24
Listening at the Wall
As Lin Jianchun stepped out of the hospital, she spotted Lu Xuanzhou sitting on his bicycle talking to someone, a cigarette dangling from his lips with an impatient expression.
She watched him for a while until Lu Xuanzhou seemed to sense her gaze and turned around. Their eyes met across the crowd, a distant exchange.
“I saw that female comrade!” Qin Qing couldn’t contain his excitement. “The one standing at the main gate wearing gray clothes—did you see her? The most striking person in the crowd, instantly noticeable. She even smiled at me.”
Lu Xuanzhou clicked his tongue lightly. “She was smiling at me.”
Qin Qing retorted, “With that fierce look of yours, what female comrade would smile at you? She must have recognized me.”
“Was she the one who saved the situation and controlled everything?”
Qin Qing nodded. “If it weren’t for that female comrade, we might have let this big catch slip away again.”
Lu Xuanzhou suddenly felt that if this composed female comrade was Lin Jianchun, it made perfect sense.
His tone brimmed with smugness: “That’s my wife, my certified wife. Get lost, don’t worry about the unit documentation.”
Lu Xuanzhou stubbed out his cigarette and walked toward Lin Jianchun.
Lin Jianchun raised an eyebrow—indeed, a man worthy of being the male lead couldn’t be simple. It was just a pity she had only read the early plot of that book and ended up cursing the author; she had no idea what happened to the male lead later.
But that didn’t matter now. Lu Xuanzhou was hers, and if he misbehaved, she would discipline him properly.
Lin Jianchun’s lips curved slightly, but Lu Xuanzhou found the smile somewhat unnerving.
“Finished work?”
Lin Jianchun nodded. “Yes, did you come by bicycle?”
“Yeah.” Lu Xuanzhou paused. “I’ll take you home, but the road is crowded—don’t move around.”
“Okay.”
Throughout the ride, Lin Jianchun obediently held onto the bicycle seat. Lu Xuanzhou’s tense heart finally relaxed, though he couldn’t explain the inexplicable emptiness he felt.
When they returned to the Courtyard, neighbors greeted them: “A Zhou picking up your wife from work? How was the first day—tiring? Your mother killed a chicken early this morning, said she’d nourish your wife.”
Lin Jianchun appropriately showed the shyness of a new bride. “Everything’s fine, Auntie. We’ll head back now.”
The aroma of meat greeted them before they even reached home. Mother Lu urged Lin Jianchun to wash up and eat.
As Lin Jianchun chatted with Mother Lu and Little Lu about hospital matters, she didn’t spare a single glance at Lu Xuanzhou. Under the table, Mother Lu kicked Lu Xuanzhou, signaling him to coax her.
Lu Xuanzhou remained unmoved, as if the kick hadn’t landed on him, and focused on devouring his rice.
Mother Lu kicked him again in exasperation.
Lin Jianchun helplessly set down her bowl. “Mom, you kicked the wrong person.”
Mother Lu flushed. “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to kick you! I was aiming for A Zhou. Is rice more appealing than your wife? He just buries his head in eating without saying a word.”
Lin Jianchun coughed lightly—what kind of bold talk was this, and wasn’t she afraid of corrupting the child? Besides, she didn’t emit any fragrance.
Lu Xuanzhou said, “I’m done eating. Take your time.”
Meanwhile, under Mother Lu’s enthusiastic persuasion, Lin Jianchun drank two bowls of chicken soup and accidentally overate.
Lin Jianchun helped Mother Lu clear the dishes and went together to wash them at the water pipe. Lu Xuanzhou was also there, wiping down his bicycle.
Mother Lu didn’t need Lin Jianchun’s help with washing dishes: “Go help A Zhou instead. Who knows what’s gotten into him—he’s treating that motorcycle like a treasure now, more than when he first bought it. After riding it for two or three years, he suddenly decides to wash it…”
Lin Jianchun had no choice but to dawdle over to Lu Xuanzhou. Seeing the bucket of water had turned dirty, she offered, “Let me fetch you a fresh bucket of water.”
Lu Xuanzhou glanced at Lin Jianchun’s new clothes and said, “No need. Just go get me the torn-cornered dry towel hanging behind the door.”
“Alright.” Lin Jianchun turned back home to fetch the towel.
Just as she reached the Song family’s doorstep, Song’s Mother called out to her: “A Chun, wait up. I have something to say to you.”
Lin Jianchun wondered if she had misheard—Song’s Mother was actually speaking to her in such a gentle tone.
Back when Song Zhian used to bring her home to play, Song’s Mother had always been indifferent, waiting for Lin Jianchun to fawn over her.
Song’s Mother forced a smile. “A Chun, have you eaten? Here, have an apple to cut the grease.”
Lin Jianchun pushed away the shriveled apple being shoved at her. “Keep that rotten apple for yourself. The Yu family—the in-laws you failed to secure—gave us a whole basket of fresh ones.”
Song’s Mother awkwardly retracted the apple and, seeing Lin Jianchun about to leave, hurriedly got to the point: “Anzi is in the hospital. Did you know? He wants to see you.”
“Oh? Is Song Zhian critically ill and dying? Or is he too ashamed to live and wants to see me one last time?”
Song’s Mother’s long-restrained temper finally snapped: “Anzi was your fiancé for a year, and he never treated you poorly. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me alone. How could you wish him harm?”
“Should I enshrine him after he dies, then? Thank him for not marrying me so I could marry into a better family?”
Song’s Mother couldn’t resist sneering: “What kind of good family is the Lu family? You registered your marriage yesterday, but Lu Xuanzhou didn’t touch you on your wedding night. He must be bothered that you were with Anzi.”
“How do you know Lu Xuanzhou didn’t touch me? How dare you eavesdrop at your age!”
Lin Jianchun shoved Song’s Mother, who stumbled and fell to the ground. “Aiyo! My former daughter-in-law is trying to kill me—”
Song’s Mother’s mind raced. She had originally only wanted Lin Jianchun’s help finding a good doctor for her son’s back injury, but she never expected Lin Jianchun to lay hands on her. Since this foolish woman dared to hit her, she couldn’t blame her for extorting compensation. She wanted Lin Jianchun to give up her job for Song Caiwei so her daughter wouldn’t turn against her.
“What’s going on?” Lu Xuanzhou had grown tired of waiting for the towel and came back to check.
Lin Jianchun’s eyes were red. “They were eavesdropping!”
The mere thought that all her interactions with Lu Xuanzhou had been under the Song family’s watchful eyes made her skin crawl with disgust.
Lu Xuanzhou had never seen Lin Jianchun like this. Almost instinctively, he pulled her into his arms. “Don’t cry. I’ll handle this.”
Lu Xuanzhou kicked the door open and stormed into the Song house.
“What are you doing! Breaking and entering!” Song’s Mother, unable to stop him, resorted to screaming. She was counting on the Lu family’s concern for face to keep them from exposing that Lu Xuanzhou hadn’t consummated the marriage.
The room adjacent to the Lu family’s belonged to Song Caiwei.
He flipped over the bed and found a small hole near the headboard. Though a wardrobe blocked the view, voices could likely be heard through it.
Lu Xuanzhou’s eyes darkened like unyielding ice.
Random Recommendations: Child Prodigy Superstar, Slaughter: I Reincarnated in Demon Slayer, I Can Hear the Voice-Over, CEO, Please Let Me Go, Chu Feng of Asura Martial God, Emperor Summoning System, Desperate Operation [Unlimited], Special Forces: Starting with Being Dragged Home by Father to Get the Marriage Certificate, Morning Light Is Best with You