Shen Qingqing had been injured on the train.
When he pulled her like that, it tugged at her wound again, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.
Jiang Zhixun thought Shen Qingqing was throwing a tantrum at him, so he gripped her hand even tighter.
They quickly walked out of the cafeteria.
Lin Fengmian, who had been left standing there, finally snapped back to reality. Her eyes turned red and swollen, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Still unable to believe it, she muttered to herself, “Brother Jiang… how is he already married?”
Not wanting to be made a spectacle of, Lin Zhidong picked up his lunchbox and led his sister home.
“Even if he weren’t married, the two of you would never work out.”
“How is that impossible? He ignores all the other female comrades, but when I talk to him, he actually responds. Last time he came to our house, not only did he eat the meal I cooked, but he also bought me malted milk powder!”
Lin Zhidong’s mouth twitched. “He responds to you because of your brother’s face. He ate your cooking because he was a guest and had no other choice. And that malted milk powder—Old Jiang didn’t buy it specially for you. Don’t go spouting nonsense, or word will get around and cause misunderstandings.”
Having just learned that the man she liked suddenly had a wife, Lin Fengmian was already upset enough.
But now her own brother was scolding her too.
She burst into tears. “I just like Brother Jiang! Can’t that Shen woman go back to wherever she came from and stop getting in our way?”
Lin Zhidong was taken aback by his sister’s words.
He scolded her sternly, “They’re a married couple. Whether they stay or go is their business. Don’t you meddle in it. And don’t ever say things like that again, and stop pining over Old Jiang.”
Before, when he thought Old Jiang was single, it was one thing. But now that he knew the man had a wife, his sister still wanted to like him.
That wouldn’t do!
Lin Fengmian sobbed, choking on her tears. “But… but Brother Jiang never once mentioned that Shen woman. That means he doesn’t like her. He’s not young anymore—maybe he was forced by his family to marry her.”
“That still has nothing to do with you.”
Lin Zhidong’s expression grew even more serious. “Some mistakes can’t be made, or they’ll ruin your entire life!”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
The more Lin Fengmian thought about it, the sadder she became. “I really do like Brother Jiang.”
Lin Zhidong knew his sister’s temperament—stubborn as an ox.
He said bluntly, “Old Jiang never talked about his relationship with Comrade Shen, but he’s already clearly rejected you. If you keep making a scene, that’s on you.”
“Comrade Shen came all the way from the capital. Who knows how much hardship she endured on such a long journey. You didn’t even understand the situation before making things difficult for her in the cafeteria. Next time you see her, you should apologize.”
“Are you even my real brother? You’re siding with an outsider!”
Lin Fengmian glared at Lin Zhidong.
Her eyes were full of accusation.
Lin Zhidong felt he was being wronged. “If I weren’t your real brother, why would I even bother advising you?”
When it came to matters of principle, Lin Zhidong couldn’t just sit on the fence.
She was his only sister. If she stirred up serious trouble, her life really would be ruined.
He cleared his throat. “If you can’t let this go, then go back to our hometown for a while. Once you’ve sorted yourself out, we’ll find you a suitable man.”
Hearing this, Lin Fengmian stopped crying.
Their hometown was in the countryside, with harsh conditions. How could that compare to the easy life of looking after children in the family compound?
She wiped her tears and asked irritably, “If I leave, who’s going to help you take care of Xiaobao?”
Lin Zhidong thought about it seriously. “We’ll hire one of the sisters-in-law in the compound to help look after him for a few years.”
“That’s just wasting money!”
“Better than taking advantage of someone.”
Lin Zhidong felt that compared to letting his sister cause a major disaster, this was a perfectly good solution!
“Don’t even think about it. I’m not going back to the countryside!”
…
On the other side, Jiang Zhixun led Shen Qingqing to a secluded spot.
The moment he let go, Shen Qingqing instinctively clutched her arm. Because of the pain, her right hand was stiff.
Her slender brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of pain passed through her eyes.
Jiang Zhixun’s deep, dark eyes narrowed.
He took a step closer to Shen Qingqing. “What’s wrong with your hand?”
“It’s nothing.”
Perhaps because they had been apart for so long, or perhaps because she had decided to give up on this marriage, Shen Qingqing began to resist Jiang Zhixun’s closeness.
Seeing her take a step back, Jiang Zhixun’s jaw tightened even more.
“Shen Qingqing, this is not the time for tantrums.”
Shen Qingqing let out a bitter laugh at his words.
“Is everything I do, in your eyes, just a tantrum?”
Every decision she made was calm and deliberate.
The only time she had lost her head was when she knew Jiang Zhixun didn’t like her, yet still went along with the matchmaking of their elders and got the marriage certificate with him.
Three years had passed, and she already regretted it.
Every time she received Jiang Zhixun’s remittance, besides regret, she also felt guilt.
Being bound by someone who didn’t love you—it must be suffocating, right?
Since neither of them was happy, they might as well part ways sooner rather than later!
Looking straight into Jiang Zhixun’s eyes, Shen Qingqing said slowly and deliberately, “I won’t throw tantrums at you anymore. Once the paperwork is done, I won’t see you again for the rest of my life.”
In Jiang Zhixun’s memory, Shen Qingqing was an obedient, well-behaved young woman.
This was the first time she had looked at him with such cold eyes and spoken to him in such an icy tone.
Jiang Zhixun inexplicably felt uneasy, and even a little flustered.
But he didn’t think too deeply about it, assuming Shen Qingqing meant she would be returning to the capital city soon.
They would go back to how they were before—living apart, no longer seeing each other.
His hand hanging at his side brushed against his leg.
Finally, he asked dryly, “Are you hurt? Let me see.”
As he spoke, he shielded her from the cold wind with his body and moved to undo Shen Qingqing’s scarf and coat.
Shen Qingqing turned her body away. “It’s none of your business.”
The man’s slender, well-defined fingers froze. The expression he had just managed to soften turned cold and hard once again.
“Fine. Don’t let me look, then.”
Before Shen Qingqing could say anything, she was grabbed by her left hand.
“Then we’re going to the hospital. Let a doctor examine you.”
Shen Qingqing had slender limbs. Even through her coat, the man could clamp his hand tightly around her forearm with just one grip.
His strength was considerable—no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t pull her hand free.
Being dragged forward, Shen Qingqing’s pretty face flushed red with anger.
Moments ago, he couldn’t get far enough away from her, and now he wouldn’t let her go.
“Jiang Zhixun, are you out of your mind?!”
The man turned back and shot her a cold, sharp look. “Even if you don’t want to go back to the capital, there’s no need to wreck your health over it.”
Shen Qingqing’s expression turned even uglier. “You think I did this on purpose?”
Jiang Zhixun scoffed. “I never said that. Don’t go pinning that on me—next thing you know, you’ll be crying and blaming me for it.”
Shen Qingqing didn’t know what was wrong with her. Ever since she’d seen Jiang Zhixun, the grievance in her heart had been overwhelming.
She wasn’t the type to cry at the slightest thing, but right now, with just a hint of harshness in Jiang Zhixun’s tone, she couldn’t hold back the urge to weep.
Shen Qingqing wanted to tell Jiang Zhixun that she was sick.
That her memory would only get worse, and that one day, she might forget him entirely.
That the time they had left together was only a few short days.
Once the divorce papers were signed, they would have nothing to do with each other anymore.
Just a few days—couldn’t they just get along peacefully?
The words reached her lips, then were swallowed back down.
She didn’t need Jiang Zhixun’s pity.
Knowing him, if he found out she was sick, he might refuse to divorce her.
That wasn’t the outcome she wanted.
Her chest felt stuffed with cotton, the weight spreading up to her throat.
Shen Qingqing was in terrible discomfort.
She wanted to get away from Jiang Zhixun, to calm herself down.
Sensing that Shen Qingqing was still struggling, Jiang Zhixun threatened coldly, “Keep it up, and I’ll take you to the train station right now.”