The Kindhearted Girl Gets a Wife 21

Chapter 21

Chen Qingtang thought of a medical term she had read in a book, called the rebound phenomenon.

It roughly meant that when a medication was suddenly stopped or the dosage was reduced too quickly, the condition would actually worsen. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what kind of reaction the seven-day couple experience card would bring. The withdrawal symptoms after it ended would definitely be very uncomfortable.

She wanted to try to shake her head. Emotion and reason were fighting in her mind. What if she couldn’t renew it? They lived under the same roof, seeing each other all the time. How could she deal with her suppressed emotions?

She suddenly felt that Pei Yunle was a bit of a bastard.

Pei Yunle hadn’t expected the other person to agree right away. She just wanted to see Chen Qingtang’s reaction. If she really had no feelings for her at all, she wouldn’t be biting her lip and hesitating. She would either have shaken off her hand and walked away, or lightly slapped her.

5 seconds.

20 seconds.

30 seconds.

Pei Yunle silently counted the time in her head. It only took her 30 seconds to go from questioning to confirming Chen Qingtang’s feelings.

“Hey, you’re not talking…”

“Yunle!”

A sharp, high-pitched voice cut through their thoughts, completely shattering the ambiguous atmosphere.

Pei Yunle’s whole body stiffened. She was too familiar with who that voice belonged to. She turned her head to look.

Lin Zilan was leaning against the car, a pair of sunglasses hanging from her index finger.

Although Chen Qingtang had never met Pei Yunle’s mother, her dress and temperament, as well as the expensive-looking car, almost instantly confirmed their relationship.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Pei Yunle exclaimed. “Aren’t you busy making money? What are you doing here?”

Lin Zilan slowly walked towards the two of them, glanced at Chen Qingtang next to her, and finally her gaze rested on her own daughter.

Her tone was faint, with no discernible emotion. “I called you so many times last night, you didn’t answer.”

Only then did Pei Yunle realize that after their unpleasant parting last night, she had set Lin Zilan’s WeChat to “do not disturb” and, afraid that she would continue to call, had turned off her phone directly.

“Oh, I forgot to charge my phone last night, it was off. I just turned it on today.”

“But, why are you here?” Pei Yunle moved half a step to the side, hiding Chen Qingtang behind her.

Lin Zilan saw through her little trick in a second. “Your aunt passed away. We have to go to the funeral and the banquet. What will it look like if you don’t go?”

Pei Yunle frowned. “So when will we be back?”

“I don’t know, we’ll see. Get in the car with me first.” Lin Zilan put on her sunglasses and went straight to the driver’s seat.

Countless questions popped up in Pei Yunle’s mind. Faced with Lin Zilan’s command, she was still scared. Her feet couldn’t help but take two steps forward. Then, as if her brain had regained consciousness, she suddenly turned around to look at Chen Qingtang and grabbed her by the shoulders.

“You haven’t answered my proposal yet.”

Chen Qingtang was a little dazed. Her dark pupils reflected the vast blue sky, the white walls and black tiles, and Pei Yunle’s face, full of expectation and fear.

She had heard what Lin Zilan had just said. She had heard the beginning and end of the matter, but she had not heard a definite date of return for this person.

A sense of panic welled up in her heart. Chen Qingtang’s lips trembled slightly, and her palms began to grow cold.

Behind her was the impatient honking of Lin Zilan’s horn. Everything was on a countdown.

Pei Yunle’s grip on her shoulders tightened involuntarily. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as a yes.”

At her words, Chen Qingtang wanted to shake her head. If she knew that the ending would always be bad, then it was better not to start at all.

Pei Yunle saw a layer of moisture welling up in the other person’s eyes. She blinked, thinking that she had been staring for too long and her eyes were playing tricks on her. This kind of thing was either a yes or a no. There was no need for such a big emotional fluctuation, right? Was she moved by her?

She was a little confused, but she still gave Chen Qingtang three seconds. If this person didn’t shake her head, then this seven-day experience card would start to take effect.

1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds.

The horn honked several more times. Lin Zilan’s patience was about to run out.

Chen Qingtang didn’t shake her head. Pei Yunle almost cheered out loud. With Lin Zilan still staring from behind, she didn’t dare to do anything.

Pei Yunle held up a finger in front of her eyes and lowered her voice. “Girlfriend, you have to remember to miss me. This is the first thing a couple has to do.”

The warm breath sprayed on Chen Qingtang’s ear, like a spark igniting dry grass, instantly burning up a patch. Chen Qingtang clutched her chest, feeling that it was burning, not to mention her cheeks, which were flushed like the red yolk of a salted duck egg.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll be back as soon as possible so you don’t miss me too much. This is the second thing I have to do.”

Pei Yunle took three steps in two and almost ran and jumped into the car. This unusually happy appearance earned her a roll of the eyes from Lin Zilan.

“So happy to be going home? You’ve had enough of the hard life, haven’t you?”

The shadows of the trees and buildings were thrown behind the window, leaving a trail of colored afterimages.

“No, young people should suffer a little to become successful. I think you were right to throw me here.”

Lin Zilan glanced at Pei Yunle through her sunglasses. “You don’t want to go back to the good life?”

“I’ve had a good life for over twenty years. It’s okay to spend a few more days in Pingshun.” Pei Yunle thought of Chen Qingtang’s appearance just now, and the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve up.

Lin Zilan listened to her trembling voice, unsure for a moment whether she was happy or sad.

Pei Yunle suddenly turned her head. “Wait, I don’t remember having any aunt. Isn’t an aunt a relative from my dad’s side? You’ve already divorced him, why do you still care about the relatives on that side?”

Lin Zilan got married in Pingshun. After the marriage, she went to Anyang to work, helping out a chef, preparing side dishes. Later, she learned some skills and saved some money. Business was good in those years, and taking advantage of the trend, she opened a restaurant. Later, it grew bigger and bigger, becoming a combination of a restaurant and a hotel.

As for her spouse, he couldn’t stand a woman working hard outside, thinking it was too ostentatious. He tried to make things difficult for Lin Zilan in every way. Later, Lin Zilan kicked him out, hired a lawyer for a divorce, and didn’t give him a single cent.

The two of them divorced early, and Pei Yunle didn’t even have much of an impression of him. She had no feelings for this biological father of hers. Lin Zilan had raised her single-handedly, and her personality was very strong. Pei Yunle had been afraid of her since she was a child and rarely dared to resist anything.

Lin Zilan glanced at the rearview mirror and then moved her gaze back. “She did die. She died more than ten years ago. I only heard about it by chance.”

“Then why did you just say you were taking me back for the banquet?!” If it weren’t for being in the car, Pei Yunle would have wanted to stand up.

“If I didn’t say that, would you have come back willingly? I’m your mother, don’t I know your character? Sit properly, don’t fidget in your seat, you’re blocking my view of the mirror!”

Pei Yunle was angry, but she didn’t dare to argue directly with Lin Zilan. For safety, she could only lean her upper body back against the seat.

“So what are you taking me back for? I didn’t bring my clothes or my computer.”

“What I told you was half-true. The person passed away is true, and the meal is also true, but they’re not related. What did I tell you last night? I told you to come back for the written test and interview. I told you I’d find connections for you. Although it’s not a direct entry into the hospital, at least the interview round will be easier. So, I’m taking you to have a meal with them.”

“Me? I’m not going! Can you respect my opinion? I’ve already said I don’t want to go to the city hospital, and I don’t want to go to the second affiliated hospital either. I can’t give you a good face. If you don’t respect me, I won’t be able to respect you either.”

Lin Zilan snorted coldly. “Don’t act up with me here. Can’t you not waste your five years of undergraduate studies? If it weren’t for the connections, why would I have forced you to study medicine in the first place? While they’re not retired and still useful, of course we have to make use of them.”

“If I had had your good conditions back then, I wouldn’t have had to struggle for half my life. Seeing you like this, a piece of mud that can’t be plastered on the wall, I get so angry.”

“I don’t want what you’re giving me, okay?” Pei Yunle opened the car window to get some air, but Lin Zilan closed it again.

“The air conditioning is on in the car.” Lin Zilan lowered the temperature by two degrees. “Why do you think I earn so much? It’s because I see you’re useless and I’m afraid that after I die, you’ll have no money and starve to death on the street. You really don’t let me have a moment’s peace.”

“Anyway, you can’t go back now that you’re in the car. So you might as well just have a meal with me and meet them. They won’t say anything to you. Just say hello and answer a few questions occasionally. Look at you.”

Pei Yunle rolled her eyes and couldn’t be bothered to argue with Lin Zilan anymore. Neither of them was willing to back down, so it was useless to argue until their throats were sore.

“By the way, who was that girl just now? She seems to be very close to you.”

At the mention of Chen Qingtang, the sleepiness that Pei Yunle had just managed to cultivate immediately vanished.

“Just a friend, it’s very normal,” she mumbled, turning to face the car window and taking out her phone from her bag. No one had sent her a message.

They had been separated for an hour, and her girlfriend didn’t miss her? Pei Yunle clearly remembered that she had just taught her that the first thing to do was to miss her.

Lin Zilan saw her fidgeting, and a nerve seemed to be pulled. “Friend? How come I don’t see you so reluctant to part with Ji Mingzhu? I was about to break the horn, and your ears were deaf, you wouldn’t leave.”

“How many years have Ji Mingzhu and I known each other? The novelty is gone. Is it necessary to be like that? She’s a new friend I made, of course I’m reluctant to part with her.”

“Pei Yunle.”

Suddenly being called by her full name by her mother, the muscles on Pei Yunle’s back tensed up. She could only prick up her ears to listen.

“If I remember correctly, your sexual orientation is female.”

Pei Yunle immediately closed her eyes, hugged the seatbelt, and said in a low voice, “I’m asleep.”

Lin Zilan glanced at her and pushed up her slightly slipping sunglasses.

She had intended to pretend to be asleep, but unexpectedly, as soon as she closed her eyes, she really fell asleep.

When Pei Yunle woke up again, the familiar tall buildings were outside the car window. The neatly arranged trees cast shadows on the roof of the car. The continuous mountains were gone, as if the time in Pingshun had just been a dream.

The car drove into the villa area and stopped by the carved stone railing. Passing the flowers and plants in the front yard, Pei Yunle’s mind cleared up a lot, but her legs were still weak.

“Go take a shower first. We’ll go to dinner tonight.”

Pei Yunle deliberately leaned closer to Lin Zilan and nuzzled against her. “What, you’re disgusted with your daughter?”

“Cut the crap. Take off all these clanking earrings, lip studs, necklaces, and bracelets. What does it look like? Can’t you dress like a normal person?”

“What’s not normal about me? It’s not like I’m not wearing clothes. It’s their problem if they can’t appreciate it.”

“Cut the crap! I’m not saying you have to dress beautifully, just a little simple and fresh. I’m begging you. Change your clothes and come out for me to see. We’ll go out when there’s no problem.”

Lin Zilan threw her bag into Pei Yunle’s arms, unlocked the door with her fingerprint, and went inside.

The house had no human touch at all. The whole place exuded a gloomy atmosphere. Pei Yunle had moved out, and Lin Zilan only came back to sleep at night.

Lin Zilan washed a large bowl of strawberries. Pei Yunle took half a bowl into her own room, kicked off her slippers, and lay on the bed, the strawberries next to her head.

There was still no message she wanted to see in her WeChat messages. Pei Yunle pouted in dissatisfaction. She clicked on Chen Qingtang’s profile picture. The last chat had ended with a ten-yuan red envelope.

Pei Yunle poked the other person, then started to scroll down her sticker collection. The only one that was suitable for an opening was a picture of: Your mom is here.

Her eyes darkened. Her past self was too abstract.

After a long time, Pei Yunle saw her own profile picture shake a few times. Chen Qingtang had also poked her.

The chat background showed—Chen Qingtang poked my head and said, “Last night was great.”

Pei Yunle: … Aaaaaah! I really need to hang out with those friends less in the future! Is this going to be the death of me?!

In a second, Pei Yunle jumped three feet high from the bed, knocking over the bowl of strawberries. The pink fruits scattered in mid-air, and many rolled onto the bed and the floor.

She was so anxious that she immediately went to change her “poke” message. For a moment, she didn’t know what to change it to, her hands stiffly holding her phone.

After a long moment, the phone vibrated. Pei Yunle saw that Chen Qingtang had sent her a “thumbs up” emoji.

Below it was a reply: Looks like you’re very capable.

Pei Yunle: ?