Today was the Laba Festival, and the ancient alleyways of Yucheng were filled with a festive atmosphere.
An Ruo pushed the man ahead, while Han Chong and An Che walked behind, gathering quite a few delicious snacks along the way. The simple, ancient streets were lined with local delicacies.
"Tired?" The man tilted his head slightly, his brows soft with tenderness. "Want to find a place to rest for a bit?"
An Ruo glanced around. "Not really."
"You might not be tired, but they're worn out from walking."
Behind them, An Che looked listless, while Han Chong wore an expression of resigned acceptance, as if accompanying her shopping was just carrying out orders!
In the end, An Ruo had no choice but to find a restaurant with an antique charm. The waitstaff inside were dressed in Hanfu, making it feel like stepping back in time.
Noticing the man disliked too much noise, An Ruo specifically asked the server for a private room. The retro-style decor exuded poetic elegance, with several red lanterns hanging in various spots.
The man handed her the menu. "You order."
"Let's order together." An Ruo picked a few dishes and passed the rest to An Che.
Since they had only brought Han Chong for close protection, he was forced to sit down and join them for lunch.
An Che hesitated briefly and ordered just two dishes. When it was the man's turn, he glanced at the menu and saw about five dishes, letting out a soft laugh. "You two siblings really know how to save me money, huh?"
An Ruo smiled. "These dishes are enough."
The man closed the menu. "Alright, Mrs. Shen advocates frugality and hates waste, so I'll listen to you."
"..."
This man couldn't go a moment without calling her "Mrs. Shen," as if everyone didn't already know she bore his surname!
An Ruo's face flushed naturally. When she looked up, she saw Han Chong and An Che quickly avert their gazes.
This restaurant was the most famous trendy spot for miles around, with most customers being tourists sampling local specialties.
After lunch, they spent the afternoon in the liveliest part of the ancient city, exploring cultural traditions spanning thousands of years. In the evening, they watched a classical dance performance by a romantic fountain.
Though crowded, these places cost Shen Xiaoxing little money to visit. In the past, he wouldn't have bothered, but now even the simplest things could make the girl laugh with joy, and he felt everything had meaning.
After a day of wandering, everyone returned to the hotel exhausted.
An Che and Han Chong shared a room, while An Ruo pushed the man into the adjacent one.
While the man went to shower on his own, An Ruo picked up her phone to chat with Chen Keqiao, who was far away in Shencheng. They hadn't spoken in a while, so they exchanged updates on their recent lives.
"You're saying you went to Yucheng on a business trip, and within two days, Mr. Shen followed you?"
An Ruo typed quickly. "I didn't expect him to suddenly show up either."
"You two are more affectionate than I imagined." Chen Keqiao sent another message. "By the way, have you two... done it?"
An Ruo thought for a moment, then sent back a confused reply: "What?"
It wasn't until after she sent it that she slowly realized what was being asked.
Chen Keqiao: "You haven't shared a bed since getting married?"
An Ruo bit her lip. "We have..."
Chen Keqiao: "How was it? How was it? Rumor has it that Mr. Shen is always in a wheelchair—is his body really weak? When you did it... did he satisfy you?"
"..." An Ruo's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. This was truly her best friend, always thinking of her and not hesitating to say such things.
Chen Keqiao: "I've been trying to think of a wedding gift for you, and I just came up with one these past two days. I'm sending it to you—make sure you two enjoy it together. That way, you'll truly experience the essence of my gift."
She sent that message, and before An Ruo could open the video, the bathroom door opened, and the man maneuvered his wheelchair over.
"You've had a long day of fun. Get some rest early."
An Ruo set her phone aside and helped him into bed. Just as she was about to lie down, another message popped up on her phone.
She opened it and saw it was from Chen Keqiao again.
"How about it? I guarantee it'll bring you and Mr. Shen closer."
The video's thumbnail showed a cute image, and out of curiosity, An Ruo tapped it. A shameful sound echoed through the quiet room.
She only glanced at it once, but the explicit scene made her face burn red!
Shen Xiaoxing, who was about to lie down, heard the suggestive moans and slowly turned his gaze toward her...
An Ruo didn't dare look at his expression. Her heart skipped a beat in panic. She tried to quickly delete the video, but her malfunctioning phone froze!
With no other option, she forcefully shut it down!
The room fell into a brief silence, finally free of the blood-pressure-spiking sounds.
The man's voice was hoarse. "What were you watching just now?"
"N-nothing." An Ruo stammered, nearly biting her tongue.
She was going to be ruined by Chen Keqiao!
Watching something like that in front of him—now he must think she's terrible. And not just watching, but playing it out loud in his presence!
Wasn't that just asking for trouble?!
"It sounded like the woman in that video was moaning just like you."
An Ruo frowned slightly. "...What?"
"Just like how you sound in bed."
"..."
What did he mean by that?!
"Mrs. Shen, did you miss me?"
This time, An Ruo was smarter. After being teased a few times, even she could catch his double meaning, especially with the burning look in his eyes, as if he wanted to melt her.
"No, I'm tired. Goodnight." An Ruo frantically pulled the covers over herself and burrowed in.
The man leaned over, a wicked curl to his thin lips as he whispered near her ear, "I know you missed me. Watching that kind of video to fill the emptiness—still stubbornly denying it?"
"No way..." An Ruo couldn't handle his seductive voice, and the fresh scent of his body wash filled her nose. She coughed. "I wasn't watching that kind of video... it was sent by my friend."
As if that explanation didn't make things worse!
"What if I said I missed you?"
His voice was soft and tingling, making An Ruo's ears itch.
"I'm tired..."
"That's fine, Mrs. Shen. You can keep your eyes closed and sleep."
With that, the man pressed closer, his arms braced on either side of her, his dark eyes staring deeply into hers. The intense, greedy look in his gaze seemed to want to merge her into his very bones!
Shen Xiaoxing didn't understand what kind of magic this girl possessed, making him so obsessed that without her, he couldn't eat or sleep well.
Even during company meetings, when he saw the characters "An" or "Ruo" in contracts, his mind would immediately drift to her.
He had never missed anyone so madly, nor had he ever been so fiercely protective of someone. Except for her—since she had burst into his villa that day, that fleeting glance seemed to have been etched into his heart.
The room heated up rapidly, occasionally interrupted by involuntary moans...
The next room wasn't so harmonious.
An Che, introverted and shy, lay stiffly beside Han Chong, not daring to move an inch.
The boy edged toward the side of the bed, about to fall off, when a hand caught his waist. "Young Master An, the bed is wide enough. You don't have to keep scooting to the edge."
An Che's heart pounded like a drum. "Oh."
Han Chong didn't want to share a bed with another man either—what would people think? But the young master had ordered him to protect An Che closely, so he couldn't slack off.
He just wished the night would end quickly!