Chapter 128: Return Her Husband to Her [Word Count Fulfilled]

An Ling didn't quite understand this sentence.

Because when she went out with Shen Linyan in the morning, everything was perfectly normal, and there was absolutely no sign of any problem.

[I'll be careful when I go home tonight.]

Pausing for a moment, she slowly typed on the screen again.

[Brother, if I...]

She paused, then deleted it.

[So when are you and Sister Qin You getting married?]

An Zhou: [Ahem, why are you asking this all of a sudden?]

An Ling: [Remember to give me the first invitation when the time comes.]

An Zhou: [You're my sister, of course you'll be the first.]

An Ling lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. From behind, a colleague called out to her.

"Ah Leng, the director is looking for you."

"Coming."

She put away her phone.

She hadn't expected today's scenes to shoot straight until midnight.

Taking the elevator upstairs, she took out her phone and checked the time.

12:30.

The system's voice sounded in her ear.

[Two days left.]

Her movements paused, and her tone was calm, "You're just like a debt collector."

[Because I can tell you want to choose yourself. Why don't you choose Shen Linyan?]

[Are you afraid he'll hate you after finding out? But I guess he probably wouldn't refuse; he actually feels guilty towards you in his heart as well.]

An Ling stared at the jumping numbers in the elevator.

"I know he wouldn't refuse, which is exactly why I don't want him to die."

Shen Linyan had always felt guilty towards her because of that incident. Even if she said it was fine, he wouldn't let it go.

But if she let Shen Linyan die in her place, would she be happy? Would she feel like she had gotten her revenge?

If she survived, she would only suffer even more torment.

Because then it would be her who caused Shen Linyan's death.

An Ling said softly, "All I want is for my family not to repeat their fate from the previous life, that is enough."

For them to escape the destiny of their past lives was already enough for her.

As for Shen Linyan...

An Ling lowered her eyes and rubbed the wedding ring on her hand.

"I am actually selfish too..."

The elevator doors opened, and she walked out, arriving at her front door.

"Beep—"

The lights in the entryway gently flickered on.

Only a floor lamp in the corner was turned on in the living room. Its warm yellow light spilled over the sofa, wrapping the man's silhouette in an exceptionally soft glow.

He wasn't wearing formal clothes, just a loose, dark set of loungewear. His long legs were casually crossed, and he held a book in his hands, his fingertips quietly turning a page.

Hearing the noise, he looked up. The coldness in his eyes instantly melted away, tinted with a touch of warmth and softness: "My wife is back."

An Ling didn't say anything, just lightened her footsteps and walked over.

The sofa was very soft. She straddled the man's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders, and gently rested her chin on his shoulder. Like a small animal, she rubbed against him with a hint of coquettishness.

Shen Linyan naturally put down the book, raised a hand to hold her waist, and pulled her closer into his embrace. He turned his head and kissed her face, his lips pressing against her cheek as he spoke in a low, gentle voice: "Are you tired?"

She let out a soft "Mm," her voice mushy and filled with reliance. She was almost half-leaning on him, her nose brushing past the faint scent of cedarwood on his neck: "So sleepy."

He didn't ask any more questions. He raised a hand to stroke her hair, while his other hand steadily supported her, letting her rest in his arms.

The light from the floor lamp fell on their overlapping figures. It was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.

An Ling leaned into the crook of his neck, her nose gently nuzzling against his familiar scent.

The warm yellow floor lamp shone diagonally across the man's profile.

His eyelashes drooped, casting a shallow shadow under his eyes. The lines of his nose were clean and sharp, his lips pressed into a faint line. His usually cold aura was softened a bit by the lighting.

An Ling blinked.

She just didn't know how long Shen Linyan would miss her after she died, or how long it would take for him to marry a new wife.

Would it be a few days, a few months, or perhaps a few years?

Would he treat his new wife like this too?

A few seconds later, she slowly leaned in and kissed the side of the man's neck.

The moment her soft lips pressed against him, Shen Linyan's body tensed slightly. He looked down and met the girl's clear, beautiful almond eyes.

Her expression was innocent, blinking as if asking him what was wrong.

Shen Linyan looked down at her, his pitch-black eyes like a whirlpool, gentle yet bottomless.

His long fingers hooked under her chin. He slowly lowered his head, parted his lips, and gently took her lips into his own, tenderly sucking and nibbling.

An Ling's eyelashes fluttered. Hugging his neck, she responded with a slightly clumsy cooperation.

Their breaths intertwined, gradually becoming heated and damp in the confined space.

Time ticked by. By the time they parted, both of their breaths were unsteady, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.

There was a faint tendency of things getting out of hand.

But they stopped before crossing the line.

Shen Linyan rose slightly, his thumb brushing past the corner of the girl's lips. His voice was a little hoarse, "Wife, it's time to take a shower."

"Why do I have to go wash up now?" An Ling feigned confusion and blinked, even deliberately leaning closer, asking a question she already knew the answer to. "Can't it wait a bit? Hmm?"

The girl's touch grew closer, carrying a hint of provocation.

Shen Linyan's movements suddenly froze.

Her fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, and his temples throbbed.

His Adam's apple bobbed. The hand holding the woman tightened, pulling her closer against his chest. He lowered his head and kissed her earlobe, his hot breath suppressing his desire. "You want it? You'll blame me again tomorrow when you can't get up for work."

As he spoke, his large hand skillfully slipped under the hem of her clothes.

Trying to ease the tension in other ways, just like before.

But An Ling pressed down on his arm. Mimicking his manner, she tilted her head up to his ear and slowly said with a smile, word by word:

"Hubby, tomorrow I am not going to work."

As soon as she finished speaking, she was lifted straight up from the sofa.

An Ling instinctively wrapped her arms around the man's shoulders, and her lips were captured.

"Click—"

The door closed, and she was instantly pressed against the door panel.

Before she could even let out a gasp, all her sounds were swallowed up.

...

By the time she came out from her shower, An Ling was too exhausted to speak.

She lay on the bed, her waist embraced from behind. A warm chest pressed against her back, and the man's chin rested on the top of her head.

Everything was just like before.

An Ling groggily thought, isn't Shen Linyan perfectly fine like this?

So what on earth did An Zhou mean by those words?

As she was thinking, the man's voice sounded in her ear, "Isn't tomorrow a workday? Why isn't my wife going to work?"

She paused, suddenly remembering what she had planned to do.

"Another colleague is taking my shift tomorrow."

She turned around and looked up at the man, "Are you busy tomorrow? Can you spend time with me?"

The man's body paused slightly. The emotions in his eyes were hard to read in the dark night, and his jaw tightened slightly.

He slowly lowered his eyes and tenderly kissed her face,

"Sorry, honey, I might not be free tomorrow."

An Ling was stunned.

After a moment of silence, she pursed her lips, curved her eyes, and said softly, "Alright."

It was a pity she had deliberately finished all her work to clear her schedule for a day off in advance.

She had originally planned to go on a date with Shen Linyan to deepen their relationship.

That way, even if she died, Shen Linyan would remember her for a bit longer.

Maybe his guilt would run a bit deeper, too...

She was selfish.

She couldn't bear for Shen Linyan to die; she wanted him to live.

Yet, she didn't want Shen Linyan to forget her either.

Whether out of love or out of guilt.

At the very least, he wanted her to remember him as her husband.

The night was deep. Shen Linyan slowly opened his eyes.

He cast his gaze down at the girl sleeping soundly in his arms, lowering his head to gently nuzzle her cheek.

The system was just marveling at how good their relationship was when it heard the man suddenly speak:

"I remembered that dream."

He remembered exactly how his wife had died.

On a snowy night, his wife had died on the streets, and he remembered whose hands she died by.

The system was stunned at first, then instantly panicked.

[Huh?? You remembered? That's impossible, I clearly...]

It had clearly sealed away that memory.

Remembering that it often accidentally dropped plot points into people's minds, the system's voice got stuck.

[Then are you going to take her place? I think it'll be difficult; An Ling seems to want to choose herself.]

Shen Linyan didn't speak.

By the faint light from the bedside lamp, he traced the girl's silhouette inch by inch, as if trying to carve her image deeply into his eyes.

He closed his eyes, kissed her forehead tenderly, and spoke in a very soft voice.

"Then I'll act before she can make her choice."

...

Left alone at home with free time, An Ling didn't really have anything else to do.

Remembering the cookies she had failed to bake last time, she decided to finish the task.

Who asked Shen Linyan to laugh at her failure last time?

Before she died, she absolutely had to show him a successful batch.

Besides, she felt that the ingredients she used last time weren't quite right. This time, she was going to follow the tutorial's ingredient list exactly.

There was a large mall near the residential area with a supermarket on the basement floor. In the afternoon, An Ling changed her clothes and went there to shop.

After buying flour and white sugar, and just as she finished picking out the butter based on a picture, her gaze shifted to the yogurt nearby.

Just as she picked it up, the system's voice suddenly rang out,

[Friendly reminder: you walked here, by yourself, alone.]

"..."

She turned her head to look; the shopping cart behind her was already half full.

The system twisted the knife.

[Actually, there's no need for you to buy so much. You'll be dead in a few days anyway.]

"...Can you just not speak?"

An Ling put down the yogurt, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately put all the snacks back before heading to the checkout line.

After returning home, she took out the ingredients and remade the cookies according to the tutorial.

Mixing and shaping took about thirty minutes in total. Finally, she put the cookies into the oven and waited another fifteen minutes.

Before opening it, An Ling stood in front of the oven, closed her eyes, and prayed.

[What are you doing?]

"Praying." An Ling pulled open the oven.

She looked at the baked cookies on the tray and carefully compared them with the picture on her phone.

The color seemed about right.

Without Shen Fuyuan here this time, An Ling had to pick one up and taste it herself. After taking a hesitant bite, her eyes lit up. "It's a success!"

She had actually succeeded!

She took a photo and originally wanted to send it to Shen Linyan, but then she paused.

She could save it as a surprise for him tonight.

Seeing that the sky was already getting dark, she took the opportunity to text him.

An Ling: [Hubby, are you coming home for dinner tonight? I have a surprise! ^^]

Shen Linyan: [Sorry, I'm not coming back.]

She froze slightly.

An Ling: [Alright, then when will you be done with work tonight? Should we go watch a movie sometime in the next couple of days? (๑•.•๑)]

She had promised Shen Linyan to go to the movies last time, but they had kept putting it off. She wanted to watch one with him again before she died.

Shen Linyan: [I'm away on a business trip for the next few days.]

She stood rooted to the spot. The white light from the screen illuminated her face, making the girl's expression look completely bewildered.

An Ling: [You went on a business trip? Why didn't you tell me?]

This time, the other side remained silent for a minute.

Finally, a short reply was sent over.

Shen Linyan: [Did I need to tell you?]

The cold words looked so glaring on the screen.

An Ling's mind went blank for a moment. She gripped her phone helplessly, even thinking she had messaged the wrong person.

All the joy and anticipation that had filled her heart vanished into nothingness in an instant.

Her eyes stung. She pursed her lips tightly, her fingertips trembling so much she could barely type clearly.

She didn't understand why things had suddenly turned out like this.

Everything had been perfectly fine just last night.

[Shen Linyan, what do you mean by this?]

This time, the other side fell into an even longer silence.

She tried calling him, but he hung up immediately.

Shen Linyan: [I'm sorry.]

An Ling's eyes were red. She pressed her lips together as she stared at the message.

Before she could ask him anything else.

More messages followed immediately.

Shen Linyan: [An Ling, I can't pretend to like you anymore.]

Shen Linyan: [I was only good to you because of guilt from our past life.]

Shen Linyan: [I'm sorry, I lied to you.]

The messages came one after another, making the phone buzz continuously.

An Ling's pupils shrank, and she stood there in a daze.

What did he mean pretending to like her...

The system's voice rang in her ears.

[I told you. When I did the assessment back then, Shen Linyan was categorized as someone who finds it very hard to develop feelings. He really was just acting out of guilt towards you.]

An Ling still looked stunned, as if she hadn't processed it yet. Her eyes were red, teardrops clinging to her eyelashes.

The system was silent for a moment before slowly speaking up,

[You still haven't given me an answer.]

[So you can still choose to let Shen Linyan die.]

An Ling's eyelids fluttered slightly.

"Was it you..." she suddenly spoke, her voice hoarse. "You told Shen Linyan about my ending, didn't you."

"System, what exactly is my ending."

The air grew quiet for a moment.

A moment later, the system's emotionless mechanical voice sounded.

[According to the original timeline, your ending this time is to die from Lu Jingshen's revenge. Lu Jingshen is jealous of Shen Linyan and harbors deep resentment. He stalked you two multiple times, and finally, during one of your dates with Shen Linyan, he would pull a knife on you in an attempt to get back at Shen Linyan.]

At this point, the system paused, but ultimately continued:

[Just five minutes ago, Shen Linyan advanced the plot for you. He took the initiative to find Lu Jingshen and provoked him...]

An Ling's pupils shrank sharply, her voice trembling. "What?"

...

Outside, the sky had grown dark.

The sky, which had been clear for days, began to pour down heavy snow tonight.

Feathery snowflakes fell thick and fast, turning the world into a vast expanse of white, like shredded clouds.

The usually noisy system had fallen silent at some point.

An Ling took a taxi to the location the system provided. A crowd had already gathered there, with police cars and an ambulance parked by the side of the road.

People around were discussing in low voices.

"What happened here?"

"I heard a young man got stabbed, and the killer ran away."

"Oh my god... really?"

Hearing this, An Ling's body shuddered. Trembling all over, she stared blankly and muttered in a low voice, "Impossible, it's fake... It can't be Shen Linyan..."

But when she saw the familiar face of the man on the stretcher, An Ling's pupils dilated in shock, her breath catching in her throat.

Her heart almost stopped beating.

Everything around her instantly became exceptionally quiet, leaving only the sky full of falling snow drifting down slowly, so slow it felt as though time had stopped.

She lost all her strength and slumped to the ground, her heart aching in spasms. Her mind was in complete chaos, her eyes losing focus. Her vision gradually blurred as she let scalding tears patter onto the back of her hands.

How could Shen Linyan die...

He hadn't even eaten her cookies yet,

Hadn't gone to the movies with her yet...

He had promised to marry her.

Unable to suppress the whimpers rising in her throat any longer, An Ling broke down in tears, her voice trembling.

"I don't want this... I don't want it to be like this..."

Give her husband back to her.