Chapter 18
“I wasn’t thoughtful enough,” Song Muqing said.
Lu Xuefeng didn’t think it was a big deal.
Because of their rushed marriage, they hadn’t had time to prepare rings beforehand. The custom-made rings should be ready soon, perhaps in a few days.
Besides, the marriage certificate already bound them together.
They saw each other every day, lived together, and slept in the same bed.
They didn’t need rings to prove their marital status.
“It’s alright,” Lu Xuefeng held his hand.
This weekend, he would be meeting Song Muqing’s parents.
It was a formal meeting, requiring proper preparation.
On Friday, after work, Lu Xuefeng and Song Muqing went shopping for gifts. Although Song Muqing said there was no need to buy anything, Lu Xuefeng couldn’t possibly arrive empty-handed.
So, Song Muqing told him about his parents’ preferences, giving him some options.
They planned to visit on Saturday afternoon, around dinner time.
Before that, Lu Xuefeng had plans to meet Yin Xiaoyu, who had just returned from out of town.
Yin Xiaoyu hadn’t expected Lu Xuefeng to be married by the time she returned.
During their last conversation, Lu Xuefeng had still been dissatisfied with his blind dates. They had been busy and hadn’t been in touch for a while, and suddenly, he was married.
It was so sudden.
At the afternoon tea restaurant on Saturday, Yin Xiaoyu was expressing her disbelief to Lu Xuefeng.
She had been busy and tired every day, without much time to talk about such things, and Lu Xuefeng had planned to tell her when he returned.
However, Yin Xiaoyu had found out on her own.
She had brought a souvenir for Lu Xuefeng, and since it was the weekend, she drove by his apartment building and called him to come down and get it. Lu Xuefeng had told her he had moved.
Then a strange male voice had asked on the phone, “Who is this?”
Yin Xiaoyu had wanted to ask the same question.
She pressed Lu Xuefeng, initially just wanting to gossip, assuming he was seeing someone. Lu Xuefeng had calmly and casually announced, “I’m married.”
It took Yin Xiaoyu a while to process this.
Finally, she said, “Let me see a photo.”
Lu Xuefeng showed her the photo of their marriage certificate.
“He’s handsome,” Yin Xiaoyu examined the photo carefully. Considering his sudden marriage and his previous pickiness with blind dates, she narrowed her eyes and asked, “Are you obsessed with looks?”
Lu Xuefeng didn’t answer.
“You two look well-matched,” Yin Xiaoyu smiled, returning his phone and taking a sip of juice. “You’re treating me today. Let me share in your joy.”
“Alright.”
Lu Xuefeng agreed. After a while, he realized Yin Xiaoyu hadn’t asked much about Song Muqing, accepting the news readily.
“Don’t you have any questions? About him?”
“What should I ask?” Yin Xiaoyu scooped up a spoonful of cake, knowing full well, “You must be tired of answering those questions.”
Such a significant event would naturally arouse curiosity.
Yin Xiaoyu said seriously, “Since he’s someone you chose, I should trust your judgment. He must have qualities you admire for you to be willing to marry him.”
Yin Xiaoyu was highly talented in dance, but her personal life was quite different from Lu Xuefeng’s, more carefree and casual.
However, in matters like this, she understood Lu Xuefeng well.
After all, they had known each other for many years.
Lu Xuefeng didn’t deny it.
“Are you used to married life?”
“It’s alright. I’m still adjusting,” Lu Xuefeng replied.
Yin Xiaoyu nodded. Entering married life without a foundation of romantic love would require some adjustment.
Hearing that Song Muqing worked at Z University, Yin Xiaoyu suddenly realized she could probably find his information on the university website.
During a pause in their conversation, she searched the official website.
Scrolling through the faculty directory, she quickly found Song Muqing’s name and his teaching information.
“Well, I have to say, your professor looks quite…” Yin Xiaoyu looked at his official photo, trailing off mid-sentence.
“What?” Lu Xuefeng raised an eyebrow.
Yin Xiaoyu showed him the photo on her phone.
Song Muqing in the photo looked similar to how he looked now, but his hair was neatly styled, he was wearing a white shirt and thin-rimmed glasses, and his demeanor was composed.
Yin Xiaoyu searched for the right word. “He has a rather… alluring aura.”
This word coincided with what Lu Xuefeng had thought earlier.
“He has that aura when he’s dressed formally.”
“Indeed,” Yin Xiaoyu nodded in agreement, then added with a smile, “But isn’t that the popular type now? He must be very popular with the students.”
Lu Xuefeng hadn’t thought about this and didn’t care. “Perhaps.”
They continued chatting about his marriage. From Lu Xuefeng’s descriptions, Yin Xiaoyu formed an indirect impression of Song Muqing.
She could roughly imagine what kind of person he was.
Yin Xiaoyu stirred the ice in her glass with her straw, resting her chin on her hand.
She suddenly thought of something, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I heard that people who seem aloof are actually quite… passionate. Is that true, Director Lu?”
Lu Xuefeng replied casually, “He’s quite good.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Yin Xiaoyu knew he hadn’t understood her implication.
“Then…?” Lu Xuefeng looked up, meeting her knowing gaze, and suddenly understood.
He took a sip of water, looking away uncomfortably. “How would I know?”
“How could you not know?” Yin Xiaoyu countered, puzzled. “You’re married!”
Yin Xiaoyu chuckled, saying they were both adults.
With such good looks, they would surely be… intimate.
“We haven’t,” Lu Xuefeng simply stated, dismissing the topic.
“Oh, you haven’t… moved in together?”
Yin Xiaoyu expressed her understanding.
“…Not that either.”
Lu Xuefeng found this explanation troublesome.
Now Yin Xiaoyu was even more confused.
Lu Xuefeng avoided her gaze, saying uncomfortably, “We haven’t… done anything.”
Yin Xiaoyu drew out an “Oh,” a knowing look on her face.
She didn’t seem to believe him.
“Really,” Lu Xuefeng insisted.
Yin Xiaoyu clicked her tongue. “You’re with such a handsome man, and you haven’t…?”
Lu Xuefeng remained calm, shaking his head.
Although they had been intimate at times, they hadn’t crossed any lines.
Lu Xuefeng had good self-control and could suppress inappropriate thoughts.
Yin Xiaoyu mentally lamented this wasted opportunity.
“Asexual,” she pointed at Lu Xuefeng, summarizing it in three words, then said seriously, “Compatibility is important in a marriage, right?”
She didn’t specify what kind of compatibility, whether personality or something else, but they both understood.
Lu Xuefeng glanced at her, not wanting to respond.
He hadn’t even considered such things.
“Just a friendly reminder,” Yin Xiaoyu gave him a knowing look.
“No need,” Lu Xuefeng quickly shut down the inappropriate topic, not wanting to delve further.
He wasn’t driven by desire.
So, most of the time, he truly hadn’t had such thoughts.
It seemed Song Muqing might be the same.
They had shared a bed these past few nights without any intimate contact.
Moreover, Song Muqing had always been respectful, always seeking his consent before any slightly intimate gesture.
He acted like a gentleman.
Song Muqing seemed like someone with high standards for relationships.
They were simply living together, not deeply in love; there shouldn’t be any physical intimacy.
As Lu Xuefeng was thinking this, his phone rang.
It was Song Muqing.
Yin Xiaoyu naturally saw this, nudging him. “Your husband.”
Lu Xuefeng ignored her teasing expression and answered the call.
“Are you done chatting?” Song Muqing asked.
“Almost.”
Lu Xuefeng’s ears felt warm, perhaps because he had just been thinking about intimate matters related to Song Muqing, and now he was calling, making him feel slightly self-conscious.
“Okay,” Song Muqing paused. “Then I’ll come pick you up. It’s getting late, and we should head to my parents’ house.”
“Alright,” Lu Xuefeng agreed.
Song Muqing asked him to send the address.
Lu Xuefeng ended the call and sent him the location of the tea restaurant.
“Is he urging you to go home?” Yin Xiaoyu asked with a smile.
“We’re going to meet his parents.”
“I see.”
This was important, and Yin Xiaoyu naturally wouldn’t delay them.
She handed him the souvenir she had brought. “There’s only one, so don’t blame me for not preparing anything for your professor.”
“Of course not.”
Lu Xuefeng accepted it, appreciating the gesture.
Yin Xiaoyu wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She hadn’t finished her food and also wanted to meet Lu Xuefeng’s husband.
So, she waited with him, chatting briefly.
Ten minutes later, Song Muqing messaged Lu Xuefeng, saying he had arrived.
Lu Xuefeng bid Yin Xiaoyu farewell, paid the bill, and went outside to meet Song Muqing.
Through the clean glass windows of the restaurant, Yin Xiaoyu saw Song Muqing, Lu Xuefeng’s husband, for the first time.
His features were even more striking in person.
He was tall, with a good physique and posture.
He stood there wearing his glasses, the silver rims glinting in the sunlight.
His expression softened when he saw Lu Xuefeng, his gaze fixed on him.
As Lu Xuefeng approached, Song Muqing looked through the window, offering Yin Xiaoyu a polite smile.
Yin Xiaoyu smiled back, a gesture of goodwill.
Then they got into the car and left.
Yin Xiaoyu remained seated, shifting to a more relaxed posture.
Although Song Muqing had been polite and gentle, she could still sense a slight aloofness.
He seemed like a refined gentleman, well-mannered, but also distant.
This was normal.
Yin Xiaoyu recalled their previous conversation.
Lu Xuefeng hadn’t been interested, but was it true for Song Muqing as well?
Moreover, facing someone like Lu Xuefeng, Song Muqing had remained composed, seemingly without any desire.
The problem couldn’t be with just one person.
Yin Xiaoyu poked at the melting ice in her glass, filled with suspicion.
She looked down at her phone and started searching.
Five minutes later, Lu Xuefeng’s phone buzzed as he was talking to Song Muqing in the car. A new message popped up from Yin Xiaoyu, containing a link:
“How to Treat Asexuality: 5 Ways to Reignite Your Passion!”
