Chapter 12

“Yes, it’s time to sleep.”
“Mm.”

It felt like the clock striking midnight in Cinderella, pulling them back to reality. They both stood up; the computer was shut without being properly powered down. She tidied up her notes, and Lin Jinshen took the teapot and his cup, placing them in the sink for the housekeeper to clean the next day.

Within a minute, the area by the sofa was spotless. Lin Jinshen went upstairs, and Lu Yi said goodnight to Puff. What had just happened seemed as if it never occurred.

By 11 p.m., they were both lying in bed, lights off, enveloped by darkness.

Lu Yi couldn’t sleep. Hugging her quilt, she stared at the pitch-black ceiling.

The scene kept replaying in her mind. Details she hadn’t noticed during the kiss now seemed magnified.

For instance, at one point, Lin Jinshen appeared to swallow.

His long neck, pale skin accentuating the blue veins, the deliberate bobbing of his Adam’s apple, the faint sound of swallowing… She shut her eyes tightly, but the image persisted.

This was normal. Didn’t married couples kiss?

A kiss shouldn’t warrant such an overreaction, especially since it wasn’t her first.

Go to sleep!

But after another ten minutes of lying wide awake, she opened her eyes again.

She still couldn’t get used to having another man in bed with her.

Sleeping at 11 p.m. felt like a crime against humanity.

As she silently complained, there was a slight movement on the other side of the bed. She held her breath, staying still. After two or three seconds, the man beside her shifted slightly again.

It wasn’t a full turn, just a small adjustment in posture.

A few seconds later came a low, indeterminate sound from his throat.

Irritated. Impatient.

So, Lin Jinshen wasn’t asleep either?

Lu Yi felt somewhat vindicated—at least she wasn’t the only one suffering insomnia tonight.

—

The next morning, Lu Yi woke to find the other side of the bed empty. She got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. The sink was immaculate, as if untouched. It was clear that Lin Jinshen had already cleaned it after use—a habitual neatness.

The trash bin contained a few wads of tissues, evidence of his presence.

She had no appetite for breakfast, grabbing a few cups of coffee on the way to the office and distributing them to her team.

“Thank you, Teacher Lu!”
“Teacher Lu, you’re an absolute angel. I feel bad for taking this.”

Lu Yi waved it off. “I just picked them up on the way. No need to be so formal.”

Yu Qian raised her cup in a mock toast. “Thanks, gorgeous!”

“The contact for Xin Qi is still nowhere to be found,” a colleague reported. “We even tried reaching his classmates. Should we just drop him from the list?”

Since Xin Qi was someone Lu Yi had high hopes for, they turned to her for a decision.

“I’ll give it one more try. If there’s no progress today, we’ll move on,” she said.

“Got it.”

It was already Friday, and the project’s deadline waited for no one.

Lu Yi turned to Yu Yin for help.

Yu Yin was a blogger with extensive online resources and a wide network of friends across various fields. If anyone could dig up Xin Qi’s whereabouts, it was her.

Yu Yin: [Hold tight.]

That “holding tight” stretched into the afternoon before Yu Yin finally sent over a phone number:

[This is his mobile, but I’ve heard from friends that 9 times out of 10, it won’t go through. The guy is practically a recluse who barely uses electronics.]
[Here’s his current address. He’s renting a house in a remote village on the outskirts and supposedly painting there.]
[Do you have to work with him? Honestly, you’d be better off picking someone else. Word is, he’s not all there mentally.]

Lu Yi responded with a shocked emoji, once again amazed by Yu Yin’s detective skills:
[You’re a gem! This is such a big help.]

Yu Yin: [?! That’s it? Too dull. I want an 800-word essay praising my genius within ten minutes.]

Lu Yi laughed. She tried calling several times, but no one answered. When she called again, the phone was switched off. Checking the address, she saw that it was in a remote area, requiring a three-to-four-hour drive. By the time she’d get there, it would already be six or seven in the evening. Still, she decided to give it a shot.

She texted: [Do you have plans today?]

Yu Yin: [Nothing major. Why?]

Lu Yi: [Want to go shoot some unconventional content?]

Yu Yin replied bluntly: [Dream on!]

—

Half an hour later, Lu Yi had Yu Yin in the car. Before getting on the highway, she stopped to refuel.

Yu Yin crossed her arms and gave her a sidelong glance. “Ms. Lu, this is kidnapping. Until my lawyer arrives, you have the right to remain silent.”

Lu Yi smiled but said nothing.

Yu Yin scoffed in amusement. “Not only kidnapping, but now you’re giving me the silent treatment too?”

“I’m exercising my rights,” Lu Yi replied simply.

Though Yu Yin initially protested loudly, once they were on the highway, she pulled out her camera to film the scenery. Her tone softened, becoming serene: “Hello, everyone. Today’s theme is ‘Escaping the City.’”

Lu Yi was used to this.

They swapped drivers at a rest stop.

Yu Yin groaned, “I still can’t figure out why you don’t just hire a driver. Better yet, get yourself a more luxurious car. Your husband’s loaded, isn’t he? He can’t be stingy with a little spending money.”

“I don’t want to.”

“‘I don’t want to,'” Yu Yin mimicked mockingly. “You’ve only been married a few days, and you’re already helping him save money. Let me tell you, if you don’t spend it, someone else will.”

“…”

Lu Yi ignored her, busy with research and coordinating information with colleagues. To Yu Yin’s endless chatter, she only responded with a distracted “Mm-hmm.”

Finally, Yu Yin cut to the chase. “So… have you two done it?”

“Mm.”

“What? You have, and you didn’t tell me?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Yu Yin’s voice rose in disbelief. “Lu Yi! Say ‘mm’ one more time! Did you or didn’t you? Is he… functional or not?”

Lu Yi snapped out of her focus, looked up, and clarified: “…No, we haven’t.”

Then she added, “But we kissed.”

“Just kissed?”

“Mm.”

“No further action?”

“No.”

“…”

Yu Yin let out a cold laugh, her disdain for Lin Jinshen growing deeper. “That’s just a delay tactic. If he kissed you and didn’t… respond, is he even a man?”

“You can still get divorced, you know. It’s not too late.”

Since the wedding wasn’t public yet, a divorce now wouldn’t cause much trouble.

Going through the same process again? Lu Yi would rather forgo intimacy altogether. She glanced at the darkening sky. “Does it look like rain to you?”

The GPS showed they were about ten minutes away. Yu Yin agreed, “Could be. Let’s wrap this up quickly. If he refuses, don’t waste time arguing.”

“Got it.”

As they approached the village, the road turned into a bumpy dirt path. The GPS couldn’t provide further guidance, so Lu Yi rolled down the window to ask for directions.

Most villagers were elderly, and though they struggled to hear clearly, they patiently communicated with the two women. Upon hearing they were looking for a painter, one elder raised a hand and pointed in a direction.

“Oh, the big artist, you mean? Always carrying things up the hill. Stays there all day.”

The car drove deeper into the village as the sky grew darker. The headlights illuminated a tall, thin figure crossing in front of the car, carrying a painting easel and a bucket of paints. His face was largely obscured by an overgrown beard, making it hard to guess his age.

“That’s him.”

“Stay in the car, darling. I’ll talk to him,” Lu Yi said.

She gathered her belongings from her lap, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stepped out.

“If anything happens, call me,” Yu Yin called from the car.

“Got it.”

Lu Yi closed the car door and quickly caught up. “Mr. Xin.”

She called out two or three times but received no response.

It wasn’t until she got closer and took a breath that she said, “Mr. Xin, hello. My name is Lu Yi. I’m a curator at Yi Xing. I came here to discuss a potential collaboration with you.”

Xin Qi fixed his gaze on her. After several seconds, he said, “I don’t have anything to collaborate on.”

“Wait, could you spare me five minutes? I drove four hours from Beijing for this meeting. I’m very sincere about this collaboration and truly admire your work.”

Xin Qi remained unmoved. After glancing away, he resumed walking, dismissively saying, “I don’t care how you found me or how long it took you to get here. My answer remains the same: I have no interest in collaborating.”

“…”

“Three minutes, then? You can tell me your terms.”

“…”

Xin Qi didn’t look back, walking onto the narrow ridge path and leaving Lu Yi behind.

Yu Yin, still waiting in the car, couldn’t resist getting out when she saw what was happening. “Enough! There’s no point talking to someone who thinks so highly of themselves. Does he really think he’s a master, looking down on everyone?”

The man didn’t respond.

Within minutes, his figure disappeared into the dark, fading into a tiny silhouette.

Lu Yi returned to the car, expecting this outcome. Still, she didn’t look particularly disheartened. She circled to the driver’s seat and said, “I’ll drive.”

“Don’t take it to heart. I could find you a dozen painters of his level,” Yu Yin consoled.

Lu Yi chuckled. “With so many, I wouldn’t have enough wall space to display them all.”

Yu Yin smirked. “We’ll have you change the paintings daily.”

As the car turned around, Lu Yi’s phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen, she parked the car, signaled to Yu Yin, and answered.

It was Lin Jinshen calling.

His voice, deeper over the phone, explained that Ms. Qin had sent a box of freshly flown-in seafood to Chengxi Garden, urging them to eat it while it was fresh. He wouldn’t be home early due to work, so he asked when Lu Yi planned to return.

“I’ll be home late as well. Have Aunt Fang clean and store it in the fridge,” Lu Yi replied.

Lin Jinshen acknowledged her with a hum and asked, “Are you working overtime?”

“Not exactly. I’m currently in the eastern suburbs, outside of Beijing. I’m heading back now, but it’ll take some time to drive.” Lu Yi explained.

“Work-related?”

“Yes. I came to see the painter we discussed last night, hoping to try my luck.”

Lin Jinshen didn’t press further, simply reminding her to be careful on the road.

After hanging up, Lu Yi noticed Yu Yin’s amused expression.

“What?”

Yu Yin, arms crossed, grinned with a knowing look. “You and your husband sure seem to have a lot to talk about.”

Lu Yi restarted the car, explaining, “Just married life and its trivialities. You’ll understand when you get married.”

“I’m not getting married,” Yu Yin replied. Tossing her hair back, she sighed wistfully, “But I’m afraid I’ll end up like you, trapped in the same fate. Maybe I should just find a man now and settle.”

She had said this often but never acted on it.

Both women exchanged knowing smiles.

Lu Yi drove the return trip, Yu Yin dozing off in the passenger seat. The rain made driving harder. The wipers worked overtime, and occasional lightning illuminated the stormy night, promising it wouldn’t clear up anytime soon.

—

At Chengxi Garden, Lin Jinshen returned home at 10 p.m. After showering, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the torrential rain and listening to the howling wind.

He checked the time—10:30 p.m.—and noted that Lu Yi hadn’t returned. The last call had been made at 6 p.m. With a furrowed brow, he turned off his phone, resisting the urge to call again.

Previously, even one call had seemed unnecessary.

His gaze lingered on the storm for a moment before dropping to the floor, where a wicker cat bed lay near his feet. Inside, nestled on soft cushions, was a small cat, curled up with its neck tucked in, its eyes flitting toward him.

Man and cat stared at each other for a long moment.

Lin Jinshen’s expression remained cold, his disdain for the creature evident. Finally, he sneered, “What are you looking at? Your owner isn’t here.”

The cat shrank further into its bed, looking especially pitiful.

His irritation flared as he muttered, “You have a lousy owner.”

It was late, and Lu Yi still hadn’t come home. Even her cat was neglected.

Sensing the tension, the cat stayed silent, making no noise or movement.

After a few minutes, Lin Jinshen decided to head upstairs to continue working before his precisely scheduled bedtime. He paused after a few steps, reconsidering. Taking out his phone, he dialed Lu Yi’s number.

As her husband, it was his duty to check on her, especially in weather like this. If she came home late, it would disturb his routine.

The call connected after two rings, Lu Yi’s clear voice coming through amid the sound of heavy rain. “Lin Jinshen?”

“Mm. When are you coming back?”

In the background noise of pouring rain, her voice was slightly raised as she explained, “I’ve run into a bit of trouble and might not be able to make it back tonight. Is Puff okay?”

“She’s fine,” Lin Jinshen replied. “What trouble?”

“The car broke down halfway. I’m waiting for roadside assistance,” Lu Yi explained.

Her day had been unusually unlucky—or perhaps the car too delicate—breaking down on the return journey after enduring bumpy mountain roads. She had managed to pull over and turn on the hazard lights before it fully died.

She had already called for help but wasn’t sure how long it would take in this weather.

“Where are you?” Lin Jinshen’s voice was almost inaudible.

Lu Yi gave him a general idea, adding, “I didn’t want to disturb you so late. I’ll just find a hotel to stay at once everything is sorted…”

Lin Jinshen interrupted her, “Send me your location.”

Lu Yi blinked, unsure of his intent. Before she could ask, he added, “I’ll come to pick you up.”

It wasn’t a question but a flat statement.

“Uh?” Lu Yi glanced at the storm outside, the rain hammering down like the end of the world. She hesitated, not wanting to inconvenience him. “The tow truck is on its way. There’s no need. I can handle it.”

“Send it to me.”

“I don’t want to explain to both sets of parents tomorrow morning why I left you stranded on the roadside in a storm.”

Lu Yi’s breath hitched, and she coughed lightly. “I didn’t tell my parents.”

“Lu Yi.”

Lin Jinshen’s voice, coming closer over the phone as he got dressed, was calm but firm. “Wait for me. I’ll come to you.”

The call ended.

Lu Yi held her phone, her mind momentarily blank. A few seconds later, she opened her chat with Lin Jinshen and shared her location. After sending it, she turned her phone face down, her gaze vacant, feeling slightly uneasy.

Confined to the small space of the car for too long, her limbs were stiff. Resting her hands on the steering wheel, she stared out at the relentless downpour.

About twenty minutes later.

A black Bentley pulled up beside her Mini. The window rolled down, revealing Lin Jinshen’s face—his sharp features and deep-set eyes met hers through the rain.

“Wait.”

The rain was too loud for her to hear clearly. Lu Yi thought he had asked her to get out.

Grabbing her phone and bag, she gritted her teeth and opened the door, stepping into the downpour. The rain poured down like a waterfall. In her haste, she saw Lin Jinshen opening his door simultaneously. They locked eyes briefly before, with a snap, he opened an umbrella—a black dome mushrooming instantly under the torrent.

“…”

So he hadn’t meant for her to get out.

Her surprise and awkwardness lasted only a moment. Both of them quickly climbed back into his car, now soaked. Settling into their seats, they exchanged a glance, confirming they were both dripping wet.

“…”

“Sorry,” Lu Yi said awkwardly. “I thought you wanted me to get out.”

“It’s fine.”

The car’s heater was on, providing warmth despite the damp clothes sticking to their skin. Lin Jinshen tossed the umbrella into the back seat and removed his jacket, which was half wet, half dry. “Use this to dry off.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Lu Yi took the jacket and made a cursory attempt to wipe the water from her hair.

She noticed he was wearing sleepwear—likely having already showered before her call—paired with a hastily grabbed jacket. Her eyes drifted down. At least he wasn’t wearing slippers; instead, his leather shoes were now soaked from the rain.

Even in such a casual state, his chiseled profile looked strikingly presentable.

There was no need to stay parked any longer. The tow truck would arrive soon to take her car for repairs, and she could pick it up later.

They spoke little during the drive. Once home, they parked, took the elevator upstairs, and she found herself still holding his jacket.

“Give me the jacket,” Lin Jinshen said with a glance, noting it was wet and unnecessary for her to carry.

Lu Yi handed it back to him.

Tonight, she wore a chiffon blouse and a pencil skirt. When they switched cars earlier, she had been drenched, leaving the thin fabric clinging to her skin, faintly revealing the outline of her undergarments. A quick glance exposed the smooth curve of her neckline and shoulders.

Lin Jinshen averted his gaze immediately, his tone colder. “Just hold on to it.”

“?”

Lu Yi found herself clutching the jacket to her chest again.

The elevator reached their floor, and after fingerprint unlocking the door, they entered the apartment one after the other.

“Meow~”

Puff emerged from its cat bed, hesitantly observing from a distance because of Lin Jinshen’s presence.

Changing his shoes without sparing the cat a glance, Lin Jinshen said, “Go take a shower before you catch a cold.”

“Alright.”

While switching shoes, Lu Yi’s wet feet slipped. Lin Jinshen caught her wrist just in time, steadying her as she stumbled against his chest. Instinctively, she gripped his arm.

He was wet. And very warm.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her voice small.

Lin Jinshen released her, his furrowed brows remaining tight.

After changing her shoes, Lu Yi knelt briefly to stroke Puff’s head, then went upstairs to grab her pajamas and head to the bathroom. The hot water washed away the cold and exhaustion.

When she emerged, Lin Jinshen was already in bed, lying perfectly straight, his arms at his sides, as if posing for a textbook on proper sleeping posture.

His eyes were closed. The light was still on.

Lu Yi softened her steps. It was past midnight; by his strict schedule, he would already have been asleep for an hour.

She turned off the lights and carefully climbed into bed. Darkness stretched the process into a drawn-out series of slow movements.

Despite the exhaustion, her mind was too wired to rest. Based on the past few nights, she expected to stay awake until at least 2 a.m.

The rain still hadn’t stopped. The weather forecast had said it would last until the early morning.

She hadn’t anticipated Lin Jinshen’s involvement tonight. She had been ready to handle the tow truck herself and sleep at a hotel. But he had shown up—in sleepwear, no less.

He said it was because he didn’t want to face questions from their parents about leaving her stranded in a storm.

That made sense.

Even without love, they were married in name.

Relaxing at last, Lu Yi shifted positions to get comfortable.

“Lu Yi.”

Lin Jinshen’s voice broke the silence, tinged with irritation.

She froze mid-turn, feeling guilty. “Did I wake you?”

He neither confirmed nor denied it, releasing an ambiguous grunt. Before she could apologize, he turned toward her and asked, “Do you know what time it is?”

It was a standard double bed, and his movement disrupted the safe distance between them. His voice felt as if it were spoken directly into her ear.

Her mind buzzed. Nervously, she replied, “After midnight?”

“It’s already Saturday.”

“…”

Lu Yi already felt bad enough. She was about to say something to make up for it when Lin Jinshen, his tone steady and matter-of-fact, added:

“We haven’t completed this week’s three sessions.”

“…What?”

“There are only two days left.”

“If we don’t make up for it, it’ll be three sessions a day.”

“???”