Chapter 66 Playing the Role "She's my friend. Um... my girlfriend..."
Zhu Liushuang only remembered her phone, which she had left on the bedside table, after taking a shower and having dinner.
She walked into the bedroom, her hair still damp, her eyes fixed on her phone screen, which had only half a bar of battery left.
Have you arrived home safely?
It was sent half an hour ago by He Ming.
A glistening tear welled up in Zhu Liu's eyes. After some revisions, she finally gave a simple reply to his concern.
[Don't worry, senior, you've arrived home safely. / Cute]
As expected, the words "typing" did not appear. She assumed he was busy, so she exited the chat window and continued to check other messages.
Ten minutes earlier, her colleague Zhuang Xiaoqian had messaged her on WeChat asking about her height, weight, and measurements, saying she needed to start buying bridesmaid dresses. Zhu Liushuang remembered that Zhuang Xiaoqian's wedding was in early November, and after sending her measurements, Zhuang Xiaoqian asked with a hint of doubt: "It's only September now, isn't it a bit early?"
Her best friend Tian Xingyu sent three messages five minutes earlier than Zhuang Xiaoqian, which shows how conflicted she was at the time.
[Honey! Are you there?]
Ye Xingzhi invited me to see a stand-up comedy show in Huzhou this weekend, and said if I didn't go, he'd have to pay me back! Isn't that blatant blackmail?
[Waaaaah... Why don't you come with me? It takes at least two and a half hours to drive to Lake City, and who knows if I can make it back overnight after watching the stand-up comedy.]
Zhu Liushuang imagined Tian Xingyu's expression when she sent those WeChat messages, a helpless yet knowing smile appearing on her face. She put down the towel and sat on the edge of the bed to reply to her best friend.
His fingers flew across the keyboard: [Aren't stand-up comedy tickets all pre-ordered? Did Ye buy a third ticket when he invited you? Besides, if I actually went to be a third wheel, do you think he'd freak out?]
[If you don't reply soon, I'm going to post missing person notices! Let me reiterate, I don't go back to exes I've already had!]
After reading Tian Xingyu's message, Zhu Liushuang's ambiguous smile deepened, and she decided to give her best friend a push.
"Go ahead, they're not going to eat you. 3000 yuan, that's almost half a month's salary for me. Think about how your aunt deducted it from your card. Besides, you're going back to Beijing next week, so what if..."
"What's the worst that could happen?" Tian Xingyu pressed.
Zhu Liushuang pulled out a "take it and leave" emoji from her saved emoji collection and sent it. Before the mischievous smile in her eyes had faded, she quickly clicked "recall" the emoji a second later.
【Damn it! Shuangshuang, when did you become so naughty? If you're so capable, post it and don't be so quick to take it back!】 Tian Xingyu followed up with a voice message, 【This emoji, how about I post it again after you've won over Senior He?】
They really shot themselves in the foot! The person who had been rebuffed immediately became embarrassed and stammered, not daring to reply.
Zhu Liushuang originally wanted to tell her friend about her marriage registration with He Ming as soon as possible. However, she had promised He Ming that until they reached an agreement, it would remain a secret between the two of them. Of course, Xie Jingzhi was an exception.
She thought to herself with a heavy heart: if this dark and hopeless marriage were to see the light of day again, it would have to wait until Xie Jingzhi was safe and sound.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you feeling guilty?" Tian Xingyu asked her deliberately in a low voice.
How could she not feel guilty? Zhu Liushuang subconsciously touched her earlobe, kneading it gently with her fingers. She had promised her best friend that she would never hide her feelings from her again. If she didn't confess now and Tian Xingyu found out on her own, the consequences would be...
The room's air conditioning was set quite high, but she couldn't help shivering.
[Ayu, I was just joking with you. I got a birthday dessert delivery order this weekend, so I really can't get away. Actually, I think Senior Ye is a pretty good guy, although... I don't know what kind of trouble you two went through, but at least from my perspective as an outsider, he definitely still has feelings for you. It's such a rare thing for two people to fall in love! If, and I mean if, you still have a little bit of lingering affection for him, why not give each other a chance?]
Zhu Liushuang knew that although Tian Xingyu appeared cool and carefree, she also had a sensitive side. She paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, everything should be done according to your heart. If you really don't like it, then refuse. It's just 3000 yuan, I can sponsor you!"
Not long after she sent the message, Tian Xingyu chuckled on the other end: "Someone just said three thousand yuan was almost half a month's salary, and now they're being so generous. How come...the dessert business is so good lately?"
Tian Xingyu gently changed the subject, and Zhu Liushuang understood, so the name "Ye Xingzhi" was not mentioned again in the subsequent conversation. Her slight guilt towards her friend also gradually dissipated amidst the playful banter.
She made up her mind: I'll wait a little longer. When my self-recommended marriage can be announced to the public, I will definitely tell Ayu first.
That night, Zhu Liushuang poured out her unspoken feelings to the radio. On the long-missed "Yueyin FM", she hummed a light tune into her earpiece: "I like you like I fall in love with a long journey, a car, two people, three meals, four seasons... If happiness has a condition, it is first love, it is your heartbeat."
She named this episode "Is it First Love, Is it My Heart Fluttering, It's You," which is both the name of a song and a subtle expression of her long-cherished girlish feelings.
Before exiting the app, she habitually checked He Ming's radio station. The little dot on his profile picture was grayed out; he hadn't logged in for a long time.
————
To avoid arousing her mother's suspicion, Zhu Liushuang waited a week before returning the household registration book.
The past week has been incredibly busy for her. At work, she completed the company's project application, finally relieving herself of a huge burden. On her side, she secured a large order for delivered desserts, which received rave reviews, and the customer even promoted her service on social media.
As for entertainment, I wonder if listening to my best friend complain about her going to see a stand-up comedy show with her ex-boyfriend counts?
In addition, she also used the excuse of working overtime to rush to the People's Hospital every evening to report for duty.
At first, He Ming would try to comfort her, saying that she didn't need to come every day, as it was time-consuming and laborious.
After hearing her repeated, high-sounding insistence, he let her come.
“Senior, now that we’ve registered our marriage, we’re husband and wife in name only. I know you agreed to marry me for Dr. Xie’s sake. So naturally, I’ll do what I can to help. You’re worried sick at the hospital every day, so I have to take good care of you for Dr. Xie’s sake and fight alongside you… Of course, if I encounter any difficulties in the future, I hope you can also give me your support as much as possible.”
The meaning was clear: it was simply an exchange of equal value. After she said those words that day, He Ming immediately fell silent and nodded slightly in acquiescence.
A thin layer of frost settled over the man's calm eyes, and his gaze sharpened as he looked at her. Every time she recalled it, Zhu Liushuang felt a dull ache in her heart. But she had to play her part completely; if she didn't rely on this binding document, she wouldn't have the confidence to be with him every day.
Shaking the coffee bag in her hand, Zhu Liushuang quickened her pace.
He Ming had been working overtime on his laptop for the past two days, and the dark circles under his eyes were becoming increasingly noticeable. Before she came over, she asked him if there was anything he needed. The man, who never made requests, unusually spoke up: "I ordered coffee. Could you please pick it up from the security guard when you come in?"
What she was carrying was the coffee he had asked her to fetch.
It was getting late. As Zhu Liushuang walked down the fourth-floor corridor of the inpatient department, she saw some patients' families setting up makeshift beds outside the ICU. Some were looking down at their phones, some were preparing to go to sleep, and others stared blankly at the closed sensor door, weeping with their faces covered.
This scene repeats itself before her eyes every day.
Zhu Liushuang turned her head blankly and looked at the only three rows of chairs in the rest area. Sure enough, she saw He Ming engrossed in reading a report in the third row against the wall.
He seemed out of place compared to the other patients' families.
"Senior, here's your coffee." She sat down casually at the seat next to him and handed him the coffee.
"Thank you." He Ming didn't even look up. "Have you had dinner?"
Her fingers reached into the pocket of her sun-protective clothing, where half a sesame seed cake was hidden. Zhu Liushuang hummed in agreement twice and asked, "How is Dr. Xie feeling today? Has he improved?"
“When I went to visit him this afternoon, his eyelids could twitch a few times, and when I talked to him, his eyes watered.” He suddenly turned to face her. “The doctor just told me that he has regained a little feeling in his left hand and left foot, and his condition is improving.”
On the 20th day of Xie Jingzhi's stay in the ICU, Zhu Liushuang saw a glimmer of hope in He Ming's eyes for the first time. Her voice was filled with excitement: "That's wonderful! I've searched online for so many examples of people with similar bleeding to Dr. Xie who all made it out of the ICU. I believe he'll be able to soon too..."
After sitting with He Ming for a while, Zhu Liushuang's stomach began to protest.
She got off work late today and didn't have time to eat dinner downstairs at the company. She just bought a scallion pancake from a stall near the hospital. The pancakes in Gucheng are small portions and as thin as paper. Half a pancake definitely wouldn't be enough to fill her stomach.
"Ahem—" Zhu Liushuang covered her mouth and cleared her throat, saying, "Senior, you go ahead and do your work, I'm going to the restroom." After saying that, she hurriedly ran towards the restroom.
She ran to the bathroom, turned around, slipped into another corridor, and found a spot by a window to lean against. She pulled half a sesame seed cake from her pocket; the white paper bag covering the crust had made it soft and mushy, no longer crispy.
Zhu Liushuang didn't care whether the taste was affected. She took big bites and finished the sesame seed cake in no time. Her slightly aching stomach was finally filled and calmed down.
The air was filled with the aroma of scallions. She turned and walked to the bathroom sink, splashed some cold water on the tap to rinse the taste in her mouth before going back to find He Ming.
"Senior, I plan to register for the CPA exam next April. Do you think it would be too difficult to take the accounting and auditing exams together?" Zhu Liushuang asked, trying to make conversation while sitting in her chair.
"If your foundation is weak, you can separate accounting and auditing. It's a five-year cycle, and taking two exams each year is relatively easy. But some people prefer to pass the difficult subjects first, which gives them more confidence later on." He Ming's eyes never left the laptop screen, but his advice was well thought out.
"Which subjects did you take first, senior?" Zhu Liushuang asked curiously.
He Ming rested his right hand on his chin and said calmly, "I took all six exams at once, and I passed them all."
Zhu Liushuang jerked her hand off the chair and leaned back. Ever since she decided to prepare for the CPA exam, she would occasionally check in on the supertopic and read the experience sharing of seniors. She had also seen someone post their score sheet showing that they had passed all six subjects on the first try, and the comments section was filled with shouts of "Worship the master!"
Unexpectedly, the legendary "master" was right beside her.
It was truly... offensive!
She clicked her tongue in amazement, and after a long while, she finally uttered an awkward sentence: "Wow, that's amazing... I definitely can't compare to you, so I'll just have to study hard and take the exams two at a time."
He Ming glanced at her briefly, his tone neither too loud nor too soft: "It's just an exam. There's no need to compare yourself to others. Just do your best at your own pace."
Zhu Liushuang was about to reply when a rough, hoarse male voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Ah Ming, you really are here!"
She looked up at the sound of his voice, and what she saw was a handsome, upright face. The middle-aged man was well-dressed, with sharp features, and his high, straight nose bore a striking resemblance to He Ming's. She recognized him; this man was He Ming's father.
The man, who was busy with his work, rarely stopped what he was doing. When he met his father's gaze, his expression turned cold: "Why are you here?"
Before He Guanshan could answer, Yao Ying, who had caught up from behind, interrupted him. The woman grabbed her husband's arm and said with a smile, "Ah Ming, Yunyun's grandmother has been hospitalized with the flu. Your father just finished the admission procedures and was thinking of coming here to visit, hoping to run into you."
As soon as the woman spoke, Zhu Liushuang could clearly feel the air pressure around He Ming gradually decreasing, and the fingers holding the notebook turned bluish-white from the force.
"Dr. Zhou said the old man has woken up?" He Guanshan slightly pulled his arm away and walked towards He Ming's side.
"Hmm." He Ming gave his father a perfunctory look, as if to say: Since you've already found out, why bother asking me again?
Having been rebuffed, He Guanshan coughed awkwardly twice, then turned his gaze to Zhu Liushuang, who was standing next to his son, and asked, "Aming, who is this?"
Even with her head down, the middle-aged man's scrutinizing gaze was still impossible to ignore. Zhu Liushuang consciously swallowed a few times, quickly organizing her thoughts.
"Hello, Uncle, I am..."
"She's my friend. Um... my girlfriend."
The word "friend" suddenly disappeared from her lips, leaving only his awkward "girlfriend" in her ears.
Zhu Liushuang suddenly turned her head and met He Ming's deep gaze. His black pupils were like bottomless black holes, and she couldn't guess what he was thinking. But she understood that what she needed to do at this moment was to cooperate with his performance.
Suddenly, her hand was covered by a large hand that was slightly sweaty. Zhu Liushuang blinked in disbelief, suppressed her unease, and changed her expression in a second, saying, "Hello, Uncle. My name is Zhu Liushuang, and I have been with A-Ming for half a year."
The palm holding her hand was burning hot, and her arm stiffened, not daring to move an inch.
“Miss Zhu looks very young. Is she still in school?” He Guanshan asked, softening his tone.
"Uncle, I've been working for two years, and I'm only two years younger than A-Ming," Zhu Liushuang said with a sweet smile.
"I sensed something was off about Miss Zhu and our A-Ming as soon as I got here. Turns out they're dating... A-Ming, you really are something. Why didn't you tell us about something this important beforehand? You've made your dad worry about your love life all the time." Yao Ying, who had been left out, seized the opportunity to interject.
She sat down next to Zhu Liushuang as if they were old friends, asking about the situation in a gentle voice, playing the role of "mother" perfectly. If Zhu Liushuang hadn't seen Yao Ying's unknown side, she might have been deceived by her kind and amiable appearance.
Yao Ying spoke very frequently. She would ask a question, and Zhu Liushuang would obediently answer, but all her answers were half true and half false, and she held back some information.
He Ming's hand had been withdrawn from hers at some point. The two men remained silent, one engrossed in reading a report, the other standing ramrod straight.
The two women chatted for quite a while, and finally, Yao Ying looked at Zhu Liushuang's face from left to right and asked shyly, "I've felt that Miss Zhu looks familiar since just now. Have we met somewhere before?"
Zhu Liushuang's lips twitched, and she said with a restrained smile, "Gucheng is so small, we might have indeed bumped into each other on the street before." As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on the ground, and she put on a shy look. But what was replaying in her mind was the scene of deliberately bumping into Yao Ying at the Mengyuan Restaurant that day.
————
He Guanshan and Yao Ying only stayed outside the ICU for more than ten minutes before leaving, citing that "Yunyun's grandmother needs someone to take care of her."
Watching the middle-aged couple walk away hand in hand, Zhu Liushuang suddenly felt a pang of sadness. On He Ming's household registration book, he was the only one listed. With his stepmother and stepsister, his father no longer belonged to him.
"Senior," she called out softly, her voice trembling with tears, "Are you... sad?"
She was met with a long silence.
She turned to face him, the soft blue light from the laptop screen illuminating his face, making his handsome, thick eyebrows furrow even more. She wanted to reach out and smooth the wrinkles between his brows, but she couldn't do anything.
"Liu Shuang, I hope you won't hold a grudge about what happened earlier." The man with the cold expression spoke calmly, "It's getting late, let me see you downstairs."
Zhu Liushuang twisted her fingers and said "okay," then stood up and waited quietly for He Ming to pack up his notebook.
The respiratory medicine department is located one floor away from the ICU.
He Guanshan, his face wrinkled, paced back and forth in the corridor outside the ward with his hands behind his back.
"Old He, Mom's IV drip is finished, why isn't the nurse here yet? Stop wandering around, hurry up and urge her..." Yao Ying said anxiously.
"It's time for the shift change tonight, so it's normal that we're short-staffed. Why are you rushing us? Just wait a little longer!" He Guanshan said impatiently.
Yao Ying touched the large gold ring on her finger and softened her voice: "Sigh... I know you're troubled. Since A-Ming has a girlfriend, we can't break them up. Let's think of another way..." She thought her husband was worried about work, so she whispered a few words of comfort.
Little did they know that there was something else that was causing He Guanshan's distress.
"Yingying, what's A-Ming's girlfriend's name again?"
"Zhu... Zhu Liushuang. It's a nice-sounding name for a little girl, but it's a bit hard to pronounce."
"The surname is Zhu... There aren't many people with the surname Zhu in Gucheng..." He Guanshan said thoughtfully, his face serious.
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The author says: "I like you as I fall in love with a long journey, a car, two people, three meals a day, four seasons... If beauty has a prerequisite, it's first love, it's you who made my heart flutter." —From the song "It's First Love, It's You Who Made My Heart Flutter" by The Landlord's Cat
We both get a little mischievous sometimes [milk tea emoji]
Today's chapter is a delightful one [Cat Head].
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