Cui Zhifan had lived a wonderfully comfortable life.
The Cui clan of Boling was a family of wealth and status, and she was the cherished youngest daughter, adored by everyone. Later, she married Lu Youzhi, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Justice. Though her husband's family had fallen on hard times, he was as handsome as Pan An, quiet and gentle by nature, and endlessly considerate of her. Their marriage was the talk of the town.
Then she fell from a horse and, in the blink of an eye, returned to eight years earlier.
She had planned to wait for her future husband to come ask for her hand, but then she dreamed of his family being destroyed. Her heart ached for him, and she decided to go to Gusu ahead of time to find him.
On the way, she encountered bandits and was rescued at the last moment.
Her savior wielded a three-foot slender sword, dispatching the bandit leader with swift precision. Deliberately lowering his voice and turning his back to her, he began, "I was just passing by..."
Cui Zhifan threw her arms around him and cried against his back, "Husband! I've missed you so much!"
*
Even if you cracked Lu Youzhi over the head, he couldn't have imagined that he would rescue a damsel while out righting wrongs.
She was young and short, but had a fiery temper and plenty of demands. If she had one redeeming quality, it was that she was sweet-tongued and good at making people happy.
Lu Youzhi thought he could spoil this young Miss Liu as a little sister.
As his wife... He stopped himself in time. Better not.
But when a friend asked him about Cui Zhifan's birth date and time, Lu Youzhi found himself oddly bothered.
One day, he overheard his parents chatting. "The young Miss Liu next door is as lovely as a peach blossom, so sweet and genuine. She makes you smile just to look at her. Why don't we take her in as our goddaughter?"
That night, the usually proper Young Master Lu climbed over the wall and spoke to the girl through her window. "When we first met, you called me your husband. Did you mean it, or were you joking?"
Theme: I meant it! I meant it! I meant it!
