Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 4

The wind on the back seat was quite comfortable, but Lin Ran’s legs felt a bit cramped. Her knees occasionally bumped Fu Linling’s calf, and staying bent for so long made them ache slightly.

Fu Linling seemed to notice the problem and said, “I’m sorry, I usually use the electric scooter for my commute. I rode it directly from the clinic to here tonight. Should I call you a taxi instead?”

“It’s fine, it’s quite fun,” Lin Ran laughed.

“Really?” Fu Linling couldn’t help but look back at her expression.

“Hey, hey, hey! Watch the road!” Lin Ran exclaimed in alarm.

Fu Linling turned back, a slight smile curving her lips.

After dropping Lin Ran off at the community gate, the two said goodbye, and Fu Linling rode back toward her own home. When she was almost home, the battery died. She pushed the scooter for ten minutes, then suddenly remembered there was a large aquarium shop nearby.

She bought a fish tank and an oxygen pump, added some colorful stones and nice decorations, and put the fish in. They darted and danced in the water.

The lifeless house seemed to come alive with a bit of excitement.

It was a beautiful weekend. Fu Linling woke up, made breakfast, and sat on the balcony to read in the sun. Some children were playing and shouting downstairs, which was a bit noisy, so she took her book and went out to the library.

Unexpectedly, she ran into Miss Zhao.

Miss Zhao was one of her patients. After two treatments, she somehow managed to get Fu Linling’s WeChat and often chatted with her. Initially, she only asked about wounds and protection, and Fu Linling answered her seriously. Later, the conversation gradually touched on daily life. Fu Linling didn’t have many leisure activities, so her social circle wasn’t wide; apart from colleagues, hardly anyone ever messaged her. Out of politeness, she would occasionally reply to Miss Zhao.

She hadn’t expected Miss Zhao to mistake her kindness and confess her feelings. This was completely unexpected.

Since she had lost weight, quite a few people had confessed to her, but most were men; almost none were women.

The phrase “almost none” meant she genuinely hadn’t been able to discern it. She still recalled a female student complaining tearfully after graduation: “I’ve liked you for so long, and you didn’t notice at all?”

She truly hadn’t noticed because she had poured almost all her time into her studies. She didn’t even have a crush on anyone herself, so how could she know who liked her?

Miss Zhao’s confession, however, was very direct: she wanted to date Fu Linling, and even wanted to marry her.

The legalization of same-sex marriage two years ago had given hope to some, but they were still a minority. Fu Linling didn’t have many queer friends around her, so she hadn’t paid much attention. Thus, the issue of marriage was not within her scope of consideration.

She rejected Miss Zhao on WeChat, but when Miss Zhao came to the clinic, she confessed again.

Fu Linling rejected her again.

After that time, Miss Zhao never came back. No one expected them to meet here.

“Dr. Fu,” Miss Zhao greeted her proactively.

“Hello,” Fu Linling pondered for a moment before asking, “You didn’t come back for treatment. Did you get your dental implant?”

“I did. I switched hospitals,” Miss Zhao smiled.

“That’s good.”

“I have a girlfriend now,” Miss Zhao said. “We’re dating with the intention of marriage.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

After a few simple exchanges, Miss Zhao left. Fu Linling watched her back, seeing her reach the main entrance and hold hands with another woman.

Fu Linling retracted her gaze, thinking that the speed was even faster than a blind date… Wait a minute.

A blind date?

She thought of Lin Ran.

Did Lin Ran go on blind dates to find a partner with the goal of marriage?

The two of them currently seemed unlikely, so would Lin Ran quickly find the next girlfriend and get married?

Fu Linling found it hard to concentrate on her book.

She recalled the scene from half a month ago when Auntie Wang introduced her to a blind date in the clinic. The word “no” was about to leave her mouth when she suddenly heard the name “Lin Ran.”

Lin Ran?

What a familiar name.

She heard Auntie Wang’s continued chatter: “The girl is fair-skinned and tall, and her painting is lovely. She even has many fans.”

Lovely painting… Could it be the person she was thinking of?

On an impulse, she agreed to meet.

By an even greater coincidence, the person who arrived was precisely the Lin Ran in her memory. The old classmate who was always calling out to friends, extraordinarily free-spirited, and captivating.

After not seeing her for years, she was also curious about what the other person was like now. In the joy of the reunion, she gradually forgot the purpose of the blind date.

However, aside from asking her to join the dinner with Lian Fang last time, Lin Ran had not proactively contacted her, suggesting she wasn’t interested. Fu Linling also didn’t dare to proactively disturb her.

As for dating… she didn’t even dare to think about it.

Returning home, she put spare ribs and corn into a pot to stew soup, then sat on the sofa to read a book. Later, she went to the kitchen to ladle out the soup and stir-fried a plate of asparagus. She ate dinner quietly alone.

A colleague called her: “We’re out for dinner. Do you want to join us?”

“I’m already eating. You guys have fun,” Fu Linling said.

“We’re going to karaoke later. Want to come?”

“I can’t sing. Count me out.”

Her colleague hung up disappointed.

After eating, Fu Linling fed the little fish some food. She absentmindedly scanned the house; it was too dull. She was reminded of what she’d told Lin Ran—that she was boring—and it was truly boring.

She thought for a moment, then called her colleague back, grabbed her keys, and went out.

Since it was all just time to kill, going to listen to them sing was fine.

She walked into the private room. There were about ten people inside, including her partner, Nurse Qin.

“Even Dr. Fu came! That’s something!” Nurse Qin laughed.

“Come on, come on, Dr. Fu, come show off your voice!”

“I really can’t sing. I’ll just listen to you guys,” Fu Linling waved her hand, sitting down in a corner, clearly intending only to be an audience member.

But this audience member was highly attentive; no matter how good or bad they sang, she listened and never played on her phone.

After sitting for a while, she noticed the alcohol was almost finished. She got up and went to the convenience store near the main entrance. At the checkout, she said, “Please deliver this to Room 207.”

After scanning the code, she suddenly felt someone approaching behind her, and then a head peered out next to her.

“Dr. Fu, it really is you.”

Fu Linling turned, a pleasant surprise in her voice: “Why are you here?”

“My mom brought her friends to sing. I’m here to accompany them, eat, drink, and chauffeur them. What about you?” Lin Ran said, squeezing her aside a little to pay for her own items.

“Colleague gathering.” Fu Linling waited for a moment, then walked out with her.

“What a coincidence.”

“It is.”

“I’ll head over now,” Lin Ran said, carrying a few bags of sunflower seeds and peanuts.

“Okay.”

Fu Linling returned to the room. The waiter had already delivered the drinks. Nurse Qin shouted, “Thank you for the drinks, Dr. Fu! Come on, everyone, let’s toast again!”

Since it was Saturday tomorrow, everyone drank wholeheartedly.

“Hey? Who’s that?” someone pointed outside and asked.

Everyone looked, seeing a girl crouched by the door, shielding the light with her hands, seemingly looking for someone.

Fu Linling froze for a moment, then immediately opened the door.

Lin Ran instantly beamed: “Looks like I remembered correctly. It’s this room.”

“Dr. Fu, who is this?” the nurse asked.

“My classmate,” Fu Linling said.

Lin Ran stood at the door and waved to everyone: “Hello, everyone.”

“Come on in and join us!” Everyone thought Fu Linling had specifically brought her to join in. A few people stepped forward and pulled Lin Ran inside.

Fu Linling intended to help Lin Ran escape, but realized she adapted well. She quickly started chatting with everyone, and when someone asked her to pick a song, she actually did.

She was perfectly in her element. Fu Linling would need another hundred years of cultivation to reach that level.

While Lin Ran was singing, a male colleague beside Fu Linling whispered, “Your classmate sings really well.”

“Mhm,” Fu Linling stared intently at Lin Ran as she sang, murmuring, “Campus Singer Competition first place, actually.”

“Does she have a boyfriend?”

Hearing this, Fu Linling paused, turning to look at him: “No, she doesn’t like men.”

The male colleague sighed with regret, then asked, “Then does she like you?”

Fu Linling shook her head: “She doesn’t like someone like me.”

A thunderous round of applause erupted in the room. Fu Linling glanced sideways; Lin Ran had finished her song, so she joined the applause.

Amidst the praise, Lin Ran handed the microphone to someone else, looked at Fu Linling, and smiled, winking.

Fu Linling felt a sudden heat. The room temperature was too high. She got up and walked out. Lin Ran followed.

“I came out for some fresh air. Do you want to go back and play?” Fu Linling asked.

“No, I want to rest too. My ears are ringing.” Lin Ran sat down on a sofa in the lounge area, patting the spot next to her. “Want to sit?”

Fu Linling sat down, still feeling a bit hot.

Lin Ran saw her roll up her shirt sleeves, revealing two fair arms. A blue vein extended from her wrist to the back of her hand; her finger bones were slender and long. Lin Ran’s mind began sketching again.

They sat for a while, neither speaking. Fu Linling wasn’t so hot anymore, but she still didn’t leave.

At that moment, Lin Ran stood up, walked over to the claw machine next to them to look at it, then scanned the code to exchange for some tokens. She turned back and asked expectantly, “Do you want a doll?”

“…” I don’t want one, you want one.

Fu Linling walked over: “Do you want to play?”

“Mhm, I’m really good, don’t you believe me?” Lin Ran boasted.

“I believe you. You used to win lots of ugly dolls, and when you didn’t want them anymore, you set up a stall to sell them by throwing rings, and you earned quite a bit,” Fu Linling said.

Lin Ran slowly widened her eyes, asking incredulously, “I even did that?!”

“Mhm.”

“Oh no, oh no. What kind of impression did I leave you with?” Lin Ran said with deep regret.

Fu Linling gave a short laugh.

“And what about the money I earned?” Lin Ran pressed.

“Wang Zhe complained to the teacher. You had no choice but to refund the money to the students and take the ugly dolls home.”

“Ugh, Wang Zhe is so annoying!”

“Yes,” Fu Linling agreed, somewhat disgruntled.

She was so close to keeping one of those ugly dolls.