Chapter 12: Impact

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Shen Qingqing hadn’t been asleep long when the sound of knocking woke her. Perhaps to avoid disturbing others, the person outside knocked only three times and then stopped. Shen Qingqing turned over, her eyelids sticking together again. In a drowsy haze, she heard someone calling her name.

“Shen Qingqing, open the door.”

The room’s poor sound insulation allowed Jiang Zhixun’s voice to come through clearly. Shen Qingqing was patient, but not when rudely awakened. And this person was Jiang Zhixun. A sudden flame ignited in her heart. What was he doing here? Given his usual style, shouldn’t he have been avoiding her lately? After all, back in the cafeteria, Jiang Zhixun hadn’t even given her a chance to speak to him alone.

Her irritation grew stronger.

She pulled the blanket over her head, pretending not to hear anything. The man outside grew anxious. Could Shen Qingqing really be unconscious? The thought unsettled Jiang Zhixun. “Shen Qingqing?” No response from inside. Without hesitation, he hurried downstairs and reappeared holding a key.

Xiao Li knew Shen Qingqing’s current condition. Thinking the couple was having a quarrel and that Comrade Shen was deliberately not opening the door for Jiang Zhixun, he hadn’t followed him upstairs.

As soon as the door opened, the room’s interior was fully visible. Jiang Zhixun went straight to the bedside. Seeing the motionless figure on the bed, his heart leapt into his throat. Without a second thought, he lifted the blanket, intending to carry Shen Qingqing to the hospital.

The sudden turn of events startled Shen Qingqing, who had been feigning deafness, into a cry. She was wearing a nightdress, and as the blanket was lifted, the hem was pulled up to her thighs, revealing her fair, slender legs.

The room was still dark before dawn. Jiang Zhixun, bent over in the posture of lifting her, had one hand slipped under her back while the other touched the smooth, warm thigh. Shen Qingqing’s startled cry struck his ears. He looked down.

His eyesight was excellent, so even in the dark, he could see clearly. Suddenly, he was dumbfounded. Before he could recover, Shen Qingqing pushed him away, wrapping herself tightly again. She glared at him angrily. “How could you come in all of a sudden?”

The man said nothing, turned, and closed the door behind him. Shen Qingqing sat up nervously, backing against the wall. At this hour, she couldn’t understand what Jiang Zhixun was doing here. He had just been holding her...

Could it be that he had taken his mother’s words to heart and really wanted to have a child with her?

Her throat tightened. “Turn on the light first.”

Jiang Zhixun was still trying to shake off the shock of what he had just seen. They were husband and wife, but he hadn’t looked at her like that before. He closed his eyes, attempting to banish the scene from his mind.

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In vain.

In the dimness, all that could be heard were their breathing and Shen Qingqing’s pounding heartbeat.

With a click, Jiang Zhixun turned on the light, dispelling the silent tension. His gaze fell on the curtains as he put his hands into his pockets. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

Shen Qingqing retorted, “If you came this early, was it for something important?”

Jiang Zhixun had no urgent matter. He had just dreamed something troubling and came to check on Shen Qingqing. No matter what, she was his wife in name; he couldn’t just ignore her wellbeing.

Meeting the doubt in her eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbed. He said nothing further and turned to leave, remembering to lock the door behind him.

The room fell silent again. If the light hadn’t been on, Shen Qingqing might have thought the whole episode was a dream.

Jiang Zhixun had really come, said nothing, and left.

She reached for the watch on the table; it was only four in the morning. Annoyed, Shen Qingqing punched her pillow. “Is this guy crazy? He won’t sleep himself and won’t let others sleep either!”

She tossed the watch back on the table, then got out of bed to turn off the light.

It was cold.

Goosebumps immediately rose on her skin. Shen Qingqing hurried back under the covers, finally feeling alive again. She cursed Jiang Zhixun harshly in her mind. He had bullied her three years ago and was still doing it now! Once divorced, she vowed to keep as far away from him as possible. No more chances for him to torment her.

Jiang Zhixun left the guesthouse, his heartbeat quickening with every step. His palms were sweaty despite the cold weather. After running dozens of laps on the sports field, his mood gradually steadied.

…

Jiang Zhixun and his comrades had completed their mission and were granted two days of leave. According to the original plan, Lin Zhidong intended to invite his closest comrades to his home to celebrate his child’s first birthday.

But now he was troubled.

Inviting Jiang Zhixun meant Shen Qingqing couldn’t be left out. Yet bringing her along risked her saying something inappropriate, which could make the atmosphere awkward and possibly affect Jiang Zhixun and Shen Qingqing’s marital relationship.

Lin Zhidong’s wife, Zhou Xiaomei, noticed his early morning worry and offered a suggestion.

“Why don’t we have them at the state-run restaurant tomorrow? Let Xiao Mian stay home to take care of the child. That way, she won’t run into Jiang Zhixun’s wife.”

Zhou Xiaomei worked in the cultural troupe’s administrative office but knew a few single female comrades who were interested in Jiang Zhixun. Some bold ones had even confessed to him.

All had been rejected.

Zhou Xiaomei had heard complaints that Jiang Zhixun was hard to pursue and suspected he intended to remain a bachelor forever. Unexpectedly, he had quietly married three years ago.

She was very curious about Shen Qingqing, wanting to see what kind of woman could win Jiang Zhixun’s hand in marriage and to learn more about their relationship. If their marriage was harmonious, why had Jiang Zhixun not returned home for three years?

Lin Zhidong immediately rejected Zhou Xiaomei’s suggestion.

“Taking Xiao Mian out of the house for the state restaurant would make her feel like we’re pushing her away.”

Zhou Xiaomei was a little afraid of this sister-in-law, who could be quite troublesome when riled up. Fortunately, she worked efficiently and cared deeply for the child, so Zhou Xiaomei didn’t fuss too much.

Though others could help, having family around was more reassuring.

“We’ll make it up to her—give her a bowl of braised pork and buy two meat buns.”

“Doesn’t she hardly use her snow cream? She only applies it every two or three days, and her face is almost cracked from the cold. We’ll get her another bag and let her use it as she pleases.”

Under other circumstances, such treats might placate her. But this situation was different.

If she wasn’t allowed to go to the state restaurant, she would surely think they were deliberately excluding her from meeting Comrade Shen. She’d feel they considered her unworthy of the dining table, perhaps even suspect the food brought back was leftovers.

Lin Zhidong knew his sister’s temperament well and could already imagine her crying and making a scene. It only made him more troubled.

“Whether we celebrate the birthday or not, it doesn’t matter. Maybe we just won’t invite anyone and save a few tickets.”

Lin Zhidong was very fond of his son. His comrades always brought supplements for the child when visiting. Occasionally, they even scrambled to hold the little baby when meeting outside.

Because they were close, Lin Zhidong wanted to seize the opportunity during leave to invite his good friends home for a lively dinner.

Zhou Xiaomei’s tone was plaintive. “You were too loud about this early on, spreading the news. Now that the time has come, if you suddenly cancel, won’t people gossip behind your back?”

“They’re not that kind of people.”

Lin Zhidong was certain of this, but changing plans last minute was awkward.

Scratching the back of his head, he said, “Maybe we should just cook at home. It’s only three or four people, and there’s enough space. If anything comes up, Xiao Mian won’t have time to fuss.”

With so many people around, she wouldn’t be able to cause trouble.

Zhou Xiaomei agreed. “Alright, I’ll stop by the guesthouse after work to personally invite Comrade Shen. Otherwise, it might seem insincere.”

Lin Zhidong nodded. “That’s right. Yesterday, Xiao Mian offended Comrade Shen and hasn’t properly apologized. You can say a few kind words for her so Comrade Shen doesn’t hold a grudge.”

Zhou Xiaomei pouted. “I’ve already apologized on behalf of your sister so many times. She really needs to change her temper!”

Lin Zhidong wanted his sister to improve as well. But she was grown up now with her own mind, and he was helpless.

“Take it slow. With your guidance, she’s improved a lot this past year.”

That one sentence pleased Zhou Xiaomei.

She snorted. “She’s your sister, so she’s family. How could I not care about her?”