Zheng Wei smiled and pulled Shen Xiaoyan's hand, kissing the ring. "This is our token of love. It wasn't here before, but now it is."
Shen Xiaoyan withdrew her hand, looking at Zheng Wei indifferently. "If you don't want to say, then I'll pretend I never asked."
Zheng Wei knew Shen Xiaoyan was unhappy, but he wasn't worried. Instead, he held her in his arms and sat back down on the heated bed.
After adjusting their position, Zheng Wei played with Shen Xiaoyan's hands and then slowly explained, "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what this is."
Shen Xiaoyan pouted upon hearing this. If he wasn't sure, why bring it back and give it to her? Did he think she was a child?
Zheng Wei kissed Shen Xiaoyan's face and continued, "My trip with Sima Han wasn't for business. We... we went to find someone."
Shen Xiaoyan had already guessed that Zheng Wei wouldn't be doing business, but hearing that they had been gone for four months just to find someone still surprised her. "Who were you looking for? Did you find them?"
Zheng Wei nodded. "We found him. He lives in a deep mountain very far from here. It took us two full months to get there."
Shen Xiaoyan found this hard to believe again, so she said, "You were gone for four months in total. It took two months to get there, so it should take another two months to come back, right? Then when did you even see the person?"
Zheng Wei sighed helplessly. "We saw him in the morning and set off back in the afternoon."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan's mind could only come up with two words: "Holy crap."
This was truly an act of extreme idleness.
They traveled for four months round trip, just to meet someone and have lunch?
"Just as you think."
Seeing Shen Xiaoyan's expression of utter shock, Zheng Wei knew what she was thinking and said with great empathy.
"When we arrived, we saw him. He gave each of us a wooden box and then sent us away, saying he would come find us when the time was right." Zheng Wei said this with a hint of helplessness.
"Why did you go look for him?"
"We didn't know him initially, and we didn't have a specific destination when we left. However, as soon as we left Tongling Town, we received a letter asking us to find him, with the address on it," Zheng Wei said, sounding dejected.
Shen Xiaoyan's mood at this point could no longer be described with just "holy crap." She took a long time to speak. "Do you know his name?"
Zheng Wei replied, "Of course I know it. Otherwise, why would I have gone? Do you think your husband is a complete fool?"
Shen Xiaoyan silently added in her mind, "You are, fundamentally."
Zheng Wei, unaware of Shen Xiaoyan's thoughts, continued, "He was the former Grand Tutor of the Great Chu Kingdom, named Yi Zhixie."
"Grand Tutor? Former?" Shen Xiaoyan was astonished.
"Yes, the former Grand Tutor. You could even say he was the only one, because there was no Grand Tutor before him, and none after him either," Zheng Wei added.
"Then why didn't he remain Grand Tutor and run off to the deep mountains and old forests?"
"Because the Grand Emperor abdicated, so he retired to the mountains," Zheng Wei explained.
Shen Xiaoyan, feeling like a benevolent philanthropist, didn't know what to say to both of them, and the Grand Emperor, the new Emperor, these were all people she had never thought of before, but now they were being spoken of by her husband.
After Zheng Wei finished speaking, he fell silent. The two of them nestled together quietly.
After a long while, Zheng Wei's voice returned. "Mi Mi."
"Mhm," Shen Xiaoyan replied lazily.
"I have something I want to tell you."
"Go ahead," Shen Xiaoyan said casually.
"I know you're not the original Shen Xiaoyan."
As soon as Zheng Wei spoke, it struck Shen Xiaoyan like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
"Mi Mi, don't be nervous." Zheng Wei held Shen Xiaoyan even tighter and continued, "You're not the original Shen Xiaoyan, and I'm not the original Zheng Wei either."
Shen Xiaoyan stared blankly at Zheng Wei. Hearing his words, she instinctively wanted to ask if Zheng Wei was also a transmigrator. But before she could ask, Zheng Wei spoke himself.
"I don't know what's going on with me. I was already dead, but when I woke up again, I was back at the age of ten."
Reincarnation?
Shen Xiaoyan's mind was filled with these two words.
No wonder she felt Zheng Wei didn't seem like a hunter raised by villagers. She had always thought Zheng Wei simply hadn't lost his memory.
She never expected Zheng Wei to have reincarnated.
"How did you know I wasn't the original Shen Xiaoyan?" After a long while, Shen Xiaoyan finally found her voice.
"In the previous life, Shen Xiaoyan was also sold to the Zhu family by the Shen family. However, I didn't marry her. I left. I don't know what happened to her later."
"In this life, I also didn't intend to marry. But for some reason, when I saw you struggling in the water, I wanted to save you."
"From the moment I brought you back to the three adobe rooms, I realized you weren't the original Shen Xiaoyan. Although you said at the time that you had changed because you had died once. But your speech and behavior, your strength, and the fact that your and Xiao Ming's bodies became healthier, and the scar on my face, all indicated that you were not the original Shen Xiaoyan."
"I think Xiao Ming might have felt it too, but he's young after all. He would only think you had become stronger and wouldn't think of other possibilities."
"But I, having gone through a similar miraculous experience, know that you are not the original Shen Xiaoyan."
"Then why didn't you say anything?" As Shen Xiaoyan spoke, she felt her throat grow hoarse.
Perhaps it was due to nervousness, or fear.
"There was no need. I love *you*," Zheng Wei said, planting a kiss on Shen Xiaoyan's face. He continued, "The former Shen Xiaoyan never interacted with me, nor did I know her. I've always loved you, and only you."
The heavy stone in Shen Xiaoyan's heart seemed to have finally been lifted. She felt an immense sense of relief.
Although she appeared happy on the surface, Shen Xiaoyan had always harbored a worry that one day Zheng Wei would discover she wasn't the original Shen Xiaoyan, and then what would happen.
Now, Zheng Wei's words were like a reassurance, and she no longer had to worry about it.
"Then why did you bring it up today?" Shen Xiaoyan was curious. If he hadn't intended to say it before, why bring it up now?
"Because we are going to spend our lives together. If this isn't discussed, it will be a hidden danger in our hearts. From this moment on, there will be no more secrets between us..."
"Wait."
Shen Xiaoyan quickly interrupted Zheng Wei. There were still secrets between them.
"What is it?" Zheng Wei looked at Shen Xiaoyan, confused.
"I..."
"Master, Mistress, dinner is ready," Huo Fen's voice came from outside, interrupting what Shen Xiaoyan was about to say.
"Okay," Shen Xiaoyan called out to the outside and pulled Zheng Wei towards the dining area. "Let's go. You just got back, eat something, and rest well. We can talk later."
Zheng Wei was noncommittal. They had a long time ahead of them; there was no rush.
Lunch was laid out on the round table in the main room. Shen Xiaoming had also returned from school. He was overjoyed to see Sima Han and Zheng Wei both present.
"Xiao Ming is back, let's eat," Zheng Wei said, handing Shen Xiaoming a bowl of rice.
Shen Xiaoming took the bowl of rice and gave Zheng Wei a big hug. Then he said, "When did Elder Brother-in-law and Brother Shui get back? Didn't you say you'd be back until the New Year?"
"We just got home this morning. The matter is finished, so naturally, we came back. Aren't you happy to see me and Brother Shui, Xiao Ming?" Zheng Wei chuckled.