Cheng Jiu
Breakfast was a local specialty. Xin Gan had been lactose intolerant since childhood and couldn't consume dairy products, so she asked the landlady for a cup of warm water to drink.
Xin Gan wasn't in a hurry. She had time and patience.
The temperature difference between day and night was huge. The sun was scorching during the day, but the temperature dropped by more than twenty degrees at night. Even Xin Gan couldn't handle such a drastic change in temperature. After a few days, she caught a cold.
Her voice was hoarse and she couldn't speak. She also had a cough, a headache, and felt dizzy. All she wanted to do was sleep.
She didn't know that when she woke up, there would be someone else in the room.
Someone she had only seen in photos.
It was Cheng Jiu.
Cheng Jiu came in the afternoon. He had just finished his business and had some free time.
Xiao Shi said that she had been staying in the inn for the past few days and hadn't gone anywhere. When he came over and saw her pale face, he realized she wasn't feeling well.
"Is it water poisoning or a fever?"
The man's voice was deep and rich, with a magnetic quality. His accent was pure, and it was obvious he wasn't from around here. Like her, he was from Yongcheng.
Xin Gan subconsciously checked her attire. She had changed into a comfortable outfit before going to bed, but now her collar was wide open, revealing a lot. She instinctively pulled the collar tighter and pulled the blanket up to her chest.
The man noticed her actions and chuckled, saying, "Don't worry. I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of others when they're vulnerable. We'll do it properly after we get the marriage certificate."
His words were so straightforward that she didn't know how to react.
And they were full of wildness.
Xin Gan bit her lip. Her voice was like a out-of-tune violin, rough and harsh. She said, "We're not married yet."
"But isn't it almost time?" Cheng Jiu reminded her. "You came to find me, wasn't it to cultivate feelings before marriage?"
On the surface, that was true. That was what both families hoped for, which was why they sent her to Beiyu to find Cheng Jiu.
But when Cheng Jiu said it, there was a hint of mockery.
Her throat suddenly itched, and she couldn't help but cough a few times, making her face even paler.
Cheng Jiu walked over and naturally placed his hand on her forehead. His expression darkened as he said, "You have a fever."
Xin Gan started coughing again, unable to stop.
Cheng Jiu simply picked her up from the bed. She tried to struggle, but given their current status, she felt that struggling would be too melodramatic. However, she couldn't accept such an intimate gesture from a man she had just met. Her face turned cold, and she couldn't help but say, "Put me down. I can walk by myself."
Cheng Jiu didn't let go. She couldn't win against him and sighed in her heart, giving up. But she didn't want to go out in her pajamas. Just as she was about to speak, he asked, "Did you bring a thick coat?"
She nodded.
"Where is it?"
"In the suitcase. Put me down. I can get it myself."
Xin Gan had done her research on the temperature difference in Beiyu before coming here and had specially prepared several thick coats.
Cheng Jiu, being a grown man, didn't want to rummage through a girl's private suitcase, even if this girl was his betrothed since childhood.
Yes, the Xin and Cheng families had arranged a child marriage.
He had known about Xin Gan's existence since childhood, but Xin Gan had been sent abroad to study and they never had the chance to meet. The families weren't in a hurry and thought it was fine to arrange a meeting when they grew up.
Before today, Xin Gan had never met Cheng Jiu.
But they were both aware of each other's existence.
Cheng Jiu took out a cigarette and stared at Xin Gan, who was rummaging through the suitcase in a disheveled state. She was very thin, with a slender waist that seemed to be breakable if he applied a little force.