But so what?
Trust, once shattered, was not something that could be rebuilt with a few kind words.
In her previous life, she had loved with all her heart and ended up with nothing but scars.
She had spent years clawing her way out of that nightmare, finally gaining a second chance at life. She had promised herself she would never again hand the power to hurt her over to another person.
Love?
Marriage?
A lifetime together?
Those things sounded beautiful, but to her, they were no longer necessities.
The courtyard fell silent.
Only the faint rustling of leaves could be heard.
After a long pause, Ruan Wen finally spoke.
“Lu Jingheng.”
Her voice was very soft.
“Do you know what you’re saying?”
“I do.”
Lu Jingheng answered without hesitation.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything.”
His gaze was steady as it locked onto hers.
“At first, I agreed to this marriage because of Grandpa.”
“I thought you were cold, difficult, and impossible to understand.”
“But the more I got to know you, the more I realized how wrong I was.”
“You healed Grandpa.”
“You helped Mom and Dad.”
“You earned the respect of everyone in the compound.”
“You always say we’re just partners, but you’ve done more for this family than anyone else.”
He paused before continuing.
“And somewhere along the way, I stopped wanting this marriage to be temporary.”
Ruan Wen’s fingers tightened around the porcelain bottle.
The sincerity in his eyes made it impossible to dismiss his words as a joke.
Yet sincerity alone was not enough.
“Lu Jingheng.”
She lowered her eyes.
“What if one day you regret it?”
“What if you meet someone better?”
“What if everything you feel right now is only because we’re getting along well?”
Her voice remained calm, but every question carried the weight of wounds she had never revealed.
Lu Jingheng frowned.
“Someone better?”
He seemed genuinely confused.
“Who decides what’s better?”
“To me, you’re already the best.”
The straightforward answer left Ruan Wen momentarily speechless.
This man really had no talent for sweet talk.
Yet somehow, his blunt honesty struck deeper than any carefully crafted declaration.
Lu Jingheng took a step forward.
“For the rest of my life, I might make mistakes.”
“I might anger you.”
“I might not always understand what you’re thinking.”
“But there’s one thing I can promise.”
His voice grew low and firm.
“As long as I’m alive, I won’t betray you.”
Ruan Wen’s heart trembled.
Those words hit a place she had spent years trying to seal shut.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The setting sun stretched their shadows across the courtyard.
Finally, Ruan Wen looked up.
Her expression had softened, but the caution in her eyes remained.
“I can’t give you an answer right now.”
The disappointment that flashed across Lu Jingheng’s face was impossible to miss.
Before he could speak, she continued.
“But…”
His eyes immediately brightened again.
“But what?”
Ruan Wen almost laughed at how quickly his mood changed.
“But you can stay on probation.”
“Probation?”
“Yes.”
She nodded seriously.
“Observe and evaluate.”
“If your performance is satisfactory, I might consider promoting you from partner to husband.”
For a second, Lu Jingheng simply stared at her.
Then realization dawned.
She wasn’t rejecting him.
She was giving him a chance.
The grin that spread across his face was brighter than sunlight.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Then how long is the probation period?”
Ruan Wen thought for a moment.
“That depends on your performance.”
Lu Jingheng immediately straightened his back like a soldier receiving orders.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Ruan Wen finally couldn’t hold back her smile.
A genuine smile.
The first one she had shown him without reservation.
And the moment that smile appeared, Lu Jingheng felt as though he had won a battle far more important than any he had ever fought on the training grounds.
Because for the first time, the door around her heart had opened just a little.
And that was enough.
He was willing to spend the rest of his life walking through it.