Chapter 41: Thoughts on Marriage? A Journey of Love

“…”

A passionate, quiet night slowly passed.

The first time they confirmed their relationship, sharing the same room and bed, directly opened a new, enticing chapter.

The next day, it was still the same routine—combing hair, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and leaving together with sticky sweetness.

At school, before class.

The homeroom teacher stood at the podium and shouted, “Those who haven’t entered the classroom, hurry up. This period, we’re having class in the computer lab. There’s official business to handle.”

“Ah? Official business? What kind of official business?” A girl asked.

The homeroom teacher smiled and said:

“To familiarize you with the process of filling out your volunteer applications.”

“During the process, you can also think carefully. If your grades are good enough, you might get into your ideal school. So, what kind of job do you want to do in the future? What kind of profession?”

“With graduation approaching, these are things you must think about seriously. Your fate is in your own hands…”

The homeroom teacher continued encouraging them from the front.

Meanwhile, Lin Qingya was whispering to Cheng Minghao.

She turned to Cheng Minghao on her right and asked, “Cheng Minghao, what do you want to do after graduation?”

Cheng Minghao answered, “Military Enlistment!”

“Ah?! Military Enlistment?”

Lin Qingya was surprised, scratching her head, and asked:

“We just got together, and you’re enlisting after graduation?”

Cheng Minghao suddenly fell silent.

He had decided on enlisting before confirming his relationship with Lin Qingya.

At that time, they were both orphans, and going straight to university after graduation wasn’t an option.

So working first was necessary.

As Cheng Minghao fell silent, the surrounding classmates overheard and couldn’t resist gossiping.

They shouted in surprise, louder than expected:

“What? You two are together?!”

Classmates from the front and back turned their heads, leaning in to question Lin Qingya and Cheng Minghao closely.

The commotion grew, and because the voices were a bit too loud, the teacher on the podium frowned.

The homeroom teacher couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on?!”

Hearing the question, Cheng Minghao quickly glanced at the four classmates around him, hoping they’d help keep it secret.

After ‘settling’ the four classmates, Cheng Minghao finally explained to the homeroom teacher on the podium:

“Teacher, class hasn’t started yet. We were just discussing what to do after graduation. Sorry for interrupting.”

Upon hearing Cheng Minghao’s words, the homeroom teacher only frowned.

But he felt that Cheng Minghao’s explanation made sense, since it was still before class.

He just nodded, then urged the students to get moving.

He urged everyone to quickly head to the computer lab to practice filling out volunteer applications.

—

“…Let’s go!”

Lin Qingya was silent at first, her mind full of thoughts about Cheng Minghao leaving her.

But she still took the initiative to hold Cheng Minghao’s hand, causing the surrounding classmates to glance at them with eyes and mouths full of smiles and blessings.

“Mm!”

Cheng Minghao glanced at Lin Qingya’s hand holding his right, then moved with her to the right side of the desk.

The two of them left their seats, squeezed into the crowd, and followed the other students towards the computer lab.

Inside the computer lab.

The teacher was at the front, chattering away, explaining how to open websites and webpages.

Students like Lin Qingya and Cheng Minghao, who rarely used computers, listened intently, hardly ever distracted.

When the teacher was almost done, Lin Qingya and Cheng Minghao started to fill out their volunteer applications.

Of course, the two of them sat squeezed together.

Just from the way they held hands coming over, the classmates knew they were already together, so naturally, they gave them some space.

“Hey!”

Lin Qingya leaned toward Cheng Minghao on her right and whispered, “Are you really going to choose…”

Halfway through, she paused and changed her words:

“Click here and open this browser.”

After speaking, Lin Qingya turned to open her own browser.

Cheng Minghao’s computer mouse had been moving toward the blue browser icon.

But because of Lin Qingya’s unfinished sentence, his hand froze, and the mouse hovered over the blue icon on the desktop.

He didn’t click, just hovering there in a daze.

After a while, or perhaps a long time, Cheng Minghao shook his head and sighed, not daring to look at what Lin Qingya was filling out on the left.

He just opened the interface, hesitating at the bottom of the page among other windows.

After thinking for a long time, he hesitantly and slowly typed the four words: Military Enlistment.

After entering it, Cheng Minghao leaned back against the desk behind him, waiting for a long time until Lin Qingya on the left spoke.

“Finished?!”

“…Mm…”

Cheng Minghao was silent at first, then responded softly, then fell silent again.

Finally, he turned his head to the left, looking at Lin Qingya’s volunteer application panel.

He saw that Lin Qingya had chosen a ‘Performing Arts’ related school.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Minghao asked in confusion:

“For your first choice, you could try the adjustment program for a Kyoto school. As long as you select it, even if your score just barely meets the threshold, there’s a chance to be transferred into the ‘Performance’ major.”

“Why? Do you prefer this school? Did you look up its history?”

Cheng Minghao stared at the screen, temporarily ignoring the issue of whether tuition would be enough.

One, it was just a mock application, and two…

Cheng Minghao seriously looked at Lin Qingya.

Secondly, maybe he could support her.

Lin Qingya pressed her lips together, glanced at the school name on the screen, then turned to explain to Cheng Minghao:

“I checked. Kyoto schools are excellent, but this one… They often have connections with the military.”

“Many graduates, even interns, can go to the military to perform arts. So…”

Lin Qingya’s gaze shifted to Cheng Minghao’s computer screen.

The words displayed on the screen were simple: Military Enlistment!

And through the school’s internship program, there might be opportunities to choose a military district, or discuss with teachers about connecting with senior students, and maybe she could transfer to Cheng Minghao’s unit.

Even though romance wasn’t allowed in the military, no intimate moments allowed.

But if she could occasionally see Cheng Minghao once or twice a week, rather than spending one, two, three, or four years longing from afar…

Then Lin Qingya would be satisfied.

She could quietly wait for Cheng Minghao to come…

Come and marry her.

Suddenly, Lin Qingya’s pretty face turned red, and she buried her face into her arms on the desk.

Her legs clamped tightly together, her whole body trembling, extremely embarrassed by her own thoughts of marriage.

This was just too embarrassing.

Seeing Lin Qingya’s explanation, her actions, her expression—

Cheng Minghao realized Lin Qingya was shy and mortified.

But he ‘knew’ the source of her embarrassment.

Lin Qingya was doing this for him, not wanting to interfere with his choices or dreams, so she chose to change herself, to willingly apply for a performing arts school one tier lower.

It was in order to actively pursue love, to get closer to him, that Lin Qingya made her choice and now felt so bashful.

Thinking of this, Cheng Minghao couldn’t help but smile inside and out, a sweet feeling blooming in his heart.

He couldn’t help but lower his head, using the large screen and body of the computer as cover, and taking advantage of the teacher’s attention being elsewhere.

He leaned close to Lin Qingya.

Their waists and hips were pressed together, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Right as some classmates covered their mouths, about to squeal.

Cheng Minghao leaned into Lin Qingya’s ear, even gently kissing her burning red earlobe, and whispered:

“It’s so good to have you.”

“Mmwu~”

Lin Qingya made an ambiguous sound, her cheeks and body still burning, too embarrassed to show her face.

Even exposed under the needle-prick stares of classmates, even though her situation made her feel even more flustered—

Just the thought of wanting to marry made her want to hide from the world.

‘But…’

Lin Qingya, waist embraced by her boyfriend, suddenly let her thoughts scatter.

Her intentions were good, but…

Lin Qingya glanced to the right, feeling Cheng Minghao’s cheek rubbing against hers, and even stealing a gentle kiss.

She didn’t dare move too much, just blushing, afraid the teacher would discover them stealing kisses in class.

Lin Qingya thought: ‘If I fail the entrance exam for my major, or can’t find or enter the military district or unit where Cheng Minghao is stationed, then I…’

“Would I still be willing to wait for you?”

Lin Qingya unconsciously spoke aloud, making Cheng Minghao puzzled.

“Mm?”

Cheng Minghao questioned, “Are you saying four years of university is too long? You don’t want to wait for me?”