“What’s your relationship with that doctor?” the woman suddenly asked her.
Lin Mengmeng snapped back to reality: “He’s my husband.”
The woman’s face was full of skepticism: “You’re already married?”
Lin Mengmeng bit her lip and nodded, only to see the woman cast a disdainful look her way. She didn’t speak to Lin Mengmeng again but turned to talk to the man she called her ‘boyfriend’, saying, “They don’t look like a good match at all.”
The man quietly advised her, “Lu Lu, don’t say that.”
The woman, however, persisted: “That doctor is so handsome, how could he fancy a woman like her, all skinny and with no figure.” Her voice was just loud enough for Lin Mengmeng to hear, almost as if it was intentional. Though Lin Mengmeng felt uneasy, remembering that she was at fault first, she could only silently pray for Shao Tingyu to return soon.
The woman maintained a sharp and harsh demeanor, while the man was much more gentle, coming over to apologize to Lin Mengmeng. Lin Mengmeng chatted with the man for a bit, later learning that his name was He Yan Zhou, and the woman was He Lu. The two of them, like her and Shao Tingyu, were also from the Magic City.
After a long wait, Shao Tingyu finally returned, carrying a bag of gauze and medicine. “Let me help Lu Lu apply the medicine,” He Yan Zhou was about to step forward to take it.
He Lu quickly interjected: “It was her wife who bumped into me first, why can’t he help me with the medicine?”
For a moment, the scene was awkward. He Yan Zhou, always compliant with He Lu, didn’t know whether to take it or not. It was Shao Tingyu who first went to He Lu, squatted down, and said, “Let me help her with the medicine.”
No one noticed the slight smile that curled at the corner of He Lu’s mouth. Then, Shao Tingyu lifted the woman’s slender leg, expertly applied the medicine, and bandaged it, his expression focused and serious. Watching this scene, Lin Mengmeng felt an indescribable emotion swirling in her heart. It seemed that in her memory, anyone could receive Shao Tingyu’s gentle care except for herself.
Remembering the woman’s earlier remarks, Lin Mengmeng could no longer watch. She silently averted her gaze, her palms unconsciously clenched.
After a while, Shao Tingyu finished the bandaging and patiently gave some instructions to He Yan Zhou. He Lu put on an expression of sudden realization: “I didn’t expect Mr. Shao to really be a doctor.”
Shao Tingyu glanced back at her, his brows furrowed slightly: “I am, what’s the matter?”
“I thought you just wanted to help me bandage and were just saying so,” He Lu playfully remarked, glancing at Lin Mengmeng out of the corner of her eye, unsure if her words were intentional or not. But indeed, it ruined Lin Mengmeng’s mood for viewing the cherry blossoms.
“Hmm, initially I was just saying it, but since you took it seriously, I couldn’t let you lose face,” Shao Tingyu responded nonchalantly. Since the beginning, he hadn’t missed Lin Mengmeng’s reactions, enduring for a long time, he couldn’t bear hearing an outsider belittle Lin Mengmeng. This was something he had wanted to say for a while.
“You…” He Lu was momentarily speechless.
Shao Tingyu walked straight past He Lu to Lin Mengmeng: “Let’s go.”
Lin Mengmeng was still a bit dazed. If she hadn’t misheard, was Shao Tingyu defending her? Although she knew Shao Tingyu could be sharp-tongued, this was the first time she saw him abandon his usual gentlemanly demeanor to be sharp with a woman. Lin Mengmeng was astonished to see the hint of a smile in Shao Tingyu’s eyes, her heart deeply moved.
The two sat down to rest on an open slope, waiting for the fireworks display at nine. The night sky was still a blend of stars and moonlight, tranquil and serene. Chapter 27: I Haven’t Forgotten
Without the disturbance of outsiders, the atmosphere between the two was much more cozy. Lin Mengmeng comfortably leaned against the cherry tree, gazing at Shao Tingyu’s indifferent profile, even the starlight behind seemed to lose its color.
“That woman said we don’t look like a couple at all,” she hesitated before finally telling Shao Tingyu everything He Lu had said.
Shao Tingyu’s brows furrowed slightly, his voice still indifferent: “Don’t pay attention to such words.” He showed no surprise, as if he was used to hearing such comments.
Lin Mengmeng lowered her eyes: “Tingyu, actually, it’s not just her, many people around us say we’re not a good match.”
Shao Tingyu’s gaze was like ink, his tone revealing no emotion: “So?”
“So… what do you think?”
Shao Tingyu turned to look at Lin Mengmeng’s eyebrows, only to hear her slowly speak: “Let me rephrase, why did you choose to marry me back then?”
With Shao Tingyu’s conditions, finding someone better than her would have been effortless. She really wanted to know what he was thinking at that time.
Lin Mengmeng asked again: “Tingyu, do you remember where we first met?”
Shao Tingyu’s gaze deepened, his eyes slowly drifting to the sky as if in recollection. Perhaps he still needed to think carefully, but Lin Mengmeng remembered it clearly. When she first saw Shao Tingyu, she had just transferred to this hospital. At that time, she was still an intern, learning from Shao Tingyu, occasionally participating in the same surgery. However, after becoming a full-time pediatrician, she rarely had the chance to meet him again. Shao Tingyu’s work was busier than she imagined; the nurses in the hospital said that as the head of the neurology department, he often gave lectures or went to rural areas for free medical consultations. Thus, Lin Mengmeng had very little time to see Shao Tingyu, but she never expected that on just the third day of meeting him, Shao Tingyu suddenly brought up the topic of marriage.
Recalling this, Lin Mengmeng focused on Shao Tingyu’s furrowed brows, the smile on her lips unable to be concealed. But this smile lasted only a moment. Her expression suddenly changed, as if her whole body was frozen. Her condition had flared up again.
Lin Mengmeng hurriedly took out a pill bottle from her pocket, the slight shaking sound still alerting Shao Tingyu. His gaze fell on Lin Mengmeng’s pale face, his eyes tightened, and he quickly drew her into his embrace.
“How are you?” Shao Tingyu poured out a few pills and handed them to the woman, then passed her a bottle of water. Lin Mengmeng now found swallowing even more difficult, and the pain in her chest came in overwhelming waves. Her face was unnaturally pale, and even opening her eyes was a struggle. “I’m out of energy,” she murmured. Shao Tingyu wrapped his coat around her, hearing her voice as faint as a whisper, which made his heart suddenly panic. “Just rest if you’re out of energy,” he said. But just as she was about to close her eyes, the sky burst into a display of brilliant fireworks and cherry blossoms, all the things Lin Mengmeng had always wanted to see with Shao Tingyu. She leaned gently against his chest, murmuring, “I want to watch them with you.” After a brief silence, Shao Tingyu’s voice, now hoarse, spoke, “I haven’t forgotten the first time I saw you.” Lin Mengmeng was slightly taken aback, lifting her eyes to meet his deep gaze. Behind him, fireworks burst into vibrant colors, reflecting in her slightly shimmering pupils, filled with both emotion and affection.
Suddenly, Lin Mengmeng said, “Mr. Shao, do you know what else couples do?” Shao Tingyu looked at her, “What?” “They show affection,” she said, and with a newfound courage, she pressed her lips against his cool ones, giving him a light kiss. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Heartache
