Lin Xiaowan coughed and tasted blood in her mouth. Just the act of coughing alone seemed to drain her strength. She struggled to open her eyes before she saw the winter sky and the bare branches of the trees that seemed to be stretching out toward her like arms, and she heard the cacophonous sounds of people screaming and cars honking around her. Her mind was blank at this moment as she shivered from the cold.

Lin Xiaowen’s tears fell again. She did not even know she had so many tears to cry. It was as though she was making up for more than 20 years of not crying at this time. When she finally calmed down a little, she thought that she must look terrible now. She was a woman who loved beauty, after all. She tried to lift her hand to wipe her face but discovered that she could not move her arm at all.

Every part of her body hurt. Huo Zheng had taken very good care of her over the past few years, and she had grown even more delicate because of his care. Even when she had gotten a small cut on her finger, he would hold her in his arms and coax her for a long time.

Alas, now that she was in so much pain, Huo Zheng was not around to hold her in his arms. He would never hold her in his arms again.

Lin Xiaowan’s strength gradually drained out of her body as she gradually lost consciousness. The moment she closed her eyes, she had the illusion that someone was hugging her tightly. However, she could not smell the unpleasant and unfamiliar scent.

At the final moment before Lin Xiaowan died, she did not feel pain, only heart-wrenching sadness. Her last thought was that if she had known beforehand, she would not have gotten married.

…

Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes.

The window was half open, and the breeze blew the white curtains up. Faint golden sunlight shone against the wall.

Lin Xiaowan lay on the bed in a daze for a long time. She remembered that she seemed to have died. She could still remember the excruciating pain, the exhaustion, the confusion, and the sense of powerlessness.

After a moment, she raised her arm and looked at her fair hand in front of her before she relaxed.

‘What’s going on?’

…

When Huo Zheng entered the room, he saw Lin Xiaowan sitting by the bay window and looking out the window in a daze. He walked over and hugged her.

Lin Xiaowan was shocked and instinctively shrank away from his arms like a frightened rabbit as she looked up at him with her big eyes.

Huo Zheng did not think much of it. He assumed she had just woken up and was still in a daze. He kissed her forehead naturally and said, “Aunty said that you slept for a long time in the afternoon.”

Lin Xiaowan did not want to get close to him, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own as she leaned closer to him.

Huo Zheng hugged her and brought her to the dining room.

Even after dinner, Lin Xiaowan was still in a daze.

At night, Huo Zhen held Lin Xiaowan in his arms as he read an Italian book to her.

Lin Xiaowan felt sleepy as she listened to him read. When she finally yawned, Huo Zheng bookmarked the book and put it away. He lowered his head and planted a kiss on her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her soft lips. He pressed his lips against her gently and did not move, silently asking for her permission. If she refused, he would not force her. He was a gentleman, and even in bed, he was polite and restrained.

Lin Xiaowan moved her lips lightly as though she was acquiescing to him. She hugged him, feeling his strong back, as she raised her swan-like neck and pressed herself closer to him.

When tears rolled down the corners of her eyes, he gently kissed them away. He hugged her and said tenderly in a hoarse voice, “Don’t cry.”

Lin Xiaowan really wished she could stop her tears. However, her empty heart seemed to cause her tears to flow uncontrollably.

Huo Zheng felt slightly helpless. He stopped and tried to pull away to see what was wrong, but she refused to let him go. Tears continued to fall as she moved closer to him and kissed him. She tormented him until he had no choice but to give in.

…

When they were done, Huo Zheng carried Lin Xiaowan into the shower. When they came out, he helped her to dry her hair.

When Lin Xiaowan finally lay on the bed, she moved to the corner and did not talk. She could feel Huo Zheng staring at her back for a few moments before he finally walked away.

When she was just about to fall asleep, she felt herself being pulled into a firm embrace.

Huo Zheng kissed her shoulder and held her hand that was gripping the blanket. Then, he slid a plain ring onto her ring finger.

Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes. She watched as Huo Zheng held her hand and kissed her finger.

“It fits just right…”

‘It’s different from the previous life,’ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself as memories of the past returned to her.

In her previous life, Huo Zheng had given her the ring in the morning. They had been fooling around in the morning when he suddenly pulled out a ring from seemingly nowhere before putting it on her finger.

At that time, Lin Xiaowan had been very surprised. She held his hands and asked, “Are you proposing to me?”

“Are you going to say yes?”

“Yes.”

The two of them did not waste time after that and quickly registered their marriage.

Lin Xiaowan was the only person left in her family. She did not say anything, and Huo Zheng did not ask any questions.

When Lin Xiaowan’s mind returned to the present, she saw Huo Zheneg looking at her with bright eyes, as though he was waiting for her to say something. She asked hoarsely, “Why did you suddenly buy a ring?”

Huo Zheng rested his forehead against hers and asked, “Will you marry me?”

Lin Xiaowan had no parents, no dowry, and no friends. She only had herself to rely on in her life. In her previous life, she had made a mistake.

Huo Zheng continued to look at her tenderly.

Lin Xiaowan suddenly turned around and hugged Huo Zheng tightly before she kissed him. She was very grateful to him during the three years they were together. Those three years were the most stable and carefree years of her life, but she really did not want to make the same mistake.

…

Early the next morning, Lin Xiaowan was still deep in her sleep. She had fallen asleep after midnight the night before, after all. When she finally opened her eyes groggily, Huo Zheng was already awake. She instinctively reached out for a hug. It was a hidden habit from her previous life.

Huo Zheng leaned over and hugged her. He was originally standing by the bed, and this position was awkward and tiring. He patted her gently as though he was coaxing a child.

Lin Xiaowan pouted as she asked in a soft and sleepy voice, “Why are you up so early?”

Huo Zheng tried his best to sound gentle as he replied, “I have to go on a business trip. Let’s get married when I return.”

Huo Zheng waited for a long time for Lin Xiaowan’s reply after he finished speaking. When he looked down at her, he smiled faintly when he saw that she had already fallen asleep again.

…

When Lin Xiaowan finally woke up, the sun was already high in the clear blue sky.

It was summer now. The birds and cicadas outside were calling out with all their might.

After she ate, she entered the study. She walked over to the bookshelf immediately and easily found the book she was looking for.

She looked at the title of the book, The Theory of Money. She remembered the title very clearly. After all, this was the book where the photo and love letter were hidden.

Lin Xiaowan felt slightly nervous and did not open the book immediately after taking it out. After mentally preparing herself for a long time, she finally flipped open the book. She planned to bring the photo and love letter to Huo Zheng and ask him about them after he returned from his business trip.

To Lin Xiaowan’s surprise, there was nothing hidden in the book. There was no photo or love letter.