Chapter 56: Fortune and Favor

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The street bustled with crowds, dazzling lights illuminating the city in a splendid brilliance. Christmas melodies echoed from the piano through the air, so beautiful it felt unreal.

Despite the commotion all around, Qin Yichi felt himself gradually unable to hear the sounds nearby, sensing instead an overwhelming, unnatural silence.

So quiet that only one sentence remained:

—“I’ll share half of my luck with you.”

In that instant, an indescribable feeling took root and grew wildly within him, almost overwhelming his heart and threatening to burst from his chest.

After catching the plush toy, Qiao Zhen divided it between them without hesitation, as if offering a treasured possession.

At that moment, it was as though a gentle ray of sunlight shone upon her face. Her flawless, fair skin glowed with a soft pink, radiant and lovely.

A single second of eye contact was enough to draw him in, making him willingly surrender to her charm.

Qin Yichi’s Adam’s apple shifted minutely, an irrepressible smile tugging at his lips.

He averted his gaze, slowly tightened his arms around the puppy plush. “Qiao Zhen, come with me.”

Qiao Zhen didn’t ask why. She nodded, obediently following him.

Following her own navigation.

They made their way through the crowd and stopped in front of a newly opened toy mall.

But the crowd surged like a tide, making entry impossible—so crowded they could easily be separated.

Suddenly, a little boy fell to the ground ahead, crying out in pain.

Qiao Zhen quickly helped the boy up, but when she looked up again, she couldn’t find Qin Yichi’s familiar figure.

...Where was he?

Standing in place, Qiao Zhen rose on her toes, scanning the area, but no matter how she searched, she couldn’t see him.

A sudden panic flooded her heart.

Where could her tall, unmistakable Qin Yichi have gone?

The next moment, warmth spread across her wrist—a tingling heat that seemed to seep into her skin and bones.

“I’m here,” Qin Yichi’s voice was deep as he gently grasped her wrist, guiding her forward.

Under the warm lights, the man’s once rebellious silhouette softened, a faint scent of mint melting into the air.

His stature was imposing, effortlessly clearing a path through the crowd.

The patch of skin where they touched felt as if it might ignite, burning with a heat impossible to ignore.

Qiao Zhen’s gaze slowly fell to her right wrist, fixing on Qin Yichi’s hand as her heartbeat suddenly raced out of control.

His palm was broad and warm, the joints distinct, veins prominent and masculine, exuding an overwhelming sense of security and, at the same time, a dangerous allure. On the back of his hand was a small black mole.

It felt safe.

Yet somehow, terribly perilous.

For a brief moment, Qiao Zhen closed her eyes in weakness, and vivid images from her past life surged uncontrollably into her mind...

——————

Ever since they married, Qin Yichi’s beastly nature had fully emerged, his wolf-like traits completely exposed.

With a single hand, he could easily pin her wrist above her head.

As a top racing driver constantly undergoing intensive physical training, his strength was alarming. No matter how she struggled, there was no escaping him.

With his other hand on her waist, his lashes dropped like raven feathers, and, like a puppy, he lay across her shoulder, his voice muffled and magnetic:

“Zhenzhen, comfort me.”

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Qiao Zhen was firmly pressed against the wall, breathing softly, her eyes reflecting confusion as she patiently soothed him.

“What is it now?”

This rascal—already a twenty-five-year-old man... why did he still need comforting?

Like a child.

No sooner had she spoken than he replied in a sulky, sarcastic tone:

“You’re a guest mentor on ‘Youth 101.’ Every day, a hundred little teas dance around you, flirt with you, calling you ‘Teacher Zhenzhen,’ ‘Sister Xiao Qiao’...”

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he seemed.

But his grip didn’t loosen in the slightest, holding her wrist tightly with an overwhelming sense of pressure.

A faint whiff of jealousy lingered in the air, sour and biting.

Pinned against the wall, unable to move, Qiao Zhen’s cheeks flushed red.

This variety show had been arranged directly by her company, slotting her into the hottest boy group talent show as her schedule freed up—it could only benefit her career.

Besides, she was only a guest for one episode, not a regular mentor.

Qiao Zhen sighed inwardly, leaned closer to Qin Yichi, and gently pecked his lips:

“But having you is enough for me. I only want you.”

Yet the man before her was not so easily appeased, no longer as easily satisfied as before.

He grunted in displeasure. “Oh.”

Qiao Zhen couldn’t bear to see him unhappy, so she buried her face in his chest and softly asked:

“So... how do you want to be comforted?”

But as soon as she spoke, she felt as if she’d walked into a trap.

Sure enough, the moment he heard her question, the darkness in his eyes seemed to thicken.

His large hand slowly stroked her back, loosening his hold on her wrist.

The white silk nightgown she wore was gently lifted.

Qin Yichi drew closer, conquering her bit by bit, his voice layered with meaning: “What do you think?”

The aggressive desire in his gaze was impossible to ignore, his energy unrestrained.

That night, Qiao Zhen soothed him for hours, her voice hoarse by dawn, only barely managing to calm him.

By the latter half of the night, tears shimmered in her eyes, her lips bright and tender, her voice trembling as she pleaded, “No more...”

——————

The wild memories faded, dissolving into the past.

The shopping mall was especially lively on Christmas Eve, crowds streaming past the arcade.

Faint piano music pulled Qiao Zhen back to reality.

With Qin Yichi’s hand wrapped around her wrist, she slowly regained her composure, her ears blazing red, her whole body overwhelmed.

Her cheeks seemed to burn with uncontrollable flames, a visible blush spreading.

Help, why was she comforting him...?!

Qiao Zhen was at a loss, biting her lips, almost wanting to cover her face and cry.

Could these chaotic memories please... stop attacking her? Was she really such a shameless person...?

As soon as Qin Yichi stopped walking, she jerked her hand back as if shocked by electricity, her face full of discomfort.

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Qiao Zhen couldn’t meet his eyes, wishing she could bury her head in the ground. She nervously stepped aside, trying to distance herself from this “dangerous, wicked, and annoying” man.

But for some reason, her heart beat even faster, utterly beyond her control...

Almost the moment she withdrew her hand, Qin Yichi noticed her shift in mood.

He saw how she discreetly moved away, her eyes betraying confusion and fear.

Was she afraid of him?

Qin Yichi paused, his expression slightly dazed.

He lowered his gaze, silently retracting his hand and suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

His throat felt blocked, sour and bitter, making it hard to breathe.

After a moment, he regained his composure and calmly asked, “Do you want to try your luck with the lottery?”

Qiao Zhen’s attention was drawn, and she looked up.

It was a new promotional event: scan the code, log in, like their public account, and you could enter the offline lottery.

Qiao Zhen didn’t particularly want to bother—it seemed troublesome, and most importantly, she’d never been lucky enough to win anything.

But the dazzling array of limited edition gifts in the store tempted her.

She nodded, “Alright.”

Suddenly, a tattooed man beside them burst into a sharp shout, his face lit with delight, almost jumping for joy:

“Ah! Damn!!!”

Everyone nearby turned to stare at him in anticipation.

But the next moment, the tattooed man’s face fell, helpless. “I didn’t win anything.”

Qiao Zhen: “...”

The crowd: “...” Wasn’t that just pointless?

Qin Yichi scanned the code first, spent a couple of minutes, and randomly selected a red envelope from the staff.

Qiao Zhen leaned over cautiously to see, only to find the slip inside was blank.

Unfortunately, no prize.

Qiao Zhen was a bit disappointed, not expecting much as she liked the public account’s video. She glanced at the envelopes in the staff lady’s hand, feeling conflicted.

The staff lady smiled warmly at her and Qin Yichi. “Go ahead, young lady, pick one.”

Qiao Zhen nodded, casually took an envelope, and slowly opened the slip inside.

[First Prize]

The three bold characters leapt before her eyes, like a burst of fireworks blossoming in her mind, dazzling and brilliant.

Qiao Zhen was stunned, frozen in place, checking it over and over.

Her fingertips trembled slightly, unable to believe this stroke of luck.

On the back of the paper was a line of English, the handwriting bold and graceful:

[One day, lUCk and preferenCe Will COme rUShing tOWardS yOU.]

One day, preference and fortune will come running toward you.

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