Gu Chao's dark, unfathomable eyes lingered on her for a few seconds before he calmly looked away, placing the flowers in his hand before the tombstone. "Wah wah wah, Dad..." Song Weiwei, having taken a few acting classes, managed to squeeze out a few tears by drawing on her longing for family, sneaking a glance at the man from the corner of her eye. Seeing that Gu Chao wasn't looking her way, she sniffled softly and lifted her head, only to suddenly read the inscription on the tombstone, a wave of awkwardness washing over her! The deceased was a woman, and she'd been calling out "Dad" for ages!? He probably thought she was an idiot right now. Compared to her, Gu Chao mourned the deceased more quietly, standing with one hand in his pocket, eyes fixed on the tombstone's words, his sensual lips pressed tightly together. Every holiday or special occasion, he would come to the cemetery and spend some time there. The Mu family had a debt of gratitude for raising him and his siblings; even if it weren't for Mu Yan, he would still visit them often, doing his utmost to ensure they rested in peace. Song Weiwei turned her head, seeing the intense sorrow in his eyes, her heart aching sharply, her nose suddenly stinging... In that one great fire, all her loved ones were gone. She thought she had no ties left in this world, but fate had brought them together again. Song Weiwei felt a pang of pain, the only solace being that a few days before the incident, her three siblings had happened to be away from the Mu residence, otherwise they too would not have escaped death. Nine years ago, the Mu family's status in Shen City was second only to the Shen family. Their ancestors had been scholars for generations, and it wasn't until her great-grandfather's time that they turned to business, developing a pharmaceutical factory. The Mu family had been single-son for generations, with no daughters since her great-grandfather's time, so Mu Yan, as the eldest daughter, was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She was lively and mischievous, and the Mu elders doted on her endlessly. As a child, she often led Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu—now Gu Chao and Sheng Nanzhou—to skip class and play pranks on their classmates. Back then, Gu Chao was steady and mature, though a year younger than Mu Yan, he often lectured them like a little adult. But whenever Mu Yan made a mistake and faced punishment from the elders, he would step forward and take the blame himself. Song Weiwei's eyes flickered as she pulled herself out of her memories. If not for that catastrophe, she would have continued to enjoy her family's love, living a carefree life. She slowly lowered her head, her hands at her sides clenching slightly. The Mu family vanished from Shen City overnight, and over nine years, the world gradually forgot the Mu family that had once made history among the four great clans. The eldest Miss Mu shed her splendor, crying alone in the shadows of the night. Song Weiwei composed herself, and when she looked up, the man who had been standing before the tombstone was gone. She quickly scanned her surroundings, but there was no trace of him. This man—she still had things to say, and he'd run off without a word? Lately, rumors about her and Gu Chao had been flying everywhere. Though someone had deliberately suppressed them in recent days, their new film collaboration was stalled, and she needed to discuss it with him.
...
Two days later, Shen Xiaoxing was going on a business trip to New Zealand. An Ruo helped him pack, unsure how many days he'd be gone. She got some common medications from the doctor to have on hand, just in case. She thoughtfully wrote the dosage and usage on a slip of paper and tucked it into the box, layered his clothes according to the daily temperature, and reminded him to eat and rest on time no matter how busy he was. Listening to her meticulous instructions, the man suddenly smiled. "If you're this worried about me, why not come along?" He wasn't at ease leaving her home alone either. An Ruo, who was folding his clothes, paused and looked at him. "You're going for work. What would it look like if I tagged along?" "You're my wife. I'm not good at taking care of myself on long trips. Instead of worrying about me here, you might as well keep an eye on me yourself." "But..." An Ruo hesitated. "I'm worried about Xiao Che at home too." Besides, he was going for work—would it be inconvenient if she followed? Shen Xiaoxing sighed, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. "I see. Forget it, then." It seemed that in his heart, family always came first. She didn't want to go with him—fine, he wouldn't force it. Catching the disappointment in his tone, An Ruo bit her pink lips, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and spoke softly. "If I come with you, will it really not cause any trouble?" "You're my wife. Isn't it perfectly normal for you to accompany me on a business trip? What trouble could it cause?" "Then I'll go pack..." She got up to prepare another suitcase, casually picking out a few clothes to put inside. "No need to bring too much. We'll have people to receive us there, and we can buy anything we're missing." The man watched her busy figure with a light laugh. "Think of this as a little vacation." An Ruo shook her head. "No, that's wasteful. We have plenty of clothes at home, and the staff can prepare whatever we need. No point spending money unnecessarily." "Mrs. Shen is thrifty and manages the household well. I truly didn't marry the wrong person." But on the day of departure, when the bodyguards loaded three or four suitcases into the helicopter's cargo hold, Shen Xiaoxing's lips twitched. An Ruo sat by the window, watching the ground gradually recede as the buildings below grew smaller, until the view turned into a map-like panorama. The man's strong body leaned in, his magnetic voice sounding above her head. "What are you looking at?" "Trying to find our villa." An Ruo pressed close to the glass, peering intently. "The buildings are getting smaller—I can't find it anymore..." Shen Xiaoxing wrapped his long arm around her, pulling her into his embrace, burying his straight nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling the faint fragrance emanating from her. He wasn't a man of strong desires, nor did he like clinging to others, but ever since meeting this girl, just seeing her made him want to hold her in his arms and breathe in her pleasant scent. Strangely enough, even though they used the same shower gel every day, she smelled noticeably more fragrant than him, and that scent drew him in. Holding her in the dead of night made it impossible to sleep with a clear mind. After gazing out the window for a while, An Ruo suddenly felt a bit drowsy. Yawning, she asked, "How much longer until we get there?" "Probably a few more hours." The man kissed her cheek. "Tired?" "Yeah, a little." "Get some sleep, then." "Make sure to wake me up later." Shen Xiaoxing let her lean against him. After being so intimate so many times, An Ruo was no longer shy. She found a comfortable spot on him and slowly closed her eyes. Feeling the steady rhythm of her breathing, the man reached for a blanket and draped it over her, then hugged her and kissed her forehead affectionately. As long as she was in his arms, An Ruo could sleep soundly no matter where she was, curling up like a lazy little cat. She didn't know how long she'd slept when a gentle voice reached her ears. "Ruo Ruo?" The girl opened her hazy eyes, sat up from his embrace, and stretched her limbs. "Are we there?" "Yeah." A few minutes later, the helicopter hovered over a hotel in Belgium, searching for a suitable landing spot. A group of people stood on the back lawn, the rotor blades stirring up wind that tousled their hair... Once the helicopter landed, An Ruo put on her coat and stepped down the ramp first, while Han Chong and the bodyguards helped the man into his wheelchair. The hotel manager came forward to greet them, speaking fluent English. "Welcome, Mr. Shen and Mrs. Shen, to the hotel."