The bedroom was dimly lit by a warm yellow bedside lamp. The soft light cast a hazy glow over the two people locked in an embrace.

Xia Liyang’s heart raced heavily, yet her feet felt light as if she were walking on clouds.

The man in front of her seemed like a skilled hunter, his movements calm and unhurried.

With his long fingers, he gently pulled apart the thin straps of her swimsuit at the back. The lightweight fabric fell to her feet.

His hot lips slid down her body, slowly tracing her delicate curves. 

The sensation sent shivers through her, and her slender, pale neck instinctively tilted back.

Her breathing quickened, as if she were drowning.

The bedside lamp went out, and the damp sea breeze rustled the roses by the window, creating a soft whisper.

The sounds intertwined with the rustling of the sheets.

The moonlight faded, accompanied by breaths both long and short.

Finally, everything settled into darkness and tranquility.

When the blinding sunlight streamed through the curtain’s gap, Xia Liyang groggily woke up.

She instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes from the annoying light but realized her arm felt as heavy as lead.

Her back ached terribly.

It was then that she remembered everything that had happened between her and Lu Huaicheng last night.

Her breath caught for a moment as she slowly turned over.

Seeing that Lu Huaicheng was not there, she breathed a small sigh of relief.

After smoothing her messy long hair, she propped herself up on the pillow.

The red polka-dot swimsuit she had worn was already picked up from the floor, neatly folded at the foot of the bed.

But when she caught sight of it, she couldn’t help but recall his hoarse voice whispering in her ear: “You don’t need to cover up. You’re beautiful.”

Her ears flushed with warmth, and she hurriedly stuffed the swimsuit back into her suitcase.

Xia Liyang walked out of the bedroom, finding Lu Huaicheng already sitting at the dining table.

He elegantly held a coffee cup, his shirt perfectly pressed, the collar button meticulously fastened just below his Adam’s apple.

His face remained as handsome and dignified as ever.

In contrast, she was still in her nightgown, looking weary with disheveled hair.

He looked radiant and full of energy.

“You’re up?” Lu Huaicheng glanced up, sipping his coffee at a leisurely pace.

“Mm.” Xia Liyang nodded, her voice a bit hoarse.

“Did you sleep well last night?” He set down his coffee cup, his dark gaze fixed on her.

In that moment, as she met his deep, black eyes, Xia Liyang recalled how those eyes had shone brightly in the darkness last night, how the sweat-drenched hair fell over his defined brow, brushing against her smooth cheek.

She couldn’t help but lower her thick lashes, stammering for a while without giving him a reply.

Seeing her awkward and shy demeanor, Lu Huaicheng chuckled softly, “I was asking if you slept well afterward. What were you thinking about?”

“…” Xia Liyang stiffened, her cheeks flushing even more as she hurriedly replied, “I slept… quite well.”

“Mm.” Lu Huaicheng paused slightly, his deep eyes gazing at her, his tone teasing yet serious, “Why don’t you answer the question you were thinking about?”

“…I wasn’t thinking about anything.” Xia Liyang bit her lip, her gaze drifting. “I, I need to wash up.”

With that, she dashed into the bathroom like a startled rabbit.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at the door she had closed, the corners of his lips curling up.

He looked pleased and continued sipping his coffee.

Xia Liyang turned on the cold water faucet and washed her face for a long time before the heat in her cheeks subsided.

Looking in the mirror, she noticed the remnants of his passionate marks scattered across her pale skin, appearing especially striking against her fair complexion.

To be honest, she had always thought that descriptions of such experiences in novels were exaggerated.

But after going through it herself, she realized it wasn’t far from the truth.

With Lu Huaicheng’s stamina, he would certainly qualify as a male lead in any romantic novel.

After breakfast, it was almost 10 AM.

The driver waiting outside took their luggage and drove them to the airport.

The flight from Lianzhou Island to Beicheng was short.

By 3 PM, they had already exited the airport.

However, the weather in Beicheng was far from the pleasantness of Lianzhou Island.

The humid air clung to her skin like a stubborn plaster, suffocating her.

Two black sedans were parked by the roadside, a Cullinan and a Maybach.

Under the scorching afternoon sun, they reflected a subtle luxury.

Lu Huaicheng, tall and upright, had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and two buttons at the collar were loosened.

His elegant hands opened the door of the Maybach’s back seat for Xia Liyang, and he gently instructed, “I’ve arranged for someone to buy your high-speed train ticket to Lincheng for tomorrow morning. You can stay at a nearby hotel for the night and rest well. A driver will come to pick you up in the morning to take you to the train station. I have a business meeting later, so I won’t be able to accompany you.”

“I understand, thank you, Mr. Lu.” Xia Liyang slightly bit her lip, lifting her eyes hesitantly to ask him, “Will you come to my hotel tonight?”

“…” Lu Huaicheng paused, his hand on the door handle, and looked at her with his deep, dark eyes, a hint of amusement flickering in their depths. “What’s wrong? Was last night not satisfying enough?”

“I didn’t mean it that way…” Xia Liyang’s face flushed again as she lowered her gaze, her ears turning pink.

She just wanted to confirm whether this was indeed the time to bid him a final farewell.

Of course, she couldn’t explain this to him.

Noticing the slightly unnatural blush on her face, Lu Huaicheng recalled how she had looked just like this last night, her long black hair scattered across the pristine pillow, her eyes glistening with tears, her soft voice calling his name in broken murmurs.

His Adam’s apple rolled slightly, and his dark eyes narrowed.

Then he gave a gentle smile, with a meaningful tone: “I won’t come to see you tonight; otherwise, you definitely won’t get any rest. Let’s meet again in Jiangcheng.”

“…Oh.”

Xia Liyang, instantly understanding his meaning, felt her earlobes blush from light pink to deep red.

After a moment, she lifted her eyes with a serious look and said, “Then, goodbye, Mr. Lu.”

“Mm.” Lu Huaicheng smiled, his deep eyes shimmering like melting spring water.

After she got into the back seat, Lu Huaicheng closed the car door for her and gracefully turned to get into the Cullinan in front.

Through the front window, Xia Liyang stared blankly at his black Cullinan as it drove away, feeling a faint melancholy as she unconsciously pressed her lips tightly together.

Goodbye, Mr. Lu.

But it would be goodbye forever.

That night, Xia Liyang inexplicably had some insomnia.

Even though her body was exhausted, she just couldn’t sleep well.

After having a buffet breakfast at the hotel, she dragged her suitcase and got into the car that Lu Huaicheng had sent.

It was still the same Maybach from yesterday, with the same driver.

Xia Liyang couldn’t resist asking about Lu Huaicheng’s whereabouts that morning.

But she only received, “Sorry, Miss, I don’t know.”

Forget it; she was leaving anyway, so there was no need to care about what he was doing.

Once she arrived at the train station, Xia Liyang went to the ticket counter, intending to change her high-speed rail ticket to Jiangcheng.

However, all the high-speed rail tickets to Jiangcheng for that day had been sold out. She didn’t want to endure a slow train for over ten hours, so she refunded her Lincheng ticket and bought one for the high-speed rail to Jiangcheng departing the next afternoon.

Afterward, she wandered with her suitcase down the sun-drenched streets of Beicheng, looking for a nearby hotel within walking distance to stay for the night.

At the first intersection, waiting for the light to turn, she spoted a Rolls-Royce Phantom with consecutive numbers on its license plate.

Her nerves jumped.

Just as she was about to dodge, she suddenly realized that the license plate was from Beicheng, and the numbers differed from Lu Huaicheng’s car.

She breathed a sigh of relief, stepping back slightly.

But the sight of this car reminded her of Lu Huaicheng.

She recalled the lonely look in his eyes when he mentioned his mother by the seaside.

Xia Liyang couldn’t help gripping the suitcase handle tighter, wondering what he truly meant to her.

If, at the start, she could still say that he was merely her “writing inspiration.”

But after spending so much time with him, after they had embraced, kissed, and slept together…

Saying that he was merely an inspiration felt like a lie.

Moreover, even if he didn’t intend to keep her around forever…

The things he had done for her were undeniably real.

She, on the other hand, hadn’t been entirely truthful with him.

The green light ahead blinked on, yet Xia Liyang remained rooted like a statue.

It wasn’t until the crowd began brushing past her shoulders that she snapped back to reality.

Forget it; let this be her way of compensating him.

Then she wouldn’t feel guilty every time she thought of him.

Xia Liyang lifted her suitcase, hurried across the street, and hailed a cab.

“Where to?” The driver flipped open the meter.

“Huake Institute.” Xia Liyang let out a deep breath, setting down her suitcase as she got into the back seat.

…..

She arrived at the gates of Huake Institute right around noon.

The blazing sun was so intense that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Getting out of the cab, she checked her phone, squinting at the blurred time—it was just after noon.

Her father, Xia Yanxu, was probably either in the cafeteria or the lab.

Though their family apartment was just a seven or eight-minute walk behind the institute, her father’s workaholic nature meant he never went home for lunch.

This would give her some time to settle in at home and prepare herself mentally.

And think of how to bring up the topic of Lu Huaicheng with her father.

However, just as she was dragging her suitcase past the cafeteria, she ran into Xu Songnian’s father, Xu Zhe.

Xia Liyang froze, quickly lowering her eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed her.

But Xu Zhe’s gaze landed on her face, his voice surprised, “Xiao Yang?”

“…Hello, Uncle Xu.” Xia Liyang was forced to lift her head and managed a faint smile.

“Old Xia! Stop eating—your daughter’s back!” Xu Zhe called back into the cafeteria.

“….” Xia Liyang’s body stiffened, suddenly unsure how to face her father.

She lowered her head again, like she was trying to escape, dragging her suitcase and striding forward.

Until she heard the hurried footsteps approaching behind her, and a familiar hand reached out, grabbing the handle of her suitcase.

“Let me.” Xia Yanxu’s tone was calm, his voice neutral.

Xia Liyang paused for two seconds, lowering her long lashes before slowly releasing her grip. “Alright.”

She had imagined their meeting countless times in the nearly two years since they last saw each other.

She wondered if he would reprimand her, mock her, or force her to reflect on her actions.

She never expected it to be this ordinary.

Just as it had been every time she came home, with him coming out to meet her.