Chapter 46

“Hold on.”
Lin Jinshen stood up. The camera shifted, moving from his jaw to slender neck to sharp collarbones, down to his creamy white loungewear.
He wasn’t even wearing that old-man pajama set that matched her dad’s. He’d clearly just showered, looking so fresh and clean, almost outrageously good-looking.
Lu Yi propped her face on her hand, watching in the background as he left the bedroom and headed downstairs.
The camera kept bobbing, never showing his full face. Yet she kept on watching, when he let his arm drop for a couple seconds, she caught a glimpse of his pajamas. Yup, still wearing those familiar lounge pants.
It was just a flash, but Lu Yi recognized the color instantly.
So, he only changed the top.
He’d dressed up on purpose. Took him so long to answer because he had to change? Realizing this, Lu Yi couldn’t help but smile. Who’d have guessed there’d be a day when Lin Jinshen cared this much about appearances? Was he just nursing a secret celebrity complex?
Lin Jinshen came downstairs and raised the phone again: “Puff’s asleep.”
Next second, a tiny meow piped up: “Meow?”
Lin Jinshen: “Now she’s awake.”
The sound snapped Lu Yi to full attention. “Quick, show her to me!”
Lin Jinshen crouched down, hesitated, then hit the camera reverse button. On screen, Puff scuttled over. Lu Yi had never seen her cat from this angle before, it was confirmed: she looked exactly like a fuzzy little fur caterpillar!
Partly because she was chubby, partly those long, soft clouds of fur. No wonder Lin Jinshen mistook her for a plush toy at first sight.
“Puff! Mommy’s here, baby!” Lu Yi’s heart melted into a puddle at the cuteness overload.
She was just unfairly cute, sweet-tempered too, total cafe-cat, always down for pets and cuddles.
Puff heard Lu Yi’s voice, paused, glanced around, then circled back, definitely a little dummy.
Lin Jinshen: “Come here.”
Puff pricked up and trotted over again, paws thumping.
When she got close, a hand swooped from above, scooping her up mid-stride and out of frame. A few seconds later, the camera switched back; Puff was snuggled obediently in his arms, looking sleepy but content.
Lin Jinshen lifted the phone so both he and Puff fit onscreen.
The cat looked round and dopey-cute, practically a living plush toy. Lin Jinshen, handsome and elegant, looked like he’d stepped out of a magazine, a perfect screenshot moment. Lu Yi thought so too, and totally shamelessly took the pic.
“My adorable baby.”
Puff poked her nose right up to the camera, sniffing curiously.
Lin Jinshen cupped his big hand over Puff’s face and pulled her back; she immediately settled down, docile as a plush toy. He said, “Aunt Fang says she’s been great lately.”
“Good appetite, sleeps like a log. On a good day, she honors us by moving a paw.”
Lin Jinshen’s tone was flat, bordering on annoyed. A few months ago, he never would've believed he’d tolerate such a silly, goofy cat, let alone let her near him, much less give Puff’s progress reports to Lu Yi mid-call.
What can a cat possibly get up to? If she’s not sleeping, she’s eating.
Lu Yi nodded, virtually tapping Puff’s head through the screen. What a shame, if only she could actually pet her. She kept tapping, and this time caught a glimpse of Lin Jinshen’s pajama pants in the frame. So, she’d been right.
Her gaze landed on his face. She asked, “And the human, how’s he doing?”
“Meow?”
Puff gave a little chirp, but that big hand came down again, blocking her with a sudden shadow.
Lin Jinshen said, “Which human?”
“Is there more than one?” Lu Yi’s lips curled upward. She teased, “Obviously, Aunt Fang.”
Lu Yi clearly saw Lin Jinshen’s expression freeze for a split second. She quietly congratulated herself, chuckling as she climbed onto the bed, phone in hand, slipping under the covers.
The hotel lights were soft and gentle. Hugging the fluffy duvet, she looked good on camera from any angle, lucky for him, maybe, that her beauty couldn’t be ruined by awkward FaceTime positioning.
Lin Jinshen stared at the screen.
He’d been a ghost these past few days, practically invisible, but with work piling up, it was understandable.
Suddenly, his restlessness eased.
Lin Jinshen asked, “How are things over there? Super busy?”
“Busy, but satisfying. I didn’t know any of this before. Now, looking at design from the manufacturing side, there’s so much to consider. I always thought ‘as long as it’s pretty, it’s fine.’ That design could be wild, and production would just somehow make it real.”
She kept her lashes lowered, a tremor of excitement in her voice. “But actually, product comfort, choice of materials, craftsmanship, there’s a million things to weigh.”
“Mhm.”
Lu Yi talked; Lin Jinshen listened.
Midway through, he freed Puff, letting her curl back up in her little bed to nap. He headed upstairs to his own bedroom and stretched out too.
Lu Yi was deep in her newbie phase: everything was novel, everything sparkled. She chattered on, sharing tidbits from her day.
“I must be boring you, right?” She suddenly realized she was rambling.
Lin Jinshen’s voice was gentle: “No. Keep going.”
She relaxed, words tumbling out again.
She had no idea how much time passed before she noticed Lin Jinshen, on the screen, had already closed his eyes. He was lying on his side, half his face visible, lashes casting faint shadows, the curve of his eyelids dark and uneven in the light.
Lu Yi: “…”
She must be really hypnotic, did she just talk him to sleep?
A glance at the time. Past eleven.
Fair, honestly. The man kept to a strict, old-man bedtime schedule.
Lu Yi softly whispered goodnight, ended the call, set her phone on the nightstand, and flicked off the light. Burrowed under the covers, she couldn’t help but replay the little video call, lips curling into a smile out of sheer habit.
Elsewhere, for once, Lin Jinshen enjoyed real, restful sleep.
He noticed she’d ended the call right at eleven, Lu Yi must have realized he’d dozed off. He sent a quick apology; no reply. She must still be asleep.
Lin Jinshen had no idea when Lu Yi would come home again, but he’d found the trick to fixing his insomnia, he could always call her at night.
With a full night’s rest, the fatigue from previous days vanished. He changed, jogged five kilometers, showered, and headed for the office.
At the company, Jiang Xun had already prepared coffee in advance. Lately, the boss had needed three cups a day just to function. He’d thoughtfully chosen half-caf, to spare Lin Jinshen from caffeine overload.
“Morning, Mr. Lin.” Jiang Xun spotted Lin Jinshen walking in and greeted him from habit.
Lin Jinshen shot him a brief look before heading into his office. “Morning.”
Jiang Xun watched his boss carefully. There was a clear difference from the last few days. He seemed more energized, maybe a bit too energized. His face might be calm, but there was a new ease in his brow. No sign of the usual irritability.
The boss seems okay again?
It was strange, when withdrawal hit, Jiang Xun didn’t know the reason. Now that the symptoms had disappeared, he was still clueless.
So, Jiang Xun just opened his notebook and scribbled in the “Observations” column: Reason unknown, psych consult pending.
Lin Jinshen got back into the swing of things at work.
That afternoon, Lin Wenjun stopped by to review some project updates with him.
Right now, Huayu’s biggest issue was that Lin Jinshen had pushed for rapid expansion, which made management tricky and drove up costs. In the short term, profits were dropping. The board was starting to grumble.
On top of that, domestic hotel chains were rising fast, adding fresh competition and pressure.
Internal and external troubles, it was hardly time to relax.
Lin Jinshen was well aware. He hadn’t acted recklessly; everything moved according to plan, and only after forming an alliance, with Lu Yi’s family, did he make his move.
Acquisitions and expansions were meant to counteract the impact from rival hotel brands.
Everyone knew how this worked: stand still and you fall behind. All they could do now was wait, the results would come with time.
Lin Wenjun took the signed documents and said, “Alright, as long as you know what you’re doing.” She paused at the door, then asked, “Isn’t Xiao Yi back by now? When do we get dinner together?”
Lin Jinshen’s hand halted mid-cap on his pen. “She’s back?”
“She flew home this afternoon. Didn’t you know?” Lin Wenjun was handling the Anyi Furnishings partnership, so she’d naturally been in touch with Lu Yi lately, since Lu Yi was helping out with her family’s business.
Lin Wenjun had asked when they could all meet for a meal. Lu Yi said she’d just gotten back today, and would be free tomorrow or the next day.
Click. The distinct snap of the pen cap. Lin Jinshen said, “I’ll talk to her about dinner.”
Only then did Lin Wenjun realize she’d slipped up, her nephew clearly hadn’t known Lu Yi was back. Still, in her opinion, her nephew’s issues were much more serious than her own blunder.
Wait, how is that any way to be a husband?
Lin Wenyun frowned, tossing on her full elder’s authority: “You can’t just bury yourself in work all the time. Take some time and care about your wife, too.” She gave him a look that meant: Don’t tell me you don’t even know when she’s back from a business trip.
Lin Jinshen: “…”
He’d like to suggest his aunt try saying that to someone else who needs to hear it more.
Lin Jinshen replied coolly that he knew. Lin Wenyun left after finishing her speech, sighing inwardly. When was her nephew ever going to wake up?
Once Lin Wenyun left, Lin Jinshen eyed the phone tossed aside. He considered messaging, but then again, there was no need, the fact was, she was back.
Half an hour later, his phone lit up with a new message notification.
Lin Jinshen glanced at it from the corner of his eye, still stone-faced as he picked up the phone. But when he saw the sender, his brow knitted.
It was Aunt Fang.
Aunt Fang: [Mr. Lin, Madam is home today and wants to eat spicy poached beef and typhoon-shelter crab. Will you be home for dinner? Is there anything you’d like to eat?]
Aunt Fang: [I’ll head to the market now, get the freshest ingredients.]
Great. Even Aunt Fang knew already.
While Lu Yi was gone from the office these past few days, the design team would stroll by her door, gesture at her office, and share a knowing look that said it all. A shrug, a smile, so what if the princess skips work? She’s the princess now.
Everyone had seen this coming; they’d called it even before she started.
The first few days, she pretended to play the part, put on a little show for her dad and for appearances. When that got old, she’d arrange another “business trip”, said she was touring branches, but come on, who really knew what she was up to?
Let’s be real: it was just a handy excuse to ditch the office and sell her dad the image of a diligent, hard-working daughter.
Honestly, they all wished they could get that kind of cushy assignment.
Over lunch, folks started betting on how long the princess could hang on to the director’s seat.
“I’ll be conservative, three months.” One of them prodded her broccoli, a sly smile playing on her lips.
“I think Boss Lu actually takes it pretty seriously. I’ve dropped by her office a couple times, she’s always reading documents. Looks like she’s genuinely trying to work.”
Some stayed neutral. After all, Lu Yi didn’t actually behave like the typical rich second-gen. She didn’t look down her nose at anyone, just treated them as normal coworkers.
Of course, that only drew mockery: “So even you fell for her act, huh? Why’d she only join after getting married? She graduated and came back ages ago, what was she doing all this time? You really think this isn’t just a performance for her husband’s family?”
“You know who really got the short end of the stick, Fang. The princess took his spot, so he’s left gathering dust. If it were me, I couldn’t swallow that.”
“Fang just lost the family lottery. Not the crown prince, so all that hard work gets him nowhere.”
“…”
The meal wound down with idle gossip, and the group trickled back for their office nap, only to run straight into Lu Yi and Gan Li, back from their “business trip.” There was a silent groan, how unlucky! But on the surface, they had to plaster on a smile and greet her as Boss Lu.
Lu Yi nodded and ducked into her office.
Gan Li, backpack slung over her shoulders, greeted each senior colleague as she followed Lu Yi inside.
“Honestly, talking behind someone’s back is bad luck, I nearly died on the spot when we ran into her right after.” One colleague patted her chest in relief. At least they hadn’t gotten caught mid-rant.
“Look at you, spineless. And here I’d thought the princess would drag this out for at least a couple weeks!”
She’d barely finished when someone gave her a bump on the shoulder: “Hey, don’t underestimate her, maybe she’s actually learning something!”
“My bad! I’ll go apologize to Her Royal Highness right now.”
They all snickered and headed back to their desks.
Yet, even while Lu Yi was traveling, not a single urgent matter at the company slipped, she got everything handled remotely. She’d already reviewed the new design draft and sent it back rejected.
The moment the message landed, the designer couldn’t sit still, she rapped on Lu Yi's door, asking, what’s wrong with their proposal?
“The company wants to launch a new style and move into the high-end market. Old-money chic is all the rage, so that’s where we aimed, what’s the problem?”
Lu Yi replied, “I get why you’re frustrated. But looking at your drawings, all I see are some color and material changes. If we actually produced this, it’d be no different from our old products.”
Obvious, really, they’d just thrown together something to fob off the so-called outsider boss.
Leaving the office, the designer flung down her plans, ignoring the amused stares of her coworkers: “Go ahead, laugh now. We’ll see how much you’re smiling when the whole department tanks. Outsiders running the show, like she even knows how to read blueprints? You think that means she actually understands?”
As Lu Yi’s assistant, Gan Li naturally got iced out, too.
She overheard some pretty nasty gossip, and couldn’t help but warn Lu Yi about it. Lu Yi just shrugged, so Gan Li blurted, “Boss Lu, this doesn’t bother you? You should stand up for yourself!”
“Without real skill, words alone won’t get you anywhere.” Lu Yi was perfectly clear on that point.
Gan Li just made a noise of agreement, still feeling indignant for her boss. Lu Yi was actually working hard, but still had to put up with all that petty sniping.
When it hit quitting time, Lu Yi stretched, yawned, shut her computer, and headed home.
She’d told Aunt Fang in advance she’d be back for dinner after her trip. Aunt Fang started prepping after lunch, planning to cook up two of her signature dishes.
Lu Yi parked at Chengxi Garden, tossed her suitcase in the trunk, and drove straight home after work.
Dragging her luggage upstairs, she stopped at the entryway and squatted down to greet Little Puff, who’d rushed over to meet her. She’d missed that cat like crazy. After petting and scooping it up, she started inside, just two steps before she noticed someone was sitting on the couch.
Lin Jinshen, in casual homewear, long legs folded, remote in hand and watching…the finance channel.
He didn’t get up, just turned his head her way.
Their eyes met across the room.
Lu Yi blinked in surprise. “You’re home early tonight?”
From what she recalled, seven or eight at night was his usual, and that barely counted as overtime anymore.
Lin Jinshen went quiet for a moment, then said, “You’re back early.”
“Four days is early?” Lu Yi blinked, then realized, compared to Lin Jinshen, who could be gone ten days or half a month at a time for business trips, she really was early.
Suddenly, she felt the work-pressure radiating from her own husband, she wasn’t hustling nearly enough.
Aunt Fang brought out the last dish, smiling. “Everything’s ready now, dig in.”
After greeting Lu Yi, she untied her apron and said, “I’m off for the day, just leave everything on the table after you’re done. I’ll come clean up first thing tomorrow morning.”
Lu Yi smiled back. “Thank you! Get home safe.”
Lin Jinshen nodded. “Take care on the way.”
“Puff, Grandma’s leaving!” Aunt Fang waved goodbye, grabbed her purse, and headed out.
As soon as the door closed, the house was left with just two people and a cat.
Lu Yi set Puff down and went to wash her hands. She squeezed some soap out and worked up a thick lather. Suddenly, a tall figure appeared beside her, her space dwarfed by his frame. In the mirror, they looked nearly a whole head’s height apart.
Her personal bubble was completely hijacked by his sheer size.
The downstairs bathroom sink didn’t have much counter space. They stood shoulder to shoulder, arms brushing as they washed.
He squeezed a bit of soap, too. Compared to Lu Yi, his fingers were long and sharply defined; the way he worked up the lather somehow held a quiet magnetism.
They each washed in silence, married couple vibes, through and through.
Nothing in the world is more important than eating!
Lu Yi had eaten a quick lunch at her assistant’s suggestion, a fast-food meal that was both dry and greasy. She’d mainly survived on fries. Now, with Aunt Fang’s magical cooking in front of her, her appetite was back in force.
They did talk a little, but since they’d just video-chatted the night before, there wasn’t much new to say. Most of the time, Lu Yi’s energy went into entertaining a very food-focused Puff.
Puff was so desperate for a taste, she leapt onto a chair, pawed at the edge of the table, and started whining pitifully.
“You want some, huh?”
“Nope, not allowed.”
“Sweetheart, you’re just a little cat. Little cats cannot eat this stuff.”
“…”
From the corner of his eye, Lin Jinshen couldn’t help watching her, gloved hands expertly taking apart a crab, teasing Puff with little morsels, only to pull them away just as Puff nearly snagged a bite. The poor cat was left to eat nothing but air. He watched Lu Yi’s every move, every smile… He’d never thought eating with someone else could actually be fun.
“Aren’t you having any crab?” Lu Yi looked back at him, still holding half a crab.
Lin Jinshen lowered his lashes, his expression back to stoic. “No, you go ahead. Eat more.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to finish it myself, seafood can’t be left overnight.” Lu Yi ignored the rice and pretty much polished off the plate single-handedly.
Full and satisfied, she peeled off her gloves. Lin Jinshen quietly took away the kitchen scraps, especially the crab shells, one, because they’d start to stink, and two, because Puff would absolutely try to steal a bite.
Once he’d cleaned up, he headed upstairs, grabbing Lu Yi’s suitcase on the way.
Lu Yi stayed a bit to play with Puff, offered the cat an extra treat, then took a shower before finally unpacking. Aside from clothes, she’d brought back a few other items. One was rather large and padded full of newspaper to keep it safe.
Lin Jinshen passed by the bedroom on his way back from the study, water glass in hand.
Lu Yi called him over, holding up the big item. “This is for you, a gift I picked up for you on this trip.”
Lin Jinshen stopped in his tracks. His gaze shifted from her face to her hands, a gift box. He had no idea what it was and didn’t really care about gifts, but the words “trip gift” caught his attention all the same.
This gift from her business trip, still unopened, already wiped away all his earlier annoyances.
“Open it up,” Lu Yi said, putting the gift in his hands.
He set down his glass and felt the box, surprisingly hefty. He opened it and discovered an oddly-shaped ceramic vase, tall and thin, indented along its sides as if touched, neck pulled tight, mouth flattened.
Its white surface was streaked with a few lines of blue.
Lu Yi introduced it, all earnest: “This is a piece by the ceramics master Meng Huaiyuan, it was actually meant to be one of a kind, never for sale. He said it’s the work he’s proudest of recently. It took a lot of pleading before he agreed to let me have it.”
“It’s hard to get, huh?” Lin Jinshen asked.
Lu Yi stood up and pointed to the indentations on the vase. “Look here, these are the artist’s actual fingerprints. He said the piece is called ‘Release.’ When someone’s under too much pressure but doesn’t let it out, they get sick.”
“Try it for yourself.”
Skeptical, Lin Jinshen let her guide his fingers to a print. He pressed down, but it was clear the imprint was too small for his hand to fit.
He asked, “The artist’s hands are that tiny?”
Lu Yi nodded. “Guess it takes a pair of clever hands to make something so unique.”
Lin Jinshen caught her hand, placing it over the imprint. It fit, perfectly. Not too big, not too small, like it was made for her.
Lu Yi nearly burst out laughing. “Guess the artist and I have at least one thing in common.”
“Seems so,” Lin Jinshen said.
Unable to keep up the charade, she came clean. “Okay, look, truth is, it’s not from any famous artist. I made it myself. It probably isn’t worth much, just cost me a hundred for materials at a little workshop. I made a few smaller ones too, but this is the only one I was really happy with.”
Her brows curved with her smile, eyes glimmering, bright, lively.
Lin Jinshen just watched her, silent, like a scene playing out in slow-motion, the whole world quiet, every detail suddenly painfully vivid.
She had plenty more to say about making that vase.
“It was my favorite one, so it’s yours.”
“Don’t judge it by how weird it looks, even the owner said I was pretty creative.”
“He told me I’ve got real talent, said I should change careers.”
Lu Yi glanced at Lin Jinshen. He’d already set aside the ugly little vase and was looking at her again, his eyes shadowy, a little distant, like he was lost in another world, not really listening.
“You’re not even listening to me,” she teased.
A moment passed, then his eyes refocused, and all at once his face flushed bright red. He stammered, “Wait, what are you taking your clothes off for?”
Lin Jinshen peeled off his shirt with one hand. Under the lights, his skin was almost blindingly pale, not an ounce of fat on his abs. He moved unhurriedly, even taking the time to remove his watch and set it aside.
He went about these actions with utter seriousness, as if undressing before a shower was the most natural thing in the world. But paired with that impossibly handsome face, it just felt way too sultry.
He glanced up, voice low and steady: “Let’s save some words for later.”
Lu Yi: “...”