Better Than Summer: A Marriage Before Love Romance - Chapter 5

Xi Chengnan fetched the stomach medicine he commonly used from the medicine cabinet for Shen Tingxia, handing it to her along with a cup of warm water.

He confirmed again: “Really don’t need to go to the hospital?”

Shen Tingxia took the cup and the medicine, shaking her head. “No, it’s an old problem. Some medicine will do.”
After saying that, she put the pills in her mouth and swallowed them with water.

Originally, she had planned to leave quickly after showering before Xi Chengnan returned. But halfway through her shower, her stomach started feeling extremely uncomfortable. She couldn’t even stand long enough to dry her hair properly, so she had to endure the pain while crouching to finish drying it before finally sitting down on the sofa.

Shen Tingxia had a pretty good idea why her stomach was hurting.
She didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast. At noon, after buying lunch for her parents, she hurried back to the company, skipping lunch herself. Eating such spicy hotpot on an empty stomach, especially with her naturally weak stomach – no wonder she was in pain. Who else would get the stomachache?

She had actually already bought medicine from the pharmacy and was waiting for the delivery guy to bring it.
It was just that Xi Chengnan arrived first.

Xi Chengnan washed the pots and cleaned up the kitchen, then sat in the single armchair in the living room, his expression calm.

“What’s your relationship with Si Bei?” Shen Tingxia finally remembered to ask.

Hearing this, Xi Chengnan turned his head towards her, a sly smile appearing on his face. Then, he told Shen Tingxia an indisputable fact: “Xi Si Bei is my sister. My biological sister, same father and mother.”

Shen Tingxia’s pupils dilated in shock. Knowing the truth, tears nearly fell, and she felt like she wanted to die. Who could have guessed that was his sister? They looked nothing alike.
She curled up her legs, leaning back against the sofa cushion, which caused a sharp pang in her stomach. Looking up at the ceiling, she murmured a question: “Why didn’t you just say that when we first met? Why doesn’t she call you ‘brother’?”

Xi Chengnan found her look of utter despair somewhat amusing, but thinking about Xi Si Bei’s actions and his childhood with her, he ultimately didn’t laugh.
His expression turned indifferent. “Xi Si Bei lacks a sense of security in intimate relationships. She thought you were my girlfriend.”

Shen Tingxia tilted her head, her clear gaze settling on Xi Chengnan, her tone lifting slightly. “Then, am I your girlfriend?”

Xi Chengnan looked up. “Wouldn’t you know if you’re my girlfriend?”
“And Shen Tingxia, I don’t drink. All my friends know that. What were you sending me alcohol for?”

The light in Shen Tingxia’s eyes instantly dimmed. She truly hadn’t known Xi Chengnan didn’t drink. After all, their first night together had started in a bar.
She glanced at Xi Chengnan, leaned back again, and then said, “Fvck buddies probably don’t count as friends, right? So it’s normal I wouldn’t know?”
Thinking this, Shen Tingxia suddenly realized that all the lies she had just spun must have been seen through by his sister long ago.
She looked at him and asked, “So your sister knew all along that I wasn’t someone from your hospital?”
“Nonsense.” Xi Chengnan added, “Your acting is pretty bad, and you can’t even make up a decent lie.”

Shen Tingxia pursed her lips and let out a heavy sigh.
She had thought it was flawless.

After a while, the quiet living room was pierced by an urgent doorbell. Shen Tingxia said, “That should be the stomach medicine I ordered.”
Xi Chengnan got up to open the door. After getting the medicine, he returned to the sofa and casually placed the yellow paper bag on the dining table behind him.
Shen Tingxia glanced at it and asked about the important matter: “Dr. Xi, what should we watch out for with my mom’s illness? Will it recur after the surgery?”

Xi Chengnan briefly explained some precautions to Shen Tingxia. “Regular check-ups after the surgery.”
Shen Tingxia committed each point to memory.

She checked the time on her phone. It was already past eleven. She wasn’t feeling well enough for s3x. Her stomach was less painful now, and it was late; she should head home.
Shen Tingxia put her feet down. Standing up, she realized her stomach still hurt a bit, but it was much better than before.
“Dr. Xi, get some rest early. I’ll head out now.”

Over these four years, they had been to each other’s homes many times, but never once had they spent the night together. Once the necessary business was done, they would return to their own homes.
Simply put: they only got together to do it, not to sleep together.

Xi Chengnan didn’t try to keep her, but out of a doctor’s concern for his patient, he spoke calmly: “Want me to take you home?”
Shen Tingxia declined politely: “No need, it’s much better already.”

The next day at noon, after finishing her busy morning work, Shen Tingxia brought lunch to the hospital.
Her younger brother and sister were both there; she had told them that morning.

Before Shen Tingxia could even take two breaths of the antiseptic-smelling air in the ward, Qu Xianglan started nagging her: “This isn’t some major surgery for me. Why did you have to tell them? One’s busy with an internship, the other with a graduation thesis.”

Shen Tingxia frowned as she listened, immediately displeased. She pushed her hair back and retorted sharply, “You’re not just my mom, why shouldn’t they know? Yesterday you said the surgery had risks, today you say it’s not a big surgery? Mom, you can’t be so contradictory! They’re busy with internships and theses, but my job isn’t busy?”
Her voice had risen, drawing curious glances from everyone else in the ward.
Shen Tingchao and Shen Tingtang were stunned into silence, not daring to utter a word.

Shen Luying nudged Shen Tingxia’s hand hanging by her side. “Don’t talk to your mom like that.”
Shen Tingxia and Qu Xianglan stared each other down, neither willing to back down.

Suddenly, Shen Tingxia remembered what Xi Chengnan had said last night: she needed to keep her mother in a good mood.
Thinking of this, she took a deep breath herself, tossed the low-salt, low-sugar, high-protein lunch she had specially bought for her mother to Shen Tingchao, turned around, and walked out of the ward.

She stood outside the ward door, leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.
Whether it was from anger or not, her stomach was now aching faintly.

Shen Tingchao came out and stood beside her, saying cautiously, “Sis, don’t be mad at Mom.”
Shen Tingxia was irritated. Suppressing the pain, she pushed Shen Tingchao back towards the ward. “Scram, scram. I don’t want to see you right now.”
Shen Tingchao was the one with the least status in their family, afraid of offending anyone. He had no choice but to walk back into the ward, looking back every few steps.

Just as Xi Chengnan stepped out of the elevator, he witnessed the scene.
Passing Shen Tingxia, he saw her pressing on her abdomen. Speaking from a doctor’s perspective, he said, “Family member of Qu Xianglan, come to the office.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Tingxia raised her lowered head, meeting his dark eyes. Seeing him walk towards the office, she straightened up and followed him inside.

“Dr. Xi, is there something you need to tell me?” Shen Tingxia asked, her tone neither warm nor cold.

Xi Chengnan, hands in the pockets of his white coat, gestured towards her stomach with his chin. “Did you take your medicine?”
Shen Tingxia’s mind wasn’t on herself; she didn’t understand what he was asking and momentarily didn’t respond.

Though she said nothing, Xi Chengnan deduced from her reaction that she hadn’t taken the medicine.
So he pulled one hand out, bent down slightly, retrieved a box of hydrotalcite (aluminum magnesium carbonate) from his desk drawer, and held it out to her between his fingers.

Seeing the box of medicine, Shen Tingxia understood that Xi Chengnan had been asking if she’d taken her stomach medicine. She took the medicine, looked up, and stared expressionlessly at Xi Chengnan.
She didn’t take the pills immediately. Instead, she asked, “Can my mom’s surgery be moved up by two days?”
As soon as the words were out, Shen Tingxia waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind, never mind. Just follow your procedures.”

Even so, Xi Chengnan told Shen Tingxia why her mother couldn’t have the surgery immediately: “Your mom’s bl00d pressure isn’t stably controlled yet, and her platelet coagulation function is still abnormal. She needs another test tomorrow. If she meets the surgical conditions, I’ll schedule the surgery as soon as possible.”
Hearing this, Shen Tingxia shook the chewable tablets in her hand. “Thanks.”
“Go eat something.”

Shen Tingxia had already turned away, waving a hand behind her as she left the office without looking back.

She didn’t return to the ward. Standing outside her mother’s room for a while, she could hear voices inside but couldn’t make out what was being said.
After chewing two tablets, she took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to her sister:
【Be a good, filial daughter. Take good care of Mom. Don’t let her get upset again. I’m going back to work.】

As soon as Shen Tingtang received her sister’s WeChat, she spoke bluntly: “Mom, don’t talk to Sis like that anymore. You obviously don’t want to trouble your kids, but the way you say it makes it sound like you just don’t want to trouble me and Gege. It’s no wonder Sis misunderstood.”
Qu Xianglan also realized she’d misspoken, looking troubled. “Alright, alright, shut up.”

Shen Tingxia found a fast-food place near the company to eat. While eating, she suddenly remembered the water heater at home still wasn’t fixed.
She first called the repairman to ask if he had time that afternoon. Maybe because it was a weekday, the master said he could come in the afternoon.
After setting a specific time, Shen Tingxia sent another WeChat to Shen Tingchao:
【Free this afternoon?】

Shen Tingchao replied instantly:
【Meeting with my advisor this afternoon (awkward emoji)】

Seeing those words, Shen Tingxia’s temper flared instantly. She tried to calm her breathing and stabbed out a reply:
【What good are you then? (wave goodbye emoji)】

Shen Tingchao:
【Sis, what’s up? Tingtang should be free this afternoon (frowning emoji)】

Even if Shen Tingtang was free that afternoon, Shen Tingxia couldn’t possibly ask her younger sister, a young girl, to supervise a repairman fixing a water heater.
Forget it. Relying on others was useless; she had to rely on herself.
She would take an hour off work and go home to supervise herself. Better than begging others.

Anyway, the bathroom had to have hot water today. She’d been quite busy lately and didn’t want to have to go to Xi Chengnan’s place just to take a shower, let alone go through the motions of sleeping with him before going home.

Shen Tingxia didn’t reply to her brother’s WeChat. She finished her meal quickly and returned to the company.

The meeting with the head office was scheduled for 8 PM.
Shen Tingxia was long used to evening meetings.

As the time she had arranged with the repairman approached, Shen Tingxia knocked on the door of the Director’s office.
Granted permission, she stepped inside.
She sent the first draft of the PPT to the director. “Kevin, here’s the first draft. Please review it for any necessary changes. Also, I need to take an hour off.”

Shen Tingxia clearly noticed Fu Chuji’s frown when she mentioned the leave. “Taking leave again? Can you finish your work?”
“I can finish it.” Shen Tingxia cursed countless ‘mmp’s in her heart but maintained a polite smile. “I’ll skip dinner. It won’t affect the meeting.”
Although she always worked close to deadlines, she had never once let it affect her work.

When Shen Tingxia got home, the repairman was already waiting at her door.
She quickly opened the door, explained the problem to the master, led him to the kitchen, and checked the bathroom again.
After inspecting it, the master told her what the problem was. Shen Tingxia didn’t understand, so she sat nearby watching him work.
Before long, the master packed up his toolkit, saying the water heater was fixed.

Shen Tingxia thanked him politely and paid the repair fee.
Just as the master entered the elevator, Shen Tingxia received a friend request notification. Thinking it might be work-related, she casually accepted it and greeted politely:
【Hello】

Waiting for the other elevator, another message popped up on the screen, from the person she’d just added:
【Hello, I’m Cheng Qingyuan. Aunt Fan gave me your WeChat. When would you have time for us to meet?】