Chapter 26.2

Driven by the promise of food, Puff had momentarily set aside its pride.

Lin Jinshen reached out his hand. His fingers, long and slender, seemed almost oversized compared to the small cat. He awkwardly lowered his hand. Startled, Puff recoiled slightly but was drawn back by the treat’s smell. Lin Jinshen’s petting felt more like a tentative tap.

The fur was soft, smooth, and unexpectedly pleasant to the touch—a strange sensation began to rise in him.

It wasn’t as unpleasant as he’d imagined.

Emboldened by the food, Puff became braver, stretching out one of its front legs to rest on Lin Jinshen’s leg.

“It’s starting to trust you now,” Lu Yi said, her tone light and cheerful. Physical contact marked the beginning of friendly interaction, and this first encounter was going remarkably well—neither the human nor the cat seemed resistant.

Lin Jinshen’s sharp brow furrowed slightly as if to say, Do I need a cat’s trust?

Lu Yi smiled, her lips curving. “Do you want to try holding it?”

His expression shifted instantly, his refusal crisp and absolute. “No.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Not in this lifetime.”

“Oh.”

Lu Yi replied softly, her eyes gleaming with amusement. If Lin Jinshen truly meant what he said, perhaps he should have removed Puff’s paw from his leg to make his stance more convincing.

Lin Jinshen asked, “Are you free this weekend?”

“Is something happening?” Lu Yi asked.

“Mom wants us to take half a day to have lunch at her place. She has something she wants to discuss.”

Lu Yi blinked and asked, “What is it?”

“Wedding photos.”

Lin Jinshen answered plainly. He stopped squeezing the treat tube, ignoring Puff’s pleading gaze, and pinched the cat by the scruff of its neck to remove it from his lap. Before setting it down, he lightly tapped its head with his index finger.

You’re already this chubby, and you still want to eat?

Lu Yi was briefly stunned. She had thought they could just casually take some wedding photos to fulfill the obligation, but it seemed there was more to discuss.

“What’s there to discuss?” she asked, confused.

“How many outfits, the style, and where to shoot,” Lin Jinshen explained.

“…Isn’t one set enough?”

“One set?” Lin Jinshen’s lips tugged into a faint, knowing smirk. “You have twenty options.”

“?”

—

The two mothers were especially invested in the wedding photos, seeing them as the beginning of a beautiful marital memory.

Between them, they had selected twenty different styles. Each was deemed stunning, and they imagined that swapping in Lu Yi and Lin Jinshen’s faces would make any of them perfect. So, they chose all of them.

Admittedly, twenty was excessive. The mothers’ compromise was to start with ten sets. The couple needed to decide which ten, with Lu Yi’s preferences taking priority.

Shooting ten sets would take at least four or five days.

Lu Yi first praised the mothers for their excellent taste and how beautiful the selections were. Then, with a shift in tone, she gently said, “But ten sets might be a bit much. I’m worried we’ll get too tired early on, and the later photos won’t turn out as good.”

Mrs. Qin found this reasonable and asked, “Then how many do you think are appropriate?”

“Five sets?” Lu Yi proposed, cutting the number in half. She had actually wanted to suggest three but feared that would be too drastic for Mrs. Qin to accept.

She had heard from friends about how exhausting wedding photoshoots could be.

Five sets seemed manageable, and Mrs. Qin reluctantly agreed. “Alright, it’s up to you.”

From the side, Lin Jinshen, who had been largely ignored, looked at Lu Yi’s expression and calmly said, “Three sets will do.”

“Lin Jinshen!”

Mrs. Qin’s patience snapped as she called him by his full name. Yet, mindful of her image in front of her daughter-in-law, she gritted her teeth and said, “You stay out of this. Your job is to cooperate.”

“Let’s go with five sets. It’ll probably take about three days,” Lu Yi said, glancing at Lin Jinshen. “Will you be able to take the time?”

Lin Jinshen nodded.

Mrs. Qin added enthusiastically, “His projects are all wrapped up now. He’s got plenty of time. You two can even make it a four- or five-day trip. Treat it like a vacation and have fun.”

Lu Yi couldn’t imagine vacationing with Lin Jinshen. The idea of being tethered to him for four or five days made her long for the relative joy of staying at work.

Mrs. Qin continued discussing wedding photo styles with Lu Yi.

“We must have beach photos—sunrise in the morning, sunset in the afternoon, with the sea horizon in the background. Casual shots will naturally look cinematic,” Mrs. Qin conveyed the shared opinions of the two mothers.

The photography team had already been arranged. Once Lu Yi finalized the style choices, outfits and accessories would quickly be coordinated, leaving nothing else for her to worry about.

The shoot was planned on a tropical island.

Mrs. Qin said, “How about next week? Xiao Yi, remember to take leave from work. I also need to inform my trainer and cancel a few classes.”

Lin Jinshen asked, “Why would you cancel your classes?”

“To accompany you two, of course! Not just me—Xiao Yi’s mom will come too. We’ll make sure to capture your most beautiful moments together.”

“If you both want to take a vacation, I can arrange a separate trip,” he replied.

“What do you mean? Are you saying you don’t want us there?”

Lin Jinshen calmly but firmly replied, “Yes. The shooting schedule is tight, and the weather there is too hot. There’s no need for you to endure the hassle.”

Although Lu Yi wanted both mothers to come along, with his reasoning laid out so plainly, disagreeing would seem unfilial. She nodded in agreement and said, “Exactly, Mom. I’ll send you plenty of pictures—it’ll be just like being there.”

Mrs. Qin was persuaded but lamented the loss of candid, everyday moments they wouldn’t capture. Finally, she relented, saying, “Fine, but you two take good care of yourselves.”

“Take lots of pictures, enjoy it like a vacation!”

“Got it.”

—

Lu Yi requested three days of leave from her company, adding the weekend to make five days.

Her supervisor, Sister Wei, jokingly asked if she was trying to escape a romantic debt. When Lu Yi explained she was going to take wedding photos, Sister Wei paused, her expression turning strange at the mention of “wedding.” After composing herself, she approved the leave with a simple, “Enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, Sister Wei.”

After leaving the office, Lu Yi began packing.

To be safe, she packed extra clothes: dresses, camisoles, shorts, swimsuits, pajamas, sunscreen, a full makeup kit, countless bottles and jars, and several pairs of shoes—all filling two suitcases.

Music played on her phone, and she hummed along. Passing by the full-length mirror, she caught a glimpse of herself smiling. She didn’t seem unhappy; in fact, she found herself looking forward to the trip.

It must have been a long time since her last vacation. Recently, all her energy had been focused on work.

Lu Yi pinched her cheeks and forced the upturned corners of her lips down.

Lin Jinshen’s luggage was minimal, not even filling a single suitcase. Lu Yi considered this wasteful and, since they’d be sharing a room anyway, added a few of her own items to his suitcase—clothes she couldn’t bear to leave behind.

Among his monochromatic black-and-white items, a splash of rainbow colors stood out.

There were no direct flights from their city to the island. Lin Jinshen had arranged for a private jet, with the flight path approved in advance. It was just enough for the two of them and the photography team.

Private jets were common, but the one Lin Jinshen had purchased two years ago was top-tier. It featured a luxurious suite with a soft, comfortable bed and fully equipped facilities.

Lu Yi inspected the bathroom. It was spotless, with a freesia-scented diffuser stone emitting a subtle, pleasant fragrance.

The sink cabinet held a full set of her usual skincare products, and the towels and bathrobes were all her preferred brands.

When she came out of the bathroom, Lin Jinshen was entering. “Do you like it?” he asked.

Lu Yi nodded. There wasn’t much to be dissatisfied with.

She set her bag down and sat on the bed. Testing its firmness, she leaned back, hands propping her body. As she relaxed, her eyes landed on a silver box on the bedside table. It looked familiar—she initially thought it was a perfume. But upon closer inspection, the words and logo on the box shocked her.

She turned to look at the man in the room with an incredulous expression.

“?!”

She hadn’t expected Lin Jinshen to have that prepared even on the plane.

His face remained utterly calm as he said, “I didn’t prepare that.”

“So, I misunderstood?” she asked, realizing it must have been arranged by the crew.

Indeed, it was different from what they usually used. The label read “ultra-thin, cooling, ribbed,” while theirs was more standard, without these embellishments. Even the size seemed off.

Embarrassed, Lu Yi bit her lip.

“It really wasn’t me,” Lin Jinshen reiterated.

His dark eyes were free of any mischievous glint, their steady gaze inexplicably making Lu Yi feel flustered. Her ears grew warm, as if she was the one being improper.

But she couldn’t be blamed—this was exactly the kind of thing he’d do.

After all, by his standards, they hadn’t met their “monthly quota” yet.

Before she could apologize, Lin Jinshen nonchalantly added, “What I prepared is in the suitcase.”