Compared to when she first married into the family, this man's temper had improved more than a little—the change was like night and day.
She was just an ordinary girl. Before meeting him, she had imagined her future partner, thinking that a plain and simple life would be enough. Later... whether it was luck or fate, he became her husband.
"By the way, I didn't realize this card was so important before. It's too valuable, so I'd better return it to you." An Ruo pulled the black card from her pocket and handed it to him with both hands.
"This is my wedding gift to you. It has to be valuable to be worthy of you." A faint smile curled on the man's thin lips. "Right now, the most valuable thing I own is this card."
"But..."
The man interrupted her with a smile. "Mrs. Shen, what difference does it make whether this card is with me or with you?"
"Of course there's a difference."
An Ruo instinctively wanted to explain, but meeting the man's deep gaze, she pursed her lips slightly. "Keeping it with me is useless."
"This card only lets you move freely in high-end places; it has no other use. You don't have to insist on returning it to me." Shen Xiaoxing took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "How about this: when I need it in the future, you can give it back to me then."
They each took a step back, and the black card was temporarily kept by An Ruo.
An Ruo packed up the teacups. "Then you go ahead with your work. I won't disturb you."
Watching the girl's figure about to disappear through the doorway, Shen Xiaoxing's eyes darkened. He suddenly called out to her in a deep voice, "An Ruo."
An Ruo paused, turning around to look at him with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"
The man suddenly seemed very reserved, lightly coughing with a fist pressed to his lips, his voice low and magnetic: "What do you think about us forgetting the past and starting our married life over again?"
Back then, she had married him in place of An Qing. At the time, the second branch of the family was eyeing him covetously, and he mistakenly believed she had married into the Shen family with ulterior motives, so he deliberately showed her his worst side.
Now...
Now it was different. She was An Ruo, the wife recorded in the household registry, the beloved who would accompany him for the rest of his life.
He had wanted to tell her this for a long time, but a series of recent events had held him back. He was afraid that if he didn't say it now, it would be too late.
...
An Ruo's expression was dazed. She couldn't even remember how she had answered the man at the time. She collapsed onto the bed in a daze, his words echoing in her mind.
Start married life over again...
He was from a prestigious family, while she was an orphan who didn't even know who her biological parents were.
She had struggled half her life just to put food on the table, while he, whether in family background or ability, was someone she could never match.
What troubled her most was that she knew the gap between them was too vast, yet she still clung to the hope of slowly falling for him.
An Ruo, An Ruo, so you do have a heart after all.
But if she gave him her true feelings, would he cherish and protect her?
An Ruo's mind was filled with these questions. Because of the man's words, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, and ended up lying awake until dawn.
The next day, she showed up for class with dark circles under her eyes. Seeing her dazed expression, Chen Keqiao nearly choked on her water.
"Did some male ghost suck the life out of you? You look so lifeless?"
An Ruo nodded blankly. "Even worse than that."
"Tell me about it?"
"Shen Xiaoxing confessed to me—"
"What!?" At that moment, students were trickling into the classroom. Chen Keqiao's loud voice immediately drew their attention.
An Ruo quickly grabbed her. "Keep it down. Do you want the whole world to hear?"
"A real man has thick skin. I think since Mr. Shen dared to confess, he wouldn't mind others knowing..." That didn't seem to be the point. Chen Keqiao clicked her tongue lightly. "Were there flowers and a fancy dinner during the confession?"
An Ruo paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"Tsk, boring. Not romantic at all. That's hardly a confession."
An Ruo awkwardly scratched the back of her head and said with a light laugh, "It wasn't really a confession. He just said he wanted to start our married life over..."
Chen Keqiao didn't know what had happened between them, so naturally, she didn't understand the meaning of those words and was a bit confused.
But she had never met Shen Xiaoxing. Having only heard that he was blind and disabled—even if his eyes had recovered, he was still a wheelchair-bound man. As a close friend, Chen Keqiao didn't support An Ruo being with him.
"Ruo Ruo, you're so beautiful, smart, and capable. There are plenty of good men chasing after you wherever you go. Why would you..." Chen Keqiao searched for the right words, "...spend your life with a man who can't walk properly?"
Right now, love was just the sweet part. Once the honeymoon phase passed, reality would set in. Besides, they were married—her whole life would be ruined by this man!
"I wasn't sure about his character before, but now I'm very certain—he's truly a good person." An Ruo recalled the moments she had shared with the man, a happy smile spreading across her lips. "Ever since the misunderstanding was cleared up, he's always been gentle with me. Several times, if he hadn't had the foresight to send someone to save me, I probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
Even though it was Han Chong who saved her each time, without the man's orders, he wouldn't have dared to act on his own. So... he was indirectly her benefactor.
Anyway, in this life, she would either remain alone or marry someone. Whoever she married, it would be the same. Why couldn't she follow her heart and love passionately?
...
It had been over half a month since Song Weiwei's accident. Her body was slowly recovering, and the doctor advised her to stay a few more days for observation. But she couldn't stand it a moment longer and immediately asked Qiao Yu to handle the discharge procedures.
"Hold on a few more days." Qiao Yu didn't want her to leave the hospital so soon.
"I've been cooped up for over half a month. Look, I'm practically growing mushrooms on my head!" Song Weiwei crossed her arms and leaned against the headboard, pouting so much it looked like she could tie a rope to it. "If I don't get out and run around, I'll really get depressed. Then you might as well check me into the psychiatric ward next door!"
Qiao Yu was amused by her. "Do you really want to leave the hospital that badly?"
Song Weiwei nodded eagerly. "Yes..."
"Alright, I'll handle the discharge for you. But..." Qiao Yu raised an eyebrow, "you have to stay home and behave."
That was his final compromise.
Song Weiwei knew he was stubborn, but he was doing this for her own good. After all, being stuck at home was better than being stuck in the hospital.
She gave a playful salute. "Okay, I promise I won't run around. I'll obediently follow your arrangements."
Qiao Yu was quite satisfied with that answer and finally deigned to give her a sly smile. He slipped one hand into his pocket and headed to the lobby to handle the discharge procedures.
The man picked up a medical flashlight, suddenly shining a harsh light, and grinned slyly. "There's nothing wrong with you. Why have you been coming to see me so often these past couple of days?"
Gu Chao's eyes stung from the light. He frowned slightly and pushed the flashlight away. "Can't I come see you if there's nothing wrong?"
He Su raised an eyebrow. "Hey, don't say that. I can't take that responsibility. Who knows if you're here to chat with me or for some other reason?"
"What other reason could I have?"
"Isn't it for Miss Song inside?"
Seeing how anxious he had looked that day, if he claimed their relationship was as pure as plain water, He Su wouldn't be stupid enough to believe it!