Ch5: Beautiful Love

"Ah!"

The yelp of pain startled Qi Shou as he hurriedly stepped back, taking in the unfamiliar woman in front of him.

"You! Who are you?" She demanded angrily.

Yet before she could say more or act further, a calm, aged voice echoed beside her.

"Brother-in-law," greeted Hanliu's brother, Qin Jiyue.

"Brother! How's Hanliu? Is she fine?" Qi Shou asked impatiently.

Although rude, Jiyue seemed used to it and nodded calmly, "She's better now. The doctor just checked on her."

Qin Jiyue motioned to the elderly man beside him whose mere presence silenced the women who Qi Shou had accidentally knocked on the head.

"Oh! Doctor, is my wife fine? Will there be any complications? Will it shorten her life? Will it..."

Before Qi Shou could finish, the old man chuckled, causing him to go silent in slight embarrassment.

It seemed just regaining his past life's memories wasn't going to dampen his feelings for his wife.

Rather, they only seemed to have increased and deepened.

"Haha..." The doctor put on a stern face after Qi Shou regained himself.

"The young woman is fine. Alas, she won't be able to give birth again in this life unless..."

The doctor's voice ended there, as if wanting to say more but not daring to give any extravagant hopes.

On the other hand, Qi Shou relaxed completely.

"As long as she is fine," he sighed in relief, not caring about his words causig waves to rise in that young woman's heart.

She was just a doctor's apprentice and might find a better marriage, but she was just a woman in the end.

She envied the young woman inside who could find such a good husband.

Although she resented him for leaving his wife for so long, but upon seeing him and his reaction to such shocking news made her have a favorable expression of him.

She even forgot his earlier transgression.

However, the most surprised person was the doctor himself as he had seen the fake and forced expression whenever he revealed such news.

It was the first time in his life that he saw someone truly care for their wife's well-being.

In the end, only Qin Jiyue was calm.

It seemed he was aware of his brother-in-law's deep feelings.

However, his mind wasn't on such things.

He curtsied to the departing doctor and walked them out before walking back in with his brother-in-law.

All the time Qin Jiyue acted as if nothing was wrong.

Unbeknownst to him, Qi Shou had begun observing him after hearing news of his wife's health.

'If he's truly the Qin Jiyue in the novel, then... I must help him get out of his shadow for revenge...'

Although unaware of the entire background, Qi Shou knew that Qin Jiyue was a major villain encompassing several arcs in the novel and caused real damage to the protagonist.

He was one of the few that caused the protagonist's luck-enabled teammates to nearly die.

And if not for Mingzhu wanting to take take revenge for her last living relative, they'd never even get any solution.

Unfortunately, his daughter only became a tool turning embers into sparks between the male and femaleead of the novel.

At least, the novel showed how much the protagonist loved his woman and cooly rejected any other.

Though the ending had two wives with many craving for the third wife who died along the way, it was still better than a man juggling thousands of women.

Thinking so, Qi Shou shook his head with a bitter smile.

'I don't even know if it's really the world of that novel, for sure.'

His mind returned to the present as his gaze fell upon the closed door of his sister's courtyard, outside which stood his brother-in-law.

"Brother-in-law, whether she wants to leave or stay, I hope you respect her wishes," Qin Jiyue advised sincerely.

Qi Shou nodded heavily, indicating that he understood but he knew Qin Jiyue's ulterior motive of wanting to be alone to plan his revenge.

Regardless, Qi Shou had determined to bring his wife home, so the little thoughts of his brother-in-law didn't even register in his mind.

"Hanliu," he called out softly after entering the room as his gaze settled on the only bedding in the room.

Atop which lay the sprawled form of a woman as she took deep, shallow breaths.

Her chest feel and rose periodically with her face pale as a sheet of paper.

Although not a heavenly or peerless beauty who coupd topple nations, she was beautiful enough to stir Qi Shou's heart.

And nothing else mattered to him.

He didn't love her for her looks, those with fade with time.

Only a person's true self would remain and if one couldn't love that, they didn't even love.

"Hanliu," Qi Shou called out softly again, afraid of startling her.

After all, he wasn't supposed to be here.

But letting Mingzhu under her care was paramount for both of their health.

Anyways, only his heart knew that it was nothing but excuses to convince her to come back.

He just wanted his beloved to be by his side.

Truly, who wouldn't want to stand by their beloved and hold their hands or even hold them in their hands while whispering sweet nothings.

"Is that... Husband?" Hanliu spoke with great difficulty.

Her breathing grew rapid due to her agitated emotions.

She didn't expect him to gather himself together so fast and come meet her.

She knew better than anyone how much he loved her and how it pained him to see her like this.

However, she wished for him to gather hisnelf together for her sake as well as their daughter.

No matter what, Mingzhu was bother their flesh and blood.

How could she accept him disliking Mingzhu?

Meanwhile, Qi Shou was too stunned to speak.

He realized that she used to call him by her name before they got married.

It was right to call them bitter rivals.

Yet now she called him husband and he had long gotten used to calling her wife.

So... calling her Hanliu had been smooth for him after regaining his memories but probably confused her.

"Wife,"

The word barely slipped through his mouth, his throat choking up with emotion.

It was truly a scene of beautiful love.