Milady's Fine Gentleman 155 NO SUCH THING AS FREE LUNCH 2

It was a Saturday morning. Xue Jinxu, Chen Linyun and Mo Wenbin woke up early at around six in the morning for their morning jog. They were gathered near the playground in the apartment complex's grounds.

"Wenbin, wait!" Xue Jinxu cried out while waving her right arm. Mo Wenbin went so far ahead already, while Chen Linyun was right behind her, observing and watching her closely.

Xue Jinxu's body had recovered already from her recent miscarriage. As advised by the doctor, they have to lead a healthy lifestyle to control and temper their emotional outburst. That's the only thing that needed healing – their emotional health – especially Xue Jinxu's.

These past days, the lady had regained her usual confident self. However, there were times when she would succumb into silence or would stare blankly into space or simply zone out even in the middle of doing something. She would snap out of it eventually, but the sparkle in her eyes would usually lose its luster afterwards.

One Saturday morning they were on their morning jog and everything seemed to be going quite well.

After completing a few laps around the perimeter of the apartment complex, Xue Jinxu rested at their starting point, the playground. She panted while wiping sweat from her forehead, face and neck. Chen Linyun joined her a few seconds after and drank water, while Mo Wenbin was still encircling the apartment complex.

It was around seven in the morning. While the Chen couple was catching their breaths, another couple sauntering by the playground passed them by. They were pushing a stroller and inside was an adorable baby. Just after passing them, the baby in the stroller cried. The mother went to fetch the baby and tried to comfort it in her arms. The father dug into the bag and fetched a bottle of milk. They were too busy with their baby that they were oblivious of their environment.

All this while, Xue Jinxu's eyes were glued to the family of three. Without knowing it, her tears started to flow freely while staring at them quietly and unmovingly. Chen Linyun was observing her, his own face twisted with anguish, but he, too, did not utter a word. During these distressed times, one would realize that silence sometimes was most helpful and most comforting, and breaking it would also mean breaking the comfort that it provides, although that silence also meant tolerating something that should be rectified, and evading from something that should be confronted.

Despite the positive changes and the successful recovery of Xue Jinxu's body, ever since their last talk about their own participation in the miscarriage, the Chen couple's relationship had not been the same. For one, and the most obvious, was that their intimacy as couple had been severely affected. Xue Jinxu had been adamant into getting too close to Chen Linyun. The husband tried to be understanding, but it's starting to become a big concern for him. It had posed questions and doubts whether his proximity to her did not offer the same and usual security it had before, rather it might have possibly even caused Xue Jinxu some sort of discomfort.

It seemed to Chen Linyun that they were drifting apart.

Just like now, when Xue Jinxu's crying at the sight of a happy family, which they had been deprived of, Chen Linyun was not so sure how to comfort her. Before, his warm embrace would have settled it. But now… it might startle her even more. He could not touch Xue Jinxu so readily.

He extended his left hand towards the wife, and proceeded in gingerly rubbing the back of his index finger on her arm. "Jinxu…"

The lady jerked and turned to him. She slowly smiled, while roughly wiping the tears on her face. "I'm fine, sorry. Hehe."

"I've rested enough, gotta run again." She said while starting off on her jog.

Chen Linyun sighed. Soon after he resumed his jog as well. They rejoined Mo Wenbin. The three of them exchanged jokes occasionally and were even laughing at it. However, even Mo Wenbin could sense the difference.

"What's wrong with you two? Did you have a fight?" Mo Wenbin asked Chen Linyun when they headed back inside.

"No." Chen Linyun answered curtly, his brows knitted together.

Mo Wenbin just tapped his cousin's shoulder. "You'll get through this." He said.

"I hope so." Chen Linyun retorted, still full of hopes in their marriage. They've just started out their marriage, and had not even reached their first anniversary. This was just a test. It couldn't be all smiles and happiness, all rainbows and butterflies. He knew it very well, coming from a broken family. He didn't want theirs to end the same. He didn't want theirs to end for all he cares.

However, he felt something was amiss. Every single day, the two was growing farther apart. Their interactions were becoming more and more out of habit. Every single day, Chen Linyun's heart sank a little bit deeper towards the ocean's bed. As for Xue Jinxu, he could not tell what's going on in her mind. He could only respect her silence.

For outsiders, they wouldn't have noticed it because the Chen couple had been extremely cooperative, and in sync with each other. Both were still all smiles toward the other, and both were harmoniously living under one roof.

However, to those who knew them, it's easy to pinpoint that there's something wrong despite the sweet façade. They weren't really fighting, but their hearts seemed becoming colder towards each other. They were all smiles, but they weren't touching. They were harmoniously living with each other, without being in each other's way. There were no healthy conflicts, no way of showing that the other still cares. For those close to them, like Xue Guangxi and Mo Wenbin, seeing them this way only brought sadness. Their story had been nothing but inspiring. However now, it looked like it was taking a turn towards the other path.

"Chen Linyun." Xue Jinxu called him one night, after quietly eating their dinner. Xue Jinxu served them newly brewed tea. "Darling, I thing we have to talk." She said with such seriousness that made Chen Linyun's heart skip a beat.

Chapter end

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