Lu Zhixing did not raise his head until Wen Lan’s footsteps had faded away.
He saw his wife crouch down and open a small wooden cabinet. Her long black hair cascaded over her back, and from time to time he caught a glimpse of her pale profile.
His wrist was still throbbing with pain, yet he hardly seemed to notice it. Joy filled his heart so completely that it nearly overwhelmed him.
Just now, his wife had hugged him. She had held his hand. And now she was even looking for medicine for him…
Using his uninjured hand, Lu Zhixing touched his own cheek and found it burning hot.
Lowering his eyes, he looked at the swelling on his wrist, feeling as though he could never look at it enough.
It was a mark his wife had left on him.
So when Wen Lan returned, she found the man sitting with his head lowered, staring intently at his wrist. Seeing his injured hand, guilt welled up inside her. She crouched down, set the medicine on the carpet, hesitated briefly, then reached out and gently took his wrist into her hand.
This was the first time in all her life that Wen Lan had ever held a man’s wrist.
She felt her heartbeat quicken, and even the tips of her ears seemed to grow warm.
Composing herself, she intended to examine his injury carefully. Instead, her attention was completely drawn to the hand she held.
Unlike hers, his skin was flawless, smooth like polished jade. It was a healthy, fair complexion. His wrist was slender, the bones of his hand long and elegant, and the tips of his fingernails carried a faint pink hue. Under the light, they looked even more beautiful.
Only when the fingers curled slightly in her palm did Wen Lan snap out of her daze.
Looking up, she discovered that her principal husband had already turned his face away, exposing only an ear that had turned completely red.
Wen Lan froze.
Was her principal husband… embarrassed?
Then again, she had been staring at his hand for rather a long time. By the standards of this strange world, what she had just done probably carried a hint of flirtation…
A little embarrassed herself, Wen Lan hurriedly pressed the ice pack she had prepared against his wrist.
She clearly heard him suck in a quiet breath.
Her guilt deepened further.
Lowering her head, she deliberately eased the pressure of her hand on the ice pack while focusing on his swollen wrist. Inevitably, her thoughts wandered back to her own strength. It seemed she would have to be much more careful in the future. At the very least, she could not go around injuring people.
Lost in thought, Wen Lan failed to notice that the man had been watching her the entire time.
Lu Zhixing lowered his head and watched his wife applying the ice pack for him. His gaze remained fixed on her face, unwilling to miss even the slightest change in her expression.
Only when his eyes met a pair of dark, slightly narrow eyes directly did he suddenly come back to his senses.
Wen Lan stood up. Glancing at the man whose cheeks were flushed crimson, she removed the ice pack.
He’s really this timid? she thought to herself.
That said, why had her principal husband come to her room instead of sleeping in the middle of the night?
She could not figure it out.
Sitting back down on the sofa, she noticed the man’s body beside her growing even stiffer. She took his hand again, dabbed a little medicated oil onto her fingertips, and gently rubbed it into his injured wrist.
Hearing his suppressed sounds of pain become slightly more pronounced than before, Wen Lan instinctively lightened her touch even further.
His delicate skin gradually warmed beneath the medicated oil as she massaged it in. Even her own fingertips seemed to absorb some of that warmth.
Suppressing the strange feeling rising within her, she continued gently massaging his wrist for a while before finally letting go.
Back home, Wen Lan had often massaged her mother’s shoulders. She considered herself fairly skilled at it.
When she finished, she carefully wrapped a layer of gauze around his wrist before finally nodding in satisfaction.
Lu Zhixing only felt his heartbeat racing faster and faster as his wife drew closer. The warmth in his wrist seemed almost hot enough to burn him.
“…What’s wrong? Why are you sweating so much?” Wen Lan asked, finding his nervous appearance rather amusing.
Lu Zhixing raised his head and accidentally met the faint smile in his wife’s eyes. He froze.
His lips parted several times, yet no words came out.
It had been far too long since he had spoken with his wife like this. Now, his mind had gone completely blank.
Seeing the flustered man before her, Wen Lan inexplicably felt her heart soften.
It was as though a kitten had lightly stepped across the tip of her heart.
Under the warm yellow light, a quiet sense of comfort surrounded the two of them.
Looking at Lu Zhixing sitting beside her, a sudden impulse stirred within her. She casually brushed aside the damp strands of hair clinging to his forehead and tucked them behind his ear. Even her voice lost its usual coolness.
“Alright. It’s getting late. Go and get some rest.”
He must have been exhausted today. He had returned from a business trip only to prepare an entire table of food, and then, later that night, she had gone and injured his wrist.
At this point, Wen Lan no longer wanted to ask why he had come to her room so late.
“And make sure you get plenty of rest.”
After thinking for a moment, she recalled that the principal husband in this world was apparently also responsible for preparing the family’s meals. Remembering how the man had come home and immediately cooked dinner, she added another reminder.
“Don’t cook for the next few days.”
Lu Zhixing came back to himself and looked steadily at Wen Lan.
Caught by the astonishing brightness in his eyes, Wen Lan paused for a moment, just about to say something when the man lowered his head once more.
“Yes, Wife.”
Wen Lan gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.
She watched the tall, slender figure disappear from sight. The room was left with the faint scent of medicine mingled with a trace of lingering fragrance.
She returned to the bathroom, washed her hands and face, and only came back after cleaning herself up.
Sitting on the sofa, she glanced out the window.
The night was as dark as ink. Everything was silent.
She then looked at the clock not far away.
It was already half past one in the morning.
It really has gotten late tonight.
Rubbing the corner of her forehead, Wen Lan got into bed.
Yet after lying down, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Just as Wen Lan finally began to feel drowsy, she found herself slipping into a dream that was anything but pleasant.
Everything in the dream was shrouded in darkness. From time to time, she could hear people arguing. A steady tapping sound mingled with the laughter of children echoed incessantly around her ears. Not only did it rob her of any peace, it also caused the frustration buried deep inside her to swell, like an overinflated balloon on the verge of bursting, making it difficult for her even to breathe…
Wen Lan abruptly opened her eyes.
Only a trace of drowsiness remained in her clear, bright pupils. What filled them instead was an overwhelming sense of irritability.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed away the blanket that had bunched up against her chest, then walked barefoot to the window. She opened it and took several breaths of the cold morning air. Only then did her mood ease a little.
Her pale fingers undid a couple of buttons at her collar, faintly revealing her collarbone.
Thinking back on the dream, Wen Lan frowned.
Could this be her original memories gradually returning?
If so, then her original self had probably not lived a very happy life. She just did not know where those memories had taken place.
Lost in thought, Wen Lan turned to glance at the clock and discovered it was already half past five in the morning.
After doing the maths, she realised she had slept for less than four hours that night.
The cool breeze had completely driven away her sleepiness.
Lowering her head, she noticed scattered lights glowing throughout the villa below. Someone had already gotten up. Judging by the direction, the lights seemed to be coming from the main kitchen.
Leng Feng certainly hired the household staff quickly, Wen Lan thought.
Her gaze rested absentmindedly on the scene below, though her mind had already wandered elsewhere.
She was only jolted back to reality by a cry of pain.
Looking down again, she saw a figure sprawled on the ground below.
The sky was still covered in pale dawn light. Leaning farther out the window, Wen Lan tried to get a better look.
The person was not very tall and had a thin build. Combined with the voice she had just heard, it was probably… a man.
She had just been about to ask whether he was alright, worried he might have broken a bone, when the figure simply dusted himself off and stood back up.
Seeing that he seemed unharmed, Wen Lan was about to close the window when she heard the man below calling out for help.
The familiar name he mentioned made her lower her head again.
“Excuse me, do you happen to know where Sister Leng Feng is?”
Su Qing spoke nervously.
To be precise, he was extremely nervous.
Looking up at the woman leaning against the windowsill, he felt almost dizzy. Oddly enough, he had not even noticed the pain when he had fallen just now.
Perhaps it was because the woman before him was simply too striking.
Su Qing had never seen anyone so beautiful.
Under her gaze, he awkwardly tugged at his worn, slightly dirty clothes.
He had come from a small town to seek refuge with Sister Leng Feng. Yesterday, after arranging a small room for him, she had hurried away again.
Although someone had delivered meals to him, Su Qing still felt uneasy.
The house was enormous, and everyone inside seemed cold and distant. He did not dare speak to anyone. They merely stole glances at him filled with scrutiny and undisguised disdain.
So early the next morning, Su Qing had gone looking for Leng Feng.
He no longer wanted to stay here.
He had managed to save a little money back in his hometown. Perhaps he could rent a place outside instead.
He felt completely out of place here.
Especially after seeing the woman leaning casually against the windowsill.
That thought became stronger than ever.
When the woman remained silent, Su Qing grew even more anxious.
Just as he was about to turn and flee, a cool voice, carrying a trace of huskiness, drifted through the morning mist and reached his ears.
Su Qing involuntarily shivered.
He suddenly felt a little cold.
“What is Leng Feng to you?”
Su Qing hurriedly answered, “She’s my older sister.”
Wen Lan looked at the thin man in confusion.
There was not a single resemblance between him and Leng Feng, whether in appearance or personality.
Realising the misunderstanding, Su Qing quickly explained again.
“Not my biological sister. My mother and Sister Leng Feng’s mother are close friends. We grew up together.”
After saying that, a flicker of hope rose within him.
Wen Lan nodded.
The problem was, she had no idea where Leng Feng was either.
Judging from Su Qing’s simple clothing, he had probably come here seeking Leng Feng’s help.
She glanced at the clock.
It was only 5:45 a.m. The sky had barely begun to brighten, and the morning air was still chilly.
Yet Su Qing had already been awake this early.
Did he have some unspeakable difficulty?
After thinking for a moment, Wen Lan said, “Sorry, I don’t know where Leng Feng is either. But she’ll definitely be back today.”
Normally, it was Leng Feng who was responsible for making sure she took her medicine.
Wen Lan pointed ahead with one finger.
“Why don’t you wait in the main hall? It’s just ahead of you. Turn left and you’ll find it.”
Hearing that, Su Qing immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
He bowed gratefully toward Wen Lan.
“Thank you very much.”
Wen Lan waved dismissively, unconcerned, then closed the window.
By now, all traces of sleep had vanished.
After washing up, she took a quick shower as well.
When she stepped out of her room, the villa remained quiet.
Wearing her slippers, Wen Lan suddenly remembered the gift she had been planning to make a few days earlier.
Why not make it this morning?
Having made up her mind, she switched on the corridor lights.
Among the row of dark red wooden doors, she spotted a pale blue door.
It was Wen Wu’s room.
The soft blue door looked warm and adorable.
Remembering the little one’s chubby face, Wen Lan’s heart softened, and her footsteps unconsciously became lighter.
When she reached the pale blue door, she rested her hand on the doorknob and gently turned it.
The door opened.
After stepping inside and quietly closing it behind her, she noticed an adorable cloud-shaped lamp sitting beside the child’s bed.
Its warm white glow illuminated the little corner around the bed, while the air carried a faint milky scent.
Wen Lan bent down to look at the deeply sleeping child, her eyes curving gently with a smile.
The little dumpling was sleeping on his side, making his already round cheeks look even chubbier. His thick eyelashes rested quietly against his face, his little lips were pursed together, and he held a light blue jar tightly in his arms.
The jar was filled with paper cranes.
His plump little hands hugged it as tightly as they could, making him look both clumsy and irresistibly adorable.