“No—”
Meng Jixue suddenly opened her eyes and sat up in bed.
Her vision gradually cleared, but when she finally saw everything around her, she froze.
This place…
It was actually her boudoir in the Meng family’s ancestral home, the place where she had grown up!
Meng Jixue’s heart suddenly began pounding. As if she had thought of something, she immediately looked toward the wall and saw the calendar hanging there, clearly showing…
January 8, 1976.
Twenty years ago!
Before she could think it through, a familiar voice came from outside the door.
“Ah Xue, I know you’re upset, but Dad really can’t take you with me. The only thing I can think of is to find you a good family to marry into before I’m sent away. With your looks, how could Dad possibly feel at ease taking you there?”
That voice… it was Dad!
Meng Jixue’s heart seemed to stop for a moment, only to be followed by a fierce pounding in her chest.
Had she died?
Everywhere she looked was incredibly familiar. She had spent the happiest years of her childhood here.
With trembling hands, she pinched herself hard.
It hurt… It really hurt!
Meng Jixue burst into tears of joy.
She had been reborn, she had actually been reborn!
She had returned to that day twenty years ago, to a time when her father was still by her side, when everything could still be changed!
The door opened.
Meng Jixue looked up and saw a face that was both incredibly familiar and deeply missed.
How many years had it been? Meng Jixue could only see her father in her dreams.
That was the father who had depended on her and whom she had depended on, who had cherished her like a precious jewel since childhood, teaching her to read and paint with his own hands, wishing he could pluck the stars from the sky for her.
Meng Jixue’s eyes suddenly reddened. She stumbled off the bed, rushed forward, threw her arms around her father, and choked out, “Dad!”
The moment she finished speaking, tears began to fall.
Then her emotions became impossible to control. She thought of all the grievances she had suffered over the years, of how there had not been a single person she could truly trust by her side. Ever since she had lost her father, there had been no one in this world who loved Meng Jixue anymore.
Was Heaven taking pity on her?
Had it given her a chance to live her life over again?
Seeing Meng Jixue like this, her father was frightened. He hurriedly patted her back, his heart aching for her.
“Don’t cry, Ah Xue. Didn’t we agree? Once I’ve settled you down, Dad will try to come back as soon as possible. Then we can still be together, can’t we?”
As he spoke, Meng Jixue’s father also couldn’t help but redden around the eyes.
Faced with their impending separation, what worried him most was not what might happen to him, but that he could not bear to leave his only daughter behind.
He did not know when the notice would come down, so all he could do was hurry and find a good family to marry Meng Jixue into. Only after he had made proper arrangements for her could he leave with peace of mind.
Feeling this precious warmth, Meng Jixue did not want to part with him at all.
But she knew just as well how much her father loved her. The conditions in the place where he would be sent were extremely harsh, and in her previous life, he had not managed to endure them for long before he died.
Even if she chose to go with her father this time, it would not change what happened afterward.
Then she remembered the news of her father’s death that had come later. It had been called suicide. But thinking about it now, the timing had been far too coincidental. He had died by suicide at such a critical moment. After all, if he had only managed to endure that period, he would have eventually been rehabilitated.
Yet he had chosen to die.
What exactly had her father gone through there?!
Meng Jixue now had only one thought, Since Heaven had given her another chance to choose, she would not only change her own fate, but her father’s fate as well.
She could not bear to lose her father a second time.
In this life, she would change the tragedy of her previous life!
Meng Jixue clung to her father greedily, unwilling to let go. Her voice was full of grievance. “Dad, I don’t want to get married. I don’t want to be separated from you at all.”
Hearing the dependence in his daughter’s voice, Meng Jixue’s father could not help sighing. How could he be willing to part with his daughter, either?
It was just that, in such a difficult time, he could barely take care of himself.
He gently comforted Meng Jixue. “Ah Xue, you’ll have to get married sooner or later. You can’t live with Dad forever. We’re just bringing that day forward a little. Think of the good side of things. As long as you’re safe and well, Dad will be satisfied. In my life, I can give up fame, fortune, reputation, and honor. The only thing I want is for my Ah Xue to live a safe, happy, and smooth life.”
Meng Jixue felt like crying again.
Seeing this, her father gently wiped away her tears and said helplessly and affectionately, “Look at you… you’ve cried yourself into a little kitten. You don’t look like a proper young lady at all. My little Ah Xue is the moon in the sky and snow on earth. Dad will definitely find you a good husband who can protect you for me. All right, Dad made Laba porridge. Go wash your face, then come out and have some porridge, okay?”
At those words, Meng Jixue suddenly remembered that today was the Laba Festival.
That meant this was the day Zhou Zhishu had come to their home to ask for her hand in marriage!
She was just about to speak, when the sound of a car came from outside the courtyard.
Then came a knock on the door.
Meng Jixue’s father heard the noise and was surprised. “Our house has been practically deserted lately. It’s rare that anyone would still dare to come over. Dad will go take a look.”
Once he left, Meng Jixue’s expression turned cold.
The Zhou family and the Meng family were family friends. The Zhou family had people in both politics and the military, so their influence was naturally considerable, while the Meng family was a family of traditional Chinese painting, a prestigious household in the arts and cultural circles.
The two families had become close because Meng Jixue’s grandfather had once helped the Zhou family’s old master restore a very important wartime diary.
Because of this, the Meng and Zhou families had remained close for many years.
It was precisely because of this relationship that Meng Jixue’s father, Meng Qingsong, had trusted the Zhou family enough to entrust his daughter to them.
Unfortunately, although the Zhou family as a whole was kind, Zhou Zhishu’s family was not.
After marrying Zhou Zhishu, he relied on her painting skills to enter business and make a fortune. Even though she was the sole heir to the Meng family’s artistic legacy, she was confined to the household to serve her parents-in-law!
When the two of them were later found to be unable to have children, her in-laws simply brought home a boy and said they would not let the couple divorce. Meng Jixue was genuinely moved and devoted all her time and effort to raising the child.
But what happened in the end?
That child was actually Zhou Zhishu’s illegitimate son. And she had merely been a free nanny!
If she still had to use marriage to escape her current predicament in this life, then the first person to be ruled out was Zhou Zhishu!
At the thought of this, a trace of hatred flashed through Meng Jixue’s eyes.
Zhou Zhishu, without me in this life, I’d like to see how you’ll still rise to prominence. And for everything you did, I’ll make sure you pay the price!
At that moment, Meng Qingsong’s voice came from outside.
“Ah Xue, your Grandpa Zhou and Brother Zhishu are here.”
Meng Jixue clenched her fingers. Just thinking about seeing that repulsive face again made her emotions surge uncontrollably.
She took a deep breath before answering softly, “I know.”
She opened the door.
The Meng family lived in a small siheyuan, and she had to cross the courtyard to reach the main hall.
The capital had been covered in heavy snow for several days, and only today had it finally stopped.
Grey brick and red tiles, snow covering the dark eaves, and a plum tree in the courtyard dusted with a thin layer of snow. Red blossoms peeked through the snow on its branches, creating a truly beautiful scene.
Zhou Zhishu stood beside the old man. Hearing footsteps, he raised his eyes and immediately saw the breathtaking young woman approaching gracefully.
His heartbeat stopped for a moment, and a flash of amazement crossed his eyes. Everyone knew that the Meng family’s only daughter was exceptionally beautiful and talented. She could almost be called the unattainable ideal of nearly every high-ranking official’s son in the compound.
The thought that someone like her was about to become his wife filled him with a subtle sense of delight.
Zhou Zhishu instinctively straightened his clothes and took the initiative to step forward, putting on an affectionate expression.
“Jixue.”