Chapter 82 Distancing Themselves from the Nominal Marriage, Yes, There Is...
I slept well all night.
When Zhu Liushuang groggily opened her eyes, the room was dark.
Using the faint light from her phone, she cast her gaze upon the sofa not far away. In the dim light, a dark shadow caught her eye. A man was leaning back on the sofa, one hand propping up his forehead as he dozed off. Even in his sleep, his brow was slightly furrowed.
He... sat on the sofa all night?
The fleeting joy was quickly followed by guilt. The air conditioner wasn't on; wouldn't this make his cold worse overnight?
If she hadn't been sleeping so soundly, she could at least have gotten up at night to cover him with a blanket.
But there are no "what ifs".
Zhu Liushuang, with mixed feelings, tugged at the corner of the blanket. The man on the sofa was fast asleep, and even her getting up from the bed didn't disturb him.
She tiptoed to the sofa and gently draped a thin blanket over He Ming. The blanket wasn't big; it only covered his upper body. Closer to him, she could hear his slightly heavy breathing.
He Ming's face was inches away, and Zhu Liushuang involuntarily half-squatted down. The only light source in the room was her phone on the bedside table; the dim light softened his features, but the slight wrinkle between his brows seemed out of place on his face.
That sleeping position must be very uncomfortable, right?
Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but reach out, trying to smooth out that unsightly wrinkle. Her fingertips hovered between his brows, then she suddenly snapped back to reality, curled her fingers back, and quickly lowered her arm.
Her fingernails dug into the web of her hand, but she couldn't extinguish the burning blush on her face.
Fortunately, the phone screen went out in time, and the darkness gave her a place to hide her panic.
"Liu Shuang?" The man's hoarse voice, tinged with an overwhelming drowsiness, exploded in her ears.
Staring at the suddenly swaying phantom, Zhu Liushuang froze, holding her breath. Her foot, already about to step forward, became stuck, her mind racing.
She woke up at this exact moment; how should she cope?
The room was pitch black; he couldn't possibly see where she was, could he? So, Zhu Liushuang took a few steps forward in the dark, and after touching the edge of the bed, quickly crawled under the covers.
"Senior, you're awake?" She deliberately turned over from side to side, then yawned and turned on the bedside lamp.
The man on the sofa shifted his position, leaning back against her. She couldn't see his face, only catching a glimpse of his fingers gently stroking the thin blanket.
Zhu Liushuang's breath hitched, and she confessed, "I woke up to find you sleeping on the sofa, so I covered you with a blanket. The room... is a bit cold. Did you accidentally fall asleep last night, senior?"
To ease the awkwardness, she made up an excuse for him.
The person being questioned seemed to be half asleep. He rubbed his temples, sneezed, and made a loud, nasal "hmm" sound.
"I'm sorry... If it weren't for my request, my senior wouldn't have slept on the sofa all night..." Zhu Liushuang was certain that his cold had worsened, and the "culprit" was herself.
While she silently reflected on her actions, He Ming stared blankly at the thin blanket covering him.
Did he accidentally fall asleep last night? Probably not.
He hummed the song for the third time before Zhu Liushuang fell asleep. It was just past 11 p.m., and although he would inevitably get a scolding from the old man at the gatehouse if he went back at this time, it was still in time.
However, just as he was about to leave, the person on the bed suddenly whimpered.
"Ugh... Don't come any closer... Go away! Go away now!"
He slowly loosened his grip on the doorknob and turned back to the sofa.
The light from the phone screen illuminated the edge of the bed, where the girl huddled tightly under the covers. She was sleeping precariously on the very edge of the large bed, as if she might fall off at any moment.
What was most striking were the two tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, which were particularly noticeable on her small face.
He Ming found himself unable to move, and a bitter feeling welled up in a corner of his heart. He didn't understand what this meant, but his actions acted before he thought.
"It's alright, don't feel sorry." He snapped out of his daze and pulled off the thin blanket, saying, "In any case, we are now husband and wife in name only, and it is my responsibility to protect your safety."
A marriage in name only, yes, in name only.
He enlightened her.
"Thank you." The ambiguous sweet talk melted away, and Zhu Liushuang faced reality.
Her room was facing the street.
At 7:30 a.m., long queues formed at the breakfast shops downstairs. The steaming vendors' shouts, mixed with car horns, kicked off Yunhe's busy day.
My emotions are in turmoil, and I'm unlikely to be able to go back to sleep.
Leaning against the headboard, Zhu Liushuang slightly raised her chin. From He Ming's movements as he straightened his clothes, she guessed that he was about to leave.
She remained motionless, the blanket pulled up to her neck, quietly gazing at him.
He Ming was also looking at her thoughtfully, the darkness in his eyes unreadable to her.
After a long pause, he asked in a low voice, "Have you bought the bus ticket back to Yunxiang? What time is your high-speed train?"
This is the last day of the National Day holiday, and they don't have much time left to spend together.
"I've bought the tickets. The train leaves at 1 p.m., and the high-speed train leaves at 5 p.m." Her mood was low, so her voice wasn't as melodious as before.
He Ming nodded thoughtfully, buttoning up his collar as he walked towards the door.
"Hotel check-out time is 12 o'clock. It only takes half an hour to drive from here to the long-distance bus station. You get some rest, I'll pick you up at noon."
He maintained his consistently responsible attitude.
Zhu Liushuang responded with a faint "Okay".
With the sound of the door locking, a long silence fell inside the room.
The sunlight outside the window was gentle, the blue sky reflected the distant mountains, and a breeze rustled the yellow leaves—it was a fine autumn day. Unfortunately, her drooping lips betrayed no interest in appreciating the scenery.
————
When Zhu Liushuang checked out of the hotel at noon, she received a rather heavy gift box of local specialties. The staff who saw her off almost had frozen smiles, still worried about her not giving a bad review.
Zhu Liu agreed outwardly, but felt a little embarrassed inside. The room was booked online by He Ming, so it wasn't her place to review or rate it.
A black SUV was waiting at the hotel entrance. As she stepped through the revolving door, she immediately saw the figure inside the car window.
The sun was shining brightly today, and the temperature had risen significantly. He Ming changed into a white chunky knit sweater, which made his profile look handsome and refined.
"The receptionist talked to me for a bit, so I was a little delayed." Zhu Liushuang opened the passenger door and got in. The space under her feet was filled with her backpack and gift boxes of local specialties, so she awkwardly shifted her legs to the side.
"Put the bag in the trunk?" He Ming turned to ask her.
"Oh, no need, this is fine." Zhu Liushuang didn't seem to care much and continued, "The gift box was a gift from the hotel. I saw it's filled with a lot of local specialties. Would you like to take some, senior?"
"No need," He Ming replied curtly, focusing on driving.
Zhu Liushuang was still bothered by the phrase "a couple in name only" from that morning.
Although what he said was true, and although she repeatedly told herself not to be so anxious and that everything should be taken slowly, sometimes emotions would overtake reason, causing her to frequently doubt some of her decisions.
She didn't speak, so He Ming remained silent.
The scenery outside the window changed along the way, and the car slowly came to a stop.
During the holiday, the lines at the entrance were incredibly long. Zhu Liu peeked out of the window and, judging by the current queue, estimated it would take another seven or eight minutes to get into the parking lot.
So she turned to He Ming and said, "Senior, please pull over. I'll walk in myself... we don't have enough time."
He Ming had no objection, turned on his turn signal, and pulled over to the side of the road.
She was in a hurry, so she grabbed her things and rushed off the car. Before closing the door, she stared at the leather jacket on the passenger seat and asked, "Senior, the railway project in Yunhe will take a long time, right?"
"The railway will take three years to build."
"So are you planning to stay here forever?" she finally asked. "On the first day of my holiday, I went back to my hometown and passed through Chenguan Village... and I happened to see Aunt Yuan pruning herbs in her yard."
Of course, she didn't just happen to pass by; she deliberately took a detour.
He Ming's lips were flat, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead, not looking at her.
"I'll be stationed in Yunhe for a while to handle some tricky matters. Once that's done, I'll return to Gucheng."
With those words from him, she felt relieved.
The image of the sleeping pills he had tucked under his pillow flashed through her mind again; she was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get over it all, being all alone out there.
"Beep beep—" The car behind them honked, urging them to leave. Zhu Liushuang closed the door and walked along the sidewalk, her hands heavy, just like her heavy heart.
The bus from Yunhe to Yunxiang North Station was packed with passengers. After more than an hour of bumpy travel, the once lively and noisy carriage was now filled only with the sound of a martial arts movie playing.
Zhu Liushuang sat in the back row, feeling a bit carsick, her stomach churning every now and then. From the moment she boarded the bus, an old martial arts film had been playing on the TV in the front. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to get into the plot by the time she got off.
After a long and arduous journey carrying my luggage, I finally arrived at the Yunxiangbei High-Speed Railway Station, where the entrance was packed with people. Once inside, the waiting hall was completely full. Many people had even laid out mats and were resting directly on the floor.
Zhu Liushuang found a spot against the wall to rest. Her luggage was placed beside her legs, and as soon as she squatted down, a churning acid reflux rose in her stomach, followed by dry heaving. Luckily, she had grabbed some tissues in time, preventing the floor from getting wet.
Her mouth tasted bitter and sour. She wiped her lips, her face pale, and stood up to rinse her mouth in the restroom. Without her companion, she had to carry her luggage to the restroom.
The waiting hall was packed with people, and it was inevitable to bump into each other when passing by.
Her bag was caught on something, and she swayed, barely managing to regain her balance.
"Zhu...Liu Shuang?" A voice suddenly rang out, filled with unexpected joy.
Soon, a familiar face appeared in front of her. The man was bent over, staring at her with a comical expression.
She had just vomited and her mouth felt uncomfortable. Afraid that speaking would offend others, she forced a smile and nodded at them.
The man seemed to notice her unusual expression and pressed her for details: "Why is your face so pale? Are you feeling unwell?"
She nodded symbolically again, then walked away.
After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she came out and found Yue Lin waiting outside the bathroom.
"Dr. Yue." It seemed like they were waiting for her on purpose, and she couldn't pretend she didn't see them.
"What a coincidence, running into you here." Yue Lin glanced at the luggage in her hands and said, "Your bag must be heavy, right? Want me to help you carry it?"
Compared to Zhu Liushuang, Yue Lin, who had nothing in his hands, seemed much more relaxed.
She didn't want to trouble anyone, so she shook her head and refused.
"Your face is so pale, yet you still try to be strong." Yue Lin clicked his tongue twice, speaking earnestly, "Girls need to know how to show weakness sometimes. Otherwise... wouldn't a young and strong man like me be useless? Miss Zhu, please give me some face." He seemed to know his own advantages, his face smiling innocently.
Zhu Liushuang thought that Yue Lin's words made sense.
However... the person in front of her was not someone she wanted to show weakness to.
"Is Dr. Yue going back to Gucheng?" she changed the subject.
"Yeah, I came to Yunxiang to see a concert. The long holiday is over, time to go back to being a poor working person!" Seeing that Zhu Liushuang was unmoved, Yue Lin gave up on the idea of forcibly carrying her bag and changed his mind, "Are those Yunhe specialties you're carrying?"
"Hmm," she said indifferently.
"Is this a way to find a less-traveled, off-the-beaten-path tourist destination to check off your list?" Yue Lin said as they walked. "I went to Yunhe for a free clinic. It's mountainous and the roads are difficult to travel... and the food is extremely spicy. Even someone like me who loves spicy food can hardly handle it."
He was talking rather incessantly, and Zhu Liushuang suddenly found it annoying, so she interrupted, "Dr. Yue, could you please check if the G77181 train has started boarding yet?"
Yue Lin paused for a moment, then turned to look at the large screen at ticket gate number 2: "No, it's only 15 minutes late. Hey, I'm on the same train too, what a coincidence."
Zhu Liu had sharp eyes; as soon as an empty seat appeared, she ran a few steps and sat down. By the time Yue Lin turned around, she was already several meters away from him.
"She's quite strong, no wonder she wouldn't even let me carry her bag." Yue Lin stood there talking to himself, watching the girl close her eyes and not want to say anything more, and didn't try to talk to her anymore.
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Author's note: We'll probably be living together in one or two more chapters.
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