Chapter Thirty-Six: Clear Skies Suddenly Give Way to a Violent Storm
A County.
The small courtyard behind the rented house...
This afternoon was destined to be neither quiet nor ordinary.
Hot water streamed down Lu Kun's chest, washing away the sweat and, with it, the lingering exhaustion that followed prolonged tension and overexertion.
Lu Kun tilted his head, turning slightly to look at himself in the mirror. The corners of his mouth lifted mischievously.
"So handsome, yet I can never kiss my own face.
Alas~
How tragic.
Mwah~"
"Pfft."
Lu Kun touched his cheek, amusing himself with his own antics.
Steam drifted upward, blurring the reflection in the mirror.
A moment later...
“Liping, could you find me some clean clothes?”
Lu Kun cracked open the bathroom door and poked his head out, calling toward the living room.
Having lived alone in his previous life, Lu Kun had never formed the habit of preparing clothes before bathing. Most of the time, he was the only one at home; no matter how recklessly he played with other women outside, he never brought them back. He’d toss his dirty clothes on top of the washing machine, and by noon the next day, the cleaning lady would have them all sorted out.
Even after living a second life, he hadn’t managed to break these bad habits.
“What’s gotten into you? You never used to be like this,” Liu Liping muttered softly.
But her actions spoke louder than her words. In no time, she passed a set of clothes through the cracked door.
“Thanks! I’ll reward you with something good later,” Lu Kun beamed, his face radiant with cheer.
The afternoon sun was blazing and full.
Lu Kun leaned forward, about to pull Mrs. Liu into his arms.
“We’re an old married couple—you think I don’t know what you’re up to?” Liu Liping’s cheeks flushed as she quickly pushed him away and scampered off.
...
Lu Kun dressed and glanced at the sky outside.
“Feels like a storm’s brewing— even the cicadas have gone silent,” he murmured to himself.
...
Having just taken a hot shower, his body temperature was still high. Now that the sky had grown overcast, Lu Kun was sweating buckets.
He wiped himself down, finally feeling a bit more comfortable.
Returning to the bedroom, Lu Kun found Liu Liping already lying on the bed.
Her body was soft, curled up in his arms like a sleeping kitten, her lashes fluttering gently.
“What’s wrong? Not feeling well?” Lu Kun reached out to check her forehead, murmuring after a moment, “You don’t have a fever.”
Liu Liping’s mind was clear, but her body felt utterly powerless. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “A bit of a migraine.”
“Then have a good rest,” Lu Kun said, gently tucking the thin blanket around her.
This was something beyond his control.
Liu Liping had never fully recovered after childbirth; the hardship had left her with lingering health problems. Back then, they’d had no money to nurse her back to strength.
Now, although they had some savings, old ailments were hard to cure. She needed good food and care to gradually recover.
Looking at her soft, delicate face, Lu Kun couldn’t help but pinch her cheek.
It felt wonderfully supple.
Liu Liping’s voice was still rough, as if she were saying something.
Lu Kun couldn’t quite catch her words, so he bent closer, trying to listen.
Unexpectedly, Liu Liping suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.
Lu Kun froze for a moment, then chuckled softly.
“You don’t want me to leave?”
A blush crept over Liu Liping’s face, and after a long pause, she murmured assent.
Lu Kun glanced out the window. It was still midday, the sun beating down.
“I’ll be back soon. You rest a while—I’m going to eat something.”
He hadn’t had a single bite or drop of water since morning; his stomach was empty.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you,” Liu said softly.
Lu Kun brushed her chin, straightened up, and smoothed her hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll come right back after eating. Now that we’re not short of money, we’ll get you healthy again.”
“Mhm,” Liu Liping replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lu Kun picked up the clothes that had fallen to the floor, shook them out vigorously, and put them on.
Dressed, he glanced in the mirror.
Sky-blue shorts, a faded vest, a clean, sunny, handsome face...
It was hard not to feel a bit vain.
...
Lu Kun neatened his hair in the mirror and grinned, his dazzling white teeth bright enough to star in a toothpaste commercial.
Simple food and humble clothes, yet joy filled his heart.
His outfit might have been rustic enough to draw laughter, but nothing could mask his youthful vigor.
“How wonderful it is to be young—to have a home,” Lu Kun chuckled to himself.
There were dishes in the kitchen, prepared earlier by Liu Liping.
Because of the heat, she’d set the plates on top of the water vat, so the food wouldn’t spoil, and covered the vat to keep out dust.
The meal was delicious, with a perfect balance of meat and vegetables.
Growing up in the countryside, Liu Liping knew that a man needed hearty meals to have strength for work and to support the family.
Lu Kun was starving, eating quickly and efficiently, polishing off everything Liu had set aside for him.
“*Hic... hic...*”
He’d eaten so fast he couldn’t stop hiccuping.
For hiccups, the old-fashioned cure worked best.
Lu Kun filled a bowl with cool boiled water, gulped a large mouthful, held it in his mouth, and swallowed it in slow batches.
After repeating this several times, he finally managed to stop.
He patted his belly, feeling a bit disgruntled.
Just a few steps and the water in his stomach sloshed noisily.
...
Lu Kun strolled back to the bedroom, thinking of Liu Liping’s discomfort.
“You’re back,” Liu Liping smiled faintly, her voice gentle.
“Yeah, I was full ages ago. Just ate too fast and kept hiccuping,” Lu Kun said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
“Pfft! You’re always like a child,” Liu Liping giggled in mock annoyance.
“Well, you like it! After all these years, I’ve never heard you complain,” Lu Kun rolled his eyes and muttered.
“Sing me a song, won’t you?” Liu Liping looked at him from the bed, smiling.
“Of course,” Lu Kun replied, never one to refuse his wife’s little requests.
He realized it had been years since he’d sung to her.
“There’s a simple question: what is love? Is it a flavor, or is it gravity? From the day of my first love, it was all sweetness at first, then soon after came the storms. Love is like blue skies and white clouds, a vast clear sky—then suddenly, a violent storm.
There’s nowhere to hide, always catching you unawares. People are like someone with a serious cold, sneezing, feverish and in need of rest. Alternating between hot and cold, joy and hesitation, never tiring of it...”
...
Before Lu Kun had finished his song, Liu Liping had already drifted into a sweet slumber.
Lu Kun glanced out the window. Where moments ago the sky had been clear and blue, now dark clouds were gathering— a storm was on the way.