Sheng Yunshu did not agree, but she did not deny it either. Instead, she let go of her hand, walked to the living room, sat on the sofa, and sighed.
For the first time, she could somewhat empathize with how Sheng Qingshan must feel.
“Jingxing, she and I have already registered our marriage.”
Sheng Yunshu looked up at her, her tone gentle. “No matter what happens in the future, I am her wife. There are some things you should not ask about.”
Ji Jingxing was not deterred by her words and stepped quickly in front of her. “That is not what I am concerned about! Are you actually sick? Is it serious? Why are you not going to the hospital for treatment? Is there really no reliable treatment plan available? You should go.”
“Jingxing.”
Sheng Yunshu interrupted her.
Looking at her suddenly reddened eyes, Sheng Yunshu felt a hint of helplessness. She reached out her hand.
Ji Jingxing was confused but placed her own hand over it.
A few years ago, Sheng Yunshu loved getting manicures. Whenever she was on a variety show playing games, she would have Ji Jingxing carry things for her, fearing she might ruin her nails. Now, she had started growing out her natural nails, using less nail polish, and her clean fingertips were tinted a faint pink.
She held Ji Jingxing’s hand without applying much pressure.
“Listen to me,” Sheng Yunshu’s voice was calm. “I am indeed sick, but I have not been hiding it or avoiding treatment; it is just that there are some things for which doing them will not lead to a good result.”
Her words were practically a confession. Ji Jingxing’s fingers trembled slightly in her palm.
“What is the illness?”
“Pheromone gene chain dissociation syndrome.”
She had never heard of it. The unease in Ji Jingxing’s heart grew heavier. She opened her mouth, and it took a long time before she could make a sound.
“How much time do you have left?”
Sheng Yunshu pondered for a moment, squeezed her hand, and pulled her to sit beside her. Then, she told her in a light tone.
“Soon.”
The word hit Ji Jingxing like a dizzying blow. She gripped Sheng Yunshu’s hand tightly, her eyes filled with unwillingness.
“How is that possible? You are so young. How many hospitals have you seen? Have you contacted doctors in other federations? Are you taking medication? Have you been staying home all this time? If you know you are sick, why not go to the hospital? What is the point of staying at home?”
Ji Jingxing used almost all her remaining strength to utter these words.
She slowly leaned down, her forehead pressing against the back of Sheng Yunshu’s hand, tears sliding down.
She knew she was indulging in delusions.
Since Sheng Qingshan knew about this, she must have already exhausted every method to find a path to survival. Naturally, Sheng Qingshan would not have let go of any possibility she could think of.
But how could she accept this? Sheng Yunshu was only thirty-four. She was just thirty-four, having finally gotten together with the person she liked, and they were about to hold their wedding. Why did she have to suffer all this?
Sheng Yunshu looked at the girl who was losing control of her emotions, a long-lost bitterness welling up in her heart.
“Jingxing, stop crying.”
Sheng Yunshu patted her shoulder lightly, looking down at those wet eyes, her smile so tender it felt heartbreaking.
“Jingxing, you are twenty this year. Do not waste any more time on me; I cannot give you what you want.”
Ji Jingxing held her hand tightly, tears wetting her temples, choking out, “I do not want it anymore. I do not want anything. I just want you to be safe, as long as you are safe. Aunt, please do not let anything happen to you. Aunt.”
After getting these words out, Ji Jingxing buried her head and wept bitterly.
Sheng Yunshu patted her shoulder to soothe her while simultaneously reflecting on what she might have done to make Jingxing think this way.
When Sheng Qingshan returned, this was the scene she saw. Sheng Yunshu was sitting on the sofa, Ji Jingxing was hugging her with her head resting on her shoulder, crying until her shoulders shook, while Sheng Yunshu was patting her back, just like coaxing a child who had been wronged.
01 stood to the side, acting as a mute paper-tissue holder.
Sheng Qingshan’s steps were hesitant.
“Jingxing? What is wrong?”
There were so many people in her house; why had she come here to cry?
Upon seeing Sheng Qingshan, Ji Jingxing subconsciously hugged Sheng Yunshu tighter, but seeing the helplessness in Sheng Yunshu’s eyes, she pursed her lips and reluctantly let her go.
“Aunt Qingshan.”
Ji Jingxing stood up and greeted Sheng Qingshan, her voice extremely hoarse. “I heard you are getting married, so I came to congratulate you.”
Sheng Yunshu leaned her head back and sighed softly.
This child, could she not even tell a lie properly?
Sheng Qingshan’s gaze swept back and forth between the two. She handed the snack box in her hand to 01, took off her coat, and walked behind Sheng Yunshu, looking down at the girl with the tear-reddened face.
“Thank you. Would you like to stay for dinner?”
Ji Jingxing shook her head and glanced at Sheng Yunshu again. “I wish you both a happy marriage. I will not disturb you any further.”
“All right, take care on your way.”
After Ji Jingxing left, Sheng Qingshan reached out to cup Sheng Yunshu’s face. “Did she find out you are sick? Did you tell her? Is there anything uncomfortable today?”
Sheng Yunshu lifted her face and muttered, “She guessed it herself. You know as well as I do that Jingxing has been clever since she was a child! No, I just have no energy and do not want to move.”
Hearing this, Sheng Qingshan became nervous. She lowered her palm, pressed two fingers against the pulse on her neck, and leaned down, pressing her forehead against hers to confirm her temperature was normal before relaxing slightly.
But before she could give any instructions, Sheng Yunshu suddenly lifted her face and planted a very quick kiss on her cheek.
Sheng Qingshan stood up abruptly and took two steps back. “What are you doing?”
Watching her startled expression, Sheng Yunshu lay across the sofa, twisting her waist, and hummed softly. “Taking advantage of you.”
“Do not do this next time.”
“I do not want to!” Sheng Yunshu flipped over and knelt on the sofa. Instead of admitting her mistake, she spread her arms toward her. “Hold me, I am so tired, I cannot walk.”
Sheng Qingshan looked at the woman with her arms outstretched toward her, her brow knitting into a shallow knot.
“Walk by yourself.”
Sheng Yunshu refused, stretching her arms further forward like a cat stretching, her posture lazy and righteous. “I cannot walk, did you not hear me? I have no strength. If you do not hold me, I will not eat, and I will just sleep here tonight.”
The two of them stood in a stalemate for a few seconds.
The stalemate ultimately ended with Sheng Qingshan’s compromise.
“La la la.”
Sheng Yunshu leaned against her shoulder, her lower legs swinging restlessly. “Sister, did you miss me today?”
Sheng Qingshan did not want to bother with her.
“If you do not bother with me, I will not eat! I will not eat tonight, I will not eat tomorrow, I will not eat the day after, just let me starve to death!”
“I did.” Sheng Qingshan adjusted the person in her arms. “How old are you this year? Are you not childish?”
Sheng Yunshu reached out to scratch her chin. “So what? Anyway, if I do not eat, you are the one who will be worried.”
“Behave yourself.”
“Hmph, you are so stingy! I want to touch!”
“Sheng Yunshu.”
“You are not allowed to call me by my full name! You are always trying to scare people; do you not think you are childish!”
Sheng Qingshan often had no way to deal with her.
Because of Sheng Yunshu’s physical condition, the wedding arrived quickly, but it was not rushed, and the entire ceremony could be described as extravagant.
Initially, when choosing the planning proposal, Sheng Yunshu had considered Sheng Qingshan’s work and wanted something simple, at least something that would not make people think it was flaunting wealth at first glance.
Sheng Qingshan saw through her intentions and directly drew a standard line, refusing to accept any plan with a total price lower than that line.
Sheng Yunshu laughingly called her a dictator, but she felt sweet inside.
She was someone who could not hide her feelings. When she had something good, she wanted to show it off, not to mention that marrying Sheng Qingshan was something that would make her laugh even when she thought about it in her coffin. She naturally wanted to announce it to the world.
However, that was indeed not possible. She could only log into social platforms and secretly post a photo of her hand shielding her face from the sun, with the caption:
“It is so bright.”
The diamond ring customized specifically for her on her ring finger sparkled under the sunlight.
That post quickly sparked an uproar online, with people speculating whether she was in love.
Sheng Yunshu leaned against Sheng Qingshan’s shoulder, flipping through the comments, wanting very much to reply.
“Yes, I am married.”
But she only dared to think about that in her heart. Showing off too much leads to a quick downfall. If the public dug up that the person she married was Sheng Qingshan, Sheng Qingshan would become busy again.
“Yunshu, do you want to rest for a while?” Sheng Qingshan wrapped her arm around her waist, her gaze occasionally glancing at her left leg.
Originally, after reading the vows, Sheng Qingshan had wanted to take her to the lounge to rest, but Sheng Yunshu refused.
“I still have several sets of toasting dresses that I have not worn yet!” She lifted her face and looked at Sheng Qingshan, her eyes bright and shiny. “Sister, you are so beautiful today, I love it!”
Sheng Qingshan smiled slightly. “You are the most beautiful.”
“Then do you love me?” Sheng Yunshu leaned in closer on purpose.
Sheng Qingshan knew what she was asking, but she had no way to give her an answer.
The ring on her ring finger had been on for less than half an hour, and all the guests in the hall were congratulating them and celebrating their new marriage, but after reading the vows, she was unable to kiss her wife’s lips.
Sheng Qingshan took a glass of champagne from the waiter’s tray, took a silent sip, and did not answer.
A flash of disappointment crossed Sheng Yunshu’s eyes, but she quickly cheered up again, shook her arm, and urged her to go toast.
The elders had already been toasted, and now it was time for friends.
Unexpectedly, Sheng Yanzhou was actually with Ji Xi and the others.
Seeing the surprise on Sheng Yunshu’s face, Sheng Yanzhou took the initiative to toast her. “I was afraid you would not find me, so this makes it convenient. Sister, Sister-in-law, happy wedding.”
Even though the injury on her body had healed, seeing this face up close still made Sheng Yunshu unable to control her inner fear, and the hand holding the wine glass began to tremble.
Sensing her unusual behavior, the smile on Sheng Yanzhou’s face grew even wider.
Shi Yun, standing to the side, felt annoyed by everything here and refused to communicate with anyone, just wanting to leave as soon as possible.
“Yunshu,” Sheng Qingshan hugged her tighter, lowering her head to soothe her in a low voice. “It is okay, do not be afraid. She does not dare to lay a hand on you again.”
Sheng Yunshu said nothing, only sticking closer to Sheng Qingshan.
The originally soothing behavior changed in flavor in the eyes of those who did not know the inside story.
“Qingshan, you really have done a big thing without a sound.” Ji Xi looked at their intimate stance and spoke first. “No wonder when I said I would introduce you to someone before, you refused no matter what. It turns out your heart was already owned.”
Before Sheng Qingshan could speak, Cheng Nuo, who was next to her, pushed Ji Xi and corrected her. “It was after spending this time together that she discovered the right person was right by her side.”
Ji Xi came back to her senses. “Oh, oh, that is how it is. Anyway, I wish you a happy marriage for a hundred years and a union that lasts forever.”
Cheng Nuo smiled and continued. “A perfect match and harmony in your marriage.”
Looking at the sincerely happy smile on Ji Xi’s face, Sheng Qingshan lowered her eyelids and showed a smile. “Thank you, you too.”
Sheng Yunshu took another look at Cheng Nuo.
Cheng Nuo had helped quite a bit with this wedding. She was so enthusiastic that Sheng Yunshu almost wanted to tell her the truth.
Soon, Lu Qiyue and the others came over.
As one of the few friends who knew about Sheng Qingshan’s feelings for Ji Xi, Lu Qiyue’s mood was very complicated.
She really did not expect Sheng Qingshan to get married, and to Sheng Yunshu at that.
Although there was no blood relationship, it had only been two or three months since this was found out, right? Getting married so quickly? Sheng Qingshan did not look like she had any thoughts in that direction toward Sheng Yunshu at all.
Unlike Ji Xi, who was wholeheartedly celebrating her friend finally finding a home, as a veteran of the love scene, Lu Qiyue saw at a glance that Sheng Qingshan only felt affection for Sheng Yunshu, not romantic love.
There must be a secret in this.
But she had not guessed it yet.
Ye Lingyun knew the truth, but Sheng Yunshu’s feelings for Sheng Qingshan also surprised her somewhat.
However, she was not someone who talked too much. After offering her congratulations, she went to chat with Ji Xi and the others.
Lu Qiyue was staring blankly at Sheng Yanzhou, tilting her head to whisper to Ye Lingyun. “Hey, she looks like my type, but it is a pity she has a partner.”
Before Ye Lingyun could speak, Ji Xi nudged her after hearing this. “Are you not dating little Lu? Do not be fickle. If little Lu resigns, you can come over and work for me.”
Lu Qiyue stepped back. “Is there not still Jingyun? Just order her around.”
“She is still young, what can she understand? Qingshan, how is this sister of yours usually at home?”
Sheng Qingshan skirted the issue. “Not many words, a bit noisy.”
“That is also fine. Let us go, let us go take a look over there.”
The original plan was to toast all the guests present, but it was unknown if it was because her leg had not fully recovered or if she had been frightened by Sheng Yanzhou; in short, Sheng Yunshu’s face did not look good, so Sheng Qingshan took her back to the lounge first, leaving the task of entertaining to the family members and Ji Xi and the others.
By the evening, the two returned to the old house to prepare for washing up and resting.
When Sheng Qingshan walked out after bathing and entered the bedroom, she saw Sheng Yunshu sitting by the bed in somewhat suggestive sleepwear, her pink long hair hanging down naturally. Under the illumination of the lights, the red clouds on her face appeared even thicker.
Sheng Qingshan’s steps paused. “You rest first, I still have documents to process, do not wait for me.”
Just as Sheng Qingshan was preparing to escape, a warm body suddenly pressed against her back.
“We have just finished our wedding, and you are going to leave me alone in the room.”
Sheng Yunshu’s voice sounded indescribably aggrieved. “You are not allowed to leave. If you leave, I will never bother with you again.”
Sheng Qingshan stood where she was, her back against Sheng Yunshu’s warm body temperature, her whole person seeming to have been nailed to the spot.
“Yunshu.” Her voice was a little hoarse, and she did not look back. “Do not be childish.”
“I am not being childish.”
Sheng Yunshu moved slowly to her front, holding her hands and placing them on her own waist, looking up at her.
“I just want you to hold me. Sister, can you hold me while we sleep? If you are not by my side, I will have nightmares.”
The bedroom was silent for a moment.
The yellowish halo enveloped the two of them, their shadows cast on the floor, merging into a blurry shape.
Sheng Qingshan closed her eyes and wanted to push her away, but the moment she moved, she heard her dissatisfied hum.
“You are the one who is being excessive! I just want you to accompany me to sleep, why do you always hide from me!”
That piece of clothing was very thin, and the neckline was very deep. From Sheng Qingshan’s angle, she could see everything.
She looked away. “Then go change your clothes.”
Hearing this, Sheng Yunshu hummed twice, poking her heart.
“No! When changing medicine before, you looked every day, why did you not say ‘put on a coat’ then?”