"Coming, coming, Princess Chi Chi!"
"Hmph, you meanie! You're not allowed to call me that!"
"Got it, got it, Princess Chi Chi. I'll be right there. Just give me a moment..."
Although he had still been feeling lost and bewildered just a moment ago, Lin Chao Ci answered instinctively as soon as he heard her voice.
Everything felt so familiar.
He glanced at the date again, finally remembering that tomorrow, the fourteenth, was the Laba Festival. A few hours earlier, he and Qin Chi Chi had agreed to go out that evening to buy ingredients.
They would get up the next morning and make Laba porridge together.
"My memory seems to have improved. Normally, I should've forgotten things from decades ago, but now I can remember them just by thinking about them!"
Marveling at his improved memory, Lin Chao Ci changed his clothes and got ready in no time.
Then he hurried downstairs.
Outside the villa gates, a black sedan sat quietly by the entrance.
"You big meanie, you took forever! You kept me waiting so long, so you're carrying all the ingredients we buy!"
As he approached the car, the rear door opened, revealing a girl in the back seat who looked like a fairy-tale princess.
She had bright eyes, pearly teeth, and snowy skin, with a beauty that could put the moon and flowers to shame. Her large, grape-like eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Chao Ci. In her pleated skirt and dainty leather shoes, she looked both fashionable and impeccably dressed.
Only her slightly puffed cheeks betrayed her mild annoyance.
"All right, all right! Whatever you say, Princess Chi Chi!"
The sight of her brought a heartfelt smile to Lin Chao Ci's face. He climbed into the car and pinched her rosy cheek.
"Meanie. All you ever do is bully me!"
With her cheek pinched, Qin Chi Chi blushed. No longer daring to meet Lin Chao Ci's eyes, she turned her head slightly and murmured under her breath.
"Uncle Chen, take us to the big supermarket!"
Lin Chao Ci gave the instruction to Uncle Chen, the driver in front.
Uncle Chen nodded and drove smoothly away.
From the back seat, Lin Chao Ci watched Qin Chi Chi turn her head and pretend to admire the scenery outside, even as she kept sneaking glances at him out of the corner of her eye. He smiled fondly.
Qin Chi Chi had been his wife in his previous life, one of the five women who had wept beside his hospital bed.
In his previous life, he had worked late every night and frequently traveled for work, all to keep advancing, achieve results, and build his political record. He had worked himself bald, developed a beer belly, and ruined his health.
He had left this sunny, flower-like girl alone in an empty home, living as though she were already a widow.
Even when she was sick or feeling unwell, she had struggled through it alone, unwilling to tell him for fear of taking up his time.
The more Lin Chao Ci thought about his previous life, the more he felt like a complete bastard.
He had failed a girl who had given him her whole heart.
I really was a fucking asshole.
No matter what, I can't let her down again in this life.
Lin Chao Ci looked down at the shy, bashful Qin Chi Chi, who was like a little white rabbit letting him tease her however he pleased.
There in the car, Lin Chao Ci reached out and took Qin Chi Chi's delicate, fair hand.
Although he had held it countless times in his previous life, this was their first time in this one. Her little hand was soft and supple, smooth to the touch, and cool in his palm.
The moment he took her hand, Lin Chao Ci felt Qin Chi Chi tremble, a mixture of surprise, shyness, and joy running through her.
"You big meanie, what are you doing?"
Her girlish reserve prompted Qin Chi Chi to put up a little resistance. She puffed out her cheeks and pretended to be annoyed.
"Hehe, your hand feels so tiny. Mine's bigger than yours!"
Lin Chao Ci was not good at sweet talk. In his previous life, he had only picked up a few lines online.
"You seem awfully practiced at this. Tell me, what other girl have you used this trick on? That aloof campus beauty in your class? Or that younger girl who's been chasing you since high school, all the way into university?"
Who said women in love had negative IQs?
Seeing how effortlessly Lin Chao Ci delivered those lines without even blushing, Qin Chi Chi grew jealous and fired off three lethal questions in a row. At the same time, her other little hand quietly pinched the flesh at his waist.
"Ow! That hurts, that hurts! Are you trying to pinch your husband to death?"
She barely used any force, but Lin Chao Ci still acted as though he were in terrible pain, repeatedly begging for mercy and trying to win her over.
Seeing Lin Chao Ci's slightly furrowed brows, Qin Chi Chi thought she had really hurt him. Concern and guilt crossed her face. "I didn't mean to..."
"But it still hurts a little. If a certain someone gave me a hug, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much!" Lin Chao Ci said, putting on an award-winning performance.
Because she genuinely cared about him, Qin Chi Chi failed to notice the corners of his mouth secretly curling upward. Without hesitation, she said, "I'll hug you!"
Only after the words left her mouth did Qin Chi Chi seem to realize what she had said. Her face flushed instantly, and the hands she had been about to raise hovered awkwardly.
"Hehe, since you agreed, here I come!"
Lin Chao Ci moved a little closer and gently gathered Qin Chi Chi into his arms.
She was soft in his embrace, carrying a faint, fresh fragrance.
Qin Chi Chi's mind went completely blank, and she froze.
Surrounded by his masculine scent, Qin Chi Chi blushed as red as an apple. She shifted, wanting to escape Lin Chao Ci's embrace, yet reluctant to leave it.
Unable to muster much strength, she leaned fully against Lin Chao Ci's chest.
Neither of them spoke. They simply held each other quietly in a gentle embrace.
Neither knew how long the hug lasted. It might have been a few minutes, or perhaps several dozen. Lin Chao Ci's arms began to go numb, and he had no choice but to let go.
Only after he released her did Qin Chi Chi seem to wake from a dream. Like a startled little rabbit, she immediately left Lin Chao Ci's embrace and shrank against the car door.
She turned toward the window, her cheeks burning red, and said nothing more.
Lin Chao Ci smiled knowingly and shook out his numb arms. Glancing outside, he realized they had already been in the shopping center's parking lot for some time.
"Ahem... Chi Chi, we're at the supermarket. Let's get out!"
Lin Chao Ci looked toward the driver's seat and found Uncle Chen watching him through the rearview mirror with an odd expression.
Uncle Chen had worked for the Qin family for over a decade and had long since come to regard Qin Chi Chi as his own daughter. Naturally, he knew how much his young mistress liked Lin Chao Ci. Every day, her favorite words were "Lin Chao Ci" and "big meanie"...
Seeing the two finally get what they wanted made him happy.
Yet he also felt as though the precious girl he had watched over had been snatched away. He soon made peace with it, however, thinking, The master's the one who ought to be upset. I wonder whether I should tell him about this. I'm honestly afraid he might struggle to catch his breath...
"Oh, okay!"
Hearing him, Qin Chi Chi, whose cheeks were still burning, looked around and realized they really had arrived at the supermarket.
Before you continue