Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 35

Smash—

Another bowl on the counter accidentally dropped to the floor, spilling the herbal medicine everywhere. The kitchen was instantly filled with a pungent medicinal smell.

“I didn’t mean to,” Lin Ran scratched her head in embarrassment.

No one knew how long that kiss lasted. When she finally came to her senses, her back was pressed against the stone counter. Her hand, which had fallen from Fu Linling’s neck, was braced on the counter beside her. An unintentional movement knocked over the second bowl of medicine.

“Are you alright?” Fu Linling pulled her out. “Are there any glass shards on you?”

“No.” Lin Ran looked down, then jumped up and shook herself twice.

“Stay out here,” Fu Linling instructed before going in to clean up the mess.

“Since that bowl is gone, I don’t have to drink the one for tomorrow, right?” Lin Ran poked her head in the doorway and asked.

“No. I’ll brew another bowl right now.”

Lin Ran made a face and went back to work.

Fu Linling smiled to herself, then subtly licked her lips—

The skin was slightly broken. She was truly naughty.

Before bed, she checked the degree of the broken skin and felt it wasn’t a big deal, so she didn’t apply any ointment. The next day, she woke up to find the spot had scabbed over.

Great. It was even more noticeable now.

Work was fine; she wore a mask all the time.

However, at lunchtime, Qin Shanshan and Wang Ke would glance at her, then lower their heads and giggle, without asking any questions, as if they had already guessed everything.

Lin Ran also chuckled under the table. Only when Fu Linling’s ears started turning red from embarrassment did Lin Ran try to cover up the situation: “I told you I’d clean up the broken bowl, but you insisted on doing it. See? You accidentally cut yourself.”

This attempt at deflection only made things worse. Qin Shanshan and Wang Ke burst out laughing.

“Pfft.”

“Haha.”

They quickly huddled together again to giggle secretly.

Lin Ran gave Fu Linling a sheepish look, communicating with her eyes: I tried my best.

“What are you guys laughing about?” Feng Ming arrived late after being delayed at work. She sat down at their table with her tray and saw the two women whose shoulders were trembling. She turned to Fu Linling and asked curiously, “Senior Sister, why is your lip broken? Is it too dry?”

Lin Ran said: “If I explained that a bowl broke last night and she accidentally cut her lip while cleaning up, would you believe me?”

Feng Ming nodded: “Senior Sister, you must be more careful.”

Fu Linling: “…”

“Hahahaha!” Qin Shanshan and Wang Ke could no longer contain themselves. The entire cafeteria echoed with their loud laughter.

“Oh my gosh, we actually have an honest person here!” Qin Shanshan was laughing so hard tears were about to fly out.

Wang Ke slapped the table: “Dr. Feng, are you single since birth?”

Feng Ming looked at them, completely confused: “…Is it that obvious?”

They just kept laughing.

Feng Ming was even more bewildered. She saw Lin Ran raise her hands to cover her face, her lips also curved high. Then she looked at Fu Linling, who said nothing, only subconsciously licking the scab on her lip.

In a flash of realization, Feng Ming seemed to understand the origin of the wound!

She stared at Fu Linling in disbelief, a small wave stirring within her.

She knew her Senior Sister was married, but she initially thought the flash marriage wasn’t based on emotion.

Although she later noticed that her Senior Sister seemed serious about the marriage and knew that she might engage in intimate activities with Lin Ran, it felt unbelievable to see tangible evidence of these acts.

Could her Senior Sister—the one obsessed with study and work, who completely missed subtle hints from others, and who paid no attention to others—actually engage in passionate kissing?

Feng Ming ate her meal in a state of shock, struggling to reconcile the person in front of her with the Senior Sister in her mind.

So, the person on the pedestal could also be pulled down into the secular world…

Lin Ran became very busy these days. She had a backlog of work that needed to be completed quickly.

The progress on Liang Qingbo’s studio was also fast. Liang Qingbo contacted her frequently and even brought her to the site several times.

“If you have time, could you do a mural on the exterior wall?” Liang Qingbo asked.

This entire street was full of creative and stylish shops. Liang Qingbo also wanted to create something unique. If they had a spectacular painting on the wall, even if it didn’t immediately bring in customers, people taking photos and checking in would serve as promotion.

“Will I be painting for free?” Lin Ran asked a very practical question.

“I’ll pay you, I’ll pay you. At market price, okay?” Liang Qingbo said.

“Deal.” Lin Ran readily agreed.

After finishing her current commissions, she went to the studio to paint the mural, working from early morning until late at night and eating dinner outside.

Fu Linling would drive over to pick her up after dinner. She saw Lin Ran standing on a ladder, almost as high as the street lamp, the light casting a glow around her that made even her hair seem luminous.

“You’re here,” Lin Ran said while outlining. She called out, “Qingzi, Dr. Fu is here!”

Qingzi ran out from inside, wearing a mask, and waved with a smile: “Oh, look who decided to show up—such a good source of free labor! Come in and lend a hand.”

“What can I do?” Fu Linling followed her into the studio.

“You’re tall. Help me paint the high parts,” Qingzi handed her a mask and an apron.

The several workspaces in the studio were already framed out. While Fu Linling painted the wall, she listened to Qingzi explain the specific functional divisions. It all looked quite professional.

Lin Ran finished her work around ten o’clock, and the two headed home.

“Dr. Fu, you shouldn’t come here anymore,” Lin Ran said while sitting in the car.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” Fu Linling asked.

“You work all day. Now you have to come here and do manual labor at night. That’s not good,” Lin Ran said.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. I get a commission and a salary for my work, so I’m willing to do it. You just come here to help out. Once or twice is okay, but please don’t make a habit of it. We have professionals for this work. We’re not trying to save that little bit of money. What’s more important: painting walls or your thesis? I already told Qingzi off. If you’re going to be stubborn, I’ll have to scold you too,” Lin Ran said.

Fu Linling listened to her words, which sounded tough but were clearly born of care, and smiled: “Alright. I must naturally listen to Mrs. Fu.”

Lin Ran glanced at her and deliberately said: “Mrs. Fu says she wants some ice cream.”

“It’s too late. It’s not good for you.”

“Why aren’t you listening to Mrs. Fu now? Do you only listen selectively?”

“Yes.” Fu Linling agreed with a smile, leaving Lin Ran at a loss.

For the next half month, Fu Linling obediently stayed home to write her thesis, but Lin Ran started returning later and later. Sometimes Fu Linling was already asleep when she got home.

It had been four days since they last saw each other.

So, on the weekend, Fu Linling went to see Lin Ran again.

A crowd of people stood on the sidewalk, craning their necks and watching, talking to each other in low voices.

Fu Linling followed the crowd’s gaze. Lin Ran was standing on a ladder, using a brush to apply color.

The mural was nearing completion and was extremely eye-catching.

The wall featured only two colors: black ink was used to splash and draw fine lines depicting two figures, a Swordsman and a Swordswoman. Their faces were hidden by the brims of their hats.

The Swordsman’s entire back was covered in an irregular, well-proportioned running-script calligraphy tattoo, exuding wildness and beauty.

The Swordswoman also had tattoos on her arms. A snake head with its tongue out was on the back of her hand. The snake’s body coiled up her arm, disappearing under her clothes, and reappearing as the tail on a section of her exposed waist, making her look mysterious and dangerous.

Passersby could not help but be drawn to such a striking mural. The store’s concept was immediately clear. Some discussed the painting, some the tattoos in the painting, and others discussed the artist touching up the colors.

“Dr. Fu, you’re here. Don’t stand out in the sun. Come inside and sit,” Liang Qingbo spotted Fu Linling and called her in.

Fu Linling stood still, watching Lin Ran.

Lin Ran heard her, looked over, and said: “Go inside and wait for me. I’ll be done soon.”

Only then did Fu Linling nod. She walked through the gate. There was a small courtyard inside, and after walking for a minute or two, she reached the main entrance. The structural renovations inside were mostly complete.

Liang Qingbo asked her to rest in the front hall and handed her a bottle of water: “Dr. Fu, what do you think of the mural outside?”

“It’s excellent.” Fu Linling wasn’t eloquent. She couldn’t find the perfect word to describe her admiration, so she just said, “It makes me want to get a tattoo myself.”

Hearing this, Liang Qingbo laughed loudly: “I’m relieved to hear you say that! Getting her to do the mural was an inspired move!”

Fu Linling nodded and asked: “How much longer until the mural is finished?”

“What, missing your Lin Ran already?”

Just as Fu Linling was about to answer, she heard footsteps at the door.

“I’m boiling hot.” Lin Ran fanned herself with her hand, put down her supplies, and rushed inside to the air conditioning.

“You worked hard,” Fu Linling handed her the water.

Lin Ran’s strength had been evaporated by the sun. The sharp edges of the bottle cap hurt her fingers. Just as she was about to twist it hard, Fu Linling took the water back, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her again.

Liang Qingbo watched them for a moment, then couldn’t stand it: “You two enjoy your time. I’m going inside to check on things.”

“Why did you come over today? Don’t you have to work?” Lin Ran asked after drinking the water.

“It’s Saturday today.”

“Oh! It’s Saturday already?”

“Mhm.”

Lin Ran had been extremely busy recently. It was her first time painting such a large image on a wall. Moving up and down was inconvenient, and just doing the initial sketch took several days. She couldn’t afford to be careless, unlike drawing on a computer where mistakes could be easily undone.

“Did you come up with this design yourself?” Fu Linling asked curiously.

“The main concept is mine. Qingzi designed the tattoos. Do you think it works?”

“It’s gorgeous. People can’t walk past without stopping,” Fu Linling pointed outside. “People are already taking pictures.”

Lin Ran looked back through the glass door at the people constantly taking photos, and smiled: “At least the time wasn’t wasted.”

“When will it be finished?”

“In the next day or two, probably.”

After a while, Fu Linling said softly: “I haven’t seen you for days.”

“How many days?”

“Four days.”

“I’ll try to finish it all tomorrow!”

After resting for a bit, Lin Ran picked up her paint buckets and went back outside to touch up the colors. This time, she didn’t need the ladder; she could just stand.

Fu Linling followed her out and stood among the crowd, watching her.

Before long, Fu Linling noticed that a few men in front of her were getting restless, whispering, and then pushing one of them forward.

The man stepped up to Lin Ran and asked hopefully: “Excuse me, miss, can I get your WeChat?”

Lin Ran froze, glanced at him, then looked back and saw Fu Linling. She pointed a finger: “My phone is with my wife. You’ll have to go ask her.”

The man looked at Fu Linling in surprise, noticing her clearly displeased expression. He immediately lost his nerve, grabbed his friends, and quickly scurried away.

A multitude of stares instantly converged on them from all directions. Fu Linling ignored them, walked directly to Lin Ran, and didn’t say a word.

Lin Ran dabbed some color, looked at her, dabbed some more, looked at her again, and then chuckled: “Are you acting as the door god here?”

“I want to see who else dares to approach you,” Fu Linling said.

“It’s too sunny right now. Don’t just stand here,” Lin Ran said with a laugh.

Fu Linling remained rooted to the spot.

Lin Ran thought for a moment, took her paint brush, and suddenly bent down to write the character “Fu” in large letters on her apron.

“If anyone else comes near, I’ll point to this and say, ‘This is my wife.’ How’s that?” Lin Ran said, completely serious.

Fu Linling looked at the huge character for “Fu,” and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

The sunlight streamed through the trees lining the street, dappling them with light. One ray landed right on the edge of Fu Linling’s eye, making it a little dazzling.

Lin Ran stared at her intently, then suddenly tilted her head back, and in full view of the onlookers, kissed her on the lips: “Go inside and wait for me. Be a good girl.”

Fu Linling pretended to be calm as she agreed. As soon as she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with a group of strangers. She quickly sped up, darted through the main door, and could still hear Lin Ran’s laughter from several meters away.