Chapter 30

Rainwater chilled her skin, but her lips only felt the steady warmth, her eyes shut tight, the rest of her senses spinning.
He caught her hand, his other arm circling her waist, and somehow, in that tiny world, nobody existed but the two of them.
Lin Jinshen deepened the kiss, angle shifting, intensity building.
He grew more practiced by the second, drawing out every breathy moment. He’d release her lips just long enough to swallow, then come back, now with rain-cool gentleness, now with unstoppable heat.
As their kiss intensified, he let go her hand and cupped her delicate neck, thumb stroking her jaw. She couldn’t see, could only imagine, the veins standing stark on his cold, pale knuckles, the tension written into every touch.
He locked his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. In that rain-soaked shelter, they melted into each other.
Lu Yi slumped, half-weak, against his chest, the tingling warmth in her cheeks surviving even the rain. She gazed out at the downpour, wondering when, or if, it would stop.
“Should we go? We’re just getting drenched here.”
“Yeah.”
On the trek back, there was no need to hurry, soaked head to toe already, why bother? They trudged the hundred meters back, and as soon as they reached the resort, staff ushered them onto a shuttle back to their villa.
Lu Yi dripped a trail of water, as if she’d just crawled out of the sea. She rested her head against the window of the shuttle, watching the rain batter the palm leaves outside in steady, hypnotic bursts. Somehow, her mood was, oddly, great.
She turned. Lin Jinshen was slicking his damp bangs back, revealing sharp brows, angular cheekbones, a painfully handsome face. He lounged in his seat, back straight but posture easy, side-eyeing her until their gazes locked.
Neither said a word.
When they returned to the villa, the staff had already filled the bathtub with hot water to chase off the chill. Lu Yi opened her closet to hunt for clean clothes, then tossed a fluffy towel over her head.
A hand landed on the towel, scrubbing at her hair in a clumsy, halfhearted way. Lin Jinshen said, “Dry off first.”
“Okay.”
Lu Yi grabbed her clothes and turned. Lin Jinshen was still fussing with her damp hair, clearly not much experience, awkward as hell, and had forgotten that Lu Yi could dry herself. When he noticed her dress still soaked, he instinctively dabbed his towel there too.
Her dress had a deep V, at his angle, all snowy peaks and dangerous curves.
He didn’t look much better: the soaked shirt clung to his chest, outlining every hard line of muscle underneath.
The air shifted instantly between them, breaths growing heavier with every careless touch. Both fumbled, the towel got tossed, she caught it, neither quite sure what to do next. Then, as if by silent agreement, they both headed for the bathroom at the same time, only to collide at the door.
“You go ahead. I’ll use the one downstairs.”
“No, no, no, there’s really no need.”
“…”
Lu Yi clutched her clothes and tried to make a beeline downstairs. She didn’t get far before a hand closed around her wrist, a touch so warm it made her breath hitch. What happened next? She definitely hadn’t seen it coming.
But really, why bother pretending? They’d already kissed, wasn’t it better if they both just stopped holding back and owned up to their feelings?
The master bathroom was huge, especially the enormous double tub in the center.
But they never made it that far. Things moved way too quickly for that, he’d already pulled her into a kiss before they’d even crossed the threshold. Wet clothes clung stubbornly, almost fusing to her skin, making undressing a whole ordeal.
Lin Jinshen, who was normally so composed, had zero patience for once. Her dress was bunched up in a heartbeat. That sudden chill made her shiver, but before she could react, he’d already swept her up and sat her right on the bathroom counter.
She braced against the sink, clutching at anything for balance, knuckles flushed red from the effort.
The rain outside was still raging, and inside, so were they.
Honestly, Lu Yi was always a little lazy by nature. She’d rather just collapse onto a bed and let Lin Jinshen do all the work. He never seemed to mind; she was perfectly happy to just enjoy. But tonight, she had no choice but to hang on to whatever she could, using every bit of strength to keep herself balanced.
Lin Jinshen stepped out for a moment, then came back with a little box in hand.
Lu Yi: “…”
She was so stunned she had to laugh. He’d actually meant it when he’d said, back on the plane, that his suitcase had protection packed “just in case.” And guess what, he really did bring it. And he actually managed to use it.
She vented her nerves by giving his shoulder a quick bite.
Not that she’d bitten hard, but he still let out a low, breathy groan in response. His fingers traced up her neck, then pressed gently against her lips, coaxing her mouth open.
His gaze was dark, intense. “Puppy, are you?”
Instantly, Lu Yi’s face flared red. She tried to draw back, lips tingling from the sensation he’d left behind.
Who’s the puppy here, huh? Way to play the victim. One day she would absolutely settle the score with him.
Lin Jinshen leaned in for another kiss, his voice low and curious: “What exactly does ‘goofy’ mean?” His accent was shaky, trying to mimic her slang, the imitation was surprisingly good.
He actually remembered.
Lu Yi bit her lip, burying her face against his shoulder, very much like a damp, bashful puppy herself.
She tried, valiantly, to keep quiet. But Lin Jinshen clearly had no intention of letting her off easy. He pressed her for an answer, his voice teasing, with a hint of a whine: “Tell me, it’s an insult, right? Like calling someone dumb?”
Lin Jinshen must have guessed, but he wouldn’t let up until she admitted it. And even when she did, he only covered her mouth again, kissing her harder than before.
By the time they’d both showered, the water in the tub had long since gone cold.
Back in bed, Lu Yi wrapped herself tightly in the covers, closed her eyes, and tried to steady her breath. That was… a little wild, honestly. Unlike that other night, this time, she was perfectly sober.
Someone knocked at the door, it was the hot ginger tea, ready to keep the chill at bay.
Lin Jinshen, now in a robe and belted up, went to fetch it. He thanked whomever it was at the door, shut it behind him, and brought the steaming bowl over to the bed. The air filled with a teasing warmth and a hint of ginger spice.
Lu Yi remembered when they first moved in together, he’d flatly declared he couldn’t stand eating or drinking in bed. She started to get up, but he just handed her the bowl, making it very clear she should stay put and drink up.
Maybe he did have a bit of OCD, but she realized he wasn’t nearly as uptight as she’d thought. She found herself quietly amending her opinion.
Compared to Lu Yi, who was still sipping her tea, Lin Jinshen downed his like medicine in just a couple gulps, then stood at the bedside like a silent drill sergeant, watching until she’d finished her whole bowl before finally setting the tray aside.
The rain continued outside, silver streaks glinting in the window.
Tonight’s downpour had totally ruined her plans to go out, which was a shame, but in the end, she kind of liked how things had turned out instead.
Lin Jinshen climbed into bed, turned out the lights, and as he lay back, his arm instinctively reached for her. Only then did Lu Yi finally look up, nestling into the crook of his arm and curling up against his chest.
Leaving the lights on felt too awkward, but the darkness took away all her hesitation.
It was totally normal for married couples to sleep cuddled up together, right?
Lin Jinshen’s warmth seeped all through her. Lu Yi felt lazy and relaxed, sleepiness tugging at her as she realized, she really was getting used to having Lin Jinshen by her side.
Their life was actually pretty harmonious. Physically, they were a perfect match. Maybe he wasn’t the most romantic guy ever, but he never fooled around, always kept his boundaries, always respected her wishes. There was nothing about him she could complain about.
He was her husband, the person she could trust most in the world.
Assuming nothing went wrong, they’d spend the rest of their lives together.
Lu Yi yawned, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
According to the plan, after they finished their last wedding photoshoot, it was time to pack up and head back to Jing City. Lin Jinshen, ever the time management king, ran everything like precise clockwork, every minute had a purpose.
Their flight landed that night, but instead of going straight home to Chengxi Garden, they made a stop at the Lin family’s old house.
Madam Qin, on hearing they’d only taken three outfits’ worth of photos, acted a little miffed. She said if Lin Jinshen was going to insist on doing things his way, she might as well leave all the wedding arrangements to him from now on and skip interfering entirely.
Lu Yi knew Madam Qin wasn’t truly upset, but it was clear her feelings were a little bruised. She’d need some comforting, and sooner was better than later, no point letting anger fester and make anyone feel worse.
They pulled up to the Lin house, and the family’s housekeeper opened the door as soon as she heard the car.
Lu Yi had already texted ahead, so Madam Qin and Mr. Lin were still awake. The kitchen had whipped up soup and a few sides, waiting for the newlyweds to come home and eat.
Madam Qin said to her husband, half-joking, “Honestly, only a wedding gets us this treatment. If it weren’t for Xiao Yi, do you really think we’d even see Jinshen tonight?”
“You know your own son better than I do!” Mr. Lin replied dryly.
“Your son, my son, everyone says the daughter’s the only one who takes after me.” Madam Qin’s lingering annoyance vanished the second she saw Lu Yi. She greeted her with a big smile and had her sit right by her side, fussing over her like she was her own daughter.
Lu Yi felt a pang of guilt, cutting it down to three looks really had been a mutual decision, even though it probably let both their moms down a bit. She said, “Sorry, Mom, please don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad,” Madam Qin corrected, “at you, anyway.”
Lin Jinshen, ever calm, sipped his water and said, “It was my decision.”
Madam Qin was about to launch into another speech, but Lu Yi quickly changed the subject, asking if she wanted to see the island photos. The photographer had already sent them some, though a few still needed editing.
“Let’s see!”
There may have only been three sets of outfits, but honestly, the photos were stunning. Both of them looked fantastic; barely any touch-up needed. They could’ve been printed and hung up just as they were.
Madam Qin and Lin Zheng were flipping through photos together.
Meanwhile, Lu Yi and Lin Jinshen picked at their dinner, neither eating much, just a bowl of soup and some plain veggies.
Once they’d reviewed the photos, Madam Qin put down her tablet and smiled. “Both families have picked a few potential wedding dates for you two. We had someone check, every one of them is considered lucky.”
The dates were about two months away, some mid-month, some later.
Lu Yi hoped for as late as possible. She shot Lin Jinshen a look, a signal he’d always understood in the past. He caught her hint, looked at the dates, and, after not even a second, picked the earliest one on the list.
“?”
Right. She really shouldn’t expect them to ever be on the same wavelength.
“What do you think, Xiao Yi?” Madam Qin turned toward Lu Yi.
Lu Yi forced a smile, ignoring her true feelings, and agreed on the earliest date as well.
“Perfect, great! Looks like you two just can’t wait to get married.” Madam Qin, all sunshine now, seemed to have entirely forgotten about her previous fussing over the photos, and started happily planning a meeting with Madam Xu to go over wedding details.
“It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay over tonight? Jinshen’s room is always kept ready, the sheets have just been changed, and you’ll have everything you need.”
They hadn’t actually stayed at the family house since getting married.
Lu Yi barely hesitated before agreeing; it was late, and honestly, what was the point in rushing home?
Lin Jinshen, of course, had no objections. As long as Lu Yi agreed, he could sleep anywhere.
Madam Qin was beaming, and pulled Lu Yi aside to share more island wedding ideas. She mentioned that Jinshen hated getting his photo taken as a kid, so it was practically a miracle that he wasn’t scowling in their wedding photos, he even managed to smile a little, if you could call that little upward twitch a smile.
Lin Jinshen’s room was on the first floor all by itself; his parents and Lin Yumou stayed upstairs. Strange for most families, but it suited him to a T.
Their suitcases were already in the room.
After Madam Qin headed upstairs, Lu Yi followed Lin Jinshen to his bedroom. It was the room he’d grown up in, which felt a little surreal. She figured it’d be kind of like their place in Chengxi Yuan, but surely there had to be at least a little difference.
Lin Jinshen gripped the doorknob and pushed down. Before he actually opened the door, Lu Yi asked, “Should I be warned before going in? Anything I shouldn't touch?”
He turned toward her and she clarified: “Just, anything off-limits?”
The door opened at that moment without the lights on, the whole space dark as a mystery box, you never knew what might pop out.
Lin Jinshen looked at her, his gaze unreadable. “What exactly do you want to touch?”