A Life Full of Bumps and Stumbles

"Are you asleep?" Ji Yun's gentle voice drifted to his ear, as if she were about to leave.

He hurriedly reached out from under the covers and grabbed her calf.

"Ah—!"

A scream was about to burst out, but Ji Yun quickly covered her mouth. She looked down and met a pair of bright, shining eyes.

"You’re still awake?"

"I’m just scrolling on my phone under the blanket."

"You startled me."

"You startled me first. When I reached out, I touched a leg."

"Sorry, Xu Lin. I couldn’t sleep, so I wanted to check if you were still up."

"Why didn’t you go home today?" Xu Lin sat up from beneath the covers, leaning against the sofa's back.

"They had another argument. My mother went back to her family, and my father chased after her. The house is empty tonight."

"What was it about? Last time you didn’t tell me, but since you came here again, I have to ask."

Xu Lin had wanted to ask the last time Ji Yun was so upset, but he refrained to spare her feelings.

"My father might have cheated."

"Cheated? Maybe it’s a misunderstanding?"

"I hope so, but my mother said she saw him hugging another woman."

"What did your father say?"

"He didn’t say much. Just insisted he hadn’t cheated and promised to explain everything in a while."

"But she saw them embrace. If your father doesn’t say something, she’ll only get angrier."

Xu Lin recalled some things about his own parents.

"My mother demanded he tell her who the woman was, but he refused, so they fought."

"I tried to intervene that day and got hurt myself. Luckily, they calmed down."

"After you comforted me, I went back and separated them, talked to each alone, and they settled down."

"My mother agreed to wait a few days to see what he would say. But yesterday, she planned to go with my father to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday."

"But my father said he had something to do, and my mother immediately flared up, asking if he was going to see that woman!"

"My father nodded. My mother didn’t argue, just picked up her bag and took a cab home to her family. My father chased after her today."

Ji Yun’s fists clenched tighter as she spoke. Xu Lin reached out and took her hand.

He unfolded her palm and intertwined their fingers—cool and soft.

Ji Yun gazed at him, tearful, and leaned in. Xu Lin wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Isn’t it cold in just a thin nightgown? The air conditioner’s off. Want to crawl under the covers?"

Xu Lin’s tone was playful, like a mischievous uncle with a lollipop, but Ji Yun surprised him by nodding.

"I was teasing you!"

"Move over, are you really so stingy?" Ji Yun laughed, squeezing her way under the blanket.

Xu Lin let go of the edge, and she slipped inside. Instead of the feel and fragrance of a pretty girl, his first sensation was just how cramped it was.

"It’s a bit crowded."

"But it’s warmer." Ji Yun gave a soft smile.

"By the way, the bruise on your leg hasn’t faded completely?"

"A bit remains. Yours was worse—any marks left?"

"Anywhere I can see, it’s gone. Actually… most of it vanished that day, and by the next, it was almost gone."

Thinking of this, Xu Lin pulled his hand out from under the blanket and checked—it was completely healed, no trace at all.

Had he awakened some strange superpower? He certainly hadn’t bought any healing gems yesterday.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Let’s keep talking about you. Do you know why your father had to see that woman?"

"I’m not sure. If it’s an affair, he wouldn’t act this way. I think there must be a reason."

"Yes, I trust Uncle Ji. But you’re pitiful, left alone at home."

"Haha, children can’t intervene in their parents’ affairs."

"My parents do consider me. Whenever I’m home, they never argue. But when I leave for school, I don’t even reach the elevator before I hear my mother shouting."

At this, Ji Yun gave a bitter smile and unconsciously leaned closer to his chest. Xu Lin adjusted his arm to make her comfortable.

"Thank you. If my parents don’t return these days, can I stay here for a while?"

"Of course. Stay as long as you like—even a lifetime is fine."

Xu Lin smiled at her, but Ji Yun caught the meaning in his words and lightly slapped his arm.

"I never said I’d be your wife."

"I didn’t say that either~"

"Hmph!"

"Alright, let me tell you something about my parents."

"Your parents are so wonderful; don’t show off their love to me."

Ji Yun recalled how Xu’s father hid money only to fulfill his wife’s youthful dream, and she was moved. Comparing them to her own parents was impossible. Even without this incident, her parents always quarreled, rarely at peace.

"No, no, Class Leader Ji. Though you’re smart, there are things you don’t know—no couple goes through life without friction."

"It’s only a matter of degree. Most conflicts aren’t shown to outsiders. If you hadn’t told me about your parents, I’d think they were great."

"So don’t judge by appearances—no matter how good things are before marriage, after marriage, disagreements and friction begin."

"The big ones are about money and the pressures of life. The small ones—cleaning, cooking, even laundry can spark a quarrel."

"But these aren’t bad things—they’re essential experiences, especially in marriage. Living means stumbling along rough roads."

"If you can still live together and find sweetness amid the bitterness, that’s a meaningful, healthy, happy marriage."

"Let me give you an example—my parents. My mother actually cheated, too."

"Eh?! That’s impossible…" Ji Yun’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"It’s true, though it was only emotional. She told me herself, openly."

"That was before I was born, right after she married Old Xu and got pregnant. But Old Xu was young then—hot-tempered and proud."

"He looked down on small earnings, but couldn’t make big ones. Lady Li was furious and fought with him often, even a few times physically."

"So Li went to work out of town, giving them both time to cool off. There, she met a man."

"He was her boss, treated her well, more handsome and wealthier than my father."

"With his gentle advances, Li, in an unstable period, fell for him, but she still wanted to respect my father."

"She was very honest and told Old Xu she might be falling for someone else."

"Old Xu rushed to her, and in front of everyone, proposed and apologized again. Promised never to lay a hand on her, to always listen to her."

"Li chose Old Xu, saying if he ever broke his promise, she’d divorce him immediately. My father kept every promise, even now."

"They’ve quarreled and stumbled, and I’ve witnessed much, but they made it through together."

Ji Yun took a deep breath. "Such things happened, too…"

"Yes, so those TV dramas—how often does that really happen?"

"Xu Lin… if—I mean, if—we married, would we be like that?"

Ji Yun spoke shyly, but Xu Lin heard her clearly, a slight smile at his lips.

"No!"

"Why? Didn’t you just say there’s no way to avoid bumps in marriage?" Ji Yun looked at him, puzzled.

"You’ll understand then."

Xu Lin’s mind flashed with the scene of twelve wives. Well… maybe there really wouldn’t be any quarrels. If there were, he might disappear altogether—never make it to divorce.