Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Mu Tongrui gasped for air after the kiss. With her face red, she glared at him, “Did you hear what I said earlier?”
He met her gaze, and asked innocently, “What did you say?”
“I...”
So, he did not catch me confessing to him that I like him?
She was not brave enough nor in the mood to repeat her confession to him now, thus said in a deflated tone, “Nothing.”
She only liked him now but it was not full-blown love yet, so it was not that important whether he knew it or not.
She curled up her body and tried to sleep again when he said with a tinge of scorn in his voice, “There is nothing wrong in
admitting you like me.”
His blunt manner made Mu Tongrui so embarrass that she wished the ground would just swallow her up. So, he heard but
pretended to be sleeping!
She was not a reserved girl by any standards, but did Fu Lingye consider her feelings as a girl by being so blunt?
Fu Lingye put his hands around her again to hug her and continued nonchalantly, “Sleep.”
“...”
He is really acting as if nothing has happened.
Shouldn't he give me a reply whether he likes me or not?
With these thoughts running through her mind, Mu Tongrui finally fell asleep in Fu Lingye's arms
....
Mu Tongrui had mostly recovered after a day's rest in the clinic.
After she changed her clothes, Fu Lingye had packed his luggage and told her, “We will set off after having breakfast in the
restaurant.”
She was taken aback, “There is a restaurant here?”

The restaurant is owned by the locals and was packed during lunch time. The environment and hygiene standard were not
fantastic.
Mu Tongrui did not mind as she always frequented such small restaurants but she was worried that Fu Lingye might not be able
to accept it. After all, he went through this only because of her and Mu Tongrui was not that heartless. Tugging at Fu Lingye's
sleeves, she offered, “We can check out other places if you do not like it here, okay?”
Her stomach growled just when she finished talking.
Embarrassed, Mu Tongrui rubbed her stomach. Fu Lingye glanced over at her, then replied, “This restaurant then. But there is no
seat now. You go outsider to find a clean spot, I will go and get the noodles.”
Five minutes later, Fu Lingye with 2 big bowls of beef noodles in his hands, joined her at the stairs beside the restaurant.
Mu Tongrui picked at the noodles in the bowl with her chopsticks, and grumbled, “Such a big bowl with so much soup but so little
noodles.”
This bowl was much bigger than her face. Actually, the noodles in it were sufficient for her but obviously not enough for a man
such as Fu Lingye.
Considering that she might not survive the long walk down the mountains later and Fu Lingye might end up carrying her on his
back, she poured some noodles into Fu Lingye's bowl.
“I cannot finish. You can have more.”
Fu Lingye was amused, “Didn't you just complain that the noodles are too little? But you cannot finish them now?”
“You may need to carry me on your back later. How are we going to get out of here if you do not eat more?”
Fu Lingye was even more amused, “Ms. Mu, since when did I say I want to carry you on my back?”
Mu Tongrui's eyes moved one full circle before meeting his gaze. Smiling, she passed him some beef from her bowl to his and
replied, “Last night, in your dreams.”
“This is the first time I know that I will talk in my dreams.”
Fu Lingye frowned suddenly, “Ms. Mu.”

“Yes?”
“Do you want to stuff me to death?”
Mu Tongrui's face reddened, and grabbing her chopsticks, she resumed eating from her bowl. Her face was almost in the soup
which reflected her little bright face with faint dimples.
It had slipped her mind that Fu Lingye was a cleanliness freak. But he did not seem to mind and took over all her noodles,
dumping all the beef back into her bowl while saying coldly, “I do not like beef.”
Mu Tongrui was caught off guard. She vividly remembered seeing him having beef for dinner in Fu Mansion before.
“You do not like...?”
Before she could finish, he interrupted, “Do not talk while eating.”
“...”
He glanced at her and the corners of his mouth curved upwards when he saw her eating quietly.
....
After lunch, Fu Lingye brought Mu Tongrui to the horse cart that he found earlier.
Its driver was tanned from his years of being under the sun, and he was humming a local folk tune while driving the horse cart
aptly.
Mu Tongrui and Fu Lingye were seated at the back and Mu Tongrui fell into the arm of Fu Lingye several times during the bumpy
horse ride. Finally, Fu Lingye frowned and decided to simply hold her in his arms when she wanted to get up.
After a few more tunes, the driver started chatting with Fu Lingye, “This woman is not a local. You must have used several cows
to exchange for her.”
Fu Lingye took an amused glance at her and replied, “With 10 cows.”
“...”

The driver snorted, “So expensive! The women from the cities may look pretty but they are not obedient! Can't take hardship
here and always think of escaping even when they are being treated well here! But after a few romps in the bed, she will bear
you some children then turn obedient!”
Mu Tongrui was taken aback. Isn't he being too crude?
Unexpectedly, Fu Lingye seemed to concur with his views and leaned forward to whisper in her ears, “Heard that? Be obedient if
you do not want me to do that to you.”
Mu Tongrui could feel a flush crawling up her neck and across his face. Why have I never noticed this ruffian side of Fu Lingye!
Looks are indeed deceiving. He looked elegant but could spew such thuggish words with such a serious face. But she could not
help but be attracted to him.
The journey was long. When Mu Tongrui woke up from her short nap, they had reached a small hotel.
The sky was going to be dark soon. Fu Lingye and Mu Tongrui entered the hotel and passed their identity cards to the check-in
counter.
The lady boss could tell by one look that they were not local. She asked, “Are you a married couple?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
They chorused different answers simultaneously.
The lady boss sized them up and asked again, “So it is a yes or no?”
Fu Lingye stared at Mu Tongrui coldly and replied, “Yes.”
“Then I shall allocate a couple room to you.”
Mu Tongrui was unfazed until the lady boss warned them, “But just to remind you, our bed is very small.”
Mu Tongrui was taken aback and asked Fu Lingye inquiringly, “Should we have 2 rooms then?”
In the clinic when she was lying on top of Fu Lingye, both of them had slept poorly just that she did not dare to tell Fu Lingye.

Fu Lingye gazed at her, “So you want us to sleep in separate rooms?”
Mu Tongrui was frightened and replied, “I... I am worried that you would not sleep well, okay?”