If you were to ask what kind of marriage Sang Xiao ideally wanted, it would probably be something like the current one: she had completed the task given by her parents, she didn’t have to raise children, she didn’t have to look after her in-laws, and she didn’t even have to face her newly wedded wife.
No, she wasn’t newly wedded anymore. More than three months had passed since they got married, and Kuang Qingshang had been gone for almost two months. Although they kept in touch with occasional phone calls, it didn’t affect Sang Xiao’s free life in the slightest.
Sometimes, Sang Xiao would wonder, is this really what marriage is like? Especially for a marriage of convenience like theirs, which was completely devoid of emotional foundation. Sang Xiao’s college friends would occasionally miss their single life and complain about their husbands and mothers-in-law after getting married, but Sang Xiao had no such worries.
Feng Shu was probably the best mother-in-law; Sang Xiao went home to accompany her sister on weekends, and occasionally went to have dinner with the old master—it was very simple, just dinner, nothing more.
Although Kuang Xun didn’t talk much, he somehow felt very reliable. While Kuang Qingshang occasionally behaved a little strangely, when she wasn’t home, Sang Xiao didn’t feel anything at all.
“What are you thinking about? So engrossed?”
Sang Xiao snapped back to reality. “Sister Xu Jia, how do you and your wife usually interact?”
After Bian Yan went on a business trip, Sang Xiao didn’t even have a companion for watching movies. As autumn set in and the weather gradually turned colder, Xu Jia seized the opportunity to go mountain climbing before winter arrived and invited Sang Xiao along when she learned she was free.
Although Sang Xiao had known Xu Jia for a long time, they weren’t particularly close. It might also be because Xu Jia was five years older than her, and Sang Xiao always felt she was a senior, treating her somewhat like an elder.
Xu Jia pressed her hand to her forehead. “It’s been so long, and you’re still obsessing over this problem?”
Sang Xiao felt embarrassed, whispering, “Yes.”
She was just a little confused and curious if other people’s arranged marriages were as simple as hers and Kuang Qingshang’s. It just felt too easy.
Xu Jia folded her arms. “Your wife is busy. When she comes back to find me, it’s usually for…”
It was for those few things in bed, and of course, not just those two or three things.
She didn’t elaborate. Sang Xiao wasn’t the same kind of person as them; she and her wife were somewhat similar, and their circle of friends were also the same kind of people.
Actually, Xu Jia was relatively normal before marriage. She never expected her arranged marriage partner to have that kind of fetish, and she didn’t know if the other party had psychological issues or other reasons, but they pursued stimulating intimacy, and not just physically, but psychologically. It was said that her wife initially wanted to control it but couldn’t, so she ultimately gave up on controlling it. Xu Jia initially treated it as trying out something new, but slowly, she also got drawn into it, finding it very stimulating!
Sang Xiao curiously asked, “Such as?”
Xu Jia cleared her throat. “Ahem, such as the intimate things between wives, and I go over when her parents need me, and it’s the same on my side. We don’t interfere with each other otherwise.”
Sang Xiao nodded. Well, apart from the lack of a sex life, she and Kuang Qingshang’s relationship was similar to Xu Jia’s. That reassured her.
The mountain they visited today was a scenic spot, and even though it was just a weekend, there were many people. Sang Xiao even ran into an acquaintance—Chengcheng’s mother, who had brought little Chengcheng to play.
Su Xiao, Chengcheng’s mother, was probably the parent Sang Xiao was most familiar with. They shared the same name, and since Chengcheng was always the last to leave, Sang Xiao could talk to Su Xiao about Chengcheng almost every day. Furthermore, after Chengcheng fell ill last time, Su Xiao even invited Sang Xiao to dinner, though Sang Xiao declined.
“Teacher Sang!” Little Chengcheng was dressed very cutely, following her mother like a miniature adult, but she became very excited when she saw Sang Xiao. She really liked Teacher Sang.
Sang Xiao squatted down, suppressing the urge to pinch her cheeks. “Chengcheng is also here for a climb.”
Chengcheng nodded. “Uh-huh!”
Su Xiao tucked her hair behind her ear, looking embarrassed. “Actually, we took the cable car up. The little one got tired after walking for a bit.”
Chengcheng shyly said, “Mom!”
Su Xiao replied, “Didn’t the teacher tell you not to lie? You should be an honest child.”
Little Chengcheng’s face puffed up in annoyance.
Sang Xiao felt a flush on her face for no reason, and she exchanged a nervous glance with Xu Jia, who was standing beside her. Actually, Sang Xiao also took the cable car up; she didn’t have Kuang Qingshang’s excellent stamina.
In any case, Chengcheng clung to Sang Xiao and wouldn’t leave. She was often aloof towards Sang Xiao in the kindergarten, but became very enthusiastic when they met outside.
Seeing this, Xu Jia patted Sang Xiao’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow and smiling. “Sang Sang, you guys chat, I’ll go check out that area.”
Su Xiao held Chengcheng’s hand, feeling quite awkward. Sang Xiao, however, didn’t overthink it. The two adults and one child walked together for a while. It was then that Sang Xiao learned that Su Xiao was in the early stages of starting her own business and was very busy. Since she was a single mother, she personally picked up and dropped off her child most of the time.
After parting ways with Chengcheng and her mother, Sang Xiao unexpectedly ran into Feng Shu and Kuang Xun again. And Feng Shu brought bad news.
Sang Xiao had thought Kuang Qingshang wouldn’t be back until at least the end of the year, because she specifically looked it up online: the season starts in October, and the finals don’t end until May.
Now, Feng Shu actually gave her an early heads-up, saying that Kuang Qingshang’s first phase of the competition was over, and she had nearly a month of free time afterward. Although it was meant for preparing for the second phase, it could loosely be considered an athlete’s off-season, allowing her to go home and relax appropriately.
Sang Xiao: “…”
Why is Kuang Qingshang coming back again!
Hasn’t she only been gone for two months?
Sang Xiao was completely clueless about sports events and had no interest in them. She always thought Kuang Qingshang would be as busy as before, so she never expected her to have so much free time. It was said that the actual off-season after the league ends could last several months. Ambitious teams would be very busy, attending various training camps and competitions in preparation for entering the national team, but now it seemed Kuang Qingshang probably wouldn’t go.
As if knowing Sang Xiao’s thoughts, Feng Shu explained, “Actually, Qingshang doesn’t love playing basketball as much as you think.”
Sang Xiao was even more puzzled. Even she, an outsider, knew that playing basketball was tough work, and for many, it was a short-lived career. Even the most famous sports stars have many hidden injuries.
Since Kuang Qingshang didn’t love playing basketball and her family wasn’t short of money, why did she insist on playing basketball? Sang Xiao didn’t know; she only knew that Kuang Qingshang was strange in every way.
After the mountain climb, Sang Xiao’s good mood vanished, and she frequently lost focus when Bian Yan called her.
Bian Yan: “Sang Sang, focus.”
Sang Xiao: “What did you just say?”
Bian Yan: “Come pick me up at six.”
Sang Xiao: “Uh-huh, don’t worry.”
Bian Yan: “Waiting for you, my dear.”
Meanwhile, Kuang Xun, who came to look for Sang Xiao but didn’t find her, was sending a message to Kuang Qingshang with good news: “Sis, Sis-in-law went to the airport.”
Kuang Qingshang: “Did you tell her I was coming?”
Kuang Xun: “No, maybe Mom told her. They ran into each other when they went mountain climbing yesterday. Auntie Li also said she went to the airport.”
Kuang Qingshang: “Mhm, I know.”
Bian Yan was an outdoor photographer who flew all over the world and was often on business trips. Sang Xiao drove her beloved Beetle car and spent nearly an hour arriving at the airport. The arrival hall was bustling with people, and Sang Xiao looked left and right but didn’t see the familiar figure until someone gently tapped her on the shoulder.
She jumped in surprise and quickly turned around.
And then she was completely stunned.
The person behind her was not Bian Yan, but Kuang Qingshang, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Kuang Qingshang was wearing a trench coat, tall with long legs, and very eye-catching. She was silently standing in front of Sang Xiao, pulling a black suitcase.
Sang Xiao: “…”
Kuang Qingshang saw Sang Xiao just staring blankly at her and spoke up as a reminder. “Let’s go.”
Her voice held an undisguised sense of pleasure.
Sang Xiao shook her head. “I haven’t picked up the person yet.”
Kuang Qingshang: “…”
Kuang Qingshang: “You’re not here to pick me up?”
There was a slight shift in the usually cold voice.
Sang Xiao knew Kuang Qingshang misunderstood, and she hadn’t expected to run into Kuang Qingshang here; she wasn’t mentally prepared. She honestly shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m not.”
Kuang Qingshang’s fingers tightened on the handle of her suitcase, and she said expressionlessly, “Then I’ll leave first.”
She could have suggested waiting together, but for some inexplicable reason, she didn’t want to. Sang Xiao was actually quite afraid that Kuang Qingshang might suggest waiting with her.
Kuang Qingshang pulled her suitcase and, with long strides, walked directly out of the arrival hall.
After Kuang Qingshang left, Sang Xiao belatedly realized it. Was she angry? But she genuinely didn’t know Kuang Qingshang was coming today; she was here to pick up Bian Yan.
Sang Xiao was lost in thought when she heard the sound of suitcase wheels on the ground. Bian Yan reached out and hugged her. “Let’s go.”
Sang Xiao instinctively flinched in surprise, then allowed Bian Yan to hug her. “Where did you pop out from? I didn’t see you at all just now, and I was about to text you my location.”
Bian Yan gestured to her suitcase. “It took a bit of time picking up the checked luggage. As for texting, it was completely unnecessary because I could spot you right away.”
Sang Xiao: “Your eyesight is really good.”
Bian Yan: “Because you’re the smallest one here, you come with built-in GPS.”
Sang Xiao: “…” Was that how Kuang Qingshang managed to spot her immediately just now, too?
Bian Yan: “Why are you so distracted?”
Sang Xiao: “I ran into Kuang Qingshang just now.”
She then recounted what happened. Bian Yan thought for a moment, then waved her hand dismissively. “Who cares about her? Let’s go eat first. If worse comes to worst, you can hide out at my place tonight.”
Sang Xiao was a little unconvinced, saying, “Her being back doesn’t affect my freedom.”
After having dinner with Bian Yan at a restaurant, Sang Xiao bravely and proudly returned home, seeing Kuang Qingshang already changed and sitting in the living room. She felt inexplicably guilty.
Kuang Qingshang seemed to be in a bad mood, her face tight. Seeing Sang Xiao finally return, she raised her eyes. “You’re back?”
There was a feeling of an impending storm. Sang Xiao responded with an “Mhm” and prepared to slip away.
“I’m going back to my room first.”
Kuang Qingshang, however, called out to her. “Stop.”
Sang Xiao didn’t want to obey, but her feet involuntarily froze. She tensed her body and stiffly turned around. Kuang Qingshang had already stood up and walked toward her. Sang Xiao looked up at Kuang Qingshang’s expressionless face and instantly felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Kuang Qingshang wouldn’t be about to interrogate her, would she? But she hadn’t done anything wrong.
Sang Xiao’s mind raced chaotically, and her face gradually turned pale.
Kuang Qingshang looked at Sang Xiao’s dramatically shifting facial expressions and said with some helplessness, “I brought you a present. What are you scared of?”
Sang Xiao’s eyes widened. “…”