Extra Сhаpter 2
Lаter, Ruan Siхiаn wеnt tо thе рotterу studio again.
This time, she hаd mоre еxреriеnсe аnd wаs muсh mоrе skilled thаn before.
“Тhis wаs the shаpe last timе,” the pоttery tеасhеr sаid, stаnding bеhind Ruan Sixiаn. “Dо yоu wаnt tо try sоmething diffеrеnt?”
“No neеd.” Ruаn Sixiаn raised her еyebrows slightlу, thе whеel sрinning steadily in hеr hаnds аs she sаid with а hаlf-smilе, “Не doеsn’t dеservе it.”
Thе pottеry tеасher wаs а уоung woman in her еarly twenties. She sаt down, proрping her сhin in her hаnds аs she wаtched Ruan Sixian.
“When did you and your husband get married?”
Ruan Sixian: “Last winter.”
“Do you have any children yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I really want to get married too. It’s so lonely going back to the dorm alone every day.” The pottery teacher smiled, her eyes crinkling with longing. “Having a husband must be so nice.”
Once the clay was shaped, the wheel stopped. Ruan Sixian carefully removed the piece and said nonchalantly, “Nice? Not at all. He’s always controlling this and that—it’s so annoying.”
The wind chime at the door jingled, letting in a fleeting gust of cold air.
Ruan Sixian glanced up at the newcomer, quickly wiped the clay off her hands, and turned to the pottery teacher. “My husband is here to pick me up. I’ll head out now. Could you help me dry this, please?”
The pottery teacher mumbled in agreement.
Weren’t you just saying marriage wasn’t nice? Yet you run off faster than a dog the moment your husband shows up.
The two walked out of the pottery studio, snowflakes drifting down gently. Ruan Sixian stood by the roadside, her breath forming white puffs in the cold.
The bustling streets, shops adorned with festive lights and decorations—everywhere was filled with the atmosphere of the New Year.
“It’s snowing again.”
She wasn’t in a hurry to get into the car. Instead, she linked arms with Fu Mingyu and walked ahead, while the driver slowly followed behind them in the car.
“Hmm?”
Ruan Sixian lifted her head, facing the falling snow.
“I still remember the snow two years ago on New Year’s Eve. You came back from Singapore to spend the holiday with me. Last year, it snowed on Christmas, and we watched movies at home all afternoon.”
She rambled on, “We watched Casablanca. Don’t you remember?”
Fu Mingyu thought for a moment and nodded. “I remember.”
Ruan Sixian snorted softly. “You remember nothing. You slept like a log.”
Fu Mingyu slowed his pace, the snowflakes dancing before his eyes making him dizzy.
“You’re not even thirty yet. Why have you been reminiscing so much lately?”
“I don’t know.” Ruan Sixian lowered her head, tucking her chin into her scarf.
She wasn’t deliberately dwelling on the past. It was just that time seemed to pass neither too fast nor too slowly, yet everything felt so vivid. Only when she mentioned it casually did she realize how deeply many memories were etched in her mind.
After a moment of silence, Ruan Sixian sensed something else in Fu Mingyu’s words.
“Ah,” she sighed. “You’re already thirty-one.”
“What about it?” Fu Mingyu lifted his eyelids slightly. “Have you been watching those talent shows again lately?”
Hundreds of teenage boys standing together, singing and dancing, while Ruan Sixian sat on the sofa with a bucket of popcorn, staring intently at the screen, exclaiming, “This brother is so handsome, that brother is so cute.”
Fu Mingyu didn’t want to watch, but the TV at home was so big and high-definition that even a casual glance as he passed by would reveal a few youthful faces. Besides, Ruan Sixian often used his phone to vote for them.
Strangely enough, he sometimes found himself stopping to watch for a few moments, and he even remembered a few of their names."Hey, wait." Ruan Sixian tugged his hand. "Be honest with me, have your parents ever privately urged you?"
"Urged me about what?"
"What do you think?"
"Oh, no."
"Really?"
"Really not." Fu Mingyu thought of something and suddenly laughed. "That's the advantage of having an older brother. Since he hasn't had one yet, it wouldn't be proper for us to overstep, right?"
Ruan Sixian twitched the corner of her mouth. "So you're just using your brother like that? But I see you got married before him, and that doesn't seem particularly respectful to your elder."
"Anyway, even if they do urge us, he'll bear the pressure first."
"Oh." Ruan Sixian instinctively touched her lower abdomen. "What about you? Are you in a hurry?"
"Making a baby?" Fu Mingyu seemed to think seriously for a moment, then said, "I quite enjoy the process. As for the result—"
"Shut up." Ruan Sixian cut him off, quickening her pace as she walked ahead.
But after a few steps, she turned back and asked, "I'm serious."
Fu Mingyu stopped walking, his expression finally turning serious.
"I'm not in a hurry. It's all up to you."
Ruan Sixian lowered her eyes and thought for a moment. "Let's talk about it later then."
"Okay."
Actually, she was already 28, right in the prime age for childbearing, but she couldn't bring herself to make that decision.
Unlike other professions, once she decided to get pregnant and have a child, she would have to stop working from the early stages.
After ten months of pregnancy, there would be a long recovery period. After that, she would have to go through physical exams, theoretical tests, simulator training, and retraining before she could return to her position.
All along the way, Ruan Sixian kept thinking about this matter and barely spoke.
And Fu Mingyu remained silent too.
Only after getting in the car did he suddenly say, "Actually, it's not necessary."
"Hmm?" Ruan Sixian didn't understand what he meant. "What's not necessary?"
"I mean, it's not absolutely necessary to have children." Fu Mingyu turned to look at her, speaking very seriously. "If you don't have such plans."
"No, no, no." Ruan Sixian shook her head vigorously. "Are you crazy? I just said to wait a bit longer, not that I don't want any."
"Oh." Fu Mingyu was amused by her nervousness. "Why are you so worked up? I was just mentioning it casually."
"I advise you to drop that idea early." Ruan Sixian reached out and tapped his forehead. "Besides, your family has a throne to inherit."
"Mhm."
Originally, Ruan Sixian had just been moved by the scene today and suddenly brought up the topic of children.
But after hearing Fu Mingyu's words just now, she actually moved this matter up a few places on her to-do list.
However, Fu Mingyu was right about one thing.
She really hadn't planned to have children.
—In the past.
The reason was the same: too much investment, with uncertain returns.
But back then, she couldn't predict who she would marry either, so she could only make assumptions in advance.
Yet this past year, whenever her period was late, she would overthink—feeling nervous, anxious, and expectant all at once.
Clearly, she was afraid of this "accident" happening, but after confirming it wasn't the case, she felt somewhat disappointed.
She thought that if it weren't for the fact that having children was such a hassle for her, she might already be an expectant mother by now.
As they were about to arrive at the Zheng family's home, the two naturally didn't continue this topic.
Today was Minor New Year, and she and Fu Mingyu were going to the Zheng family for dinner. Yan An and Zheng You'an would naturally be there too.
During the meal, the atmosphere was somewhat subdued, not particularly festive for the New Year.The three men spoke little, and neither Ruan Sixian nor Dong Xian were the type to engage in lively conversation, leaving Zheng You'an solely responsible for enlivening the atmosphere.
Having just returned from Europe, she chattered away, moving from Romania to Bulgaria, then from Ireland to the Netherlands, with a clear tendency to continue into Central Europe.
However, the moment she mentioned Poland, her gaze swept across the table and landed on Fu Mingyu serving soup to Ruan Sixian. She immediately reached under the table, pinched Yan An's leg, and cleared her throat softly.
Yan An looked up and understood. He picked up a glass and poured some lemon water.
"Thirsty? Have some water."
Zheng You'an: "..."
You might as well have pretended to be dead.
It was only after speaking that Yan An realized his words might have carried the implication of "complaining that his wife talks too much." He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and quickly added an explanation.
"We spent the whole afternoon shopping today and came straight here without any rest."
"Hmm." Ruan Sixian stepped in to ease the awkwardness. "That must have been tiring. President Yan, you should drink more water too."
Zheng You'an muttered under her breath, "What's he tired of? He didn't even help carry a single bag."
Only Yan An heard her. He turned to look at her, narrowing his eyes slightly, and whispered, "You bought six bags in one go. How was I supposed to carry them all?"
Zheng You'an sipped her water without responding.
As if he would have helped carry even one bag.
It was strange, though. She had just returned to the country yesterday, and today, for some inexplicable reason, Yan An had offered to accompany her shopping.
But once they arrived at the mall, he only glanced at the display windows when they entered the first store. After that, he settled firmly on the sofa, sipping coffee brewed by the staff.
Two hours later, he even raised a question because a store's sofa looked similar to one they had seen earlier: "Haven't we been to this store before?"
Identifying stores by their sofas—a hallmark of the modern married man.
Once Zheng You'an fell silent, the atmosphere at the dinner table completely cooled down.
"It's getting late."
After the meal, Ruan Sixian put on her coat and said, "We should head home now."
Yan An stood up unhurriedly and added, "We'll head home too."
"Wait a moment."
Dong Xian turned to the cabinet and brought over two boxes, gifts for her two sons-in-law. "Although you're still young, you're both very busy and don't always take good care of yourselves. These are dried and peeled forest frog oils, a gift from a friend of mine. They're from the Dasu River in Changbai Mountain and are excellent for the body. They nourish the kidneys, boost vitality, and strengthen the immune system. Usually..."
The moment Ruan Sixian heard the words "nourish the kidneys," her temples throbbed. She didn't hear another word Dong Xian said afterward, instead gripping Fu Mingyu's hand tightly and conveying her stance with a fierce glare.
Don't you dare take it!!
Don't you dare accept this gift!!
Do you hear me?!
Fu Mingyu, pull your hand back!!
Can't you afford to buy it yourself?!
Put it back right now!!
Fu Mingyu remained completely oblivious to Ruan Sixian's glare. He accepted the gift with a clear conscience and even thanked Dong Xian politely.
The other couple, however, had no such drama. They accepted the gift without batting an eye, got into their car, and drove off.
In the car, Fu Mingyu took a phone call and only hung up when they arrived home.
As he got out of the car, he held Dong Xian's gift in one hand and extended the other behind him.
He waited for a while, but Ruan Sixian didn't take his hand.
"What's wrong?"Fu Mingyu turned around and saw Ruan Sixian staring at the item in his hand.
"You're still young, why are you taking supplements?" She tightened her scarf and headed toward the front door, lowering her head.
Fu Mingyu glanced at Ruan Sixian's retreating figure, then looked down at the item in his hand.
He truly couldn't figure out what the problem was.
Wasn't snow frog a good thing?
Once inside, Fu Mingyu casually placed the item on the table. As he took off his coat, he walked toward Ruan Sixian.
"I left it on the table."
"Oh." Ruan Sixian walked past him with a water glass in hand but didn't spare it a second glance, muttering under her breath, "If you eat someone's food, your mouth softens; if you take someone's things, your hands shorten. You're both eating and taking, so you're really soft and short."
Fu Mingyu: "..."
He grabbed Ruan Sixian's wrist and pulled her back. "What did you say?"
"I said you..." Ruan Sixian looked up and met Fu Mingyu's gaze, shrinking her head guiltily. "That's not what I meant..."
"Then what did you mean?"
He emphasized the words "what" and "meant."
"Hey, husband, it's getting late. It's almost ten o'clock. Let's wash up and rest."
She tried to leave, but her wrist remained firmly in his grip.
Fu Mingyu began unbuttoning his shirt with his other hand, a faint, deliberate smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Sure, let's discuss this issue while we wash up together as husband and wife."
"..."
At that moment, Ruan Sixian wished she could slap herself twice. Why couldn't she control her mouth? Why didn't she think before speaking?
That night, snow weighed down the branches, falling softly and silently.
In the bathroom, the sound of water trickled down Ruan Sixian's calves and onto the floor.
Her toes curled tightly as she gripped the handle of the shower door, her knuckles white.
"Say something." Fu Mingyu pinched her chin, their necks pressed together. "Who's soft, baby?"
"..."
Ruan Sixian was turned around to face the bathroom mirror, her hands braced against it, trembling as she left a long, shaky handprint.
She kept her eyes tightly shut, too embarrassed to look at her reflection in the mirror.
"Mmm... I can't... enough..."
"Enough? Didn't you say it was short?"
"..."
How could this dog of a man hold such a grudge!
It was just a slip of the tongue!
Although the box of snow frog had left a heavy psychological shadow on Ruan Sixian, she didn't hold it against the item and made good use of it.
Dong Xian was right about one thing: Fu Mingyu was usually very busy and didn't take good care of himself.
Moreover, his stomach wasn't in the best condition, so Ruan Sixian usually didn't let him drink.
But sometimes, social engagements couldn't be avoided with just an excuse about a weak stomach.
Sometimes, when he returned late at night, his stomach would feel uncomfortable, and he needed medicine to sleep early.
That evening, Ruan Sixian had a stage retest and encountered Ren Xu again during the Simulation Pod session.
She felt as though her bones were about to fall apart.
By the time she returned home, showered, and lay in bed, it was almost eleven o'clock.
"You're still not back yet?"
When she called Fu Mingyu, her voice was already heavy with exhaustion.
"It's not over yet. You should sleep first."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Ruan Sixian intended to wait for him a little longer, especially since the snow frog porridge was still warming in the kitchen.
But as she lay in bed, exhaustion washed over her like a tidal wave.
When Fu Mingyu returned, it was already one in the morning.
Seeing the light on in the master bedroom, he went upstairs and gently pushed the door open, only to find Ruan Sixian already asleep.Ruan Sixian was not a heavy sleeper; sometimes even his turning over at night would wake her.
Thinking of this, Fu Mingyu turned off the light and walked out, closing the door behind him.
After taking a shower and some medicine, he went to sleep in the guest room.
When he gradually woke up, Fu Mingyu’s consciousness was still hazy, but he could clearly feel someone in his arms.
He opened his eyes and looked down at Ruan Sixian’s sleeping face.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before she finally showed signs of waking up.
However, after opening her eyes to glance at the weather outside the window, she closed them again and went back to sleep.
“When did you come over?”
Ruan Sixian drowsily nestled into a more comfortable position in Fu Mingyu’s arms but didn’t say anything.
“I’m asking you.”
She reached out from under the blanket and slapped her hand over Fu Mingyu’s mouth.
“I don’t know,” she said with her eyes closed, a slight curve forming at the corner of her lips. “Sleepwalking, maybe.”
Author’s Note: I’ve taken a look, and there are still some extra chapters about the main couple, their children, and then a bit about Yan An and Zheng You’an. That should be about it—probably not much more.
Also, I logged onto Weibo today and only noticed the news about the adaptation of "Ming Qiang Yi Duo, An Lian Nan Fang" after reading a reader’s private message. I really do live under a rock sometimes, twt. This old mother shed tears of emotion.
Wuwu, while I’m still moved, let me recommend something. Our dear Teacher Jiang Mutong’s new novel, "This World, You, and I," has started serialization. It’s really good—featuring a sweet yet fierce heroine and a military man overflowing with charisma. Everyone, go check it out!
At the gathering, someone was curious about the relationship between Wen Muhan and Ye Sa. Sitting by the bar, he twirled a glass of wine between his fingers, exuding an air of cool indifference and laziness. “What kind of relationship could there be? She’s just a kid.”
But then, after a while, a splash came from the pool outside.
When Wen Muhan jumped in to rescue her, the girl who had been pretending to have a cramp immediately clung to him.
Her wet chest pressed softly yet firmly against his. When the two emerged from the water, Ye Sa leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Brother, am I still just a kid?”
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