Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On our first wedding anniversary, Zhou Jinghe and I went to Switzerland.

At a private ski resort owned by one of his friends, I met Shen Shuwen.

She was a woman whose personality was the complete opposite of her name. While not conventionally beautiful, she possessed a unique, vibrant vitality.

She was an expert in extreme sports, and rumor had it that she and Zhou Jinghe had first met at a ski resort.

Shen Shuwen and I skied down one after the other. At a bend up ahead, her ski pole suddenly dropped.

I couldn’t brake in time, and my skis detached. As I instinctively tucked my head and rolled down, a dark figure swept toward us from the side.

The silver armband on his sleeve flashed before my eyes. It was a familiar sight; I had personally buckled it onto Zhou Jinghe just half an hour ago.

Zhou Jinghe rushed toward Shen Shuwen, using sheer arm strength to scoop up the out-of-control woman.

My back slammed into the safety netting of the ski run. The intense pain made my vision go black, accompanied by the collective gasps of the onlookers.

Through the dizziness, I saw Zhou Jinghe roll over to shield Shen Shuwen beneath him, chunks of snow pelting his back.

I tilted my head back and gasped for air. My nose and mouth were filled with snow-it was freezing and agonizing. The snow melted with every breath, and when I looked down, something warm dripped onto the ground.

I stared at the splash of red on the snow for two seconds before realizing it was blood.

The crowd rushed to my side. The rescuer was a foreigner, speaking rapid-fire English.

A ringing filled my ears and my vision blurred; I couldn’t understand a word he was saying.

Zhou Jinghe immediately scrambled up and ran toward me. He was in such a rush that he stumbled on the hard-packed snow.

“Zhengzheng!” Zhou Jinghe didn’t dare move me recklessly, turning instead to communicate with the foreigner.

I tilted my head and saw Shen Shuwen through the crowd. She appeared to have just stood up and was brushing snow off herself. The moment our eyes met, she looked down at me and smiled.

For some reason, I actually started laughing too. The laughter triggered a cough, filling my mouth with the metallic taste of blood.

The onlookers were stunned. Zhou Jinghe leaned over, his eyes bloodshot. “Zhengzheng, say something. Don’t scare me like this.”

I couldn’t speak. Too many words were jumbled together, piercing sharply into my ears.

Zhou Jinghe scooped me up in his arms. His familiar masculine scent, woody and crisp, enveloped me as I leaned into his chest.

His heart was racing and his hands were shaking, as if he were terrified.

Amidst the chaos, I asked very softly, “Just now… why didn’t you save me?”

Zhou Jinghe’s entire body stiffened. He didn’t answer; I wasn’t sure if he even heard me.