Chapter 11: Dreaming

After taking the medicine, Shen Qingqing felt much better.

She was a stranger in this place, with not even a single person to talk to.

She could only take out her books and continue her translation work.

Having suffered from amnesia, she might forget many people and things in the future; Shen Qingqing wasn't even sure if she would forget these skills as well.

Thinking of this made her feel a deep sense of fear.

But she didn't even have someone to confide in; who could she turn to for comfort?

A tall figure surfaced in her mind. It was her husband; they were supposed to be the closest of people.

Shen Qingqing curled her lips, letting out a self-mocking smile.

With life turning out like this, this marriage was truly a failure.

She cast the messy thoughts out of her mind.

She couldn't predict the future; the only thing she could do was grasp onto the present.

If she couldn't hold onto the man, she would try her best to preserve her skills, lest she be unable to support herself after a divorce.

Reading her books several times a day and repeating the memorization over and over might actually yield results.

With this thought in mind, Shen Qingqing worked even more diligently than before.

The tip of her pen scratched across the paper with a rustling sound, punctuated occasionally by the sound of turning pages.

She was alone in the room, the warm yellow light spilling across the space, making it extremely quiet.

The occasional sound of footsteps in the hallway dispelled the fear in Shen Qingqing's heart.

This place was very safe; even without Jiang Zhixun, she didn't have to live in constant apprehension.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock at the door.

It was Comrade Xiao Li from the front desk.

"Captain Jiang said you were sick and asked me to check on you every two hours. Comrade Shen, have you taken your medicine? Are you feeling any better now?"

Xiao Li's tone was filled with envy.

To have a husband who was both capable and handsome—this Comrade Shen was far too lucky!

Shen Qingqing took a deep breath, finally suppressing the ripples in her heart.

He was always like this.

While rejecting her closeness, he would simultaneously take care of her every minute detail.

He gave her an illusion.

The illusion that if she just worked hard enough, Jiang Zhixun would finally see her.

But reality proved that if there is no love, there is no love.

Even though they had registered their marriage, he would rather be transferred to the Great Northwest just to avoid her.

Everything he was doing now was merely out of a sense of responsibility.

"Comrade Shen?"

Seeing her expression look somewhat grim, Xiao Li grew anxious.

"Is your fever back? I'll take you to the hospital first."

Shen Qingqing shook her head. "I'm already better."

She pointed to the books on the table. "I can sit up and read books now. You don't need to come again, Comrade."

Xiao Li craned her neck to take a look. The books were face down, so the covers were clearly visible.

But she didn't recognize a single character on them.

The look in Xiao Li's eyes shifted toward scrutiny and wariness.

Not wanting to cause trouble for herself or Jiang Zhixun, Shen Qingqing took her work credentials out of her bag.

"I work at a publishing house. I am a translator."

Realizing she had overthought things, Xiao Li's face flushed red.

She stammered, "Comrade Shen, you are truly amazing. No wonder even someone as hard to pursue as Captain Jiang was taken by you."

She was beautiful, spoke foreign languages, and had such a respectable job; there must be many people pursuing Comrade Shen!

The corners of her mouth curled slightly, making her look gentle and intellectual.

Xiao Li felt that if she were a man, she would also fall for Comrade Shen.

Seeing that Shen Qingqing was in good spirits, Xiao Li felt relieved. "Then I won't disturb you further."

"Thank you for your trouble."

"It's no trouble at all, no trouble at all."

Xiao Li waved her hands repeatedly and did not stay any longer.

The room fell silent again, but Shen Qingqing could no longer concentrate.

Staring at the lines of text in the book, her mind slowly drifted.

During that phone call, Mother Jiang's words had been a constant reminder for her to consider the big picture.

To stop making a fool of herself and affecting Jiang Zhixun's future.

If she thought more of herself, she would surely divorce him decisively.

But she couldn't do it.

Since she was fifteen, the Jiang family had been supporting her, providing her education, clothing, and food; they had never let her suffer even a bit.

At that time, Jiang Zhixun had already begun to make a name for himself as a young and promising pilot.

They didn't spend much time together, but every time he came home, Jiang Zhixun would give her pocket money.

He had a cold temperament, and occasionally his tongue was quite sharp, scolding people until their faces turned red.

But Shen Qingqing kept all his kindness in her heart.

Aside from these three years of cold war, Shen Qingqing couldn't think of a single thing that was wrong with Jiang Zhixun.

No, during these three years, he had sent her his allowance.

That couldn't be called "bad."

They... were simply incompatible.

Shen Qingqing leaned on the table, her smooth long hair sliding down her slender back to her side, the tips of her hair rippling slightly in the air.

Just like her current mood, ripples rose one after another.

...

Shen Qingqing's arrival had broken the peace.

Jiang Zhixun was severely affected; for the first time, she appeared in his dreams.

In their first meeting, Shen Qingqing still had the appearance of a young girl.

She had just arrived from Shanghai, wearing a dress and with her hair in twin tails, standing awkwardly in the courtyard, calling him "Brother Zhixun."

At that time, her parents had just passed away, and there were no reliable relatives in her family.

A little girl who had been well-protected and had never seen the cruelty of the world had suddenly lost her support.

She was filled with anxiety, terrified that if she said or did something wrong, she would be disliked by the Jiang family.

Jiang Zhixun was not a man of delicate sensibilities, yet the first time he saw Shen Qingqing, he noticed her uneasy emotions.

Thus, he gave Shen Qingqing a fountain pen.

He called it a meeting gift.

Shen Qingqing moved into the compound.

She went to school, and he joined the military.

There was little overlap between them; they only saw each other a few times a year.

To Jiang Zhixun, it was merely having an extra sister in the house, which had no impact on his life.

But in his dreams, Shen Qingqing's image became clearer and clearer. He didn't know when he had started noticing the tiny tear mole at the corner of her eye.

By the time they registered their marriage, she was exactly twenty years old.

She was beautiful and gentle, the object of many secret crushes among the boys in the compound.

At that time, his grandfather was ill and hospitalized, and his condition grew worse by the day.

As he lay murmuring, he couldn't let go of the thought that he hadn't married, nor that Qingqing had married.

That was the bravest Shen Qingqing had ever been.

In the hospital ward, in front of many people, she said she wanted to marry him.

Perhaps due to nervousness or perhaps due to shyness, Shen Qingqing's face turned bright red.

But she still looked at him intently and asked that question, "Brother Zhixun, are you willing to become revolutionary partners with me?"

In his sleep, Jiang Zhixun heard that question again.

He remained silent for a long time.

Just as Shen Qingqing's cheeks turned crimson and she felt so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into, he nodded.

"Then let's get married."

Jiang Zhixun jolted awake, his breathing ragged, but Shen Qingqing's expression from that moment surfaced clearly in his mind.

Those clear, dark eyes had become incredibly bright.

There was surprise hidden in the depths of them.

Three years ago, Jiang Zhixun thought Shen Qingqing and his grandfather were acting, intentionally tricking him into marriage.

This marriage, which had been deliberately orchestrated, became a shackle that bound him and made it hard to breathe.

He didn't know how to vent his frustration, so he could only choose to escape.

And that escape had lasted three years.

His resentment toward Shen Qingqing had also, unknowingly, dissipated over the course of more than a thousand days and nights.

But that didn't mean he could accept this marriage.

Jiang Zhixun pressed his temples, deciding to continue maintaining his distance from Shen Qingqing.

He would not see her again before returning to Beijing.

Once he sent her back and explained everything to his elders, he would return to the Great Northwest and continue to hand over his allowance every month.

Casting the miscellaneous thoughts out of his mind, Jiang Zhixun forced himself back to sleep.

Unexpectedly, he dreamed of Shen Qingqing again.

She was alone on a train, encountered a hooligan, and was left with psychological trauma.

In her room at the guesthouse, she didn't dare sleep; she kept the light on and lay alone at the table, crying.

Her skin was pale, so when she cried, her nose turned bright red, and her eyes were terrifyingly bloodshot.

She was also sick; she cried until she fainted...

Appearing at the guesthouse before dawn, Jiang Zhixun's expression was dark.

He felt like he was going to be driven mad by Shen Qingqing.

She cried incessantly in his dreams; if he didn't come to check on her, he simply wouldn't be able to rest easy!

(End of Chapter)