I slammed the novel shut.
"What a frustrating ending!"
The female antagonist's name was Su Wan Ning.
She was blindly in love with the male protagonist, Gu Si Cheng. Even knowing he loved the female protagonist, she repeatedly shielded him from bullets.
The ending…
She died in a dark alley.
Blood stained the entire street.
And her best friend, Lu Chen, who had always been by her side…
After crying all night while holding her corpse, he finally jumped into the sea to commit suicide.
I was so angry I ruffled my hair.
"With someone who loved me so much, why did I have to chase after that Gu Si Cheng?!"
If it were me…
I would definitely choose Lu Chen.
The thought flashed through my mind.
Suddenly, everything went dark before my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again…
A cold wind blew across my face.
Before me was a familiar building.
A large sign hung above the door:
CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU.
My heart pounded.
This was exactly the scene from the novel.
The scene where Su Wan Ning rushed here to register her marriage with Gu Si Cheng.
Right then...
A hoarse voice rang out from behind.
"…Don't go anymore."
I turned around.
A young man was kneeling in the rain.
His white shirt was soaked.
His black hair hung down over his forehead.
But his eyes were still staring at me.
That gaze…
was so painful it made my heart ache.
I recognized him immediately.
It was Lu Chen.
The man who had loved Su Wan Ning for ten years.
He gave a bitter smile.
"Wan Ning…"
"Do you really want to go in there… to register your marriage with Gu Si Cheng?"
His voice trembled.
"I won't stop you anymore."
"It's just… I beg you for one thing."
Rain fell on his cheeks. "From now on…"
"Don't get hurt because of him anymore."
My heart stopped.
In the original story,
At this moment, Su Wan Ning would push him away and run to find Gu Si Cheng.
But I'm not her.
I walked up to him.
I bent down.
I pulled his hand, helping him stand up.
"Lu Chen."
He froze.
"…Wan Ning?"
I sighed.
"You fool."
"I didn't come here…to register with him."
His eyes trembled.
"…Then what did you come here for?"
I looked straight into his eyes.
I spoke each word clearly.
"I came here…"
"to register our marriage."
The world seemed to fall silent.
Lu Chen stood motionless.
He looked at me for a long time.
As if afraid that if he blinked…I would disappear.
"…Don't joke with me."
I laughed.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
I gripped his hand tightly.
"Let's go."
"My future husband."
Lu Chen remained motionless, as if turned to stone.
Rain fell on his shoulders, soaking his white shirt.
But he seemed unaffected.
His eyes were fixed on me.
"…Can you say that again?"
His voice was hoarse.
I sighed, tiptoeing slightly to tap his forehead.
"Idiot."
"I said… I want to register our marriage."
Lu Chen still didn't react.
He stood still for a few seconds, then suddenly gripped my wrist.
"Wan Ning."
"I don't want you to regret it."
"I'm not Gu Si Cheng."
"I have nothing… only me."
His gaze was very serious.
So serious that it made my heart tremble slightly.
In the story, Lu Chen always stands behind Su Wan Ning.
He helped her handle all her troubles.
He always silently protected her.
But he never dared to think… she would turn around and look at him.
I took his hand.
"Having you is enough."
"Let's go."
"Aren't you afraid they'll close down?"
Lu Chen looked at me for a long time.
Then… he smiled.
A smile that was both happy and painful.
"Okay."
"Then this time… I believe you."
Twenty minutes later.
We walked out of the civil affairs bureau.
Each of us held a small land ownership certificate in our hands.
I looked at the certificate.
I still felt a little unreal.
"We… are married?"
Lu Chen stood beside me.
He hadn't said a word since we left the office.
I nudged his arm.
"Hey."
"Are you unhappy?"
He immediately shook his head.
"No."
"…I'm just afraid."
"I'm afraid this is a dream."
I laughed.
Then I suddenly hugged him.
"If it's a dream, let's dream together."
Lu Chen's body stiffened.
Then he slowly hugged me back.
The hug was very tight.
So tight it was as if he was afraid I would disappear.
"Wan Ning…"
"Thank you."
After we got married…
I discovered…
Lu Chen spoiled his wife excessively.
The moment I opened my eyes in the morning,
He had already cooked breakfast.
The table always had my favorite dishes.
Once, I asked curiously,
"When did you learn to cook?"
Lu Chen blushed slightly.
"…Since you said you liked to eat."
"But back then you always ate with Gu Si Cheng."
I paused.
A pang of bitterness suddenly welled up inside me.
I picked up a piece of egg and offered it to him.
"Then from now on, I'll eat with you."
His ears immediately turned red.
One evening.
We were strolling through the shopping mall.
I saw a huge teddy bear in a display case.
I pointed at it.
"It's beautiful."
Lu Chen immediately said.
"Wait for me."
Ten minutes later.
He ran back, carrying a teddy bear almost as big as himself.
He was breathless.
"It's for you."
I laughed.
"You're such a fool."
He looked at me.
His gaze was so gentle it made you want to drown in it.
"As long as you like it."
Time flew by.
We've been married for two years.
One night, I was lying on the sofa watching a movie.
Suddenly I asked him.
"Lu Chen."
"If I hadn't come back then…"
"What would you have done?"
He was silent for a long time.
Then he said softly.
"…I would still be standing there."
"Waiting for you."
"Until you are happy." My heart ached.
I sat up.
I hugged him tightly.
"Fool."
"Luckily, I didn't miss you this time."
Lu Chen smiled.
He stroked my hair.
"Yeah."
"That's lucky."
But there are some things…
it seems fate...He still didn't want to change.
One afternoon.
We had just left the supermarket.
Suddenly, a shout came from behind.
"Careful!"
A gunshot rang out.
"BANG!"
The bullet was aimed directly at Lu Chen.
In that instant.
I didn't have time to think.
My body automatically lunged forward.
I shielded him.
A sharp pain shot through my chest.
My body went limp.
I fell.
Lu Chen was stunned.
"...No."
He knelt down and embraced me.
His hands trembled.
"No... no...!"
Blood stained his hands.
I tried to open my eyes.
Looking at his panicked face.
I smiled.
"Last time..."
"You died for me."
"This time..."
"Let me protect you."
His tears fell.
"I don't need it!"
"I don't need you to save me!"
"Did you hear me?!"
I was weakening.
My hand gently touched his cheek.
"Lu Chen…"
"In the next life…"
"I would still choose you."
My hand slowly fell.
His scream echoed through the street.