"If I know what love is, it is because of you."
"Mhmm? What"s that?" Chen Linyun lifted his head to take peek on the lady that was lying on top of him, arms crossed at his chest, and resting her chin on it.
Xue Jinxu blinked several times. "Hmm?" She was distracted from her reverie and was pulled back down to earth by her husband"s voice.
She folded her legs at the knees leisurely while the husband made a makes.h.i.+ft pillow with his left arm.
"Oh, nothing." She blushed while shaking her head vigorously. "Can we stay like this forever?"
Chen Linyun"s lips curved upward.
"Anything for you, wifey. But I think I heard you mumble something?" He pressed while admiring her rosy vibrant cheeks, her jet-black hair, her almond eyes that were at this instant, wide open with interest and alertness.
In his eyes, she"s still the G.o.ddess that he fell in love with more than six years ago.
The lady glanced at him, locking gazes with him.
"I said, if I know what love is, it is because of you." She playfully poked the tip of his nose with her index finger. Chen Linyun blinked.
She continued, "You make me see life from a different perspective."
"I think it"s the same for me too." Chen Linyun admitted. "Before meeting you I wouldn"t even spare a glance at any female being let alone get near them. You could say I was allergic to the female species. I thought I would get married to my laptop for life. So glad you came by."
Xue Jinxu raised her brows in disbelief. "You? Allergic to the female species?"
"Yes. The first time I saw you I mistook you for a boy."
"Nyahahahaha. Will you make the same mistake again?" Xue Jinxu pulled herself up and inched her face closer to her husband"s. He gave her lips a smack.
"Not anymore. Even if you wear male clothes I will be able to tell right away."
"Really?" She asked absent-mindedly. Her eyelids drooped dreamily.
"En."
"Can you call it fate?" The lady inquired enthusiastically, curiously.
"What?"
"Our first encounter."
Xue Jinxu s.h.i.+fted beside him and continued. "I mean, I was bound to leave sooner or later, but we met before I left."
"Hmm, I think our first meeting is providential, love." He proceeded in twirling a lock of her jet-black hair between his fingers.
Chen Linyun pulled himself up and landed a kiss onto the sumptuous lips of the missus. This time, it was slower.
The missus grinned sheepishly in return. "I think so too."
Xue Jinxu"s welcome party and the couple"s wedding anniversary-slash-second-engagement celebration had come to an end.
Currently, they were at the comfort of their dream home, inside the confines of their bedroom. They were speaking in hushed tones, afraid that any boisterous activity inside their room might reach Mother Chen who was staying with them. It would be too embarra.s.sing.
Xue Jinxu propped herself up with one elbow. "What was that about earlier?" She inquired quite accusingly. A little scowl was forming on her lovely face."What?" Chen Linyun propped himself, too, with an elbow and faced the wife"s inquisitive gaze. He felt nervous all of a sudden. "What is she talking about? Which in particular?"
"Grampa"s approval. I feel so left out. What happened when I was sleeping?" She attacked fearlessly as if it was a fault. Truth was, it was the improvement they had been waiting for. Among the family members, only Grampa Xue refused to acknowledge their marriage and give his blessings to the young couple.
What the h.e.l.l happened?
Chen Linyun sat up straight and scratched his head. He was trying to find the correct words.
"Well, truthfully, Jinxu, it turns out that your Grampa loves you too much." He caressed her cheeks with her thumb. While at it, he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
Xue Jinxu sat on her legs and nodded, signaling Chen Linyun that she was listening attentively. "Go on, go on. I"m all ears. And then? What happened?"
"He explained his side of the story."
"I couldn"t help feeling guilty, Jinxu…"
"I"ve really wronged your family by taking you as my wife that casually. Although I didn"t force you, and you agreed to it, too… Well, it was too sudden..."
"Remember how you were when you learned that Guangxi had a girlfriend for the first time? You were hysterical, and you even gave your brother a cold shoulder. But you still love him, and your love for him didn"t diminish at the least."
"I think that"s the best a.n.a.logy there can ever be of what happened to your Grampa, to put it simply."
"I guess up to now you still harbor ill feelings towards the girl Su Jingjing."
The lady scoffed and stood up. She put her hands on her hips. "Chen Linyun!"
The husband had gooseb.u.mps on his back. He sat properly.
"It"s different with that girl! That girl led Guangxi to his doom! She"s an accomplice of a greater evil which is still on the loose up to now! How can you compare our situation to their situation?!"
In defense, Chen Linyun raised his arms in the air. "Hey, hey! Calm down."
He grabbed her wrist and led her to sit on his lap. "Before you get worked up, try to clear your mind first, and see things without prejudice. Concentrate on the timeline before the picnic, okay? Recall the time when you learned about Guangxi having a girlfriend for the first time."
"Your intense disapproval at first – was it because of the girl, or because you were taken by surprise?"
The lady was speechless. She could see where Chen Linyun was coming from.
"I"m getting you now."
"So you mean…"
"I think your grandfather suffered severe shock too. To think he was trying to matchmake you with his best chosen, hand-picked chess pieces – knights and kings-to-be – those who were brought up with silver spoons in their mouth. Yet, you turned them all down! And when he learned that you somehow favor me, me who did not have a job at the time, in spite of your engagement that had already been in place, just imagine his shock, Jinxu. I bet he was hurt, too, and in the process, he doubted your decisions. I cannot blame him if we try to put ourselves in his shoes."
"He just loves you so much, Jinxu. We should be thankful for that."