Beneath the Marriage Pact

Chapter 9: Live Clarification, Counter-strike Army (2)

After the engagement ceremony, Shen Zhixia and Ling Xu 'an went to Qingyu Bay. The house by the sea was a small white building with gardenias in the yard, and the blue sea could be seen by opening the window.

"Mom must love it here." Shen Zhixia laughed as she lay on the railing, and the sea breeze lifted her hair with a salty taste.

Ling Xu 'an hugged her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder: "We'll come and stay for a while every year from now on."

"All right." Shen Zhixia turned around and hugged him, kissing him on the face. "Right, Chen Mo said Shen Yuwei made a fuss in the countryside several times and wanted to go back to the city, but was locked up by Shen's father."

"You deserve it." Ling Xu 'an pinched her face. "Let her reflect on herself."

Shen Zhixia said no more, leaning against Ling Xu 'an's arms and looking at the sea in the distance. Seagulls were flying in the sky, and the waves were crashing against the sand, making a splash.

The day back in town, Lin Yue came to pick him up by car. She rolled down the car window, poked her head out and shouted to the sea, "Shen Zhixia! Ling Xu 'an! No matter how tiresome it is, the sun is going to set!"

Shen Zhixia pulled Ling Xu 'an towards the car, still clutching a freshly picked shell in her hand, its pattern like a small star map. "Why are you here? Don't keep an eye on the Lin family?"

"It's done long ago." Lin Yue tapped the steering wheel. "My cousin (the Lin vice president who colluded with Shen Yuwei before) was sent by my dad to work as a security guard at the branch office, standing at the gate every day to check the health code. It's so great." She paused and winked as she came closer, "Oh, right, Shen Yuwei is causing trouble in the countryside - I heard she stole grandma's pension money to buy a plane ticket and tried to run away, but was caught by the airport security and sent back, and Shen's father locked her in the woodshed."

Shen Zhixia's hand, which was holding the shell, paused and said nothing.

Ling Xu 'an helped her open the car door and said indifferently, "It's none of our business."

Lin Yue made a "TSK" sound: "Yes, it's not worth getting angry with that kind of person." As she started the car, she suddenly remembered something and pulled out an envelope from the passenger compartment. "I almost forgot! Professor Zhang asked me to give it to you, saying he found it while tidying up Aunt Shen's old lab."

It was a stack of experiment records, thicker than the previous one, with a photo pasted on the last few pages - a photo of mom and Professor Zhang standing by the sea, each holding half a shell in their hands, put together exactly the shape of the one in Shen Zhixia's hand. On the back of the photo was written: "When Xia Xia finds the other half of the shell, bring her to see the sea."

Shen Zhixia pasted the shell onto the photo for comparison, and it fit perfectly. Tears suddenly welled up in her heart, not sadness, but warmth filled to the brim.

"Why are you crying?" Lin Yue handed over a pack of tissues. "Aunt Shen surely doesn't want to see you cry either."

"I'm not crying." Shen Zhixia sniffed and carefully tucked the photo into the record book, "just felt... It's all just right." Just right to find notes, just right to solve problems, just right... He's by my side.

Ling Xu 'an held her hand beside her, his fingertips gently rubbing against the silver ring on her ring finger: "There will be more 'just right' in the future."

Shen Zhixia followed Ling Xu 'an to the site on the day the first batch of equipment of the "Starlight Project" arrived at the Northern heating station. It was minus ten degrees Celsius and she was still rubbing her hands in Ling Xu 'an's thick coat.

Professor Zhang was not cold at all, circling around the equipment as if looking at his own child: "Zhi Xia, look! The running data is more stable than in the lab! How much less coal will ordinary people burn this winter!"

Local residents' representatives came with a banner, red cloth and golden characters that read, "Warmth from the stars, care for people's livelihood." The leader held Shen Zhixia's hand and shook it: "Miss, thank you, mom! Thank you! We have been burning coal in winter, and now we can finally catch our breath!"

Shen Zhixia had a sore nose and nodded quickly: "It should be."

Ling Xu 'an, who was beside her, folded her scarf and whispered, "Don't stand for too long. It's warm in the carriage."

On the way back, Shen Zhixia leaned against the car window to watch the snow. The snowflakes landed on the glass and quickly turned into small water droplets. "Ling Xu 'an," she suddenly spoke, "shall we get married next year? Let's get married right here at the heating station and let the grandpas and grandmas come to enjoy the wedding candies."

"All right." Ling Xu 'an, without a moment 'hesitation, pulled out a small box from his pocket - it was a diamond ring, with two small diamonds set in the ring setting, forming the shape of a shell.' I originally intended to take it out when it landed completely, but I'll put it on you in advance. '

Shen Zhixia reached out her hand, and the ring was placed on her ring finger, stacked on top of the silver ring. It was cool but warm.

"Right," she suddenly remembered something, "Chen Mo said Shen's father came to the company to see you a few days ago?"

"Um." " Ling Xu 'an started the car. "He wanted to get the Ling family back together and said he was going to send Shen Yuwei abroad and told me not to pursue it."

"What do you say?"

"Get him out." Ling Xu 'an tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "There's no need for us to get involved in the Shen family's affairs anymore."

Shen Zhixia made a "mm-hmm" and asked no more. The snow outside the window was getting heavier and heavier, covering the fields in a white expanse, like a layer of frosting. She knew that both Shen Yuwei and her father had completely withdrawn from her life.

In the early spring, Shen Zhixia and Ling Xu 'an went to Xishan Cemetery. She placed a bunch of gardenias on Aunt Zhang's tombstone and a piece of freshly bought tofu - made by an old tofu shop in the small town market as Aunt Zhang had written in her diary.

"Aunt Zhang, we're going to get married." She crouched in front of the tombstone and laughed as the sun fell on her hair. "The 'Starlight Project' has also landed. The grandpas and grandmas in the north say it's very warm. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Ling Xu 'an held the bouquet for her beside him, saying nothing but gently patting her back.

When going down the mountain, Shen Zhixia saw a familiar figure at the entrance of the cemetery - it was Shen's father, holding a bunch of white chrysanthemums in his hand, standing in front of Shen Yuwei's mother's tombstone, with a bent back and looking much older.

He also saw Shen Zhixia, opened his mouth as if to say something, and in the end just lowered his head and hurried away.

"Do you want..." Ling Xu 'an wanted to ask, "Do you want to stop him?" but Shen Zhixia interrupted him.

"No," he said. She took Ling Xu 'an's arm and walked forward with a light step, "It's all over."

Yes, it's all over.

The wind rustled through the trees in the mountains, as if someone were laughing. Shen Zhixia looked up at Ling Xu 'an, who was looking down at her, and the light in his eyes was warmer than the spring sun.

On the way back, passing by the small town's market, Shen Zhixia asked Ling Xu 'an to stop the car. She pulled him in, through the vegetable stalls, the fish-killing wooden basins, and stopped in front of the tofu shop in the corner.

"Uncle Wang, two pieces of soft tofu." She shouted into it.

The old man with the white beard poked his head out, saw her and laughed: "Is it Xia girl? I haven't been here for a long time." He handed out two pieces of tofu on a bamboo stick, "Just made, still hot."

"Thank you, Uncle Wang." " Shen Zhixia took it and rubbed her fingertips against the warm tofu, which was soft. She paid and grabbed a handful of freshly roasted pumpkin seeds and handed them to Mr. Wang, saying, "Have a taste."

As she left the market, Ling Xu 'an helped her carry the tofu and couldn't help laughing: "Still buying it now?"

"Take it back to make tofu soup." Shen Zhixia peeled a melon seed and stuffed it into his mouth. "Aunt Zhang said that soft tofu is the freshest soup."

The aroma of roasted melon seeds wafted in the wind, mingled with the smell of the market, very reassuring. Shen Zhixia looked up at the sky, and the clouds were as soft as cotton candy. She suddenly recalled the day of the live broadcast, when she held up the bill and laughed - then she only thought of fighting back, not like now, filled with warmth in her heart.

"Ling Xu 'an," she shook his arm, "shall we go and buy wedding candies tomorrow? Buy milk candies, the soft kind."

"Ok." Ling Xu 'an pinched her hand. "Buy another bag of your favorite preserved plum candy."

The sunlight fell on their clasped hands, and the ring on the ring finger sparkled.