Chapter 28: Shall We Kiss Again?

On the day he registered his marriage, Jing Zhuo posted a photo of the marriage certificate in their group chat.

His friends had known about the situation for a while, but they had assumed he was just entering a flash marriage with some random person to escape the pressure of arranged dates from his family, while conveniently curating an image of a successful, stable, and happily married man.

Yet, only a few days had passed, and he was already trying to "steal" his wife away from her best friend?

That was a losing battle. As the saying went: "If the best friend speaks, your divorce will cost you a leg."

"Zhuo, if you want to capture a woman's heart, you must first capture her feelings. Whether it’s mental or physical, you’ve got to be good at one of them," Cen Jin advised. Having had many romances and chased even more women, he was overflowing with experience.

As for the "technical" side of things, Jing Zhuo felt he was doing quite well. After all, he had overheard He Ning chatting with their friend, discussing how the high-quality male leads in CEO romance novels were always performing three or four times a night, starting at fifty minutes per session.

He had been inexperienced the first time. But the following two times, he had done his best to maximize his patience, attentiveness, and stamina. Song Xi should have been very satisfied.

Yet, that didn't stop her from running off to hang out with her best friend in the middle of the night instead of spending time with him. He felt the core issue was Zhang He Ning; she was simply too clingy.

"Is there any way to get rid of her best friend?" Jing Zhuo asked.

"Throw money at her," Cen Jin lit a cigarette and began brainstorming. "Anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem."

"My wife isn't very fond of money," Jing Zhuo frowned. He had given Song Xi his safe, but she hadn't even looked inside. She never wore the jewelry he bought for her, and she had tucked away the pigeon-blood ruby ring he’d gifted her. Her ring finger bore only an unremarkable wedding band—the cheapest item among all the gifts he had given her.

"I told you to throw money at her *best friend*!" Cen Jin exhaled a smoke ring. "Help her friend become successful and let her experience endless luxury and riches through her. Once enough time passes, won't you have a hold on her? Even if your wife wants a divorce in the future, her best friend will be the one holding her back."

Jing Zhuo pondered this for two seconds: It made sense. Buying someone's loyalty was not a bad strategy.

"So, the most urgent thing for you now is to find out what her best friend likes, cater to those interests, and improve your image."

Jing Zhuo: That didn't require any digging. He knew Zhang He Ning’s preferences all too well. Zhang He Ning used to be a romantic fool, but he had "trained" her to love only money and material goods; a little bit of cash was all it took to buy her over.

However, most people couldn't afford to "buy" her. Jing Zhuo lowered his gaze and snuffed out his burning cigarette.

With the problem solved, Cen Jin stood up lazily with his cigarette dangling from his lips and hooked his car keys from the table. "Alright, it's getting late. I won't waste any more time with you lot; I need to head to the hospital."

"What are you going to the hospital for?" Shang Ji asked, puzzled.

"Don't even ask. I started seeing this girl, and when things got to second base and a half at the hotel, she dead-stopped me. She insisted on seeing my medical checkup report; otherwise, she wouldn't let me touch her."

Shang Ji: "?"

Cen Jin spread his hands. "She said most men these days are 'dirty' and need careful screening before she’ll touch them. She said men should be conscious enough to get a physical exam—that it's a responsibility toward the girl."

Shang Ji laughed. "I have to say, the girl has a point. Who wants a rotten cucumber?"

Cen Jin waved his hand, grabbed his jacket, and left.

During their conversation, Jing Zhuo took note of these words, deep in thought. He realized he had forgotten to do one thing when he married Song Xi.

...

After work, Song Xi went to the He residence to visit Zhang He Ning, who had just returned from the hospital, and stayed for dinner. After the meal, she played with "Guai Guai" for a while, and the two of them lounged on the sofa watching a variety show.

On the television was a dating show, and a pair of contestants who were starting to like each other were on a beach date. Zhang He Ning bumped her shoulder against Song Xi's. "Hey, have you made your husband get a pre-marital medical report yet?"

Song Xi had almost forgotten about it. Now that Zhang He Ning mentioned it, she remembered. "I haven't told him yet."

"You need to do this as soon as possible," Zhang He Ning said. "A friend of mine started seeing a guy a couple of days ago. Halfway through their date, she asked for his medical report, and the guy went straight to the hospital to get it done. The results are ready today. That’s the kind of cooperative attitude a normal man should have."

"If the other party keeps dragging their feet, there’s definitely something fishy going on."

Song Xi thought her analysis was spot on. "You're right. The first thing I’ll do when I get back is suggest he get a physical."

Zhang He Ning patted her head, satisfied. "And you should go get a physical yourself, too. Before you know for sure what your husband's health status is, you need to protect yourself."

"Okay! I'll go first thing tomorrow morning!"

After playing at the He residence for a while, Song Xi reluctantly put down Guai Guai at nine in the evening and took a taxi back to Nine Trees Apartments. She was still in the early stages of her marriage with Jing Zhuo, and since their relationship wasn't stable yet, she didn't view this apartment as a permanent home. Once their relationship was on the right track, she would bring Guai Guai to their new home.

When she returned, the living room was dark; Jing Zhuo hadn't come back yet. Song Xi didn't go to her room, choosing instead to sit on the sofa and wait for him.

Ten minutes later, the door beeped, and she heard a man’s footsteps. It was Jing Zhuo.

He changed his shoes in the entryway, holding a file folder and a large paper bag in his hands. Song Xi didn't care what was inside. She only cared about one thing.

"You're back. Have you eaten?" Song Xi asked.

"Yes, I have. How about you?"

"I've eaten, too."

Usually, at this time, Song Xi would slip into the master bedroom, avoiding the living room as much as possible. But today, she sat on the sofa, gathering her words. "Um, could you go get a..."

Before she could finish, Jing Zhuo handed her the paper file folder he was holding.

Song Xi’s words trailed off, and she switched to a surprised tone: "What is this?"

"My medical report."

Huh? Was he a mind reader?

Jing Zhuo thought she didn't understand and explained, "I'm very sorry. I was too excited the day we registered our marriage and forgot about the pre-marital exam. That was irresponsible of me. I went to an authoritative public institution this afternoon to make up for it. These are the results; they are legally valid."

"There are a few more tests that require fasting, so I’ll go back first thing tomorrow morning."

Song Xi was stunned by his efficiency. She hadn't expected that while she was still hesitant and anxious, Jing Zhuo had already anticipated her concerns, taken decisive action, and brought back exactly what she wanted.

Song Xi held the file, reciprocating the gesture. "Then I'll ask for some time off the day after tomorrow and go make an appointment to get my own pre-marital report for you."

Jing Zhuo smiled. "Whenever you like; there's no rush."

After all, he knew better than anyone that it was her first time.

The living room fell silent. Song Xi’s heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled. She opened the file and read it carefully; everything was perfectly normal. Even his height and weight were clearly noted.

He really was 188 centimeters tall—a very tall man.

Song Xi closed the file, feeling much lighter. "Then... I’ll go to bed now. Goodnight."

She was about to turn away when her wrist was caught by Jing Zhuo. His hand was large, warm, and slightly dry, sending a jolt like an electric current through her skin.

"I've realized that our relationship doesn't necessarily have to be cultivated during the day, nor does it need a specifically planned time," Jing Zhuo said slowly.

"Hm?"

"For example, it can also be cultivated at night."

Jing Zhuo looked down at her, his grip tightening slightly. In the quiet space between them, his voice was low and clear.

"Would you like to kiss again?"