Zhen Lang bought congee for Gu Jing.
Zhen Lang sat on the bed next to Gu Jing. He read a newspaper and she ate congee.
Gu Jing glanced at the front page of the newspaper Zhen Lang read and she fumed. ‘Who wrote this article? I’m a girl! Why did they write that I’m a boy?’
Gu Jing coughed and her hoarse voice sounded huskier than her usual voice.
Zhen Lang put his hand on Gu Jing’s forehead, her fever returned. He turned the page and he folded the newspaper in half to hide the front page. ‘If you keep talking then many people will think you’re a boy.’
‘It’s your fault!’ Gu Jing said.
Gu Jing fisted her left hand and she aimed it at Zhen Lang’s face.
Zhen Lang caught Gu Jing’s left hand when it was two inches from his face, and he gently put her left hand down. ‘Patients shouldn’t jump around. Take your medicine and rest.’
Zhen Lang came across many patients with fevers over forty degree Celsius. But Gu Jing was his first patient who had a forty degree Celsius fever yet she had enough energy to jump around.
Gu Jing ate the congee and she felt better except her voice sounded hoarse. ‘I don’t need to take medicine and rest. I feel better. I want to go find this newspaper’s headquarters to even the score with the writer and editor.’
Zhen Lang smiled. ‘You feel better? Then let’s go shopping for your engagement ring. What diamond cut do you want?’
Gu Jing pretended to cough and she pulled the bed sheet over her body up to her neck. ‘Ah! I have a headache and my bones ache.’
On the inside Gu Jing cursed Zhen Lang – ‘You took advantage of me in the morning when I’m hungry and dizzy to trick me into promising to marry you!’
‘If your head and bones ache then rest,’ Zhen Lang said.
Zhen Lang slid his hand inside Gu Jing’s shirt and he took out a thermometer under her arm. He looked at the thermometer and he was relieved her body temperature reduced a bit. He put the thermometer on a bedside table then he picked up the newspaper on his lap and he continued to read articles.
Gu Jing laid on the bed. She silently watched Zhen Lang who sat next to her. He flipped through the newspaper and occasionally his arm brushed her head. She felt like she was under a bird’s protective wing.
‘Mr Vet,’ Gu Jing called softly.
Zhen Lang put the newspaper on his lap. His hand caressed Gu Jing’s cheek. ‘Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?’
Gu Jing shook her head. Zhen Lang retrieved his hand and she felt disappointed his hand left her cheek.
‘Why do you want to marry me?’ Gu Jing asked.
Even if Gu Jing didn’t eat pork, she knew pigs could run. She never got married before, but at least she knew two people needed to love each other deeply before they got married… but she wondered if she and Zhen Lang loved each other, because clearly they were enemies not lovers.
‘About… between a wife and husband if they want to live together they need to be compatible and take care of each other, right?’ Gu Jing asked softly.
‘Do you know how to cook?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing shook her head.
‘Do you know how to wash dishes?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing knew how to break dishes. She shook her head.
‘Do you know how to clean the house?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing knew how to sweep floors, but if she mopped floors she would break the mop in half. She shook her head.
‘Do you know how to wash clothes?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing nodded her head.
‘Do you know how to clean toilets?’
Gu Jing nodded her head.
‘Good!’ Zhen Lang said.
Zhen Lang lowered his face until only two centimetres separated his face and Gu Jing’s face. She felt his hot breath on her face.
‘I’ll cook, wash dishes and clean the house. But I don’t want to wash clothes and clean toilets. Can you see how compatible we are? We’re compatible to the point we can’t be any more compatible, right? Of course we can take care of each other,’ Zhen Lang said.
Gu Jing thought what Zhen Lang said sounded reasonable… but if he only expected his wife to wash clothes and clean toilets, she felt his expectations were too low. His expectations of his wife were extremely low compared to a parent’s expectations of a nanny. She realised his reasons to marry her didn’t add up.
Gu Jing pushed Zhen Lang’s chest. ‘Do you think I’m a fool? Tell the truth!’
‘Tell the truth?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Zhen Lang laid on top of Gu Jing’s body. He kissed her lips and he bit her lips. She tasted his lips and tongue.
Zhen Lang held Gu Jing’s waist and he looked straight into her eyes. She didn’t understand what the deep contemplative look in his eyes meant.
‘What reason do you think I want to marry you?’ Zhen Lang asked.
On the inside Gu Jing cursed Zhen Lang – ‘If I knew why you want to marry me then would I need to ask you? I can’t read your mind!’
‘Is it because you want me to be conveniently in front of you every day to torture me for you to be in a good mood?’ Gu Jing asked.
Apart from Zhen Lang being happy when he tortured her, she couldn’t think of another reason why he wanted to marry her.