Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 2 Can you sleep with me?

"Miss, you're finally awake. Are you feeling any better?"

Shen Li opened her heavy eyes and saw Lian Qiao's worried yet joyful face.

Lian Qiao was her personal maid who had grown up with her since childhood. She was sent back to the Shen family when she was imprisoned, but Lian Qiao was already twenty-seven years old at that time.

The woman in front of her was clearly still a child, dressed like she had when she first married into the Gu family.

"Forsythia? Where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse but still that of a young girl.

"Miss, are you delirious? This is the Gu residence, our home!" Lian Qiao said, somewhat flustered.

"What year is it? How old am I?"

“In the twelfth year of Chengyuan, you were seventeen years old, Miss. Don’t scare me…” Lianqiao said, calling out to the outside room, “Has the master returned yet? Miss has woken up, but it seems she has a fever.”

Shen Li stared blankly at the familiar bridal chamber for a while.

It's said that before a person dies, their entire life flashes before their eyes. Is this a memory? Will she be able to see Gu Chang'an then?

Whether it was heaven hearing her voice or not, a person emerged from behind the screen. The person was dressed in a scarlet official robe, with delicate features and a pale complexion. His usually cold eyes were now filled with tension and worry.

He pursed his thin lips and strode forward. Seeing that she was awake, his eyes brightened. He spoke with his usual cautiousness: "I have summoned the imperial physician back. He will come in now to take your pulse. Don't be afraid."

Shen Li looked at him, her eyes reddening, tears welling up in them.

"Wh...what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Gu Chang'an panicked and subconsciously reached out to touch her forehead, but quickly withdrew his hand halfway through.

Shen Li never wanted to even glance at him, and he didn't want to offend her.

Shen Li thought she had a lot to say to him, but her throat was so full of emotions that she couldn't say a word.

She wanted to touch his face, but her hand fell limply to the side, tears streaming down her face and into the pillow.

"Ah Li." Gu Chang'an's voice trembled with nervousness.

"Lord Gu, your wife is fine now. She's just been sick for a few days and feels tired. She probably felt dizzy just now because of her intense emotions. She'll wake up after a short rest," said Imperial Physician Jiang after taking her pulse.

"Does it need to be nourished?" Gu Chang'an asked with a sigh of relief.

"No need. Madam is exceptionally healthy; excessive supplementation would be detrimental."

Gu Chang'an immediately bowed deeply: "I will definitely visit you in person to express my gratitude to Dean Jiang in the future."

"Lord Gu... there's no need for that. I'm here on the Emperor's orders; it's my duty."

President Jiang was so shocked by this grand gesture that his face turned pale.

Gu Chang'an, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was known as the cruelest official in the court, and was nicknamed Yama (the King of Hell). He was arrogant and eccentric because of the emperor's favor. Gu Chang'an really dared not accept this greeting, for fear that he would be punished one day.

Shen Li never expected to open her eyes again, and even less expected to see Gu Chang'an guarding her bedside. There were candlesticks on the table, and the room was warm.

This time, her body didn't feel as heavy as it had during the day; instead, she felt refreshed, as if she had woken up naturally after sleeping for a long time.

"You're awake? Is there anything else that's bothering you?" Gu Chang'an was keeping a close eye on her, and as soon as he saw her open her eyes, he hurriedly asked.

Shen Li looked at him so close to her and raised her hand again to touch him to see if he was real. However, she found that her hand was being held in his palm.

Gu Chang'an felt her pull her hand away, and a look of melancholy flashed in his eyes. He withdrew his hand without looking into her eyes, and said in a careful voice, "I was being presumptuous. Don't be angry. I'll leave now."

Just as he was about to get up, he felt a warm touch on his face; it was Shen Li's hand gently stroking his face.

He froze, and when he turned his head, he saw that Shen Li's eyes were filled with tears, but the emotions in her eyes beneath the tears were unclear.

“Gu Chang’an, tell me this isn’t a dream, and I’ll believe you.”

Gu Chang'an's cheek, which she had touched, was burning. His Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously, and his eyes looked away, unsure of where to look.

He pinched himself hard and answered, "It's not a dream."

Shen Li began to feel dazed, and after a moment she withdrew her hand and pinched her arm.

I pinched it, and it hurt.

I pinched it again, and it still hurt.

Her eyes gradually cleared, and when she pinched him again, she was filled with anticipation. Could this really not be a dream?

God gave her another chance to live.

She's back to being seventeen? Gu Chang'an is still here, and her parents and sister are still here too?!

"No, what are you doing?" Gu Chang'an quickly grabbed her hand, frowning slightly: "If you have anger in your heart, just take it out on me, why torture yourself like this?"

The lingering pain from where her arm had been pinched made Shen Li gradually smile. She looked at the nervous and cautious Gu Chang'an in front of her, a sight that felt all too familiar.

Despite being a fearsome and ruthless ruler known for his cruel methods of torture, he was always cautious and careful in her presence, afraid of displeasing her.

In her previous life, when she first married into the family, she did indeed despise Gu Chang'an. She hated him for harming loyal officials, framing the innocent, and having the blood of scholars on his hands.

She had been studying Confucian classics since childhood, and she would never despise such methods.

But as she grew older and read more, she came to understand that those people were not those Gu Chang'an wanted to kill, but those the emperor wanted to kill.

The emperor was wary of the meritorious officials from the previous dynasty, and only by intensifying the punishment of criminals could he eradicate them completely.

He needs a knife, and if it's not Gu Chang'an, it will be someone else.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Gu Chang'an noticed her unusual expression, his brows furrowed even more, and his eyes were filled with panic.

Shen Li composed herself and looked at him: "Gu Chang'an, I just had a nightmare and I'm very scared. Can you sleep with me tonight?"