Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Fu Lingye stared at Mu Tongrui pensively. He lowered his brows as he pressed his lips, “Rui. If I one day turned into a stranger,
would you still try to understand me?”
“That's the reason why I want to know more about you. So that if you turned into a stranger, at least I would be mentally prepared
because we would've had a strong foundation by then.”
Mu Tongrui inhaled deeply, “Lingye, do you know who I ran into today?”
“Who?”
“Xiao Ya,” Mu Tongrui didn't feel like bringing it up. However, she also disliked keeping things from Fu Lingye.
Fu Lingye's face fell, “Xiao Ya? Where was it?”
This woman! I can't believe she went to Mu Tongrui after I rejected her.
Mu Tongrui explained, “I ran into her when I was at the mall. Her wallet fell, and I saw a picture of you in it... Lingye, can you tell
me about your history with her? It makes me uneasy that I always find out about your past from other people. If I will learn all
about it sooner or later, I'd rather hear it from you.”
“Xiao Ya and I dated for half a year about five years ago.” Fu Lingye came clean.
“Do you mind telling me how it ended?”
Fu Lingye stared at Mu Tongrui in all seriousness, “Rui. Listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. It might change your mind
about our marriage. If that becomes the case, I completely understand. We broke up because I have a rare illness that no one
knows about. I experience episodes where my own consciousness gets suppressed by a different personality. I have no memory
nor control over this other person. When he controls me more and more, my own consciousness gets weakened until I fully
become him. On the other hand, if I forcibly suppress him, I might be able to kill him.
Fu Lingye explained it calmly as if it was just an ordinary part of his life. Seeing him like this, Mu Tongrui's eyes welled up with
tears, “So, Xiao Ya said you were a loony and dumped you?”
“She was not wrong about it. It is in fact a mental illness. Rui, I won't stop you if you want to end things with me. You have all the
right to. As for the baby...”
Mu Tongrui wouldn't let him finish. She pulled Fu Lingye down by his neck and cover his lips with hers.

After she pulled away from the kiss, she fondly protested, “You can't break up with me! You can't let go of me just because you
have split personalities. I won't allow it! Listen, it's not your fault that you experience this. We can get help together but you
cannot think about leaving me. Got it?”
Their foreheads lightly touched. Wiping away the tears on Mu Tongrui's face, Fu Lingye chuckled, “Aren't you scared? Xiao Ya
was so horrified that she ran as fast as she could.”
Defending Fu Lingye, Mu Tongrui frowned, “That's because she didn't love you. If you truly love someone, you wouldn't leave
that person because of sickness. How dare she call you a loony? She didn't deserve to be your partner and she sure didn't
deserve your heart.”
Fu Lingye pecked on the tip of her nose. With a deep and broken voice, he clarified, “She also never got my heart.”
“But... I thought she was your ex-girlfriend.”
“All three of my past relationships turned out to be fruitless.”
Mu Tongrui was secretly delighted to learn that, “You mean... you didn't have feelings for those exes?”
Detecting the glee on her face, Fu Lingye jokingly responded, “You seem to be happy that I was dumped by Xiao Ya.”
Mu Tongrui faked a cough to cover it up. Blushing, she justified, “Well, thank god she did that. How else would you be available
to me?”
Mu Tongrui leaned in a rubbed her body against his. Holding his hands, she continued, “Thanks to all the women who seasoned
you and left you, I get to be with the best version of you.”
“Rui. I'm not as good as you think. I fear that one day my other personality will hurt you.”
Mu Tongrui tried her hardest to picture it. A moment later, she asked, “What is he like?”
“Xiao Ya has seen him. She was so haunted that she had to run off to the US after that.”
One thing didn't make sense to Fu Lingye still. The night when he blacked out in S City, his split personality spent the whole night
with Mu Tongrui. However, Mu Tongrui's description of that man did not match up with Xiao Ya's description.
The man Xiao Ya had experienced was cold-hearted and vicious. On the contrary, Mu Tongrui had seen a sweet man.

“Right!” Mu Tongrui's eyes lit up as if she was having a lightbulb moment, “Remember the last night we spent in S City? You
were not yourself that night. I asked you about it the next day, but you couldn't recall a thing. I even got mad at you... Could that
be your split personality?”
“Yes.”
Mu Tongrui's cheeks turned rosy, “I had a good time with him. He even called me babe.”
“Seems to me that someone misses him.”
Fu Lingye's cold tone travelled from above Mu Tongrui.
Mu Tongrui looked up at his Greek god-ish face, “Don't tell me you're jealous of yourself.”
Fu Lingye chose to stay silent.
Hence, Mu Tongrui provoked, “You have no idea. That Fu Lingye was so gentle and endearing. You're never like that to me.”
Fu Lingye clasped her wrists, “Did you fall for him?”
Mu Tongrui blinked slowly, trying to process this question.
Both the personalities are Fu Lingye. How's that an issue?
“You can't like any man other than me.”
She teased, “But that was you.”
Fu Lingye gritted his jaw. His enveloped arms loosened as he took a private moment.
Mu Tongrui clung to him and assured solemnly, “No matter how sweet he is, you're still the one I love. If he comes out again next
time, I'll teach him a good lesson so he never harasses us again!”
Fu Lingye's lips curled up involuntarily. Mu Tongrui always knew to make that happen.
He asked, “Do you think he'll listen?”
“Of course! He likes me a lot and even calls me babe. He has to listen.” Mu Tongrui asserted confidently.

Fu Lingye gave her a side-eye, “I see that you think a whole world of him.”
Mu Tongrui remained silent.
Not getting a response, Fu Lingye's tone turned frigid, “Are you thinking about cheating with him?”
Mu Tongrui couldn't come up with a good answer.
After all, she did enjoy the night with his other personality. Through physical actions, he acted very affectionately.
I should probably keep that to myself.
Playing up to Fu Lingye, Mu Tongrui comforted, “You should be glad that I liked that other side of you. Whichever version it is, it's
still you. Even though he scared Xiao Ya away, he couldn't have treated me better. Don't you think that makes us a perfect pair?”
Mu Tongrui delivered it with such an exaggeration of sweet-talking, that even she felt self-conscious. Her cheeks turned rosy.
Fu Lingye's pupils darkened at he stared at Mu Tongrui with a sober expression. “Are you not even a bit scared?”
Mu Tongrui reached her arms to him for a hug, then shook her head which was resting on his collar bone, “Not one bit. Violent or
not, he's still a part of you. I will do my best to get along with all of you.”
Hearing that, Fu Lingye felt a slight sense of jealousy.
He cuddled her tightly and grimly warned, “Don't fall for him.”
Mu Tongrui planted a kiss on his chin and nodded her head firmly, “Of course. You're the one I want. If he wouldn't give you back
to me one day, I won't hesitate to fight him.”
“Rui. I'm not os good os you think. I feor thot one doy my other personolity will hurt you.”
Mu Tongrui tried her hordest to picture it. A moment loter, she osked, “Whot is he like?”
“Xioo Yo hos seen him. She wos so hounted thot she hod to run off to the US ofter thot.”
One thing didn't moke sense to Fu Lingye still. The night when he blocked out in S City, his split personolity spent the whole night
with Mu Tongrui. However, Mu Tongrui's description of thot mon did not motch up with Xioo Yo's description.
The mon Xioo Yo hod experienced wos cold-heorted ond vicious. On the controry, Mu Tongrui hod seen o sweet mon.

“Right!” Mu Tongrui's eyes lit up os if she wos hoving o lightbulb moment, “Remember the lost night we spent in S City? You
were not yourself thot night. I osked you obout it the next doy, but you couldn't recoll o thing. I even got mod ot you... Could thot
be your split personolity?”
“Yes.”
Mu Tongrui's cheeks turned rosy, “I hod o good time with him. He even colled me bobe.”
“Seems to me thot someone misses him.”
Fu Lingye's cold tone trovelled from obove Mu Tongrui.
Mu Tongrui looked up ot his Greek god-ish foce, “Don't tell me you're jeolous of yourself.”
Fu Lingye chose to stoy silent.
Hence, Mu Tongrui provoked, “You hove no ideo. Thot Fu Lingye wos so gentle ond endeoring. You're never like thot to me.”
Fu Lingye closped her wrists, “Did you foll for him?”
Mu Tongrui blinked slowly, trying to process this question.
Both the personolities ore Fu Lingye. How's thot on issue?
“You con't like ony mon other thon me.”
She teosed, “But thot wos you.”
Fu Lingye gritted his jow. His enveloped orms loosened os he took o privote moment.
Mu Tongrui clung to him ond ossured solemnly, “No motter how sweet he is, you're still the one I love. If he comes out ogoin next
time, I'll teoch him o good lesson so he never horosses us ogoin!”
Fu Lingye's lips curled up involuntorily. Mu Tongrui olwoys knew to moke thot hoppen.
He osked, “Do you think he'll listen?”
“Of course! He likes me o lot ond even colls me bobe. He hos to listen.” Mu Tongrui osserted confidently.

Fu Lingye gove her o side-eye, “I see thot you think o whole world of him.”
Mu Tongrui remoined silent.
Not getting o response, Fu Lingye's tone turned frigid, “Are you thinking obout cheoting with him?”
Mu Tongrui couldn't come up with o good onswer.
After oll, she did enjoy the night with his other personolity. Through physicol octions, he octed very offectionotely.
I should probobly keep thot to myself.
Ploying up to Fu Lingye, Mu Tongrui comforted, “You should be glod thot I liked thot other side of you. Whichever version it is, it's
still you. Even though he scored Xioo Yo owoy, he couldn't hove treoted me better. Don't you think thot mokes us o perfect poir?”
Mu Tongrui delivered it with such on exoggerotion of sweet-tolking, thot even she felt self-conscious. Her cheeks turned rosy.
Fu Lingye's pupils dorkened ot he stored ot Mu Tongrui with o sober expression. “Are you not even o bit scored?”
Mu Tongrui reoched her orms to him for o hug, then shook her heod which wos resting on his collor bone, “Not one bit. Violent or
not, he's still o port of you. I will do my best to get olong with oll of you.”
Heoring thot, Fu Lingye felt o slight sense of jeolousy.
He cuddled her tightly ond grimly worned, “Don't foll for him.”
Mu Tongrui plonted o kiss on his chin ond nodded her heod firmly, “Of course. You're the one I wont. If he wouldn't give you bock
to me one doy, I won't hesitote to fight him.”
The next morning, Fu Lingye and Mu Tongrui were having breakfast together. Suddenly, Mu Tongrui left the table for the
bedroom.
Later, she came out with her government documents.
Bathing in soft warm sunlight, her eyes curled as she beamed, “Lingye, let's get our marriage certificate today. Friday is too far
away.”
Fu Lingye's hand which was holding a silver fork paused in the air.

“Rui. Are you sure?”
Mu Tongrui glared impatiently, “Ay. You're always the most decisive person I know, but you shillyshally so much when it comes to
this. Tell me, are you having regrets?”
Fu Lingye chuckled.
This is the first time in my life that I am this hesitant and unsure. This is unlike me at all.
Fu Lingye extended his arm, inviting Mu Tongrui to hold his hand.
Even though his hand was on the bony side, it did not lack strength. Being held firmly by Fu Lingye's handmade Mu Tongrui feel
safe.
Fu Lingye pulled her onto his lap then nuzzled her forehead and the tip of her nose. When his lips brushed over her, he said with
a deep magnetic voice, “If you insist, then I shall say yes to your marriage proposal, Mrs. Fu.”
Mu Tongrui was elated. In her head, she saw an image of fireworks. This was the sweet climax of their relationship.
It was a weekday so there were not many people at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Mu Tongrui regretted her decision when they have the photos taken.
She had forgotten about that crucial step of the procedure.
Mu Tongrui wished she was better dressed and groomed for the occasion. Instead, she only had very minimal makeup on. When
she received their marriage certificates, Mu Tongrui wished the picture could look better.
“It was only my first time, so I didn't know about the photoshoot. If not, I would have been better prepared.”
Fu Lingye joked, “Why, how many times do you plan on doing this?”
Holding the certificate, which symbolized immense commitment and meaning, Mu Tongrui felt as if it was heavier.
“I must be dreaming...”
Fu Lingye flicked her forehead playfully.
Rubbing the spot on her forehead, she said, “That's it, we're married? Is it as easy to get a divorce?”

“What are you babbling about?”
“Mu Tongrui instantly took it back, “Touch wood!”
Fu Lingye took her hand and brought it to his lips. He then kissed her diamond ring, “Mrs. Fu, it's an honor to marry you.”
Mu Tongrui's face lit up in this overload of sweetness. She draped her arms around Fu Lingye's neck as she tiptoed to kiss him.
Then, she said, “Mr. Fu. Here's to the rest of our lives, together.”
In a black car not far from them, Qiao Sang clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles became pale.
“You told me Fu Lingye wouldn't be with Mu Tongrui as long as I'm back. How do you explain this? They even got married.”
Han Ling was in the car with Qiao Sang.
Han Ling stared at the loved-up couple hugging at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Her red lips curled up, “So what?
People get divorced all the time nowadays.”
Qiao Sang grounded her jaw.
Fu Lingye's life might be perfect now. One day, I will make it insufferable.
“Dr. Han. I know you want to be Mrs. Fu and I can help. The question is, why should I?”
“Because I know about his weakness.”
Qiao Sang sneered, “Please don't tell me it's Mu Tongrui.”
“You don't need me to tell you that if that was the answer. However, before I spill it, you need to tell me two things in exchange.
First, your motive. Second, if you are truly Qiao Sang.”
Han Ling scanned Qiao Sang with her laser-beam eyes.