Chapter 31

A rather abrupt lunch turned out to be quite enjoyable for everyone.

The college students were good at creating a lively atmosphere. While some of their remarks were blunt, the occasional candidness added a touch of humor and charm.

Beneath the table, Ji Jing gently squeezed Tang Ruan’s palm without saying a word. He didn’t mind the comments at all—after all, they were just young and casual, with no ill intentions.

After lunch, the group began to disperse.

Tang Ruan glanced at the handsome young man from earlier and leaned closer to Ji Ling, whispering, “Your senior is quite nice.”

Ji Ling paused, then blurted out, “Right? I told you he’s good-looking.”

“Yeah, and he’s probably well-mannered too.”

During lunch, he didn’t speak unnecessarily, and his table manners were graceful. Although she hadn’t observed him too closely, she could tell he was a decent person—at least when it came to his character, he definitely passed the test.

Ji Ling chuckled and whispered to Tang Ruan, “He’s just a bit cold and not easy to get along with. Good to look at, though.”

Tang Ruan paused, speechless for a moment, then broke into a smile and patted Ji Ling’s shoulder. “Are you heading back for a nap?”

“No need, I’m feeling fine. What about you guys?”

Tang Ruan thought for a moment and turned to Ji Jing. “Do you want to rest in the car for a while or book a nearby room to nap?”

She figured Ji Jing might have only gotten three or four hours of sleep last night. In truth, he had indeed slept no more than that, as he had rushed to finish today’s work in advance to make time for this.

Ji Jing glanced at her. “Either’s fine. Are you tired?”

“Just a little.”

After a brief moment of thought, Ji Jing responded softly, “Let’s book a nearby room to rest for a bit.”

The school sports meet allowed for a three-hour break, and Ji Ling’s next event wasn’t until a relay race in the afternoon around 3 p.m.

After they decided, Ji Ling returned to school with her classmates, while Tang Ruan and Ji Jing headed to a hotel. Honestly, if it were up to her, Tang Ruan thought resting in the car would be sufficient. But Ji Jing, being the young master he was, clearly preferred the comfort of a hotel room.

What Tang Ruan didn’t anticipate, however, was that their first time booking a hotel room together would be… for a nap.

The thought made her laugh involuntarily.

“What’s so funny?” Ji Jing asked.

“Nothing,” Tang Ruan replied, glancing up at him with a suppressed smile. “I just find this kind of amusing.”

Ji Jing gave her a sideways glance but didn’t respond.

–

Checking into a hotel at midday, with a man and a woman no less, wasn’t unusual in a high-end hotel, but their dynamic was a bit out of the ordinary. They were both composed, with no signs of flirtation or intimacy.

The receptionist stole a few glances at them before asking in a low voice, “Would you like a room with one large bed or…?”

Tang Ruan glanced at Ji Jing and then asked, “Do you have any suites available?”

The receptionist was momentarily taken aback but quickly answered, “Yes, would you like a suite?”

“Yes.”

Getting two separate rooms felt unnecessary, but a suite was just right—Ji Jing could take the bed while she made do with the sofa.

Hearing this, Ji Jing cast her a cool sidelong glance but neither agreed nor objected.

Once the room was booked, Tang Ruan took the key card and pressed the elevator button. The two walked in one after the other, silent the entire way. When they reached the room, Tang Ruan opened the door and stepped aside to let Ji Jing in.

“You go in first,” Ji Jing said.

“Oh.” Tang Ruan didn’t argue. She walked in and glanced around. The suite wasn’t bad—clean and equipped with a small TV and sofa. The only downside was that the sofa was probably too small for her to lie on comfortably, maybe 1.2 or 1.5 meters at most.

After inspecting the room, she turned to the man still standing in the living room and said casually, “You go sleep. I’ll watch TV out here.”

Ji Jing raised an eyebrow at her and finally gave her a serious look. “You’re not sleeping?”

“There’s only one bed,” Tang Ruan blurted out. “And besides, I’m not that tired.”

She scratched her head. “If I nap, my hair will get messed up.”

Ji Jing: “…”

After a pause, he suddenly stepped closer, stopping right in front of her. He bent down slightly, his deep gaze locking onto hers as he leaned in.

Tang Ruan was startled and instinctively wanted to back away, but she was already standing near the door with nowhere else to retreat.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked up at him, their breaths almost mingling.

Her voice quivered slightly as she asked, “Why are you standing so close to me?”

Ji Jing observed her reaction carefully. When he noticed her cheeks flush, he let out a low chuckle, straightened up, and put some distance between them. “You sleep. I’m not tired.”

“Are you sure?” Tang Ruan asked.

“Yes,” Ji Jing replied indifferently. “I’ll rest out here for a bit.”

“How about this,” Tang Ruan suggested, blinking at him. “I’ll sleep for an hour first, and then you can take a turn?”

Ji Jing let out a faint laugh. “You’re really that afraid of sharing a bed with me?”

“…?”

That wasn’t it at all!

Tang Ruan simply felt that apart from having a marriage certificate, she and Ji Jing didn’t share any real emotional connection. Even though their relationship had improved somewhat, it was, at best, friendly.

Who would share a bed with someone they were just friends with?

That was her honest thought… and a pretty reasonable one.

But Ji Jing didn’t seem to see it that way.

Feeling a little uneasy under his gaze, Tang Ruan touched her neck and cleared her throat lightly. “Well… should we just share the bed then?”

They could each take a side—no big deal.

Ji Jing: “…”

He stared at her dodging gaze and refused outright. “No need. You go ahead.”

“Okay then.”

–

The hotel near the school wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it wasn’t shabby either.

The room was clean and fresh, and Tang Ruan found the bed surprisingly comfortable. Lying there, she could faintly hear sounds from outside. She had no idea what Ji Jing was doing, but the knowledge that there was a man—her husband, no less—just outside made her thoughts wander.

Tang Ruan wasn’t sure how to describe her dynamic with Ji Jing. At first, she had been determined to get a divorce, but now… she wasn’t so sure.

When she couldn’t figure things out, Tang Ruan’s usual response was either to avoid the issue entirely or wait for someone to push her forward. She lay in bed for half an hour without falling asleep.

After some contemplation, she got up, slipped on her slippers, and walked outside. The soft sound of the television echoed in the room, but Ji Jing wasn’t watching. He was staring at his phone, absorbed in whatever he was reading.

She stood by the bedroom door, watching him for a while before Ji Jing turned his head slightly to look at her. He paused, surprised. “Can’t sleep?”

“A little,” Tang Ruan admitted after a moment, “but I’m not used to sleeping in unfamiliar places.”

Ji Jing was momentarily taken aback by her honesty. He studied her expression and, after a brief silence, asked, “Want to watch TV?”

“You should go sleep.”

Tang Ruan added, “What time did you go to bed last night?”

Ji Jing stared at her for two seconds before standing up from the sofa, casually switching off the television. Stretching slightly, he rubbed the back of his neck and said softly, “Go back to bed.”

…?

“I won’t touch you. I’ll just lie on the other side.”

Tang Ruan, expressionless, muttered an “oh” and obediently turned around to head back to the bedroom.

The hotel provided spare bedding, and the bed was spacious enough. Each of them took a separate blanket, leaving a gap wide enough for a third person to lie down. Tang Ruan thought to herself that the bed really was big.

The afternoon sunlight was much harsher than in the morning, so she drew the curtains to block most of it, leaving only a faint sliver of light. Turning onto her side, she finally closed her eyes and made a genuine effort to nap.

As her breathing grew slow and steady, Ji Jing glanced down at her. Her sleeping face was noticeably softer than her usual expressions. While she was no longer as sharp as before, there was still something uniquely tender about her in slumber.

Ji Jing stared for a moment before reaching out to brush away the stray strands of hair that had fallen across her face. After tucking the blanket snugly around her, he finally lay down to rest.

A faint, fresh fragrance lingered in the air, making it surprisingly easy to drift off.

–

By the afternoon, after watching Ji Ling’s events at the sports meet, Tang Ruan and Ji Jing decided to take a casual stroll.

“Ji Jing.”

“Hmm?” Ji Jing’s expression had improved since the morning, though his face still carried a stoic air.

Tang Ruan smiled, leaning slightly closer. Her brows arched playfully, and she looked particularly radiant. “I haven’t had the chance to explore Ji Ling’s campus. Want to come with me?”

Ji Jing glanced at her. “Let’s go.”

“Great.”

The two walked side by side, basking in the warm sunlight. The college campus exuded an air of freedom, and the carefree atmosphere felt refreshing.

Tang Ruan wandered slightly behind Ji Jing before speaking up suddenly. “Are you in a bad mood?”

Ji Jing let out a quiet scoff but didn’t reply.

Tang Ruan chuckled, then clung to his arm, feigning a sweet and affectionate tone. “Husband, tell me, what’s bothering you?”

“Is it because I talked to those people earlier?”

During Ji Ling’s competition earlier, a handsome senior who had joined them for lunch appeared, along with several of Ji Ling’s classmates, both male and female. They all greeted Tang Ruan warmly.

Some of Ji Ling’s classmates hadn’t joined them for lunch, so they didn’t know Tang Ruan was Ji Jing’s wife—Ji Ling’s sister-in-law. Naturally, they flocked around her, unintentionally pushing Ji Jing to the sidelines.

Tang Ruan had no choice but to engage with them warmly, as she always made an effort to be polite to Ji Ling’s classmates—and, in fact, to everyone in general. She chatted with them for a while, inadvertently neglecting Ji Jing.

As a result, Ji Jing’s face had darkened noticeably by the time they left.

Ji Jing stared at her steadily. “Are we still walking, or not?”

Tang Ruan paused, then nodded quickly. “We are, we are.” Clinging to his arm again, she let out a playful sigh. “Husband~”

Ji Jing didn’t respond.

Tang Ruan’s eyes darted mischievously as she decided to test his patience. She let go of his arm and started walking ahead on her own, occasionally snapping photos of the scenery. The entire time, she didn’t say another word to Ji Jing.

Ji Jing: “…”

He was both amused and exasperated.

This was supposed to be his chance to be upset, yet somehow, she had flipped the tables and made herself the one with a grievance.

After completing their campus tour, they said goodbye to Ji Ling and prepared to head home.

Ji Jing stood with his hands in his pockets, watching as Tang Ruan walked toward the car. “I’ll drive,” he offered.

Tang Ruan thought for a moment before agreeing.

However, instead of sitting in the front passenger seat, she opened the door to the backseat and climbed in. It was as if she had decided to treat Ji Jing as her chauffeur.

Ji Jing stood outside the car, staring at her.

He let out a soft laugh before getting into the driver’s seat himself.

“Do you prefer the backseat?”

Tang Ruan looked up and met his gaze. “Yes, I do.”

Ji Jing nodded, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “Good. In the future, whenever another driver is behind the wheel, make sure to sit in the backseat behind them—it’s the safest spot in the car.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

As Ji Jing continued explaining car safety, Tang Ruan stared at him, completely bewildered.

This wasn’t the response she had expected at all.

Feeling a little annoyed, she tugged at his sleeve and, taking advantage of a red light, climbed into the front passenger seat. Once seated, she turned to look at him with a determined expression.

“I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Were you jealous earlier?”