Chapter Three: Upon First Sight, the Heart Grows More Enchanted

Shen Residence, Crescent Pavilion.

Lu Jin stepped over the threshold and entered the room, only to see a woman of peerless beauty sitting lost in thought on a chair.

Her face was as fair as flawless jade, with a proud and distant expression. Beneath her smooth, full forehead, her almond-shaped eyes were deep and clear as autumn waters, glimmering like distant stars, captivating the soul. Her delicate, high-bridged nose and slightly parted red lips seemed to hold a hint of icy dew.

She was the very embodiment of beauty, outshining all the famed beauties of the land, pure and immaculate, as if a celestial maiden had descended to the mortal world. Her appearance was exquisite beyond compare, graceful and elegant—such beauty, Lu Jin had never seen before.

She sat there in perfect stillness, with a trace of allure in her brows and eyes. Her refined features carried an air of determination and confidence, blending the delicate refinement of a southern lady with the dignified poise of the north. Her frosty expression only made her seem more elegant and noble, mysterious and ever so slightly aloof.

Damn, how could anyone look like this? This has to be cheating.

For a moment, Lu Jin stared, utterly dazed, his mind awhirl with countless thoughts.

It wasn’t as though he’d never seen a beautiful woman before, but this woman before him surpassed every standard or imagination of beauty he’d ever known—all the words in the world seemed inadequate to describe her.

“Husband!” a delicate voice called out.

Lu Jin jumped, finally snapping out of his trance and turning to the side.

Wait—a second woman? And why was she glaring at him with such fiery eyes?

“Miss!” the maid huffed, clearly annoyed. This young master was hopeless!

Lu Jin looked back to the chair, just as Shen Yanxi’s cheeks flushed faintly and she hurried to her feet.

Only then did Lu Jin notice her tall, graceful stature—she must have been at least one meter seventy. Her glossy hair was drawn back into a simple knot, adorned with a single white jade hairpin. The thick black strands fell naturally down her back like a flowing stream, simple yet radiant. She wore a pale blue, wide-sleeved jacket with cloud patterns and a white skirt; her slender waist was cinched with a russet sash adorned with blue floral embroidery. As she moved, the sash fluttered like drifting clouds, each gesture full of grace.

“Have you gained anything, husband?” Shen Yanxi’s voice was bright and magnetic.

“Ah?” Lu Jin was momentarily at a loss.

“I heard from the servants you’ve been fishing these past few days?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve been fishing,” Lu Jin replied hastily.

It was hardly his fault he was so muddled—one shock after another left him unable to gather his wits. He’d long forgotten the three questions he’d planned to ask her at the outset. How could this cool, stunning beauty be his wife? Wasn’t she supposed to be blind or tremendously overweight or something?

“Have you been well these past few days?” Shen Yanxi continued, not pressing further.

“Everything’s fine. Let’s sit and talk.” Lu Jin, a bit unsettled, took the seat beside her.

Given his conviction that there was no such thing as a free lunch, he’d steeled himself for all sorts of bad outcomes—perhaps his wife was disfigured or ill. Reality, though, was the polar opposite, leaving his thoughts in chaos.

“Siqin, you may leave. I’d like a word with my husband,” Shen Yanxi instructed her maid, then turned to pour Lu Jin a cup of tea.

As the sound of retreating footsteps faded, Lu Jin felt the silence grow oppressive.

There were so many things he’d wanted to ask, so many questions he thought could last three days and nights. But confronted with such an unexpected situation, his mind was a muddle.

Still, his suspicions only multiplied. Something about all this felt distinctly unscientific.

Was this some elaborate setup? Was he here to play the unwitting father? Or just a convenient shield?

Lu Jin pondered these new possibilities, wiped his mouth, and tried to steady himself. Steady, now.

Seated across from him, Shen Yanxi watched the myriad expressions flicker across his face, finding this unfamiliar husband rather amusing.

“Is there something you wish to ask me?” Shen Yanxi said. Some matters couldn’t be avoided; after days apart, they needed to be addressed.

“May I?” Lu Jin glanced at her and immediately looked away. This was dangerous.

Shen Yanxi’s lips curled into a faint smile. He really was a little slow-witted. Yet there was something different about him compared to the day of their wedding, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

Lu Jin was stunned—he’d thought this beauty incapable of smiling, but at her slight smile, the whole room seemed to brighten. No, he had to hold firm, not lose himself.

“Miss Shen, do you perhaps have some unspeakable reason for all this?” Enough—he needed answers. A man must be direct.

He was so blunt because, from what he’d gathered from the maid, there’d been no prior connection between him and the Shen family—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so ignorant of their circumstances.

“What do you mean by that, husband?” Shen Yanxi frowned slightly.

“You are a woman of extraordinary beauty, and I am but an ordinary man. Why choose me to marry into your family?”

“So, it seems I have displeased you, husband. We are married, yet you still call me Miss Shen.” Her expression dimmed, though whether real or feigned was hard to tell.

As if they were truly husband and wife! What sort of marriage was this? Whose child was it? How had he ended up as the live-in son-in-law of the Shen family? Lu Jin grumbled inwardly, but outwardly kept his composure.

“It’s just...we’re not close.” He spoke awkwardly, envying those with social prowess—at this moment, surely they’d have swept her off her feet: “Woman, you’ve piqued my interest.”

To his surprise, Shen Yanxi laughed.

Could she stop laughing? This was a serious matter—how was he to maintain any principles at all?

“Miss Shen, would you please tell me?” Lu Jin pressed on. A beauty might be enchanting, but he needed to know what he was getting into.

Shen Yanxi looked at him in surprise. “You don’t know?”

Was he supposed to? No one had told him anything!

“Do you remember when you fainted?” Shen Yanxi asked, dropping the term “husband”—the women of the Shen family had their pride.

“When did I faint?” Lu Jin asked reflexively, then immediately regretted it. His sense of immersion was sorely lacking.

“What about before you fainted?” Shen Yanxi pressed, curiosity piqued.

Lu Jin shook his head in confusion, not bothering to pretend any longer.

Though she found it odd, Shen Yanxi remained composed and recounted the events: “On the day the results were posted at the Examination Office, you, Young Master Lu, perhaps won first place and fainted from the shock. I happened to pass by and, moved by pity, had my servants take you to the clinic...”

What a fantastic tale! What kind of family just helps strangers out of pure kindness? Weren’t they afraid of being taken advantage of? Oh, but this was the Shen family—never mind, then.

He also noticed Shen Yanxi had stopped calling him husband and now addressed him as Young Master Lu. How petty.

“No wonder there’s so much I can’t remember,” he said, slapping his forehead and seizing the chance to cover up with a clumsy performance.

“But you seemed perfectly fine on our wedding day!” Shen Yanxi looked even more puzzled.

Of course—he’d only transmigrated the day after!

“Well, perhaps it’s a gradual memory loss. All I remember is waking up as the Shen family’s son-in-law, everything before that is gone.”

Shen Yanxi’s cheeks flushed. Was it possible she’d angered him into amnesia?

“Shall I summon the family physician?” she hesitated.

“No need—carry on. It’s not important.”

“Then, how did I end up marrying into your family?” Lu Jin wondered aloud. The gap between the events seemed too wide.