Volume 1, Chapter 6: His Proposal, Simply Stunning!

"Zhizhi, what on earth happened? Didn't you two just reunite... how could this be?"

"Shanshan, tell me, is it really possible for a person to marry someone they don't love?"

Jiang Shan was somewhat bewildered by Shen Zhi’s question. She knew full well that Shen Zhi had been in love with He Yunshen since college, and that He Yunshen’s kindness toward her after their marriage was common knowledge. It was the first time she had ever seen her best friend lose her heart to anyone!

"Are you talking about... He Yunshen?" she asked, uncertain.

Back when they had just graduated, Shen Zhi had told her with a face full of bliss that she was going to marry the man of her dreams. For the three years of their marriage, He Yunshen had spent most of his time abroad. Even when he occasionally returned, he was always in a rush due to his busy schedule. Shen Zhi had endured all of it; most people could never accept such an elusive husband. But what Jiang Shan didn't know was that the two had never consummated their marriage; they were merely a devoted couple in name only.

"Zhizhi, can you tell me what actually happened?"

Shen Zhi did not answer. She stared blankly out the car window, her eyes hollow, as if her memories had been pulled from somewhere very, very far away. The past flickered before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

"Yunshen! So you’re here; I’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

Their first meeting: a young man in white, pure as snow, walked slowly past her, the very breeze around him fragrant with osmanthus. Under the clear blue sky, devoid of a single cloud, the warm sunlight fell upon the boy’s handsome profile, making him look clear and beautiful. That was the first time Shen Zhi saw He Yunshen—or rather, his back. Walking beside him was an elegant and cheerful girl—Zhou Qin, as she was known then.

Yunshen? The name felt strangely familiar to Shen Zhi. *Yunshen, Yunqian...*

She remembered a little boy from next door in her childhood. He would often sit on the threshold and cry, sometimes for the entire day.

"Why aren't you going to school?"

That was the first time she had gathered the courage to speak to him, but she received no response; he hadn't even looked up before retreating into the house. Shen Zhi, having been rebuffed, didn't mind. She could see that the boy was deeply unhappy. He sat by the door every day, waiting, seemingly for someone who could never return. So, she stopped bothering him. Instead, every day before leaving for school, she would leave him a simple meal she had prepared herself, along with a hand-drawn picture and a note: *Eat well.*

Perhaps that was the best way she knew how to offer comfort. At first, the boy ignored her kindness. Every time she returned from school, Shen Zhi would find the box untouched, sitting there in the cold. Yet, she never stopped.

Until the seventh day, when she returned, she habitually looked toward the threshold of the boy's house before entering her own. The boy was gone, and so was the box.

The next morning, Shen Zhi left breakfast as usual before going to school. When she returned, the box was gone again, and the boy was back, sitting blankly at the door, gazing up at the sky.

"What are you looking at?"

Shen Zhi couldn't help but ask. She followed his gaze, but aside from a single white cloud, there was nothing in the sky.

"Clouds. Dad said that when the dark clouds disperse, he will come back."

Shen Zhi couldn't understand the boy's mutterings, only sensing the profound sorrow in his eyes, as if he were mourning something. A few days later, her efforts finally bore fruit. The little boy had written back: "Thank you." Signed: *Yunqian.*

So, she had always believed the boy’s name was Yunqian.

...

Ever since that encounter in college, Shen Zhi found that she kept seeing the same back in different places. Finally, she summoned the courage to call out softly, "Yunqian?"

To her surprise, He Yunshen, who was ten meters ahead of her, turned around. Her voice had been tiny, yet the person in front had heard her.

"Classmate, are you calling me?"

She looked up at him. His gaze was as gentle as water, with shards of moonlight hidden in his eyes. On the long, tree-lined path, dappled shadows fell upon his tall frame, making him seem to shimmer. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, and Shen Zhi was momentarily stunned.

"He Yunshen, wait for me!"

Just then, a tall boy ran past Shen Zhi, greeting He Yunshen enthusiastically, and the two walked away chatting and laughing. So, his name was He Yunshen. That was the first time she learned his name. It seemed she really had been obsessed.

The male classmate looked back at her. "Do you know her too?"

"No."

"You don't know her? She's the beauty of the Law Department! But I heard she’s a recluse. It’s normal you wouldn’t know her, you’re such a homebody..."

From then on, He Yunshen’s figure appeared before her constantly—in the corner of the library, on the wide sports field, or on the tree-lined path at dusk. She could always spot him in a crowd, and she watched him silently. She realized that He Yunshen was indeed the boy from next door in her childhood. Seeing him grow into such a handsome and dashing young man made her feel relieved; she no longer had to worry that he might lose hope.

It was just that he seemed to have forgotten her entirely.

...

"Shen Zhi, will you marry me?"

His proposal was shocking—even in the corner of the library. He Yunshen stared intently at Shen Zhi as she read, whispering words that were deafening to her ears.

"What?"

She looked up at him in astonishment, thinking she had misheard. Was he proposing to her? And in the library, no less! The point was, didn't he always dislike her? Everyone said he had someone he loved, and that person was not her.

"If you are willing, meet me at the Civil Affairs Bureau at this time tomorrow."

He Yunshen smiled faintly, left the remark offhandedly, and walked away. She had stumbled into marriage with He Yunshen, believing that her guardianship had been seen and had finally borne fruit. She didn't know when time had stolen away that warm boy from her, leaving behind someone who was now like the most familiar of strangers. She still didn't know where things had gone wrong.

"You’ll have to make do here for tonight. Get some good sleep, and tomorrow I’ll take you somewhere to relax!"

The apartment was large, but Jiang Shan put Shen Zhi’s luggage in the room across from her own. Seeing her friend’s distraught state, she couldn't help but feel worried.

"Shanshan, thank you."

"With our friendship, what’s there to thank? But you have to tell me: did that He guy bully you? If he did, I’ll go sort him out..."

Shen Zhi leaned helplessly against Shanshan’s shoulder; she didn't know where to begin. Betrayal? She had no proof. Even the video that could have proven she hadn't misheard had vanished. An argument? Since He Yunshen had returned, they hadn't even raised their voices, let alone fought. What pained her was that the husband she trusted so much had been getting intimate with another woman behind her back—and it was someone she couldn't even openly be jealous of.

"Shanshan, I feel so empty inside, as if something has been taken away."

Jiang Shan stroked her back. She didn't need to guess to know that no one else could affect her mood like He Yunshen. Back in college, Shen Zhi had often suffered because of him, yet she would never let her confront him. She was just too kind, always thinking of others.

"If you feel wronged, just cry if you want to. I’m here."

Shen Zhi choked back a sob. She didn't say anything, only feeling exhausted, wanting nothing more than to sleep.

After Shen Zhi fell asleep, Jiang Shan looked at her tired, sorrowful expression with a heart full of pain.

"You jerk. If you dare to bully Zhizhi, I won’t let you get away with it!"