Broken Mirror
Lin Huai'en grabbed a heavy piece of driftwood from the scorching sea, letting it float him away from the nightmare he couldn't escape...
Lin Huai'en gradually regained consciousness, his eyelids blinked open, and then he felt that the wet underwear on his body had been taken off and replaced with a dry white shirt.
The prison environment wasn't pleasant. The air was damp and rotten, with cockroaches and caterpillars crawling by from time to time. Lin Huai'en propped up his sick body, crawled to the corner, and curled up. His eyelids drooped weakly, his body motionless, as if the passage of time had no relevance to him.
The wedding day.
Ka-la… The entrance to the prison opened, and the setting sun shone into the cramped, narrow cage. A fourth-rank female official gracefully descended the long, sloping steps, followed closely by two rows of palace maids.
The familiar golden-threaded crimson robe was thrown into the prison by a pair of clean hands, and was stained with mud on the dirty ground.
Lin Huai'en endured the hoarseness in his throat and asked, "Is the wedding still going on?"
The female official said sternly, "Yes."
Lin Huai'en's calm eyes fell on the crimson robe. This dress once represented his most beautiful dream, but now it fell on the dirty ground, no longer shining with its former brilliance.
This marriage, no matter what, can never be reversed. Why would a couple who have already fallen out with each other still enter into marriage, harboring suspicions about each other? Would anyone really be so foolish as to marry someone they know is wrong?
have……
He might be...
Fortunately, God only gave him the chance to get married. Otherwise, Lin Huai'en would have no way to explain why his heart was beating faster and faster.
The head and the heart are indeed separate things. No matter how many times his head told his heart that it was time to say goodbye to this relationship, Ke Xin still blindly favored Di Shaoze and quietly hid Di Shaoze in the most untouchable safe corner.
Lin Huai'en sighed softly and put on the crimson robe. As soon as he stepped out of the cage, his feet were tied with a pair of shackles, which were only hidden under the robe so that outsiders could not see them.
The carriage entered the palace through the main gate. After getting off, Lin Huai'en followed the female officials through the palaces one after another until his ankles were rubbed red and swollen by the shackles, and then he reached the main hall.
At the top of the long steps leading to the main hall gate, Emperor Shaoze, wearing a golden silk robe of the same style, stood upright in the breeze. Although his eyes were closed, his expression was even more tranquil.
The side profile of his face curves from the bridge of his nose, outlining a perfect arc, and his whole body is filled with an unparalleled noble temperament, which is unmatched in the world.
'My ideal husband'.
Once upon a time, this kind of Di Shaoze was Lin Huaien's ideal husband——
All the past events resurfaced in his heart as if they had taken root. Struggle and nostalgia appeared between Lin Huai'en's brows. The bitterness in his heart was almost overflowing, and even his steps towards Di Shaoze became more difficult.
Most of the unrequited love in the world is caused by one party's deep love for the other party, but there is also a rare type, where one party retains the original appearance, while the other party gradually changes, and the feeling between them is no longer the same as when they first met.
Lin Huai'en's unrequited love is the latter.
Di Shaoze heard the slight scraping sound of the shackles, and then opened his phoenix eyes. With just a glance, his entire aura underwent a sudden change, like a sharp blade immersed in a cold pond in the twelfth lunar month, revealing a cruelty and determination that made people feel like they were falling into an ice cellar.
Because of the heavy shackles, Lin Huai'en walked very slowly, and it took a long time for him to reach the main hall. Di Shaoze did not say anything in disdain, but simply raised his strong right arm. Lin Huai'en gently placed his hand on his wrist, and using the strength of his wrist, they walked into the main hall together.
The wedding process—sitting at a table, exchanging greetings, the ceremonial officer's speech, and the ministers' congratulations—was a familiar scene. Lin Huai'en had rehearsed it long before when preparing for the wedding, so there were no mistakes. He walked a little slowly, just to mask the sound of the shackles on his ankles.
Moon Worship Hall.
A short red string connected two gourd cups, one in Di Shaoze's hand, the other in Lin Huai'en's. The two men were so close that their breaths intertwined. They lowered their eyes together and drank the wedding wine in silence and tacit understanding.
Although they were clearly at the closest distance, it felt like there was an invisible barrier between them, and even their eyes couldn't meet.
After drinking the wine, Lin Huai'en pursed his moist lips, his eyes drifting down to Di Shaoze's heart which was covered by his clothes. He quickly suppressed the concern in his eyes, moved his lips a few times, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Di Shaoze sneered and said, "Do you want to ask about Xue Dingchu's condition? He is recuperating in the Imperial Hospital. The imperial physician estimates that he will need another two months of recovery before he can hold a gun again."
Hearing this, Lin Huai'en felt a little relieved, and then he said, "How about your injury?"
Di Shaoze replied: "I won't die anytime soon. I can hold on until you and Xue Dingchu break up."
Lin Huai'en knew he hadn't stabbed deeply, but Di Shaoze misinterpreted it as if he was hoping for Di Shaoze's death. Lin Huai'en's lips turned slightly pale, but he couldn't say anything to defend himself.
Di Shaoze continued, "Don't be disappointed. This wound of mine hasn't scabbed over yet. It's very fresh. If I toss it, a lot of blood will still flow out. Since you are already my wife, you have many ways to torment me. I'm not afraid of wearing me down."
Lin Huai'en defended himself, "I didn't expect you to die."
Upon hearing this, Di Shaoze's eyes flickered twice, and even his sarcastic remarks paused for a moment. But soon, he smiled as if mocking himself, and continued, "You say so, but you wouldn't do it that way. I was the one pretending before, but now it's your turn to pretend?"
Di Shaoze extended his palm and slightly lifted Lin Huai'en's small chin. He carefully observed the complex emotions in Lin Huai'en's eyes and commented, "However, you did pretend quite well. A few tears squeezed out of your eyes, and you looked quite sincere."
Lin Huai'en bit his lower lip, wanting to say that he was not pretending, but he knew that with the knife wound, Di Shaoze would no longer believe anything he said.
The night outside the window has already deepened.
Lin Huai'en soaked in the tub, washing off the dirt and mud on his body, instantly staining half the water. Because he was a criminal, he couldn't ask for anything during his first marriage, becoming a filthy groom.
After Lin Huai'en washed himself, put on a white shirt, and slowly walked towards the bedroom in his shackles, he realized it was empty. Di Shaoze had already left, leaving behind only his luxurious wedding dress, which had been thrown to the ground.
Lin Huai'en's eyes darkened. He picked up the crimson robe from the ground, folded it neatly together with the crimson robe he had taken off, and placed it in the closet with his own hands...
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