Waaah, I'm being forced into loving my yandere wife's brain.

(This chapter is marked as important and cannot be edited no matter what, so here's a short "what if" side story.)

If only we, childhood sweethearts, had never separated.

When Lin Zhiyao was eight or nine years old, she was taken by her parents back to the Shen family mansion in the capital for the first time in the first month of the lunar calendar.

The father went in through the main entrance first.

She held her mother's hand, looked up at the vermilion gate, above which hung the two characters "Shen Mansion" in gold on a black background, the strokes vigorous, and the gate was taller than the gate of the Lin Mansion.

The threshold was high; she had to lift her skirt to step over it.

Lin Zhiyao looked around curiously.

Crossing the threshold, you'll find a screen wall engraved with the image of pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity. Turning around, the space opens up dramatically, with a covered walkway connecting to the main hall. Several hexagonal palace lanterns hang under the walkway, turning gently in the breeze, creating a delightful sound.

She had never seen such a magnificent house before, and was momentarily dazzled, causing her to slow her pace by half a step.

Her mother squeezed her hand, leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Don't look around, be careful not to offend someone important."

Lin Zhiyao shrank her neck and turned her gaze back to the simple orchid flower pattern on her mother's skirt, then obediently followed along.

Just as they were about to walk around the artificial hill made of Taihu stone, a boy's clear and melodious laughter came from under the porch in front.

Lin Zhiyao raised her head.

There were two or three young men standing under the eaves, all dressed in brocade robes. One of them had his back to her and was talking to someone.

He was taller than the others around him, and although his shoulders hadn't fully developed, they were already a bit broader than those of his age. He wore a dark vest over his moon-white brocade robe, and a leather belt around his waist with a white jade pendant hanging from it.

The boy was talking when suddenly, as if he had heard something interesting, he turned to the side and laughed, immediately revealing his delicate features.

Sunlight slid across his profile, as if coating his eyebrows and eyes with a thin layer of glaze.

Lin Zhiyao was instantly amazed.

The young man was handsome and refined, with features as exquisite as a painting, even more pure and alluring than the red plum blossoms reflected in the snow.

Lin Zhiyao stared blankly.

Perhaps because her gaze was too direct, the boy suddenly stopped talking and turned his head away.

Qinglie's gaze passed over the stone steps under the corridor, over the half-withered forsythia branches, over the countless guests, and landed squarely on her face.

Eyes facing each other.

Lin Zhiyao's head buzzed. She didn't know if this counted as offending a VIP. In addition, being caught staring at someone made her ears burn, as if someone had caught her doing something wrong.

She hurriedly shrank behind her mother, clutching her mother's clothes tightly, her flushed face buried in the fabric of her mother's back, unwilling to see anyone.

I followed my mother step by step for a few steps.

Sudden.

The mother stopped in her tracks.

She heard her mother ask something like "Young Master" in front of her, probably as a greeting, in a respectful tone.

Then the clear, melodious voice drew closer, tinged with amusement: "Where did this little sister come from? Why are you so shy?"

Lin Zhiyao felt her mother's hand cover the back of her head, gently pulling her out from behind.

The sunlight was blinding, and she squinted.

The boy stood three steps away, taller than when she had seen him from under the eaves; she had to crane her neck to see his face clearly.

She looks even better up close; her brow bone is slightly high, her eye sockets are a bit deeper than average, and the curve at the corner of her eye is clearly visible in the sunlight. She also has a slight smile on her lips.

"This is your cousin," the mother said.

Lin Zhiyao looked at him timidly, without saying a word.

The boy lowered himself down, shifting his boots half a step forward to meet her gaze. Up close, he appeared even more handsome and refined. His fox-like eyes, reflecting the snow-white light, smiled slightly at her. "My name is Shen Jin."

He drew closer, his voice lower than before, tinged with a hint of amusement, "What's your sister's name?"

Lin Zhiyao felt shy under his gaze, and her eyes drifted to the white jade pendant at his waist. Only then did she calm down a little and reply softly, "I... my name is Lin Zhiyao."

"Lin Zhiyao?"

The boy repeated it in a clear, melodious voice, the last syllable rising slightly as if savoring it on the tip of his tongue, and his smile grew even brighter, "So it's Sister Zhiyao, I'll remember that."

Lin Zhiyao was dazzled by that laughter.

*

Lin Zhiyao couldn't remember what happened at the banquet afterward, only that she stayed at the Shen residence for some reason after that day.

She became a cousin of the Shen family who had come from afar to stay at their residence.