First Marriage Then Love 《先婚厚爱》Chapter 47 Translation

047. A touch of love 



The pen in her hands slips. The line that she was drawing on the blueprint went past the outline, so much that she puts on even more pressure on the paper. The nib of the pen creates a hole into the blueprint.

An Ran sighs, absentmindedly throwing the pencil aside on the desk. She raises her head and sits on the swivel chair, closing her eyes. The images on the blueprint bounce around before her eyes. There’s joy, and tears. She still remembers the first date, when they strolled around the campus lakeside shoulder-to-shoulder. He was smiling while talking about their future life, laughing as he said that he must start a construction company, build lots of high-rise apartment buildings. They talked about their dreams, their aspirations, chatting until they got closer and closer together, not realizing who was the one to first hold the other’s hand. The sun sets in the west, he finally grabs her hand, their ten fingers interlocking. And it was in that setting sun, in the reflection of that small lake, that he kissed her. At the time they were adorably innocent. Their lips barely touched, yet their faces reddened like ripe red apples, their heartbeat jumping at 180 bpm.

Unexpectedly led on by the nose from the memories, An Ran suddenly opens her eyes. She crumples up the blueprint on the desk, throwing the paper into the basket beside her foot. In the basket there were about 7 or 8 of those balls. It was the result of An Ran’s struggle all evening.

The door to the studio opens. It was only Su Yi Cheng in a neat suit, entering with a briefcase in hand. Upon seeing him, An Ran quickly stands up, “Y-you’re back. You need the studio? I-I’ll get out right away.” Saying that, she gets up and stacks the blueprints, preparing to leave.

“An Ran.” Su Yi Cheng calls out to her, shakes his head, and says, “I don’t need the studio. I’ve already finished all my work in the office. If you need to use the studio feel free to use it. We’re married, and you’re this house’s madame, there’s no need to be this courteous.”

An Ran stands there, looking at him speechless. It’s just that she’s still not used to this. Su Yi Cheng smiles at her, puts his briefcase aside, and loosens the necktie around his neck. “I’ll go wash up first.” He leaves the room as he says this.

An Ran sits down again, once again spreading out the blueprint paper across the spacious office desk. She grabs a measuring tape and painting brush to seriously design. But her mind is still on that scene in Huang De Xin’s office. She just doesn’t understand what Mo Fei is trying to pull. She never would have thought that he would be the kind of person who wouldn’t back down. At that time he had turned his head and never looked back, he could so easily let go of 4 years of affections, so why is there this kind of entanglement now? He either thinks highly of himself or thinks too lowly of him, could it be that he thought she would really be so foolish as to run back to him now that he’s back? Could it be that he doesn’t know that on this earth there are relationships that can be missed, like time, there’s no turning back time.

She lets out a big sigh. An Ran puts the pen down. She’s really afraid that she really can’t come up with anything tonight. She can’t settle down these agitated trains of thoughts. She puts the painting brush down, putting away the blueprint paper along with the resource books she’d brought with her.

She takes her stuff into the bedroom. Right at that moment, she bumps into Su Yi Cheng who had just finished bathing, with only a towel wrapped around his hip, coming out of the bathroom. Their four eyes staring at each other, An Ran’s face instantly turns red. Although they’ve done those intimate activities, but still An Ran was embarrassed seeing him naked from the waist-up. She avoids his gaze, puts her stuff aside, only feeling that the two in the room together is embarrassing. She raises her head, eyes avoiding his body, and asks, “Did you eat yet? If not do you want me to make you some noodles?”

Su Yi Cheng sees the uneasiness in her face. Actually he’d already eaten in the evening, with a few grassroots officials, but he remembered her appearance that day when she boiled noodles for him, reminiscing it a lot. His heart skips a beat, and he nods and says, “Sure. I want that tomato-topped noodles again from last time.”

An Ran nods, and heads to the kitchen. Actually what she never told him was that, besides the tomato-topped noodles, she really can’t make anything else. Of course, she doesn't make that very well either.

As Su Yi Cheng was changing into his home clothes and coming out of the room, at that time An Ran was busy in the kitchen. He leans against the counter and watches her get busy for him. His heart has this unspeakable tranquility.

Seeing An Ran busy with boiling the noodles, he recalls that at that time there was also that kind of woman who would do everything for him. He had once thought that it would be that woman who would walk hand in hand together with him until the end of their life, but in the end he didn’t expect there to be that kind of ending. He also once thought that he would never get married. Who would have thought that this impulsive side of his could also do this kind of lightning wedding. At that time he had once picked out a ring in preparation to proposing to his beloved person, yet who would have thought that he would meet the deepest kind of betrayal. He was beginning to reject all kinds of relationships, even friendship, let alone marriage.

Meeting An Ran again, he now understands that marriage can be this simple, no need for love, suitability is the most important factor, no need for weddings, or wedding rings.

As he was thinking, Su Yi Cheng didn't know how he ended up in the kitchen, and didn't know how he ended up hugging An Ran from behind. He rests his chin on her shoulder, his warm breath blowing against her ears. He can even start to feel the body against his chest get stiffer by the minute in his embrace. Seeing her face gradually burn, he couldn’t help but laugh. This woman’s cheeks are rather too thin, can’t even stand against a little bit of provocation. Now that he thinks back, he really isn’t convinced that at that time it was her first formal meeting that she requested this marriage. He couldn’t help but be curious of where she got that courage.

“N-noodles are almost ready, y-you go over there and sit, i-it’ll be ready right away.” Being embraced by him from behind, An Ran stammers, she was nervous as hell.

“Ok.” Su Yi Cheng answers, but he doesn’t let go of her. He sniffs her skin. Her body has the same scent of the body wash that he uses, fresh and clean, nice to smell.

Somewhat rigidly, An Ran reaches out to turn off the heat, then takes a bowl and pours the noodles into it.

“Ya!” The bowl of noodles in her hands was almost spilled, where in the world is his hands touching!

“Su, Su Yi Cheng!” An Ran yells at him, warning him, stopping his hands before it goes too far.

Su Yi Cheng doesn’t say anything, still embracing her, as his hands starts to explore. The him at the moment is elsewhere as he settles down the bowl of noodles. He has found an even better midnight snack, moreover it’s sure to be delicious.

In the past An Ran had asked him many times on why he had agreed to her absurd proposal, in fact he had asked himself the same question over and over, and every time his answer is the same as her’s, they were suitable, they in fact are suitable indeed. But is it only her that is genuinely suitable as his wife?

Or perhaps it was that he had liked her the first time he saw her, that kind of dim fondness, the kind of fondness that isn’t love.



An Ran’s tomato-topped noodles was finally in that certain someone’s stomach in the middle of the night, and at that time An Ran was already tired all over and drops onto the bed.

---END OF CHAPTER---


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It's Remembrance Day here in Canada! (And I think in the US..?) A little late, but thank you to those who have served our country and those who still are serving our country. Lest we forget.