Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 42

Lin Ran flipped through the thick stack of certificates, constantly offering praise: “Amazing, truly amazing! That’s just like you!”

Fu Linling wasn’t looking for compliments and watched her in silence.

After reviewing each document, Lin Ran stood up straight and faced her, linking her fingers with Fu Linling’s. “It’s not that I don’t trust your medical skills. It’s just that… I feel embarrassed letting you look at my teeth.”

Fu Linling looked puzzled. “Why?”

“Every time you’ve offered to look at my teeth before, it was right after a meal, and I hadn’t brushed yet. If there was food stuck in the gap, how embarrassing would that be?” Lin Ran said awkwardly.

“That’s perfectly normal. I’ve seen countless mouths,” Fu Linling reassured her.

“It’s normal for you because it’s your job, so of course you don’t mind. But I can’t help it! I don’t want you to see my unattractive side,” Lin Ran said, her face flushing as she turned away.

Fu Linling’s heart swelled with delight.

This meant that Lin Ran had started to care about Fu Linling’s opinion very early on.

“Anyway, I’ve already booked an appointment with you, along with Lian Fang. When I got my cleaning this time, the doctor mentioned a black spot on one of my back teeth. He said he should treat it, but I told him I was going to have my wife treat me,” Lin Ran said, sounding a little proud.

Upon hearing this, Fu Linling couldn’t stop her lips from curving upward. “Can I take a look?”

“It’s on the top. You can’t see it like this. Let’s wait until we’re in the clinic,” Lin Ran said, covering her mouth.

On the day they went to the hospital, Lian Fang was forced to bring her child, and the two sat outside waiting for their number to be called.

Feng Ming came out of the adjacent clinic, saw them, and asked in confusion, “Lin Ran, are you here to wait for Senior Sister to get off work?”

“No, we’re here to get our teeth done,” Lin Ran said while playing with the child.

Feng Ming nodded, then looked at the little one. “And this is?”

“She’s my friend’s child,” Lin Ran gestured to Lian Fang beside her. “This is Doctor Fu’s and my old classmate.”

Feng Ming nodded, and in that instant, she recalled Fu Linling’s earlier remark: Lin Ran was never the person who came later.

“Classmates? You and Senior Sister were classmates before?”

“That’s right. Didn’t she tell you? We were classmates for a year during our last year of high school.”

Feng Ming pondered for a moment, then gave a helpless smile. “I see… I’m going to the restroom.”

After Feng Ming left, Lian Fang asked, “Who is she?”

“Doctor Fu’s junior colleague.”

“Very pretty. Is she a dentist too?”

“Yes.”

Just then, the public address system called Lian Fang’s name. She handed the child to Lin Ran and excitedly rushed in to find Fu Linling.

Seeing her mother suddenly leave, the child turned, ready to follow. Lin Ran tried to comfort her for a while, but couldn’t stop the tears welling up.

She had no choice but to pick up the child and walk inside. “I’ll take you to find Mommy. Can you please not cry for now?”

The child nodded, tearfully.

Lin Ran walked into Fu Linling’s clinic. Inside, besides the nurse, there were a few new interns, all busy with their own tasks. A female intern saw her and asked her name.

“Lin Ran.”

The intern checked the list. “You’re next. Please wait outside for now.”

At this point, Qin Shanshan noticed the commotion and immediately walked over. “Well, look who the wind blew in! It’s been a few days. The child’s grown so much?”

Lin Ran laughed. “This is my friend’s child. She’s getting treatment right now, and the child is crying for her. Can I hold her and wait on the side?”

Lian Fang, who was lying in the chair, sat up to tell the child not to cry.

“Yes, your friend’s problem isn’t serious. She should be done quickly. You can sit here,” Qin Shanshan dragged a small round stool over to the side and then went to prepare tools.

The intern next to Qin Shanshan quietly asked, “Is it okay to have people waiting here? Will Doctor Fu be displeased?”

Qin Shanshan smiled. “Why would Doctor Fu be displeased? Do you know who that is? She’s her wife. Her actual wife.”

The intern looked at Lin Ran in surprise. After confirming that Qin Shanshan wasn’t joking, she immediately went to share the gossip with the others.

Soon, several pairs of furtive eyes were fixed on Lin Ran. She pretended not to notice, keeping her head down to play with the child.

“Doctor Fu, everything is ready,” an intern suddenly announced.

Lin Ran looked up and saw Fu Linling coming out of the adjacent room. Their eyes met.

Fu Linling put on her gloves as she walked over, sat down in her seat, adjusted Lian Fang’s chair, and asked, “Why did you come in to wait?”

Lin Ran said, “Lian Fang’s child can’t be without her.”

Fu Linling picked up the mouth mirror and placed it in Lian Fang’s mouth to examine it. “Where does it hurt?”

Lian Fang pointed to the area near her cheek.

The interns all gathered around to observe. Fortunately, there was an empty space that allowed Lin Ran to clearly watch Fu Linling’s procedure.

Although she had caught a glimpse or two at the door when she accompanied Aunt Wang for stitch removal last time, it was nowhere near as close as this, and her mindset was different, too.

Last time, she was watching an old classmate; this time, she was watching her wife. Heh heh.

The machine let out a buzzing sound. Lin Ran was very familiar with that sound. When she had a cavity treated before, it was this root canal-like instrument that drilled and ground the tooth until the decayed part was gone.

“The problem isn’t too serious. No need for a root canal; we can fill it directly,” Fu Linling said after checking the situation. Nurse Qin then went to fetch the filling material.

Lian Fang nodded gratefully. “I’m lucky I listened to Ranran; the sooner you come, the easier it is.”

After filling the tooth, the surface had to be meticulously sculpted to restore the original tooth shape as much as possible. Fu Linling worked quickly but asked questions with gentle patience: “Bite down. Does it feel high?”

“A little.”

Fu Linling placed the articulating paper on her teeth. “Bite down again and grind side to side.” Then, she adjusted based on the marks and asked again, “Bite again. Does it still feel high?”

“It’s fine now,” Lian Fang bit down, then instinctively ground side to side.

“All done.” Doctor Fu turned to Lin Ran, a slight smile playing on her lips. “You’re next.”

Lian Fang took the child out to pay the bill. The interns collected the used instruments, and Nurse Qin brought out a new set and tied a disposable bib around Lin Ran’s neck. Only then did Lin Ran lie down in the chair, her eyes fixed on the light above.

“Open wide,” Fu Linling said softly.

Lin Ran looked at her, opened her mouth, and the mouth mirror was inserted.

“Your teeth look really nice,” Fu Linling said while searching for the decayed tooth inside.

At that, Lin Ran couldn’t help but blush, especially since the onlookers knew who she was. Subconsciously, she wanted to close her mouth, but Fu Linling’s mirror blocked her.

“Don’t move around,” Fu Linling chuckled softly.

Lin Ran opened her mouth again, trying to remain calm.

“This won’t hurt,” Fu Linling said, picking up the dental handpiece and informing her.

Lin Ran glanced at it, saw the tool in her hand, and gave a slight Mm.

This was a commonly used tool in stomatology, mainly for drilling and grinding.

Now, she certainly knew it wouldn’t hurt, but the first time she went to the dental clinic, seeing the doctor pull out a tool that looked like a drill scared her. She didn’t dare open her mouth until the doctor spent a good while coaxing her to allow the treatment.

After returning to school, she told Lian Fang the story, which made Lian Fang laugh for days and widely broadcast it to other friends, eventually leading to the tale that she was scared to tears by the dentist.

A muffled giggle came from above. The interns were secretly snickering, and Qin Shanshan teased, “Doctor Fu, you’re being extra meticulous now, and fatally gentle.”

“I’m just doing my job,” Fu Linling said neither humbly nor overbearingly, completely unaffected by the joke.

Lin Ran, however, couldn’t take it anymore. Her small face was flushed, and as the high-speed handpiece was inserted into her mouth, she simply closed her eyes.

All she could hear was the buzzing sound. She couldn’t see anything, only feeling the machine cutting her tooth, and a hand holding her mouth. After a moment, two fingers fumbled inside her mouth, applying the filling material to the tooth.

Fu Linling took the curing light, placed it into the mouth, and shone it on the material. Her finger was suddenly nudged by a tongue.

She looked down at Lin Ran and whispered, “Don’t push against me. Relax.”

“…”

Lin Ran’s ears were completely red. Her tongue slowly relaxed, and she opened her eyes, looking bewildered and innocent. Perhaps feeling that her wide-open mouth looked ugly at the moment, she closed her eyes again the next second.

Fu Linling removed the light and felt the tooth.

Lin Ran felt her finger’s presence again. Even through the glove, she could feel the warmth and felt that her mouth was hot, her face was hot, and her body was inexplicably warm too.

Next came the restoration of the tooth shape. Just like with Lian Fang, Fu Linling had her bite down after polishing.

“How does it feel?”

“A little high,” Lin Ran said through clenched teeth.

After adjusting twice more, Lin Ran nodded. “It’s fine now.”

“Rinse your mouth,” Fu Linling set down her tools, left the seat, and went to write the patient record.

Lin Ran sat up, untied the bib, walked over to her, swallowed, and muttered, “My mouth tastes funny.”

Fu Linling pulled open a drawer. Inside was a bottle of mouthwash and some individually packaged, portable mouthwashes. “Which one do you want?”

“Wow, so many,” Lin Ran bent down curiously, picked a cherry blossom flavor, poured it into her mouth, and rinsed. Feeling refreshed, she spoke with renewed energy.

Fu Linling handed her the printed patient record. “Do you have health insurance?”

“Yes, I bought my own.”

“Then go pay the fee.”

Lin Ran ran out to pay, saw Lian Fang playing with the child on the sofa, and asked, “When are you going back?”

“Waiting for you. Once you’re done, we’ll leave, right?”

“Okay, I’m going to tell Doctor Fu I’m leaving.” Lin Ran ran back in. “Doctor Fu, I’m heading home now.”

“Alright, be careful on the road.”

“Mmm!”

Lin Ran turned to leave, heard a burst of suggestive cheering behind her, smiled, and quickly walked away.

That evening, Fu Linling was showering in the room. When she came out, she saw that Lin Ran had also finished her shower and asked, “When are you going to sleep tonight?”

“I’m planning to be an early bird!” Lin Ran announced. “Remember to wake me up when you get up tomorrow. I want to have a charming schedule like yours, too!”

“Really?”

“Yes, let’s try it first. Maybe I can change over time.”

“Alright.”

Lin Ran went into the room with her. Now, the two of them naturally slept together.

Lying in bed, one read a book and the other played on her phone. When it was time, Fu Linling turned off the light.

In the dark, Lin Ran suddenly asked, “Do any of your patients like you?”

“Why the sudden question?”

“I just feel like you look pretty charming when you’re working. Do you?”

Fu Linling was silent for a moment, and Lin Ran guessed the answer. “I knew it!”

“But I don’t like them,” Fu Linling said.

“Really?” Lin Ran asked with a sly smile. “Then who do you like?”

“I like you. I like Lin Ran.”

Lin Ran flipped over, turned on the bedside lamp, and then moved on top of Fu Linling, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her collarbone, and her waist.

“In that case, Doctor Fu, I… ahem, can I?”