That was, of course, not the case.
Yu Wenli, regarding her, if not patient, then at least he had never lost his temper.
Even if he did, he would quickly concede.
Wen Tingxue bit her chopsticks and shyly said, "Sister Zhi Shu, don't worry, he's very good to me."
"Then why aren't you getting married soon?"
"Cough—"
Wen Tingxue choked, and Yu Wenli quickly unscrewed a bottle of mineral water for her.
He also patted her back. After she recovered a bit, he asked, "Do you have time tomorrow?"
"Um, I think so, why?"
"Let's go get the certificate."
He said it casually, but his eyes were fixed on her.
The little girl's eyes were red from coughing. When she looked up with a dazed expression, she was incredibly obedient.
After he spoke, she put down her chopsticks and said with a huff, "If you don't want to, I won't force you."
She made a move to leave, but Yu Wenli hooked his arm around her waist, trapping her in his embrace, and whispered softly, "How could I possibly not want to?"
He echoed her words back to her and then added, "I dream of marrying you, but I was afraid you'd resent losing your freedom."
Marriage was, after all, different from dating.
He always worried about restricting her.
Wen Tingxue's heart skipped a beat.
Freedom?
She hadn't really thought about it.
She thought he wasn't bringing up marriage because he wanted to focus on his career, but she didn't expect he was actually planning for her.
"Freedom is good, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose to marry you."
She lowered her head, playing with his fingers, but her words were sincere.
Yu Wenli's reason broke down as he captured her red lips.
He sucked.
He ground.
He gently bit.
But he also remembered this was a hospital.
He only tasted it briefly before letting her go.
"Who said you have to choose between the two? I'll give you both."
He smiled and traced the glistening moisture at the corner of her lips, his eyes filled with desire, alluring and sexy.
Wen Tingxue couldn't help but lean in and kiss his incredibly handsome eyes.
When she pulled back, she indeed saw his eyes redden.
"I'll go wash the dishes."
The little girl cleverly made her escape.
Yu Wenli looked at his empty embrace and could only shake his head and chuckle.
...
Just as she finished washing the thermos and chopsticks, Song You called.
Wen Tingxue paused her hand-drying, and her heart clenched for a few seconds.
As she swiped to answer, her hands were trembling.
She was afraid of hearing bad news.
"Senior Song," Wen Tingxue looked towards the door and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Jiu, is she..."
"Xiao Jiu's condition suddenly worsened, and the doctor recommended blood transfusion therapy, but the hospitals here don't have her blood type." Song You didn't hide anything from her.
He had been running around all day, and his voice carried an undeniable weariness.
Wen Tingxue's head buzzed, and tears immediately fell.
Song You walked out as he spoke, "I wanted to ask if you know any cat owners? Or any similar groups?"
"I..." I'll look.
"Handsome, handsome," someone suddenly stopped Song You, asking with a beaming smile, "Are you looking for a cat?"
Song You and Wen Tingxue fell silent simultaneously.
Song You looked at him warily, "What are you doing?"
"I have cats here!" The man took out his phone and eagerly promoted, "I have all sorts of cats here..."
"I'm sorry," Song You interrupted patiently, "I'm not buying a cat."
She loved all cats, all dogs, all cute little animals.
She could not bear for the precious creature she loved to survive by draining the life from another equally vibrant little being.
Owners who raised cats for blood didn't love cats; they just made money from them.
Once the cats got older and were no longer useful, they would discard them without hesitation.
They could even watch their own cats bleed to death for money.
She didn't want to give such an industry a single cent!
"I understand," Song You reassured her, "I've already posted a plea on my Moments. I remember I have several cat-loving and cat-owning friends on my list. Xiao Jiu will be fine."
"Thank you," Wen Tingxue said sincerely.
Song You rarely posted on his Moments.
Even when he did, it was related to work.
He never shared his private life.
Xiao Jiu was considered lucky.
After hanging up, Wen Tingxue called Mu Chen and Qiao Xixi one after another, asking them to use their connections to find some cat-owning friends and reminding them to keep it confidential.
After doing all this, she slumped down by the sink, feeling drained.
She buried her head in her arms.
She knew this was a risky move.
But she could only pray for heaven's mercy and hope Xiao Jiu would pull through this.
"Knock knock—"
Yu Wenli knocked on the door from the outside, his voice tinged with urgency, "Yiyi?"
"Coming!" Wen Tingxue quickly composed herself and checked her appearance in the mirror.
Once she was sure there were no issues, she opened the door with a smile, "What is it? Can't bear to be apart for a moment?"
She teased him.
However, he immediately noticed the slight redness under her eyes, "You've been crying?"
His tone was certain.
Wen Tingxue's gaze flickered, and she denied it, "It's not crying, I just watched a video and miss Xiao Jiu a little."
Yu Wenli hummed and pressed, "What video."
Wen Tingxue immediately pulled up a video of cats greeting their owners at home, "Here, it's this one."
She handed him her phone to show she wasn't lying.
When Yu Wenli saw the cat in the video, which looked very much like Xiao Jiu, his eyes immediately softened.
Wen Tingxue seized the opportunity, "I still have some work to hand over. After we get the certificate tomorrow, I'll go back to the Imperial Capital once more to see Xiao Jiu, okay?"
She linked her arm through his and discussed it.
Yu Wenli naturally had no objections.
"If you're sure you'll stay in Jiangcheng for now, you can bring Xiao Jiu back."
"...Perhaps not," Wen Tingxue said, "Senior Song is taking good care of her, and besides, we won't have time to look after her."
Yu Wenli didn't insist, "Alright, whatever you say."
In the evening, Yu Wen and Wen Jin Yan came over.
Grandpa Yu smiled as he spoke to them.
Yu Wenli quietly retreated to the balcony, resting his elbows on the railing, gazing at the moon.
The evening breeze billowed his clothes and lifted his hair.
Amidst the myriad of lights and starry sky, he exuded a solitude that couldn't blend into the liveliness.
Wen Tingxue's heart ached at the sight.
Recalling Yu Zhi Shu's words, she silently walked behind him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his back, just like when they were in the car.
"What are you thinking about? Can you tell me?"
She tried to use the gentlest tone to reach the depths of his heart.
After an unknown period of silence, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, his back against the cold railing.
He lowered his head and kissed her.
From her forehead.
To her eyebrows.
Then to her nose, lips, and neck.
Finally, he buried his face in her neck, his breathing heavy.
Wen Tingxue reached up and stroked his tensed back.
Her movements were gentle and patient.
She could actually guess a little about his inner struggle and guilt.
But she truly didn't expect it to affect him so profoundly.
It seemed that since they met, he had never been like this.
Whether in school or in the current entertainment industry, he had always been composed.
Only now, he had repeatedly shown emotional instability.
"Ali," she called him softly, "Tell me, okay? Let me share it with you, hmm?"
Her shallow breaths near his ear brought a silent sense of calm.
On this trip back, all she saw were such smiles.
They didn't reach his eyes, smiles for the sake of smiling.
But they were even more heart-wrenching.
Wen Tingxue hugged him tightly, feeling uneasy.
Perhaps sensing her emotions, Yu Wenli sighed with a hint of self-reproach.
"I'm sorry, I've been a bit..."
"It's okay," Wen Tingxue quickly reassured him, "I understand completely, you don't need to apologize to me."
Yu Wenli smiled, more genuine than any previous smile.
But it was brief, a faint one.
"Let's go, I'll take you home. You have to get up early tomorrow."
Wen Tingxue's heart was still with him, and for a moment she didn't grasp the deeper meaning of his words, blurted out, "Get up early for what?"
"To get the certificate," he said with a smile, raising an eyebrow, "What? Are you having second thoughts?"