The wedding candle flickered under my palm. The flame danced, sparking small flowers in the dark. I smiled and turned around. A red wedding bed with gauze canopy, the setting was perfect. I decorated this wedding room myself.

‘Creak’, the door was pushed open from outside.

I turned and saw a startled Jing Tian standing at the door. I slowly sauntered towards him in my red wedding dress. The dress was a joint effort between me and the designer in the past 2 weeks when he was injured. The dress was one of a kind, there would never be a second one like it.

From Jing Tian’s eyes, I saw his pleasant surprise. This was the first time I took the effort to be pretty for him.

“Nan Xing?” He murmured as if in disbelief as he walked to meet me. I stood before him, looked up and smiled into his eyes.

7 years, this man had accompanied by my side for 7 years.

7 years ago, I was betrayed by my ex-husband, framed by his mistress, chased out from my family. I had nowhere to go and nothing to live for. Refused to have my six-month old child bear my tragic fate, I jumped into the sea.

It was this man who saved me out from the sea. He called in the best doctors from the world and demanded them to save me no matter what.

When I was emotionally unstable and lashed out at others and myself, he was there for me.

When I was closed in and repressed, he was there for me.

My life force was like an extinguished flame, slowly dying out. He searched through the ruins of my heart for that small bit of spark. He protected it and cherished it. Day by day, week by week, year by year, he used his love to turn that spark into embers.

He, was Jing Tian, my ex-husband’s youngest uncle.

Half a month ago, he was hospitalized again to save me. I lost count of how many times that had happened in the past 7 years. Loving me had literally wounded him. And my heart started to revive with the blood that he shed.

After so many lows, he was still standing before me, using his life to love me. If I still didn’t know how to appreciate that, I would be the dumbest woman alive.

Jing Tian’s hands slowly, carefully caressed my face.

“Do I look pretty?” I asked him.

“You do.” Jiang Tian answered softly. His eyes focused on my face, like a child enthralled by a candy.

I smiled… joyfully.

Jing Tian, the seventh master of the Jing Family, he was a man who could shake the whole M City with a shake of his head. He was rumored to be a cold-hearted man, an Asura from hell; but before me, he was gentle and kind, even a little naïve and clumsy.

I held his hands and pulled them to my face. His fingers were fair and tapered. They curled from anxiousness.

“Jing Tian, what great deed have I done to have encountered someone like you? Will you make me the happiest woman in the world and marry me? Will you allow me to be your life partner?”

Jing Tian’s hands gripped into fists, I could feel his muscles tense. “Nan Xing? What—Say that again.” The man uttered in a ginger tone as if a louder volume might shatter the illusion of the moment.

I put down his wrists and hugged him tightly around his waist. I leaned into his chest and looked up at him, “Jing Tian, will you marry me?”

Jing Tian’s hands fell on the back of my back to pull me into him. He said urgently, “Yes, I’m willing! Nan Xing, of course I will!”

I laughed. As I saw the pure joy in his eyes, the laughter turned into tears. “Jing Tian, I’m sorry. I’m already ruined. If there’s a next life, I promise to surrender my best self to you.”

Jing Tian hugged me tightly to his chest. “No, Nan Xing, it’s my fault for letting them harm you. In all the future iterations of our lives, I promise to arrive in your life sooner, so that you’d be spared from all the hardship.”

2

I promised him my next life and he gave him all his future lives in return. What more could I ask for in a husband?

I stood on tiptoe, circled my arms around his neck to pull him lower so I could land a kiss on his lips. His lips were soft and gentle, just like his person.

Jing Tian shivered and then the world fell away underneath me. I gasped involuntarily and held onto Jing Tian’s neck. He had carried me into his arm. While I was surprised, his lips pried open my mouth.

I could feel his body burning up.

In the past 7 years, no matter how desperate he was, Jing Tian had been a perfect gentleman, he never once crossed the line. But now, I could feel his rising desire clearly.

Using the last remnant of his rationality, he laid me down lightly on the wedding bed. He climbed on top of me and growled through his lips, “Nan Xing, may I?”

I smiled and caressed his handsome face. I leaned forward to bite on his earlobe before whispering. “Jing Tian, make me your woman.”

The dress ripped under his force.. His palm landed on my exposed skin and my heart tingled from excitement.

The wedding candles swayed and waves churned inside the bed canopy.

Jing Tian was like a beast unleash. He expressed his joy to his heart’s content, not knowing the meaning of fatigue. I was like a small boat caught in the heavy waves. I was tossed and turned, the only thing anchoring me to reality was my husband.

“Nan Xing, let’s go register tomorrow!” His mellow and sincere voice rang in my ears.

“Okay,” I replied. The last bit of rationality that still remained dug up the question in my mind, “What if your family members don’t agree?” After all, I was his nephew’s ex-wife.

“Why should we need the permission from others. You’re mine and I’m yours, for this life and all the next.” Jing Tian’s answer settled my heart.

Indeed, Jing Tian, I am willing to be yours always. I will love you with everything that I have, to be shaped by your love with everything that I am.

In extreme satisfaction and lethargy, I felt asleep. Jing Tian’s kisses landed on my body. Being loved by the person you love, that is truly the happiest thing in the world.

I had never slept as peacefully as I did that night in the past 7 years. Even flowers had bloomed in my dream.

I stretched lazily in bed and instantly felt sore all over. This is all Jing Tian’s fault!

I snickered to myself. From this day onward, I would live blissfully and repay Jing Tian for every single day of the last 7 years he had accompanied me. I pulled down the quilt and reached out to hug Jing Tian.

My hand touched nothing. I was startled. Where is Jing Tian?

My eyes flew open. The thing that greeted me was a simple light blue table lamp on the bedside table. My breathing halted in my throat.

This table lamp was the one in my maiden room. It was a hand-me-down by my big sister, Nan Yang.

I sat up immediately.

“Jing Tian?” I cried out softly.

No one answered me.

2

Around me was a room that was all too familiar to me. My heart was palpitating and my breathing became rapid. It was as if the air in my lungs wanted to escape. I had to stop and take in deep gulps of air in order to calm my beating heart.

This was my maiden room before I was married out of the Nan Family!

Why am I here? Ever since I was married off 8 years ago, I had never spent another moment in this bed. In fact, I hadn’t even stepped foot in this bedroom ever since the marriage. A married daughter is another family’s daughter. My parents have it clear that there is no place for me at this home anymore!

The warning siren rang in my head. Where’s Jing Tian?! Jing Tian and I lived in the Jing Family’s old house, we decorated the place in a classical style. There were supposed to be wedding candles about the size of one’s arm inside the wedding chamber, so where were they now?!

We were going to get married and registered today. Jing Tian told me that last night. Before I drifted off to sleep, he put a ring on my finger. He said it was a family heirloom. I stretched out my hand. There was nothing on my finger. My hands were shaking. My heart was trembling.

Suddenly, there came a knock from the door.

“Nan Xing, Nan Xing, don’t tell me you’re still sleeping?! Do you know what time is it now?” The voice from outside the door was gentle yet sharp.

The chill rose in my heart. The familiar feeling of unease gripped my heart. As if running on habit, my body jumped out from bed to open the door. Standing outside the door was someone I never wanted to see in my life again– My older sister, Nan Yang.

Nan Yang’s beautiful eyebrows scrunched up together, but she kept her voice gentle and pleasant, “Nan Xing, are you alright? Did you pull all-nighters playing video games again? Have you forgotten that today is father’s 48th birthday? Every member from the Jing Family and Nan Family will be coming. You better go and change! Don’t make us Nan Family lose face!”

It was like cymbals had clashed in my ears. My brain was buzzing. Father’s 48th birthday? Father is supposed to be 58 this year, plus his birthday has passed a long time ago.

2

Have, have I been reborn to 10 years ago?

“Hey, are you even listening to me?” Nan Yang’s voice turned shrill as she reached out to push me.

I staggered from force. My feet slipped on a book on the ground and fell to the carpet.

“Nan Xing, stop playing a fool with me!” Nan Yang, clearly displeased with my actions, kicked me in the knee. The pain woke me up instantly.

I quickly got up to avoid more punishment from Nan Yang.

“Big Sister, I’ll go prepare now.” Before Nan Yang could say anything else, I bowed respectfully.

Nan Yang glanced at the book I slipped on and she scoffed with derision, “What were you doing with those books anyway? Are you still thinking about getting into M University? It’s impossible with that pig brain of yours! So stop dreaming! Today is dad’s birthday, we’ll be entertaining many guests so keep your mouth zipped, you hear me?”

2

Nan Yang dropped her lady act and stormed away arrogantly.