Chapter 4

Only after Cui Yan's breathing had settled into a steady rhythm did Qi Bingxue finally relax. She gently straightened his quilt and tucked him in. The two of them were sleeping under the same covers. She even gave Cui Yan a little more of the blanket, while she herself was content with covering only a small portion of her body. After finishing, she lay back down and turned onto her side, gazing at him dreamily with her beautiful phoenix eyes. Ever since Cui Yan had entered their bridal chamber, she had felt completely at ease. Before that, for some reason, she had been plagued by a strange feeling. She had a nagging suspicion that something would go wrong tonight—that the husband she had been waiting and longing for would not be Cui Yan. That was why she had been so nervous and uneasy. She had even taken a pair of scissors from the table and hidden them in her trouser pocket, gripping them tightly in her hand. If the person who knocked on the door and entered later wasn't the man she had been waiting for, she would immediately take out the scissors to protect herself. Now, with Cui Yan truly lying beside her, Qi Bingxue listened to his even breathing. Only then did everything finally feel real. What on earth was I worrying about? From beginning to end, it had been Cui Yan's father, Cui Guo, who had arranged their marriage negotiations. How could anything possibly have gone wrong? That was what Qi Bingxue told herself. Earlier, she hadn't known what Cui Yan was dreaming about, but his handsome eyebrows had been tightly knitted together. He's already my husband. So what I did just now should have been perfectly appropriate, right...? Qi Bingxue thought, feeling a little uncertain. Then... perhaps I can do a little more... Her fair cheeks gradually turned pink. She gently traced the contours of Cui Yan's face with her fingertips. Her heart and eyes were filled entirely with the man she loved—Cui Yan. Strictly speaking, Qi Bingxue had fallen in love with him at first sight back when she first came to the countryside. At the time, Cui Yan had driven an ox cart to the educated youths' station in town to pick them up. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved Dacron shirt, with the sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing his well-developed biceps. His lower half was dressed in a clean, neatly pressed pair of black Dacron trousers. His skin was a healthy, sun-kissed wheat color. Cui Yan was already exceptionally handsome, and his physique only made him more attractive. Whether she had been in Shanghai or studying abroad in Russia, Qi Bingxue had never encountered a man with the kind of raw masculine appeal that Cui Yan possessed. His sharp, sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and high nose bridge, combined with his strong, muscular build, made her heart race uncontrollably. The several female educated youths who had come to the countryside with her were just as captivated. None of them could take their eyes off Cui Yan. "Wow! I always thought rural people spent all day bent over in the fields. How can someone out here be this handsome? He's even better-looking than the most handsome guy in our class back in the city!" "It's a pity he's from the countryside. No matter how handsome he is, he has no future here. What a waste! If only he were a city boy. With looks like his, he could act in movies and become a film star!" "Stop staring. We're all city girls. We can't waste our youth on rural men. There may not be many opportunities to return to the city each year, but there are still some." "Besides, no matter how handsome he is, good looks can't put food on the table. If you marry a rural man, you'll have to spend the rest of your life as a country woman, working alongside him in the fields." Hearing the people around her talk about Cui Yan that way made Qi Bingxue feel rather uncomfortable. After that first impression, the second time she encountered him was when she went to the production brigade office to return some tools after finishing work. She had stayed late and was alone when someone dragged her into a cornfield and tried to assault her. It was Cui Yan who came to her rescue. Because it was dark, Qi Bingxue couldn't see who the attacker was. The man had pulled a ragged cloth sack over his head, cutting only two holes for his eyes. He then threw her heavily onto the ground. Her vision was filled with stars, and she was so dizzy that she couldn't even struggle. Just as the man was breathing heavily and preparing to take things further, Cui Yan appeared. Cui Yan quickly beat the man back in just a few moves. He was even about to chase after him to find out who the culprit was when Qi Bingxue cried out: "Cui Yan, I'm scared. Please don't go..." She was terrified that if Cui Yan ran after that man and left her alone, another man might drag her away in the darkness. In the pitch-black darkness, where she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her, Qi Bingxue felt that Cui Yan was the only light in her life. At that moment, she couldn't bring herself to trust anyone else. She trusted only Cui Yan. So Cui Yan gave up chasing the attacker and chose to stay by her side instead. "Do you know who that man was?" Cui Yan asked. "I... I don't know." Qi Bingxue clutched the collar of her clothes with both hands, her voice trembling with tears. "He covered his face and didn't say a word. Thank goodness you came. You saved me." "Th-thank you." Cui Yan gave a brief acknowledgment. "If we can't catch him, then just pretend this never happened. Remember, nothing happened tonight. Your clothes weren't torn by anyone, either. Do you understand?" Qi Bingxue knew that Cui Yan genuinely had her best interests at heart. She nodded obediently. "Was your clothing torn? Come near my house first. I'll get some needle and thread and sew it back together for you. Don't let anyone at the educated youths' station notice that something is wrong." Qi Bingxue was so frightened that her legs had gone weak, and she could barely walk. Without another word, Cui Yan bent down and carried her on his back. When they reached the area near his home, Cui Yan told Qi Bingxue to hide behind a large rock. He hurried home to fetch some needle and thread. Using the light from the kerosene lamp inside the house, which spilled over the courtyard wall, Qi Bingxue mended her own clothes. Only then did he carry her back to the educated youths' station. When they arrived at the entrance, Cui Yan reminded her once more, still concerned for her safety. "Remember, nothing happened tonight. Forget everything that happened, and I won't tell anyone about it either." Qi Bingxue was well-known at the educated youths' station for being wealthy. Her family sent her all kinds of good things almost every week. She also did translation work for a publishing house in Shanghai, translating Russian novels and earning a considerable amount in translation fees. She wanted to return to the station, take out some money and valuable things, and give them to Cui Yan as a token of gratitude. However, he immediately refused. "I only did what anyone should have done. There's no need to thank me, Educated Youth Qi." Cui Yan had already rescued her once, and she had fallen in love with him at first sight. After this incident, her feelings for him only grew stronger. If she hadn't remembered her family's promise that they would arrange for her to return to the city as soon as a suitable opportunity arose, she might not have been able to suppress the feelings stirring inside her. After all, according to the policies at the time, even if she wanted to take Cui Yan back to the city with her, she couldn't. It had been love at first sight, then a deeper affection at their second meeting. And not long ago, when a flood struck the area and she was accidentally pushed into the water by the panicked crowd fleeing for safety, Cui Yan had once again risked his life to save her. Qi Bingxue had liked Cui Yan from the very first time they met. With these two life-saving acts on top of that, she could no longer hold back her love for him. She felt that she owed him her very life. She also admired his upright character and his willingness to stand up for others. She believed that if she let a man like him slip away, she would never meet another man whose personality and appearance suited her so perfectly. Qi Bingxue even felt that Cui Yan saving her twice was fate's doing. It had to be Heaven's way of sending her a sign. She already liked him so much. Once she made up her mind, she immediately called her family and explained everything that had happened to her in detail. She also insisted that she wanted to marry him. The Qi family wasn't particularly supportive of the marriage. In their eyes, their precious daughter marrying into a rural family meant she would have little hope of ever returning to the city for the rest of her life. However, Qi Bingxue had always been someone who made her own decisions. And with her so far away from home, her family couldn't exactly force her to obey them. In the end, they had no choice but to agree to her decision over the phone. Once Qi Bingxue had received her family's blessing and approval, she immediately approached the village matchmaker to arrange the marriage and make everything official. Thinking back on all of this, the smile on Qi Bingxue's face grew even sweeter. She took one last look at Cui Yan's handsome features and was just about to go to sleep. Suddenly, his long, strong leg slid over and trapped hers between his legs. Qi Bingxue was so startled that her cheeks turned bright red all over again. Her heart began racing uncontrollably. Being held and embraced like this by the man she loved made her entire body go weak. Her heart pounded like a drum. She wanted to push him away, but then she remembered that Cui Yan had only just managed to calm down and fall into a deep sleep. In the end, she decided to remain in that rather awkward position. With her heart overflowing with sweetness, Qi Bingxue soon fell asleep in each other's arms.