In a haze of altered consciousness, a wave of scorching heat washed over her.
Mu Qingxuan was startled. Thinking her perverted husband had crawled into her bed, she immediately pushed with her hands and kicked with her feet. "Get lost!"
Seeming not to expect such a violent reaction from his newlywed bride, Huo Changfeng tumbled to the floor with a heavy thud, his face dark as he glared toward the bed.
"Are you out of your mind?"
A strange male voice rumbled low, suppressing anger.
The next second, with a sharp *click*, Huo Changfeng snapped on the light switch, instantly flooding the previously dark room with brilliance.
Mu Qingxuan instinctively clutched the quilt to her body, opening her mouth to speak, but the moment she saw the man's face, her anger turned to shock.
For the person before her was none other than her husband's cousin, who had died years ago—Huo Changfeng!
At this moment, Huo Changfeng was stripped to the waist, his robust chest muscles and enviable six-pack abs on uninhibited display in the air.
His thin lips were pressed into a tight line, and while no emotion could be read on his handsome face, the heavy, oppressive aura around his brow clearly signaled his foul mood.
Mu Qingxuan blinked. Just as confusion took hold, a chaotic flurry of memories suddenly swept through her mind.
She finally realized it: she had been reborn!
Reborn back in 1979, right after she had gotten married.
In her past life, she and her younger sister, Mu Qianqian, had been married off at the same time.
Mu Qingxuan had married the returning educated youth, Shi Feihua.
Mu Qianqian had married Huo Changfeng, who had served as a research director at a research institute while still in his youth.
Yet later on, that educated youth had suddenly soared to become one of the nation's first ten-thousand-yuan elites. Propelled by this, Mu Qingxuan had climbed into high society and become an envied wealthy matron.
Huo Changfeng, however, had met with a fatal accident not long after his wedding. The Huo family, believing Mu Qianqian had cursed him to death, tortured her day and night, plunging her life into a living hell.
Yet now, the two betrothals had actually been swapped!
Mu Qingxuan understood.
Mu Qianqian had also been reborn, before her.
Without a doubt, the misery of her past life had been so extreme that upon her rebirth, Mu Qianqian had pulled every possible string to alter the marriage arrangement, shoving Huo Changfeng—this sickly man destined for an early grave—onto Mu Qingxuan instead.
Lost in thought, Mu Qingxuan failed to notice Huo Changfeng's increasingly gloomy expression.
"Since you were unwilling to marry me, why bother coming all the way to the capital to fulfill the engagement?"
Dark-faced, Huo Changfeng picked up his clothes from the floor, threw them on, turned off the light, and strode over to the sofa, lying down straight upon it.
Judging by his demeanor, he seemingly wished to have no further interaction with Mu Qingxuan.
Mu Qingxuan remained dazed, memories of two lifetimes thrashing wildly in her head.
In her past life, she had possessed both wealth and prestige, but terrified of catching a filthy disease from that perverted Shi Feihua, she had stubbornly refused to let him touch her. Her sole regret was never having a child of her own.
Yet now, her husband had been replaced by Huo Changfeng—a man from a military background who kept strictly to himself. The situation was entirely different.
Drawing on her years of medical experience, a single glance was enough to recognize Huo Changfeng's superior genetic stock.
If she could bear children with him, she certainly wouldn't have to worry about the children's looks or intelligence.
Mu Qingxuan cast aside her lingering concerns.
Her eyes brightened, and she couldn't help glancing toward the sofa.
Yet when her gaze landed on his straight, sturdy back, Mu Qingxuan felt a slight headache coming on.
After hesitating for a moment, she lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and walked barefoot to the side of the sofa, crouching down.
Mu Qingxuan poked Huo Changfeng's hard spine and apologized in a cooing tone, "I'm sorry, you know. I didn't do it on purpose."
Who could blame her when rebirth had struck so abruptly?
Huo Changfeng made no sound.
After waiting a long time with no response, Mu Qingxuan dropped her head in discouragement.
She stood up and saw that Huo Changfeng was lying on his side, leaving empty space on the sofa.
Mu Qingxuan blinked repeatedly, her body softening as she wriggled into the gap like a nimble fish.
Behind her was the soft back cushion of the sofa; before her was Huo Changfeng's scorching body.
Mu Qingxuan rested both arms around Huo Changfeng's lean, powerful waist, pillowed her fluffy head against his shoulder, and leaned close to his ear, breathing softly:
"I was just a little scared, and you kissed me a bit too hard... I'm sorry, you know I was wrong, so please forgive me~"
She wasn't even lying.
Mu Qingxuan pressed her lips together; they still felt somewhat numb.
Huo Changfeng's spine had broken out in goosebumps the moment Mu Qingxuan lightly poked him with her finger.
Now, having that soft, petite body curl up against him like a fledgling bird made his entire frame stiffen, leaving him utterly at a loss.
Listening to her spoiled, chiding tone, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. The muscles all over his body tightened involuntarily, and his hands clenched into fists.
Yet the humiliation of being kicked off the bed just moments ago remained fresh in his mind. Huo Changfeng curled his thin lips, crushed the impulse rising within him, and opened his mouth, intending to tell Mu Qingxuan to go back to bed.
Suddenly, a soft warmth pressed against his half-open lips.
Huo Changfeng's eyes widened sharply.
Mu Qingxuan didn't really know how to kiss; she simply pressed their lips together, rubbed them lightly for a moment, and then pulled her head back.
She shivered uncontrollably. "It's so cold."
Summer nights had wide temperature swings, and there wasn't even a blanket on the sofa.
Huo Changfeng ran hot, so he didn't feel the chill.
Mu Qingxuan, however, was a delicate young woman. Even while hugging Huo Changfeng like a giant stove, the soles of her feet were continuously gnawed by the cold, growing so freezing numb they were losing sensation.
Frowning, Huo Changfeng sat up, effortlessly scooped Mu Qingxuan up, carried her back to the bed, and tucked the quilt around her.
Terrified that he would go back to sleep on the sofa alone, Mu Qingxuan hurriedly grabbed his hand. "Husband..."
Huo Changfeng stood frozen in place for two seconds, then pulled back the quilt and got into bed.
The corners of Mu Qingxuan's mouth curved upward as she threw herself directly onto him.
In the dimness of night, Huo Changfeng's gaze lowered as he quietly watched his newlywed bride.
The young woman possessed fair skin, exquisite features, and an innate allure. Just looking at her caused his heart to skip a beat against his will.
Recalling the intimacy and searing heat from moments before, along with the way she had fully blossomed beneath him,
his gaze darkened. He rolled out of bed and went to take a cold shower.
*
The next day.
Mu Qingxuan slept until she woke naturally.
Her only dissatisfaction was that she had actually dreamed of Shi Feihua.
That opinionated, arrogant man had harshly condemned her for betraying their marriage and hooking up with his older cousin instead.
Yet Shi Feihua himself had kept dozens of women on the side—a case of officials being allowed to burn down houses while commoners were forbidden to light lamps.
Mu Qingxuan hadn't pampered him either; she had swung several vicious slaps across his face, telling him to get lost as far away as possible.
Right now, she and Huo Changfeng were a legally wedded couple, and she had nothing more to do with Shi Feihua!
Mu Qingxuan shook her head, tossing that disgusting piece of trash straight out of her mind.
Yet unexpectedly, speak of the devil.
The moment she stepped out of the bedroom, she ran right into Shi Feihua.
"Sorry..."
Shi Feihua almost collided with her and slammed on the emergency brakes. Only halfway through his apology, his gaze landed on Mu Qingxuan's face, and he suffered a violent jolt.
"Excuse me, female comrade, have we met somewhere before?"