Better Than Summer: A Marriage Before Love Romance - Chapter 28

Her name was Shen Tingxia, my wife, we…

As evening approached, on the way to Xi Chengnan’s parents’ house, Shen Tingxia still sat in the back seat with Xi Sibei.

This time, it wasn’t because of Xi Sibei, but because of her words that morning and Xi Chengnan’s response, which had left the two of them feeling somewhat awkward now.

Halfway through the journey, Xi Sibei sensed the strange atmosphere in the car; her brother and sister-in-law hadn’t spoken a word.

She leaned closer to the woman beside her and whispered tentatively, “Sis, did you and my brother have a fight?”

Shen Tingxia, who had been resting her head against the window frame, lowered her arm upon hearing Xi Sibei’s words. She looked at her, then answered uncomfortably, “No, no fight.”

Xi Chengnan, who was driving, glanced at Shen Tingxia through the rearview mirror. She lacked her usual liveliness.

Though he didn’t know what she had been thinking just then, he had a feeling it was related to him, probably his words that morning.

He had only recently discovered that Shen Tingxia was actually a sensitive person with a delicate heart, prone to overthinking things he wouldn’t consider.

“Then why are you two being so weird?” Xi Sibei didn’t know what had happened between them, but she couldn’t stand the suffocating silence. So, she played the role of atmosphere-builder and started telling Shen Tingxia about her parents.

“Sis, when we get home, Mom and Dad might not be super warm and welcoming to you, but please don’t take it to heart. They just seem a bit cold on the surface; they’re actually very good people.”

Once she started talking, Xi Sibei couldn’t stop.

Xi Chengnan didn’t stop his sister either. Shen Tingxia should know about his family of origin, though this was a part he wasn’t ready to discuss with her yet.

“Did my brother tell you? He raised me. When I was little, Mom and Dad were always busy – busy with clinical work, busy with students, busy with research. They had no time for me. My relationship with them was pretty bad. I didn’t understand or agree with them; it felt like they didn’t love me. They weren’t part of my growing up. But my brother told me Mom and Dad do love us, it’s just that their way of loving is different from others. Later, I could feel their love too, just not very much. But I never blamed them because I had an amazing, wonderful brother.”

After this outpouring, Xi Sibei seemed to snap back to reality. She waved her hand dismissively. “Ah, I’m getting sidetracked! I just meant to say they’ll like you.”

Hearing this, Shen Tingxia instinctively looked up at the rearview mirror, only to unexpectedly meet a pair of dark eyes. Xi Chengnan was also looking at her through the mirror.

Their gazes locked for a fleeting moment before Shen Tingxia quickly looked away, avoiding him. But Xi Sibei’s words had stirred ripples in her heart.

Xi Chengnan had never mentioned his family of origin to her. Before, it hadn’t been necessary. He’d only briefly touched on it recently. She hadn’t realized he and his sister had grown up in such an environment.

Yet, why had she never sensed any of this in him?

After a brief pause, Shen Tingxia managed a small smile and gently ruffled Xi Sibei’s hair. “You really do have a wonderful brother.”

When they arrived home, Xi Sibei opened the door and called out from the entryway, “Mom, Dad, we’re back!”

She rummaged in the shoe cabinet for a pair of slippers for Shen Tingxia. “Sis, wear these. I’ll go get them.” She changed her shoes and hurried towards the kitchen.

Shen Tingxia stood slightly in front of Xi Chengnan, glancing back at him.

Xi Chengnan met her gaze, trying to lighten the mood with a joke: “What are you afraid of with me here? They don’t bite.”

Shen Tingxia playfully swatted his shoulder. “You’re so annoying!”

In that moment, the awkwardness from the morning seemed momentarily forgotten.

After changing shoes, Shen Tingxia finally had a moment to look around his family home. As expected, it was similar to Xi Chengnan’s own place: clean, minimalist, yet somehow lacking a lived-in feel.

A moment later, a formidable-looking middle-aged couple appeared before her. The voice of the man behind her sounded in her ears as he called out, “Mom, Dad.”

The next second, her slightly damp hand was enveloped in a large, dry palm. He guided her forward, introducing her to his parents: “This is Shen Tingxia, my wife. We got married. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, for various reasons.”

After he spoke, the room fell silent for a few seconds. They seemed to be processing the information.

Shen Tingxia didn’t know what to say either. Should she call them Mom and Dad? But she couldn’t bring herself to call two strangers that.

It was Xi Chengnan’s father who reacted first. “Come in, come in!”

Xi Sibei noticed Shen Tingxia’s discomfort. She stepped forward, linked arms with her, and steered her away from Xi Chengnan towards the sofa.

Xi Chengnan followed them but was intercepted by his mother. “Why didn’t you tell us anything? Your father and I didn’t prepare anything.”

“No need for preparations. I just brought her back to meet you, to tell you I’m married. That’s all,” Xi Chengnan replied calmly, his expression neutral.

Duan Xiyun nodded. “Then your father and I will make a couple more dishes. You sit with her for now.” Having said that, she called Xi Dehong into the kitchen.

Xi Chengnan wasn’t concerned about what they discussed inside. He walked to the sofa and sat beside Shen Tingxia, with Xi Sibei on her other side. Reaching across Shen Tingxia, he tapped his sister’s shoulder. “Go help in the kitchen.”

Shen Tingxia looked at him as he spoke.

Xi Sibei was about to refuse when she suddenly realized something. “Oh~ Oh!” she exclaimed, springing to her feet. “I’ll go help in the kitchen!”

The spacious living room was now empty except for the two of them. Despite being an open environment, it felt strangely intimate.

Xi Chengnan gestured towards the bedrooms with his head. “Want to see my room?”

“That wouldn’t be appropriate, Dr. Xi,” Shen Tingxia refused outright. According to his stance, they had no feelings, just a marriage certificate. She had become his responsibility. What right did a ‘responsibility’ have to enter his private space?

Xi Chengnan, however, insisted, “Nothing inappropriate about it.”

With that, Xi Chengnan stood up, encircled Shen Tingxia’s wrist, and led her towards his room.

Shen Tingxia tried to pull away but couldn’t break free, so she reluctantly followed him.

This wasn’t the room he’d grown up in. After his parents moved to this new house, he had brought over all the items from his original room and rearranged them here. The layout was different, but the belongings were the same, though he rarely stayed in this room anymore.

Xi Chengnan opened the door and stepped aside to let her enter.

Shen Tingxia stepped into his room, scanning it from top to bottom. The black, white, and grey color scheme was strikingly similar to his own apartment – simple furnishings, uniformly grey bedding. There were no decorations by the bed. Her gaze swept across and landed on a bookshelf crammed with books in one corner. She turned back, pointing at the pile of books, and asked in surprise, “You don’t mean you’ve read all those boo—”

Before she could finish, Shen Tingxia heard a soft click. Her eyes dropped to see Xi Chengnan’s hand just leaving the door lock. Her voice trembled slightly, her tone unconsciously rising: “Why did you lock the door?”

Xi Chengnan remained expressionless, ignoring her question, and told her to sit down first.

Shen Tingxia felt Xi Chengnan had something to say to her; after all, the unresolved issue from that morning still hung between them.

But she wasn’t about to obediently sit down just because he told her to.

She shot the man a glance, turned around, and walked over to the dresser. Leaning back against its edge with one leg slightly bent, she crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the twilight-blue scene outside the window. Her tone was flat but carried a hint of stubbornness. “Just say whatever you want to say directly.”

Xi Chengnan walked over and sat down on the bed opposite her. He rested his forearms naturally on his thighs, his body relaxing slightly as he leaned forward and looked up at her.

Perhaps because she was meeting his parents, she was wearing a gentle, flowing white dress – quite different from her usual style, yet it suited her. Her long hair cascaded over one shoulder, and the warm yellow lamplight cast a soft, almost docile glow on her.

Taking in her current appearance, Xi Chengnan asked, “Still mad?”

During breakfast that morning, she had deliberately asked him why he was so good to her. She had expected him to brush it off casually with some flippant remark, just like she might have done. After all, theirs was supposed to be a relationship without feelings. Instead, he had answered her seriously – it was because of a sense of responsibility.

Shen Tingxia didn’t know which nerve he had touched, but her reaction had been strong. She had just muttered an “Oh,” lowered her head to sip her porridge, and stopped talking. She felt that even a random excuse would have been better than that serious answer.

They weren’t real husband and wife. Why did he need a sense of responsibility?
She didn’t need his sense of responsibility.

And while it hadn’t seemed like a big deal initially, when Xi Chengnan noticed her displeasure and called her out on it now, Shen Tingxia became stubbornly unwilling to admit it. She defiantly avoided his gaze, pretending to be indifferent and nonchalant. “Why would I be mad? You treat your wife well out of a sense of responsibility, and I get mad? What kind of unreasonable person does that make me?”

She had practically stated the reason for her anger while simultaneously insisting she wasn’t angry. Xi Chengnan hadn’t realized before how contradictory she could be.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of Xi Chengnan’s lips. He didn’t call out the clearly angry Shen Tingxia. Just as he was about to explain, a knock sounded on the door. Shen Tingxia instinctively looked towards it, hearing Xi Sibei’s voice call out, “Bro! Sis! Mom says come eat!”

“Coming,” Xi Chengnan answered Xi Sibei loudly, his eyes still fixed on Shen Tingxia.

Shen Tingxia glared at Xi Chengnan, straightened up, and moved to walk out. But the man opposite her grabbed her wrist. He looked up; she looked down. Their eyes locked. She thought she heard him coaxing her: “Don’t be mad anymore, okay? I’ll explain when we get home.”

They stood in silent confrontation, as if he wouldn’t let go until she agreed.

After what felt like a long time, Shen Tingxia finally gave a reluctant, barely audible “Mm-hmm.”

Hearing her response, Xi Chengnan stood up from the bed. A slight smile appeared as he took advantage of his height to ruffle her hair.

Feeling awkward all over again, they returned to the living room where the dining table was laden with dishes.

Just then, Duan Xiyun emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of pan-fried mushrooms. Seeing them still standing, she said, “Don’t just stand there. The food will be ready soon. Tingxia, is it? Please sit, make yourself at home.”

Shen Tingxia felt somewhat lost. She smiled awkwardly. “Ah, okay. Thank you for your hard work.”

Once everyone was seated, Shen Tingxia fully understood what the siblings meant about their parents not being warm.

Sitting opposite Xi Chengnan’s mother, she heard her say, “Chengnan, your father and I are both doctors. We’ve been through the stage you’re in now. But I don’t want you to follow our path. From the time you and Sibei were little, we’ve had minimal involvement in your growth and education. It feels like we devoted our whole lives to the medical profession. We truly owe you both, and it’s understandable if you resent us. Pushing you to go on blind dates before was our way of hoping you’d have a life outside the hospital, unlike us. But we forgot to ask if you already had a girlfriend, or someone you liked. Tingxia, please don’t mind. Chengnan has his own mind; we don’t interfere with his decisions. Since he chose to marry you, it’s meant to be for life. I know my son.”

After Duan Xiyun finished speaking, Shen Tingxia didn’t know how to respond. She just felt terrible about this whole marriage situation.

Because of their lie, both sides of the family were offering blessings. But only they knew the real reason. This deception made Shen Tingxia deeply uncomfortable. When she had impulsively proposed marriage to Xi Chengnan, she hadn’t anticipated any of this. It seemed she had acted too rashly.

She was also becoming increasingly curious about Xi Chengnan’s upbringing. The family seemed to have love, but not much. How could a family with seemingly low happiness produce someone as gentle, refined, tolerant, and understanding as Xi Chengnan?

As her mind raced, trying to formulate a response, the man beside her spoke calmly. “Mom, I never blamed you or Dad. I accepted many things long ago, and I’m grateful you gave me the space to make my own decisions. But Sibei is different. Even though she’s in her twenties now, I still hope you can find more time to understand her. The care I give her isn’t the same as the care parents should give. As for my marriage and my future life, it definitely won’t be like yours. I won’t sacrifice my family for work or career. I’m not that noble.”

Duan Xiyun nodded, seeming to agree with her son. “It’s best that you think that way.”

Although steaming hot dishes covered the table, the conversation felt strangely cold. It turned Shen Tingxia, naturally an extrovert, into an introvert desperate to escape.

Fortunately, no one pressured her to speak. So the meal concluded in this subtly awkward atmosphere.

Perhaps Xi Chengnan’s words had an effect; that evening, Duan Xiyun didn’t let Xi Sibei leave, keeping her home to reconnect.

On the drive back, Shen Tingxia sat in the passenger seat, propping her head up. The atmosphere of his family lingered in her mind. Her eyes kept drifting unconsciously towards Xi Chengnan. She was becoming more and more curious about him.

Curious about his upbringing, curious how he turned out so well-adjusted, curious about the origins of his personality, curious why he never complained…

When the car stopped smoothly in the underground garage and the engine cut off, Xi Chengnan turned his head to look at the woman beside him. “You’ve been looking at me the whole way. What do you want to say?