The screen suddenly went dark, and there was a sharp intake of breath.
Meng Shang quickly asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing. The phone hit my face." Jiang Ruoqi rubbed her nose. "See? Too much talk leads to trouble. I should have just gone to sleep."
Meng Shang chuckled. "You finally realize."
"Alright, alright, I'm going to sleep." Jiang Ruoqi didn't dare lie down and look at her phone anymore. She sat up, holding her phone firmly in one hand, and waved at Meng Shang with the other. "You get some rest too. You get so little sleep and you're always working overtime. I don't know where you get all that energy."
"Anyway, I hope I dream of Dr. Meng tonight in this high-school boy's bed. Good night~"
What high-school boy? She was talking nonsense again.
"Good night."
Whether Jiang Ruoqi dreamed of a high-school boy was unknown, but Meng Shang certainly didn't sleep well.
They hadn't actually shared a bed for many days, but when someone gets used to wrapping their arm around your waist and pressing half their body against you, it only takes a few days to miss that strange, oppressive feeling.
And now, with the space beside him empty and the scent of Jiang Ruoqi's body lotion drifting from the pillow, Meng Shang slept fitfully. He vaguely dreamed of Jiang Ruoqi.
In the dream, they were both wearing high-school uniforms. It was the still-muggy, humid September in Hangxiang. They were not yet each other's.
He suddenly woke up. The alarm hadn't gone off yet. Meng Shang checked the time and closed his eyes again. His right eyelid twitched twice, then his left, as if something was bound to happen today.
Meanwhile, in Hangxiang, Jiang Ruoqi didn't dare sleep in a house that wasn't her own. So she set an early alarm, planning to go with Yun Dan to buy some ready-made breakfast.
But Yun Dan was even earlier. The two women "met by chance" in the kitchen and decided to go to the morning market together to buy ingredients and simmer some nourishing soup for Grandma.
Jiang Ruoqi thought the highlight of the day would be waiting for Meng Shang's call before midnight on New Year's Eve. But near evening, Ada suddenly called her, sobbing.
"Seven..." The wind howled on the other end. Ada choked out Jiang Ruoqi's name, then only sobs followed.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ruoqi quickly found a quiet spot. "What happened? Do you need my help?"
"Seven, I... I want to go back to Gangcheng. I want to leave here immediately, right now."
At least she could still speak rationally, so her condition probably wasn't too bad.
Jiang Ruoqi breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that Ada was still rational, she didn't even care about the reason anymore.
"Alright, where are you now? I'll come find you, and we can go back to Xinhai together."
"C-Can I?"
Ada's voice hitched with sobs. Her Mandarin wasn't clear, so she switched to Cantonese. "You don't have to come with me. I know you have things to do. I called you because I took Meng Shang's car keys from Su Yansheng. I'm returning the car to you so you don't have to deal with him if you need to go back. That would be awkward for you."
Ada wasn't completely oblivious to social niceties. Their two couples were close yet awkward right now. Even if she was angry enough to go back to Gangcheng overnight, she couldn't be so willful as to completely disregard her friend's feelings.
Jiang Ruoqi thought it over. She couldn't really help much with Meng Shang's grandmother's situation. She had shown her concern and performed well in front of everyone. Leaving early wouldn't be a big deal.
Besides, she had originally planned to return early tomorrow morning. This was only half a day earlier.
"It's fine. I'll let Meng Shang's mom know. You're new here, so I can't let you go back alone. It's windy outside. Find an indoor place to wait, and send me your location."
"…Okay."
Jiang Ruoqi returned to the ward and briefly explained the situation to Grandma and Yun Dan. Although the elders were a bit disappointed, they didn't want to hold up the young people's important matters. They just told her to take care of herself and be safe on the road.
Jiang Ruoqi still had two sets of clothes at home, but her documents and daily necessities were with her. She didn't plan to go back for the clothes anyway. She had plenty of clothes, and she would come again. Leaving them in Meng Shang's closet was like marking new territory.
Despite being in a hurry, Jiang Ruoqi didn't forget to order dinner from a local restaurant before leaving.
Yun Dan kept lamenting that she had prepared some food and things for Jiang Ruoqi and Meng Shang to take back, but now they'd have to wait until next time.
Jiang Ruoqi made an empty promise, saying she would come back with Meng Shang to pick them up when they had time—after all, it wouldn't be long before the New Year after the New Year's holiday.
Ada wasn't far from Jiang Ruoqi—about a ten-minute drive. As soon as Jiang Ruoqi entered the coffee shop, she spotted Ada, whose eyelids were so swollen from crying that her double eyelids had disappeared.
Jiang Ruoqi sat down next to her. Before she could say a word, Ada started crying again.
But through fragmented conversation, Jiang Ruoqi pieced it together. It was still about having children. During lunch, Su Yansheng's mother brought up that relatives and friends were having babies, demanding that Su Yansheng give an answer on when they would have children.
Ada had held back again and again, but this time she couldn't take it anymore. At the dinner table, she didn't spare Su Yansheng's face and directly told him in Cantonese to inform his parents that they would never have children.
But before Su Yansheng could respond, the "head of the household" at the table—Su Yansheng's father—flew into a rage. He scolded Ada for trying to get away with speaking Cantonese. They were the elders and should be obeyed and understood. If she didn't speak Mandarin, was she expecting them, a bunch of old people, to learn Cantonese?
This was where it became a typical family conflict: the feudal patriarch, the echoing mother-in-law, and the silent son. Ada wasn't one to just suffer in silence. When she couldn't take it anymore, she got up and went back to her room, letting them sort things out among themselves.
But in the end, instead of receiving her husband's support and comfort, she was confronted by Su Yansheng, who asked her if she could learn from Jiang Ruoqi—handle her own temper and get along harmoniously with the elders.
If only Su Yansheng were there—Jiang Ruoqi would have wanted to kick him. Did he think he was complimenting her? Or was he trying to use this comparison to stir up something between her and Ada, who had a good relationship?
It was just that Ada wasn't a petty or vindictive person. If she were someone who held grudges, their friendship might have ended over something this ridiculous.
The friendship they had painstakingly built was now being laughably used by a man as a tool for provocation and comparison.
Jiang Ruoqi frowned deeply. From the fragments, she even started to wonder whether Su Yansheng truly loved Ada.
"I booked a flight for nine tonight. Have you checked all your documents?"
Jiang Ruoqi drove Ada back to Xinhai. It was a miracle that Ada remembered to bring the car keys. Jiang Ruoqi shuddered at the thought of having to deal with Su Yansheng over the car if Ada hadn't brought them.
Now it was fine. Su Yansheng could figure out how to get back on his own. It was none of their business.
"Everything's packed." Ada's voice was weak, like a kitten that had just been caught in a heavy rain, staring blankly out the window.
"Seven, do you really think not having children is such an unforgivable thing? Why does everyone around him think so?"
Jiang Ruoqi focused on driving. She couldn't come up with any grand truths. But as a friend, she wanted to offer a perspective from an outsider's view. "I think the key issue isn't about having children."
"His family—including Su Yansheng—seems to be testing your boundaries. If your boundaries can be breached, then today it's about having children; tomorrow it could be anything else that crosses your limits."
"I think you should seriously consider what your non-negotiable principles are. Once you confirm them, stick to them firmly. If anyone—even Su Yansheng—tests your boundaries, it's a sign of disrespect."
"Marriage is about equality, not one person's compromise. Meng Shang's mom told me that. Her exact words weren't this, but that's the gist of it."
Ada seemed to ponder this. Her red, swollen eyes turned to Jiang Ruoqi. "I think I understand that feeling now."
After a moment, her tone shifted from realization to disappointment. "If only I could be like you and Sophia. You two handle everything so well, including getting along with people."
Jiang Ruoqi silently cursed Su Yansheng. They always joked that Ada had a love brain, meaning she genuinely loved Su Yansheng. Naturally, his words—even his angry ones—still affected Ada.
"What's so great about being like us?" Jiang Ruoqi laughed. "Most of the things we do well are goal-oriented, whether it's with clients or family—there's always some interest involved. But you offer your whole heart. Isn't that rarer, more precious?"
"I guess so." Ada scratched her head, feeling Jiang Ruoqi had a point.
Jiang Ruoqi had rushed into marriage after being schemed against by her father and stepmother. Sophia was trapped by her birth family and had lost her loved one. It seemed Ada was the only one whose early life had been smooth sailing. These little things weren't worth dwelling on. She could just ignore them.
"Seven, you're wonderful." Ada's lips quivered, and she looked like she was about to cry again.
Jiang Ruoqi quickly stopped her. "Your eyes are swollen like peaches. If you go back to Gangcheng like this, your parents will worry when they pick you up at the airport. No more crying, got it?"
"Got it!"
The rest of the journey was quiet. Ada was exhausted from crying. Her eyes were sore and she couldn't keep them open. She grabbed a wet wipe, placed it over her eyes, and leaned against the car window to sleep.
Jiang Ruoqi didn't know whether to praise her for being carefree, but at least this way she had gained an extra day of free time.
There were still a few hours until the New Year. Jiang Ruoqi thought: maybe this first year wouldn't force her and the busy Dr. Meng to be like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl—separated by a screen.