La vida de la gente del campo en la ciudad durante la dinastía Song

Capítulo 30

"Idiot!" he panted, burying his face in my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. I couldn't help but moan. He chuckled, "Focus."

“Xu Lie…”

He paused, looked up at me, his eyes slightly red and shimmering, his forehead damp with sweat, and commanded in a hoarse voice, "Call me Lie."

My heart felt as if it had been thoroughly sweetened by honey, and our naked skin, pressed together, felt sensitive and burning. My face flushed, and I whispered, "Lie, do you love me?" I looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Xu Lie smiled helplessly, his warm hand gently stroking my cheek and brushing aside my disheveled hair. His eyes held a deep affection and doting I had never seen before. His breathing was still slightly labored, and his voice was low and husky, yet so gentle and melodious that it captivated me completely. He asked me earnestly, "Galan, are you my wife?"

I nodded heavily, as if making a vow.

"That's it." He smiled, lowered his head and kissed my lips, the kiss lingering silently. "Right now... I only love my wife."

Love… Xu Lie said he loved me. Tears of happiness welled up, only to be kissed away. I gradually succumbed to the tumultuous world of love.

"Hmm..." I mumbled, slowly opening my eyes to find myself lying on my side in bed. The bed beside me was empty. I shifted, a sharp pain shooting through my body, and I couldn't help but let out a soft groan. Then, remembering the passion of the previous night, my face flushed crimson. I instinctively reached out and hugged the pillow beside me, cuddling it affectionately. Smelling its familiar scent, I closed my eyes, as if Xu Lie were right beside me.

The door was gently pushed open, and Xu Lie, holding a glass of milk in one hand and carrying something in the other, looked at me with surprise as I curled up on the bed like a kitten, playing by myself, and laughed, "What are you doing?"

I exclaimed in surprise, thinking to myself: This is so embarrassing! I lay back down, my face slightly flushed, and asked in a low voice, "Didn't you go to work?"

Xu Lie was taken aback, a hint of embarrassment on his face. He looked away and said, "I'm not going today." He then placed the milk and the things he was carrying on the bedside table, and said in a fierce tone, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth!"

I glanced at the thing on the bedside table and discovered it was a freshly baked cake, still steaming hot. I exclaimed with delight, my heart leaping with joy, and jumped out of bed to rush into the bathroom. But then, feeling weak and powerless, I whimpered in pain and stumbled to the side, collapsing to the ground.

The expected pain did not come. Xu Lie's helpless yet amused voice was close at hand: "Since I married you, I feel like I'm turning into an old man. All I do every day is nag and sigh."

I put my arms around his neck and laughed happily, "If you become an old man, I'll become an old woman. I'll still be your wife."

"You smooth talker!" Xu Lie chuckled and tapped my forehead, then picked me up and carried me into the bathroom, saying, "Hurry up and finish your shower."

"Yes," I nodded seriously, "I know you got up early this morning and queued up to buy the cake. The milk was..."

With a "bang," the bathroom door slammed shut. I stood in front of the mirror, giggling, looking at the woman in the mirror—her eyes smiling, her cheeks flushed, beautiful yet alluring—every cell in her body seemed to radiate happiness. I reached out and gently stroked my face in the mirror, whispering, "People say love makes you beautiful, and it turns out... it's true."

When Xu Lie led me downstairs, Xu's parents and grandfather were sitting in the living room watching TV and chatting. I always felt that Xu's father was a very incompetent director, leaving everything to Xu Lie while he spent his days at home with his wife or traveling.

"Lanlan, are you feeling better?" Mrs. Xu asked with concern as she stepped forward. "Lie'er said yesterday that you weren't feeling well and hadn't even eaten..."

My heart warmed, and I quickly shook my head and said, "Mom, I'm fine."

Mrs. Xu was taken aback, staring blankly at me for a moment, then looking up at Xu Lie, before exchanging a glance with Mr. Xu and Grandpa, who were equally stunned. She asked slowly, "Lanlan, what did you just call me?"

My face turned bright red... even my ears were burning. I buried my head in Xu Lie's arms and stammered, unable to speak.

"Lie'er, you... um?" Xu's mother turned to ask Xu Lie. Although I couldn't see her expression, the last syllable carried an indescribable teasing and ambiguity.

Xu Lie hugged me tightly, his voice betraying his embarrassment: "Let's go for a walk, we won't be back for lunch!"

"Haha..." Xu's mother and father looked at each other and laughed, "Go on, go on! Just come back tonight. Your father and I will discuss holding a wedding ceremony for you two, and it would be best if you could go on a honeymoon."

Huh? A wedding ceremony? And a honeymoon? My eyes widened as I realized, oh right! Xu Lie and I have never actually been married...

"Galan!" Xu Lie, his face slightly flushed, pulled me into his arms. "Don't pay attention to these old fogies." Then he turned around and said, "We're leaving!" I groaned twice, wanting to say something, but I had already been half-dragged and half-carried out the door.

Before I could protest, Xu Lie leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Let's go to the church now to have our wedding ceremony."

I looked up abruptly, stunned by his handsome face, which was smiling yet utterly serious. He smiled and said softly, "I've already spoken to the priest; it'll be just the two of us at the wedding. Galan, will you?"

A fog instantly clouded my vision. I blinked hard to clear it, reached out and hugged him tightly, choking out, "A thousand times I'd do it, a million times I'd do it! Lie, I feel like I'm dreaming. Yesterday, when I saw you and Xue'er walk into the Royal Dynasty Hotel together, I didn't want to live anymore. But today we're going to get married in a church... I..."

"Silly girl!" Xu Lie hugged me back, gently smoothing my hair. "So that's why you... Why didn't you ask me?"

"I'm afraid..." I buried my face in his chest and said softly, "I'm afraid you'll say that the person you love is her, I'm afraid you'll say that you want a divorce. I'm so scared..."

"You use all your intelligence on overthinking," Xu Lie said with a helpless laugh. "I went to the Imperial Dynasty with Xue'er so she could see the true colors of a person. Even though I no longer love her, I can't just watch her jump into a fire without helping her out." He paused, then added with amusement, "I don't see anything wrong with it; instead, it's like you're throwing yourself into my arms..."

My face flushed red, and I pinched his arm hard, feigning anger, and said, "What did you say?!"

Xu Lie winced in pain, yet his face was full of smiles, a radiant smile blooming in the sunlight. I was mesmerized, and murmured, "Lie, you look so beautiful when you smile. Why didn't you smile before?"

"Is 'beautiful' the word to describe your husband?" Xu Lie snapped his fingers on my forehead and chuckled, then his eyes deepened slightly as if he were pondering something. After a long while, he said, "Your joys and sorrows are all easily expressed on your face, so I feel very relaxed with you, Galan, and I can't help but smile. I think I gradually came to like this relaxed feeling, and that's why I came to like you."

I thought to myself: If Zimo heard me say this, he would definitely be very disdainful! Then he grabbed me and forced me to act profound.

"Silly girl, don't overthink things in the future." He smiled and led me to the car. "If you have anything on your mind, you can come and ask me directly." I nodded emphatically, my eyes crinkling into crescents.

In the empty church, there were only the three of us: Xu Lie, the priest, and myself. We made a sacred vow before God.

Xu Lie took the ring from the priest and gently slipped it onto the ring finger of my left hand, his eyes filled with endless tenderness as he gazed at me.

With a kind and gratified smile on his face, the priest announced in a loud voice, "Now, I declare Mr. Xu Lie and Ms. Lin Jialan husband and wife... The groom may now kiss the bride."

Xu Lie slowly leaned down and placed a kiss on the corner of my lips, his low, husky voice whispering in my ear, "Galan, my wife."

Tears streamed down my cheeks—tears of happiness tinged with fear. I looked up and asked, "Lie, can we always be this happy?"

Xu Lie smiled, gently wiped away my tears, and said, word by word, "You will be happy. Galan, I will give you a lifetime of happiness."

That day, in the spacious and magnificent church, with its resounding bells, I smiled at my beloved husband.

Back then, I thought that loving someone meant forever; I believed that a promise meant eternity. I was so happy then that I wouldn't fear being abandoned by the whole world. However, reality… is reality, allowing no room for naivety or fantasy. It was a truth I only understood much, much later.

Xiao Yi

2007.8.22 18:09

Chapter 20 is over.