Hearing this, Fu Wenzhou showed no particular reaction. His hand continued wiping the white stains from her lower abdomen as he calmly replied, “I don’t have an ex-wife.”
Ruan Qiaoqiao was stunned.
“What do you mean no ex-wife? Did those two sons of yours pop out of a rock?”
Fu Wenzhou stopped what he was doing and looked up at her directly.
That look…
It was a little intimidating.
Ruan Qiaoqiao shrank back slightly. “I was just… casually asking. Forget it if you don’t want to talk about it.”
Fu Wenzhou said in a low voice, “I already told you. You just didn’t believe me. I’ve never been married. The two children are my older brother’s sons. Something happened to him during the second half of last year, and there was no one to take care of the children, so they were sent to me.”
In her prophetic dream, Ruan Qiaoqiao had only seen fragments of the latter half of her own life. She knew very little about his current family situation.
“Then… why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“You never asked. Besides, what difference would it make?”
The marriage certificate was already signed, so it really didn’t make much difference, but…
“You’re marrying for the first time, while I’m divorced. Fu Wenzhou… you’re the one at a loss.”
“Then if you’re worried I’m suffering a loss, treat me better,” Fu Wenzhou said lightly. “Besides, what’s the point of your second marriage? You still don’t have any experience as a wife.”
Ruan Qiaoqiao: …
He really knew how to pour boiling water directly onto someone.
This topic couldn’t continue. Better change it.
“Then why do An’an and Kangkang call you Dad?”
The calmness in Fu Wenzhou’s eyes blended into the moonlight, making his emotions unreadable.
“People here look down on others to some extent. Children without parents get criticized even more. They’re still young. There’s no need for them to go through that.”
Ruan Qiaoqiao looked at him deeply.
This man… although he seemed to have two completely different sides, the side he showed to his own people was actually very good.
So as long as she stayed on the same side as him, maybe he truly wouldn’t care about what she had seen that night.
Noticing her staring at him for so long, Fu Wenzhou’s lips curved upward slightly as he leaned closer.
“Jiaojiao, why are you looking at me like that?”
Ruan Qiaoqiao froze. “What did you call me?”
“Jiaojiao. Isn’t that your nickname?”
Ruan Qiaoqiao remembered how Ruyi had called her Jiaojiao over and over tonight. He must have remembered it.
“It is my nickname.”
“Who gave it to you?” It suited her personality quite well—soft, delicate, and sweet.
“My grandfather originally wanted to name me Ruan Jiaojiao, but my grandmother was illiterate. When she went to register my birth in the village, she made a mistake, so I ended up with my current name. Jiaojiao became my nickname, and only people close to me call me that.”
Fu Wenzhou’s slender fingers lifted her chin lightly.
“Then isn’t it perfectly appropriate for me to call you that? In this world, probably no one has a relationship with you more intimate and closer than mine. Don’t you think so?”
“You… if you want to call me that, then do it. Why are you standing so close?” And why was he saying such strange things? They had only known each other for three days. Why act so clingy?
“Naturally because I want to test just how soft and delicate my Jiaojiao really is.”
As he spoke, the hand lifting her chin shifted into a gentle pinch, and he lowered his head to capture her lips once more.
Sure enough…
The more he tasted her, the softer Ruan Jiaojiao became.
“Mmph…”
Seriously? Again?
She pressed a hand against his shoulder and turned her face away, wanting to refuse, but Fu Wenzhou’s lips seemed to come with their own sense of direction. He followed her immediately, swallowing every word she had wanted to say.
After a long stretch of kisses and whispered affection, he pinned her down again and thoroughly tormented her.
How did this man have so much energy?
How had he endured over twenty years of this before marriage?
On the third night of their marriage, she once again fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, too exhausted to even keep her eyes open.
Early the next morning, the moment Ruan Qiaoqiao opened her eyes, she saw Fu Wenzhou still lying beside her, watching her.
When he saw she was awake, he greeted her in a good mood.
“Morning, Jiaojiao.”
Ruan Qiaoqiao pushed herself upright with both arms, and immediately the familiar soreness from yesterday morning returned throughout her body.
She sucked in a breath.
Fu Wenzhou sat up as well. “Still not used to it?”
Ruan Qiaoqiao shot him a glare. “What do you think?”
“Is Jiaojiao angry? Then let me massage you a little.”
As he spoke, he had already placed his hand on her shoulder, kneading gently.
Ruan Qiaoqiao immediately endured the soreness and moved away from him.
“No need.”
She raised her wrist to check the time.
“It’s almost six. Let’s get up, tidy up, eat, and prepare to head into the city.”
Fu Wenzhou nodded and got out of bed with her.
“Alright. I’ll listen to Jiaojiao.”
Looking at Fu Wenzhou’s gentle appearance now, then recalling how wild he had been last night…
Could it really be that she was the only person in the world who knew what kind of wicked heart hid beneath his refined exterior?
After breakfast, they sent the children to the production team, got a travel slip from the village chief, and headed to the neighboring village to catch a ride.
By the time they reached the city, it was nearly eight o’clock.
Since they only had the morning, they split up.
Fu Wenzhou would sell the medicinal herbs, while Ruan Qiaoqiao would go to the hospital interview. They agreed to meet at the supply and marketing cooperative at ten to buy a few things together before returning home.
When Ruan Qiaoqiao arrived at the hospital, she found An Ruyi, who brought her to the office building for the interview.
The questions the department heads asked would have been difficult for someone with weak medical knowledge, but for Ruan Qiaoqiao, they were easy.
By a little after nine, she had already passed the interview and even received notice that she could return in four days for the written exam.
An Ruyi walked her to the hospital entrance and handed her ration coupons she had specially exchanged with several coworkers that morning.
When Ruan Qiaoqiao arrived at the supply cooperative, Fu Wenzhou had not arrived yet, so she wandered around by herself first.
The children’s clothes were clean but old. Especially Kangkang’s pants—the knees were nearly worn through from his constant playing around.
She bought some fabric, planning to make new clothes for Fu Wenzhou and the children.
Just as she finished folding the cloth, a gentle female voice came from beside her.
“Little Sister Qiaoqiao?”
Ruan Qiaoqiao turned to look at the unfamiliar face and frowned.
Who was this?
Fortunately, she quickly noticed the square-faced man beside the woman with thick eyebrows and large eyes who looked somewhat familiar.
Realization dawned on her.
Oh. Su Mai and Duan Fangya again.
Both of them had changed clothes, no wonder she hadn’t recognized them immediately.
Still, were these two really so idle? She had only come to the city twice and had already run into them both times.
Should she call herself unlucky?
She casually brushed the loose strands of hair beside her ear behind it and looked at them indifferently.
“What? Do you need something from me?”
Duan Fangya had been smiling and about to say something, but the moment she noticed the watch on Ruan Qiaoqiao’s wrist, her expression changed in shock, and she abruptly changed the topic.
“Where did you get that watch?”