Chapter 38: First Marriage, Then Love, and a Side of Scumbag Crushing 16
Ning Qingqing was about to explain that she was only coughing because her throat was dry and itchy, but Gu Youchen gave a slight tug. The silk sheets were slippery, and she slid right into his arms.
In an instant, his scent flooded her senses, a crisp fragrance that was even more distinct than usual.
Oh, she thought dimly, it must be his body wash.
There were two kinds in the bathroom: a sweet osmanthus for her and a clean pinewood for him. Gu Youchen didn’t wear cologne, so the scent she always caught on him came from his body wash.
Only after this thought drifted through her mind did she realize she was completely wrapped in his embrace. He’d always been fond of hugs, giving her one every morning before they left for work and another the moment he got home. She should have been used to it, but now, in this new setting, it sent a thrill through her.
His arms were around her waist and shoulders, holding her close. Her head rested in the hollow where his shoulder met his chest, and she could feel his chin resting on the crown of her head. In the dim light, she saw the movement of his Adam’s apple.
Ning Qingqing didn’t dare move. She even quieted her breathing. But her warm breath kept ghosting over his throat, and she felt him tense up.
She bit her lip, feeling the need to say something. “Youchen,” she began, “my head’s pretty heavy. Your arm is going to fall asleep.”
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Are you trying to say your head is full of heavy knowledge, Qingqing?”
Hearing him deliberately twist her words, she was instantly reminded of a joke he had posted a few days ago. It had the exact same punchline.
The mood felt a little less charged, and she seized the opportunity. “Youchen, do a lot of people like the jokes you post every day?”
At that, a gentle smile touched his lips. “No. Only you.”
“Huh?” She hadn’t realized she was the only one who could see them. “Then why do you still post them?”
Gu Youchen looked down at the top of her head, at her soft, fluffy hair, and couldn’t resist leaning down to press a kiss there. It was so light, she didn’t even notice.
“It’s enough,” he said, “as long as you see them and you’re happy.”
She didn’t think much of it, just assuming his friends had gotten used to his constant posts and simply stopped liking them. She made a mental note to be the first one to like his jokes from now on. He really did make her happy.
The topic seemed to end there. Still feeling a little awkward in his arms, she said, “Youchen, I’m not coughing anymore.”
“But Qingqing,” he countered, “I’m afraid I might.”
Ning Qingqing was speechless. She was definitely being played.
“I have a very important international conference tomorrow,” he added. “I can’t get sick.”
She obediently relented. “Okay. If your arm falls asleep, just push me away.”
In the darkness, the corners of his lips curved upward.
The night was quiet. Ning Qingqing yawned, but she wasn’t sleepy. As if sensing she was still awake, Gu Youchen asked softly, “Qingqing, do you know the folk song from Qingtang Town?”
She looked up. “You know it too?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “I heard it when I stayed there for a few days. I’d quite like to hear it again.”
She felt a little shy. “I’m not a good singer.”
“I want to hear it,” he insisted. “Maybe it’ll help me fall asleep.”
“Alright, I’ll sing it for you a cappella, then.”
She didn’t know the name of the song, but almost everyone in town knew how to sing it. She had grown up listening to her grandmother sing it.
“The water of my hometown, oh, it’s so clear…”
Her soft voice, with the gentle lilt of Jiangnan, drifted through the night, taking Gu Youchen back to his time in the town.
It had been love at first sight. He could have asked anyone else on the bridge for directions, or just found his own way; Qingtang Town wasn’t that big. But on a whim, he had stopped her, asked for directions, and followed her all the way to Xu’s Inn. He had listened to her speak to a child in the soft local dialect, even singing to them. He’d stood on the second-floor balcony, watching her, unable to look away.
After that, unbeknownst to her, he was always waiting for her to appear. Until one day, he went into the mountains to find a painting material for his mother and was bitten by a snake. He squeezed the blood from the wound, saw the snake was a harmless-looking green, and rinsed it in a stream before heading back.
That day, she happened to be there again, patiently teaching a child to count from one to ten. By then, he was already feeling unwell, but as she taught the child that folk song, it was the most beautiful sound in his feverish daze. He called his family, telling them about the snakebite but assuring them it was nothing. By evening, however, his foot had swollen badly.
The last time he saw her, she was leaving with tofu pudding made by the innkeeper. He knew his parents had sent a helicopter for him, and he struggled to follow her, but his leg was too swollen and painful. He could only watch her disappear.
He thought he would see her again after he recovered, but when he went back to look for her, he never did. Years passed. It wasn’t until he was in university abroad that he saw a group photo on a friend’s social media. There she was, in the corner, with Shen Zhiqian beside her. He had excitedly called his friend, asking about her with cautious hope, only to be told she was Shen Zhiqian’s girlfriend. They had been together since their first year of high school. He later learned she had transferred to Di City, to his hometown. But he was too late. Shen Zhiqian had already been with her for two years.
Now, the familiar melody pulled him from his memories. He looked down at the girl in his arms, fighting the overwhelming urge to kiss her. He had waited so many years to finally be with her; he had learned to be patient.
So, when she finished singing, he simply lowered his head, intending to kiss her cheek.
But just then, she looked up to say something.
The kiss landed on the corner of her lips instead.
They both froze. His throat tightened, and he fought the uncontrollable urge to kiss her properly. Just then, however, Ning Qingqing went completely rigid. Her eyes flew open, and a blush crept up her cheeks.
Gu Youchen realized it too.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He had been trying so hard to keep his racing blood under control, but some things were simply beyond his command.
The air between them crackled with awkwardness. Ning Qingqing didn’t know what to do. They were married, so logically, this sort of thing was bound to happen. But to her, he was still a man she had known for only half a month, been married to for just ten days. She was a slow burn by nature and was already trying her best to adapt to their new relationship, but you couldn’t just force yourself to be ready.
Just as she broke into a nervous sweat, his voice came out, husky. “Qingqing, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
She shook her head, then nodded.
He let out a low chuckle. “You’re too soft.”
Ning Qingqing was speechless. She took back her previous assessment of him as a restrained gentleman. It turned out that when it came to this, all men were natural-born aggressors.
As a whirlwind of thoughts spun through her mind, he released her. He ruffled her hair with his large hand. “Qingqing, I’m going to take a cold shower. Don’t worry, I won’t force you before you’re ready.”
She huffed. After he left, she buried her face in the blankets. Ahhh, that feeling was just too clear! She was only wearing a thin nightgown, so she had felt… everything.
That night, they were both destined to fall asleep late.
Ning Qingqing dreamed it was raining. The pitter-patter of the rain on the windows was so vivid, it felt real. The next morning, she asked her mother, “Mom, did it rain last night?”
Ning Ruoyun shook her head, her expression serious. “No. I checked the weather for Di City for the next few days before I came. There’s no rain scheduled.”
Ning Qingqing nodded, still puzzled. The dream had been so realistic. She had woken up several times in a daze, wondering if the rain would cause traffic jams on her way to work.
After breakfast, Ning Qingqing and Gu Youchen prepared to leave for work. Ning Ruoyun wanted to check on the new office, so the three of them left together. Tan Haize, meanwhile, was taking his son to visit the universities in Di City, hoping to give him a goal to strive for.
After arriving at the company, Ning Qingqing continued to review the documents from the Si family. At noon, Ning Ruoyun treated the entire staff to lunch. Everyone was thrilled and returned to the office fired up and full of energy.
The only project on Ning Qingqing’s plate was the Si family’s. Her meeting with Si Yunli wasn’t until three-thirty, so she still had some time. Just as she was about to review some past case files, the bridal shop called.
“Miss Ning, we’re so sorry, our computer’s motherboard burned out last night, and we’ve lost your measurements. When would be a good time for our staff to come and remeasure you? Also, there’s a detail on the wedding dress that we need to finalize with you after you try it on, so we’d need to bring the dress to you. Would that be convenient?”
Ning Qingqing considered it. She was free for the next two hours, and the shop was close to Ningchuang. “I’ll just come over,” she said. “I have time now.”
“Thank you so much!”
After hanging up, she hailed a cab and went straight to the shop. She decided it was better to drive herself. That way, Gu Youchen wouldn’t have to leave early every day to drop her off. She would start driving herself to and from work after she moved back to her apartment tomorrow.
As she got out of the taxi and was about to enter the shop, a woman’s voice called out from behind her, “Qingqing!”
The sound sent a shiver down her spine. She turned to see Xue Wenlan standing in the doorway of a jewelry store, beaming at her.
Ning Qingqing didn’t feel the need to acknowledge her and turned to walk away. But Xue Wenlan rushed over, grabbing her arm. “Qingqing, are you here for a wedding dress? With your figure, you’ll look beautiful in anything!”
Ning Qingqing frowned. “Is there something you need? Can you please let go of my arm?”
“Oh, Qingqing, isn’t Mom just wanting to look at wedding dresses with you?” Xue Wenlan said with exaggerated warmth, linking her arm through Ning Qingqing’s. “Honestly, how can Zhiqian be a proper boyfriend, not even coming with you! Don’t you worry, Qingqing, Mom will teach him a lesson when we get back!”
Ning Qingqing was floored. She had never imagined Xue Wenlan could be so shameless as to call herself “Mom.” What was going on? Shen Zhiqian wasn’t even here. Who was this act for?
As if sensing her confusion, Xue Wenlan’s smile grew even wider. “Qingqing, Mom was blind before. What’s so special about that Si Luoqing? She’s just an actress, who knows how many men she’s been with! Not like our Qingqing, the best girl there is! It’s my Zhiqian’s great fortune to be with you!”
The revulsion Ning Qingqing felt was beyond words. She forcefully pulled her arm from Xue Wenlan’s grasp and said, word by word, “Ms. Xue, Shen Zhiqian and I have no relationship anymore. And I have even less of a relationship with you. I hope you’ll show some self-respect!”
But Xue Wenlan was completely unfazed by the rejection. “Qingqing, Mom was wrong, Mom apologizes. Please don’t take it out on Zhiqian, alright? He’s been so miserable lately, he hasn’t been eating or sleeping, he’s lost so much weight…”
“Stop,” Ning Qingqing cut her off. “Was I not clear? We broke up. My husband is someone else. I hope you won’t come looking for trouble with me again!”
“What husband?” Xue Wenlan was momentarily stunned. In that brief moment of confusion, Ning Qingqing slipped into the bridal shop.
She went straight upstairs to the VIP area, where non-members weren’t allowed. Xue Wenlan was stopped at the entrance. Suddenly remembering something, she quickly called Shen Zhiqian. He hung up. She called again and found she was blocked.
Left with no other option, she sent a WeChat voice message: “Zhiqian, I saw Ning Qingqing go into a bridal shop!”
Not even a minute later, his call came through. “She’s at a bridal shop? Is anyone with her?”
Xue Wenlan immediately tried to take credit. “Of course not! Qingqing even told me she was already married, just trying to make me angry! She’s trying on dresses right now. They must be for when she marries you!”
Hearing that Ning Qingqing was alone, Shen Zhiqian didn’t know whether to feel sorry for her for marrying a man who didn’t love her or to be glad that she and Gu Youchen had no feelings for each other.
“Which shop is she at?” he demanded. “Send me the location now!”
Xue Wenlan immediately sent it. She could almost see her lost allowance waving at her again.
Upstairs, after a staff member took her measurements, she brought out a lookbook. “Miss Ning, our designer saw the photos of you in the dress last night and worked all night to select these styles. She wanted to see how they look on you before finalizing the design. Since you’re here, would you like to try them all on?”
Ning Qingqing had initially thought it was too much trouble, but then she remembered Gu Youchen’s words, his eyes serious as he said that a wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime event.
So she nodded. “Okay.”
The staff brought out the dresses one by one for her to try on, taking photos and recording data as she went. “Our designer is abroad,” she explained. “She said you’ve given her special inspiration, so she’s very much looking forward to designing for you.”
Although it’s usually the customer who chooses the designer, sometimes the designer also chooses the customer. She becomes the designer’s muse, and the designer creates her most beautiful moment.
There were five dresses, each with a different feel. Ning Qingqing found herself overwhelmed with choices. They all looked so beautiful, it was hard to decide.
She was about to change out of the last one when she heard hurried footsteps from the top of the stairs. Fearing it was Xue Wenlan, she quickly headed for the fitting room, not wanting another confrontation. But just as she reached the door, a man’s breathless voice called out from behind her, “Qingqing!”
She turned and saw Shen Zhiqian at the top of the stairs, his gaze burning as it locked onto her.
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