Travel...
Upon hearing those two words, Shen Nian became lost in thought.
It seemed... like she had never traveled before.
After snapping out of it, she shook her head, "I'd better not."
Shen Nian flipped to the next recommendation, which was for small-scale travel destinations that wouldn't be overcrowded during the seven-day holiday.
"The company has been quite busy lately, when would I have time to travel?" she made an excuse.
The company matters were secondary; the main issue was... Ling Rui's situation.
Lu Lingchuan couldn't leave, he needed to stay on top of it at all times.
"..." Lu Lingchuan stared at her intently: "As long as you want to go, I'll take you."
When he said this, there was no hint of joking.
It seemed as though they had returned to six years ago when, if it was something Shen Nian liked, Lu Lingchuan would give it to her, and even if he didn't have the ability at the time, he would still try his best to give her the best he could.
Now too, if she wanted to travel, he would put everything aside and accompany her.
"..." Shen Nian hadn't seen that look in a long time, as if they had gone back to the past, and she was momentarily dazed.
After snapping out of her daze, she shook her head and refused again: "Really, there's no need."
Pointing to the content on her phone, Shen Nian said, "There will be too many people. They say it's going out to have fun, but in the end you can't see anything except a sea of people's heads, completely pointless."
"And you know I don't like being in crowded places."
On this point, Shen Nian wasn't lying. Every year during the seven-day holiday, there would be reports of traffic jams and tourist attractions packed with people.
"Mm." Lu Lingchuan thought about it seriously for a moment, responding with an acknowledgment to respect Shen Nian's wishes, but he still kept the idea in mind.
Before next year, he would definitely resolve Ling Rui's situation, and then he would take Shen Nian to visit all the famous tourist destinations in the country, especially the coastal cities.
She really liked the ocean, she had said.
Lu Lingchuan had just put down his phone on the bedside table when it rang. Shen Nian was a bit tired and let out a dainty yawn.
Looking at the caller ID, it was Lawyer Xu Xiping calling, most likely about Ling Rui's situation.
Seeing that Shen Nian was tired, Lu Lingchuan left the bedroom so as not to disturb her.
After talking to the lawyer for over an hour, he hung up and set his phone to silent mode before entering the room again.
The main light in the room had been turned off by Shen Nian, with only a small lamp on by the bedside. She was nestled in the blankets, already sound asleep.
The soft warm glow illuminated her peaceful sleeping face.
At this moment, Shen Nian looked like a sleeping beauty.
Seeing how soundly she slept, Lu Lingchuan's footsteps unconsciously became much lighter.
He walked to the bedside, placed his phone on the nightstand, then slowly sat down and carefully lifted the covers to lie down.
With one hand propping up his head, he gazed intently at Shen Nian's sleeping face.
Although she was merely sleeping, Lu Lingchuan looked as if he couldn't get enough, unable to resist wanting to take another look, and another.
...
During this period, so many things had happened that it had been a long time since Shen Nian had slept so soundly. She ended up sleeping until broad daylight.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Lu Lingchuan's face.
His profile was exceptionally handsome, with dark brows, long eyelashes, and a prominent, straight nose that was even more visible from the side. His thin lips were slightly pursed, exuding a hint of sensuality.
When sleeping, he completely lacked the commanding aura he had when working, instead taking on a gentle demeanor.
It was as if... they had gone back to six years ago, before he had entered the business world.
Upon waking from her sleep, it truly felt like they had returned to six years ago, the year they loved each other the most.
Her beautiful dream had begun.
Shen Nian stared at him, lost in a daze, not even noticing when Lu Lingchuan had woken up.
The man opened his eyes to find Shen Nian gazing at him absentmindedly. Having just woken up, her hair was a bit messy, coupled with her vacant expression, which added a touch of adorable softness.
The corners of Lu Lingchuan's lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile.
He leaned in and kissed her lips.
It was only when Lu Lingchuan kissed her that Shen Nian snapped out of her own world.
By the time she realized what was happening, Lu Lingchuan had already pinned her down.
The man was an excellent kisser, gentle and soft, without any aggression, allowing one to involuntarily immerse themselves in his tenderness, and then... find it impossible to escape.
His hand intertwined with hers, their fingers interlocked, like the most ordinary couple.
"Mmm..." It wasn't until Shen Nian was breathless from his kisses that she pushed him away.
Lu Lingchuan released her lips, his sensual thin lips moving towards her petite earlobe, exhaling a breath of hot air.
Shen Nian shuddered from the warmth of his breath.
Observing her little reaction, a smile surfaced in Lu Lingchuan's eyes: "Good morning, girlfriend."
Having just woken up, his voice carried a slight huskiness, an unforced magnetism that was particularly alluring.
Since they both needed to go to work and couldn't stay home all day, after teasing Shen Nian for a bit, they both got up.
Shen Nian went to freshen up while Lu Lingchuan took the initiative to prepare their breakfast.
In the past, Lu Lingchuan was the type who wouldn't even touch cooking, as there were maids at home to cook for the family, so there was no need for him to do it himself.
It was only after getting together with Shen Nian that, on one occasion when Ling Rui was joking around, she said something that stuck with him.
"Nian Nian can only cook noodles, and my brother can't even cook noodles, you two domestic disasters together will only be able to eat plain noodles in the future." Ling Rui covered her mouth and giggled.
"We can just order take-out every day," Shen Nian retorted defiantly.
"But a lot of take-out is unhealthy, who knows if they have a conscience or not? If you run into one without a conscience, they might just cook your food with gutter oil." There were plenty of incidents involving take-out food.
It was because of this very simple conversation that Lu Lingchuan took it to heart. Afterward, whenever Auntie Xu was cooking, Lu Lingchuan would conscientiously run into the kitchen and observe how she cooked, asking her about the use of each seasoning, how much was considered too much, and so on.
From a young master who couldn't do anything, he slowly learned how to scramble eggs, sauté vegetables, and later on, more complex dishes...
It was because of Shen Nian that Lu Lingchuan learned how to cook.
By the time Shen Nian came out, Lu Lingchuan had just finished plating the breakfast he had prepared.
"Time for breakfast," Lu Lingchuan said upon seeing Shen Nian.
"Oh."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Shen Nian walked over and pulled out a chair to sit down. Lu Lingchuan touched the milk glass, ensuring the temperature was just right before pushing it towards her.
Lu Lingchuan's breakfast was more Western-style. He used a knife to cut the sandwich in half, then passed it to her.
Shen Nian took it and silently took a bite, then sipped some milk.
Sometimes, there's no need to artificially create a cozy atmosphere. Just sitting together to have a meal can make one feel happy.
At least, that's how it was for Shen Nian.
