Chapter 29

“Did you not sleep well last night, babe?”
The makeup artist was already pressing concealer under Lu Yi’s sleepy eyes for the third time. “That wind last night was no joke, right? So loud, I heard pretty much no one had a good night’s sleep.”
“A little bit,” Lu Yi admitted, feeling a tad guilty.
“Doesn’t matter much, though. Your skin’s flawless, babe, no concealer needed.” Lu Yi had great skin to begin with, which made makeup quick and easy. Since the cameras needed heavier looks, she went from soft glam to full drama without a single flaw showing through.
The assistant came over to put on her earrings. As soon as her fingers brushed Lu Yi’s left earlobe, she yelped, “Did you have an allergic reaction? It’s looking a little red and puffy.”
“Let me see.” The makeup artist bent down, concern written all over her face. “Oh, it looks like you really might be. Are you allergic to silver? It’s not bad, just a bit. Does it hurt, honey?”
She pinched lightly at Lu Yi’s ear.
“…”
Lu Yi’s poker face nearly cracked as she replied, “Doesn’t hurt. Can’t feel a thing.”
“Probably because I was scratching at it yesterday when it got itchy. Will this mess up the shoot today?”
“No problem. It’s a small spot, you’ll barely see it once the earrings are on.”
“Okay.”
She clenched her teeth, feeling her resentment rise another notch.
Just as Lu Yi was blinking through a coat of mascara, Lin Jinshen came downstairs, freshly changed. He looked sleek as ever, calmly adjusting his cufflinks with unhurried grace.
Two words immediately popped into her mind.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Gentleman bastard.
Lin Jinshen easily caught the glare she threw his way, and, absolutely unfazed, he greeted, “Morning.”
Lu Yi just grunted, clearly not in the mood to play nice.
The makeup artist and other staff replied for her: “Good morning, President Lin.”
“Did you have breakfast?” Lin Jinshen strolled over, tossing the question in her direction.
“We all ate already! Hotel breakfast was really good,” the makeup artist replied, then asked, “What about you, Mr. Lin?”
Lin Jinshen nodded and calmly told the kitchen to send up coffee and some fruit pastries. His tone was steady, not exactly “rays of sunshine” pleasant, but definitely softer than usual. The staff exchanged looks, a little surprised. Someone’s in a good mood today.
He took a seat not far from Lu Yi, coffee in hand.
Their eyes met in the makeup mirror.
Lu Yi pressed her lips together, still brooding, eyes full of muted indignation.
“Want some?” Lin Jinshen offered, as if last night had never happened, as if all they’d done was cuddle to sleep.
Lu Yi’s tone was ice cold: “No.”
Lin Jinshen just shrugged it off, soaking up her attitude as if it was pure entertainment.
That morning’s shoot was indoors, French style. Lu Yi wore a strapless satin wedding gown, the skirt supported with a hoop so it flared out like a flower, finished with white gloves, a wide-brimmed sheer hat, and her long hair looped up to show off her slender neck. A single pearl graced her ear. Lin Jinshen was dressed simply, classic black tux, bowtie, looking crisp and sharp.
Having been through their first shoot, this time things went a lot smoother.
Though, when the camera wasn’t rolling, Lu Yi reverted, serene smiles while filming, stone-cold stare otherwise, not sparing Lin Jinshen so much as a glance.
During a break, Lu Yi, hemmed in by layers of skirt, could barely move. She sat back against a little round table while Lin Jinshen braced a hand on the tabletop, turning his head to murmur, “Still mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” Lu Yi shot back, feigning ignorance.
As if he didn’t know, last night, he’d promised her “just a kiss”, and then completely changed the rules. And, she never expected he’d be such a pervert!
He’d kissed her ears again and again, his teeth grazing her earlobes, not too hard, not too soft, just enough to tease. His breath was hot, as if amplified inside her head. She nearly died from the sensation, curling up tight only to have him unfold her again and hold her straight.
The lights were off, but Lu Yi felt like she was standing under a spotlight, her secrets blindingly exposed.
Secrets even she didn’t know about herself, her deepest weakness, were now at Lin Jinshen’s mercy.
Yeah, technically nothing had “happened” last night. She was tired, and he hadn’t asked anything of her. Still, as she clung to his arm, feeling his muscles tense beneath her grip, her face burning, his lips brushed her ear as he whispered her name in that deep, magnetic voice.
She was half-asleep, thought it was over, when his voice suddenly came again,
“Yiyi?”
Not “wife,” not “Lu Yi,” not even his usual stiff endearments. This, Yiyi, was as close to sweet-talking as this stoic man could get.
Lu Yi whimpered, as if zapped by a live wire. Mind blank, she pressed against his chest, gripping his arm, trembling for what felt like forever. She kept her head down, certain she’d never be able to look him in the eye again.
Thinking back, she wasn’t sure if she’d scratched him by accident. Not that he was some innocent victim either way.
Now, facing her, Lin Jinshen, picture-perfect in his suit, looked into her eyes and said, “It was my fault. I owe you an apology.”
“…” He sounded sincere, but whether he really meant it? Debatable.
“Alright, Mrs. Lin, time to touch up your makeup!” the assistant called, checking to make sure Lu Yi’s makeup hadn’t smudged.
The shoot continued.
Lu Yi started to get up. Two assistants rushed to fan out her skirt, but before she could react, Lin Jinshen reached for her hand and helped her to her feet.
From then on, things went even smoother.
Their movements were far less stiff than yesterday, handholding, hugging, even their gazes felt natural. The photographer shot everything, frame by frame. Turns out yesterday was just first-time jitters, now they were the very picture of newlywed bliss.
The morning shoot wrapped up.
Lu Yi and Lin Jinshen thanked the crew. “Thank you, everyone, for your hard work!”
“It’s nothing, just doing our jobs,” the photo team replied, packing up like a well-oiled machine.
Just as Lu Yi was about to change, her mom, Madam Qin, called via video chat. Worried, no doubt; Madam Xu had already checked in the night before. Lu Yi found a spot to sit and took the call.
The screen flickered to life, it was Madam Qin, eyes smiling, beaming at Lu Yi’s dressed-up look. “Xiao Yi, are you filming right now? Should I call back later if you’re busy?”
“We just wrapped up, Mom. Are you at home?” Lu Yi asked.
Madam Qin angled the phone to show more of her background, she was clearly in the living room. She brought the camera back to herself and said, “You look gorgeous today! Too bad I couldn’t be there with your other mom to see it in person.”
Lu Yi flipped her own camera, showing Madam Qin the set and the sunny weather outside.
Madam Qin asked, “So, did you two go out and have some fun?”
“Yeah, we did.” Lu Yi nodded.
Madam Qin didn’t buy it, she knew her son too well. “What about Jinshen?”
Lu Yi had no choice but to look up, catch Lin Jinshen’s eye, and silently mouth “Mom.” He got the message, walked over, and took the phone from her. The moment Madam Qin saw Lin Jinshen’s face on video chat, her smile vanished. She dropped the niceties and went straight to drilling him about their plans.
Lin Jinshen replied in his usual deadpan, “We’re here for wedding photos. What else would we be doing?”
“Why not take Lu Yi out on vacation? You came all this way, just for pictures? That’s it?” Madam Qin had guessed as much, the boys just didn’t want the family tagging along and spoiling their fun.
Madam Qin went on and on, but the message was clear as day: Don’t just treat this trip like some box to check off. Enjoy yourselves. Live a little.
Lin Jinshen listened quietly, showing zero emotion. Who knows if any of it even sank in.
When she was finally done, he hung up and handed the phone back to Lu Yi.
Lu Yi raised a hand, looking all earnest. “I swear, I wasn’t snitching.”
Lin Jinshen’s expression softened a hair. “Never said you were.”
Then he asked, “Should we switch to just three outfits for the shoot?”
“Three?”
“Mhmm. One per day, take it easy, less tiring for you.” For him, it was no big deal, swap clothes, run a hairdryer through his hair, done. For her, it meant waking up at dawn for hair and makeup every single day.
Three sounded great to Lu Yi, but she hesitated. “But won’t your mom be upset?”
“I’ll tell her it’s my fault. Work’s busy.”
“Alright.”
Still, Lu Yi felt a little guilty letting him take all the heat. She added, “If your moms get really mad, you can say it was our decision, both of ours.”
If you’re in trouble, at least share the blame.
Lin Jinshen nodded with a thoughtful look, absolutely unbothered.
This wasn’t how Lu Yi pictured it. She thought he’d at least refuse first, she’d say it was fine, they’d go back and forth a bit. Instead, she made a polite offer, and he just took it, no hesitation.
One shoot per day, same pay, way more breaks, the photography crew was living the dream.
Given Lin Jinshen’s earlier lecture, everyone had assumed they were in for a brutal, strictly scheduled marathon, maybe even three photo sets in one day. The couple would be dead tired, and the crew lugging gear around would be even worse, soaked in sweat from morning to night. Grumble as they might, everyone figured it was worth it for the paycheck.
But now? They finished by noon and the rest of the day was free. Everything on the island was comped. It basically felt like getting paid for a vacation with a little work thrown in.
Lin Jinshen had work, so after the shoot, he stayed at the villa.
Lu Yi hung out with the photography crew, browsed the island market, did spa treatments. If it got too hot, she’d chill at a bar by the sea, watch the waves, and chat with the locals.
Sometimes people tried to chat her up; she’d flash her wedding ring to signal “taken.”
It worked better than any brush-off, no drama, no hassle.
She fully slipped into vacation mode, wandering the market for gifts for friends and family. The photographer kept snapping candids, every one of them gorgeous. Lu Yi picked her favorite nine and, for once, posted them on her Moments feed.
Caption: Today’s royal photographer, much appreciated.jpg.
It was like her friends lived in her feed, within minutes, they all came flooding in.
Lin Yumou: [Sis-in-law, seriously… How did my brother get so lucky?]
Yu Yin: [Ahhhh! My baby’s finally posting again and destroying me with beauty!]
[What’s the occasion? My baby actually posted on Moments? I’m in tears.]
[Soft and sweet, come here for a big smooch!]
Wu Sidong: [We’ve got a creep upstairs, protecting our fairy is my sworn duty.]
[By the way, did President Lin take these pics?]
[Are you an idiot? These are obviously professional. Lin the Straight Dude could never!]
Yu Qian: [Wow, you look amazing! Some of us are still grinding away at work, so jealous I’m ready to quit!]
Lu Yi responded to the photographer comments, tagged him, and said he’d taken them. If anyone needed a shoot, just hit him up. Free promo! The photographer was thrilled, new friend gained.
She popped a piece of cake, checked her phone, and spotted a new notification, a little glacier emoji as an avatar.
A like, and a reply to Lin Yumou’s comment: [?]
The reason Lin Jinshen even saw Lu Yi’s new Moments post was because Madam Qin had spotted it first. She decided he must’ve listened to her advice, even complimented his photography skills, said he’d made Lu Yi look beautiful, so maybe this marriage was actually improving him.
He was totally baffled, but when he opened his pinned “Wifey” contact and checked her feed, there it was: her latest post.
Nine photos. Lin Jinshen narrowed his eyes and clicked through, one by one. Lu Yi in a smoky blue dress, hair flowing down, fan-shaped earrings gleaming, whether she was bending over a market stall choosing souvenirs or just caught from behind, she was all effortless grace and style.
When he finished scrolling, he saw Lin Yumou’s comment.
How did he get so lucky?
“…”
A few minutes later, he messaged Lu Yi: Where are you?
Nearly half an hour later, Lu Yi finally replied: [Out having fun, might not come back until tonight. Don’t bother waiting up for dinner.]
Lu Yi was planning to check out the island’s famous beach bar.
Out on the sand were beanbag chairs and loungers. There was a band, people dancing, fire shows with the ocean sunset as the backdrop, beer and cocktails in hand, the whole place pulsing with life.
The crew had already researched this spot, figured they’d be too rushed to make it, but now, with all this free time, no way they’d skip it.
They arrived early to save seats.
The bar was already buzzing, music blasting, young couples and friends moving to the beat, beers in the air, everyone letting loose as if no one was watching.
“Told you this place would be a blast.”
“They say it’s a prime spot for a vacation fling, add alcohol and music, and romance just happens.”
“Dude, are you here to work or to pick up girls?”
“…”
The makeup artist crossed her arms and said, “Babe, don’t listen to them, always talking the loudest, but when things get real, they’re the first to flake.”
Lu Yi smiled. “I get it, don’t worry. Everyone just relax and have fun.”
She found a spot and settled in, ready to enjoy the sunset.
The others couldn’t sit still, they ran off to order drinks, dance, just generally living their best lives.
A shadow fell across her view. A young, blond, blue-eyed guy smiled down and asked if she was alone. She was no stranger to this kind of pickup line, so she flashed her wedding ring out of habit.
The guy was even smoother, he lifted his hand and showed off his own ring.
“...”
“It’s okay.” The guy’s grin was dazzling. Tank top, swim shorts, muscles on full display. He said it’s no big deal, just making friends, but he saw her sitting all by herself and figured leaving her alone felt un-gentlemanly.
Lu Yi had to explain she was there with friends. She turned around, only to find not a single familiar face nearby.
The guy’s smile widened further, teeth blindingly white. He said he’d just sit for a bit, and once her friends came back, he’d make himself scarce.
Lu Yi started getting a headache. She hadn’t expected him to be this persistent. She grabbed her phone and shot off a message to the photographer’s group, anyone, please, just show up.
Her message wasn’t even sent yet when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
A low male voice, crisp English: “She’s not into your type.”
Lin Jinshen was in full vacation mode, light shirt, knee-length shorts, black sunglasses shading a tense, chiseled face.
The guy looked surprised and asked who he was.
“Her husband.”
Lu Yi propped her chin on her hand, suddenly finding the moment hilarious. Maybe it was Lin Jinshen dressing so casually for once, or maybe it was him name-dropping himself, as if announcing “husband” was his favorite party trick.
The blond guy apologized and left.
Lin Jinshen took off his sunglasses, and the depth in his gaze was calm, distant, unreadable.
“Big softie.” Lu Yi, still chin in hand, met his eyes with a teasing grin. The phrase had just popped into her head, so she said it out loud.
Lin Jinshen obviously didn’t understand. “What?”
Lu Yi brushed it off. “Nothing. Sit, come on, the sunset’s starting.”
That sunset was outrageously gorgeous, molten gold pouring right into the ocean, the whole sea set aflame.
But their enjoyment was cut short; not long after, it started to rain.
This was no warning sprinkle, heavy drops suddenly pounded down, and most of the tourists bolted toward the hotel.
Lu Yi and Lin Jinshen were among them.
The downpour intensified, morphing into a full-on storm. They had to duck into a little hut with a palm leaf roof, not exactly waterproof. Outside, it was a deluge; inside, just a lesser one.
Lu Yi was soaked through, her smoky blue dress now a deep ocean hue, plastered to her skin. Lin Jinshen didn’t fare much better.
They made eye contact, the air charged with something electric and new, like the rain was an excuse for all kinds of possibilities.
The drumming rain masked the wild beating of their hearts.
The world was both hushed and chaotic, a weird contradiction.
Squeezed together, they started with just the brush of their fingertips. His hand covered hers, his eyes drifting to her lips. He reached out, gently tracing the corner of her mouth.
Her eyelashes were dark and wet, lowered so he couldn’t see her eyes. His voice mixed with the sound of the rain,
“A husband kissing his wife, perfectly normal, right?”
She heard him clearly, right as he cradled her face and leaned down to kiss her.