ALL NOVEL
Chapter 199
The bustle outside the camp gradually died down. After everyone finished their late night snacks and ended a day of hard work, they crawled into their own tents to rest.
Song JinXing kissed Zhong Ruanxing's tightly pursed lips and said softly, "Let me take you to wash up. It's very late, you should sleep."
Zhong Ruanxing wasn't sleepy at all, but still nodded and followed him to wash up.
The living conditions are always harsh when filming outdoors. Song JinXing let her wait in the tent and went to fetch hot water in a basin. It was still very cold in the mountains in early spring. The crew had arranged for special staff to provide hot water for everyone's daily use.
After Zhong Ruanxing finished washing up, the entire camp had already quieted down. The air mattress bed in the tent was a double, and she sat on it to try it out. It was soft and fluffy like a marshmallow.
Song JinXing came in with a large sleeping bag, zipped up the tent, and turned off the tent light after she crawled into the sleeping bag.
The light darkened, but there were night lights outside the tent. The dim light shone through the thick tent fabric, allowing the contours of the darkness to be visible once the eyes adjusted to such lighting.
Zhong Ruanxing turned over in her sleeping bag, and their bodies were pressed together through the sleeping bags. After being together for so long, this was the first time the two of them slept in the same bed.
Song JinXing also turned on his side. In the darkness, they gazed at each other, feeling each other's hot yet gentle breaths.
In the dark, Zhong Ruanxing saw him smile and ask, "Cold?"
She shook her head. Although she felt satisfied and happy to see him and lean on him, her emotions were still depressed. She snuggled closer, leaning her forehead against his, as if making up her mind, and suddenly said, "Song JinXing, let's get married."
Song JinXing's eyelashes fluttered slightly.
She continued, "If, as you speculated before, each stage of life causes an exchange, then we can switch back after getting married. That way you can investigate the truth more quickly, after all it's more convenient in your own body."
After she finished, she looked at him earnestly and expectantly, waiting for him to nod.
But Song JinXing just laughed and hugged her, "Aren't you going to wait for me to propose?" Zhong Ruanxing rubbed her forehead against his and shook her head firmly, "Those things are not important, the truth is more important."
Song JinXing pressed her deeper into his embrace, and said in a low but very firm voice, "Equally important. If we get married, it will only be because you want to, not for any other reason. No matter what the truth is, it's something I have to take responsibility for. You're my girlfriend, but you don't have to bear any responsibility or pressure because of it. Having you by my side is already sharing the burden for me."
From beginning to end, this had nothing to do with her. Just because she was with him, did she have to share these burdens? That would be unfair to her, and he would never let her suffer even a little grievance because of this. Something as important in life as marriage, even less so, could not become a tool for him to find the truth.
Zhong Ruanxing's eyes turned somewhat sour, but crying with his body would definitely look very funny. She suppressed it and hugged him back tightly.
The spring night mountain forest was like a vibrant painting. The sound of the night breeze swirling through the tender green buds, the chirping of insects that had finally awakened after sleeping all winter, the sound of dew condensing into water droplets on the leaves and dripping down when they landed on the tent roof, all converged into a silent yet noisy white noise.
On such a deep night, in this spring forest where all things were coming back to life, the two embracing figures were so small yet so real. He heard her ask in a very light voice, "Song JinXing, have you been very tired all these years?"
Tired?
Before meeting her, he never felt tired.
But now, being held by her like this, being loved by her like this, he finally felt the fatigue seeping from the depths of his soul.
It was only when feeling love that one could feel tired.
...
They had both expected to be sleepless this night, but surprisingly slept very well. When the daylight streamed in, the crew in the camp started getting up to prepare the set for the day's filming. Zhong Ruanxing woke up and saw it was not yet seven o'clock.
It was hard to fall back asleep after waking up.
After replying to two work WeChats and putting her phone down, she saw Song JinXing opening his eyes next to her. So she snuggled back over, "It's so cold outside, I don't want to get up."
Song JinXing smiled and hugged her, "You can sleep until the sun comes out, then it won't be cold anymore."
Zhong Ruanxing sighed, "I still have to rush back to deal with work, and there's a meeting this afternoon. It's hard being the CEO."
After the two were lovey-dovey for a while, the assistant called softly from outside the tent, "Ruanxing, time to get up. Your scenes are first today."
Song JinXing replied, "Got it."
The assistant left, and Zhong Ruanxing reluctantly let go, "Then let's get up."
Song JinXing chuckled lowly and pulled her back again, "Two more minutes of hugging."
So Zhong Ruanxing snuggled back in. After thinking for a bit, she said in a low voice, "When I get back, I'll contact Zou Wang and ask him to check the forensic examiners and testing agencies that cooperated with the funeral home back then, to see if we can find any clues."
Song JinXing's eyes darkened for a moment.
Zhong Ruanxing nudged him with her chin, "What are you thinking about?"
Song JinXing said, "I was thinking we might as well get married after all. It's dangerous for you in my body."
Zhong Ruanxing felt like laughing, "What if, like last time, we switch again after something happens?"
Song JinXing hugged her tightly and said in a low voice, "Nothing will happen."
He was no longer the weak child he once was. He would absolutely not let what happened back then repeat itself.
Because she still had to rush back to Jing City to deal with work, Zhong Ruanxing did not stay here long. After saying goodbye to Song JinXing, she got into the car down the mountain arranged by Hu Shuangan. Then after several more hours of rushing around, she was back in Jing City by the afternoon.
Zhong Ruanxing ate a couple hurried mouthfuls of the lunch Fu Ling had prepared in the office, then went to the meeting. It wasn't until the evening when it ended that she had time to contact Zou Wang.
Zou Wang, who had been waiting for instructions, strongly agreed with her suggestion: "I also think the next step of the investigation should focus on the medical examiners and testing agencies. There will definitely be traces left if an autopsy was done. If we can get the autopsy report, we can apply to reinvestigate the case."
He hesitated, "But if we really take it to this step, not only the real murderer, but your grandfather as the key figure who harbored the murderer and concealed evidence will also be sentenced."
Zhong Ruanxing's voice was very cold: "People must pay the price for their actions."