Chapter 21 "Didn't you ever think about turning this fake relationship into a real one?"...
Chapter Twenty-One: "Didn't you ever think about turning this into a real-life affair?"
Two well-matched, tall and slender people stood by the roadside, with people constantly passing by and looking at them with strange eyes.
A cold wind swept by, and Ling Jian lowered his eyes. He hadn't expected that this girl was so determined to go to the countryside. She seemed completely oblivious to any other possibilities.
For example, his possibility.
During the standoff, the man who had just gotten off the train said in a low voice, "Come with me."
Where to?
"My maternal grandfather's house."
Seeing his dejected expression, Li Yue had no choice but to go along with him and walk outside to board a bus.
There was only one seat on the bus. Li Yue sat while Ling Jianwei stood, gripping the handrail. Looking down, Ling Jianwei could see Li Yue's delicate nose and long eyelashes that, when closed, resembled two small fans. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and she seemed to be in a state of tension and unease.
Ling Jianwei couldn't resist and gently swept her hair, as if patting her head or brushing off something dirty.
Li Yue looked up at him, but he didn't say anything, just stared at her without blinking.
After getting off the bus, the two still spoke very little, and Li Yue followed him into the alley.
There was a lock on the gate. Li Yue said, "Grandpa is not home."
He seemed unsurprised, took out a bunch of keys, found one of them, and opened the door.
Once inside the courtyard, Li Yue asked him, "Have you not eaten yet?"
He said, "I took the train back to Beijing overnight, and went straight to find you as soon as I got off the train."
Li Yue was stunned for a moment.
Ling Jianwei looked over with her bright eyes: "Can you cook me a bowl of egg noodles? Something simple will do."
Seeing his seemingly travel-worn appearance, Li Yue felt extremely guilty and nodded blankly, "Okay."
Grandpa had some ingredients ready, so Li Yue fried an egg for him, boiled water, added noodles, some green leafy vegetables, seasoned it, and brought it to the living room. The first thing she saw was Ling Jianwei, who had just changed into that sweater.
A black sweater fits perfectly and can highlight a man's calm and elegant temperament.
Li Yue was stunned.
He laughed, "Why don't you come closer and take a look?"
The sweater didn't seem to be straightened. Li Yue put the noodles on the dining table, wiped her hands on her clothes, went over and straightened the sweater for him, then straightened the collar and shoulders.
It has to be said, this man's physique was absolutely amazing, how could he be so perfect? It was completely irresistible to an art student like her; she wanted to reach out and touch him, but she still had some self-respect and restrained herself. She straightened her sweater and removed her hand.
The two were very close; he looked down at her, his warm breath gently brushing against her face.
"It's great, it fits perfectly," Li Yue said, looking up at him.
Their eyes met, and the gentle smile in the man's eyes made her heart flutter.
Li Yue quickly looked away and smiled, "Let's eat our noodles."
As she spoke, she poured a glass of warm water, brought it to him, and then poured herself a glass, slowly drinking it.
Ling Jianwei put on her coat and sat down at the table to eat noodles.
The atmosphere inside seemed to have returned to normal, and Li Yue couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you bring any luggage back?"
"After dealing with the inspection from my superiors, I took their car directly to the train station in the city center without having time to pack."
Li Yue: "Oh, so how long will you be back this time?"
He looked at her: "It's not clear yet."
"But didn't you just return to camp not long ago? Did you ask for leave to come back this time?"
Ling Jianwei's eyes darkened, and he asked in return, "Why do you think I came back?"
Li Yue shook her head: "I don't know, is something wrong at home?"
Ling Jianwei's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he looked deeply at her. He then picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks and said softly, "You know perfectly well why I'm asking this."
Li Yue: "..."
In the quiet room, the great-uncle suddenly pushed open the door and entered, the old man exclaiming in surprise, "Jianwei, why are you back?"
In front of her great-uncle, Ling Jianwei only said, "I had some things to take care of when I got back, so I took two days off."
When the great-uncle saw Li Yue, he said in a reproachful tone, "Yueyue, why haven't you come to visit your great-uncle lately? You don't come when Jianwei isn't around?"
Li Yue gave an awkward laugh: "I've been a bit busy lately."
The old man sighed, "The whole alley is in turmoil over the issue of educated youth going to the countryside. I'm worried about you going too."
“Grandpa,” Li Yue said, “I’m going to the countryside.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ling Jianwei looked at her sharply and corrected her, "Let's discuss this matter again."
Li Yue was in a dilemma. What could be changed by further discussion?
Her voice was very soft: "I've already registered."
"It's just registration; it doesn't count until you've set off."
Li Yue felt immense pressure and couldn't find a good excuse to bring up the matter.
Grandpa sensed something was wrong and sighed, "Going to the countryside is tough, it's not a sightseeing trip. If you can avoid it, don't go. I think you should listen to Wei about this."
Of course she knew that everyone was very kind and genuinely cared about her, but fate had arranged things this way, and she couldn't do anything about it.
After Ling Jianwei finished eating his noodles and washed the bowl, he was going back to the compound first. Li Yue said, "Then I'll go home too. I have things to do at home."
The two were going in different directions. While waiting for the bus, Ling Jianwei said, "I'll come find you this evening."
He never liked to force people, but in this matter, there seemed to be no room for negotiation.
Li Yue nodded.
After Ling Jianwei put on that sweater, he didn't take it off again. Seeing that his hands were empty, Li Yue asked, "Didn't you take your original sweater?"
He chuckled: "Just wear the sweater you knitted. It's okay if the old one falls out."
Li Yue lowered her eyes, avoiding his gentle and tender gaze.
The bus arrived, and Li Yue got on, glancing at the man outside the window.
They parted ways like this a little over a month ago, and she never expected that he would take time off to come here because of her. However, the better he treated her, the more she struggled.
Back home, her cousin was still full of energy, while Li Yue was unusually calm in comparison.
My cousin asked, "Sis, what did Deputy Battalion Commander Ling say to you? Did he tell you not to go to the countryside?"
Li Yue looked at her cousin with a helpless expression: "Do you think I don't have to go just because he won't allow it?"
"It's hard to say, their family must have a lot of connections."
Li Yue shook her head: "It's not as easy as you think. These are extraordinary times. Many children from their compound have to go to the countryside."
However, after he returned, Li Yue felt much calmer and no longer had the anxiety and restlessness of the previous days.
This tranquility was shattered by the arrival of Song Zhicheng.
Song Zhicheng finished work around 5 PM and rode his bike to the family compound to look for Li Yue. His cousin, seeing him, laughed, "Sis, so many people have been looking for you lately!"
Li Yue invited Song Zhicheng inside, but he said he wouldn't go in; he had only come to ask about the situation.
Just like last time, he pushed his bike away, and Li Yue saw him off at the family compound.
Upon learning that she had already signed up, Song Zhicheng sighed deeply: "Isn't there any room for negotiation? That's not a fun place; it's freezing cold in winter."
Li Yue said, "I'll bring more clothes with me."
"Having clothes alone is not enough."
"It's alright, go ahead first, maybe we can go back to the city someday."
Stopping by the roadside, Song Zhicheng looked at her gently. He had a bold idea in his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
As night fell, a jeep drove up.
Ling Jianwei got out of the car and approached them step by step, her gaze sharp as she looked at them.
Upon recognizing him, Song Zhicheng exclaimed in surprise, "Deputy Battalion Commander Ling, didn't you return to camp?"
Ling Jianwei tilted her head slightly towards Li Yue, her tone casual: "I took leave specifically to come back and see how to resolve this, not because of some fool going to the countryside."
Perhaps it's in a man's nature to be like this; even when faced with a formidable opponent, he can't afford to lose face. Song Zhicheng, after all, was a top student at the medical school, so how could he easily admit defeat? Being men, they all knew each other's little thoughts, so he said, "What a coincidence, I was just trying to persuade her, saying I could help her, but she insisted on going to the countryside."
Ling Jianwei gave a soft "hmm": "She's stubborn and not easy to persuade, but no matter how difficult it is, I have to keep her here. If she goes to the wilderness, she'll be targeted by wolves. Even if no wolves target her, we can't let her be in danger."
In the verbal exchange, Song Zhicheng seemed to be at a disadvantage. He forced a smile and said, "Of course, it would be best if she didn't have to go to the countryside."
Song Zhicheng was convinced that the two of them were not dating at all. If they were dating, why would she choose to go to the countryside? She could have just gotten a marriage certificate with him and gone to live with him in the military.
Watching the two men clash once again with such intense tension, Li Yue felt utterly powerless. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ling Jianwei grabbed her arm and pulled her into the car.
"Get in the car with me first. I don't have time to chat with you here in the north wind."
Li Yue struggled for a moment, but it was no use. She could only look at Song Zhicheng and say, "Senior Brother Song, I'll contact you again when I have time."
The bicycle started, kicking up a cloud of dust. Song Zhicheng pressed the bicycle bell, which rang crisply.
He sighed deeply in his heart. If his family had agreed, he might have told her his thoughts, but now he felt that the probability of being rejected by her was very high.
I guess we can only be friends now.
-
Li Yue sat in the car, looking at his gloomy face, her heart pounding.
After a long while, Ling Jianwei finally asked, "Have you eaten?"
"not yet."
He said, "Let's find a place to eat first."
However, Li Yue had no appetite at all. She said, "Can I not eat? I don't want to eat."
Ling Jianwei looked over: "Why don't you want to eat? Are you angry that I broke you up with that senior?"
Li Yue was surprised. Ling Jianwei seemed genuinely jealous, and quite jealous at that. But being jealous at this time was completely unnecessary. Her going to the countryside was a done deal, and she didn't want to cause any trouble. If it affected his family, she would feel terribly guilty.
She thought for a moment and explained, "Song Zhicheng told me he could help me get a medical certificate, but I felt that this was not a good idea, so I didn't agree."
Ling Jianwei's voice was icy: "Why would he help you get the proof?"
“He meant well, after all, these days people try to avoid going to the countryside if they can,” Li Yue said.
Ling Jianwei was at a loss for words, but didn't want to spell it out, so she asked, "Do you really have to go to this countryside?"
Li Yue paused, bit her lip, and said in a low voice, "I am a key person under the supervision of the neighborhood committee. My background is what it is, and I have no choice."
"What do you mean there are no choices?" the man sneered. "There are plenty of choices, it just depends on whether you want to try."
Seeing her remain silent, the man lost his patience and spoke bluntly: "I already discussed it with my parents this afternoon, and they have no objections."
"What? No objections?" Li Yue asked, puzzled.
He simply parked his car on the side of the road, took a deep breath, and said, "I told them that I have a girlfriend, and that I announced our relationship to her classmates at a wedding. Her family background is not good, and she is about to be sent to the countryside."
Li Yue sat frozen in the car, turned to look at him, too shocked to speak.
“My parents have no objection. As long as the military agrees, I can take her to the military base instead of letting her suffer in the Great Northern Wilderness.”
Li Yue's heart pounded as if it would leap out of her chest at any moment. She had great difficulty breathing, filled with surprise and confusion.
Ling Jianwei looked straight at him, her gaze sharp as a gleaming blade, yet filled with resentment: "You know who I'm talking about, aren't you going to say something?"
Li Yue adjusted her breathing and murmured in response, "But we were acting that time, it wasn't real."
"Could it be," his voice suddenly became deep and hoarse, "that you never considered turning this into a real-life affair?"
Li Yue shook her head.
She never thought of it.
The man's breath grew thinner, and he asked in a low voice, "Why?"
Li Yue: "We're not a good match."
...
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