Ling Xiao tapped the table again.

Zhu Shan came back to her senses. She looked at the boiling hot pot soup in front of her and blurted out, "Why do you hate me so much?"

Ling Xiao did not reply. His gaze lingered on her dejected and aggrieved face for a few seconds.

Then he stood up and said firmly, "I'm going to pay the bill. You have to make a choice when I come back."

Gritting her teeth, Zhu Shan swung her fists in the air towards his broad back.

Then she calmed down, and realized that Ling Xiao had left no room for negotiation.

Anyway, it was impossible to return to SJP.

So there was only one choice left.

It's just living together.

And It's not like we haven't done this before!

Although she comforted herself in this way, Zhu Shan was still irritated and angry.

After a while, Ling Xiao paid the bill and came back with his dark eyes full of oppression.

He stood beside the table, propped one hand on the table and bent down slightly to spit out the words, "What's the answer?"

Zhu Shan tilted her little face to one side. "I'll live with you."

Ling Xiao seemed very satisfied with the answer. He raised his eyebrows and pointed at the coat. "Put it on. It's cold outside."

After that, he turned around and walked out of the door.

Zhu Shan picked up the coat and followed him.

The apartment Zhu Shan rented was about 30 square meters. Ling Xiao could see everything at a glance from the door.

It was obvious that Zhu Shan had just returned to the country and did not have much luggage.

Zhu Shan packed up her things quickly, including a suitcase and two big bags.

Ling Xiao pushed the suitcase with one hand and carried two bags with the other.

Zhu Shan followed behind him with a half-meter-tall bear doll in her arms.

After getting in the car, Zhu Shan was still holding the bear doll in her arms.

Ling Xiao glanced at him and said with some disgust, "Put it in the back seat. It's blocking the rearview mirror."

Zhu Shan snorted in a cute way and sat in the back seat of the car with her beloved bear doll.

Ling Xiao was amused by her silence. "You are so treasuring it."

"This is my guardian mascot."

Guardian mascot?

Ling Xiao looked at Zhu Shan through the rearview mirror. Her round cheeks were plump, her eyelashes were long and curled up, and her lips were rosy. She was pinching the ears of the bear doll.

She seemed to be venting her anger.

After arriving at their "home",

Ling Xiao took out a pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet and threw them in front of her. "There are no woman-slippers at home. Make do with them."

Zhu Shan had just changed into slippers and was pulled to the door by Ling Xiao to record her fingerprints on the smart lock.

He grabbed her hand and recorded it several times.

Zhu Shan had the illusion that she was like being forced to confess her guilt.

After recording her fingerprints, Zhu Shan walked around the room.

There were three bedrooms and one living room, decorated in a minimalist style with warm white tones.

The living room was connected to the dining room, and there was a bar counter in the middle. The open kitchen was next to the dining room.

There were no partition walls in the whole space, which looked big and empty.

Zhu Shan found it a little strange. After thinking for a long time, she realized that the house was too clean.

The furnishings on the coffee table, the blanket on the sofa, the high stools beside the bar counter, and the spotless kitchen...

She couldn't see any traces of living.

It was like a sample room for the building.

It should be noted that Ling Xiao didn't know she was coming back, so he wouldn't have tidied up the house in advance at all.

"Come here!"

Upon hearing Ling Xiao's words, Zhu Shan immediately stopped thinking and quickly went up to him.

Ling Xiao pushed open a room door and turned on the light. "You can stay in this room. I haven't used the bathroom outside. You can have it to yourself from now on."

"You haven't used it? Don't you usually live here?"

"I have a bathroom in my room." Ling Xiao leaned lazily against the door frame and raised his chin. "I'll stay in the room opposite yours."

"Do you only stay in your own room at ordinary times, Ling Xiao?"

"Why do you say so?"

"It's obvious." Zhu Shan pointed at the living room and said, "Except for the living room, there are no signs of living in other public areas."

"You're quite observant." Ling Xiao couldn't help pinching Zhu Shan on the cheek. He leaned over slightly and explained, "I'm very busy. I don't have time to cook after work or watch soap operas at eight o'clock leisurely."

Although that what he said was right, Zhu Shan still felt it wrong to live in this way.

She pushed his hands away and said, "Working is just a part of life."

Ling Xiao ignored her and turned to leave. Zhu Shan sat on the bed and looked around the room.

The room was not very big. The bed was simple and white, about 1.5 meters wide, with two bedside cabinets and a row of wardrobes beside it.

Zhu Shan stood up and pulled back the curtains. Behind the curtains was a French door.

She pushed the door open and walked out. There was a small curved balcony outside with a rattan table and two small chairs.

Standing here, he could see the Riverside Park not far away, with a lovely and winding row of street lights.

The night view was not bad.

And there was no need to pay rent.

Moreover, Ling Xiao had just said that he was very busy, so they wouldn't meet quite often.

Thinking of this, Zhu Shan felt much better.

The cell phone Zhu Shan held in her hand vibrated, she picked it up and it was a message from Mrs. Ling.

Mrs. Ling texted: "Shanshan, I heard from Ling Yue that you have come back to Yuhe City."

Zhu Shan was speechless.

On the way back, she received a call from Ling Yue. The news of her return spread so quickly.

Her phone vibrated again.

Mrs. Ling texted, " Have Ling Xiao picked you up?"

Mrs. Ling texted, "If you need anything, just tell Ling Xiao. If he dares to bully you, just tell me. I'll teach him a lesson."

Zhu Shan burst into laughter and replied in text.

Zhu Shan texted, "Auntie, distant water can't put out a nearby fire."

Mrs. Ling texted, "Call me auntie? You are going to call me mommy sooner or later."

Mrs. Ling said, "But there is no need to hurry. I'll definitely give you a thick red packet when you change the address."

Mrs. Ling texted, "Shanshan, you're back. Are you going to hold your wedding on a date?"

Looking at the messages popping up one after another, Zhu Shan felt guilty.

Because the marriage was fake, and there would be no wedding.

By next year, she and Ling Xiao would be married for five years. She could obtain the nationality of ZG Country according to the relevant regulations, and then…divorce.

Zhu Shan turned her head and saw Ling Xiao holding the sheet and quilt.

"These are brand new."

Zhu Shan sat on the rattan chair on the balcony and watched Ling Xiao swiftly and expertly make up the bed for her.

Ling Xiao held the old bedding taken off from the bed and said, "Send me a message if you need anything. Or call me, and I still use my old phone number. Don't complain to my mother about everything!"

After that, Ling Xiao walked out of the room and closed the door.

Zhu Shan rolled her eyes and cursed in her heart.

After calming herself down, she took out her toiletries and put them in the bathroom outside.

Then she packed up her clothes.

After that, it was early morning.

Zhu Shan took a shower and went back to her room. She glanced at the tightly closed door of Ling Xiao's room, made faces, and then quickly closed her room door with guilt.

She even felt afraid for playing behind his back.

She was afraid that Ling Xiao would punish her.

Zhu Shan climbed onto the bed and lay down with the bear doll in her arms. She looked at the ceiling under the faint moonlight and rubbed the bear's ears with her fingers.

She couldn't sleep well for the past week in her previous apartment.

It was poorly soundproofed and lived by a mix of people. Besides, there was always noise at the door very late at night, and very early in the morning.

After all, she was a single young girl. It was inevitable for her to be alert and worried.

Thinking of this, Zhu Shan frowned, turned over, and buried her face in the pillow.

She was not single.

Not in terms of the laws and regulations!

Feeling a bit stifled, Zhu Shan turned her little face to the side and took a deep breath.

Her brows slowly stretched out, and her expression relaxed. She had to admit that she felt at ease living here.

After a tiring day, Zhu Shan closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Zhu Shan woke up in a daze with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead because of her stomachache.

She had been a little sleepy, and with the pain the sleepiness faded completely and she became conscious.

She rubbed her belly but found that it was her stomach that hurt, not the belly.

Zhu Shan held back, adjusted her posture and tried to fall asleep.

However, the pain did not lessen but even got stronger.

Zhu Shan reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, then sat up against the headboard.

She picked up her phone and looked at the time. It was only two o'clock in the morning.

Then, she thought to herself, "Stay strong."

Zhu Shan was enduring the discomfort. She grabbed the bear doll, touched its ears, and closed her eyes again.

After more than half an hour, Zhu Shan got out of bed and put on her underwear.

She went to knock on the door of Ling Xiao.

With a sharp cramping pain in her stomach, Zhu Shan let out a "hiss", leaned weakly against the door, and knocked anxiously again.

With a click, the door was opened, letting out a glimmer of soft glow.

Zhu Shan lost her balance and fell straight into the arms of Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao stiffened and he tried to wrap his arms around her soft body after a few seconds.

He asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

Zhu Shan listened to his chaotic heartbeat, raised her eyelids and asked for help, "My stomach hurts!"

Only then did Ling Xiao notice her pale face.

He touched her palm, which was covered with sweat.

Zhu Shan frowned in pain. Through the light in Ling Xiao's room, she saw the layout of his room.

The desk and bookshelf occupied more space than a bed, and there was a pile of scattered documents on the table. The computer was still on.

It was almost three o'clock in the morning, but he was still working.

Zhu Shan's first reaction was that she had disturbed his work.

Zhu Shan seemed to be afraid that Ling Xiao wouldn't help her, so she grasped his pajamas and said in a low voice, "Can you stop working for a while? I feel like I'm dying."

After that, she added, "I didn't mean to trouble you."

Ling Xiao held Zhu Shan and said, "Put on a coat. I'll take you to the hospital."

Ling Xiao frowned when he saw Zhu Shan's painfully distorted small face. "Can you make it by yourself, I can help."

"I can."

Zhu Shan randomly grabbed a down jacket and put it on.

On the way to the hospital, Zhu Shan was in so much pain that her head was numb. She just wanted to huddle up.

She opened her eyes and looked out of the window at the city which was not dark at night. It was a street view that was completely different from SJP.

Zhu Shan was not a pessimistic person. If she was not sick...

But she had just returned to the country, and she still had a lot of things to do.

She bit her lip and asked weakly, " Ling Xiao, is it a stomach cancer?"

Ling Xiao was speechless.

Seeing that Ling Xiao didn't reply, Zhu Shan took out her phone, opened the website, and searched for the terms " stomachache".

As a result, Zhu Shan panicked even more. "It could also be an esophageal cancer, or a colorectal cancer."

Ling Xiao was speechless.

Zhu Shan felt weak all over. Her phone fell on her leg and slid down to under the passenger seat.

She didn't care. Instead, she closed her eyes and said weakly, "It seems that I'm really dying."

Ling Xiao tutted. "You said you were dying but you only had a heatstroke once in junior high school."

！！！

The stupid past was brought up again.

At that time, Zhu Shan was in the second year of junior high school.

It was PE class that day.

Because the weather was too hot, the PE teacher only let them run 200 meters and then instructed a free-activity time.

She was sitting in the shade of a tree at the corner of the playground with her classmates, gossiping about the popular entertainment stars.

As they talked, Zhu Shan felt dizzy.

She got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Then she felt weightless as if stepping on the cotton.

Zhu Shan shook her head and walked to the infirmary.

The infirmary was in the middle of the high school. Before she arrived, crowds of seniors rushed out of the teaching building with a bell ring.

The crowd blurred and danced before Zhu Shan's eyes and her vision swung more and more.

Zhu Shan collapsed onto the ground as her vision dimmed.

In a daze, she heard a loud noise. After it slowly became clear, she heard Ling Xiao calling her name.

After a long while, Zhu Shan opened her eyes.

Then she said, "I'm going to die, Ling Xiao."

Ling Xiao ignored her. With the help of his classmates, he carried her on his back and ran to the infirmary.

Zhu Shan felt nauseous, and then she threw up.

Zhu Shan thought that if it weren't illegal, she might have been killed at the age of 14.

"Were you dead in the end?" Ling Xiao asked in a low voice, pulling Zhu Shan back to reality.

Her little face was scrunched up, and she sobbed with embarrassment "It's different this time."

"How is it different?"

"I…I..." Zhu Shan stammered and struggled for a while before saying, "I haven't pooped for a few days. It matches the symptoms I just learned online."

"...Shut up."