A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

It was almost 7:30 when I left the clinic.

Ye Wenxi walked back alone. The path in the family compound was secluded, with only one streetlamp lit every so often, and the streetlamp light was dim and yellowish.

She walked slower and slower, her body feeling as if it were being dragged by a thousand-pound weight, each step sinking into the mud.

At the clinic, she didn't feel anything was wrong, and her mood was relatively normal when she talked to Han Yulan and Wang Yingxue.

But after leaving the clinic, the things that were pressed down underneath started to rise up little by little.

What lingered in my mind were the words and expressions of the mother and daughter. Han Yulan held Wang Yingxue's hand, and Wang Yingxue wiped away her mother's tears. After they finished crying, they comforted each other.

When the image resurfaced before his eyes, Ye Wenxi felt only sorrow and loneliness.

Ye Wenxi couldn't help but think of her parents.

Before this, she had been controlling herself from thinking about things that would not lead to anything.

She kept that string taut, avoiding the thought and not allowing herself any chance to feel uncomfortable.

But once they left the clinic, the sights and sounds of their parents could no longer be contained.

"Wenxi, what are you having for dinner? Mom will make it for you."

"Mom, I want to eat braised ribbonfish and stewed green beans!"

"Okay—I'll do it all for you!"

"Yes! Mom, I got third place in my class on today's test!"

"That's great! We should celebrate! How about I add some fried chicken for you?"

"Yay! That's great!"

"Oh my, my daughter is such a little glutton, she's so happy with just three dishes, hahaha."

……

"What? She got accepted?! Wow, that's Company T! My daughter is amazing!"

"No, I'm just an ordinary employee."

"Not just anyone can go to work as a regular employee. I need to tell your dad right away, wait a minute!"

A minute later, Ye Wenxi received a 500 yuan red envelope from her mother, with a message that read: "Your parents can't celebrate with you, but we can treat you to a meal. Eat whatever you want, and have something good! Take good care of yourself while you're away from home!"

……

"Mom and Dad, don't bother seeing me off, I need to go through security, let's go home."

"Okay, go in. Honey, are you coming home for Chinese New Year?"

"Okay! Go back!"

Ye Wenxi walked into the security checkpoint and looked out through the gap in the partition, where she met her parents who were also looking in through the gap.

She waved and smiled.

……

Ye Wenxi's tears flowed uncontrollably until they dripped from her chin onto her chest, the coolness seeping in. Only then did she come to her senses, unaware that she had turned onto a side path. She rarely walked this path, and hardly anyone ever passed by.

The streetlights went out, and the surroundings darkened, with only a faint red glow remaining on the horizon, a dark, almost blackish red, like burnt-out charcoal.

It was already dark above, but there was still a sliver of light below.

She didn't walk any further, but sat down on the edge of a flower bed by the roadside, staring at that splash of red.

The light grew dimmer and narrower until it was swallowed up by the night, leaving not a trace.

Ye Wenxi's clothes were soaked with tears, turning the light blue fabric dark blue.

She remained seated on the edge of the flowerbed, her eyes fixed on the already lit stars in the sky, as if she were nailed there.

Suddenly, footsteps and the sound of people talking came from the other end of the path.

A group of soldiers in black training uniforms were walking from the direction of the training ground. They were soaked to the bone, with mud on their trousers, sleeves, and faces, as if they had just been pulled out of a mud pit.

Some carried equipment, some carried instruments, the ranks were scattered, and occasionally someone would mutter something under their breath, and the people next to them would chuckle.

As they drew closer, Ye Wenxi shrank behind the flowerbed, trying to hide herself.

She looks so pathetic right now; she'll definitely be seen if she walks towards us.

The group walked past one by one, their footsteps fading into the distance. Ye Wenxi let out a long sigh and emerged from behind the flowerbed.

Suddenly a voice came from the side: "What are you doing hiding in the flower bed all by yourself?"

Ye Wenxi was startled and turned around to see Su Feng standing beside her at some point.

He was wearing a training uniform, his trousers tucked into his boots, his shirt mostly wet, his collar open revealing a section of his collarbone, and mud splattered on his face.

Su Feng frowned instantly when he saw Ye Wenxi's red and swollen eyes and her clothes soaked through.

"What's wrong with you?" Su Feng asked.

"I'm fine," Ye Wenxi said, startled by her own words. Her voice was hoarse and nasal.

Su Feng looked at her, his tone turning serious: "Who bullied you?"

"No, I'm really fine." Ye Wenxi quickly wiped her face and rubbed it haphazardly with the back of her hand.

Su Feng sighed deeply: "Let's go home, don't sit here feeding the mosquitoes."

After saying that, he turned around and left, taking long and fast steps, and soon disappeared around the corner.

Ye Wenxi took out a handkerchief, bent down and wiped the wet stain on her chest, trying to dry the mark.

With such a large area affected and red, swollen eyes, Lu Weidong would definitely be worried.

She walked slowly home while looking down at her clothes, sniffling every now and then.

After walking for about a few minutes, suddenly a shout came:

"Wenxi!"

Lu Weidong's voice came from the other end of the road. He was running, almost sprinting.

Seeing Lu Weidong running towards her, Ye Wenxi's previously calmed emotions began to surge again.

Like a wronged child suddenly seeing family, her lips trembled, and she couldn't help but sob.

Lu Weidong ran up to her, panting heavily.

"What's wrong? What's wrong, Wenxi?" Lu Weidong's voice was urgent and panicked.

Ye Wenxi hugged Lu Weidong tightly, buried her face in his chest, and started crying again.

Lu Weidong's mind raced. Ye Wenxi had called him before going to the clinic, saying she would visit Wang Yingxue and her mother after get off work.

Nothing else should have happened during this time, so why is she so sad?

Lu Weidong's mind instantly pieced together all the fragments and came up with a cruel guess.

She misses her family, her real family whom she may never see again.

"Wenxi..." Lu Weidong asked softly, "Are you missing your family?"

The person in his arms didn't answer, but tightened their arms around him, and the head pressed against his chest, nodding gently.

Lu Weidong felt a sharp pain in his heart.

This was an unimaginably painful experience, and Ye Wenxi probably endured it for a very, very long time.

Seeing Wang Yingxue and her mother today finally broke that nerve.

Lu Weidong opened his mouth, wanting to say something to comfort her, but all the words got stuck in his throat and couldn't come out.

He wanted to say, "Don't cry," but why couldn't she cry?

He wanted to say, "I'm here," but what she lacked wasn't someone to be with her.

So he didn't say anything.

He simply held her in his arms, gently patting her back with one hand, again and again, like patting a child who had cried themselves out.

After a long while, Ye Wenxi calmed down a bit.

Lu Weidong slowly opened his mouth:

"If you miss them in the future, just tell me. Don't keep it to yourself."

"They would be heartbroken to see you like this."

Lu Weidong held her close, his face pressed against her head, as if talking to himself:

"Wenxi..."

"From now on... change all those titles to 'Lu Weidong,' and I'll accept them on their behalf."

Ye Wenxi nodded, then slowly raised her face, her face covered in snot and tears, her eyes so swollen she could barely open them.

"Let's...go home." She sobbed, her words slurred. "Let's...go home."

Lu Weidong took out a handkerchief and wiped her face and nose.

"Let's go home."

"You... (sniffling), why did you come here?" Ye Wenxi asked, sobbing.

-

几分钟前。

Lu Weidong was reading documents in the living room when the phone rang.

"Feed?" Lu Weidong answered the phone.

"Ye Wenxi was crying really hard on the path 800 meters east of the clinic. I just passed by and saw her," Su Feng's voice came from the other end of the phone, his speech a little fast.

"What?" Lu Weidong stood up.

"It wasn't you, was it?" Su Feng added.

"Snap—"

The call was abruptly disconnected. Su Feng held the receiver, his lips twitching slightly.

"It doesn't seem so." He put the microphone back.