Chapter 136: I Love You [End of Text]

Stepping outside, the evening breeze carried a slight chill. The sound of fireworks echoed in their ears, and the dim yellow streetlights cast a warm, bright glow over the road.

An Ling's hand was held by the man and tucked into his overcoat pocket. Walking along the familiar street, she suddenly looked up. "I remember you walked me home once before. It was this exact road, wasn't it?"

Shen Linyan smiled and said gently, "Yes. My wife told me not to walk her all the way back."

"Of course. After all, we were going through a divorce back then. Plus, my brother warned me time and time again not to be with you."

Though in the end, he still couldn't prevent it.

The memories of the past rushed back in this moment, feeling almost like a lifetime ago.

"Time flies. I still remember when we first got divorced."

Hearing this, Shen Linyan paused his steps slightly.

His tone was soft and slow. "Does my wife only remember what happened after the divorce?"

An Ling's eyelids twitched. "...I remember before the divorce, too."

"Is that so? I remember too. Before the divorce, my wife even celebrated my birthday with me."

"..."

"That was the first birthday I ever celebrated, but my wife brought up divorce on my birthday. I was truly heartbroken back then. And after the divorce, my wife pretended not to know me."

"..."

An Ling shot him a sideways glance, her brow suddenly relaxing.

She spoke slowly, "Hubby, those messages you sent me back then, saying that your love for me was all fake... I was truly heartbroken too."

"You also said you only treated me well out of guilt. Was that true? Is it still true now?"

Shen Linyan: "..."

Recovering himself, a laugh rumbled from his chest. He stopped, leaned down, and kissed the girl's forehead, then kissed the corner of her eye. "I apologize to my wife. It was my fault."

An Ling huffed. "I'll have to think about whether to forgive you."

Shen Linyan was about to say something when An Zhou's voice suddenly rang in their ears.

"An Ling!"

Looking over, they saw An Zhou and Qin You standing not far away. An Zhou was holding small sparklers in his hand.

He gestured with them. "Want to go to the nearby park to light some sparklers?"

That was the only place nearby where fireworks were permitted.

An Ling's eyes lit up. She turned to Shen Linyan, "Shall we go?"

Shen Linyan smiled and nodded, "Let's go."

An Ling snagged a few sparklers from An Zhou, and Shen Linyan lit them for her.

Under the night sky, the pale gold sparks burned and bloomed in the air, clear and bright. The fragmented, crystalline light fell to the ground like embers scattered by the wind.

Holding the sparklers, An Ling handed her phone to Shen Linyan.

"Hubby, record a video for me."

"Okay."

Shen Linyan took the phone and pressed record.

His gaze gradually settled on the girl's face on the screen.

The sparkling light fell on her cheeks, making her skin look translucent and white. Even her fine peach fuzz was softly visible. As she looked down at the sparklers, her long eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings.

He stared, entranced.

The next second, the girl suddenly turned to look at him.

Her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks warmed by the glow of the fireworks, and her beautiful features blended into the soft halo of light.

Her eyes curved into a smile, her gaze looking straight at him through the screen.

"Shen Linyan, Happy New Year."

"Let's celebrate your birthday anew this year."

In that instant, the noisy, clamoring sound of the fireworks seemed to have been muted by someone. The world suddenly fell quiet.

The surrounding voices faded away, and even the crackling of the fireworks dissolved into nothingness.

All that remained was the girl's soft, slightly sweet voice, landing gently by his ear.

Shen Linyan's eyes widened slightly in a daze. A moment later, his usually cool and aloof eyes slowly curved, and a very faint, yet incredibly tender smile graced his lips.

He moved the phone away slightly, smiling as he lowered his head to kiss her cheek. His nose gently brushed against hers, his voice full of doting affection.

"Okay, my wife."

...

The weather gradually warmed, and the ice and snow melted away bit by bit.

The wind no longer carried a biting chill; instead, it held a gentle, moist warmth.

Luxury cars were parked outside the top-tier hotel, and big shots from various commercial brands had arrived.

Inside the banquet hall, both sides of the stage were surrounded by layers of massive floral arrangements. White roses, champagne lisianthus, and misty eucalyptus intertwined into a sea of flowers, spreading all the way from the entrance to the main stage. The floral scent was light yet rich, exuding high-end luxury.

Damian stepped out of his car and walked into the banquet hall. Seeing the man at the entrance, he smiled and waved.

"Hey! Shen!"

The man wore a custom haute-couture black suit. His posture was tall and lean, his features warm and refined, and his aura as noble and elegant as the moonlight.

Hearing the voice, he lifted his eyes slightly, a faint smile on his lips. He reached out his hand, "Damian, thank you for making the trip."

"What are you saying? Of course I had to come to your wedding!"

Damian's gaze fell on his face. After observing him for a few seconds, he grinned. "You really are a happy man, it's completely different. Your smile today is so much more genuine than before!"

Shen Linyan paused for a moment, then curved his lips into a smile. "Thank you."

Damian winked playfully. "Looks like I finally get to see your wife with my own eyes this time. I heard she's very beautiful."

Shen Linyan smiled and said, "Yes, she is very beautiful."

It was an undisguised compliment, his words carrying a tender love that even he hadn't noticed.

Hearing this, Damian's eyes widened in surprise. Once he processed it, a teasing glint appeared in his eyes, and he smiled and nodded.

Wow, seeing Shen Linyan like this was truly a miraculous sight.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Damian went off to chat with others, letting Shen Linyan get back to his duties.

Shen Linyan stood there for a moment before turning and heading toward the private elevator.

"Ding—"

The elevator doors opened, and the man stepped out with his long legs, walking toward the room.

A sign hanging on the door read [Bridal Waiting Room].

He raised his hand and knocked gently.

Footsteps sounded from inside, and the door was opened.

He asked gently, "Are you still doing makeup? Can I come in?"

Jiang Mai was stunned for a second but quickly recovered. Smiling, she stepped aside to let him in. "The makeup is done, and she's changed into her dress. We were just taking pictures. Come in, I was just about to head out and take a look around anyway."

As she left, she thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

Shen Linyan walked in and turned the corner.

Then, his footsteps paused slightly.

He saw An Ling sitting in front of the mirror. Her soft, long hair was pinned up, and the custom haute-couture wedding dress hugged her figure, accentuating the elegant lines of her shoulders and neck, and her delicate collarbones. The skirt was adorned with crushed diamonds, and her skin was dazzlingly white.

Seeing him through the mirror, she turned around and said in pleasant surprise, "Why are you here?"

"To see my wife."

An Ling was already naturally stunning, possessing the kind of beauty that took one's breath away at first glance—both delicate and glamorous. With her makeup done, her face looked even more gorgeous.

He took a few steps closer, lowering his eyes as his thumb gently brushed her earlobe. The girl's eyelashes were long, the corners of her eyes tilted up slightly, and her crimson lips were full.

His eyes curved as he spoke in a gentle tone, "My wife is very beautiful today."

An Ling raised an eyebrow and looked up. "Am I not beautiful normally?"

"My wife is beautiful all the time." Shen Linyan smiled and lowered his head. Afraid of ruining her makeup, he ultimately just placed a soft kiss on the gemstone earring dangling from her earlobe.

An Ling raised her hand to help him adjust his tie. "Well, my hubby is also very handsome today."

Shen Linyan stared into her eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his voice was very soft.

"Does my wife like today's wedding venue?"

An Ling had already gone to see the venue earlier. Her eyes lit up as she nodded, "I love it! It's even more beautiful than the ones I saw in videos before!"

Looking into the girl's joyful eyes, he couldn't hold back. He gently brushed his lips against hers, his eyes curving into a smile as he whispered,

"My wife, we are finally getting married."

...

The ceremony began, and music echoed through the banquet hall.

As the spotlight turned on, the grand doors slowly pushed open.

An Ling walked in, her arm linked with her father's, and made her way toward the main stage step by step.

The moment An Ling's hand was placed into his palm, Shen Linyan immediately clasped it tightly, as if he were holding the sole treasure of his life.

He cast his gaze down at her. A gentle softness washed over his usually aloof features, the corners of his lips turning up with a faint smile in his eyes.

An Ling looked back at him, her eyes curving into a sweet smile.

After the rings were exchanged, Wang Yihong's teasing voice rang out from the audience.

"Kiss her!"

Immediately after, a chorus of cheers followed.

"Kiss her!"

"Kiss her!"

An Ling's face flushed a delicate shade of red. The hazy light, a beautiful weave of cool white and warm gold, fell upon her face, making her skin look exceptionally fair and flawless.

Her long eyelashes fluttered. She lifted her gaze to the man standing before her, locking straight into a pair of incredibly gentle eyes.

Shen Linyan smiled and lowered his head, affectionately rubbing the tip of his nose against hers. His voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear it.

"Mrs. Shen, spring is here."

Winter had faded, and spring had arrived.

The ending of the past had been rewritten.

From this day forward, through every morning and night, their happiness would never come to an end.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Shen Linyan smiled, gently cupped her face in his hands, and lowered his head to capture her lips.

"An Ling, I love you."

[End of Main Text]