Fu Huai'an had a glass of honey water in his hand, and his hair was still dripping wet. His eyes darkened. "I saw that you were sleeping soundly, so I went to the guest room to shower! And I helped you get some water while I was downstairs…"
As he spoke, Fu Huai'an entered the room and casually placed the cup on the drawers next to the wall. He then carried Lin Nuan in bridal style.
"I was going to let you shower, but I decided to let you sleep a little more!"
Fu Huai'an carried Lin Nuan back to the bed and passed her the honey water as he sat by the bed. "Drink some water. I'll help you shower later…"
The honey had a slight minty taste to it and relieved Lin Nuan's burning throat, though her sore arms shook as she sipped the honey water.
Fu Huai'an held the bottom of the cup and lifted it for Lin Nuan as and when she needed him to.
"Do you still want to fool around in the future?" Fu Huai'an knew how rough he was earlier. He had probably tired Lin Nuan out.
When Lin Nuan heard this, she raised her head to look at Fu Huai'an. Her gaze was so clear that it made his heart flutter. "Then, were you… happy today?"
Fu Huai'an looked at Lin Nuan softly and nodded.
"Then, I still want to fool around in the future!"
Lin Nuan smiled at Fu Huai'an. Her dimples were so sweet that it made him feel like his heart was overflowing with honey.
Fu Huai'an placed the cup on the drawers. His forehead pressed against Lin Nuan's, and his hand ran through her thick, dark hair and held onto the back of her head. He asked, "Aren't you afraid of dying on the bed with me?"
Lin Nuan raised her sore arms to wrap them around Fu Huai'an's neck. "I already said it, there will be a next life…"
Fu Huai'an pinned Lin Nuan down to the bed, hugging her tightly and doing nothing else. He just quietly hugged the lady he loved until his heart ached.
Lin Nuan hugged Fu Huai'an tightly as well. After a few warm moments had passed, Lin Nuan whispered in Fu Huai'an's ear, "But I don't plan to fool around again over the next few days. I feel like I've been hollowed out…"
Fu Huai'an was amused by Lin Nuan's words. "I'm the one who's been hollowed out. I already gave you my all."
Lin Nuan's ears flushed, and she quickly replied to him, "I'm talking about my stamina!"
"If your stamina is poor, you need to practice!" Fu Huai'an's arms tightened around Lin Nuan's waist. "I have enough energy to practice with you."
Lin Nuan pinched Fu Huai'an's shoulder hard. "Well then, I'll leave it to you…"
It wasn't that Lin Nuan wasn't afraid, it was just… she loved Fu Huai'an with her whole being, and she couldn't refuse any request that would bring him pleasure!
When one loved someone, they would do their best to make them happy!
Fu Huai'an kissed Lin Nuan's forehead. He loved her so much, so how could he bear to tire her out? "Shall I take you to shower?"
"Alright…"
For the first time, their shower didn't turn into an indulgence that got out of hand.
After her shower, Fu Huai'an helped Lin Nuan get her pajamas, which were already sitting in their new home. Lin Nuan then sat in Fu Huai'an's arms and let him dry her hair.
Lin Nuan looked down at the candy diamond ring on her finger. It was smaller than the candy rings she used to eat when she was younger. It glittered and sparkled in the light as her finger moved. It was so elegant that it looked just like a real diamond.
As she listened to the sound of the hairdryer, Lin Nuan tucked her hair behind her ear and licked the candy ring…
"Hm?" Lin Nuan looked down at the ring on her hand
The sound of the hair dryer stopped, and Lin Nuan turned to look at Fu Huai'an. "This isn't a candy ring!"
Fu Huai'an was amused by Lin Nuan's widened eyes. He placed the hairdryer on the drawers and said, "You thought I would really use a cheap candy ring to propose to you?"
Lin Nuan heard the sound of her heart thumping. Diamonds were a girl's best friend, and Lin Nuan was no exception…
But what Lin Nuan cherished more was Fu Huai'an's effort. To her… a candy diamond ring was more than enough!
"But…" Lin Nuan glanced at the ring. "I already have this home!"
"You had a ring in your dream," Fu Huai'an explained to Lin Nuan, as though he was trying to pacify a child.
"But the ring in my dream was a candy diamond ring! This…" Lin Nuan raised the ring on her hand. "This… this is even bigger than the diamond you gave me at the civil affairs bureau's entrance!"
Much bigger…
Lin Nuan remembered that Liang Mulan had a pink 49.2-carat ring that Lin Jingquan gave to her for their 10th wedding anniversary. He had bought the extremely clear diamond at an overseas auction for 80 million USD, then had it polished and processed upon returning to China!
This ring was almost as big as Liang Mulan's!
Fu Huai'an bent over backwards to find this after reading Lin Nuan's diary!
Lin Nuan looked down at the ring and asked Fu Huai'an, "This can't be my wedding ring, right? You want me to wear this after we get married? I can't bring this out!"
"Wedding rings come in pairs. Do you think I could wear this out as a guy? Wouldn't that be a funny sight…"
Lin Nuan seriously thought through what Fu Huai'an said and couldn't help but laugh. "It would be quite funny…"
In this warm and gentle atmosphere, Fu Huai'an looked at the bright smile on Lin Nuan's face. He smiled and hugged her. "We have to decide on the wedding date!"
"Yeah. You can pick the time…"
"It'll be a bit rushed if we have it on Christmas Day. Let's have it on New Year's Day!" Fu Huai'an looked down at the lady in his arms. "What do you think?"
"Okay! Whatever you say. I'll go back and inform Mom and the family in a while, and then I'll inform my close friends." Lin Nuan had no objections regarding the wedding date.
"The stuff regarding the wedding photos, wedding dress, and formal gowns are more tedious. I've gotten Little Lu to pick them out. You can choose them later…"
Lin Nuan didn't think that Fu Huai'an would have already made arrangements for all the things they had to take care of. It seemed that she had nothing to worry about.
Lin Nuan nodded and leaned against Fu Huai'an in his arms. She turned to look at him and asked, "You looked at my diary when helping me pack up at the rental apartment, but when did you find out that I took part in a public speaking competition when I was 14?"
Fu Huai'an played with Lin Nuan's long and slender fingers. There were seemingly endless amounts of love in his eyes as he looked down at Lin Nuan. "Back in America…"
All she could see was the corners of Fu Huai'an's mouth gradually turning up into a smile.
His smile was like a big net that wrapped around Lin Nuan to form a cocoon. She couldn't escape from it.
"You planned things out for me for so long…" Pink bubbles started appearing in Lin Nuan's heart, and her eyes were full of gentleness.
Fu Huai'an moved closer to Lin Nuan, his hand tilting her face up. His eyes landed on her delicate and beautiful lips. His handsome features moved towards Lin Nuan, and his dark pupils were as deep as the deep waters hidden within the depths of a forest…
The tips of her ears heated up, and her hand grabbed onto Fu Huai'an's firm wrist. She rubbed her face against Fu Huai'an's palm and looked at him with clear eyes that were overflowing with love.
The two moved closer to one another. Their noses touched, and Fu Huai'an tucked Lin Nuan's long hair behind her ear. He softly ran his thumb along Lin Nuan's lips, which were as soft as rose petals, and kissed them before moving away. Seeing Lin Nuan's flushed face, her shy expression, and her eyes full of emotion, Fu Huai'an continued to kiss her and embrace her.
Today's kiss was so gentle that it made Lin Nuan melt.
Her mouth was filled with the taste of the man she loved dearly, and her back closely pressed up against Fu Huai'an's chest. Her arm hooked onto her man's smooth and nicely curved neck, which had indistinct reddish kiss marks.
The long kiss was soft and held no desire. There was only love and warmth.
…
"Are you hungry?" Fu Huai'an asked as he got dressed.
Lin Nuan fixed the collar of her turtleneck sweater and put on her coat. She nodded. "Yeah. I expended too much stamina…"
Fu Huai'an smiled at Lin Nuan.
After Fu Huai'an and Lin Nuan got married, he smiled more than he had over the last thirty-odd years of his life.
Grabbing Lin Nuan's slightly cold hand, he asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Lin Nuan's eyes were full of mischief as she craned her neck and moved closer to Fu Huai'an. She placed her chin against his chest and asked, "Can I eat you?"
Fu Huai'an's throat vibrated, and he laughed delightfully, raising his hand to take off his coat. "Let's feed you first…"
Lin Nuan paused, and the tips of her ears turned red. She quickly stopped Fu Huai'an from removing his coat as her face flushed. "We should just eat! I heard there's this restaurant that went viral online. The place isn't big, and there are no waiters, only the boss himself working away in the kitchen. The customers still have to take their food to their table by themselves, but the food is especially good. Thank goodness it's not Sunday today. There'll be fewer people, and we shouldn't need to queue. What do you think?"
Lin Nuan tried to tease him, but she ended up being teased!
Seeing as Lin Nuan revealed her true feelings, Fu Huai'an slid back into his jacket. "You don't want to eat me anymore?"
Lin Nuan nodded her head repeatedly. "I'm tired, and I don't have the energy to…"
Lin Nuan had taken the lead earlier today, and her stamina was poor, so she naturally wouldn't have the energy to eat him now.
"Fang Yan came up with a workout plan for you, right?" Fu Huai'an asked.
Lin Nuan nodded.
"From tomorrow onwards, I'll help you practice and work to increase your stamina until…" Fu Huai'an lowered his voice. "You can finish the whole course!"
Lin Nuan gripped Fu Huai'an's arm tightly as her face flushed. "Remember to keep your shirt on…"
Previously, her nose bled after she saw Fu Huai'an working out topless. That incident had left her traumatized.
Fu Huai'an clearly recalled how embarrassed Lin Nuan looked back then. He nodded. "Okay…"
"What are we going to do with all the dolls in this house?" Lin Nuan asked Fu Huai'an. "Tuan Tuan is a boy, so pink toys obviously don't suit him. The dolls on the stairs have all been dirtied by us, and it wouldn't be nice to give them away! What are we going to do with them? It feels like such a waste for them only to satisfy my childhood dream!"
"You're that practical?" Fu Huai'an pinched Lin Nuan's cheeks.
Fu Huai'an looked at Lin Nuan's large eyes and said, "Why do we have to give them away? We have so many rooms. We can just store them away, and whenever you look at them, you can recall today's proposal and what we did in our new house!"
Lin Nuan thought about what just happened on the staircase and bit her lip.
"Come on, let's go eat!" Lin Nuan pushed Fu Huai'an as they walked down the stairs.
Fu Huai'an held onto the back of Lin Nuan's hand. She looked at his tall and straight back and realized that she seemed to be constantly receiving presents from Fu Huai'an, no matter how expensive they were. Fu Huai'an was so thoughtful…
Lin Nuan also wanted to prepare a Christmas present for Fu Huai'an—a unique one!
She thought about how they hadn't used protection all this time when they were indulging. If she were to be pregnant at Christmas, Fu Huai'an would probably be very happy!
But one's pregnancy was left up to fate. Her desire to be pregnant didn't necessarily mean it would happen!
So Lin Nuan wanted to secretly prepare a present that would make Fu Huai'an very happy!
…
Fu Huai'an stopped the car outside Wang Mang Restaurant, the restaurant that had gone viral online and which Lin Nuan had talked about earlier. Lin Nuan then realized that she hadn't told Fu Huai'an the address.
As Lin Nuan unfastened her seatbelt, she smiled at Fu Huai'an. "How did you know to come here even though I forgot to tell you the address?"
Fu Huai'an reached towards the backseat to grab his and Lin Nuan's coats. "Maybe it's because our hearts are connected…"
The amused Lin Nuan grabbed her jacket and put it on. "This restaurant is so popular now that even Mr. Fu has heard of it!"
It wasn't peak hour yet, but people were already queuing outside the entrance of the little shop with the "Wang Mang Restaurant" signboard.
The other restaurants on the food street could be said to be deserted. It was a stark contrast to the snaking queue outside Wang Mang Restaurant.
The sun was shining, but it was so cold outside that people were left shivering. A group of young people who had planned to eat at Wang Mang Restaurant wrapped their coats and jackets around their bodies tightly as they huddled together in a circle. They stamped their feet as they chatted and laughed, their laughter and white mist rising from the corners of their mouths. They were in a perfect mood as they waited in line. The cold wind ruffled their hair, but that didn't affect their spirits at all.
One man walked out of the restaurant with a cup of tea in hand. He jogged to the end of the queue and handed the tea to his girlfriend, who was wearing a thick down jacket. Their eyes met, and they smiled. It was a sweet sight.
On either side of Wang Mang Restaurant's antique doors were two ginkgo trees. As the wind blew… the golden ginkgo leaves flew in all directions, and they all landed at the entrance. It was as if someone had laid out a golden carpet for the restaurant.
Lin Nuan took out a mask from her pocket and put it on. "Supposedly, the boss of Wang Mang Restaurant is a retired soldier and has a terrible temper, but he is especially good at cooking. He doesn't allow customers to order. He cooks according to his mood and the number of people. The customers simply have to eat whatever he cooks. However, he definitely cooks more than enough per dish for each person! And after the customers are done, they have to clean the table themselves! Isn't this restaurant special?"
After they got out of the car, Fu Huai'an closed the door and locked the car. His mid-length woolen coat emphasized his sturdy build.
A man like Fu Huai'an with an air of nobility showing up there would undoubtedly attract others' attention. Be it his attire or his aura, he didn't fit in with the restaurant.
The group of students that had been chatting and laughing turned to look in Fu Huai'an and Lin Nuan's direction. Their shock was evident in their eyes as they watched the two of them move to the end of the line.
The couple in front of Fu Huai'an and Lin Nuan subconsciously moved up. They were afraid they would disturb Fu Huai'an, who had a noble aura and looked intimidating.
The group of young people in front looked at Fu Huai'an, who had lowered his head and was attentively listening to Lin Nuan. They recognized Fu Huai'an as Lin Nuan's husband, then excitedly looked at Lin Nuan again…
The young people wanted to say hi to Lin Nuan and take photos with her, but they were afraid of disturbing Lin Nuan and her husband on their date. They pushed each other, and amidst their playing, they laughed about who would go over and say hi first. As they fooled around, they could hear the boss' gruff shouts from inside. "One table!"
The group of young people pushed each other and looked towards the back of the queue as they entered the restaurant.
Everyone in the queue then moved forward significantly.
Lin Nuan held onto Fu Huai'an's hands tightly. Above her mask, her eyes shone especially brightly. "Xiaonian said the dishes from other places are bland compared to the dishes prepared by this boss. She also said the temper of the boss is a dish in itself. After you're done eating, you still have to wipe the table clean yourself. She says this restaurant has an especially good ambiance."
Fu Huai'an's eyes were full of smiles as he looked at Lin Nuan. "Bai Xiaonian said? You haven't been here before?"
Lin Nuan shook her head. "I've wanted to come here on a few occasions, but something always came up."
Fu Huai'an nodded as he watched a few people come out of the restaurant. The boss then gruffly called for two tables of people to enter.
"Apparently, the name of the boss of this restaurant is Wang Mang. After Wang Mang's father passed on, Wang Mang's mother rented out the restaurant space. Later on, his mother passed on as well. Wang Mang then took over the restaurant and carried on his father's legacy of being a chef! At first, the restaurant's business was especially bad, and it nearly closed down. But for some reason, it became extremely popular later on!"
Lin Nuan was bored while waiting in line, so she stuck both of her hands into the pockets of Fu Huai'an's coat. She then continued to tell him about the history of Wang Mang Restaurant. "Last year, the buildings on this street were supposed to be demolished. Apparently, the boss of this restaurant brought the residents of the area with him to make a scene, and the buildings weren't demolished in the end. Isn't he awesome?"
"Where did you hear all this from?" Looking at his wife, who had said all this with great fervor, Fu Huai'an wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
"I heard it all from Xiaonian…"
Fu Huai'an looked at Lin Nuan's smiling eyes underneath the sunlight. The sunlight was seemingly embedded in his deep eyes. He lowered his head and spoke softly in Lin Nuan's ear, "You've been so…"
Fu Huai'an's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He seemed to be afraid of being too loud, so his lips pressed against Lin Nuan's ear. "So open. Did Bai Xiaonian secretly send you some videos again?"
Lin Nuan's ears suddenly heated up, and she forcefully pinched the tip of Fu Huai'an's pinky. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
After twenty minutes, the boss, Wang Meng, called out once again. Lin Nuan and Fu Huai'an then escaped the cold wind and stepped into the restaurant.
There was adequate heating in the restaurant. The moment they entered the restaurant, their noses were filled with the aroma of the various dishes. This would indeed whet one's appetite, but it would inevitably cause them to smell greasy.
"How many people?" The boss' gruff voice could be heard from the window, and it easily cut through the noise and chatter in the restaurant.
"Two!" Lin Nuan cleared her throat and said.
The small restaurant was packed, and there was only a small table with two round stools by the door.
It seemed that the previous group of customers didn't clear the table properly. Afraid Fu Huai'an would mind, Lin Nuan pulled her mask down to reveal her nose and removed her coat, passing it to Fu Huai'an. "Hold on for a moment. I'll clean this first…"
Lin Nuan rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a clean dishcloth from the hand-washing sink. She then walked over and wiped down the table and stools again. After, she washed the dishcloth clean before placing it back on the sink. When she was done, she pulled out a tissue from her coat, which was hanging on Fu Huai'an's arm, and thoroughly wiped down the stool again before letting him sit.
Fu Huai'an took off his coat. There was no place to put it, so he placed it on his crossed legs…