"It's getting late, go to sleep."
The man's deep, magnetic voice abruptly pulled Jiang Can back to reality. She looked up and met his dark, inky eyes, where emotions she couldn't fathom surged.
Jiang Can nervously gripped the hem of her skirt, her heart pounding faster.
She had been sitting on the edge of the bed ever since she entered the room, maintaining that position for a long time until her back was stiff, without even changing out of her wedding dress. It wasn't until the man finished showering and came out of the bathroom that she realized she was going to spend her wedding night with this man.
However, she had no idea how to get along with her new husband, especially since she was a substitute bride.
As the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy family, she marries this penniless man in place of her sister, solely to fulfill the marriage agreement made by the previous generation of both families and to obtain that considerable dowry.
With money, Mom's illness can be cured, my younger brother can continue his studies, and the whole family can live a good life.
Jiang Can took a deep breath and walked towards the bathroom with the trepidation of a little rabbit. "I...I'll go wash up too."
The man's eyes widened in surprise.
Jiang Can got up and quickly slipped into the bathroom. Just as she was about to lock the door, she discovered that the old wooden door didn't even have a latch. She paused, stunned. Although life hadn't been easy before, it hadn't been this impoverished.
Her eyes were slightly red, and she hesitated in the bathroom, not taking off her dress for a long time.
The man outside the door seemed to understand her thoughts and suddenly said in a deep voice, "I'm going outside for a smoke. You can take your time washing."
Jiang Can's heart tightened. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. His footsteps gradually moved away, and the door creaked open before he could hear nothing more.
The large red "double happiness" character on the mottled wall looked somewhat pale. The day before the wedding, a typhoon swept through the city, leaving billboards blown down and trees snapped in half everywhere. Jiang Can got married amidst this mess.
No fancy wedding car came to pick her up. She walked a long way before getting into that inconspicuous minivan. It took her who knows how long it took to get into the village. The muddy path dirtied her shoes and wedding dress.
The older folks say that getting married in this kind of weather won't bring happiness.
However, Jiang Can had long since stopped caring about her own happiness.
She walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair.
Her husband hasn't come back yet; she's been smoking that cigarette for ages.
She looked at the two mud-brick houses; some parts were still leaking. Although somewhat dilapidated, they could still be a nice home if tidied up properly. Jiang Can smiled faintly and, before the man returned, tidied up the rooms inside and out.
Just as she was kneeling on the bed pulling the blanket down, the man walked in from outside the door.
Jiang Can turned around abruptly, and the only towel she was wearing slipped down. She gasped and instinctively hugged herself, but…
The man had already taken in the entirety of that vibrant spring scenery.
Jiang Can hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself to cover her body, her face flushed.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed, and the light in his eyes deepened into something more complex. He slowly walked to her, his deep, cold voice carrying a hint of ambiguous hoarseness, "It's getting late, let's go to sleep."
This time, the word "we" was emphasized.
Jiang Can's heart was pounding in her throat. She closed her eyes tightly, when suddenly she felt a force encircle her waist, and she fell into the man's arms, being pressed down onto the bed...
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