Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 38

Lin Ran drove the car to a nearby shopping mall and found a beef hot pot restaurant. After taking their seats, she immediately ordered more than ten plates of beef.

Lin Ran and Fu Linling naturally sat next to each other, leaving Feng Ming and Liang Qingbo to sit across from them.

“Dr. Fu is treating tonight, right?” Liang Qingbo asked.

Fu Linling nodded: “Order whatever you like.”

“Then I won’t be polite.” Liang Qingbo added a few more plates of meat, then turned to Feng Ming next to her: “Great scholar, anything else you want to add?”

“No need,” Feng Ming said a bit awkwardly. “Please don’t call me a ‘great scholar.’ Just call me by my name.”

“Alright. What was your name again? I didn’t quite catch it. Which character is it?”

“The Ming from tea/camellia (茶茗).”

Liang Qingbo nodded, and after that, she rarely spoke to Feng Ming.

Feng Ming ate the meal distractedly, growing nervous every time the people next to her started a new topic.

But seeing Lin Ran’s cheerful state, it seemed she still didn’t know about last night, which relieved Feng Ming somewhat.

After the meal, Liang Qingbo prepared to leave. Lin Ran offered to drive her back, but she declined.

“I’ll just take a taxi. Don’t worry about me.” Liang Qingbo was a straightforward person. She grabbed her things and left first.

A moment later, Feng Ming put down her chopsticks: “I’m full too. I have some things to deal with at home, so I’ll head off.”

“Oh, alright. Be careful on your way back,” Lin Ran said.

“Mhm.”

Watching her receding figure, Lin Ran whispered: “Did you two make up?”

“Mhm. We talked everything out. It should be fine now,” Fu Linling picked up the last beef ball.

“That’s good. She didn’t seem too enthusiastic tonight. I thought she was still mad at you,” Lin Ran said.

“Was she?”

“Of course. She zoned out a few times, looking absent-minded,” Lin Ran laughed. “Didn’t you notice?”

“I didn’t pay much attention.”

“You are truly focused when you eat,” Lin Ran smiled helplessly.

“I wasn’t that focused,” Fu Linling placed the slightly cooled beef ball into Lin Ran’s bowl. “I at least noticed you like to eat this.”

Lin Ran stared at the meatball and smiled. After finishing it, she tugged on Fu Linling’s sleeve, signaling her to lean closer, and whispered in her ear: “Good performance. I’ll elect you for bedside service tonight.”

Fu Linling’s mouth curved upwards. She turned and called out: “One more plate of beef balls here.”

Lin Ran: “We can’t finish it!”

“Miss Liang, Miss Liang…”

Liang Qingbo stopped, turned to see Feng Ming catching up to her, then turned and continued walking: “What do you want?”

“I want to talk about what happened last night,” Feng Ming said.

The two had pretended not to know each other the whole night. Liang Qingbo said: “I thought you were a VIP who forgot ordinary people like me. Scholars have such good memories.”

“It’s only been one night. Don’t you remember me either?” Feng Ming retorted.

Liang Qingbo glanced at her: “What do you want to talk about?”

“Did you overhear anything last night?” Feng Ming cautiously probed.

“What else? Did you think I bought you a drink to hit on you?”

Walking to the side of the road, Liang Qingbo looked down to call a taxi. She heard Feng Ming ask: “That phone call to Senior Sister—was that you?”

“It was me.” Liang Qingbo looked up and said: “Thankfully, Fu Linling went to find Lin Ran. If she had stayed to comfort you, or done anything else, both of you would have ended up in the hospital.”

Feng Ming had never received such a direct threat. After a moment of shock, she found it amusing.

“You don’t have to threaten me right now. When I spoke up last night, I had already decided to give up. I like Lin Ran as a friend, and I won’t interfere with their relationship. Besides, I couldn’t influence it even if I tried.”

“It’s good that you realize that.” Liang Qingbo raised an eyebrow. She understood the pain of unrequited love and could see that Fu Linling’s eyes were only on Lin Ran, so she was willing to let everyone keep their dignity. She said slowly: “Lin Ran seems to like you as a friend too. As long as you don’t harbor any improper thoughts, I won’t tell Lin Ran any of this. We can all remain good friends and get along peacefully.”

“Thank you,” Feng Ming said, relieved.

“But you’d better drop those thoughts immediately. Don’t hold onto any false hope. I will be watching you closely. My morals aren’t exactly high,” Liang Qingbo warned with a menacing look.

Feng Ming twitched her mouth and couldn’t help but laugh. If her morals were truly low, this dinner wouldn’t have been so harmonious tonight.

The car arrived. Liang Qingbo opened the door. Feng Ming suddenly asked: “So, was that drink last night meant to mock my overestimation of myself?”

Liang Qingbo looked back at her, her face shadowed against the light, making it hard to see clearly, just like last night. However, she had heard the crying last night.

“No, that was a comfort drink.”

Feng Ming looked at her in surprise.

“Just a couple of miserable souls with similar fates.” Liang Qingbo gave a lackluster smile, then got into the car and drove away without looking back, leaving Feng Ming standing there, bewildered.

That night, after showering, Fu Linling returned to the room to tidy up. Hearing footsteps outside, she immediately flipped onto the bed, grabbed the book from the nightstand, and pretended to read intently.

Lin Ran watched her from the doorway for a long time, then laughed: “If you want to read, I won’t bother you then?”

“No bother, no bother.” Fu Linling quickly put down the book, patted the spot next to her, and looked at Lin Ran with anticipation.

Lin Ran lay down, feigning coyness. Before long, the other woman bravely took her hand. After the light was turned off, Fu Linling immediately took advantage, wrapping her arms around Lin Ran’s waist and falling asleep contentedly holding her.

…That was the extent of their physical intimacy.

Lin Ran suddenly began to suspect that this doctor had never received any sex education, or perhaps the curriculum only covered heterosexual intimacy and she knew nothing about lesbian intimacy.

Could Dr. Fu seriously think that sleeping together just meant literally sleeping together?

Realizing the seriousness of the issue, Lin Ran couldn’t sleep. She started pondering how to enlighten Dr. Fu on that aspect.

However, over the next few days, Dr. Fu was incredibly busy, with several surgeries a day and last-minute meetings after work. This prevented Lin Ran from being able to bother the exhausted Dr. Fu, forcing her to look for another opportunity.

On the weekend, Lin Ran was invited out shopping by Qin Shanshan and Wang Ke. Fu Linling didn’t join, staying home instead to write her thesis.

Soon after, Feng Ming called her. Feng Ming had also started writing her thesis recently and called to ask a few questions. At the end, she said: “I saw Lin Ran and a few others going to the Creative Street area on my way back this afternoon.”

“They probably went to Qingzi’s studio,” Fu Linling said.

“Studio?” Feng Ming remembered them occasionally mentioning a studio during dinner last time, but she hadn’t pressed for details because she was preoccupied. “What kind of studio?”

“Qingzi opened a tattoo studio. Ran Ran bought a share, and it’s opening soon. She probably took her friends to check it out,” Fu Linling said.

“Tattoos?” Feng Ming recalled Liang Qingbo’s tattoos and murmured: “So that’s what she does.”

“Yes. Do you want to go see it?”

“No, thanks. I’m writing my thesis now. No time. Maybe another chance.”

“Alright.”

“Oh, right, Senior Sister, did that Qingzi ever have a secret crush on someone?”

“How do you know?” Fu Linling was surprised.

“…She hinted at it. I just guessed.”

“I heard she had a crush on someone for a long time, but that person got married.”

“I see.”

No wonder… no wonder she called them “miserable souls with similar fates.”

“Did you tell Lin Ran about your business trip?” Feng Ming changed the subject.

“Not yet. I’ll tell her tonight.”

Lin Ran ate dinner out and brought some takeaway back for Fu Linling. She sat beside her while she ate, peeling an orange, and said: “The studio is set to open next week. We went to see it this afternoon. It’s pretty much ready. Shanshan and Wang Ke almost couldn’t resist getting tattoos right then and there.”

Fu Linling smiled and asked curiously: “Who did your tattoo?”

“Qingzi. When she was starting out, she looked for friends to practice on, and I was the first one,” Lin Ran said.

Fu Linling paused: “Something as important as a tattoo—you just agreed to it?”

“Qingzi is also an important person. Besides, I’m not planning to work in the public sector. I also played it safe and chose a spot that’s not visible. If it didn’t turn out well, it wouldn’t matter,” Lin Ran laughed.

Fu Linling nodded slowly, her gaze unconsciously falling on Lin Ran’s lower abdomen. Thinking of that hidden, intimate spot (referring to the root system tattoo on her lower abdomen, mentioned in Chapter 28), which she had never glimpsed, she felt a slight pang of jealousy: “Did you have to take your clothes off for the tattoo?”

Lin Ran looked up, ate a segment of orange, and smiled meaningfully: “More than that. I was completely naked.”

“Oh, oh…” Fu Linling lowered her head to eat, pretending to be calm, and said nonchalantly: “It’s all for art, for art…”

“Hmm, this orange is really sour,” Lin Ran offered the rest of the orange to her mouth. “I won’t eat it. You eat it for me.”

“Where is it sour? It’s clearly very sweet.” Fu Linling opened her mouth and bit into it. Seeing the mischievous smile on Lin Ran’s face, she understood the double meaning. “You’re implying something.”

“Then, may I ask, was someone just now very sour (jealous)?”

“…Yes.”

“Then I’m not implying anything; I’m stating a fact.” Lin Ran smiled, cupped her face, and kissed her lips, tasting the orange flavor. She rested her forehead against Fu Linling’s, her eyes shimmering with a captivating smile: “I only go bare in front of my wife.”

The food on Fu Linling’s chopsticks dropped into her bowl. She put down her chopsticks, ready to hug Lin Ran, but Lin Ran had already sat back down.

“Just finish your meal, Dr. Fu,” Lin Ran chuckled.

Fu Linling quickly finished eating, and then seeing Lin Ran return to work, she went back to the room to pack her luggage.

“What are you doing?” Lin Ran asked, hearing the commotion.

“The department is sending two people out for a training program. I’ll be gone for about half a month,” Fu Linling said.

“A business trip?”

“Mhm.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No, I pack quickly. You go back to work.”

Lin Ran returned to her study and quickly finished her work. At 10:30 PM, she quickly showered, sprayed on some perfume, and hurried to Fu Linling’s room.

Fu Linling was reading a paper and was momentarily engrossed.

Lin Ran lay there for a while, found that she was completely unaffected, so she kicked off the blanket, showing off her newly bought, sexy little nightgown.

Fu Linling turned to look at her. She was all white, her sharp shoulders and collarbones clearly visible. The dress only covered the tops of her thighs, exposing her two slender legs, and she gave off a faint scent.

Lin Ran saw Fu Linling swallow, her lips curved slightly. Then she saw Fu Linling reach out her hand. Lin Ran stared at the hand as it moved closer to her, picked up the blanket, and gently covered her body.

Lin Ran: “?”

“The air conditioner is on. You’ll catch a cold,” Fu Linling said softly, restraining the desire in her heart.

Lin Ran: “…”