Since they began corresponding, they had stopped using the phone. As the Spring Festival approached, one day the gatekeeper found Mu Jing and told her that her husband had called. Thinking it might be something urgent, Mu Jing skipped lunch and ran to return the call, only to find there was nothing pressing. Qu Hua asked which day she would return home, saying he would buy the ticket for her.
Mu Jing insisted she could buy it herself, but Qu Hua was quite stubborn in this regard. Three days later, she received an express-delivered Sleeper Ticket from him.
Mu Jing did not go home. The data error correction issue in the communication system under development at the Branch Campus remained unresolved, and she had taken the initiative to join the project. Her decision not to return to the Qu family was firm, but when it came to informing Qu Hua, she hesitated. Since she had arrived at the Branch Campus, it had always been Qu Hua who came to see her. This time, she had already agreed to return home, and he had even sent the ticket. For her to back out now would surely upset him, and even she felt it was somewhat excessive. But there was no other way—she had more important matters to attend to.
Before making the call, she had mentally prepared herself. Yet, after she told Qu Hua, the prolonged silence was hard to bear. When she heard someone calling for Doctor Qu, she hurriedly said, "You must be busy. I'll hang up now."
On New Year's Eve, Mu Jing had dinner with a few colleagues who had also stayed at the campus. Among the canned goods on the table were several that Qu Hua had previously brought her, along with half a cured duck that her younger brother and sister-in-law had mailed her. A New Year's card had been included with the duck. Her brother still thought she was with her ex-boyfriend and had sent him a card as well. Sometimes she considered telling her brother about her marriage to Qu Hua, but she wasn't sure how long it would last. Marrying only to divorce later would just worry her family. Starting a long-distance separation without building any emotional foundation made the marriage feel precarious. After the meal, Mu Jing returned to the lab. That night, a flood of data occupied her mind. Whenever other thoughts surfaced, she drowned them out by gulping down tea.
On the first day of the New Year, the postman was working just like her. She received a New Year's card and a package from Qu Hua. Wishing the postman a happy New Year, she took the package back to her dorm. Her roommate had gone home, and the coal allocated to her had run out, leaving only wood shavings to use. Since she spent most of her time in the lab, she couldn't be bothered to light the stove, leaving the room damp and chilly.
The package wasn't as large as previous ones. Opening it, Mu Jing found a big bag of candies—chocolate creams, fruit hard candies, and more. She unwrapped a cream candy and chewed it slowly, realizing she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten candy. The New Year's card was simple, wishing her a happy Spring Festival. She took a pen and traced over Qu Hua's characters stroke by stroke.
It occurred to her that she should have sent him a New Year's card too. Fortunately, the Lantern Festival was still ahead. Mu Jing wrote a card for Qu Hua, wishing him a happy Lantern Festival. Estimating the delivery time to ensure he would receive it on the day, she waited a few more days before dropping it into the mailbox.Qu Hua had arrived without notifying Mu Jing in advance. He came at noon, and Mu Jing's roommate, upon seeing Qu Hua, immediately let him in and went to fetch Mu Jing. Qu Hua said he would go himself, but the roommate politely insisted, "I'm just taking a stroll anyway. You wait here." Once, when her own family had visited and heavy rain at night made it impossible to go to the guesthouse, Mu Jing had voluntarily given up her room, saying she would squeeze into another room. Only later did the roommate learn that Mu Jing had spent the entire night in the laboratory. So when it was Mu Jing's family's turn to visit, she naturally felt obliged to make space for them.
Mu Jing stood at the door, smoothed her hair, and then pushed it open. The dorm room had no stove lit, and even with the door closed, a chill lingered in the air. She smiled apologetically, poured him a cup of water, but before handing it over, she poured it out and refilled it using her roommate's thermos. The water in her own thermos had been fetched days ago—she was so dedicated to her work that she often neglected daily life without realizing it. She made a mental note to take both her and her roommate's thermoses to fetch water during the designated time later.
Instead of asking why he hadn't told her he was coming, she said, "After lunch, why don't you wait for me at the guesthouse? It's a bit cold here."
Neither of them brought up the fact that they hadn't returned home for the New Year. Qu Hua also didn't mention to Mu Jing that he had originally planned to take the early train on New Year's Day to see her, but an emergency surgery had prevented him from coming.
Qu Hua took hold of Mu Jing's reddened hands—clearly chilled—and she tried to pull them back. Her fingers, dry and cracked with small fissures, must have felt rough to the touch. She usually didn't mind, but in front of Qu Hua, she felt somewhat self-conscious. Qu Hua cupped her hands in his palms and rubbed them gently. "Why are your hands so cold?"
He asked Mu Jing to retrieve the clam oil he had sent her earlier and applied it to her hands over and over. Her initially cold hands grew warmer and warmer. Hearing a sound at the door, Mu Jing immediately withdrew her hands and turned toward the door, saying to Qu Hua, "Let me take you to eat."
It was only the wind rattling the door—no one was there.
Qu Hua had applied too much clam oil to her hands, and she felt awkward even holding chopsticks. They ate facing each other in the cafeteria. Mu Jing kept her head down as she ate, sensing Qu Hua's gaze on her. She whispered to him, "We're in the cafeteria." Immediately, she regretted it—they were in the cafeteria, but they weren't doing anything shameful; he was merely looking at her.
Qu Hua said, "I know," implying that he hadn't done anything wrong.
Mu Jing didn't look up at him and continued eating with her head down. The meal passed slowly. After finishing, Mu Jing walked Qu Hua out of the cafeteria. "Go to the guesthouse. I'll come find you after work."
They stood facing each other, both seemingly waiting for the other to leave first. In the end, Mu Jing was the one to speak. "I'm going to the lab."
Qu Hua nodded but remained standing there. Mu Jing glanced around, then turned away first. After a few steps, she looked back and found Qu Hua still in the same spot. Their eyes met, and Mu Jing quickly turned her head away, walking briskly forward. Her hands tucked in her pockets felt sticky, hot, and burning.
Because Qu Hua had come to see her, she abandoned her plan to work overtime that evening. Mu Jing was someone who had no weekends; her team never worried about her neglecting her work.Mu Jing returned to the dormitory to change clothes and saw a row of freshly molded coal briquettes lined up at the door. Then she spotted Qu Hua’s face. Despite the freezing weather, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as he cleaned up the residue from molding the coal. The monthly coal supply was limited, and once it ran out, they would have to burn wood shavings.
Mu Jing recalled the bag she had seen by the door earlier—it turned out to be coal dust. Qu Hua had used it to mold coal briquettes for her. The honeycomb briquettes were neatly arranged at the entrance, sparing her the need to burn wood shavings.
“It’s so cold outside. Come in quickly.” Mu Jing wanted to pour some hot water for Qu Hua to wash his hands, but before she could remove the stopper, she realized the thermos was empty. She then took her roommate’s thermos and poured some water into her basin, wringing out a towel for Qu Hua to wipe his hands. Qu Hua spread his hands to show her the coal dust on them. “I’ll wash outside. I don’t want to dirty your towel.”
“Just use this. The water outside is too cold.” Mu Jing handed him the soap and stood by, holding the towel, waiting to dry his hands.
The coal dust on his hands seeped into the water, quickly turning it black. Mu Jing handed him the towel and went to pour out the water. When she returned, without looking at him, she placed the towel back in the basin, added hot water, lathered it with soap, wrung it out, and handed it to him. “Wash your face too.”
After handing him the towel, Mu Jing went to fetch more hot water.
“Don’t trouble yourself.”
Mu Jing handed the cup to Qu Hua, who gently tucked her hair behind her ear and studied her face. It had been a long time since they last met, and now he finally had a chance to look at her properly, not missing a single detail. His face drew closer to Mu Jing’s, and she lowered her head. “I’ve used up all the water. I need to fetch more.”
“I’ll go.” Qu Hua took the thermos from her and went to get water.
On the bus, Mu Jing gazed out the window, neither making eye contact with Qu Hua nor speaking to him.
When they arrived at the guesthouse, Mu Jing showed their marriage certificate, and they entered a room together.
This time, Mu Jing could finally relax under his gaze. Neither of them turned on the light, relying instead on the faint glow from outside to look at each other. Mu Jing leaned against the door as Qu Hua cupped her face. She met his gaze, holding it steadily. In moments like these, when she felt safe, she was not a shy person. Strangely enough, though they had been married for many days, she had never truly taken the time to look at him properly, only vaguely feeling that he matched her aesthetic.
They studied each other intently. Mu Jing’s hands pressed against the door as she looked up at Qu Hua—a posture that could be interpreted as either defiance or a desire to be kissed. Qu Hua chose to interpret it as the latter and leaned in to kiss her. Mu Jing, as if remembering something, pressed her fingers to his lips. “Let me close the curtain.”
Qu Hua laughed. “Why close the curtain to cook yuanxiao? But if you want to, go ahead.”
Mu Jing turned away from him. “Aren’t we celebrating the Lantern Festival?”
“But aren’t we only reuniting today?”
The Lantern Festival had already passed, but Qu Hua insisted on cooking yuanxiao for her. He borrowed an alcohol stove from the guesthouse and used a lunch box to cook them. He brought a cooked yuanxiao to her lips.
“I can manage on my own.”
“Then eat this one first.”
Mu Jing took a small bite, and Qu Hua finished the rest of the yuanxiao for her.Although they had already been intimate in every way, sharing a single yuanxiao made her feel more uncomfortable than sleeping together.
She also felt uneasy when Qu Hua applied face cream to her body after her bath. Unable to find any other reason to refuse, she could only say, "This is too wasteful." Using face cream on her body, especially with his meticulous application, would leave almost nothing in the bottle once he finished. Besides, aside from her exposed hands and face, the skin on the rest of her body wasn't dry.
"It's not wasteful since you don't use it yourself anyway." He noticed that she was indeed proud, but her pride didn't extend to her face and body. She had always treated them carelessly, to an extent that he found excessive. He held her hands between his palms and rubbed them gently. He had specifically sent her clam oil for her hands, yet she allowed them to chap from the cold without concern.
He applied a thick layer of cream, yet her skin still showed a flush of redness. Seeing Mu Jing genuinely shy now, Qu Hua realized that the previous times he thought she was shy had been misunderstandings. As a form of retaliation for her earlier behavior, he deliberately prolonged the moment that made her blush. Mu Jing seemed to sense his intention and actively kissed him, leaving him no time for anything else.
Qu Hua was considerate of her need to work the next day, only leaving bite marks on the areas she would cover with clothes during the day. Her hands hovered above his hair but didn't settle, instead struggling to turn on the lamp. Under the bright light, she looked directly into Qu Hua's eyes and said, "I don't like Renoir's paintings, and I'm even less like the people in them."
"I know." He had never understood her better than at this moment. Though she had now hidden her scorching pride, it would inevitably surface at inopportune times. Someone like her was entirely different from the girls in the paintings, regardless of age.
Under the light, her face appeared exceptionally clear. He had always particularly enjoyed looking at her face at such times because her expressions were more genuine. Watching her face, he slowly entered her body, deliberately slowing his pace to capture the changes in her expression. Mu Jing kept her eyes closed, biting her lower lip, her fingers gripping the bedsheet tightly. Qu Hua's fingers pried open her lips, and when she opened her eyes, she found him observing her. She disliked this feeling of being watched, especially when he still had the leisure to do so. Mu Jing bit down hard on his finger, leaving a mark, and glanced at him sideways. There was a certain allure in her provocation, though she remained unaware of it. Yet her goal was achieved—he no longer had time to observe her.
By the time the notice arrived that Mu Jing's department would be relocated back to the main campus, Qu Hua had already written her enough letters to fill half a drawer. In their letters, they discussed not only math problems but other topics as well. Mu Jing would also voluntarily mention her parents to Qu Hua. However, she hadn't told her mother about Qu Hua. If she were transferred back to her hometown, she would face the risk of a long-distance relationship with Qu Hua, and she wasn't certain he would be willing to maintain their marriage indefinitely.
She had been in relationships before and had experienced breakups, holding no particular expectations for eternity. She only told her parents that she and her ex-boyfriend had long since parted ways, without mentioning Qu Hua. If this relationship also ended, it would only add to their worries.Mu Jing was among the first group to return to the main campus, and her spot was confirmed as soon as the notice came out. Qu Hua had received the news early and went to the Branch Campus to pick up Mu Jing, arriving before she had finished packing. Mu Jing's roommate had gone home to visit family and hadn't returned yet.
Important work-related documents had already been sorted and locked in her suitcase by Mu Jing; the rest were just clothes, daily necessities, books, and letters, none of which required specialized knowledge to pack. She handled her own clothing while Qu Hua organized her books and letters. She trusted him completely, including his absolute discretion not to read letters unrelated to him. But Mu Jing had forgotten one thing: the New Year's card from her brother wasn't in an envelope, so Qu Hua could see it without even trying.
Tentatively, Mu Jing brought up her mother's idea of having her transfer back home. Her mother had already contacted a local university for her and asked for her opinion; Mu Jing said she needed to think about it. It wasn't that her parents needed her—they not only had a younger son who had never cut ties with them but also countless old friends around. It was she who needed them; all these years, she had been too lonely. Qu Hua had given her comfort, of course, but that was far from eternal.
She wanted to hear Qu Hua's opinion. If he wanted to transfer back with her, given his qualifications, it wouldn't be difficult. If he strongly urged her to stay, then she could discuss old matters with him; otherwise, feeling jealous would be unjustified...
Of course, she thought both possibilities were slim.
Qu Hua countered by asking Mu Jing, "What do you think?" His gaze fixed on the New Year's card, where Mu Jing's brother wished her ex-boyfriend a happy New Year. At that time, she and Qu Hua were married, and their relationship wasn't bad; Mu Jing had promised to go home for the New Year but later changed her mind. He also knew that Mu Jing corresponded with her brother quite often; if they hadn't written in a year, not knowing about him would be understandable.
"I want to be closer to my parents," she said, the words coming out with difficulty, feeling a bit like burning bridges after crossing the river. They had been separated for so long, and now that they could finally be together, she was thinking of moving away.
Mu Jing saw the fleeting smile at the corner of Qu Hua's mouth and could guess what he was thinking: You haven't been in touch with your parents for so many years, and now you want to be closer to them?
Yet he didn't say a word, and Mu Jing was grateful he left her with some dignity.
Mu Jing turned to look at Qu Hua, who was holding that New Year's card. Her smile froze for a moment but quickly returned as she walked over, plucked it from his hand with her fingers, and asked, "My brother's drawing isn't bad, is it?" She hadn't thrown it away at the time because it was too well-done, and then she forgot about it.
Qu Hua knew the name of her ex-boyfriend, while Mu Jing thought he didn't. But he couldn't bring himself to ask, "Does your family know I exist?" After being married for so long, such a question felt pointless; if the answer was no, it would be even more so. In the past, when he suggested sending gifts to her parents, she had always changed the subject and let it drop.
Mu Jing said to Qu Hua, "Take a rest; I'll pack the rest myself."
Mu Jing noticed the change in Qu Hua's expression and sensed his displeasure, but that didn't stop him from carrying her suitcase for her. They had one sleeper ticket and one hard seat; Qu Hua gave the sleeper to Mu Jing and went to the other carriage himself.
Mu Jing stopped him, "Rest here for a while.""I haven't been sitting for long." Qu Hua didn't say anything more and went to another train car. He suppressed his temper; if he didn't restrain himself, he wasn't sure what hurtful words he might say. He knew that once those words were spoken, there would be no taking them back.
The driver came to pick them up. Qu Hua put Mu Jing's luggage into the car, waited for her to get in, and then closed the door for her.
Mu Jing asked him where they were going.
"Back to the hospital."
As the car gradually drove out of his sight, Qu Hua hopped onto the bus heading to the hospital. He still had outpatient duties in the afternoon and was on night shift in the evening.
Mu Jing had brought gifts for everyone in the family, including the orderly Xiao Qin. Qu Hua's family was naturally happy to see Mu Jing—what was the point of the young couple living apart all the time? They had no idea about Mu Jing's future plans.
When Mu Jing returned to the bedroom, she noticed there weren't many changes from when she had left. Even though she wasn't there, Qu Hua's closet still reserved more than half the space for her.
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