Then, he suddenly lifted his head, smiled faintly at Shen Qian, and said tenderly, “Darling, shall we go together?” Shen Qian, who had been full of grievances, found all her troubles dissipating like clouds upon hearing You Ran’s affectionate “darling.” She replied sullenly and awkwardly, “Okay.” She stood still, waiting for You Ran to catch up. You Ran approached, took Shen Qian’s hand, and asked with a smile, “Darling, do you know what pose I most desire with you?” Shen Qian looked at him with her bright, sparkling eyes. “I once asked you the same, and you said it was you on top, me on the bottom.” “…” “Can you guess now?” You Ran’s eyes narrowed in a smile. Shen Qian gritted her teeth, “You on top, me on the bottom.” You Ran looked helplessly at her, both amused and exasperated, saying, “Darling, whether it’s you on top or me, I like it, and we’ve done it more than once.” “…” Shen Qian stared at the ground, not daring to look up at him. “Holding your hand, let’s keep walking,” You Ran suddenly laughed to himself. Shen Qian couldn’t help but look at him, silently gazing, her nose beginning to tingle. Then she heard You Ran continue, “You’re like an old hen, laying eggs as we walk… followed by a flock of our children.” Shen Qian, who had been feeling a bit sentimental, twitched her eyebrows at You Ran’s last remark. You Ran suddenly hunched his back, bending down to meet her at eye level. Shen Qian was taken aback, “Why are you looking at me like that?” You Ran touched Shen Qian’s face, moving closer bit by bit. Shen Qian leaned back slightly, hesitating, but she let You Ran approach until his lips met hers, sucking gently. Shen Qian was stunned, feeling a bit embarrassed, she glanced around; thankfully, it was a suburban area, a small path in a coconut grove, with no one around. She awkwardly pushed away this suddenly whimsical man. “Shameless,” Shen Qian muttered. You Ran chuckled, pulling her along, “Let’s go hug some coconuts.” “So, walking the dog means hugging coconuts at the beach?” “Yes.” “…” Shen Qian really didn’t understand what was going on in this man’s mind. He called over the coconut pickers, had them pick five large coconuts, which were dropped from the trees with a thud. Shen Qian seemed curious about the falling coconuts, circling around them. You Ran was directing which coconuts to pick. Shen Qian couldn’t help but smile helplessly. She picked up her phone, intending to check the time, but seeing she had a signal, she hesitated before calling her mother. After a few rings, someone answered, “Hello.” “Mom,” Shen Qian’s voice was low, waiting for a response, but there was only silence. Shen Qian bit her lip, holding back her disappointment, she said, “Mom, I…” “Got engaged? Congratulations,” her mother interjected. “…” Shen Qian was slightly surprised. How did she know? “It was in the newspaper; you looked beautiful that night.” Her mother chuckled lightly, then silence fell again. Shen Qian didn’t know how to respond. Her relationship with her mother was distant, compounded by her amnesia; they had only five years of shared history, and her mother’s coldness sometimes left her feeling lost yet accustomed to it. “Qianqian,” her mother suddenly used her old nickname. Shen Qian softly responded, “Hmm,” and her mother asked, “Are You Ran’s eyes… completely healed?” “I suppose so.” Shen Qian glanced over; You Ran was looking up, pondering which coconut to pick next. “Good. Be good to him. That boy suffered a lot for you. I was confused back then.” Shen Qian paused, “Mom, my past with him, it’s still blank to me.” “Is it? Then when you come back, come home, I have something to show you. You used to be very fond of him, very passionately.” Her mother’s voice was heavy, leaving Shen Qian stunned. You Ran, noticing Shen Qian on the phone, had an inkling of who it might be. When Shen Qian looked up, she saw You Ran watching her, smiling. She bit her lip, “Mom, do you want to talk to You Ran?” “Yes, that would be nice.” Shen Qian approached, handing the phone to You Ran, who took it with a slight surprise, “Hello, Mom.” Shen Qian’s eyebrows twitched again. You Ran listened intently to the other end, soon saying “Okay” and hanging up. Shen Qian hurriedly asked, “What did you talk about?” You Ran picked up a coconut, conversed with the worker in some gibberish, who then produced a drill and a hammer, made a hole, and inserted a straw. You Ran handed it to Shen Qian, “Drink.” “What did my mom say?” “I’ll tell you after you drink.” He wore a serious expression, making Shen Qian even more curious. She took a few sips, then pressed him for answers. You Ran also drank from his coconut, “Your mom said…” Shen Qian’s large, watery eyes stared at him intensely. You Ran half-closed his eyes, “Qianqian.” “?” “Your mom said, we should get married soon.” “Uh…” Shen Qian’s mouth twitched. Could that be it? She looked at You Ran skeptically, “Are you kidding me?” “You can call and ask. Your mom said you always kick off the blanket in your sleep, avoid spicy foods, and after the accident, you have many lingering health issues, needing to visit the hospital every six months. Your mind is a bit slow, so in matters of marriage, I should guide you more, and if we want kids, just go ahead, no need to discuss.” “…” “Qianqian, your mom is worried I might not want you.” “…” “Qianqian, I know you think she’s too cold, but trust me, she loves you.” Shen Qian remained silent, lowering her head. She remembered the woman who had thrown herself onto her and cried when she first woke up; the one who pushed her wheelchair to the hospital every day, regardless of the weather, always shielding her with a red umbrella; the woman who would tuck her in when she was home, and when she wasn’t, Shen Qian would find the blanket on the floor in the morning; the woman who would call every year to remind her of her medical check-ups… Shen Qian clenched her teeth, and suddenly, a large coconut appeared before her. She looked up at You Ran, who said, “Which mother doesn’t love her child?” Shen Qian’s lips curved into a slight smile, “Yes.”
“So, when we get back, let’s go get our marriage certificate.”
“…”
Author’s Note: I was lazy yesterday and didn’t update, I apologize… I will strive to update regularly, aiming to finish the story around early February, before the New Year… Daily updates, daily updates… If there are double updates, don’t be surprised, I’m not having a fit == I hope those who are freeloading will come out and say something, TT chapter.38
Shen Qian was quite helpless with You Ran’s leap in logic. What does her mother loving her have to do with getting married? Out of habit, Shen Qian rolled her eyes at You Ran again. She bit down on the straw in the coconut in front of her, took a few sips, and then lifted her eyelids to say to You Ran, “You need to keep track of time better. Don’t leave my dog stranded in some unfamiliar wilderness.”
You Ran, holding his coconut, glanced at his wristwatch and furrowed his brows slightly, “Let’s eat first, then we’ll head back.”
Shen Qian nodded, and the two of them went to a beachside restaurant to grab a casual bite, passing the time while filling their stomachs.
By the time they returned to the airport, it was nearly six or seven in the evening. After waiting for about an hour and a half, the plane carrying the dog finally arrived. The moment the staff brought the dog out at the exit, the sharp-eyed dog immediately went wild, pulling at the leash, stretching towards Shen Qian’s direction.
Shen Qian was overjoyed and ran over to give the dog a big hug.
“Scruffy,” Shen Qian’s voice was filled with excitement before she even reached the dog.
“Woof, woof.” Scruffy excitedly jumped up.
