2 The Next Day, No Thoughts

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At midnight, the airplane’s contrail cut across the vast sky. The airport expressway remained busy, vehicles flowing continuously.

A black Maybach sped toward downtown B City. The driver was meticulous, the interior of the car silent, with the temperature set perfectly at 24 degrees Celsius.

The passing headlights occasionally illuminated the man’s face.

The man in the back seat looked remarkably young, with handsome features—high cheekbones and excellent bone structure. Perhaps due to the exhaustion from more than ten hours of long-distance flight, there was a subtle weariness and detachment about him.

Lu Shuyan looked down and saw the time: 1:37 a.m.

His destination now was Mingjing Residence.

In recent years, Lu Shuyan had been very busy with work, frequently traveling for business worldwide. However, most of the time, he stayed in this top-tier apartment located in the city’s prime area.

With his girlfriend of several years.

Then Lu Shuyan noticed a WeChat message his girlfriend had sent a few hours ago:

“Assistant Zhao said you’ll land after one a.m. Be safe on the road.”

“I’m waiting for you at home.”

“Muah.jpg”

Lu Shuyan’s gaze lingered a moment on the cute “Muah.jpg” sticker. He wanted to reply saying, “Don’t wait up, you should sleep first,” but seeing that several hours had already passed since the message was sent, he felt it might be too late to respond.

A roadside sign indicated two kilometers to the city center.

Lu Shuyan turned off his phone.

The main ring road was clear all the way. At this late hour, the gate guard at Mingjing Residence was still on strict duty, greeting the Maybach with a respectful salute as it pulled in.

After nearly a month of business trips, Lu Shuyan finally returned to the apartment where he now most frequently stayed.

Upon opening the door, the air was filled with the scent of food.

He saw warm-toned lights glowing inside. On the left, the dining table held a prepared late-night meal. To the right, the living room was quiet. In the corner of the sofa, a petite figure was curled up.

Si Nian was resting her head on one arm, wearing a pale lotus-colored silk camisole nightdress, draped with a gray cashmere blanket, barefoot. She had probably fallen asleep while waiting for her boyfriend to return from his trip.

Seeing her sleeping there, Lu Shuyan instinctively softened his footsteps.

He took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie, rolling up his shirt sleeves to his forearms. Instead of going to eat the meal on the table, he walked over to the sofa.

His tall shadow enveloped her peaceful sleeping face.

Lu Shuyan quietly watched Si Nian, who had fallen asleep waiting on the sofa. His gaze lingered for a few seconds before he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

She was sleeping deeply, barely reacting when picked up, only murmuring softly before settling into a comfortable position and continuing to sleep. Lu Shuyan carried Si Nian back to the bedroom, and only when he laid her on the bed did she seem slightly stirred from sleep.

Disturbed from her dream, Si Nian first inhaled the fresh masculine scent near her nose, then slowly opened her eyes.

Against the light, the familiar and handsome face of the man appeared before her.

Familiar because after years as a couple, he had inevitably become the person she knew best, especially at such close range. Handsome, because even viewed from an angle that would daunt others, his looks remained effortlessly captivating, making it almost understandable why she had once lost control under his charm.

Si Nian suddenly realized she had fallen asleep on the sofa while waiting for him.

And facing the man who had unexpectedly returned from his business trip late at night, still half-dreaming, the first thought that crossed her mind was “to serve him.”

Yes, Lu Shuyan had come back early, she should serve him.

Si Nian wrapped her arms around Lu Shuyan’s neck.

Lu Shuyan saw her half-awake eyes and was about to tell her to keep sleeping. Just as he was about to rise, her slender arms entwined tightly around his neck.

He froze for a moment and tried to remove her arms, but the next second, she pressed her lips against his.

Their intimate kiss quickly ignited the familiar warmth between them. His hands explored the softness and smoothness—silk or skin indistinguishable. At first, Lu Shuyan tried to restrain himself, but when he caught her dreamy, confused gaze, as if she didn’t understand why tonight was different, his resolve crumbled completely.

Clothes rustled and slipped to the floor. The bed creaked slightly. Outside, the full moon slipped behind the clouds, unwilling to witness any more.

...

The next day.

It was a workday.

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Despite just landing after a long business trip at dawn, the ever-busy man still chose to go to work today.

Morning at Mingjing Residence was as bustling as usual.

In the wardrobe, Si Nian, still in her nightdress, stood obediently in front of Lu Shuyan, helping him tie his tie.

Tying a tie had long become routine for her. Almost every morning they were together, this was how it went. But today, as she tied Lu Shuyan’s tie, she felt his gaze on her was somehow different.

Lu Shuyan seemed to be watching her constantly.

His eyes held something indescribable—like scrutiny mixed with hesitation.

This made Si Nian think back to last night.

Lu Shuyan had seemed somewhat off as well. She had been half-asleep and immediately thought of serving him, but at first, Lu Shuyan didn’t seem inclined to continue. He even appeared to want to stop.

Of course, leaving aside how things eventually escalated to the point he nearly exhausted her after a month apart.

Si Nian finished tying the tie, her brow furrowed slightly with confusion. Suddenly, she heard him call softly from above:

“Si Nian.”

“Hmm?” she looked up instinctively.

Lu Shuyan met the sight of her face—fresh from sleep, without a trace of makeup, still stunning.

His thin lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but upon seeing her clear, captivating eyes and her obedient, motionless waiting, the words stuck in his throat and went unspoken.

Si Nian waited for him to continue.

Lu Shuyan took up his suit jacket: “I’m going to work.”

Si Nian was a bit stunned, then said “Oh,” and saw him to the door.

A new day officially began.

Apart from Lu Shuyan’s early return from his trip, it was an ordinary day for Si Nian.

As Lu Shuyan’s girlfriend, she didn’t have to work.

Not that he forbade her; he had even once suggested she take on a job without worrying about losses. But Si Nian felt that being Lu Shuyan’s girlfriend was already exhausting enough—a 24/7, year-round duty, demanding emotional and physical investment. To push herself further by working was like doing two jobs at once—why torment herself?

So now she spent her days shopping with Lu Shuyan’s card, enjoying spa and Pilates, occasionally attending artful flower arranging or craft classes. Her days passed smoothly.

In a way, this barely eased the bitterness of Lu Shuyan’s prolonged reluctance to break up.

In the afternoon, after finishing her flower arranging class, Si Nian arrived at a prearranged handmade dessert shop.

The waiter brought out all the shop’s signature sweets, adorably arranged to fill the table.

Si Nian didn’t start eating right away but glanced at the empty seat across from her and then at her phone. After waiting a while, the waiter finally led someone in.

From a distance, the newcomer saw the dessert spread and exclaimed, “You’re gonna make me fat!”

Si Nian smiled hearing the voice and waved her phone at the friend who had finally managed to meet her: “Twenty minutes late today.”

Jiang Yihan set down her bag and pulled out a chair: “I skipped work for this date!”

Looking at the exquisitely made desserts, she said, “Si Nian, what kind of trap did you set? No way, I can’t eat this or I’ll get fat. The editor-in-chief will kill me, never gonna be deputy editor.”

Si Nian watched Jiang Yihan’s hungry eyes and her repeated warnings about not eating sweets, then asked, “Does your editor-in-chief still care about weight?”

“Used not to,” Jiang Yihan said, swallowing several times before choosing to drink unsweetened black tea, “But recently two skinny interns came, all malnourished, making my normal figure look like a balloon. I feel the editor-in-chief’s been looking at me more and more unfavorably.”

Si Nian burst out laughing.

Jiang Yihan, feeling overwhelmed by the desserts, called the waiter to remove everything except a small piece of low-sugar cookie. Si Nian kept a portion of tiramisu.

With the calorie bombs cleared away, the dieter’s mood seemed to settle.

Jiang Yihan, having just mentioned the magazine’s affairs, was about to ask if anything had happened today when her eyes caught a faint pink mark peeking from Si Nian’s collar. She blinked: “Lu Shuyan’s back?”

Si Nian looked down, her cheeks flushing, and hurriedly adjusted her collar: “Yeah.”

“Back early last night.”

Confirming it was a hickey, Jiang Yihan looked at her bright-eyed friend.

She recalled how Si Nian once swore never to give him her body, how holding hands was the greatest limit. She thought it would be a short fling, but now Si Nian was like an over-invested stock, trapped and sinking deeper, only able to be herself briefly over afternoon tea with close friends. A pang of guilt rose in her heart.

“Sorry, Nian Nian,” Jiang Yihan swallowed nervously, “In the end, I have some responsibility for this.”

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Si Nian: “What responsibility?”

Jiang Yihan: “Your thing with Lu Shuyan.”

She looked down, stirring her tea with a small spoon. “Basically, at the start, I did encourage you…”

Si Nian was silent.

They had been university classmates. When they first met, Si Nian was a small-time model hustling various odd jobs. Jiang Yihan was a rookie intern at a fashion magazine. They became good friends.

Later, Si Nian unexpectedly learned that the arrogant exchange student with the remarkable looks was the heir to the Rongsheng Group, the Lu family’s young master. She also heard that this Lu heir changed girlfriends abroad like changing clothes, with the breakup fees for the last one reaching eight figures.

At that time, Si Nian was at a confusing stage where Lu Shuyan might have misunderstood her but also might have feelings for her.

Lu Shuyan thought she was a pure, timid, innocent girl straight out of a romance drama.

So when Si Nian heard about the eight-figure breakup fee and felt tempted and conflicted about whether to try, Jiang Yihan had indeed encouraged her strongly.

“Try it. Go for it.”

That was eight figures.

“You make three hundred per modeling gig, I make a hundred fifty per day as an intern. How many lifetimes would it take to earn that? Just playing the poor little girlfriend for a couple months—if you hesitate, you’re disrespecting the eight figures.”

On one hand, she was encouraged by her friend; on the other, Si Nian calculated how many jobs she’d have to take, how many unreasonable clients and harassment she’d endure. After the math, she resolutely decided to go for the big gamble.

In the end, it turned out Lu Shuyan, though seemingly cold and noble, wasn’t so hard to approach.

He was even the one who formally proposed dating.

“Do you think the rumors back then were off?” Jiang Yihan sighed and, once again slamming the table, concluded that the blame should lie with whoever started the gossip:

“Who the hell started that rumor that Lu Shuyan changed girlfriends every three months? How many three-month periods has that been now?”

Si Nian leaned back, expression deadpan: “I think so.”

If spreading rumors were punishable, she’d wish the person spreading that one would get life imprisonment.

The topic grew heavy. After finishing, they exchanged silent looks. Jiang Yihan, facing Si Nian’s gloomy face, changed the subject:

“By the way, what did you want to tell me when you asked me out today?”

Si Nian suddenly remembered the main reason for meeting Jiang Yihan for afternoon tea.

Some feelings were hard to express well over WeChat and needed to be said in person.

So Si Nian looked at Jiang Yihan, furrowed her brow slightly, and carefully described the subtle wrongness she had sensed since Lu Shuyan’s early return last night.

He hadn’t replied to her messages promptly; at first, he didn’t seem to want to be with her; this morning, he kept looking at her with an ambiguous expression; he seemed to want to say something but held back... and so on.

What was really going on?

Why was it like this?

Si Nian’s hand propped her cheek, eyes fixed on the tablecloth, her face full of confusion.

After all, being Lu Shuyan’s girlfriend was her job now, and if the job wasn’t going well—if the “boss” seemed displeased—it was truly worrisome.

Or perhaps Lu Shuyan’s oddness didn’t begin last night, but sometime earlier, or even long before that.

She just hadn’t noticed.

Jiang Yihan stared blankly at her worried friend.

Seeing Si Nian’s puzzled face, as if the answer was obvious but she was too lost to see it, Jiang Yihan belatedly grasped that this might be the despair of someone long disappointed and hopeless, whose heart was nearly dead.

After Si Nian finished, she looked to Jiang Yihan, hoping for some perspective.

Jiang Yihan took a sip of tea to calm her nerves. Facing Si Nian’s expectant face, she swallowed hard and finally said:

“Girl, based on what you just described...”

“Is Lu Shuyan trying to break up with you?”

“Huh?” Si Nian was suddenly struck to the core.