Chapter 59

That night, Lu Yi stayed at the Lin house.
Lin Jinshen’s room had changed a bit, little things of Lu Yi’s kept turning up here. Sometimes it was a compact mirror, sometimes lipstick or a makeup brush, even a plushie she’d won, or Puff the cat’s bed and scratchboard… These random, scattered objects brightened every corner of the room. For a neat freak like Lin Jinshen, he’d somehow gotten used to having them around.
If one day all these things were gone, he'd feel out of place, like something essential was missing.
The most important thing was, there was one more person here now.
Lu Yi's hair had just been blow-dried by him, soft and fluffy as it draped over her shoulders. She sat cross-legged on the bed, replying to messages, not even noticing that her camisole strap had slipped down one shoulder. Bathed in a gentle, pearly glow, she created the most vivid, living portrait he could imagine.
If he could, he'd wish for every day to start just like this.
Lu Yi set her phone down and asked, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Yeah, going to sleep."
Lin Jinshen reeled in his wandering thoughts, lay down, and naturally gathered her into his arms, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm flying to the States tomorrow," he said.
"Mm, I know. A week?"
Jiang Xun had already told her, and his luggage was packed at Chengxi Garden ahead of time.
"Yeah," Lin Jinshen replied. "If things finish early, I'll come back sooner."
Lu Yi breathed in his scent. "Okay. I’ll wait for you, just come back safe, alright?"
With a morning flight to the US, Lin Jinshen got up an hour earlier than usual. After showering, he stepped out of the bathroom, ready to leave, then glanced back at the bed and couldn't resist returning to her side.
Through a sleepy haze, Lu Yi felt herself being kissed.
First her forehead, then her eyelids, his lips trailed down in a lingering path to her mouth, soft and damp. She forced her eyes open, drowsy and dazed, barely processing the face so close to hers. Not a word escaped before she was lost again in confusion.
The room was still dark, dawn hadn't arrived yet.
"Did I wake you?" Lin Jinshen propped himself up to look at her, not one ounce of guilt in his voice. He sounded suspiciously like he'd done it on purpose.
Lu Yi: "…"
She wasn't made of wood. With all that movement, there was no way she could stay asleep.
"I'm about to go," Lin Jinshen said.
"So you woke me up? Just because I was sleeping well? Couldn’t handle it?" Lu Yi was still groggy, and honestly, who wouldn’t have morning crankiness getting dragged out of bed this early?
He was already dressed, so she hooked a finger around his tie, tugged it loose, and made a mess of it, just for her own peace of mind.
Lin Jinshen pinched her nose, watched as her mouth popped open, then bent down laughing to kiss her. He let go, listened to her ragged breath, and a soft, low laugh spilled from his throat, slipping right between her lips.
Lu Yi went from one kind of giddy to another.
The mattress under her transformed into a cloud, soft and engulfing, she kept sinking, like she was drowning, clinging desperately to his arm for solid ground.
Her strap pulled tight; the silk didn’t give an inch, wrapping round them like a net, trapping them together, twisting in every possible way as she squirmed.
Her eyes shimmered, gathering tears that made her look freshly kissed or freshly cried.
Lin Jinshen wasn’t faring much better, the tension in his chest pressed downwards, his self-control stretched to a breaking point, like an arrow drawn to its tautest string. But time was short, half an hour, at best. Not enough.
He wanted, God, he wanted, to bundle her up and take her with him. But if he left now, it’d be a whole week before he saw her again.
But he couldn’t. She had work too.
He’d never been this indecisive in his life.
It wasn't enough for him, but it was already too much for Lu Yi.
She curled in on herself, as if struck by lightning, unable to control the shudders racking her body; a sound rose in her throat, but she slapped a hand over her mouth, stifling it by force.
Lin Jinshen whispered, "Remember to video call every day."
Lu Yi bit her lip desperately. Did he really have to say that right now? But she kept silent, if she didn't answer, he’d find a way to pry it out of her regardless.
"Okay." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
Lin Jinshen, perfectly dressed except for the tie she’d mangled, still looked proper and respectable. "No empty promises," he warned.
Lu Yi’s replies dissolved into a messy stream; she was about to melt on the spot.
Lin Jinshen kissed the tears from the corners of her eyes. Hearing her low whimper, on the verge of crying, filled him with utter contentment. He kept kissing her, kissing away the salty drops. "Wait for me, okay?"
Lu Yi buried her face in his chest, dying of embarrassment. She didn’t ever want to come up for air again.
Lin Jinshen drew out a tissue and wiped his hands. "I’ll say the bedsheet was my fault. Pretend I spilled water on it."
Lu Yi: "…"
That’s the most obvious cover-up in history!
And besides, it was his fault, what’s with all this “pretend” business?
Lu Yi didn’t bother arguing. She pressed her forehead against his chest, waited until she’d caught her breath, then sat up on the bed, scooting away from that dangerous patch. She sniffled, smothering the lingering aftershocks.
"Why aren’t you leaving? Aren’t you going to be late?"
"Five more minutes," Lin Jinshen said, checking the time.
"Oh."
She felt completely innocent, she wasn’t the one catching a flight, but here she was, forced to wake up at the crack of dawn.
Lin Jinshen straightened up, tucked his tie neatly under his shirt, slid on his suit jacket. In that moment, he was all business again: meticulous, sharp, oozing that effortless bad-boy charm even without the glasses.
"I’m off," he said.
"Okay."
He strode to the door, and Lu Yi called out again. "Honey."
She drew out the word, deliberate and sweet. He turned back, gaze darkening. She smiled and said, "Come home soon."
Lin Jinshen: "?"
She was definitely doing this on purpose.
"Makes me want to take you with me," Lin Jinshen took a step back, like the next move would be to scoop her up, blanket and all, and haul her straight to the car.
Lu Yi laughed, threw her hands up in surrender.
Back to her normal voice, she hurried him along, "No, no, no, go on already, or you’ll be late!"
Lin Jinshen glanced at his watch, a minute to spare. He grunted, his tone flat: "I’ll deal with you when I get back."
Lu Yi hugged the blanket, watching him leave. Her face stayed scorched red long after he’d gone out the door.
Ugh.
Hopelessly lovestruck.
It was Saturday. Lu Yi took full advantage and slept in till noon, guilt-free.
The marks on the sheet had already dried, nothing suspicious at all. When she headed back to Chengxi Garden, the housekeeper would swap out the linens anyway. She breathed easier, crisis averted, embarrassment dodged.
After washing up, she headed out for a glass of water just as Lin Yumo came downstairs.
Yawning, Lin Yumo greeted, "Morning, sis-in-law."
Madam Qin was off shopping with her friends, so the house was just the two of them. Their schedules lined up, so they could have lunch together.
While they were eating, Lin Yumo caught a glimpse of a suspicious mark on Lu Yi’s neck. It wasn’t that her eyesight was amazing, Lu Yi’s skin was just so pale that any little red or blue mark stood out starkly.
And her skin was delicate enough that even the slightest pressure could leave a trace.
Lu Yi noticed her gaze and instinctively reached up to touch her neck.
Lin Yumo gave her an understanding smile. “Mosquito bite, I know. If there’s anything we have too many of in this house, it’s mosquitoes.”
“It’s just that their bites are a little… vicious.”
You’d think they’d go easy on the pretty girls. She gave a dramatic little sigh, thoroughly condemning this injustice.
Lu Yi: “…”
There went her line. For once, she had no idea what to say.
Lin Yumo stuffed a mouthful of rice into her mouth and, after swallowing, said, “My brother? The guy’s the textbook definition of wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
And as his number-one victim, she was more than qualified to say so.
Lu Yi agreed, letting out a quiet laugh as a sign of solidarity.
The two of them had vented about Lin Jinshen plenty of times before, usually Lin Yumo giving passionate speeches about the horrors of growing up with such an overbearing big brother.
Clutching her chopsticks, Lin Yumo reminisced, “For as long as I can remember, he’s always been that strict. I was just a little kid, soft-hearted, fragile. He’d say one word to me and I’d start pouting and sniffling.”
He’d basically bullied her into becoming a professional crybaby.
Some traumas just had deep roots.
She went on, “A couple years ago, when I was in the UK, still young, still a total mess, I had a meltdown over something dumb. Out of nowhere, he flew in. He looked me up and down, and his frown was so deep it could’ve crushed a fly.”
She mimicked his expression, pure, unfiltered distaste.
Lin Jinshen gave her exactly one hour to shower and pull herself together before taking her out. And he meant it, a literal countdown. No matter what shape she was in, as soon as the time was up, out the door she went.
With that kind of pressure in her formative years, Yumo learned to at least try to comply. One hour later, cleaned up and presentable, he’d take her out to eat, to shop; bags she’d never dared dream of, he’d buy without blinking.
Money really did have healing powers.
If it didn’t work, that just meant you hadn’t spent enough.
Surrounded by brand-new designer loot, Lin Yumo found it impossible to look truly miserable.
That was hands-down the happiest day she’d had in a long time. The word Lin Jinshen said most that day was “buy”, and after their spending spree, she’d asked him out of pure curiosity, “Could you just buy that whole building, too?”
Expressionless, he fixed his gaze on her. “Learn the difference between ‘I want’ and ‘wild delusion.’”
Thinking back on it, Lin Yumo still found it hilarious. She didn’t exaggerate: “Back then, I genuinely thought, wow, my brother’s actually a reliable guy.”
No matter how much she trashed him, she would at least throw in something positive for balance every once in a while.
“Sis, I swear I’m not trying to sugarcoat anything. But honestly, I can tell, my brother really likes you. He knows how to treat someone right.”
He just… might not always say it out loud.
Lu Yi smiled and nodded. “I know.”
Lin Yumo breathed out, relieved. “That’s all that matters. I hope you guys are happy, seriously.”
She’d wanted to say this for ages but could never find the chance, worried she’d be overstepping. Now, at last, she finally said it aloud.
Lu Yi: “Thank you. I’ll take all the good wishes I can get.”
…
Lu Yi moved back into Chengxi Garden.
Her routine was simple: work most of the time, and when she got home, she’d take Puff out for a walk and send pictures of the chubby cat to her dad, who was halfway around the world.
Of course, her dad would always ask, “Where’s Puff’s mom?”, subtly hinting for a selfie. But Lu Yi refused and only complied during video calls, which happened at all sorts of hours, sometimes morning, sometimes late at night, depending on their schedules.
Like today, for her, it was morning; for him, night.
She sacrificed an hour of sleep for their nightly video chat.
Lin Jinshen showed her a doll he’d picked up on a whim. He said it looked just like her, so he’d bought it. When he angled the camera, Lu Yi saw the chubby little thing and couldn’t help but laugh: “…I’m sorry, in what universe does that look like me?”
“The face. The expression.”
Lu Yi was pretty sure he was roasting her, though he had no proof.
“What are you wearing?” Lin Jinshen frowned, eyes flickering from her face to her outfit. It wasn’t her usual pajamas, it was a white dress shirt. Too big on her. Looked familiar.
“This?”
Lu Yi pulled the camera back to show her upper body on screen.
Sure enough, she was wearing a white button-down, the fabric drowning her slim frame and slipping low at the collarbone.
It was his shirt.
Lin Jinshen: “…”
Lu Yi zoomed in again, playing innocent. “My pajamas were dirty, so I threw this on. Hope you don’t mind?”
She played it cool, as if she had no ulterior motives at all.
She was absolutely messing with him. They had an ocean between them, what was he going to do?
“I do mind.”
Lin Jinshen dropped his gaze, voice going deep and serious. “Take it off.”
Lu Yi: “?”
Did he seriously just say that?
“Could you try to act like a normal human being?” Lu Yi’s face was flushing red, but she tried to keep her tone flat, hoping he’d at least pretend to have pure thoughts.
Lin Jinshen stared right at her. “You only wear my shirts when I’m not there. Why don’t you ever do that when I’m home?”
Because she knew if he was around, he’d peel her out of it layer by layer and devour her whole. No way she’d risk that. A screen between them gave her a lot of courage for games like this.
“Trying to tease me, but don’t want to deal with the consequences.” He said it low and soft.
He saw right through her, but still, he was the first to take the bait. Willingly.
With her face still burning, Lu Yi marveled at the effect of a single shirt, she hadn’t even done anything yet. “That’s all it takes to seduce you?” she countered.
Shouldn’t she at least have to ‘accidentally’ tug the collar open or something?
On his end of the video, the light in Lin Jinshen’s eyes was shadow-dark. He lounged on the headboard with just a wall lamp on, the whole room dipped in gloom, a messy fringe hanging over his forehead and casting a moody shadow, close enough you could count his eyelashes.
His answer rumbled up from deep in his chest, a low, unmistakable “Mm-hmm.”
Deep, low, and magnetic.
Lu Yi could feel her ears burning. She was the one orchestrating this little scene, but suddenly, it felt like she’d fallen right into her own trap. Swallowing her embarrassment, she whispered, “Well, what can I do? You’re not here.”
Lin Jinshen lifted his gaze. The collar of his pajama shirt slipped just enough to show a hint of skin, just a flash, but when their eyes met, Lu Yi’s heart skipped a beat.
He wasn’t showing anything explicit, but somehow, he was incredibly sexy, almost as if he were right here, close enough to reach out and touch.
After a silent moment, Lin Jinshen murmured her name, “Lu Yi.”
Lu Yi didn’t know what he meant. “Yeah?”
“Lu Yi.”
“Hm?”
“Lu Yi.”
“…Yeah.”
He kept calling her name, voice growing lower each time. Lu Yi played along, answering after each call, and slowly, she realized her entire body was heating up, like she’d been dropped into a hot spring and left to steam.
Finally, he whispered, “Baby.”
Lu Yi bit her lip, and breathed, “Mm…”
The screen suddenly went black, no error, no technical glitch, just darkness. She could hear the low, muffled sound on the other end of the line. No picture, only sound, and just enough left for her mind to fill in the blanks.
Oh my god, oh my god!
Lu Yi knew exactly what just happened. Her heart was pounding, the tips of her ears blazing red. She flopped onto her bed, hugging her blanket, and let out two tiny muffled whimpers.
Her mind flooded with flashes and images, scenes she invented all by herself. Even just picturing his face made her close her eyes, desperate to clear her head.
Lust really does make you stupid!
Who knew how long passed before they both remembered the call was still connected. When they finally picked up their phones again, both faces appeared on screen, one of them still flushed, and the other not looking much better.
They both knew exactly what just happened, but it was their unspoken agreement not to mention it.
Lin Jinshen’s eyes still held a dark, lazy heat; his voice was almost unrecognizably hoarse. “I miss you so much.”
This is bad.
Her heart, which had barely calmed, started racing again, wilder than before, like it wanted to burst out of her chest.
Lu Yi’s face was practically on fire. She let out a little huff. “You just want to hook up.”
Lin Jinshen didn’t even bother denying it. If they saw each other now, who could possibly hold back? He certainly couldn’t. He lowered his gaze and replied, “Yeah, I do. But more than that, I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, afterward, when your whole body’s hot, when you curl up against me and press close, out of breath and exhausted.”
“That’s the best feeling, holding you, feeling your body and my heart both completely content.”
“…”
Lu Yi felt utterly undone by the heat of his words, burying half her face under the covers, peeking at him with only her eyes. She felt both restless and greedy, wanting to hear even more.
This impossible mix of feelings filled her with a wild longing.
She missed him, really, truly missed him.
Right now. Right this second.
But she knew that was just wishful thinking. They couldn’t teleport; even if he was already on the plane, he’d still be hours away.
Lu Yi clutched her phone, pulled the blanket away, revealing her flushed face and bright eyes. Softly, she whispered, “I miss you, too.”
“Come home soon, okay?”
Her voice was low, almost a chant.
Adam’s apple bobbing, Lin Jinshen murmured, “Okay.”
Lu Yi’s alarm went off, they had to end their call. After a quick goodbye, she hung up, got up, and went into the bathroom. In the mirror, her cheeks were still bright and rosy. She had to splash cold water on her face; when she lifted her head, droplets rolled down, soaking the white fabric at her collar.
Didn’t seem to help much.
That night, Lin Jinshen sent a text: he was coming back two days early, boarding in half an hour, which meant he’d be back tomorrow morning. He’d go to the office first, then meet her for dinner.
Lu Yi replied okay.
She set her phone down, scooped up Puff, her cat, and put their foreheads together. Puff stared dully and sweetly at her. Lu Yi asked, “Daddy’s coming back. Are you happy?”
Puff: “Meow?”
Lu Yi giggled, hugging Puff against her chest and humming a tuneless little song.
She set her alarm for even earlier than Lin Jinshen’s landing time the next morning. They’d already talked last night, but she hadn’t heard from him yet, feeling relaxed, she opened up today’s news feed.
And then her attention snagged on a headline.
[Breaking: Plane en route from the US to China crashes at 3 a.m.]
She knew the odds were crazy low, but Lu Yi’s world spun at that headline. Heart in her throat, she clicked the article and held her breath, reading and rereading every line.
It was a small private jet, five people onboard including the pilot.
She checked all the details, made sure, not his flight.
But her mood hadn’t recovered from that instant plunge into panic. She couldn’t help but wonder: what if it had been? What would she do? Her mind was completely blank, unable to process.
For a split second, she felt all the grief of a loved one hearing impossible news.
Life can change in a heartbeat, every single day.
Then, Lin Jinshen messaged her.
Landed safe, he was home.
Lu Yi finally let out a breath, told him that sounded good, skipping the story about her panic attack (even though she didn’t completely understand it herself). It didn’t matter, it’d really happened.
And it was in that moment she realized she liked him even more than she’d admitted to herself.
She got up, went about her routine, and headed to the office where she had a small meeting that morning.
Lin Jinshen also started back at work, clearing out his mountain of tasks. Lunch was a quick affair at his desk, but he messaged her the restaurant and time he’d booked for dinner.
Lu Yi was out when his message came through. She glanced at the time and location, gave a little smile, and replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
Lin Jinshen: [This day is crawling.]
Lu Yi paused, realizing he meant time just wouldn’t move, the hours too slow until seven o’clock. He was dying to see her, just as impatient as she was.
It was exactly like kids stuck in school, waiting for the bell.
But they were both trapped in their grown-up roles, each with duties and masks to wear, before they could truly just be themselves. Just be Lu Yi, just be Lin Jinshen.
This was the adult way, they’d always followed the rules.
Lu Yi stared at those four words, and instantly, she remembered last night, the same surge of urgency, pulsing through her chest now as it was then.
They’d pretty much sealed the deal, and all that was left were some empty pleasantries. She had no intention of wasting another minute here. With a quick apology, she said, “Sorry, something just came up, I need to leave.”
“Oh, uh, sure! No problem, let’s catch up next time.”
“Thank you, looking forward to working together.”
Lu Yi stepped out into the lunchtime crowd. People moved in a blur, her whole world faded to the periphery as a wild thought ricocheted inside her chest. Without replying to the message, she called him directly.
He picked up almost immediately and called her name, his voice low,
The kind of tone that made it feel like he was standing right beside her, close enough to reach out and touch.
Lu Yi’s mind barely had time to arrange the words before they tumbled out: “Lin Jinshen, let’s… have a baby.”
She had no idea where that came from. Even she was stunned by what she’d just blurted out.
Before they got married, she hadn’t wanted kids, but she hadn’t been against them either, if there was no love involved, it was better not to. But now, suddenly, the idea was stuck in her heart.
No lead-up, no plan, just, out there. It sounded almost insane.
There was a long pause on the other end. Each second seemed to stretch forever; she could hear her own breathing, tight with uncertainty, unsure of what he’d think or how he’d respond.
At last, he asked, “Right now?”
Lu Yi had to hold back a laugh. She squinted up at the blazing midday sun, people bustling by, and here she was, clutching her phone, proposing a child.
She hummed an affirmative, her voice steady. Then, “So? What do you think?”
Another brief silence. The world seemed to hold its breath.
Jiang Xun had come by on business, only to find his boss suddenly springing to his feet, grabbing his suit jacket, a phone pressed to his ear, striding rapidly out the door, still listening.
Jiang Xun could see something was off. Normally, his boss was the definition of composure, a rock, unfazed by anything. But right now, he looked… rattled. Maybe even flustered.
Jiang Xun ventured quietly, “President Lin, is something wrong?”
In reply, Lin Jinshen strode right past him, exuding that familiar, intimidating pressure, Jiang Xun wisely decided to shut up.
“Where are you?” Lin Jinshen’s voice was low and rough as he walked by.