Chapter 4: Misunderstanding

Jiang Zhixun guessed that Shen Qingqing had come to the Great Northwest to have a child with him.

After all, his mother had mentioned this matter long ago.

The moment she mentioned going to the hostel, he immediately associated it with the things that must be done to have a child.

The look in Jiang Zhixun's eyes as he watched Shen Qingqing became subtle, mixed with an indescribable trace of irritability.

"In such a hurry?"

"Yes, very much so."

Jiang Zhixun stared fixedly at Shen Qingqing for a few seconds, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

Finally, he said expressionlessly, "I don't have time."

Shen Qingqing grew anxious. "I really have something important!"

If it were something important, she should have called to say so, rather than traveling all this way from Beijing to the Great Northwest.

They hadn't seen each other for three years, and the first time they met, it was to have a child? What did he take her for?

Jiang Zhixun repeated his words, "I'll take you to the train station after we eat. This isn't a place for you to stay."

Shen Qingqing's eyes grew slightly moist.

She knew she was unwelcome, and she had never intended to stay long.

She just wanted a divorce.

"Just half an hour."

Her expression was so aggrieved, yet her eyes flashed with a stubborn light.

It was as if she were saying that if he didn't agree, she would fight him to the bitter end.

Jiang Zhixun grit his back teeth.

He put down his chopsticks, and the gaze he cast upon Shen Qingqing held no warmth whatsoever.

His long legs were stretched out casually, exuding an air of indifference.

"Is half an hour enough?"

Shen Qingqing didn't think he had softened his heart or was being merciful enough to have a proper talk with her.

She turned her head away, using the motion of adjusting her scarf to quietly let out a breath.

Only then did she suppress her surging emotions.

She didn't say it was enough, nor did she say it wasn't.

Mimicking Jiang Zhixun's manner, she replied expressionlessly, "Depends on your choice."

If he agreed to the divorce, they might be able to settle things in less than five minutes.

If he didn't agree, arguing it out would certainly take a lot of time.

As soon as this thought arose, Shen Qingqing cast it aside.

Jiang Zhixun was likely the person who wanted a divorce the most.

Back then, Grandpa Jiang had seen through her intentions and had been trying to play matchmaker between her and Jiang Zhixun, both overtly and covertly.

Jiang Zhixun didn't like her, nor was he willing to marry.

It was only because Grandpa Jiang had suddenly fallen seriously ill that he had bowed his head, wanting to ensure the old man had no regrets.

Unexpectedly, once they received their marriage certificate, Grandpa Jiang's condition improved.

To this day, Jiang Zhixun still believed that they had conspired together to trick him into getting married.

Therefore, for these three years, he had never proactively called her.

He had never written letters either.

He only sent her an allowance on time every month.

Not too much, not too little—two hundred a month. He likely kept a little change for himself.

Shen Qingqing didn't think Jiang Zhixun did this because he truly regarded her as a revolutionary partner.

Regardless of who was on the marriage certificate, given his personality, he would hand over his wages.

But that was all.

To want his heart—that was impossible.

A sudden bitterness welled up in Shen Qingqing's heart; Jiang Zhixun had never done anything wrong to her.

Before marriage, he had said he only viewed her as a sister.

After marriage, although he didn't come home, he still sent the allowance to her account.

Shen Qingqing lowered her head, half of her face buried in her scarf.

Therefore, an amicable divorce was the best choice for them.

She wouldn't delay Jiang Zhixun's future, but she wouldn't sit around foolishly waiting for him to come home either.

Shen Qingqing's eyelashes were very long. As she lowered her gaze, the two rows of lashes were like two small fans, shielding the expression in her eyes.

Jiang Zhixun couldn't see her eyes clearly.

Seeing her looking like a soft bun, Jiang Zhixun felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest.

"Did my mother send you here?"

Shen Qingqing shook her head hurriedly. "No, I wanted to come myself."

His mother had mentioned before that she should come find Jiang Zhixun.

But the implication was for her to get pregnant as soon as possible and then return to Beijing to recuperate.

In the eyes of the older generation, marriage meant a lifetime.

Although they didn't look favorably upon their marriage, no one had actually suggested that she divorce Jiang Zhixun.

Once she had a child, Jiang Zhixun would be forced to come home.

Those were his mother's exact words.

Setting aside whether Jiang Zhixun would agree, Shen Qingqing was not the type of person who could use a child as a bargaining chip.

Jiang Zhixun didn't believe a single word of what Shen Qingqing said.

Three years, over a thousand days and nights.

If she really wanted to come, would she have needed to wait this long?

For some reason, Jiang Zhixun's emotions grew increasingly irritable. He had been perfectly fine before Shen Qingqing appeared.

Not wanting to be influenced by her, the urge to send Shen Qingqing away became even stronger.

He stopped eating and simply closed the lunch box.

He stood up, intending to leave.

"I'll call my mother and tell her my sperm quality is poor, so she can give up on the idea of having a grandson. You should go back today; don't worry about failing to report back to her."

Shen Qingqing was choked by his words and began to cough violently.

Her eyes were filled with horror.

For a moment, she couldn't tell if it was because he said his sperm quality was poor, or because he had misunderstood her purpose for coming.

Whether the former was true or false, Shen Qingqing didn't know, but such words were truly blunt.

And besides, she really wasn't here to ask for a child!

Shen Qingqing wanted to speak, but her throat was so irritated that she couldn't utter a single word.

She was already ill, and with this coughing fit, physiological tears flowed from her eyes.

It was painfully uncomfortable.

Jiang Zhixun's hand gripped the lunch box for a moment, but in the end, he remained standing where he was.

He watched with his own eyes as Shen Qingqing coughed until her face turned red, and crystal-clear tears slid down her cheeks to her chin, before dripping into her scarf and vanishing.

Jiang Zhixun had excellent vision; even without getting close, he could see the redness at the corners of Shen Qingqing's eyes.

She was beautiful, but her personality was too gentle; when her eyes turned red, she took on an air of innocence.

Jiang Zhixun's jaw tightened instantly.

The hand holding the lunch box also tightened subconsciously.

"Big Brother Jiang, why are you bullying a female comrade?"

A female comrade with ear-length short hair appeared in his line of sight, wearing a thick padded jacket.

Judging by her attire, she was likely a relative of someone.

Before Shen Qingqing could recover, she immediately turned to face them sideways.

That redness became even more obvious.

It was also because of this turn that Jiang Zhixun realized Shen Qingqing had lost a lot of weight compared to three years ago.

Even though she was wearing a heavy coat, she looked very thin.

Jiang Zhixun remembered what his mother had said.

She had moved out of the compound, saying it was for the convenience of her work...

"Big Brother Jiang, do you know this female comrade?"

"Yes."

The newcomer was Lin Zhidong's younger sister.

Seeing Jiang Zhixun's gaze fixed on the female comrade, alarm bells rang in Lin Fengmian's heart.

When her sister-in-law was having a baby, she had come to the family compound to help with childcare.

That was how she had met Jiang Zhixun.

And she had fallen in love with him at first sight.

She had seen many female comrades try to approach Jiang Zhixun intentionally, but he ignored them all.

Even when the most beautiful star of the art troupe came, he maintained that same cold attitude.

But now, he was actually speaking to a female comrade.

And it looked like they had quite a connection!

Lin Fengmian deliberately blocked Jiang Zhixun's path, preventing him from approaching the woman who had suddenly appeared.

The look in her eyes as she watched Shen Qingqing carried scrutiny and a hint of obvious hostility.

Shen Qingqing turned around and saw it clearly.

Naturally, she understood that this was yet another admirer of Jiang Zhixun.

Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Shen Qingqing looked at Jiang Zhixun. "Can we talk privately?"

(End of Chapter)