58: Notes from a Paranoid Educated Youth 27

A row of shiny Red Flag sedans was parked under the phoenix trees in the compound.

Lin Hongying hid behind the stone lion, watching the perfect couple on the red carpet. Zhou Linchuan wore a sharp Chinese tunic suit (Zhongshan suit), his usually stern eyes now incredibly gentle, while Wen Ci, on his arm, wore a red qipao. Her skin was fair, her hair dark, and when she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved slightly upwards, like a sated cat.

"Please, the newlyweds will now exchange rings—"

The emcee's voice pierced her eardrums. Lin Hongying watched Zhou Linchuan carefully take Wen Ci's hand, the golden ring sparkling in the sunlight.

In her previous life, their wedding had been so simple that they didn't even have a proper ring, only an aluminum thimble bought from the supply and marketing cooperative…

"Zhou Linchuan!" She suddenly rushed out, her hoarse voice cutting through the festive atmosphere, "Look at me! I'm the one—"

The guards grabbed her like chickens. In her struggle, she saw Zhou Linchuan's eyes; it was a look of disgust, as if he were looking at something filthy. What made her even more distraught was that Wen Ci actually snuggled into his arms and said softly, "Husband, I'm scared…"

Zhou Linchuan immediately shielded his wife behind him, comforting her softly. This intimate gesture felt like a knife stabbing into Lin Hongying's heart. In her previous life, Zhou Linchuan had never protected her like this. Why? Why?

"Drag her out," Zhou Linchuan's voice was cold and ruthless.

Lin Hongying was thrown onto the curb, her palms scraped and bleeding. Through the iron fence, she saw Zhou Linchuan bend down to adjust Wen Ci's skirt, saw the dimple at the corner of his mouth when he whispered in her ear, saw his hand consistently resting on her lower back when he toasted…

All the tenderness she had yearned for in her previous life was now given to another woman.

"No! It shouldn't be like this!" She rushed over again like a madwoman, her hair disheveled, looking deranged.

"Rinchuan! Look at me!" Lin Hongying shrieked hysterically, her voice so hoarse it was unrecognizable, "I'm the one who loves you the most! Wen Ci can't do anything, she's just a pampered young lady!"

Hearing this, Wen Ci looked at her again. Although she didn't know how Lin Hongying had gotten there, the intense jealousy and malice in Lin Hongying's eyes were too obvious.

Wen Ci knew exactly what kind of counterattack would hurt and despair Lin Hongying, so she deliberately snuggled further into Zhou Linchuan's arms and said softly, "Husband, my feet hurt so much…" Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of playful coquetry.

Zhou Linchuan immediately knelt down, gently removed her high heels, and massaged her slender ankle. "Come, I'll carry you back." His voice was so tender it could drip water, and he didn't spare Lin Hongying another glance.

This scene utterly crushed Lin Hongying. She frantically tried to rush in but was held down firmly by the guards. As she was dragged away, she still shrieked, "Wen Ci! You actually seduced my man… Mmph!" Her mouth was covered, and she was dragged away.

Zhou Linchuan turned and scooped Wen Ci into his arms. "Don't mind that lunatic, let's go home."

*

It was late at night, and red candles flickered in the bridal chamber, casting their intertwined shadows on the wall.

"Ci Ci, my beloved," his voice was deep and firm, "I will protect you with my life, love you, and make you the happiest woman in the world."

Wen Ci met his deep eyes, and in them, she saw undisguised love and desire.

"Zhou Linchuan…" She softly called his name, her voice as soft as melting honey.

"Call me Husband," he commanded hoarsely.

Wen Ci opened her mouth but was still a little shy. Zhou Linchuan, however, gave her no chance to escape. He leaned down and kissed her lips, simultaneously scooping her into his arms. Her gasp was swallowed by the fervent kiss, and she could only helplessly wrap her arms around his neck.

The red curtains fell, and candlelight flickered. The man's kisses traveled from her lips downwards, leaving faint red marks on her fair skin.

That night, the spring night was perfect. The crabapple blossoms outside the window swayed gently in the night breeze, blessing the newlyweds.

That same night.

Zhou Linchuan dreamed that in his previous life, he had married a woman. She spent all his savings, scoffed at him, and even secretly consorted with other men.

The most painful part was when he told her his parents had been wrongly accused, she not only disbelieved him but also mocked him for his wishful thinking… The despair in the dream was so real that he woke up in a cold sweat.

Zhou Linchuan woke up from the nightmare, his pajamas soaked in cold sweat. The painful memories of his previous life in the dream made it difficult for him to breathe, his heart felt as if it were being tightly clutched by an invisible hand.

"What's wrong?" Wen Ci woke up groggily, felt his abnormal body temperature, and immediately became alert. She pulled him into her embrace and gently patted his back, comforting him softly like she would a child. "Had a nightmare?"

Zhou Linchuan buried his face in her chest, deeply inhaling her faint scent, and his heartbeat gradually calmed. Moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, casting dappled light and shadow on her fair skin.

"I dreamed…" his voice was hoarse, "I dreamed of a very terrifying world. In that world, I married someone I didn't love and lived a life worse than death…" His arms tightened unconsciously, as if afraid she would disappear.

Wen Ci gently stroked his hair, her fingertips lightly combing through his sweat-dampened strands. "That was just a dream. Now you have me." Her voice was soft yet firm. "I will always be with you, and never let you be alone again."

Zhou Linchuan looked up at her. In the moonlight, Wen Ci's eyes were as gentle as water.

His wife was his salvation. On the surface, he took care of her, but in reality, she healed his tattered, incomplete heart with her tenderness.

She cooked for him, talked with him, massaged him when he was tired, and held him in her arms when he had nightmares… These moments of warmth were treasures he had yearned for but never found in his previous life.

"Ci Ci…" He choked up, pressing her hand to his heart. "Thank you for loving me."

Wen Ci smiled and kissed away the tears at the corner of his eyes. "Silly, I should be thanking you." Her lips were soft and warm. "Thank you for letting me know what love truly feels like."

Zhou Linchuan could no longer hold back. He rolled over, pinning her beneath him, expressing his love in the most intimate way.

That night, their bodies and souls were intimately connected.

Outside the window, crabapple blossoms bloomed silently in the moonlight, their fragrance drifting into the room with the wind, witnessing this hard-won love.

Zhou Linchuan thought, perhaps all the suffering in his previous life was for the sake of meeting her in this life. This realization filled his heart like never before; he had finally found his home.

*

On the seventh morning after the wedding, Lin Hongying finally caught Zhou Linchuan out alone.

The man, dressed in casual clothes, was still as tall and straight as a pine tree, carrying a net bag filled with Honey Three Knife (Mi Sandao, a type of pastry) and hawthorn cakes.

All of them were Wen Ci's favorite snacks.

"Rinchuan!" She pounced and grabbed his sleeve, smelling the faint scent of vanishing cream on it. "Have you forgotten your previous life? The person you truly love is me!"

Zhou Linchuan's eyes suddenly became extremely terrifying.