Chapter 31: The Plum Blossom Bracelet for Her

She wore a hat crocheted from off-white yarn, her black hair styled in braids that draped over her chest.

The contrast of black and white highlighted her gentle, radiant beauty.

With her delicate features, pointed chin, round eyes, and petite, high-bridged nose, she would easily be considered a top-tier beauty if one were to fast-forward a few decades.

And looking further down… Xie Zhao’s eyes suddenly widened.

Wait!

She… she was actually breastfeeding?

Her sweater was pulled up slightly, and a tiny baby was curled up in her arms.

Beneath the sweater, a patch of skin as white as alabaster was half-hidden, sparking the imagination and adding to her beauty.

In that instant, Xie Zhao felt as if his breath had caught in his throat.

This was lethal!

It was almost funny. He had lived two lifetimes and had never even touched a woman!

He had relied entirely on his own hand!

Catching this sudden glimpse of his wife’s fair skin and beautiful face, Xie Zhao felt his body temperature spike.

“Xie Zhao! You!”

Finally noticing Xie Zhao’s gaze, Lin Muyu realized what was happening. She looked down, and her face instantly flushed so red it looked ready to bleed.

Flustered, she quickly turned away and glared at him. But with her flushed cheeks and the warm air around her, that harmless glare was like melting snow revealing the first vibrant touch of spring, making his heart flutter even more.

It felt as if something had gently brushed against Xie Zhao’s heart.

He instinctively looked away, but his mind remained filled with Lin Muyu’s shy, petulant look.

For the first time, Xie Zhao realized that his wife… was truly beautiful.

“Pop.”

The tiny baby in her arms finally let go.

Xi Bao’er^[1] had drunk her fill, her little belly round, and she fell asleep contentedly.

Le Bao’er was full too, sleeping soundly in Lin Muyu’s arms, smacking her lips in her sleep, utterly adorable.

The room suddenly fell quiet.

The tips of Lin Muyu’s ears were still red.

She peeked at Xie Zhao out of the corner of her eye, only to find him still staring at her.

“Now that the babies are asleep, put them on the bed.”

Lin Muyu spoke softly.

After speaking, she lowered her head. Wisps of hair veiled her beautiful eyes, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow.

Even the light seemed to favor her.

Xie Zhao smiled. Holding Xi Bao’er, he stood up, walked to the bed, and bent down to gently place her next to Lin Muyu.

“Give me your hand.”

Xie Zhao suddenly said.

Lin Muyu paused, looking up at him. “Me?”

Xie Zhao chuckled.

“Yeah.”

Lin Muyu hesitated, then carefully reached out.

Her body instinctively tensed. The situation reminded her of a memory that was not very pleasant.

It was back when she had first allowed herself to harbor a sliver of hope regarding Xie Zhao.

When the Xie Family had come to propose marriage, Lin Muyu had secretly listened from outside the door.

It felt as though a young girl’s most private secrets had been laid bare to the world. She recalled the young man’s features, and how the sunlight had danced on the tips of his hair as he stood tall under the tree.

How could she not have liked him?

The next day, Lin Muyu met him in the bamboo grove at the edge of Shishui Village.

The meeting had been arranged by the elders of both families so they could get to know each other before the wedding.

At the time, Lin Muyu had no idea how much Xie Zhao resented and detested her. Her youthful heart had been fluttering, filled with nothing but joy.

She thought.

He must like me, right?

Otherwise, why would he agree to marry me?

And so, she met Xie Zhao.

The path through the grove was uneven and full of potholes. As she walked toward him, her ankle twisted, and she nearly fell.

Startled and crying from the pain, she looked up at him.

“Could you help me up? I… I think I sprained my ankle.”

It was a real sprain.

She could feel her ankle swelling rapidly, the throbbing pain bringing fresh tears to her eyes.

But to Xie Zhao…

The girl standing before him was pure and beautiful, but he simply could not bring himself to like her.

It was too fake.

The way she looked at him was filled with joy, curiosity, and an obvious, poorly hidden affection.

He felt as if he had been burned.

Ha.

Fake.

Did people really fall in love with someone they had never even met?

He was educated and particularly loathed arranged marriages. Two people with absolutely no feelings for each other were forced together, doomed to torment one another until the day they died.

And so…

When he saw Lin Muyu looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, pitifully reaching out her hand, his heart grew cold and hard. Any trace of pity was instantly cast aside.

I can’t reach out.

Otherwise, my whole life is over.

Xie Zhao had warned himself.

Curling his lips, he took a step back and looked down at her.

“Stop acting. I will never like you.”

His words, spoken one by one, were like the coldest, sharpest blade, carving into her heart over and over again.

That was the first time Lin Muyu realized that he might actually detest her.

The past rushed back.

The recollection remained as vivid as ever.

As she reached out her hand now, she hesitated, trembling slightly with fear.

Would he brush her hand away again?

Or would he give her hope only to drag her down into the dust?

Her mind was a chaotic mess. By the time she snapped out of it, her hand was already extended in front of Xie Zhao.

A faint smile touched the corners of his lips. The next moment, Lin Muyu felt a cool sensation on her wrist.

Her gaze froze.

Her eyes widened in astonishment. Reflected in her dark pupils was a small, beautiful silver bracelet shaped like plum blossoms.

“I saw it at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. It looked really nice, so I bought it.”

“It suits you,” Xie Zhao said. “Do you like it?”

Her slender wrist was delicate enough to be held in one hand. With her sleeve pulled up slightly, her fair, smooth skin was exposed.

Xie Zhao’s breath caught.

Lin Muyu was truly stunning.

Especially over the past few days, as her nutrition had improved, she was like a dusty piece of uncut jade that had finally been wiped clean, revealing a breathtaking beauty.

Xie Zhao couldn’t help but wonder.

What on earth had been wrong with him in his past life?

Had he been blind?

His wife was so beautiful, yet he had still been unsatisfied?

“It’s… it’s very beautiful.”

Lin Muyu finally snapped out of it. She quickly pulled her hand back, lowering her head to stare at the quilt as she murmured, “Why are you giving this to me?”

Xie Zhao was stunned.

Huh?

“You’re my wife. Who else would I give it to?”

Leaning down to tuck Xi Bao’er in, he softened his voice. “Thank you for giving birth to Xi Bao’er and Le Bao’er. We have a long road ahead of us, and our family will always be together.”

Lin Muyu froze.

A tiny flame that had just flickered to life in her heart was gently snuffed out once more.

Was it only because I gave birth to Xi Bao’er and Le Bao’er?

What if it wasn’t me who married him back then?

Would he be this good to someone else instead?

With a flurry of thoughts crowding her mind, Lin Muyu kept her head lowered. Her bangs fell over her forehead, hiding the faint trace of disappointment in her eyes.