Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 5

Lin Ran managed to win a few dolls and generously let Fu Linling pick one.

Fu Linling chose a Doraemon.

Her phone rang. It was Zhang Wu calling, likely ready to go home and realizing she had wandered off somewhere.

“I’m heading back. Let’s arrange another time to meet,” Lin Ran said, clutching the doll and preparing to leave. She had only taken a few steps when she heard Fu Linling call out, “Wait.”

She turned back.

“When is ‘another time’?” Fu Linling asked.

That question genuinely stumped her. Lin Ran thought for a moment: “There’s an art exhibition tomorrow. I originally wanted Lian Fang to go with me, but she has to watch her kid. Are you interested?”

“Yes.”

“Great, so, see you tomorrow?”

“Mhm.”

The next day, it rained. The ground was wet, and stepping carelessly could splash water onto your pants.

Lin Ran parked her car and saw Fu Linling standing outside the main entrance, holding an umbrella.

She opened the car door and stepped out. The drizzle landed on her, and she quickly ran the few steps to Fu Linling, huddling under her umbrella.

“How long have you been here?”

“I just arrived,” Fu Linling tilted the umbrella slightly in her direction.

“Let’s go in.” Lin Ran reached into her bag for two tickets and led Fu Linling inside.

Fu Linling closed her umbrella, placed it in a transparent bag, and tucked it into her own bag, following behind Lin Ran, who said, “This is an exhibition by my teacher.”

Fu Linling glanced at the introduction card for the painter but hadn’t heard of them. She knew nothing about art and naturally didn’t follow it.

Most of the works at the exhibition were oil paintings.

“Do you also paint this kind of style?” Fu Linling asked.

“No, my style is like this.” Lin Ran opened her social media and quickly pulled up a few sketches. “I took on a lot of anime/manga freelance work in university to earn pocket money, and I ended up sticking with that style.”

As she spoke, she noticed the other person bending down slightly, leaning over to look at the drawings on her phone.

The proximity was quite close. Lin Ran was momentarily distracted. Seeing that Fu Linling hadn’t spoken for a while, she slowly turned her head, her gaze resting on Fu Linling’s eyelashes: “What do you think?”

“Beautiful.” Fu Linling turned her head, her nose nearly brushing Lin Ran’s cheek, and she quickly straightened up.

Lin Ran smiled, put away her phone, and continued walking: “I just do it to make a living. I have a senior, a favorite student of the teacher, who has already held several exhibitions. Their work is what you call art.”

“Can’t earning a living and art coexist?” Fu Linling asked.

Lin Ran thought about it but couldn’t give an answer.

There weren’t too many people at the exhibition, and a large portion of them were only there to take photos.

Fu Linling was reading the description placard for a painting when she heard someone say, “Beautiful, could you move a little? We’re taking a photo.”

Fu Linling turned back and saw the woman standing posed in front of the painting. Fu Linling moved slightly to the side.

At that moment, Lin Ran suddenly grabbed her arm and walked right across the lens of the woman’s boyfriend.

“Oh no, I didn’t get the shot. She blocked it,” the woman complained.

“Do it again.”

Fu Linling heard the conversation behind them and turned to look at Lin Ran. Lin Ran’s expression was tight, clearly unhappy with what had just happened.

“Are you angry?”

“It’s always like this. People always take up space just to take photos. The creators poured their hearts into their work, and for them, it’s just decoration to spice up their social media feed,” Lin Ran said.

Fu Linling restrained the impulse to take out her own phone to take a photo.

She noticed that Lin Ran, who was usually so easygoing and carefree, was a bit serious about this issue.

But there was nothing wrong with that. She liked Lin Ran’s earnestness.

“Lin Ran?” A woman suddenly called out to them.

Lin Ran stopped, turned her head, and smiled brightly: “Teacher.”

“It really is you! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Fu Linling looked at the middle-aged woman before them, who had a gentle smile and an elegant demeanor.

“I was afraid you were too busy and didn’t want to bother you,” Lin Ran laughed.

“What bother? I’m delighted you could come.” The teacher smiled and walked forward, her eyes falling on Lin Ran’s hand. She pointed at them in surprise, then looked at Fu Linling, hesitating: “Is this your…”

“Classmate,” Lin Ran let go of her hand and immediately explained, “My high school classmate.”

“Oh, a classmate, I thought you were girlfriends!”

“No, I’m still single,” Lin Ran said with a laugh.

“Shall I show you the paintings?”

“I’d love that.” Lin Ran looked back at Fu Linling.

Fu Linling waved her hand: “You go ahead. I’ll just look around.”

“Okay.” Lin Ran figured Fu Linling might be more comfortable alone, so they split up.

Fu Linling wandered around half-heartedly. As she passed a corner, she glimpsed Lin Ran and the teacher standing in front of a painting, both looking somewhat somber.

“This is A-Li’s painting.”

“It’s her style… How is she doing now?” Lin Ran asked.

“She’s fine. She’s studying abroad now, and every day, she either paints or travels.”

Lin Ran stood quietly, her expression complex, an expression Fu Linling had never seen on her face before.

“Lin Ran, she hasn’t secretly contacted you again, has she?”

“No.”

“That’s good. You live your own life properly, too. Don’t carry any psychological burden. Just be as you should be.”

“Mhm.”

Fu Linling turned and left, finding a place to sit.

When Lin Ran found her, she saw Fu Linling sitting upright, holding a thermal flask and drinking hot water. Lin Ran couldn’t help but smile: “Is there goji berries soaked in there?”

“No, it’s lily bulb.”

“You really soaked something? What’s the benefit of lily bulb?” Lin Ran laughed.

“Moistens the lungs, relieves coughs, reduces internal heat, and calms the nerves.”

“Have you been coughing recently?”

“I’ve had some insomnia.”

“Why the insomnia?”

“I don’t know.”

The rain outside intensified. Lin Ran chose a nearby restaurant. It was a ten-minute walk, and even with an umbrella, her pant legs got wet. She looked a little disheveled.

After sitting down, Fu Linling offered her a packet of tissues to wipe her pant legs.

After eating, the rain showed no signs of stopping, so Lin Ran suggested they find somewhere to sit.

In the coffee shop, Lin Ran held her hot coffee and asked, “Are you really not going to have one?”

“I have enough with this,” Fu Linling said, pointing to the hot water she had poured from her thermal flask.

Lin Ran smiled, then looked out at the rain. The window was covered in water droplets, and she had no idea when it would stop.

“Why don’t you ever ask me about things?”

“What?” Fu Linling looked at her blankly.

“You heard it, didn’t you? My conversation with the teacher.”

“You noticed?”

Lin Ran curved her lips: “You were standing there like a statue. It was hard not to notice.”

Fu Linling gave an awkward smile: “I didn’t feel comfortable asking.”

“Are you curious, though?” Lin Ran asked.

Fu Linling thought for a moment, and after a long pause, said, “Curious, yes. I’m very curious.”

Lin Ran tugged at the corner of her mouth. If Fu Linling had asked immediately, she might not have said much, but the fact that the other person had asked nothing had instead stirred her desire to confide.

“A-Li was one year ahead of me. She’s the teacher’s cousin and is very talented.”

Fu Linling recalled Lin Ran saying she only found her footing in university and asked softly, “Was she your ex-girlfriend?”

Lin Ran smiled bitterly and shook her head: “Strictly speaking, it should be more than friends, less than lovers.”

She and A-Li met in the teacher’s office and connected frequently because they were in the same major. Lin Ran loved A-Li’s paintings and they grew close without realizing it. A-Li was a quiet person who disliked people getting close to her, but she made an exception for Lin Ran.

But later, Lin Ran gradually found things weren’t quite right. A-Li was too possessive of her. Whenever she saw Lin Ran interacting with others, she would sulk and then harm herself.

Lin Ran didn’t know what to do. Even making friends became secretive. Outsiders all assumed they were dating.

Finally, A-Li confessed to her. By then, Lin Ran’s affection was almost entirely depleted, replaced by fear and apprehension, so she rejected A-Li.

That night, A-Li was rushed to the hospital, and after that, she went abroad.

“I secretly visited her in the hospital. There’s a scar here…” Lin Ran pointed to her wrist, her voice trembling slightly. “Why did she have to like me… I’m not that great…”

Fu Linling remained silent.

She looked at Lin Ran. Thick lashes obscured those smiling eyes, and her whole being appeared fragile.

“Lin Ran.”

“Mhm?” Lin Ran looked up at her.

“Can I hug you?” Fu Linling asked.

Lin Ran slowly blinked. Before she could answer, a shadow fell over her, and she felt a surge of warmth around her.

The hug only lasted a few seconds. Fu Linling politely retreated back to a safe distance.

In those few seconds, Lin Ran even felt the other person pat her on the back twice.

She stared speechlessly at Fu Linling, then let out a sudden, sharp laugh.

Fu Linling strategically drank water.

“Are you comforting me?” Lin Ran rested her chin on her hand, asking with a grin.

“I was embracing you.”

Lin Ran paused. It was hard to discern any ambiguity from that composed tone.

“That’s my only romantic encounter. I haven’t had time for a relationship since then,” Lin Ran finished, taking a sip of the bitter coffee.

Fu Linling nodded.

“Are you really not going to return the favor and talk about your own romantic life?” Lin Ran asked playfully.

“Me?” Fu Linling pondered. “There were a few people who pursued me.”

“And not a single one you liked?”

“There was one.”

During Lin Ran’s account just now, Fu Linling had suddenly felt intensely jealous of the person named A-Li. That person had been able to gain Lin Ran’s admiration and affection, yet didn’t treat her well.

She had never considered the possibility of being with Lin Ran before, but in that very moment, she thought, if it were me…

“Then why didn’t you end up together?” Lin Ran leaned forward, her face full of curiosity.

Fu Linling took a drink of her heat-reducing, nerve-calming lily bulb water.

Just as Lin Ran thought she wouldn’t answer, she spoke softly: “Because she didn’t like me.”

“Oh, that’s rough. Was it a one-sided crush? Who? Do I know her?”