Lin Xiaowan was stunned, staring blankly at the book. After a while, she recalled that Huo Zheng and her were not married yet. Perhaps, for this reason, there was nothing hidden in the book yet.
There was no way for Lin Xiaowan to comfort herself at all. If there was a letter now, it could mean that Huo Zheng had written the letter before he knew her or before they got together, after all. However, it was different if the letter was written after their marriage.
Lin Xiaowan did not give up. She flipped through the pages of the book to find the photo and the love letter. However, there was nothing.
She began to question herself.
‘Maybe I wasn’t reborn… Could it be that I had a long dream yesterday? Perhaps, those three years are just a dream?’
However, Lin Xiaowan was not convinced. After all, the pain, the difficulty she had breathing, and the moments before her death were too real. How could a dream be so real?
She had her fair share of vivid dreams before, and they were never so vivid. For example, she once dreamed that she was reading the newspaper in bed with her father in their old house. She was snuggled up in her father’s arms and read the newspaper seriously. Halfway through, she even remembered getting out of bed to get corn candy.
When she finally woke up, she was in a daze for a long time, unable to extricate herself from the dream. She even remembered the news she read. However, when she rushed out of her room, she discovered there was no corn candy.
Dreams and reality were the opposite of each other. In the dream, she had all of her father’s love for a short time. However, she had nothing outside of the dream.
When Lin Xiaowan regained her senses, she carefully searched the other books on the bookshelf. However, she still did not find anything.
…
Whenever Huo Zheng went on business trips, he would video call Lin Xiaowan every night before she went to bed. He would tell her about his day, his work, where he went, and who he had seen. It gave her a sense of security.
It was the same this time, but after Huo Zheng finished speaking, he finally realized that Lin Xiaowan, who had been silent for a long time, was distracted. He frowned slightly. After all, she had always listened to him attentively in the past.
Lin Xiaowan did not even realize Huo Zheng had finished speaking until he called out, “Qingqing.”
Qingqing was the name Lin Xiaowan had given herself. When she met Huo Zheng in the past, she had introduced herself as Lin Qingqing. Later, when he found out that her real name was Lin Xiaowan, he continued to call her ‘Qingqing’.
Lin Xiaowan snapped back to her senses and saw the frown on Huo Zheng’s face. She asked, “What? What’s wrong?”
She smiled sheepishly and added, “You’re done talking?”
“You weren’t listening,” Huo Zheng said.
Lin Xiaowan laughed, pretending like nothing was wrong.
“What’s wrong?” Huo Zheng asked.
In fact, Lin Xiaowan was trying to recall the name of Huo Zheng’s first love.
‘Is Lin Zhiyi or Song Zhiyi? Or is it another name? However, I remember seeing this name before…’
For a moment, Lin Xiaowan was overcome by the urge to ask Huo Zheng about his first love. However, the words were stuck in her throat. After a long time, she only said, “I had a dream. I dreamed that you didn’t want me anymore.”
Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and a hint of hesitance could be heard in her voice as she said, “Then… I died…”
Huo Zheng’s expression darkened almost immediately. He said, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
His tone was a little stern, which was rare.
“Why are you fierce? I already said it was a dream,” Lin Xiaowan said.
Huo Zheng’s expression was still a little dark.
“Dreams and reality are the opposite. You won’t abandon me, right?” Lin Xiaowan asked.
Huo Zheng’s expression eased slightly upon hearing these words. He said, “You’re not going to die.”
That seemed to be the main point for him.
Lin Xiaowan nodded like a chick pecking at grains on the ground as she said with a sweet smile, “Yes, yes, I won’t die.”
After the call ended, Huo Zheng still felt a little uneasy. It took a while before he finally got back to his work.
On the other hand, Lin Xiaowan went on the Internet and searched a few names. However, there was no useful information, and the names had connections with Huo Zheng.
…
The day before Huo Zheng returned, Lin Xiaowan received a call from an unknown number. Initially, she did not plan to answer the calls. She usually did not answer calls from unknown numbers. However, she found the string of numbers familiar so she answered the call.
“Is this Lin Xiaowan?”
The caller was a woman.
Lin Xianwan’s heart began to race in her chest.
“Yes.
“Hello, I’m Song Zhiyi. I wonder if Brother Huo has told you about me.”
Lin Xiaowan’s grip on her phone tightened. She was speechless for a moment.
When Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses, she was already sitting in a cafe.
At this time, a woman with curly hair and an oval face walked over and stood in front of her. The woman’s makeup was exquisite, and she wore a smile on her face.
Lin Xiaowan rose to her feet and said, “Hello.”
Song Zhiyi laughed, and a dimple appeared on one of her cheeks. She said, “Don’t be so nervous.”
Song Zhiyi took a seat on the chair across from Lin Xiaowan. Her movements were elegant and graceful. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, causing the silver bracelets on her wrist to clink against each other.
Lin Xiaowan studied Song Zhiyi secretly.
‘So she’s Huo Zheng’s first love. She’s so beautiful… Much more beautiful than those photos… She’s completely different from me…’
When Song Zhiyi ordered a glass of iced Americano, Lin Xiaowan instinctively glanced at her coconut strawberry milkshake and caramel pudding. She immediately felt like her aura was inferior to that of Song Zhiyi. She could not help but straighten her back.
Song Zhiyi sized Lin Xiaowan up, making sure that she was superior to the person in front of her. Then, she asked slowly, “Has Brother Huo ever told you about me?”
Lin Xiaowan shook her head. She did not like the way Song Zhiyi addressed Huo Zheng; it was too intimate.
Song Zhiyi sighed softly. A hint of sadness could be seen in her eyes as she said, “He probably still blames me.”
Then, she looked at Lin Xiaowan and continued to say, “You must be wondering why I called you… I once promised Brother Huo that even if we separate in the future, we must attend each other’s weddings no matter what…”
Song Zhiyi’s tone was gentle and without hostility. She sounded just like a gentle sister. However, her words were contrary to her tone.
“Although we separated in the end, I still want to see with my own eyes if he’s happy or not. I didn’t bother you, did I?”
Lin Xiaowan felt that Song Zhiyi truly did bother her.
‘Shouldn’t a good ex act like she’s dead? Why did she show up in front of me and speak like she was declaring sovereignty? How shameless!’
Naturally, Lin Xiaowan did not give voice to her thoughts. At the same time, she felt like she needed to reconsider her marriage with Huo Zheng.