The man in the driver’s seat kept his eyes on the road, driving with focused attention.
He Ruchu sat in the passenger seat, leaning back and staring blankly ahead. Her wandering gaze somehow landed on the man’s hands.
His shirt sleeves were still rolled up, exposing half of his forearms. They looked strong and well-defined, with smooth, powerful muscle lines.
The veins on the back of his hands stood out clearly, his fingers long and slender, his knuckles distinct.
Just those hands alone were enough to make one’s heart flutter.
He Ruchu couldn’t help wondering what kind of girl would be able to intertwine her fingers with his and hold his hand so closely.
Someone like the novel’s heroine?
Sigh, she felt a little jealous.
She shook her head, driving away those random thoughts.
Feeling bored, she casually asked, “Shen Siyuan, when my dad called you over earlier, what did he say?”
Shen Siyuan glanced at her indifferently and ignored the question.
He Ruchu pouted. Men really were petty.
Still, even if he didn’t answer, she could more or less guess. It was probably nothing more than a father-in-law’s advice and warnings.
“Oh, right.” Remembering something, she secretly glanced at him. “How’s your injury? Does driving affect it at all?”
A faint blush flashed across Shen Siyuan’s face as he coldly replied, “Be quiet.”
He Ruchu fell silent at once.
His injury was probably the last thing he wanted anyone to mention.
With the annoyed man refusing to talk, she turned her attention to the scenery outside the window.
Early-1980s Kyoto already showed signs of the prosperity it would have in later years.
Buses traveled back and forth along the wide asphalt roads, and from time to time sedans and jeeps passed by.
Pedestrians came and went. Among them were fashionable young men and women who formed a beautiful sight of their own.
Shops lined both sides of the street, and occasional vendors could be seen doing business.
As for the food stalls, she had no idea what they were selling, but the delicious aroma drifted from far away.
Suddenly, He Ruchu felt hungry.
She rummaged through the food her mother had packed for her and pulled out a small bag of meat pastries to fill her stomach.
Whether they were homemade or bought from a shop, the pastries were small and exquisite, with thin wrappers and generous fillings. One bite was enough to finish each piece.
He Ruchu ate happily, but Shen Siyuan, who was driving, suffered because of it.
He had received an urgent notice to return to his unit, so he had been busy since before dawn.
First, he filled out and submitted their marriage application. Then he made one phone call after another, using connections to speed up the approval process. Finally, he rushed to the marriage registration office and found someone to help process their certificate.
Afterward, he hurried with his family to the He residence.
By now, he was already starving.
The aroma of the meat pastries in the woman’s hand only made things worse.
His thoughts became a little muddled. He had no idea where those pastries came from, but they smelled unbelievably tempting.
As if acting on their own, his eyes kept drifting toward her again and again.
Before long, He Ruchu noticed his repeated glances.
Knowing his cold personality, she wondered whether the sound of her eating was bothering him.
Since she was almost full anyway, she looked at the remaining pastries in her hand and quietly put them away.
Forget it. She could eat the rest later.
Shen Siyuan: “…”
Watching her actions from the corner of his eye made him want to grit his teeth.
The fragrance of the pastries still lingered in the air.
He tried not to pay attention, but at that very moment, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.
It was only a faint sound, but inside the silent car, it seemed amplified countless times.
A deeper shade of red appeared on the man’s sharply handsome face.
An unfamiliar sense of embarrassment rose from within him.
For a brief moment, he genuinely wanted to cover the woman’s ears.
Hearing the series of growls, He Ruchu instinctively looked at him.
Then it finally dawned on her that she had misunderstood.
Quickly, she took out the remaining pastries and held them toward him.
“Um… would you like some?”
Shen Siyuan instinctively wanted to refuse. How could he eat something given to him by this woman?
But his hand refused to listen.
It reached out toward her on its own.
Before he realized it, the pastry was already at his lips.
After a fierce internal struggle, Shen Siyuan finally gave in and started eating.
Watching him maintain his stern expression while eating, He Ruchu found him strangely adorable.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she thought to herself:
What an tsundere man.
If you want to eat, just say so. What’s there to be embarrassed about?
There weren’t many pastries left, and he finished them quickly.
Worried that he still wasn’t full, He Ruchu began searching for other food.
At that moment, his voice sounded beside her.
“No need.”
He stopped her.
One of her eyebrows rose slightly.
How rare. Someone was finally willing to speak.
“You’re really not eating anymore? Are you full?”
“Mm.”
The man nodded, speaking as sparingly as ever.
Seeing that, He Ruchu gave up looking and lazily leaned back against her seat.
Once the car left the city, an entirely different landscape unfolded before them.
Green fields stretched endlessly along both sides of the road.
The blue sky seemed boundless, dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting leisurely overhead.
It looked exactly like summer in a shoujo manga.
Half-closing her eyes, He Ruchu admired the scenery along the way.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, warming her pleasantly.
Before long, the early wake-up caught up with her.
Drowsiness overtook her, and she gradually drifted into sleep.
Hearing the steady rhythm of her breathing, Shen Siyuan couldn’t help glancing sideways.
At some point, she had fallen asleep quietly against the seat.
His gaze lingered on her delicate face for several seconds.
He couldn’t help thinking:
When this woman is asleep, she actually looks quite well-behaved.
At the military compound.
After seeing the young couple off,
the Shen family chatted with He Ruchu’s parents for a while longer before taking their leave.
Back home, Mother Shen sat down on the sofa to rest.
Hearing the commotion, Xie Qingwan immediately came downstairs.
“Mom.”
She greeted Mother Shen sweetly and sat beside her.
Mother Shen smiled.
“Don’t you have work this morning?”
Xie Qingwan was still a nurse at Kyoto Hospital.
Of course, Mother Shen had used her connections to help her secure such a good job.
“No. I’m on the evening shift today,” Xie Qingwan replied obediently.
Then, unable to contain herself, she quickly asked,
“Mom, is Brother Siyuan really going to marry He Ruchu?”
Mother Shen sighed.
“Your brother has already registered his marriage with that girl from the He family.”
“What? They’ve already registered?”
Xie Qingwan’s eyes widened instantly in disbelief.
How could this happen?
Why?
Her voice rose several pitches.
“Weren’t you just going over to discuss it? How did they get their marriage certificate in the blink of an eye?”
Mother Shen frowned.
“Child, why are you making such a fuss?”
Seeing her expression, Xie Qingwan forcibly suppressed the turmoil in her heart and calmed herself.
“Mom, I… I just didn’t expect Brother Siyuan to get married so suddenly.
I got too emotional and didn’t pay attention. It won’t happen again.”
Mother Shen nodded.
“Young ladies should be gentle and virtuous.”
“I understand, Mom.”
After responding, Xie Qingwan still couldn’t help asking,
“Mom, why was Brother Siyuan in such a hurry to get the marriage certificate?”