Because the room was dark, Shu Ran couldn’t see Xu Shen’s helpless reaction. He asked again: “Brother Shen?”
Shu Ran’s voice was clear and pleasant to hear. It seemed that the voice-changing period didn’t affect him, his voice still retaining the softness of a teenager.
“Can’t you just reassure me so I can peacefully go to bed?”
When Xu Shen heard these words, his mouth opened, but no sound came out. Before, it was not a big deal to nod his head and joke with the boy that he’d allow him to rest tonight. But now, hearing his wife beg like this, his heart fell, and he couldn’t think of any reassuring words.
Shu Ran thought: “Is this such a hard question to answer?!” Since Xu Shen was quiet, he didn’t say anything as well. It was not a good look to act desperate for an answer, even if he really wasn’t. Shu Ran just wanted to quickly hear Xu Shen’s opinion, and go to bed early.
It wasn’t that Xu Shen didn’t want to answer. It was just difficult to put his thoughts in order. He tried to calm down for a while and spoke to Shu Ran in a normal voice: “Don’t be like this… Don’t think about me like that. I didn’t marry you to serve me.”
He treated this marriage seriously, and he seriously wanted to treat Shu Ran as his wife for the rest of his life.
Although Xu Shen knew it was a little strange, he was afraid the boy didn’t understand why he chose him instead of Zhou Hui.
“Oh.” Shu Ran answered softly. It was a good answer, and now they could finally go to bed, ah…
“You…” Xu Shen thought and said: “Are you afraid of me?” He didn’t know why, but he vaguely felt that was the case.
Shu Ran wanted to say, who isn’t afraid of you?! He knew he had to negotiate with Xu Shen, but when the words came to his mouth, Shu Ran couldn’t refute his claim rightfully. He felt he needed to appease the man, but deep down, he was indeed afraid of him.
“You’re okay…” Shu Ran didn’t want to show weakness, so he chose a neutral word.
Xu Shen hesitated, lowered his hand, and hooked one of Shu Ran’s fingers: “Why are you afraid?”
He recalled that he was never fierce to him, from their first meeting until now.
Maybe it was the fault of his reputation, so Xu Shen said quickly: “The rumors you heard about me in the village, they’re not true! I don’t bully people!”
To be precise, he never bullied the weak…
Shu Ran muttered in his heart that the rumors in the countryside might be false, but those published in newspapers and history books must definitely be true. Getting his name in the newspaper was a sure fact. Xu Shen was a certified villain. How could he be okay?!
He was good now, but it didn’t mean he was good before or would be in the future.
Shu Ran was silent. Xu Shen felt a little depressed, so he coquettishly pinched his finger: “You don’t believe me?”
“Really?” Shu Ran didn’t believe him. He turned and looked at Xu Shen’s face: “Then if I say I don’t believe it, you’ll be unhappy?”
Xu Shen was stunned and asked: “What is it you don’t believe?”
Humph, look, you’re still not letting it go! Shu Ran was too lazy to answer, so he stopped talking again.
Xu Shen’s heart was rubbed up and down by him, and he couldn’t help but ask: “Why are you ignoring me again?”
It seemed that in private, his wife’s temper was harder to please. The boy was not as bright and refreshing as he was in front of others. But Xu Shen was happy. It was very, very good! His wife only showed this side to him, and others weren’t worthy to see it1Ohh, he’s a bit of an M 😅.
“Because I’m sleepy.” Shu Ran closed his eyes and said: “Brother Shen, let’s go to bed. My sister has a blind date tomorrow. I have to wake up early to accompany her.”
“That’s right.” Xu Shen said: “Don’t worry, your sister will be fine.”
“Uh-huh.” Shu Ran’s temper went back to being comfortable and soft.
Xu Shen’s heart was also soft. He leaned over and kissed Shu Ran’s cheek, leading him to bed. He must work hard in the future to keep the boy close to him.
“Trust me.” Xu Shen hugged him from behind. “You will know in the future, I’ll never bully you.”
They hadn’t even properly separated from last night, and this guy was already pressing on him…”It’s a little hot, Brother Shen!” Shu Ran hinted that he should back off and not stick to him like that.
“I’ll fan you, no worries.” Xu Shen smiled, took a wooden fan from the head of the bed, and started fanning him.
Shu Ran grinned at him angrily, but he didn’t want to smile at Xu Shen. The corners of his mouth went up and down repeatedly, twitching like a muscular cramp. This contradictory expression was the perfect representation of his mood. He obviously didn’t hate Xu Shen, but he still wanted to keep some distance from him, guarding his last line of defense.
“I want to hug you to sleep.” Xu Shen whispered in his ear and said bluntly: “Don’t push me away, okay?”
Shu Ran had no choice but to let him be.
…………
There is no better sleep than the one you have when the weather is cold. Shu Ran slept comfortably until dawn, with his hands and feet wrapped around Xu Shen, unable to untangle himself. He frowned slightly, tried to move his body a little further away, turned his back to the man, and went back to sleep. Unfortunately for him, Xu Shen’s chest followed over, in a very clingy manner.
“…” Shu Ran originally wanted to turn around and teach the other a lesson, but the visual impact left him speechless. He found himself in direct contact with a handsome face with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes. Damn, good-looking people indeed had privileges. Shu Ran couldn’t bear to beat him up and had no choice but to turn back angrily.
The two slept until 8 o’clock. Zhou Hui finally gave up on shouting and started scolding: “The weather was cool last night. Why did you sleep in Brother Shen’s room again?”
After being stared at by Zhou Hui, Shu Ran felt nervous, so he babbled: “I talked to Brother Shen last night, and fell asleep while talking…”
Fortunately, Zhou Hui’s mind was on her blind date. Although she felt suspicious, she didn’t think too much: “Go and wash your face.”
Jiang Fan was diligent. He drove his car early in the morning, ready to pick them up: “Hey! Are you done?”
“Brother Fan, good morning!” Zhou Hui was, of course, ready. She had enough time to prepare since waking up in the morning, and now asked with a smile: “Have you eaten?”
Jiang Fan smiled back and said: “I got up early today. Already ate.” The nanny prepared three meals for the family every day, but he usually woke up too late, always in between meals.
Xu Shen didn’t plan on accompanying them today, so he instructed Jiang Fan: “Leave early and come back early. Send them back home.”
“Okay!” Jiang Fan nodded. Was Xu Shen really afraid his wife might run away from home? The Zhou family was back in the village, where else could he even go? Besides, it was obvious that Shu Ran also liked Xu Shen, the two of them very much in love.
Knowing what Jiang Fan was thinking, Xu Shen felt grateful to Shu Ran for one thing. At least on the surface, he was airtight, showing no discrepancy in front of strangers. The agreement they had was private, and others could only scream “true love” when they saw them. Even he himself felt that maybe Shu Ran actually liked him, but was just shy and awkward.
Shu Ran was the slowest in getting ready, left alone at the edge of the table. He hurried to eat and pack for the road. Before he got in the car, he went over and told Xu Shen: “Brother Shen, we’re leaving. I’ll come back after it’s over.”
“Uh-huh.” Xu Shen helped him open the door and motioned him to go up: “Be safe and come back early.”
Shu Ran: “Okay, thank you!”
The car drove out for several meters, and Shu Ran turned his head to look back. Through the back window, he saw the slender young man standing at the door, as if longingly looking after the departing car.
“Brother?”
“Oh.” Shu Ran turned around.
Zhou Hui looked at him and asked: “How is my braid? Is my hair too fancy?”
“No, it looks good.” Shu Ran helped adjust her braid. At least, his aesthetics were still online. After some simple adjustments, her hair looked even better. “That’s it. Looks much more natural now.”
People living in this era liked the simple type, but it was not bad to have a spectacular first impression.
With her brother’s affirmation, Zhou Hui’s smile was more confident. This was her first date ever. She decided to not count Xu Shen. After all, by the time she saw him, her family had already decided in her stead.
For Zhou Hui’s matter, Jiang Fan went directly to his older brother, Jiang Hang. He told him there was a good girl that needed his help to introduce her to someone. Jiang Hang was shocked, his chin almost dropping to the floor. His younger brother, who flirted with cats and dogs, now wanted to be a matchmaker for a good girl?!
Maybe it was a good thing. Jiang Hang asked: “Where did you meet this girl?”
“Met her in the countryside.” Jiang Fan boasted: “Although her family’s condition is not ideal, with many brothers and sisters, she’s very good. Good-looking and diligent. No one would lose if they married her!” Her brother was also good, but Jiang Fan was not Chen Kai, talking nonsense every day. He knew what to say and what was better kept for oneself.
Jiang Hang was happy: “If she’s so good, why not marry her yourself?”
Of course, that was a joke. His worthless brother couldn’t afford to mess with a good girl. Better to introduce her to an upright soldier. Anyway, there were so many bachelors in the unit, their superiors already sick with worry.
It was rare for Jiang Fan to want to help others. How could Jiang Hang not give him any face? He immediately started to ask around for his brother.
According to what Jiang Fan said about the girl’s condition, there were many talents of the right age willing to participate in the blind date. The leaders even specifically approved them to be absent from work, with the mindset of: “Everyone, just come in the morning and let the girl have a look! Maybe she’ll actually like someone?!”
Zhou Hui was tall, slim, dressed in decent clothing, and gingerly walking in the unit’s courtyard. She made people believe she was a good-looking girl, even from afar. Even those who didn’t want to participate in the blind date were now laying on the windows to watch the fun.
“She’s a beautiful girl! Hey, if I had known, I would have also participated!”
“So shallow! A girl like that won’t like you!” All the boys were laughing and pushing each other.
Jiang Fan said: “Let’s go. The leader emptied the conference room, and everyone is waiting there.”
The three of them walked all the way. As more and more people saw Zhou Hui, all single men regretted not participating in the blind date. The main issue was that she was poor and from the countryside. They felt she wasn’t suitable, but going back on their words now would be too superficial.
Entering the conference room, there were indeed seven or eight young men in uniforms waiting. When they saw Zhou Hui come in, all their eyes lit up.
A beautiful girl!
When it came to people from the countryside, they all agreed she must have dark skin. But, surprisingly, her skin was quite fair, with no visible blemishes. Of course, those waiting in the room for the blind date were men who didn’t care that she was a village girl. But still, her appearance was a pleasant surprise.
A tall, middle-aged man patted Jiang Fan on the shoulder and said with a smile: “Xiao Fan, I’ve been waiting for you all morning. Quick, introduce everyone!”
“Hello, Uncle Liu.” Jiang Fan said respectfully, bowed slightly, and introduced his two friends with a smile: “These are the Zhou siblings, Zhou Hui and Zhou Ding.” He then said to Shu Ran and Zhou Hui: “This is Deputy Liu and his group.”
Shu Ran’s attitude was mild. He bowed respectfully and greeted Deputy Liu as Jiang Fan did. Anyway, he was here for his sister’s blind date, not to get a job. He just needed to be neither humble nor overbearing.
Zhou Hui seemed to be a little bit frightened. This was not what she was expecting at all. The unit was so good, how could she be worthy to marry such an good man, it was strange that there were people interested in her to begin with… However, her younger brother’s calm appearance gave her the strength and courage to say hello with a bright smile.
“Welcome! This brother and sister look like talented people!” Deputy Liu praised them, shook hands with both Shu Ran and Zhou Hui, and then turned to the group of bachelors and shouted: “The girl is here! Boys, quickly introduce yourselves!”
Deputy Liu was worthy to be in the army, his style loud and fierce.
As soon as he finished shouting, someone immediately took a fancy to Zhou Hui. He actively stood up and introduced himself, with a straight body and clear voice. This young man’s name was Yang Yong, a twenty-five-year-old native from a neighboring province. He worked as a clerk in the army, his parents were healthy, and also from the countryside, and he had a sister who was already married. Yang Yong delayed his marriage because of work issues, and as a result, was still single at this age.
“Okay, he’s also good-looking.” Shu Ran whispered to his sister. Zhou Hui blushed shyly and said: “Hello comrade Yang Yong, my name is Zhou Hui. I’m twenty years old. My family’s situation is basically the same as yours, but I have more siblings. We are seven. I’m the second born, and this person here accompanying me today is my family’s third child. Our condition is not good.”
Yang Yong scratched his head when he heard there were seven children in her family. He knew she had siblings, but he didn’t expect so many! He could only smile awkwardly.
“Uh-huh.” Zhou Hui raised her head and continued: “Although my family’s condition is poor, I think I’m not bad!” Her spine was straight, and Zhou Hui’s voice went a little louder: “I’m not bad at reading. I love reading and studying, and I graduated from junior high school. Farmwork and housework are also very easy for me, and I’m good at taking care of people. I hope to find a responsible, self-motivated, and like-minded partner, someone with a compatible temperament and similar ideas.”
The girl had a straight back and a bright and clear voice. Beside her stood a handsome teenager with a pleasant temperament, making people believe that the Zhou family’s education should be very good. Applauses sounded in the conference room, and more and more young men stood up to introduce themselves. All of them had very good family conditions, making Zhou Hui unable to take them seriously.
“Miss Zhou Hui, my name is Zhang Yunsheng…” A steady voice sounded.
The last man in the room introduced himself. He was twenty-three years old, handsome in appearance, and his family conditions… were similar to Xu Shen’s. Basically, he had no relatives. He was currently living in a dormitory allocated by the unit and it could be said that he had nothing but his pretty face.
Shu Ran saw Zhou Hui staring straight and without blinking at this fatherless and motherless brother who was awkwardly scratching his head. He Felt Zhou Hui deserved better.
“Sister, do you like handsome men?” Shu Ran whispered to remind Zhou Hui: “You can’t eat handsomeness…”
Zhou Hui replied to him in a low voice: “I’m not that superficial. If I liked handsome men, I would have married Xu Shen a long time ago!”
In terms of appearance, who could compare to Xu Shen? Shu Ran was stunned, scratched his nose, and felt like he was being scolded: “…”
He was the superficial one, okay? If Xu Shen was ugly, forget about marrying him!
In fact, Zhang Yunsheng came to today’s blind date with the mentality of giving it a try. He knew his conditions were poor, and no girl would choose to marry him. After seeing Zhou Hui, he became even more hopeless. He really had nothing but his person.
But then, Zhou Hui came up to him and asked if they could go and have a private chat. Zhang Yunsheng was so surprised that he couldn’t close his mouth. After confirming over and over again that Zhou Hui was talking to him, he followed her in the envious gaze of the others.
Zhou Hui wanted to talk to him in private, mainly to explain her family’s situation and the fiasco of her previous engagement. She didn’t hide anything. As long as Zhang Yunsheng didn’t mind it, she was willing to continue having contact with him.
“You don’t have to rush to decide.” Zhou Hui said. “If you want to understand the situation better, you can come and meet the person involved first, and see that it’s like I said. There’s no rush.”
Zhang Yunsheng looked at the elegant girl in front of him and nodded solemnly: “Okay, I have a break tomorrow. I’ll come visit you.”
He was not discouraged by her situation and still felt like trying.
Zhou Hui smiled and said: “Hmm.” She took out the pen and paper she bought and wrote the address for him. “This is the place, it’s easy to find.”
“Okay.” Zhang Yunsheng took the piece of paper with both hands. The girl’s handwriting was very beautiful, just like the person. He once again couldn’t believe that someone like her would choose him.
Zhou Hui: “Then I’ll go back.”
“So fast? Won’t you stay for lunch? The food in our cafeteria is not bad.”
“No.” Zhou Hui said hurriedly.
“It’s already noon, I want to treat you.”
He wanted to call Zhou Hui’s companions, but she quickly rejected his kindness and said: “It’s really not necessary, Brother Yunsheng. People are waiting for us back home, next time we meet, we can eat together.”
Zhang Yunsheng was stunned by her “Brother Yunsheng”. His heart felt different, and his usually serious face became shy while replying: “Alright…”
Zhou Hui returned to Shu Ran and told him about Zhang Yunsheng’s visit tomorrow. Shu Ran was not very happy and asked: “So it’s settled just like that? So fast? Are you sure you don’t want to think about it?”
Marriage was a lifelong matter. Zhou Hui didn’t have a third chance to get things right.
Zhou Hui: “How can it be? I just asked him to come so we can all have a proper look at him. How can I know he’s good without close contact?”
Shu Ran nodded: “That’s right, you can only know how a person really is when you get close to them.” But in his mind, Shu Ran thought: “Unless you already like him…”
“Yes, I also thought Brother Shen was not good in the beginning.” Zhou Hui sighed and looked at her brother: “In the future, you also have to pay attention. Don’t marry a wife just because she’s good-looking. She also needs to be good, with a proper nature.”
This made Shu Ran think of Xu Shen. He was good-looking, with a proper nature, but felt a little bit oppressive. Staring like that at the car in the morning, as if afraid he might escape…
The author has something to say:
Xu Shen is really easy to take advantage of. He got a beautiful wife for only 500 yuan.
