Settling down was impossible.

That Ye Jiawen wasn’t the boss’s new girlfriend.

Some troublemakers had spread rumors that Du Zhaohui’s celibacy these past two years was due to impotence… Hong Kong people cared about face, and Du Zhaohui was in his prime – how could he tolerate such rumors?

He urgently needed a shield to prove his virility, and after much consideration, he chose Ye Jiawen.

After all, he knew everything about her past, and she feared him exposing her. When Du Zhaohui approached her, Ye Jiawen had no choice but to cooperate. It benefited her too – being linked to Du Zhaohui would quickly raise her profile.

If Xia Xiaolan had asked about his “new romance,” Du Zhaohui would have righteously denied it.

He wouldn’t need to say much – just mentioning that Ye Jiawen was ‘He Shiyuan’ would make Xia Xiaolan instantly understand that the rumors were baseless, just Hong Kong paparazzi hype. How could he date ‘He Shiyuan’ as his new girlfriend?

Du Zhaohui had everything planned out, yet during this meeting, Xia Xiaolan didn’t ask about his ‘new romance.’

It felt unsatisfying – Xia Xiaolan didn’t care at all about his private life… Du Zhaohui shook off this small discomfort. Xia Xiaolan might not care about his private life, but she would care about his material life. Since Qihang Real Estate had no intention of acquiring new land in this auction, Xia Xiaolan would help Cheng Rong Group get the land.

Du Zhaohui happily hummed a tune.

…

When Xia Xiaolan visited Zhou Cheng’s workplace, Bai Zhenzhu was there too.

While others dated under moonlit flowers and held hands at movies, Bai Zhenzhu and Pan Bohua chose the training ground for dates. Their vigorous sparring seemed even sweeter than traditional romance… What a unique way to show affection!

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t be judged as an outsider because Bai Zhenzhu and Pan Bohua were enjoying themselves. They were both unique individuals who attracted each other, knowing how to make themselves comfortable together without needing outside interference.

Biting into the popsicle Zhou Cheng bought her from the shop, Xia Xiaolan watched Bai Zhenzhu and Pan Bohua sparring while secretly gossiping with Zhou Cheng:

“Will we be drinking wedding wine soon?”

Zhou Cheng analyzed seriously, “Should be soon. Though I haven’t heard Third Brother submit a marriage application, Bai Zhenzhu visits Qiong Island monthly, staying several days each time. They seem to be progressing well!”

What did Third Brother use to say?

Dating was troublesome, marriage was troublesome.

Now wasn’t he frequently calling Peng City?

Zhou Cheng had twice caught Pan Bohua mailing letters, probably to Bai Zhenzhu – their romance seemed to be blossoming.

Even in December, Qiong Island had popsicles. Xia Xiaolan bit into her milk popsicle with a crunch, “Why do I feel a bit sour hearing this?”

Zhou Cheng snatched away her remaining half popsicle, “What’s there to be sour about? My wife doesn’t beat me in front of so many people. That’s enough – you can only eat half, it’s too cold. You’ll have stomach pains in a few days.”

To prevent Xia Xiaolan from grabbing it back, he quickly finished it in two or three bites.

He was referring to Xia Xiaolan’s menstrual period when eating cold things would cause stomach pain.

Xia Xiaolan glared at him – marriage was like this now, directly discussing her menstrual health. Where was the Zhou Cheng who used to blush at a kiss?

But after glaring for a while, she couldn’t help but smile. Marriage was indeed different – Zhou Cheng didn’t mind eating her unfinished popsicle, and she didn’t mind his morning kisses before brushing her teeth. After a year of marriage, they still felt fresh, probably because they weren’t always together.

“The house in Luohu Tiancheng is fully renovated. We can move in anytime.”

When they married, Zhou Cheng had prepared a house in Beijing, a well-located courtyard house. Though not particularly large, it was more than enough for newlyweds.

But they barely lived there. Neither Xia Xiaolan nor Zhou Cheng stayed in Beijing regularly, and Xia Xiaolan hadn’t participated in the renovation design, missing the feeling of personally preparing their marital home.

However, the duplex in Luohu Tiancheng was chosen together. They planned the layout together, with Xia Xiaolan personally drawing the design plans – that felt more like their true marital home.

Zhou Cheng felt the same way. Ignoring the couple still sparring on the training ground, he tossed the popsicle stick and discussed with Xia Xiaolan:

“Should we stay in Peng City for a few days when I take my annual leave?”

He knew his father-in-law didn’t like him, though there was a slight improvement after finding Tang Youru.

But no matter how much his father-in-law disliked him, he had to serve dutifully.

Fortunately, their house in Peng City was renovated – otherwise, wouldn’t they have to stay in the municipal government staff quarters?

Ahem, that would be the real test – under his father-in-law’s watchful eye, there’d be no chance for intimacy with his wife.

Having their own place in Peng City was convenient – eating together during the day, returning to their own home at night, and maintaining a reasonable distance that kept relations sweet.

Xia Xiaolan nodded, “Let’s stay in Peng City for a few days then, but we should also return to Beijing – we need to look after your family too!”

Xia Xiaolan felt like a kidnapper who had stolen Zhou Cheng through marriage – he barely visited the Zhou family anymore… How worried Guan Huo’e must be, her grown son running off with his wife.

The question of which family to visit during New Year troubled many Chinese couples, with some arguing about it their whole lives. In their first year of marriage, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng had discussed and resolved this potential conflict amicably.

Though Xia Xiaolan was only allowed half a popsicle, its sweetness lingered.

This proved that marriage needed love.

Love wasn’t everything in marriage, but it was the foundation of a happy one. She was right not to settle in her previous life. If she had married and had children, then opened her eyes back in the 80s, even if she could let go of a ‘husband’ she had settled for, she couldn’t abandon her children.

Marrying Zhou Cheng then would have been unfair to him. He gave her all his passion and sincerity, while she would have already been married before, experienced all the trivial matters of marriage, possibly lacking freshness and anticipation…

This was the best!

Zhou Cheng had no marriage experience, and neither did she.

Many firsts were experienced together, and because this marriage had love, there was abundant mutual tolerance.

The more Xia Xiaolan thought about it, the sweeter she felt. When they reached a blind spot away from others’ view, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng felt his face burning, thankfully hidden by his Qiong Island tan.

“Why the sudden stolen kiss?”

“You’re my man – I’ll kiss you whenever I want!”

–Actually, she was grateful for never settling in either life, waiting for the right person. So there was no need to rush in matters of the heart; rushing might lead to wrong choices. Focus on self-improvement, so when the right person comes along, you can be together with confidence.