Better Than Summer: A Marriage Before Love Romance - Chapter 4

The hot pot steamed vigorously on the table, its spicy red oil broth looking mouthwateringly delicious. Around the induction cooker lay plates of leafy greens, fatty beef rolls, and beef balls.

Shen Tingxia stared at the feast spread before her. Though her stomach growled with hunger, she sat as if on pins and needles, unable to muster any desire to pick up her chopsticks.

Earlier, at his doorstep, she’d encountered an unfamiliar woman. Shen Tingxia had been ready to excuse herself as having knocked on the wrong door and leave, but Xi Chengnan suddenly appeared. He deliberately “recognized” her, trapping her in an awkward limbo. Worse, he’d uttered that infuriating line, “Since you’re already here, come in and eat something,” leaving her no escape route.

Shen Tingxia strongly suspected this was retaliation for her challenging his medical authority that morning.

Having known Xi Chengnan for nearly four years, Shen Tingxia had always sensed a streak of mischief in him—the kind that fit the archetype of a refined scoundrel. But she’d only ever associated it with the bedroom, part of their games and role-play, which she’d happily participated in. She never expected it to surface outside…

Her gaze drifted subtly towards the girl sitting across from her. She looked about twenty-two or twenty-three, radiating a youthful innocence.

Xi Chengnan poured dipping sauce into an empty bowl and handed it to Shen Tingxia.

She offered him a forced smile, even more unconvincing than the ones she gave her boss. Just as she took the bowl, the girl spoke up: “Xi Chengnan, aren’t you going to introduce me to this sister?”

As the words hung in the air, Shen Tingxia saw Xi Chengnan’s brows furrow slightly, his eyes settling on the girl.

Shen Tingxia had no idea what he might say or how he’d define their… relationship. Afraid he’d spout nonsense, she took the initiative: “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Dr. Xi’s student, Shen Tingxia. I came to deliver some wine to Teacher Xi.”

As she finished speaking, she caught sight of Xi Chengnan’s deepening frown from the corner of her eye.

Xi Sibeì drew out an “Oh~,” her tone laced with implication. “Delivering wine to Chengnan, huh?” She shifted her gaze to Xi Chengnan, noting his impassive expression, then turned back to Shen Tingxia. “My name is Sibeì.”

She deliberately omitted her surname and refrained from mentioning her relationship to Xi Chengnan.

Xi Chengnan opened his mouth to speak, but Xi Sibeì cut him off. Picking up the serving chopsticks, she fished out fatty beef and slices of meat from the bubbling pot, adopting a distinctly hostess-like demeanor. “Don’t just watch, eat! Make yourself at home,” she urged, depositing the beef directly into Shen Tingxia’s bowl.

Shen Tingxia stared at the small mound of fatty beef in her bowl, momentarily stunned, before picking up her own chopsticks. “Thank you, I can serve myself,” she managed.

The girl’s tone, however, suggested a deep familiarity with Xi Chengnan. Even their names seemed to pair perfectly – “Nan” (South) and “Bei” (North).

Just a couple of days ago, Shen Tingxia had asked him point-blank if he had other partners besides her. At the time, he hadn’t explicitly confirmed or denied it, his tone implying there weren’t. But now… it was hard to say.

If there really was something between these two, Shen Tingxia resolved to end things with Xi Chengnan immediately. He would have been the one to break their agreement.

Sibeì proved to be an enthusiastic host, constantly encouraging Shen Tingxia to eat more. Thankfully, she didn’t press her on the flimsy “wrong door” excuse. Despite her initial lack of appetite, Shen Tingxia found herself surprisingly full by the end of the hot pot meal.

Xi Chengnan, on the other hand, spoke little throughout the evening, focused instead on cooking food for both women. Shen Tingxia couldn’t tell if this was his usual demeanor or a result of the awkward situation.

Perhaps because of Shen Tingxia’s unexpected arrival, the prepared food was nearly all eaten.

After the meal, Xi Chengnan turned off the induction cooker and cleared the messy table. He loaded what he could into the dishwasher and placed the rest in the sink. Once the dishwasher was humming, he glanced at the time—nearly 10 PM.

Drying his hands, he walked over to Xi Sibeì, who was still seated at the table. He patted her shoulder, his tone devoid of emotion. “Get your coat. I’ll drive you back to campus.”

Xi Sibeì didn’t want to leave. She tilted her head back to look up at him, her lips forming a pout. “Can’t I stay a little longer?” she pleaded.

He wasn’t deliberately trying to kick her out. “Dorm curfew is at eleven. Stay any longer, and you won’t be going back tonight.”

That suited her just fine. She blinked her large eyes hopefully. “Is that okay?”

Xi Chengnan lightly tapped her forehead with his finger, dashing her hopes. “No. Come on, get your coat.” His voice held no room for negotiation.

Xi Sibeì rubbed her forehead, stood up reluctantly, and grabbed her jacket from the sofa. As she slipped on her shoes in the entryway, a sudden thought struck her. She turned towards Shen Tingxia, who was still seated at the dining table. “Aren’t you leaving?” she asked, puzzled.

Shen Tingxia had been silently analyzing their exchange for clues about their relationship, her thoughts interrupted by Xi Sibeì’s question. Hearing it, she realized she should leave. The host was departing, and it was inappropriate for a guest to linger, especially nearing ten o’clock.

Shen Tingxia hurriedly stood up, grabbing her coat from the back of the chair. A strained smile touched her lips. “…Yes, I’m going. The hot pot was so good, I ate too much. Didn’t feel like moving for a moment there.”

While waiting for the elevator, Xi Sibeì chirped, “Come with us! My campus is nearby. He can drop you off afterwards.” She gestured towards Xi Chengnan.

Before Shen Tingxia could respond, Xi Chengnan rapped his knuckles lightly on Xi Sibeì’s head. He didn’t say a word.

Xi Sibeì yelped, “Ow!” rubbing her head and glaring at him indignantly. “What was that for?!”

Shen Tingxia watched their natural, intimate interaction. She pulled out her car keys. “No need, I drove here,” she replied coolly. Despite her excuse about delivering wine, she hadn’t touched a drop all evening.

Xi Sibeì’s eyes flickered to the Mercedes logo on the key fob. She gave Shen Tingxia a measured look but said nothing more.

The elevator doors slid open. The three stepped into the confined space. Shen Tingxia pressed the button for the first floor. Xi Chengnan pressed B2.

The silence inside the small elevator felt far more oppressive than it had in the apartment. Thankfully, it stopped on the 24th floor, and a middle-aged man carrying two bags of garbage stepped in, instantly diffusing the awkward tension.

Soon, the elevator reached the first floor. Shen Tingxia waved goodbye to the other two and stepped out with the man. He headed towards the garbage bins. Once the elevator doors closed behind them, Shen Tingxia pressed the call button again.

She hadn’t come tonight just to deliver wine. She’d planned to take a shower, ask about her mother’s illness—what precautions were needed, the chances of recurrence after surgery—and then, perhaps, enjoy some… quality time. She hadn’t expected him to have company. In all these years, it was a first.

Usually, she texted before coming over. But lately, she’d somehow forgotten a few times. Today, knowing he wasn’t the doctor on duty, she’d just come straight here.

Waiting for the elevator, she opened her WeChat contacts. She’d saved Xi Chengnan under the name “Free Male Escort.” She started typing a message: [I’ll head up by myself first.]

Before sending it, a wave of discomfort washed over her—she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. She deleted the unsent message. It shouldn’t be a problem to just go up quietly, take a quick shower, and leave, she reasoned, pressing the backspace key.

Ding—

The elevator returned. The doors opened. Shen Tingxia stepped inside just as the garbage-toting man re-entered.

He gave her a thorough once-over, then clicked his tongue disapprovingly—”Tsk tsk”—before pointedly looking away.

Shen Tingxia disliked being scrutinized like that but couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She could guess what he was thinking—a messy love triangle wasn’t exactly rare. While his misunderstanding was understandable, Shen Tingxia wasn’t feeling particularly respectful towards it at the moment…

Back on the 25th floor, Shen Tingxia unlocked her phone again, still on Xi Chengnan’s chat window. She scrolled through their history, finally locating the six-digit door code he’d given her in some forgotten corner of their messages.

She entered the code. As the door swung open, the potent smell of hot pot assaulted her senses. Delicious while eating, now that she was full, it was nauseating.

Kicking off her high heels in the entryway, Shen Tingxia walked inside. The table had been cleared by Xi Chengnan. She glanced towards the kitchen, ignoring the items piled in the sink, and went straight to the window. Pushing it open, she let the cloying scent of the meal mingle with the fresh night air.

Only then did she head to the bathroom for a shower.

Down in the B2 parking garage, Xi Chengnan started the car. Xi Sibeì immediately piped up: “Gege (Big Brother), is that sister your girlfriend?”

Xi Chengnan shot her a sidelong glance, not answering her question. “Calling me ‘Gege’ now? Earlier, you were calling me ‘Xi Chengnan’ quite fluently.”

Xi Sibeì wasn’t intimidated. She squirmed playfully in her seat. “Oh, come on, Gege! If you don’t answer, I’ll take it as a yes!”

The car pulled out of the garage. “She’s not my girlfriend,” Xi Chengnan stated flatly. He offered no further explanation about their relationship.

Xi Sibeì giggled. “Didn’t need to guess! I knew she wasn’t. You don’t even drink—what’s with the ‘delivering wine’ excuse? Besides,” she added pointedly, “you two were so cold to each other.”

Her brother wouldn’t lie to her. If he said she wasn’t his girlfriend, then she definitely wasn’t. As for what their actual relationship was, she was curious but decided not to pry.

Xi Chengnan frowned slightly at her comment. Cold?

Before he could respond, Xi Sibeì changed the subject. “Gege, have you set a time to meet that blind date Mom arranged for you?”

“I don’t have time.” He hadn’t even added her on WeChat yet.

“Are you going to meet her?”

The traffic light ahead turned red. Xi Chengnan braked. His phone chimed at the same moment. He picked it up, answering distractedly, “I’ll meet her. But there won’t be any follow-up.”

He opened his phone. It wasn’t a new message, but a friend request. It was the girl his mother had introduced. The profile picture matched, and the request message clearly stated her purpose. Xi Chengnan accepted it, added a note to her contact name, but didn’t send any greeting.

The light turned green. He placed the phone back on the console and drove on.

Streetlights cast pools of amber light under the flickering neon signs of Xipu District. The car finally reached the gates of Jiao Tong University Medical School.

Xi Sibeì unbuckled her seatbelt, said goodbye to her brother, and disappeared into the campus.

Xi Chengnan didn’t linger. He drove straight home.

Over twenty minutes had passed since he’d left. Shen Tingxia hadn’t sent him a single message. He had no idea if she was still there or not.

Her performance tonight had been full of holes—Xi Sibeì had seen right through it. He didn’t understand why she bothered pretending.

Xi Chengnan thought about calling Shen Tingxia but hesitated. What would he say? Ask where she was? Or why she’d come over tonight? Her whereabouts were her own business. And the reason for her visit… was always the same.

He answered his own questions. The call remained unmade.

Arriving home, he unlocked the door with his fingerprint.

The door swung open. Immediately, he spotted Shen Tingxia’s high heels haphazardly discarded in the entryway. Then, a weak voice drifted from the living room:

“You’re back?”