The next day, Jiang An slept until the sun was high in the sky before crawling out of bed. Only when she checked her phone did she realize Xia Zi had been bombarding her with ssages on WeChat. Recalling how she’d fallen asleep after hanging up the phone last night, Jiang An hurriedly sent a ssage arranging to et her at a nearby coffee shop, then quickly got out of bed to wash up.
It might have been because of the fever she’d recently had, but she still felt listless. Jiang An touched her forehead; the burning sensation had vanished after a night’s rest, although her nose was now stuffy, and her voice was heavy with nasal congestion. Feeling weary, she walked out of the bedroom, only to find she was alone at ho. After washing up, she walked over to the dining table and saw a note left by Gao Chuan, along with breakfast and a strip of dicine pills.
Gao Chuan: Rember to take your dicine. I’ll co ho early tonight and bring dinner for you.
He might as well have poured the water for her.
Jiang An looked at Dr. Gao’s elegant handwriting and smiled breathlessly, her mood instantly lifting.
She didn’t head to the pre-agreed coffee shop until two or three in the afternoon, wearing a cotton jacket. Having arrived early, Jiang An ordered a cappuccino and began flipping through a wine magazine on the bookshelf. In less than fifteen minutes, an anxious Xia Zi dashed into the cafe, heading straight towards Jiang An in the corner with a bolt of speed, paying no mind to her panting breath, she started to shout at her, catching the attention of other custors in the café.
Jiang An quickly pulled her to sit down, gesturing for silence, "Don’t be loud; listen to what I have to say..."
After Xia Zi finally settled down, she listened to Jiang An’s detailed explanation, her mouth agape, "What? You and Dr. Gao had a fake marriage?"
"Yes, it’s just so Grandma Gao wouldn’t be left with any regrets," Jiang An stated seriously, not expecting Xia Zi to stare at her incredulously, causing Jiang An to feel nervous inside, "Are you for real? You’re not just saying this because you’re afraid I’ll be upset, are you?"
Jiang An anticipated Xia Zi would doubt her words, but the truth was that her marriage to Dr. Gao was absurd by nature.
"So, are you guys living together?" asked Xia Zi, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes."
"Have you t Dr. Gao’s parents?"
"Yes."
"Have you two, you know, done it?"
"Uh..." Jiang An instinctively started to nod but then realized sothing was off and, blushing profusely while eting Xia Zi’s amused gaze, insisted, "Of course not! I told you, we’re just husband and wife in na only."
Xia Zi couldn’t help but laugh out loud at seeing how embarrassed Jiang An had beco. Even though she found it hard to believe Jiang An’s story, she knew deep down that Jiang An wouldn’t lie to her.
"So, you guys have a secret marriage?" continued Xia Zi.
Jiang An thought for a mont; considering they hadn’t had a wedding ceremony and only the Gao Family knew about their marriage, it must qualify as a secret marriage. She sipped on her coffee and nodded.
Xia Zi’s face was filled with question marks, "And Dr. Gao even ntioned he had a wife at the seminar..." As she spoke, she realized sothing was seriously amiss. "Oh my gosh," the girl exclaid, startling Jiang An across from her, "Dr. Gao isn’t publicly confessing to you, is he?"
"Geez, you two really have sothing going on," Xia Zi voiced a belated realization with an auntie-like smile.
Hearing this, Jiang An rolled her eyes. One second she was mourning the marriage of her male idol, and the next, she’d beco their shipper. Classic flip-flopper Xia Zi.
Xia Zi continued with a smile, returning to the main topic, "So are you two planning to get divorced after Grandma Gao passes away?"
Jiang An’s face stiffened, she paused for a mont and then nodded.
Xia Zi clicked her tongue and tapped Jiang An on the forehead, "You, you. You sold yourself without even realizing it."
Jiang An: "?"
Xia Zi looked at her perplexed expression and the way she looked at Jiang An as if she were looking at a fool, and seriously said, "Do you know how important marriage is to a girl? Once you divorce the ’big god’, you’ll be heading for a second marriage, and it won’t be easy to remarry after that, unless..."
"Unless you don’t divorce." Xia Zi deliberately drew out her voice, spelling it out for Jiang An word by word.
Jiang An’s brow slightly furrowed, her eyes faintly losing focus.
Not divorce? Is that even possible?
Seeing the troubled expression on Jiang An’s face, Xia Zi slapped the table and interrogated, "I’m asking you, do you want to divorce?"
Jiang An pondered, remaining silent.
Xia Zi let out a slight sigh and tried a different question, "Or, do you like Dr. Gao?"
After a long while, Jiang An lowered her head and softly admitted, "I like him."
For a man as outstanding as Dr. Gao, there probably isn’t a woman who wouldn’t be moved.
Xia Zi beca so anxious she slapped her thigh, cursing the girl’s foolishness, and enlightened her, "There you have it, why go through with a divorce? If it were , I’d tie that man down tight."
"And let tell you, if the ’big god’ chose to marry you, at the very least he doesn’t dislike you, and perhaps... he might even like you." Xia Zi made her judgnt like Sherlock Hols.
Needless to say, if a man had no interest in a woman, he wouldn’t even approach her, let alone marry her.
Jiang An shook her head, "Dr. Gao is a marriage-phobe; he has never said he likes ."
She recalled what Song Li had said to her, ntioning that soone like Dr. Gao would not easily fall in love.
Hearing Jiang An refute her own views, Xia Zi pouted, "Oh my, why are you so dense? If I could marry the ’big god,’ I’d be over the moon. You’re essentially the winner in life."
The winner in life? It seems like marrying Dr. Gao would indeed make one the winner in life.
But has she won? It doesn’t seem like it.
"Do you really understand what I’m saying?" Xia Zi, seeing Jiang An lost in thought, beca so agitated her face turned red, her tone betraying a hint of frustration.
Jiang An replied in a muffled voice, "Understand what?"
Seeing this, Xia Zi slapped the table, almost standing up from her chair, and internally criticized Jiang An for being a novice in love, "Of course I an you should make Dr. Gao fall for you while you two are married. So many people are coveting the ’big god’s’ beauty. You wouldn’t want to have regrets if Dr. Gao really got snatched away by soone else."
"And since you have the advantage of proximity, maybe you can really hold Dr. Gao tight!" Xia Zi plotted in her heart. Although the ’big god’ seed like an unattainable ’flower on a high peak,’ Jiang An was just as likable, and maybe there could be a chance for these two to eventually beco a couple.
Jiang An was startled for a mont before she finally grasped Xia Zi’s aning, "You an to say... I should pursue Dr. Gao?"
Seeing the girl finally understand, Xia Zi breathed a sigh of relief, half-heartedly acknowledging that Jiang An wasn’t beyond help, "Haven’t you heard that it’s only a veil apart for a woman to chase a man? I refuse to believe that, being married, Dr. Gao could be completely indifferent toward you."
Jiang An cald down and thought about what had happened between them during the almost two months of marriage. They had always shown mutual respect, the only thing that truly crossed the line being a kiss that led nowhere.
Could Dr. Gao really have a bit of interest in her?
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