At first, Liang Chengmin didn't understand what Luan Mingrui meant. Not until he stood up and began undoing the buttons of his shirt did it suddenly dawn on her.
She scrambled to the corner of the bed, pointing a finger at him. "Stay away from me! Who wants to study you!"
"Then I'll study you. You teach me."
Luan Mingrui didn't know either. A few days earlier, someone had slipped him some magazines from Hong Kong and told him to study up on his own. He had flipped through them and gotten a rough idea of what was involved, but he'd decided it wasn't much use. He was about to have the real thing, so why bother looking at pictures?
"Who wants to teach you!" Liang Chengmin's heart was pounding. Wasn't the wedding night supposed to be simple, the lights go out and things just happen? Why was he turning it into some kind of anatomy lesson? Trust Luan Mingrui to make the whole thing terrifying.
Luan Mingrui tossed his shirt aside, revealing a clean white undershirt beneath it. His body was good to look at, far better than Liang Chengmin's anatomy model.
He climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged facing her. "Liang Chengmin, come here."
"No."
"Coward. Is this how you treat your patients? The moment they take off their clothes, you run?"
"...You're the coward. And you're not a patient."
"Don't you always ask me, 'Is something wrong with you?' Well, I'm a patient. Come here. I need you to examine me. Otherwise you don't deserve to be called a doctor."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Seeing how fiercely she was arguing back, Luan Mingrui knew she wasn't nervous anymore. He reached over and turned off the light, then moved closer, trapping her completely in the corner. In the dark, his hand found hers and pressed it against his face.
His face was hot. Liang Chengmin tried to pull her hand back, but he wouldn't let her.
He turned his head slightly to kiss her palm, then her wrist, and then pressed her fingertips against his throat. "This is my Adam's apple."
"This is my shoulder." He guided her hand across it in the dark. His shoulders were broad, his collarbones well shaped and evenly set.
"This is my chest... what do you call these parts in medicine?" When Liang Chengmin's hand touched his chest, his muscles tensed. Her hand felt scalded, and the next moment he pulled her into his arms.
In the dark, their breaths mingled.
"Liang Chengmin, why aren't you talking? Weren't you supposed to have a sharp tongue?" Luan Mingrui turned his head and caught her lips, gently. He guided her hand lower, bit by bit. "Should we study this too?"
Liang Chengmin didn't know if all men talked as shamelessly as Luan Mingrui did. Her hand felt scalded again, and her heart skipped. Ever the diligent student, she really did move her hand up and down, taking it all in.
Luan Mingrui liked how eager she was to learn, and he pulled her closer into his arms.
After some time, he said, "All right, now it's my turn to study you."
His hand rested on her shoulder, then slowly moved to her collar, his fingertips finding the buttons. Liang Chengmin caught his hand and finally spoke. "I'll guide you through it."
Luan Mingrui froze for a moment, then laughed in the dark. Liang Chengmin was so much fun. How could she be so adorable?
He gave his hand over to her and let her lead the way.
Liang Chengmin pressed his hand to her own face, and Luan Mingrui's lips followed wherever their hands went. Her breathing grew quicker and quicker. After years of studying medicine, this was the most thorough body of research she had ever done.
Neither of them had any idea what they were doing, and they fumbled through the whole night in a flustered mess. When they opened their eyes again, one of them was bright eyed and refreshed, the other utterly worn out.
The moment their eyes met, everything from the night before came rushing back.
Their first time hadn't gone well, because Luan Mingrui hadn't known what he was doing.
He didn't know, but he wasn't discouraged, the same way he approached business: lose a little money now, make it back later in a big way. Just as Liang Chengmin thought the body of research was finished, he began exploring on his own. He was far too eager to learn, and far too gentle, and he explored every inch of her thoroughly. At one point Liang Chengmin couldn't help but make a sound, and he stopped it, whispering in her ear, "I don't want anyone else to hear."
When she couldn't hold back, he used his lips and tongue to silence her, catching every sound in her throat.
Liang Chengmin liked it.
When she went back to visit her family, her mother asked her quietly, in a roundabout way, "Is Mingrui... good to you?"
"Speaking from an anatomical standpoint, certain of his organs are larger than average," Liang Chengmin answered earnestly.
That was how their days went.
The two of them bickered every day, and neither ever came out ahead. But no matter who was angry with whom, as long as Luan Mingrui was around, he still picked her up and dropped her off at work, rain or shine.
He bought her a women's bicycle, but whenever he was around, he wouldn't let her ride it. He preferred her riding on the back of his own bicycle while they moved through the small city together. When they'd been fighting, Liang Chengmin sat on the back seat without touching his waist; when they hadn't, she'd wrap her arms around him and rest her face against his back.
Their first real fight broke out when Liang Chengmin went to the provincial capital for further training.
She hadn't expected to run into her old classmate, Fu Bo.
Back in school, people used to say Fu Bo had feelings for her, though she'd never noticed. The two of them used to spend a lot of time together at the library, and Fu Bo often helped her with her studies. To Liang Chengmin, he had only ever been her study partner.
Meeting an old classmate again brought a certain warmth, and after class they arranged to go out with a few others for dinner. At the table, everyone agreed that Liang Chengmin getting married was cause for celebration and suggested a few drinks. She was happy too, and agreed.
They started drinking, small sips at first, but as the mood picked up, they let loose.
Luan Mingrui had stopped in the provincial capital on his way through to see her. His cousin lived nearby and wanted to treat them to a meal. The two of them waited a long time outside her dormitory, until finally a drunk woman was helped back by another man.
Luan Mingrui had never been this angry in his life.
When he was angry, he was anything but a gentleman.
"Liang Chengmin, is this what you call studying?" He took her from the man's arms. Fu Bo, not knowing who he was, asked, "And you are?"
"I'm asking you! Who am I?" Luan Mingrui pulled Liang Chengmin over, making her introduce him to Fu Bo. Leaning against him, she said to Fu Bo, "My husband."
Luan Mingrui caught the flash of disappointment that crossed Fu Bo's face. "If you're here to study, then study," he said. "Is going out drinking with men and women mixed together part of the curriculum? And why is it that none of the female classmates could walk her back, only you? What exactly are your intentions?"
"What are you saying!" Liang Chengmin had sobered up a little. She pulled at his sleeve. "You can't talk like that!"
"How am I talking? Should I wait until I catch the two of you together in your dormitory before I get to say anything?"
"Luan Mingrui!"
"Don't you dare call my name! Go on, go drink!"
Luan Mingrui handed Liang Chengmin off to his cousin and walked away.
He hated this about Liang Chengmin. In front of him, she was always defiant, but in front of others she put on a face of sensible, well-behaved obedience.
Liang Chengmin came home three days later.
When she got home, Luan Mingrui was reading. She set her luggage on the table and said to him, "Apologize to me."
"Apologize for what?"
"You insulted my classmate, my friend, and you insulted me too. Apologize."
Liang Chengmin thought Luan Mingrui had been unreasonable, saying those things in front of everyone and humiliating her.
"So it's fine for you to drink with other men, and I'm the one at fault for catching you at it? Something's wrong with you, Liang Chengmin!"
"You slandered me. You need to apologize!"
"What the hell did I do wrong!"
"You're swearing! You're vulgar! You slandered me! If you won't apologize, I'll divorce you!"
Liang Chengmin had been stubborn since childhood. Whenever she felt wronged, she had to argue her case to the end, and it didn't matter who she was up against, she would never back down. That was how she saw it: Luan Mingrui had to apologize, and if he didn't, she would divorce him.
Luan Mingrui nodded. "Divorce, then? When?"
"Tomorrow!"
"Fine."
Luan Mingrui put on his coat and headed for the door. Liang Chengmin called after him. "Where are you going? If anyone's leaving, it should be me, this is your house!"
She picked up her bags and stormed out the door, all the way back to her mother's house. Her mother looked surprised to see her and asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing."
Liang Chengmin decided to give Luan Mingrui one more chance. If he came to apologize the next morning, she wouldn't go through with the divorce. She didn't even need to wait until the next day; her resolve was already wavering.
Early the next morning, Luan Mingrui came and stood outside her family's door, waiting, without going in.
Liang Chengmin came out and asked him, "Do you have all the paperwork?"
"All of it. Let's go."
In the past, whenever Luan Mingrui bickered with Liang Chengmin, he never really got angry. She mattered to him, and he could never bring himself to truly fight with her. But this time was different. She had gone drinking with another man, let that man walk her back to her dormitory, and then demanded that he apologize. Luan Mingrui couldn't get past that. He would rather divorce her.
His expression was cold, and he didn't even look at Liang Chengmin. "Let's hurry up. I have things to do after this."
Liang Chengmin walked beside him, stealing glances at him again and again, but he never noticed. A sudden wave of sadness came over her, and with reddened eyes, she crouched down. "My stomach hurts."
"Go home and rest after we're done."
"I can't walk anymore. We'll go another day."
"Fine." Luan Mingrui turned and walked away.
Liang Chengmin went home, packed up her things for work, and thinking of how resolute Luan Mingrui had been, she suddenly felt that he didn't actually love her at all. He had simply wanted to find someone to marry.
Liang Chengmin began to dwell on it obsessively. After work she'd go straight home and hole up in her room, waiting for Luan Mingrui to do as he used to, tossing pebbles at her window to call her outside so the two of them could wander the dark corners of the small city together.
Luan Mingrui disappeared for several days.
One day at noon, Liang Chengmin went home to get something and saw him standing by the road talking to a woman. The woman wore a dress rarely seen in those days, with two large earrings, looking thoroughly modern. Liang Chengmin walked over and called out to him. "Where are you off to?"
"I'm having dinner with a friend later."
"What friend?"
Luan Mingrui pointed at the young woman. "A female friend." Then he asked Liang Chengmin, "Are you free now? I could go take care of the paperwork with you first, then go to dinner."
Luan Mingrui wasn't interested in playing the gentleman anymore. Liang Chengmin had cost him whole nights of sleep, and she was trying to force him to back down, so he wouldn't. If she wanted a divorce that badly, then fine, let her have one.
Liang Chengmin nodded. "Fine. Wait for me."
She went back for the paperwork, but after turning the whole place upside down, she couldn't find her household registration or marriage certificate. She asked her mother, "Mom, have you seen my things?"
"What things?"
"My marriage certificate."
"Your father took it to register something. He said it'd be a few days before he could bring it back. Why do you need it?"
"No reason."
Liang Chengmin went back outside and found Luan Mingrui still waiting there.
"My father took my paperwork to register something. It won't be back for a few days."
"If you don't want to divorce, just say so." Luan Mingrui said to her, "If you don't want a divorce, we can just muddle through. You go drink your drinks, I'll eat my meals, and we won't bother each other."
"Luan Mingrui!" Liang Chengmin shouted, and the tears followed right after. She had never cried like this before; he had pushed her too far.
"Why are you calling my name? Do we even know each other?"
Perhaps she had been pushed past her limit, because everything went dark before her eyes, and she collapsed.