The content on the phone, Jiang Zhixun heard it very clearly.
Applying to transfer back to Beijing was his mother's idea alone.
In the Northwest for three years, he felt quite good.
In the future, he would return home for visits every year.
As for Shen Qingqing, the choice was in her hands.
She could choose to divorce at any time, and he would absolutely not stop her.
On the other end of the line, his mother continued to ramble on, hinting that Shen Qingqing should support his career.
Don't cause trouble, don't bring him any difficulties...
She even mentioned past matters, the connection between the Jiang and Shen families, and the care Shen Qingqing received from the Jiang family.
Finally, she told Shen Qingqing that although the marriage didn't start well, it would require some effort to end well.
She asked her not to be stubborn, that the current difficulties were temporary, and things would be better once they returned to Beijing.
Shen Qingqing hardly had a chance to speak.
Jiang Zhixun saw her standing there, dazed, barely holding onto the receiver.
As if she had been greatly shocked, or perhaps her body wasn't well, barely able to stand.
Without hesitating, he reached out with his long arm to take the receiver.
"Let her do whatever she wants, don't instill these things in her."
Madam Jiang's mouth was dry from talking, but Shen Qingqing hadn't said a word, and her son wasn't appreciative.
"I'm only thinking of what's best for you both. If people in the Northwest knew what happened when you got married, you'd be laughed at."
Jiang Zhixun replied flatly, "There's nothing to laugh at, we didn't steal or rob."
Madam Jiang was momentarily speechless.
"Anyway, get along well, and have a child as soon as possible. If you still act wildly with a child, it'll be unseemly."
Jiang Zhixun glanced at Shen Qingqing.
And whether it was an illusion, he saw a fleeting glimmer of tears.
He said no more and hung up the phone directly.
"Let's head back to the guesthouse and rest for a couple of days."
Shen Qingqing looked up at him with no grievance or feigned indifference; her emotions were all gone.
Facing her empty gaze, Jiang Zhixun's heart suddenly tightened.
His thin lips pressed together tightly; sending her back to Beijing became inexplicably hard to say.
And at that moment, Jiang Zhixun began to understand why Shen Qingqing chose to move out and live outside alone.
When he wasn't home, she bore all the pressure alone.
The more he thought, the more his brow furrowed deeply.
The irritable feeling was almost unbearable.
Shen Qingqing asked expressionlessly, "When will you apply to return to Beijing, and how long do I have to cooperate with you?"
Jiang Zhixun knew she had taken his mother's words to heart.
The hand hanging by his side clenched and unclenched without revealing his plans.
Neither did he mention sending Shen Qingqing to the train station.
The man, with a calm face, returned to the indifferent and aloof demeanor from when they first met.
"I'll return to Beijing with you for the New Year, I'll deal with the elders."
"Okay, then we'll wait until the New Year."
It's just a month; she could wait!
After speaking, Shen Qingqing left the hospital first.
Jiang Zhixun followed behind, the distance between them was so far, saying they were a couple, but truthfully more like strangers.
At the guesthouse, Jiang Zhixun placed the medicine in a conspicuous spot.
He also fetched a pot of hot water, heated the buns in the lunchbox, and placed them prominently.
Their relationship, sharing a room, always felt awkward.
Without waiting for Shen Qingqing to say anything, Jiang Zhixun left the items and walked out.
The door closed with a slight sound.
Then footsteps gradually faded into the distance, soon disappearing entirely.
Alone, Shen Qingqing sat on the bedside, staring at the steam rising from the cup, lost in thought.
After a long time, she took out a small notebook from her coat pocket.
She noted down Madam Jiang's requirements.
Lastly, she wrote down two words.
Divorce!
Jiang Zhixun left the guesthouse but didn't return to the dormitory right away.
Instead, he made a phone call to investigate what happened to Shen Qingqing on the train.
Learning that she had been followed by a hooligan into the restroom and there had been a scuffle, the coldness in Jiang Zhixun couldn't be suppressed.
"Miss Shen reacted quickly and calmly, assisting the staff in apprehending the hooligan. She got off the train halfway and turned the man over to the police."
On the way back to the dormitory, Jiang Zhixun thought, no wonder she kept crying this time they met.
So different from the usual joyful smiles.
Turns out she had really suffered.
Thinking about it, he also felt a bit angry.
If he hadn't noticed the bruise on Shen Qingqing's arm, would she have kept it a secret, not telling him her troubles?
Even though she had a fever, she didn't mention it when they met in the cafeteria.
The more he thought, the angrier Jiang Zhixun became, and he returned to the guesthouse again.
However, he calmed down while going upstairs.
What would he say if he saw Shen Qingqing?
Criticize her a bit?
But she is the victim; she's already so aggrieved, she would cry if criticized.
Standing at the stairway for a few minutes, Jiang Zhixun turned to the front desk.
"My...wife isn't feeling well. Could you please keep an eye on her for me?"
After a glance at his watch, "Knock on the door every two hours. If her fever doesn't subside, take her to the hospital for me."
...
Shen Qingqing hadn't been here long, but the news that she was Jiang Zhixun's wife had already spread throughout the compound.
Several comrades saw what happened not long ago.
At first, they thought perhaps the couple didn't get along well.
Later, seeing Jiang Zhixun take her to the doctor, busy and worried that she might be hungry, even going to the cafeteria to get food for her.
The genuine nervousness couldn't be faked.
They thought the couple had reconciled, and then unexpectedly, Jiang Zhixun left her at the guesthouse and returned to the dormitory himself.
There was suddenly a feeling of hate that iron could not become steel.
"Old Jiang, your wife came all the way from Beijing, why not spend more time with her?"
"She's unfamiliar with the place, staying alone at the guesthouse; Miss Shen might be scared."
"I heard Miss Shen was sick. Someone met you guys at the hospital. How is she? You're not staying with her, are you sure there won't be any issues?"
Jiang Zhixun sat by the table, picked up a book, refusing to answer these questions.
Someone timidly reminded him, "Old Jiang, you're holding the book upside down..."
Jiang Zhixun's mind was somewhat chaotic; he truly hadn't expected Shen Qingqing to appear here.
In a fit of pique, he put the book down and sat there silently, exuding a chilly air.
"Old Jiang, are you guys in a fight?"
Before Jiang Zhixun could respond, someone answered for him, "Miss Shen seems to have a good temper, probably not going to fight, but Old Jiang, hasn't shown a friendly face since meeting her. Maybe Miss Shen didn't want to see a cold face and sent him back."
Jiang Zhixun didn't explain when teased.
Right now, his mind was in turmoil, unsure if leaving Shen Qingqing was right or wrong.
If she recovered and brought up having a child again...
Just thinking about it gave Jiang Zhixun a headache.
If he changed his mind now and sent her back to Beijing, would Shen Qingqing make a fuss?
Seeing Jiang Zhixun's serious face and troubled expression as if facing an enormous problem.
The comrades eagerly gave him advice.
"Miss Shen is sick. She surely wants someone by her side. If you go to take care of her now, it'll earn you some points. Once she recovers, she'll naturally forgive you."
Jiang Zhixun snorted, "I didn't do anything to wrong her; why would I need forgiveness?"
A comrade replied with a complex expression, "How long have you not been home? If Miss Shen hadn't come herself, we wouldn't even know you got married. Just that alone is hurtful; don't you think you're wronging her?"
"At the cafeteria, when Lin Fengmian spoke to her like that, you didn't step in. Your wife must have felt really wronged."
Jiang Zhixun didn't wish to discuss matters about Shen Qingqing with others.
Lin Fengmian was even more unrelated to him.
She made a mistake; the Lin Family should educate her.
Mentally calculating the time.
Just one month.
Once Shen Qingqing returns to Beijing, things will be better.