Su Qing's words left Jiang Sui silent.
At this moment, Jiang Sui didn't know how to respond to Su Qing.
But Su Qing knew that Jiang Sui didn't answer because he knew he would give up, and that his giving up would make her unhappy.
"Qing Qing, that wasn't giving up; it was all about my willingness to love you."
Jiang Sui pinched Su Qing's fingers. Although he didn't meet her gaze, she knew the warmth of the young man's eyes at that moment.
Su Qing pursed her lips, saying nothing as she embraced Jiang Sui.
"Jiang Sui, you know what? You always make me soft-hearted. You make me sad and heartbroken."
Su Qing's words made Jiang Sui look at her nervously.
"Qing Qing, don't be sad."
"From now on, whatever you say is what I'll listen to, okay?"
Perhaps it was because Su Qing had always been by Jiang Sui's side.
Jiang Sui was discharged from the hospital not long after, and his complexion had improved significantly.
Though neither of them showed any signs of unease, their relationship was clearly much more relaxed than before.
Su Qing lived across from Jiang Sui.
The two of them would occasionally run into each other.
But sometimes it was just too much of a coincidence.
When Su Qing went downstairs to throw the trash, Jiang Sui was there too.
When Su Qing went to work, Jiang Sui was there too.
Su Qing only then realized that the car with the exact same license plate as her birthday was actually Jiang Sui.
Although Jiang Sui often followed Su Qing to work, Su Qing pretended not to notice.
A year of leisurely time passed like this.
The two of them lived together like neighbors, occasionally dining together.
Su Qing had a very strict schedule, going to get off work and coming home on time, and Jiang Sui did the same, with virtually no extra social engagements.
So it was unclear when this started.
How did Su Qing know the password to Jiang Sui's door?
Whether it was from a glimpse of it with her left eye or her right eye when Jiang Sui opened the door that night was no longer important.
Su Qing found excuses to visit Jiang Sui's house everyday, either to borrow salt or vinegar.
The two never spoke of the past again, but Jiang Sui knew that a faint scar still lingered in Su Qing's heart.
Though their relationship had improved considerably, they weren't close anymore; they were more like reserved friends.
Until one day.
Su Qing was drunk. She mustered up her courage and knocked on Jiang Sui's door.
The two were doing something serious.
In a daze, Jiang Sui heard Su Qing say,
"Why haven't you married me yet?"
That entire night, Jiang Sui was completely alone, his eyes shining like stars in the sky.
When Su Qing woke up the next day, Jiang Sui had already prepared breakfast before she even got out of bed.
"Wife, get up and eat."
Jiang Sui's deep voice, even in his mature and steady age, held a unique quality. Su Qing pretended to sleep, covering her head with her hands. Jiang Sui then took the small table and placed it on the bed.
"Get up and eat, or you'll be hungry."
"Can you bear to let me hungry?"
Su Qing pursed her lips, feeling incredibly shy.
"I'm reluctant, but it's time to eat. Let's go get the marriage certificate soon, okay?"
Su Qing was stunned.
"Get the marriage certificate?"
Jiang Sui looked at Su Qing and nodded.
"Okay, okay, okay."
Su Qing laughed so hard that tears were about to fall.
She knew the young man in front her—no, he could no longer be called a young man—had refused to take things any further with her. Su Qing knew his illness hadn't healed, and he knew his own hadn't healed either.
Nothing earth-shattering.
It was just a simple Qixi Festival.
That day, across Jiangcheng, on every big screen, a single message was written:
Su Qing, thank you for marrying me.
It wasn't a proposal, it was a token of gratitude. And that day, wedding candy and red envelopes were readily available everywhere in Jiangcheng.
Many people didn't know this girl, but everyone envied her.
Jiang Sui had arranged many things with great ingenuity. For example, Su Qing was puzzled as to why her own apartment, while Jiang Sui's, the one she rented, had two units per floor, yet the elevator went directly to the other.
Su Qing then realized that the apartment actually had one unit per floor, with the elevator leading directly to the residents' door. Jiang Sui had simply converted the two rooms into one.
On the day they got their marriage certificate, Jiang Sui, holding the ring he had already prepared, knelt down to propose. There were flowers lining the car, and the room was filled with friends and family.
Su Qing would be lying if she said she wasn't touched.
Su Qing thought she'd secretly made so many decisions, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, but she hadn't anticipated that Jiang Sui would never let her suffer any wronged.
Except for the day they got their marriage certificate, Su Qing was hurriedly dragged along by Jiang Sui.
On the wedding day, Su Qing was stunned to know that Jiang Sui had made her wedding dress himself.
Jiang Sui gave Su Qing all the love he could.
Everyone at Jiang Hospital knew that Dr. Su had a wonderful husband.
He wasn't just handsome and wealthy, but he was incredibly considerate, having been taking Su Qing to and from get off work everyday for ten years.
Su Qing loved children, but Jiang Sui didn't, and wasn't willing to. Su Qing suffered the pain of childbirth and kept saying he wanted to get a vasectomy, but Su Qing disagreed.
Jiang Sui never did.
In the second year of their marriage, they had a lovely baby.
Jiang Sui wanted a girl like Su Qing and repeatedly said he didn't want a boy, which Su Qing felt was biased.
People say sour then boys and spicy then girls, and Su Qing particularly liked sour foods, such as sour plums and pickled cucumbers.
She was in poor health and suffered from severe morning sickness, so Jiang Sui simply took over, skipping the office and staying home to take care of Su Qing.
Su Qing found Jiang Sui an eyesore, until the baby was born, a truly chubby boy.
Su Qing took good care of her pregnancy and didn't suffer much, but Jiang Sui was heartbroken and said he'd never have another child again.
Su Qing, on the other hand, thought children were adorable, symbols of hope.
But Jiang Sui, clearly, didn't particularly enjoy children; he remained as serious as ever.
Despite this, Jiang Sui didn't hire a nanny to care for the child. Instead, he took full responsibility for both the child and Su Qing.
Su Qing felt that postpartum confinement wasn't necessary these days.
She don't know where Jiang Sui found this ancient recipe, or who told him to insist on it.
So, he forbade Su Qing from doing this or that.
Su Qing was a doctor herself, but she couldn't resist Jiang Sui and had no choice but to obey. Fortunately, since the tiger baby were born in winter, not summer, Su Qing didn't feel as uncomfortable even during the confinement period.
She didn't have to leave the house and was well cared for.