palm, and she asked quietly: "You arrived in the evening, why didn't you come in?"
How dare he go in and wait? He still remembered clearly the last time he was accused of invading private space.
"I've been busy at the company. Change your clothes. I'll get in the car and wait for you."
Mi Yanyan agreed and went to the bathroom to wipe her face. By the time she got in the car, there was no trace of tears left on her face.
Shi Jingzhou also tacitly did not mention it.
He adjusted the seat and before starting the car, handed her a box of chocolates, which she opened to see green and gold foil squares.
The same kind of wedding candy, which grandpa always bought before. She likes the pistachio flavor, so she tears it open and puts it in her mouth.
Crunch, crisp and sweet.
The previous unhappiness was covered by the sweet taste.
Mi Yanyan pouts and looks at him. He who doesn't even have time to sleep has been waiting for more than five hours.
She felt a surge of pressure, and felt guilty for not being able to eat someone else's food. She took out another one, held it in her hand, and turned around to ask, "Do you want some?"
After asking, I felt that it was unnecessary. Eleven o'clock in the evening was Shi Jingzhou's bedtime. He had been exercising all year round and would not break the rules for a small piece of chocolate.
The wrist that she wanted to pull back was grabbed, and the force slowly moved in the direction of his and brought it to his lips.
Bite it with your teeth and take it away.
The one over there had already started chewing, while the wrist over here was still suspended in the air, the scent of silky cocoa butter surging in the air.
Shi Jingzhou reminded in a low voice: "It's blocking the rearview mirror."
She hastily retreated, shoving herself and her hand back into her seat. Her once calm mood fluttered uncontrollably, and her restless stomach growled without warning.
"Didn't you have dinner?" Shi Jingzhou asked.
"There was an emergency and I couldn't make it. Did you eat?"
"No." He was afraid that if he left for a while, someone would just pat his butt and go home directly, so he never left the car.
"Then I'll treat you to dinner." Mi Yanyan glanced at the time. "It's just after eleven o'clock, so we can eat."
"Okay, where is it?" Shi Jingzhou was about to follow the navigation when he was stopped by Mi Yanyan.
"It's at the intersection ahead, just find a place to park."
There were no open shops on the dark street, so he followed Mi Yanyan into the alley. There was a small slope with craft beer on the left and a bar on the right. Occasionally, people who had just finished drinking would appear. She would move aside and stride forward, and Shi Jingzhou would quicken his pace to catch up.
After walking for a minute or two, white smoke rose from the corner, and the smell of firewood and paste filled the air, mixed with the salty and moist aroma of lard and chopped green onions. Mi Yanyan jumped back, pointed at the stall in the corner, and waved to him.
"Come on, come on," he turned to look at the old stall owner, "I was worried that you wouldn't set up shop today."
"It won't rain until the second half of the night, so it won't be a problem."
Two white porcelain bowls with blue rims and wide mouths were splashed with boiling water, drained and placed on a small metal cart for later use. The hot soup was poured into the bowls with pickled mustard greens, dried shrimps, MSG, pepper and old sauce as the base, and two pieces of seaweed floated on the water.
When the wontons with red soup were placed in front of him, he realized belatedly that Shi Jingzhou never seemed to eat midnight snacks. Moreover, this was a roadside stall and the owner habitually added chili peppers.
She didn't want to waste it, so she tried to persuade him: "Try it. I've been eating here since college. It's delicious."
The boss came around and glanced at Shi Jingzhou. He had nowhere to put his legs on the small stool and hesitated to move his hands from the bowl in front of him. He said apologetically, "Oh, Xiaomi, I'm sorry. I thought you and your colleagues were coming to eat, so I put the chili in. How about making a new bowl?"
Colleague? Shi Jingzhou's brows knitted slightly.
"It's okay, no need to redo it." He rolled up his sleeves, picked up the spoon and ate one with a normal expression, without saying whether it tasted good or not.
It was not until Mi Yanyan added chili peppers for the second time that he realized that she could eat spicy food so well. The dishes at home were mostly light and almost no spicy condiments were used.
Shi Jingzhou took out two pieces of paper, held them to her lips, wiped them, and asked, "Do you come here often?"
"Well," her lips were red and plump from the heat, a bright luster overflowing on her upturned lip flesh. Sweat was on the tip of her nose. She blinked her eyes and waited for him to finish wiping it. "Sometimes after overtime, I will come here with my colleagues from the hospital."
The old man has been doing this for decades, and no one in South City can resist a night of firewood wontons smothered in chili oil. She was quite satisfied and explained, "We always check the weather forecast in advance. As long as it doesn't rain, the old man will come out to set up the stall."
"But the weather forecast is not always accurate, and this way of judging is likely to be wrong." Shi Jingzhou was always serious. After expressing his doubts, he took back the tissue, folded it and threw it into the trash can.
"I'll give it a try then. It's always worth trying something you like. What if you can succeed?" Mi Yanyan replied with a smile.
He never took a chance and waited for uncertainties.
It is not Shi Jingzhou's style to gamble on everything without absolute certainty. Come to think of it, there is one reason for this.
He just wanted to let things take their course at the beginning, but now he keeps increasing his bets. He smiled secretly.
When Mi Yanyan looked again, Shi Jingzhou had already finished all of his food. However, she still had a few left. Not wanting to waste them but feeling full, she sat there for a while and decided to eat some more. Suddenly, the bowl in front of her was taken away. She stared blankly and asked in panic, "What's going on?"
Shi Jingzhou ate the last few pieces, turned the ceramic spoon upside down, put the two bowls neatly together, looked up and asked, "Do you want to take the bowls to the boss?" There was a rare sense of worldly tenderness on his cold and hard face.
Her bowl, her spoon, and the wontons she hadn't finished.
How could he eat it? Isn’t he a mysophobia?
"No, no need, just leave it there." Mi Yanyan said stumblingly, her face red and pale.
"Okay, let's go."
When they got home, Mi Yanyan was still feeling hot all over, but Shi Jingzhou was calm and said, "You take a shower first."
He no longer worked at night, and would go to bed as soon as he got home. He even had to share the bedroom and bathroom with her when taking a shower.
Mi Yanyan bit her lip. She had to wash first. She had worked up a sweat from the surgery, and in the hospital she could only simply wipe herself and change clothes. It would inevitably be uncomfortable if she took too long. She replied angrily, "I'll be quick."
There are two bathrooms but he doesn't use them. What a strange thing is going on.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you something later." He stood in the cloakroom with his back to the bedroom, lowered his head slightly and began to unbutton his clothes. His hands had already moved to his abdomen, and the stiff and stylish shirt was about to be taken off. Mi Yanyan trotted and closed the door.
No matter how hard they tried to defend themselves, they still couldn't stop Shi Jingzhou from coming out of the shower with his upper body naked.
The muscles were red and warm from the hot water, and there were shiny water droplets from the neck to the abdominal muscles. The lines were clear and not deliberate. The body with broad shoulders and narrow waist was only wearing a pair of loose home pants, which hung down to the feet, lazy and sexy.
She wanted to tell him to put his clothes on, but she couldn't say it.
It’s good-looking, I like it, I can watch it more.
Her eyes moved downwards, and she thought indescribably of the scene in the mirror that day in the hospital. She exchanged a glance with Shi Jingzhou, feeling as embarrassed as if she was the one who was dressed inappropriately at the moment.
I quickly picked up the phone beside the bed, pretended to be busy, and avoided his sight.
Over there, night owl Yu Wan took a picture of the entire wedding gift collection. She clicked on it and saw a few familiar items, all from her pre-wedding preference questionnaire. She smiled at Shi Jingzhou, who was sitting beside her bed, and raised her phone screen, saying, "That's great. Thanks for the trouble."
After all, it's their wedding candy, and I feel a little embarrassed that I didn't put any effort into it.
"Do you want to prepare it for your colleagues in the hospital?" Shi Jingzhou asked.
"Not for now." Mi Yanyan declined politely. If a gift of this size was given to Jianuo, rumors would spread the next second that she had married into a wealthy family. She just wanted to work peacefully and did not want to become the focus of public opinion.
Shi Jingzhou was silent for a moment, did not insist, and continued to sit beside her legs.
"Did you go to the company yesterday?" he asked suddenly.
"Um."
"Why don't you come in." Shi Jingzhou drank some warm water on the bedside table and put it back without saying a word.
He was holding Mi Yanyan's cup again, and a feeling of all-round possession arose spontaneously.
She didn't care about these details for the moment. She didn't know where to start the conversation. If she did, it would seem like she was deliberately eavesdropping. Besides, it was just a casual chat between friends, and they were just talking about the facts. She lowered her eyes and said, "Something happened suddenly. I didn't have time to come."
Shi Jingzhou stood up, holding her shoulders with one hand, and reached for her pajamas on the other side of the bed with the other hand. His strong arm muscles brushed across her chest, and he quickly retracted them and put them on as if no one was around.
"I don't know what you heard, but the marriage was arranged by the family." He held Mi Yanyan's hand again. Her soft white fingers didn't take up much weight in his palm, but they were easy to pinch. "But I will treat you well."
She thought of her grandfather's happy expression, and the unpleasant episode in the evening was no big deal.
He looked over with a smile, "Okay."
She didn't expect that this was what Shi Jingzhou wanted to say. His words were steady and sincere, and he held her hand as if he was making an invisible guarantee. They hadn't had the wedding yet, but it was like he was rehearsing the oath in advance.
From one hand to two hands, Mi Yanyan felt a sudden chill on her skin instead of warmth. She looked down and saw that he had a wedding ring on his ring finger. It was a custom-made one with a restrained and elegant style.
My mind quickly recalled where that thing was. He seemed to have mentioned it after we got married, and it should be in the safe.
"Should I wear it too? I have to wash my hands and go into surgery at any time during work, and it's too expensive and I'm afraid of losing it."
"Do you know where the ring is?" Shi Jingzhou asked her with a twitch of his lips.
When he went to get them, he found that Mi Yanyan had never opened the safe before, and these things did not attract her attention at all.
He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small piece. He straightened her hand and said with a faint smile, "Try it?"
That night, with vows and rings being worn, those who didn't know would think they were having their wedding the next day.
Mi Yanyan held up her hand and shook it from side to side. The diamond was of high quality and surprisingly large. It was quite dazzling when embedded in her slender knuckles. She praised it frankly, "It looks pretty good."
The moment the ring was put on, Shi Jingzhou suddenly felt an inexplicable emotion, and was ready to move under the blessing of the ritual.
Mi Yanyan pouted and stared at the ring, which she put under the light and then dropped on the quilt.
As she turned back and forth, a light white nightgown fluttered left and right, outlining the perfect curves. His Adam's apple rolled slightly, and he pressed her wrists against the edge of the bed.
"Next, we should practice kissing."
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The author has something to say: Look at what you are capable of, there are so many reasons for you to kiss me.
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