Better Than Summer: A Marriage Before Love Romance - Chapter 10

…Don’t you want to consummate the marriage?

The sky outside the window was gloomy and overcast. The weather forecast predicted light to moderate rain from five in the afternoon until ten at night.

Inside, Xi Sibei sat on the sofa, holding an open marriage certificate in her hands. Her head was bowed as she stared at the red-background photo of the strikingly handsome man and beautiful woman seated side by side—her brother and sister-in-law.

Xi Sibei stubbornly lifted her head and looked at Xi Chengnan. “I asked you that day, and you said she wasn’t your girlfriend. How come just a few days later, you’ve already gotten your marriage certificate?”

Xi Chengnan met his sister’s pitiful gaze, feeling as though he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

He couldn’t tell his sister the truth about their situation. For the first time in his life, he lied to Xi Sibei, calmly explaining that Shen Tingxia was his ex-girlfriend. They had unresolved issues before, so they hadn’t gotten back together—that was why she technically wasn’t his girlfriend at the time. But now that everything was cleared up and there would be no more complications, he couldn’t keep her waiting. So they got married.

Finally, he added with sincere emotion, “Do you remember what I told you before? Whether I marry or not, and whoever I marry, I’ll always be your brother. Anything a sister can do with her brother, you can do with me. Our bond won’t change. That promise is forever.”

Xi Sibei had never been in a relationship, but she knew every couple had their own way of being together. Those more intimate details weren’t something she could ask about. Xi Chengnan was her brother, but he was more than just her brother—he deserved his own life.

Tears welled in her eyes, her lips trembling as she asked a simple yet complicated question: “Then… do you love her?”

Xi Chengnan stiffened at his sister’s question.

Love her?

He definitely did not.

But what exactly was love? And why would he marry someone he didn’t love?

He didn’t know.

When he was young, Xi Chengnan was raised by the family’s housekeeper because his parents were always busy. His grandparents didn’t have time to take care of him either. It wasn’t until Xi Sibei was brought home that he learned he had a sister. He’d thought that with another child in the house, his parents might spend more time at home. But they didn’t. Xi Sibei grew up on formula, cared for by their retired grandmother. When Xi Sibei was four, their grandmother passed away, and the responsibility of raising his sister fell onto fourteen-year-old Xi Chengnan.

Did their parents love them? They probably did. After all, in his class, when other kids cried and begged their parents for expensive toys, he’d already grown tired of them as a young child. He never lacked material comforts, and as he grew older, his intellectual world was constantly enriched. But his family life was barren and desolate.

Xi Sibei was luckier than him in a way. Though she didn’t get much parental love, she had him—he learned how to be a brother from others and treated her well.

That’s why, no matter how busy Xi Chengnan’s studies were or how little time he had, he never missed a single step of Xi Sibei’s growth. He didn’t want his sister to relive his own lonely childhood.

Even now, for Xi Chengnan, his work at the hospital was important, but his family was equally important.

Xi Chengnan remained silent for a few seconds, still unable to answer.

When it came to the subject of “love,” he had no experience and no right to speak.

Xi Sibei lowered her head and answered her own question: “You must love her. Otherwise, why would you marry her?”

Xi Chengnan sat beside his sister, silent, as if his silence confirmed her self-answer.

But deep down, he knew that wasn’t the case, yet he was helpless to explain.

Then, Xi Sibei lifted her head, sniffled, and with a choked voice, forced herself to sound generous as she said, “Brother, since you’re married, she’s my sister-in-law. Even though I don’t like her, don’t worry—I’ll learn to accept her.”

Xi Chengnan leaned forward and hugged Xi Sibei, gently stroking her hair as he softly reassured her, “You don’t have to force yourself to like or accept anyone, even if she’s my wife. Understand?”

Xi Sibei nodded against his shoulder.

But how could she not try to like and accept her? That was her brother’s wife, the person her brother loved.

After a while, sensing his sister had calmed down, Xi Chengnan held her shoulders and helped her sit up. “Why did you come today?”

His gaze followed Xi Sibei’s as she looked toward the kitchen. A steam pot sat on the countertop. “You’re on night shift, right? I made you some soup.”

“My little sister’s grown up. She even knows to take care of her brother now.”

Xi Sibei smiled bashfully, then added, “Oh, right, Brother. In the second half of this semester, we start clinical rotations at the hospital. I was assigned to your hospital—not sure if Mom and Dad arranged it. I plan to rent a place nearby with my roommate. It’ll be easier to get to the hospital.”

“Do you need my help?” Xi Chengnan asked.

“No, you’re busy enough as it is. Besides, I can’t always depend on you. I want to do some things on my own. I think I can handle renting a place.”

Xi Chengnan always gave his sister space to try things herself. He agreed.

Xi Sibei still had class and said goodbye to her brother.

Xi Chengnan offered to walk her out, but Xi Sibei refused, telling him to finish the soup and rest well. He then said he’d take her out to eat after her class ended. Xi Sibei agreed.

After seeing his sister off, Xi Chengnan returned to the kitchen. Staring at the steaming pot of soup, he felt a heavy ache in his heart.

Night fell. The sky was pitch-black and heavy, drizzling with light rain.

Shen Tingxia and Lin Muning followed Fu Chuji to the restaurant entrance. Fu Chuji turned to them and said, “It’s getting late. You two head back and rest—you have work tomorrow. I have another meeting later. Stella drank, but Leo, you didn’t. See her home.”

Lin Muning replied breezily, “I’ll get her home safe for sure.”

Shen Tingxia glanced at him but said nothing, joining him in seeing Fu Chuji off.

Only after their boss left did Shen Tingxia truly relax.

Lin Muning watched as Shen Tingxia tilted her body slightly, cocking her head as he asked, “Tingxia-jie, where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Shen Tingxia shot him a sidelong glance, looked down at her screen, and replied coolly, “No need. I called a designated driver.”

Lin Muning scratched his head. “Tingxia-jie, why do I feel like you really dislike me? We’re partners, not competitors. It’s raining, and it’s late—it’s not safe going back alone. Let me drive you. Think of it as a free ride.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly from the alcohol, Shen Tingxia slowed her speech. “You take me home, and then what?”

“Then… I’ll leave?” Lin Muning looked a little embarrassed. “Though if you invited me up for a glass of water, I’d be happier.”

Just then, Shen Tingxia’s phone rang. She smiled at him, answered it—it was her designated driver. She looked around, spotted the driver, and waved her arm.

Hanging up, Shen Tingxia started walking toward the driver. As she passed Lin Muning, she softly reminded him, “Be careful on your way back. I’m heading out.”

Sitting in the back seat, Shen Tingxia leaned against the window, cracking it open slightly to let in the rain-laced breeze. Her stomach felt unsettled—not only digesting dinner but also the big promises their boss had made.

Fu Chuji had said upper management was paying close attention to this project and asked them to put in extra effort. Once the new product launched, he’d apply for paid leave and team-building activities for them. He also told her to help Lin Muning more since he was new to the department.

She and Lin Muning were partners, but to some extent, they were also competitors.

Besides, she and Lin Muning were peers—she wasn’t his mentor. How exactly was she supposed to “help”?

Still, she accepted it all. What else could she do?

She was just a lowly employee.

A wave of frustration washed over her.

Suddenly, Shen Tingxia remembered something. She checked the address on her phone—it was set to her home. But today was technically her wedding night. Even though her period wasn’t over yet and nothing could happen…

Shen Tingxia asked the driver, “Driver, can I change the address now?”

The driver said yes, but she’d need to update it on the app.

Shen Tingxia tapped her screen a few times, changing the destination to Xi Chengnan’s place. Just then, a low battery warning popped up—less than 10%. The driver rerouted and dropped her off at the new address.

On the 25th floor, Shen Tingxia pressed the doorbell twice. After a minute with no answer and her phone now dead, she struggled to recall the passcode. It took two tries before the door unlocked.

Flicking on the lights, Shen Tingxia kicked off her high heels in the entryway and padded barefoot inside. She reached the sofa, tossed her bag aside, and collapsed onto it. Leaning her neck against the backrest, she tilted her head up toward the ceiling and let out a long, heavy sigh.

Dinner with the boss was more exhausting than meetings with him.

When Shen Tingxia first joined Luna, Kevin wasn’t her boss. Her former manager brought her in but soon left for another job. She’d worked with Kevin for over two years now, yet their relationship remained strictly professional—not even casual jokes passed between them.

Though this kind of boundary was fine, Shen Tingxia always felt an invisible pressure around him. It was exhausting.

She wanted to check the time, but her screen stayed dark after a few taps—her phone was dead.

Her head felt dizzy. Too lazy to charge it, she reached over to light a TrasTrk scented candle on the table and sprawled out on the sofa for a nap.

Outside, the rain grew heavier. The quiet room filled with the roar of the wind.

Xi Chengnan unlocked the door with his fingerprint. Unlike usual, as soon as the door cracked open, the bright white light from inside spilled out, creeping over his shoes like a welcome home.

He pushed the door wide open and saw a pair of black high heels haphazardly discarded in the entryway. Looking further inside, a dark gray suit jacket was draped over the back of the sofa, a candle flickering on the table, but no one was in sight.

Xi Chengnan closed the door, changed into slippers, and was greeted by a crisp scent of citrus. He bent down to straighten the woman’s high heels, then walked to the sofa. Only then did he see Shen Tingxia curled up asleep. At the same time, he caught a faint whiff of alcohol.

Probably because she’d been drinking, her cheeks were flushed. Her wavy hair cascaded loosely over her neck and shoulders. Two buttons of her white blouse were undone, revealing a hint of her cleavage.

This was Xi Chengnan’s first time seeing Shen Tingxia asleep. This docile version of her created a stark contrast with the alluring, passionate woman she became in bed.

Xi Chengnan’s lips curved into a smile. Not wanting to disturb her sleep, he picked up the jacket from the back of the sofa and grabbed her bag, hanging both up.

It was raining outside, and the temperature had dropped. He went back to his room and pulled a blanket from the closet.

Just as he draped it over her, Xi Chengnan saw the clarity in Shen Tingxia’s eyes and the playful smile on her lips—she didn’t look like someone who’d just woken up.

Xi Chengnan froze for a second. The next moment, he yanked the blanket up, covering her head entirely.

This woman had been faking sleep!

“Hey!” Shen Tingxia protested, pulling the blanket down from her head. She looked up at Xi Chengnan, her lips curved in a smile, eyes wide and bright, though her voice was slightly hoarse as she pleaded, “Dr. Xi, could you get your wife a glass of warm water?”

She slipped into the role quickly. Xi Chengnan neither affirmed nor denied her claim of being “your wife.” He scoffed lightly and turned to the kitchen to get the water.

The man’s tall frame leaned against the edge of the sofa, blocking some of the slanted light. Shen Tingxia sat in the shadow. She took the glass of warm water from him, took a small sip—the temperature was just right. The warm liquid soothed her throat and settled her stomach.

Xi Chengnan’s gaze followed the movement of her throat as she swallowed. He nodded toward the window, his expression calm as he asked, “It’s pouring rain, and you’ve been drinking. How are you getting back later?”

Hearing this, Shen Tingxia moved the glass away from her lips and handed it back to him. Xi Chengnan took it naturally.

The room was lit by warm yellow lights now. The candle flame flickered silently in the dimness. She looked up at the imposing man from her shadowed spot. Shifting her body, she knelt upright on the sofa, leaning toward him. Still looking up, her eyes smiled as her small hand, like a kitten’s paw, reached up to rest on his shoulder. Her voice deliberately took on a teasing lilt: “Tonight is technically our wedding night, Dr. Xi. Don’t you want to consummate the marriage?”