After (27)

Xu Jiamu turned his head, with the phone to his ear, and stared out at the bright sunshine outside for a long while, before slowly telling Lu Jinnian, "I want to get married."

Like still water, he sounded poised when he said this, without a hint of emotion. On the other hand, when those words fell in Lu Jinnian's ears, he felt like an unexpected, and incomparably violent, thunder had struck.

He paused for about three whole minutes, then asked, "Get married to who? I've tried urging you so many times in the past, but you always avoided the topic. Why are you now suddenly thinking about marriage? Did something happen..."

"Nothing happened." Though Lu Jinnian's tone of voice was as flat and cold as usual, it made Xu Jiamu clearly feel worried. He couldn't say why, but he became a little upset. With a deep breath, he composed himself and continued, "I don't know who... but I don't want to continue to live like this on my own."