"Lili, are you... really back?"
A mere, casual question like that made her feel a tight pain in her chest.
After calming herself a bit,
"Why did the car Driver Qian drove me home in explode three years ago? Tell me now, just how much intrigue was there at Wen Liangyu’s birthday banquet?"
Wen Nian reached out and touched her head,
"My grandfather knew about our marriage, and I was more aware than anyone that three years ago, I couldn’t fully protect you."
"There are so many official duties every day, it’s impossible for me to be mindful of you at every moment; there will always be omissions."
Wen Nian took a deep breath, merely holding her hand wasn’t enough, he stretched out his arms to embrace her, only then did he feel real.
He was also very tired, his body exhausted, but his spirit was excited, his body leaned back against the headboard, holding Tang Xiaohua together.
"Grandfather has stepped back from politics, but he never stopped the power struggles behind the scenes; his pursuit for power was extreme. The reason I could become President at 26, you can’t imagine how many paths grandfather paved for me."
"Perhaps if it were an ordinary person, they would think of grandfather as a benefactor for their entire life. Sitting in the highest position of power in Country G, it’s something that excites one’s blood."
"But I knew from a young age that they weren’t cultivating Wen Nian; they were cultivating another Wen Liangyu, a puppet they could control."
"It’s conceivable that when I was five, he started meticulously planning for me, playing his schemes for over twenty years; that type of person is terrifying no matter how you think about it."
Previously she had little contact with Wen Liangyu, but each time she did, she felt scared. The way he looked at people, it wasn’t like he was looking at a sentient being, but like he was looking at fish on a chopping block.
She didn’t know how much her death in the former life had to do with Wen Liangyu...
"Three years ago, my power was unstable, on one hand eager to achieve results, on the other hand having to deal with the struggles from various Opposition Parties, the path grandfather paved for me; if it had been torn down then, there might not be the Wen Nian of today."
People only saw him become the youngest President of Country G at 26, but couldn’t see that his life, from the start, was completely different from ordinary people’s.
"So, I indeed needed grandfather’s support."
Tang Xiaohua pursed her lips, continuing to listen to Wen Nian...
They had never before, like now, brought such political matters from the court to their bedroom.
Back then she was unwilling to listen, couldn’t understand, and afterward, she felt inferior, gradually becoming averse.
"So, if it’s something grandfather wanted to do, I couldn’t guard against it, at least not back then. Any slight negligence toward you, and he would take action against you."
Tang Xiaohua clenched her fist, clearly Wen Nian’s view of Wen Liangyu was the same as hers.
Hence at that birthday banquet, she was also on high alert the entire time, instinctively feeling that Wen Liangyu would not let her go.
"He had set up a timed bomb in Driver Qian’s car early on; it was I who had Qu Yu switch it to a remote-controlled one."
"That day I was really angry, seeing you and Lu Ziqing dancing in the dance floor, I nearly exploded. It had been such a long time since I saw you smile so happily. You always seemed more relaxed and comfortable around Lu Ziqing than around me."
"What I said in the resting room was all out of anger, but unexpectedly... you took it to heart."
"Lili, I thought you could understand... Your attitude towards me changed drastically, it suffocated me. I went to Xilin hoping to have a proper conversation with you, but the disgust and rejection you showed left me baffled and in pain. The conversation ended badly. If you were me, wouldn’t you think I had changed my heart, fallen in love with someone else, and thus was rejecting and despising you?"
Tang Xiaohua closed her eyes, held Wen Nian tightly,
"I’m sorry... I’m sorry..."
Wen Nian lowered his head and kissed her forehead,
"Back then, I was indeed influenced by emotions and thought... maybe setting you free was the right thing to do. If you no longer loved me, if you wanted to choose someone else, it would be better to let you go rather than keep you tied to a worthless husband like me. At least... you wouldn’t be targeted by a grandfather with ulterior motives, right?"
Tang Xiaohua thumped Wen Nian’s chest lightly, and listening to him, it was as if time could rewind back to the moment when all this happened, as if she could feel every strand of his emotions.
Feeling how deeply she had wounded him.
"I’ve always admired Lu Ziqing, so I knew he wouldn’t treat you badly."
"Do you have so little persistence towards me...! That’s no persistence at all! You were frightened off so quickly. Speaking lofty words, pretending to be so noble..."
She murmured, clearly dissatisfied with all his thoughts at the time!
"Yes, I later reflected that it was my lack of perseverance, and that I hadn’t communicated properly with you, making decisions for you without your consent."
"Of course! It’s all your fault!"
Although Tang Xiaohua said this, she knew in her heart, what fault did Wen Nian have?
It was she who had derailed everything; Wen Nian wasn’t a god, to make the right decisions under her wrong guidance.
Wen Nian was pleased inside, her act of coquetry made him feel as if they had returned to the past.
He felt as if his Lili had returned, solidifying this feeling of security.
"I knew Lu Ziqing went to pick you up, I and Qu Yu always followed not far from Lu Ziqing, knowing you had gotten into Lu Ziqing’s car only then did we detonate the bomb, in fact, there was already a female corpse prepared in that car."
Tang Xiaohua’s mind jerked in shock, "You had a female corpse prepared in the car?"
"Yes. You went to Xilin using the name Tang Xiaohua, I guessed at first it was to guard against me, but you didn’t know from the moment you boarded the train to Xilin, I knew you had gone to Xilin."
She pursed her lips and closed her eyes.
"Lili, you are my wife, I can’t help but care about every move you make, but I want to tell you, whatever you truly want to do, even if I don’t like it, I would still let you do it. I think, that should be a kind of tacit understanding between husband and wife, shouldn’t it?"
He asked gently, his lips already touching her ear, rubbing back and forth.
"Later you kept using the name Tang Xiaohua, I guessed there might be some other reason, so I figured, if you found out about the news of Song Lili’s accidental death, you would surely take advantage of the situation to leave Anlin and go to Xilin as your Tang Xiaohua."
At that moment, Tang Xiaohua, reflecting back on seeing the car explode and her own collapse under the towering blaze, felt it was somewhat laughable.
She, the self-righteous fool, had speculated Wen Nian’s thoughts based on her own shallow understanding, thereby misunderstanding every act he did for her.