Her Marriage: The Night is Still Young-Chapter 215: Are They a Couple?

Josephine Thompson looked at Julian Grant with an expression saying "no one can talk sense into him," and felt her temple start to throb: "This is not your home, nor is it the old days back in Aethelburg. We’re living so close, you can’t not see me and I can’t not see you, can’t you be a little more considerate?"

Julian Grant nonchalantly glanced at the ground, then actually squatted down to measure it: "There’s plenty of space, I’ll just find a corner and put down a mat, it won’t take up your space, and it won’t disturb your sleep. Besides, everyone in the research team knows I’m here to help, who’s going to gossip?"

"Let whoever wants to gossip do so; after all, I’m your future husband."

"You..." Josephine Thompson was at a loss for words, blocked by his comment.

Seeing him seriously measuring, she felt both angry and helpless.

Julian Grant smiled teasingly, "Relax, I won’t make any moves on you. Even if you stood naked in front of me, I wouldn’t touch you. Still can’t trust my character?"

He finished speaking.

He then looked at Josephine with regret, "Uh~, thinking back now, I kind of regret it. How about, let’s try again tonight..."

Josephine’s face darkened, "Shut up, offer expired."

Julian Grant: "Haha, just kidding, I know you’re not ready yet."

"Of course, I’m a perfectly normal man."

Josephine Thompson: "Shut up, shut up."

"Haha, alright, I’ll sleep on the floor then."

"...Suit yourself." Josephine ultimately relented, turning to her suitcase to pull out a spare thin blanket to toss to him, "It’s cold at night, cover up and don’t catch a cold, we have to get up early tomorrow."

Julian caught the blanket, his eyes lit up instantly, "Got it! I promise not to disturb you!"

He adeptly laid the blanket on the floor beside the bed, even purposefully moving further away to avoid crossing the line.

Josephine stopped bothering with him, got ready for bed, and lay down.

Though Julian Grant seemed unreliable, he was actually a person of principle.

When he said he wouldn’t touch her, he really wouldn’t touch her. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

He wasn’t as vile as Nathaniel Gallagher.

Later on.

Julian finished preparing his makeshift bed, undressed and removed his shoes, and lay down.

In the dark.

She could hear the gentle rustling of Julian adjusting the blanket, and the deliberate softening of his breathing.

Originally, she thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep with someone so close.

But somehow.

Listening to the steady breathing beside her, her tense nerves gradually relaxed, and before long, she fell asleep.

...

Early the next morning.

Josephine was woken by the sound of bird calls outside the window and noises coming from the kitchen.

She opened her eyes.

The blanket on the floor was neatly folded.

Julian Grant was already nowhere to be seen.

"Julian Grant, where did you run off to again?"

Afraid he’d cause trouble, she hurriedly got up and walked out of the dorm.

As soon as she stepped out.

The smell of something delicious yet burnt hit her.

Next door was an open-air makeshift kitchen.

Julian was crouched by the kitchen door, spatula in hand, clumsily frying eggs in a pan.

Next to it, a small pot of porridge was steaming.

Josephine was stunned, "... Julian Grant, what kind of mischief are you up to now?"

"Awake?"

Hearing footsteps, Julian turned around and smiled at her, with some soot on his face, "I saw the kitchen had leftover eggs and rice, so I thought I’d cook you some breakfast. It’ll be ready soon."

Josephine looked at the soot on his face and the slightly burnt eggs in the pan, and her heart softened a little.

She walked over.

Taking a tissue from her pocket, she reached out to wipe the soot off his face: "So clumsy, you messed yourself up just making breakfast."

Julian paused, feeling the warmth from her fingertips, and his smile widened uncontrollably, "I haven’t cooked in a long time, I promise I’ll do better next time."

Josephine didn’t say anything, just moved to the stove.

Took the spatula from his hand and finished frying the rest of the eggs.

Actually... her cooking skills are not that great either.

But definitely better than his.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves onto them, mixed with the aroma from the pot, creating an indescribable warmth.

Julian stood beside, watching her profile, thinking to himself: No matter how much Josephine resists now, he is willing to wait patiently, until she lets go of her past concerns, and is willing to accept him once more.

"You see, the eggs are burnt."

"...Forget it, let’s not eat it then."

"Don’t waste food." Josephine smiled helplessly, reluctant to reject his good intentions.

...

In the following two days.

Josephine poured almost all her energy into the restoration of the Terracotta Warriors.

Julian wisely didn’t disturb her, bringing breakfast to the dorm early every day.

During the day he accompanied the research team, moving equipment and organizing records.

In the evening, he quietly sat in a corner upon returning.

Either passing her tools, or silently cleaning up debris from the table, even his breathing was kept light.

The next day.

Josephine gently sanded the last gap in the Terracotta Warrior with fine sandpaper, then cautiously applied the last layer of restorative paste. The Warrior was finally restored to its original appearance.

The bluish-gray clay body had a gentle sheen, the lotus pattern on the abdomen was clear and flowing. Even the entwined pattern on the base was intact, almost identical to the one unearthed in Aethelburg.

"It’s done." Josephine put down her tools, took a long breath, her fingertips gently brushed over the surface of the Terracotta Warrior, her eyes filled with a sense of achievement.

Julian, who had been sitting beside watching all along, was full of admiration: "Josephine, this is awesome! It was in pieces just days ago, and now it looks like new."

He didn’t dare touch it, only dared to admire it from a short distance.

Josephine smiled.

It was the first time in days she showed a relaxed smile: "It’s not like new, it’s about restoring it as close to its original state as possible. Every groove needed to match the photos from when it was unearthed, even a slight deviation wouldn’t do."

As they were speaking.

Professor Linton came knocking, and upon seeing the Terracotta Warrior on the table, his eyes lit up immediately: "Restoration complete? Josephine, your speed is incredible!"

He leaned in to carefully examine it for a while, nodding repeatedly, "Marvelous! This Terracotta Warrior is crucial for researching the ancient culture of our region. I’ll contact the museum folks to come over and pick it up right away."

Josephine Thompson nodded, then carefully inspected the details of the Terracotta Warriors again.

After confirming there were no issues, she gently placed them into the custom foam box.

Julian Grant saw this and hurried forward to help move the box: "Let me help, this looks heavy. Don’t strain yourself."

"Alright, be careful."

Professor Linton watched the two working together and teased with a smile: "Mr. Grant is really attentive to Thompson. If our team had a few more diligent workers like you, our jobs would be much easier."

Julian Grant scratched his head and smiled proudly: "Of course, taking care of Josephine is my responsibility."

Naturally, the archaeology team doesn’t allow outsiders to join freely.

Julian Grant was able to be accepted purely because Professor Warren had informed Professor Linton in advance.

Josephine Thompson felt her cheeks flush listening to him, quickly changing the subject: "Professor Linton, after sending the Terracotta Warriors over, is the next step to begin cleaning the second layer of the artifacts in the tomb?"

"Yes."

Professor Linton put away his smile and said seriously: "Tomorrow we will descend into the main chamber; you have a lot of experience, so we’ll need you to oversee."

"Don’t worry."

Josephine Thompson agreed, then turned to Julian Grant, "Tomorrow it might be a bit dangerous going into the main chamber, so you’ll stay above to help organize and record."

Julian Grant immediately shook his head: "No way, I need to go down with you. It’s so dark below; if anything happens, I can protect you."

"There are professional staff below; nothing will happen," Josephine Thompson tried to persuade him.

But Julian Grant was firm: "The staff are security personnel; I am me, I have to be with you."

He looked at Josephine Thompson, his eyes full of seriousness, "Wherever you are, I will be. The promises we made before, do they not count anymore?"

Josephine Thompson looked at his stubbornness, feeling both tender and helpless inside, finally nodding: "Then you must stay close to me tomorrow, no wandering off or touching things inside."

Julian Grant immediately smiled and nodded vigorously: "Understood! I’ll be obedient!"

Evening.

The exploration team, to celebrate the successful restoration of the Terracotta Warriors, added two more dishes.

During the meal.

Everyone surrounded Josephine Thompson, praising her skills. Julian Grant, sitting next to her, was happier than if he were being praised, continuously adding food to her plate: "Eat more; you must be exhausted these past few days."

Josephine Thompson looked at the mountain of food in her bowl, then at the irrepressible smile in Julian Grant’s eyes.

Suddenly, she felt that perhaps these calm days weren’t so bad.

"Go to sleep early tonight; we have to get up early tomorrow!"

"Yes, got it."

After dinner, the two returned to their dorm to sleep.

The other researchers couldn’t help but be curious, "Expert Thompson and Mr. Grant are a couple, right?"

"Of course they are! Haven’t you noticed they always stay in the same room?"

"Haha, they really look like husband and wife, truly a perfect match."

"Indeed, it’s quite unexpected that our archaeology team has such an attractive pair."

The two are well-liked in the archaeology team.

Josephine Thompson has a gentle personality and is always willing to help, never refusing anyone who seeks her assistance.

Meanwhile, Julian Grant is naturally outgoing, able to chat easily with people ranging from 80-year-old grandfathers to three-year-old children.

Therefore, everyone really likes this ’couple duo.’

...

Early the next morning.

The exploration team prepared their gear, ready to descend into the second layer of the tomb.

Julian Grant carried the backpack that Josephine Thompson had organized for him, inside it emergency lanterns, gloves, and a journal, and followed behind her, his eyes brimming with irrepressible curiosity.

This was his first time entering a tomb, and he was curious about everything.

Descending the temporary iron ladder, the damp earth smell greeted them, with the emergency lantern casting flickering shadows on the rock walls.

Julian Grant, carefully holding onto the handrails, couldn’t help but whisper: "Josephine, how old is this tomb? Look at the marks on the wall; do you think someone came here before?"

Josephine Thompson turned to glance at him, cautioning: "Don’t touch randomly; the wall paintings are very fragile and might fall off with a touch. This tomb is preliminarily assessed to be from the Dawnveil Dynasty. When we cleaned the first layer, there were no signs of theft, and the second layer should be well-preserved too."

Upon reaching the ground.

Julian Grant was immediately captivated by the scene.

In the center of the chamber was a half-open Stone Coffin surrounded by some ceramic jars.

At the corner stood two incomplete Terracotta Warriors, their surfaces illuminated by emergency lights, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

He couldn’t help but slow his pace, looking around, even lightening his breaths: "It’s really different from how it’s portrayed on TV; quieter than I imagined."

"Don’t just look around; stay close to me." Josephine Thompson handed him a pair of gloves, "Put these on, and help hand over tools later, but don’t touch the artifacts, especially the things inside the Stone Coffin; there might be corrosive materials adhering."

Julian Grant hurriedly put on the gloves, obediently staying by her side like an attentive student: "Got it. What’s inside the Stone Coffin? Could there be an epitaph or something? I’ve noticed the similarities between this and the Terracotta Warriors you restored."

Josephine Thompson squatted down, carefully observing the patterns along the edge of the Stone Coffin while recording and explaining: "There is a possibility, but we need to clear the surrounding soil before opening it."

"These two Terracotta Warriors are the same type as the ones I restored before, likely funeral items for the tomb’s owner which could help us identify who they were."

Julian Grant leaned closer, looking at her records book, pointing at the sketch and asking: "The patterns you drew here, don’t they resemble those on the Jade Bone Box at your place? I think I’ve caught a glimpse of it before."

Josephine Thompson paused her pen, raising her head to look at him: "You still remember?"

"Of course, I remember everything you care about," Julian Grant said naturally, though his eyes were quite serious. "But the patterns here in the tomb are more complex; could they carry special meanings?"

As they spoke.

Nearby, a security personnel alerted: "Expert Thompson, we’ve found a copper box here. Please take a look."

Josephine Thompson stood up and walked over, Julian Grant quickly following.

They saw a palm-sized copper box buried in the soil, marked with intricate engravings, still damp with earth.

Josephine Thompson carefully cleaned the surface with a small brush.

Julian Grant held his breath, staring intently: "Could there be something important inside? Like the tomb owner’s seal?"

"It’s possible, but we must clean it thoroughly before opening," Josephine Thompson said, handing the brush to Julian Grant.

"Help me brush this side, be gentle, avoid scraping the engravings."

"Okay." Julian Grant immediately took the brush, mimicking her careful movements to lightly sweep away the soil, clumsy yet particularly earnest.

Work lights streaming through the ventilation hole above illuminated their focused profiles, making one forget they were inside a deep, ancient tomb.

After cleaning the copper box.

Josephine Thompson stored it in a collection box.

Looking up at Julian Grant, she found him still gazing at the Stone Coffin, curiosity brimming in his eyes.

She couldn’t help but smile: "Feel free to look, but don’t get too close. After cleaning around, we can study it together."

Julian Grant immediately nodded, his eyes lighting up: "Alright! I’ll listen to you, won’t touch anything!"

Seeing his childlike excitement.

Josephine Thompson suddenly felt that having someone accompany her in exploring these ancient secrets didn’t seem so tedious.

"Be cautious of everything; there’s a lot of unknown danger, it’s not a game..."