NABC Chapter 143 Countdown 2
Chapter 143 Countdown 2
"Brother! It's done! Mom's agreed!"
Gao Tingting ran all the way to the factory and went straight to Cheng Zheng's office.
Seeing her rush in, Cheng Zheng put down his pen, stunned for a moment: "What do you mean, 'let go'? You mean..."
"It's about your marriage to your sister-in-law!" Gao Tingting rushed in, placed her hands on the table, and excitedly leaned close to him, saying, "Mom has given in! She said she won't interfere anymore, it's up to you. Dad feels the same way. They said it themselves! You can now go ahead and get your marriage certificate with your sister-in-law without worry! Don't forget how much I, your sister, helped you! After you slammed the door and left, I spent ages at home explaining things to Mom and Dad, practically wearing my lips out, and finally managed to convince them..."
She looked like she was taking credit, patting her chest with immense pride.
Cheng Zheng's originally gloomy face gradually brightened, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and a rare gentleness appeared in his eyes: "Okay, Tingting, I owe you a big favor for this."
Gao Tingting chuckled twice, a sly glint in her eyes. She took a step back, crossed her arms, and raised her chin slightly. "Then the task of breaking off my childhood betrothal is entrusted to you. You must cancel the engagement with that little southern potato!"
"Don't worry." Cheng Zheng looked at her and nodded seriously, "I'll take care of it for you."
"Thank you, brother! You should share this good news with your wife!" Gao Tingting clapped her hands with satisfaction, turned around, and skipped away.
Cheng Zheng leaned back in his chair, a smile playing on his lips, his fingers unconsciously twirling the pen, his whole being immersed in an irrepressible joy.
He's about to tell his baby this good news!
……
Ever since she met Su Wan's mother that day, Lin Shuyao has been feeling uneasy.
Su Wan and she didn't get along well to begin with, so Su Wan would definitely have some doubts about her identity. Maybe before the female lead even returned, Su Wan would jump out and expose her first.
This thought was like a sword hanging over her head, threatening her at every moment.
It just so happened that the restaurant manager's son was still hospitalized, so she took the opportunity of visiting the manager's son to deliberately go around to the door of Tiger's ward.
The corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant. As Lin Shuyao passed Tiger's ward, she slowed down and glanced inside out of the corner of her eye.
On her third pass, Su Wan finally came out of the ward carrying a urinal. When she looked up and saw her, Su Wan was stunned for a moment, then a mocking smile appeared on her lips, and she scoffed.
Lin Shuyao stopped and deliberately asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Su Wan didn't speak, but simply lifted her eyelids and slowly looked her up and down, her cold smile deepening.
That look made Lin Shuyao's heart sink, further confirming her guess—Su Wan must know something!
Previously, whenever Su Wan saw her, she wished they could go their separate ways. Even when their eyes met, there was only resentment and unwillingness in her gaze.
But now, Su Wan's eyes held a hint of mockery, and she exuded an inexplicable confidence, as if she could see right through her.
Having tested the waters, Lin Shuyao didn't press the matter further and turned to leave.
After leaving the hospital, she didn't rush back. Instead, she found a secluded spot on a street corner and waited quietly.
After waiting for a while, I finally saw Su Wan come out of the hospital. She had changed her coat, was carrying a cloth bag, and was walking hurriedly.
Lin Shuyao followed behind her discreetly, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
From the probing just now, she was certain that Su Wan had doubts about her identity, and since she had doubts, she would definitely try to verify them.
Su Wan either needs to return to Yuncheng in person, or she needs to send a telegram back to have someone verify the information for her.
The quickest way to prove that she is Lin Shuyao is to have the Lin family send her a photo.
Sending a letter would take at least a month to go back and forth. Given Su Wan's personality, she wouldn't wait that long, so she would definitely go back herself!
Sure enough, Su Wan entered the train station.
Once inside, he went straight to the ticket window, handed over the letter of introduction and money, took the two tickets, turned around and came out, a smug look on his face.
Lin Shuyao waited for her to leave before walking to the ticket window.
"Comrade, I also need two train tickets," she said, trying to make her voice sound natural, "just like that woman, going to Yuncheng."
The ticket seller, a middle-aged woman, didn't even look up and casually asked, "Which trip to Yuncheng is it tomorrow night at nine o'clock? Can I see your letter of introduction?"
Lin Shuyao reached into her bag and rummaged around, feigning annoyance: "Oh dear, comrade, I'm sorry, I realized I forgot my letter of introduction. I'll go back and get it."
I made up an excuse to leave.
Stepping out of the train station, Lin Shuyao stood on the steps, looking at the gray sky, and let out a long breath.
Tomorrow night at nine o'clock.
It seems that Su Wan is going to return to Yuncheng in person.
It takes more than two days to travel from Beijing to Yuncheng by train, so a round trip would take nearly five days.
If Su Wan chooses to send a telegram to Cheng Zheng after verifying his identity, she will only have a maximum of three days left.
Within three days, she either has to deal with Su Wan as a threat, or she will have no choice but to... leave.
Although running away had always been part of her plan, when it actually came to the moment, her heart felt like it was being gripped by something, tightening, twisting, and writhing, causing her so much pain that she could hardly breathe.
She instinctively raised her hand to cover her chest, but the pain not only did not subside, but became clearer and clearer, as if someone was digging into her with a dull knife, not a sharp, intense pain, but a long, dull, heavy, and aching sensation that spread from her heart all the way to her whole body.
Is he really... leaving?
Are we just going to leave like this?
But why is she so reluctant to let go, so in so much pain?
The answer is actually quite clear: she seems to have already fallen in love with him...
The moment this thought came to mind, Lin Shuyao's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She tilted her head back and forcefully forced the tears back.
Can't cry.
You absolutely must not cry.
But the mist in her eyes kept thickening, and her vision gradually blurred.
She blinked hard, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
She hurriedly raised her hand to wipe it, but the more she wiped, the more tears flowed; they were like beads from a broken string, and she couldn't stop them no matter what she did.
"Baby?"
Just then, a familiar, urgent voice came from behind.
Lin Shuyao froze as she wiped away her tears, slowly turning around. Cheng Zheng stood a few steps away, dressed in a crisp military uniform, his deep-set eyes beneath his hat brim fixed on her. When his gaze fell upon her tear-streaked face, he paused for a moment, then quickly stepped forward, grasping her shoulders with both hands, his worry almost overflowing from his eyes.
"Why are you crying? What happened?"
Upon seeing him, Lin Shuyao could no longer hold back. Ignoring the crowds on the street and all manner of etiquette between men and women, she raised her arms to encircle his waist, buried her face in his chest, and began to sob like a fledgling bird.
Tears streamed down his face, soaking the front of his military uniform.
Feeling the dampness on his chest, Cheng Zheng panicked. He put one arm around her back and gently stroked the back of her head with the other, coaxing her softly, "What's wrong, baby? Don't scare me. Tell me, hmm? Who bullied you?"
Lin Shuyao buried herself in his arms, sobbing and shaking her head, but she couldn't say anything.
She desperately wanted to tell him the truth—that she wasn't Shen Qing, that she had lied to him—but the moment the words reached her lips, her courage vanished.
Although he hadn't told her, she knew that he had made countless efforts to get his family to agree to their marriage. He had visibly lost weight, his cheeks had sunken in, and his eyes often looked tired.
The fact that those rumors were able to subside so quickly was also due to his behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
If he knew she wasn't Shen Qing at all, then what was the point of all his efforts during this time?
How would he view her?
"Baby? What's wrong? Tell me, whatever it is, we'll solve it together." Cheng Zheng's voice was filled with unease; he had never seen her so emotionally distraught before.
Lin Shuyao sobbed and took a breath, lifting her head from his embrace. Her long eyelashes were wet and stuck together, her eyes were red, and the tip of her nose was pitifully red. "I...I'm fine...I've just been under too much pressure lately. The thought of you going against your family because of our marriage makes me feel terrible, and I can't help you with anything, leaving you to bear it all alone..."
So that's why.
Cheng Zheng looked at her tear-streaked face and felt a pang of heartache. He reached out and wiped away her tears, his fingertips gently caressing her delicate cheek. "I'm a man, this is something I should shoulder. Besides, I'm overjoyed to marry you, it's not a burden for me at all, so you don't need to blame yourself, okay?"
Lin Shuyao gave a soft "hmm," her small hands tightly gripping his clothes, her face rubbing against his clothes as she wiped away her tears.
"By the way, what are you doing at the train station?" Cheng Zheng had been looking for her everywhere. He had heard that she had left the factory, so he went out to look for her. Although he didn't know where she had gone, he was so happy that he wanted to tell her the good news as soon as possible. He had nowhere to put his joy, so he wandered around the streets aimlessly. Unexpectedly, he saw her at the entrance of the train station.
Lin Shuyao's heart tightened, her mind racing, and she stammered, "I... I just feel unwell and don't want to stay here. I want to go back to my hometown to see it..."
Cheng Zheng said, "Then I'll take leave and go back with you. We'll go together. Are you going back to see your adoptive parents?"
How could Lin Shuyao dare to take him back? "No, no need. I don't want to go back anymore, it's too far. It takes more than two days by train, and you still have work... By the way, how did you know I was here?"
She tilted her head up and asked him a question, changing the subject.
Cheng Zheng's lips curled up slightly, and he said happily, "I was looking for you. I wanted to tell you some good news."
"What good news?"
Cheng Zheng leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, his voice deep and cheerful: "My parents have given their approval. Baby, we can get married soon. I just submitted the marriage application, and it should be approved the day after tomorrow at the earliest. We can get our marriage certificate then. How about it, aren't you happy? Aren't you excited?"
Are we getting our marriage certificate the day after tomorrow?
Lin Shuyao's mind went blank.
In the original book, the female lead returned on her wedding night, before the female supporting character had registered her marriage with the male lead. Now, she wants to register her marriage with the male lead first, which means that the female lead's return is likely to happen in the next day or two.
There were originally three days left, but now there are only two.
Today and tomorrow.
"Baby?" Cheng Zheng called out to her when she didn't speak for a while.
Lin Shuyao snapped out of her daze and forced a happy smile: "Really? Your parents really agreed? I'm so happy, I can hardly believe it..."
"Silly girl," Cheng Zheng reached out and gently stroked the tip of her nose, his tone indulgent, "What's there to be afraid of? Whether they agree or not, we'll get married."
"Mmm." Lin Shuyao nodded, rubbing her face against his palm, her voice soft, "So what should we do now?"
Cheng Zheng took her hand and they walked while planning: "I'll first see when the housing application I made with my work unit will be approved, then we'll renovate the house, buy some furniture, and also buy things for the wedding..."
Lin Shuyao listened quietly. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, looked up at him, and said, "How about we go take our wedding photos first?"
"Wedding photos?" Cheng Zheng had never heard of this term before.
"Oh, it's a wedding photo," Lin Shuyao explained.
"When are you going?"
"Is it okay now? How about we buy a camera and take the photos ourselves? I know how to take pictures; the priest taught me how to use a camera before. I also know how to set up a darkroom, so we can develop the photos at home after we're done."
She didn't want to go to the photo studio.
Since she was leaving, she wanted to take as many photos of the two of them as a memento.
Cheng Zheng didn't think much of it and nodded in agreement: "Okay. I have enough industrial vouchers on hand, let's go buy them now."
The two went to the department store and bought a Seagull brand camera, as well as several rolls of film.
When Cheng Zheng paid, Lin Shuyao stood beside him, watching his profile as he carefully counted the industrial vouchers, feeling both bitter and aggrieved.
She tried her best to maintain an expression of longing.
She kept smiling, her eyes brimming with sweetness.
Cheng Zheng didn't notice anything unusual about her.
Upon arriving at the factory, just as they entered the gate, they ran into Old Zhao from the labor union. Old Zhao was holding a bunch of keys and handed them to Cheng Zheng with a smile: "Representative Cheng, your application for a house has been approved. Here are the keys. It's on the third floor of our newly built staff housing building, facing south, with excellent natural light."
Cheng Zheng took the keys, thanked her, turned to look at Lin Shuyao, and said excitedly, "Let's go see our new house."
Lin Shuyao went to Cheng Zheng's new home.
As soon as I opened the door, a strong smell of freshly applied lime hit me.
The room wasn't big, just two bedrooms and a living room, with white walls and cement floors. Sunlight streamed in through the wooden-framed glass windows, making the whole room bright and airy.
Cheng Zheng closed the door, leaned down and wrapped his arms around Lin Shuyao from behind, his chest pressed against her back, and whispered affectionately in her ear, "How is it, baby? Do you like it? This will be our home from now on."