“Mom, why are you always hanging out with her!”
Lin Yue glared fiercely at Chen Ruo, who was holding her mom’s hand. Why did they keep running into this woman everywhere?
“Xiao Yue, how can you talk about Ling Ning like that? If it weren’t for her, I’d probably still be lost sowhere!” Chen Ruo released Ling Ning’s hand, crossing her arms as she began to lecture her daughter.
But Lin Yue cut her off with a single statent. “How many tis have I told you not to look at your phone while walking? If you’d just followed properly, none of this would’ve happened.”
Chen Ruo froze, deflated by her daughter’s scolding.
“Alright, that’s enough, you two. It’s almost noon, and if we don’t hurry, we’ll miss lunchti,” Ling Ning interjected, feeling slightly exasperated.
In truth, they had already missed lunch hours. Given the distance back to the city, they would likely need quite so ti to find food.
As Chen Ruo ntioned, her late spouse was indeed a lovely young woman. Looking at the photo on the headstone, Ling Ning was reminded of Chu ngyao—despite no actual resemblance between them, perhaps it was just that both had been in relationships with other won.
Ling Ning found herself pondering—was sa-sex marriage really legal in this world? She recalled a few sa-sex couples from her own past, and now, standing here, she couldn’t help but wonder.
“Um, Chen Ruo, could I ask you a question?” Ling Ning approached her after the ceremony.
“Sure, what is it?”
After a mont of consideration, Ling Ning asked, “So, were you and your wife legally married? I an, with an official certificate?”
“Of course! Didn’t you know? Sa-sex marriage is legal here,” Chen Ruo answered, giving Ling Ning a surprised look. It was common knowledge, after all.
Ling Ning shook her head, embarrassed. “I rarely keep up with these things. I was just curious.”
With a knowing smile, Chen Ruo began explaining.
Sa-sex marriage had been legalized the sa year she got married, and she was among the first to benefit. The policy had drawn a lot of attention at the ti, sparking both support and protests, but the governnt held firm despite the backlash.
Over a decade had passed since, and while many still struggled to accept it, particularly those with traditional views, the policy remained.
Ling Ning nodded thoughtfully. She could imagine that people like Chu ngyao and Luo Xiaoning’s parents likely held such conservative views, hence their fear of public exposure.
“Ah, I rember during my wedding, we often got strange looks from people,” Chen Ruo sighed, reminiscing. The mories made her eyes misty as she thought of her late wife. She tried to hold back her tears but found herself overwheld.
“Wait, Chen Ruo, why are you crying all of a sudden?” Ling Ning asked, bewildered, as Chen Ruo unexpectedly burst into tears. In a flustered attempt to comfort her, she pulled Chen Ruo into a gentle hug, softly patting her head.
As she felt the warmth of Ling Ning’s embrace and the gentle touch on her head, Chen Ruo’s mories flooded back to her, bringing up feelings of grief for her wife. She buried her face deeper into Ling Ning’s shoulder, crying even harder.
Standing nearby, Lin Yue was fuming. “Hey! What are you doing to my mom?”
At the sa ti, Ling Ning’s daughter, also watching, scowled. The two girls shouted in unison, “Hey, what are you doing with my mom?!”
Looking innocent, Ling Ning replied, “I didn’t do anything! Chen Ruo just started crying out of nowhere, so I’m just trying to comfort her…”
“S-sorry… it’s just… just that thinking of her made … and then I couldn’t stop…” Chen Ruo eventually managed, wiping her tears and looking embarrassedly at the large damp spot she’d left on Ling Ning’s shirt.
Once Chen Ruo finally stopped crying, Ling Ning sighed in relief. “It’s alright. Don’t dwell on it too much—your wife would want you to be happy.”
“Mm,” Chen Ruo replied, nodding.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Ling Ye said, tugging at her mom’s skirt, pouting. She’d only had a single stead bun for breakfast and was now starving.
Noting the ti, Ling Ning realized they’d missed lunch entirely, which explained the empty surroundings.
“It’s getting late. Chen Ruo, would you like to join us for lunch in town?”
“Really? Yes, I’d love to! I know a great place with amazing desserts,” Chen Ruo replied enthusiastically. She still wanted to chat more about Ling Ning’s novel.
“Sure…”
As the two won made plans, both daughters exchanged annoyed glances.
“Why do we have to eat with her?” they both thought, inwardly fuming.
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Author’s Note:
This is the fourteenth chapter. Only ten more to go… and I’m exhausted.
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