Chapter 6 — Happiness in Hand

Fearing that these tangled affairs might trouble my peace of mind, Bing-qian devoted a great deal of time to taking me on trips to unwind. He constantly worried that I would harbor lingering sadness. I merely lowered my head, burying myself deep within his embrace, my voice drifting out as light as a feather.

It is not so much sadness, I suppose, as it is a lingering sense of regret for having loved someone so undeserving and wasting so many precious years of my youth.

He pulled me tighter against him, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead.

It does not matter, for I am here now. All the years that lie ahead of us, I shall fill with happiness with my own hands.

On the night of my birthday, Bing-qian reserved an entire garden restaurant situated in the central plaza. I had naively believed he merely intended to host a simple birthday celebration. To my utter astonishment, the massive electronic billboard on the opposite skyscraper suddenly flared to life, illuminating the dark night with glowing characters.

Nan-xi, will you marry me?

Across the night sky, hundreds of drones surged into flight, arranging themselves into intricate formations of glowing hearts, wedding bands, and Cupids arrows—every conceivable symbol of enduring love. Bing-qian dropped to one knee before me, lifting a velvet box containing a brilliant ring. His close friends emerged from the shadows, bursting into applause and warm cheers. Drawing a deep breath, Bing-qian pinned his unwavering, sincere gaze entirely upon me.

Nan-xi, our previous engagement was, in truth, nothing more than an arrangement forced upon us by our families. But today, I wish to ask you this question entirely under my own name.

Nan-xi, are you willing to marry me?

Tears of pure happiness welled up in my eyes. Without a moment of hesitation, I nodded.

I do, Bing-qian.

I extended my hand, allowing him to slide the ring onto my finger. Beneath the canopy of a star-studded sky and amidst the chorus of heartfelt blessings from everyone around us, we melted into a tight embrace, sealing our promise with a deep, consuming kiss where the world faded away until only the two of us remained. All too soon, the day of our official wedding arrived. The ceremony was breathtakingly grand, every inch of the venue meticulously decorated to match my exact tastes. Even the wedding gown had been painstakingly recreated by artisans to match the design I had long dreamed of. Under his flawless orchestration, my wedding was so perfect that it lacked even a single flaw or regret. Yet, just as the ritual of exchanging rings was about to take place, a figure who should have still been confined to his bed recovering from injuries suddenly burst into the sanctuary.

Nan-xi! You cannot marry him!

Father shouted in furious rage, instantly signaling the security guards to subdue Yi-chen while pointing a trembling finger at him.

You unfilial wretch! Today is your uncles day of celebration, what madness are you here to create?

If you do not get out of here this instant, you can forget about holding the position of general manager!

Yet this time, Yi-chen did not shrink away in fear before his fathers authority. He straightened his back, standing tall as he retorted with stubborn defiance.

If I lose it, then so be it! I have no need for that title! All I want is Nan-xi!

He turned his gaze toward me, his eyes burning with frantic emotion.

Nan-xi, you may find this hard to believe, but in our past life, the one you married was me!

We weathered countless hardships together, staying by each others side until our hair turned gray! That was our true, rightful ending! Everything is wrong now!

Come back to me! Whatever Bing-qian can offer you, I can provide as well! Just give me a few years, and I will certainly make it happen!

Had I not also experienced rebirth, I might well have been shaken by his desperate words. Yet I could not fathom what possessed Yi-chen to cling to me with such obstinacy in this lifetime. Could it be that he had genuinely realized his love for me, driving him to such agonizing torment? Regrettably, whatever the answer might be, it held no further significance for me. I looked straight into his eyes, articulating each word with crystal clarity.

Yi-chen, whatever thoughts occupy your mind now hold absolutely no meaning for me anymore.

If you still fail to understand, let me make it unmistakably clear: the man I love now is Bing-qian, and he is the only one I shall love for the rest of my days.

From now on, much like Bing-qian, I shall regard you merely as a nephew. Should we ever cross paths, I expect you to show proper manners and address me as your little aunt!

With those words, I turned my gaze away and joined Bing-qian in completing the ring exchange. Right in front of Yi-chen, I proactively leaned up to kiss Bing-qian upon the lips, sealing his life with the indelible mark of my devotion. Yi-chen opened his mouth as though to utter something further, but no sound escaped his throat. The wounds across his body, aggravated by his violent movements, tore open anew, staining his formal attire with fresh blood. Unable to bear the agony a moment longer, he collapsed heavily to the floor and lost consciousness.

Following our marriage, Yi-chen refused to settle down quietly. After staging a furious confrontation with his family, he resolutely severed ties with the company, determined to carve out his own path in the business world from scratch. He continually boasted that one day he would utterly defeat Bing-qian and reclaim me. Sadly, he was nothing more than an ordinary man. Deprived of the vast resources and backing of the family, he utterly lacked the capability to build a successful enterprise on his own. Plagued by repeated, crushing failures, he was eventually disowned by his own family, who chose to act as though they no longer had such a son. Meanwhile, following our union, Bing-qian shifted the primary focus of his business empire back to our homeland. Having already amassed formidable resources within the international market, he rapidly established an impregnable foothold in the northern capital, surpassing long-standing affluent dynasties and propelling the family name to unprecedented heights. One day, out of sudden curiosity, I asked him.

If you had failed to marry me in this lifetime, what would have become of you?

A fleeting trace of profound softness flickered in his eyes, laced with a hint of sorrow.

My love, perhaps I should tell you a story first?

Ten years ago, I happened to return to the northern capital and attended a coming-of-age banquet hosted for a prominent young lady.

At the time, a tiny little girl dressed in a pristine white gown had her dress stained by someone carelessly spilling a drink. She wept bitterly, utterly heartbroken.

Yet the guest of honor at that banquet—who had every right to fly into a rage over having her momentous day ruined—did not show a shred of annoyance.

Instead of throwing a tantrum, she hurried into the study and emerged carrying a box of watercolors and a set of brushes.

While gently comforting the weeping child, she skillfully transformed the unsightly stain on the dress into a blooming, exquisite rose.

The little girl smiled brightly, entirely enchanted by her newly transformed garment.

As for me, I was utterly captivated by that gentle yet brilliant girl—shining as proudly as a proud, magnificent rose.

Regrettably, even then, that young lady already held someone else deep within her heart.

She had always been a person of immense courage and strength, fiercely pursuing the love she desired.

I loved her, yet I genuinely wished for her to find the happiness she sought so desperately.

By the time he finished speaking, my vision was already blurred with hot tears. I pressed myself close against his chest, while he gently smiled, brushing his lips softly across the trails of moisture on my cheek.

So, to answer your earlier question, I spent countless sleepless nights over the past decade pondering that exact scenario.

Had I not won your hand in this lifetime, I was fully prepared to live out my days in solitude.

I would have buried myself entirely in my overseas ventures, striving to secure countless contracts and amass boundless wealth, only to surrender it all unconditionally into the hands of the fortunate man who managed to marry you.

I would have ensured that you lived a life of boundless luxury and absolute freedom, completely unburdened by a single worry.

At that exact moment, everything finally became clear to me. It turned out that the notion of my bringing prosperity to my husband was never a mystical truth at all. Rather, it was simply because, in every lifetime, Bing-qian would exhaust every fiber of his being to protect and cherish me. I wrapped my arms fiercely around his neck, then suddenly shifted my weight, pinning him down beneath me.

Bing-qian, let us have a child together.

Later on, once the little ones grow up, we can design countless adorable little outfits for them together, shall we?

He chuckled softly, dipping his head in gentle assent. Then, blending his kisses with a tight, suffocating embrace, he held me as though he wished to melt me into his very soul and carve me indelibly into his heart for eternity.