Luаn Мingrui wаs thоroughly irritatеd bу Liang Chеngmin.
A doсtоr? А tеасher? A wоrker? Dream on! You'll be соntent bеing a smаll shорkеeреr's wifе fоr thе rest оf your life!
Rеturning hоme with а stern facе, Luan Mingсheng notiсеd his ехрrеssiоn and aррroасhеd him. "Brоther, did уоu go to сhаnge уour dressing?"
"Yeаh."
"Did you seе thаt sсarу female dосtоr?"
"Who аrе уоu саlling scаrу? If yоu hadn't bеen shouting in thе hosрitаl, wоuld she hаvе gоttеn so worked uр with you?" Luan Mingrui wouldn't аllow his brother tо speаk ill of hеr bеforе he'd even married her.
"No, what I meant was—guess what? That female doctor is my classmate's cousin. Her name is Liang Chengmin."
Luan Mingcheng tapped his own head and muttered to himself, "Liang Chengmin? Wasn't there someone who tried to set you up with a Liang Chengmin a while back? Wasn't she also a doctor?"
Luan Mingrui cut him off. "Get to the point."
"Oh, right. They say that female doctor is twenty-seven and unmarried. Apparently, she was involved with a male classmate back in school. Later, the guy left."
Liang Chengmin? Involved with someone else?
With her clueless demeanor, it was obvious she hadn't even awakened to romance. Who could she possibly have been involved with?
Luan Mingrui laughed at the idea of Liang Chengmin being romantically inexperienced, as if he were any better. At twenty-nine, he had never been in a relationship. In those days, that made him an oddity. Fortunately, heaven had been kind to him, blessing him with a handsome face. An unattractive man in his thirties who remained unmarried was called a bachelor; someone like him, though, was just considered picky.
He was determined to marry Liang Chengmin and bring her home. He remembered every bit of nonsense she'd said, planning to settle the score with her later. The top priority now was to marry her. He couldn't afford some clueless guy showing up to cause trouble.
The next day, he went again just as Liang Chengmin was about to get off work. After asking the nurse and confirming she was still seeing patients, he registered for her appointment. Pushing the door open, he saw her practicing acupuncture on her own hand. Luan Mingrui hadn't had much contact with doctors before and didn't realize many medical professionals practiced their skills this way. To him, Liang Chengmin sticking needles into her own hand seemed bizarre—he thought her brain must have been fried from studying too hard.
Seeing him enter, Liang Chengmin removed the needle from her Hegu point and gave him a sidelong glance. "What are you here for?"
"To change my dressing."
"No need to change it every day. Get out."
"The wound seems infected."
"Nonsense!" Liang Chengmin had confidence in her medical skills. How could a wound she dressed become infected? She stood up to cut his bandage, her cool fingertips brushing his arm. He teased, "Doctor, aren't you wearing gloves? Isn't that against protocol?"
...
As Liang Chengmin prepared to shoo him away, he grabbed her wrist. "Can't take a joke."
Liang Chengmin shook off his hand. "Why are you so handsy? Are we close enough for you to joke with me?"
"We'll get close after a few more interactions."
"Who wants to interact with you?"
"Exchange flirtatious glances?"
When someone like Luan Mingrui said such things, it didn't sound like flirting at all—it was clearly just picking a fight. Liang Chengmin was utterly annoyed with him. She unwrapped the bandage. "Infected? Where?"
"If it's not infected, that's good. Help me wrap it back up."
Liang Chengmin nodded. "Alright, I'll wrap it for you." As she wound the bandage, she deliberately used a bit more force. Luan Mingrui let out a soft groan, lowered his head, and his neck flushed red from the pain.
Liang Chengmin suddenly smiled.
She looked especially beautiful when she smiled.She was naturally a delicate-looking girl, but usually appeared a bit too stern. When she smiled like this, it was like a lonely little flower blooming in the cracks of the bluestone slabs in the south—utterly endearing.
Luan Mingrui watched her smile, his gaze deep and intense, as if he wanted to devour her.
Liang Chengmin met his eyes and blushed, scolding him, "What are you looking at?"
Her flushed face amused him, and he teased her, "Dr. Liang, do you want to marry me? Once we're married, you can yell at me all you want, and I won't get angry. With that foul temper of yours, no one else would dare marry you anyway. Why not just make do with me?"
"Who wants to make do with you? I'd rather stay single forever than marry you." Liang Chengmin disliked Luan Mingrui's attitude. He usually wore a stern expression as if someone owed him money, spoke bluntly, and even the simplest words carried a mocking tone when he said them. Even when talking about marriage, he made it sound like a joke, with no trace of seriousness.
The angrier she got, the redder her face became.
Luan Mingrui glanced at her and smiled. He rarely smiled, and when he did, there was a hint of gentleness in it.
Luan Mingrui came every day. After his arm healed, he waited for her at the hospital entrance. Liang Chengmin avoided him, asking a young nurse every day before leaving work, "Is that pest still there?" The nurse would check and say, "Yes, he is." So Liang Chengmin would leave through the back door.
One day, as soon as she stepped out the back door, she saw Luan Mingrui standing there. "Are you avoiding me?" he asked.
"You keep coming to the hospital—it doesn't look good," Liang Chengmin said.
"What doesn't look good? I'm unmarried, you're unmarried. What's wrong with me waiting for you?"
"You're willing, but I'm not. It doesn't look good for me." Liang Chengmin argued with him, not daring to meet his eyes.
"Fine," Luan Mingrui said, then left. Liang Chengmin kept avoiding him like this, and their dynamic felt like a cat chasing a mouse—one chasing, the other running. After a while, it started to feel pointless. When it came to relationships, Luan Mingrui suddenly realized, it only became interesting when there was give and take.
So the next day, he really didn't come.
Liang Chengmin couldn't quite explain her feelings toward Luan Mingrui. Whenever she saw him, she wanted to argue with him, but when he didn't come, she felt an emptiness inside.
After not seeing Luan Mingrui for several days, her colleagues at the hospital teased her, "Has the young master stopped coming?"
Liang Chengmin blushed. "What does it have to do with me whether he comes or not?"
She rode her large bicycle, swaying left and right, back home. During dinner, her mother asked, "This evening, Grandma Wang from next door said she saw you talking to a young man at the hospital entrance a few days ago. Who was it?"
"A patient."
"Which patient?"
"...I don't remember." Liang Chengmin knew exactly who Grandma Wang was talking about—it had to be that young master. But she didn't want to tell her mother, afraid she'd make a big deal out of it.
"Oh, I see."
Later, she went on a few more blind dates.
For her, blind dates were like political tasks—she had to go, or it would mean her ideological awareness wasn't high enough. Afraid of her mother's nagging, she really did go.
This time, the blind date was at a state-run restaurant. As soon as she entered, she saw Luan Mingrui sitting by the window, fiddling with a button from who knows where. She thought about avoiding him to prevent awkwardness, but their eyes met. He glanced at her indifferently, pretending not to know her.
A little later, his blind date arrived. She heard him ask the girl, "What do you like to eat? Order whatever you want." The girl was quite pretty, with delicate features and a soft-spoken manner—a typical southern girl."I'm fine with anything." The girl wasn't as open as Liang Chengmin and only ordered a stir-fried vegetable dish. It was Luan Mingrui who ordered shrimp and crab. He said, "No need to save money. Money saved can't be taken with you anyway."
While talking to the girl, Luan Mingrui kept an ear on Liang Chengmin's table. When he heard the young man across from her say he was a teacher, he glanced over. The young man was dressed neatly and had a refined appearance.
"Being a teacher is wonderful," Liang Chengmin nodded earnestly. "Educating people, having students everywhere—it's a very noble profession."
"Doctors save lives and heal the wounded. That's noble too."
They were praising each other now.
"So, do you often travel to other cities?" the girl asked Luan Mingrui.
"Yes."
"The matchmaker said you're looking for someone who can take care of the home." The girl blushed slightly. She had known of Luan Mingrui before, having seen him from a distance a few times. How many girls in this small town liked him? "Do you think I'm suitable?"
The girl was direct, wanting an answer from Luan Mingrui. "I'll tell the matchmaker when I get back." Luan Mingrui pointed to the shrimp and crab on the table. "Eat more, don't hold back."
"Do you go on blind dates often?" the girl suddenly asked him. "Have you been on many? Do you already have someone in mind?"
"Once, with a doctor. She thought too highly of herself. I didn't like her."
When Liang Chengmin heard the words "thought too highly of herself, I didn't like her," for some reason, it felt as if something struck her heart.
The girl felt awkward, always uncomfortable peeling shrimp in front of Luan Mingrui. Unlike Liang Chengmin, who held her fingers delicately, looking determined to conquer the shrimp and crab.
After Liang Chengmin finished her meal with the male teacher, as they were about to leave, he asked her, "Would you like to go to the library together another day?"
"Sure."
When Luan Mingrui heard this "sure," he finally looked up and gave her a serious glance. He waited for her at the hospital entrance every day, and she acted as if she’d seen a ghost when she saw him. But when someone else invited her to the library, she said "sure."
Great.
Luan Mingrui got up to walk the girl home. Her house was in the same direction as Liang Chengmin's—just keep walking up this road, and her home was by the roadside. He was in a bad mood and barely spoke all the way to the girl's doorstep. Turning back, he saw Liang Chengmin walking with the male teacher. She wasn’t at all like she was around him, where she’d run off at the sight of him. Now she was calm and composed.
Luan Mingrui thought to himself, Marry whoever you want. What does it have to do with me? He walked past her expressionlessly.
Liang Chengmin suddenly grew angry. You’re the one who came, and now you’re pretending not to know me. She called out loudly, "Luan Mingrui!"
Luan Mingrui turned to look at her. "What is it, Dr. Liang?"
"Didn’t you see me?"
"No, I didn’t. My eyesight isn’t great. I wear glasses."
With that, he walked away, leaving Liang Chengmin speechless and flushed with anger. Tears welled up in her eyes for no reason, and she turned and ran off. The male teacher stood there, unsure whether to chase after her or leave.
A few days later, she finally had a day off. During lunch, her mother arranged another meeting for her. "This afternoon, give it your best effort. Remember that Luan Mingrui you met before? The matchmaker said he’s settled."
"Who’s settled?"
"Luan Mingrui. They say both families are preparing to meet."
Liang Chengmin felt a lump of rice stuck in her throat, impossible to swallow. Only then did she realize that the person who had asked her if she wanted to marry him had just been teasing her all along.After eating, she returned to her room to read, lying on the bed, feeling somewhat listless. She didn’t know why—perhaps it was because of the question Liang’s mother had asked during the meal, which reminded her of Luan Mingrui. As a result, she had no energy for anything. She flipped through a couple of pages before setting the book aside, staring blankly at the osmanthus branch in the vase by the window. After a while, she curled up on the bed and fell asleep, not waking until it was completely dark outside. Seeing her sleeping so soundly, Liang’s mother knew how hard she usually worked and couldn’t bear to wake her.
Thud. A small pebble hit her window. She lay there without moving, thinking it was just a mischievous child. A moment later, another pebble struck with similar force. A child’s hand wouldn’t be so steady. She sat up, pushed open the window, and saw Luan Mingrui standing on the bluestone path. The moonlight enveloped him, washing him clean and clear.
Her face flushed instantly. She quickly closed the window and sat alone by it, panting, her heart racing inexplicably fast.
Another thud—Luan Mingrui threw another pebble.
She pushed the window open and whispered to him, “Why are you throwing pebbles at my window?” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s, and she glared at him.
“Come out,” Luan Mingrui whispered back.
“It’s time for bed!”
“Come out.”
“I’m not coming out!”
She slammed the window shut again.
Luan Mingrui threw another pebble, irritating Liang Chengmin. She picked up the pebble, opened the window, and hurled it back with force. Hearing a muffled groan, she pushed the window open and saw Luan Mingrui covering his glasses.
“Did I hit you?” she asked.
Luan Mingrui didn’t answer. Liang Chengmin could tell he was angry.
“Wait for me,” she said, hastily throwing on an autumn jacket and tiptoeing out. She carefully closed the front door and walked over to Luan Mingrui.
“Let me see your eye.”
Luan Mingrui remained silent, tossing his glasses into her hands before turning to leave. Liang Chengmin noticed a chip in one of the lenses and hurried after him, following him into an alley. The alley was long and empty, with only the occasional stray cat padding softly across the stones. Liang Chengmin quickened her pace, catching up to grab his wrist. “Stop! Let me see your eye!”
Luan Mingrui finally halted and stood still.
He was tall, and she couldn’t see. She stood on her tiptoes but still couldn’t get a good look, growing impatient. “Can’t you lower your head?”
Luan Mingrui bent down, his breath brushing her forehead as he watched Liang Chengmin look up at him, unusually docile. There was a faint scratch on his eyelid, likely from a shard of the broken lens.
“Does it hurt?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
She stepped back and asked him, “Why did you come?”
“To give you wedding candy.” Luan Mingrui magically produced a liquor-filled chocolate from his pocket. Such treats were rare at the time, and Liang Chengmin had only tried them once or twice, but she loved them. Today, however, she didn’t want any.
“Why are you giving me wedding candy? Are you showing off? Are you trying to say that even if you won’t marry me, plenty of others will?”
“Do you go around asking every girl if she’ll marry you? Or is it just when you feel like it?”
“What’s so great about getting married? Do you have to flaunt it in front of me?”
“Who wants your stupid wedding candy!” As she spoke, Liang Chengmin grew increasingly agitated, her eyes reddening. She couldn’t quite explain why, but she felt a little wronged and even a touch of regret.
Seeing a tear roll down Liang Chengmin’s cheek, Luan Mingrui finally couldn’t bear to tease her any longer. “It’s my cousin’s wedding candy.”If there were a hole in the ground, Liang Chengmin would have crawled right into it. She pressed her lips together, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Want some?" Luan Mingrui asked her again.
"Yes." Liang Chengmin wiped away her tears and held out her palm. Luan Mingrui placed a piece of chocolate in her hand. She peeled off the foil wrapper and put it in her mouth, reluctant to bite it, just letting it melt on her tongue.
"Is the chocolate good?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.
"It's delicious."
"Let me taste it."
Suddenly, he lowered his head and kissed her lips, his tongue lightly tracing the corner of her mouth. Liang Chengmin’s mind went blank, frozen in place.
When Luan Mingrui’s lips came again, she felt like a fool.
Luan Mingrui wasn’t foolish—he didn’t know how, but all he wanted was to taste the chocolate. His hand cupped the back of her head, and his tongue ventured inside. That one venture was enough to make the iron tree of his nearly thirty years burst into bloom at the sweetness of her lips and the faint scent of alcohol. His tongue tangled with hers, drawing the chocolate from her tongue, along with her own, into his mouth. His hands cradled her face with an almost instinctive skill, and feeling they were still too far apart, he abruptly pulled her into his embrace.
Liang Chengmin collided with his body, and the hardness pressing against her startled her. She struggled in his arms. "Let me go!"
"No!"
"I’ll scream!"
"Go ahead!"
Luan Mingrui trapped her between himself and the wall. The two of them wrestled, breathing heavily. "Not screaming, are you?" he asked, seeing the pitiful look in her eyes before kissing her again. This time, he was even more urgent, their teeth clashing, but he didn’t care. Tilting his head, he finally found the right angle.
Liang Chengmin couldn’t stand steady, so he lifted her, their bodies entwining, his becoming her support and anchor.
He had been thinking about her every day lately but couldn’t bring himself to swallow his pride. Today, at someone else’s wedding, he suddenly felt envious. Could dignity and pride really be more important than marrying Liang Chengmin and bringing her home?
Of course not!
Wouldn’t it be better to marry her first and deal with her slowly later? Why bother fighting with her now?
Finally pulling apart, Luan Mingrui’s heart felt full as he asked her again, "Liang Chengmin, will you marry me?"
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