Of course, he remembered. “Hmm.”

“Now I’m giving it to you,” she said.

Lu Nian got off him, put on her slippers, and hurried into the room. Before long, she took out a picture album.

It was a collection of some of her original drafts from “Black and White.”

Out of respect for Lu Nian’s privacy, he had never bothered to find out what she was painting, and Lu Nian had never shown it to him.

His long and clean fingers stopped on the cover. “Can I see it?”

“It’s for you,” Lu Nian said. “Of course, you can.”

When he turned to the first page, his fingers paused.

Across the long years.

It was the scene from the rooftop back then, with the black-haired youth facing away from the setting sun, about sixteen or seventeen years old, slender and tall.

He recognized it at a glance.

The youth was wearing the uniform of Ancheng High School, and the location was the rooftop of their school, identical to reality.

Even his figure and height were almost the same as when he was seventeen.

Lu Nian rested her head on his shoulder and smiled, “How about it, does it look like you?”

He didn’t know when she painted it, thinking it might have been embellished by memories.

He pursed his lips, “I’m not that good-looking.”

“Why not?” Lu Nian said.

She still remembered his appearance at sixteen or seventeen, an exceptionally handsome and aloof young man, like a cold bamboo or a snow pine in the wind.

Lu Nian said, “Didn’t I tell you, I like the way you looked back then, so I remember it very clearly.”

He wasn’t used to her saying she liked him this way, feeling his face burning, and could only remain silent.

Turning to the next page, his hand completely froze.

It was still him, but without her, it was from that time at the Southern Buckwheat Inn.

The man’s clavicle, with that bright red beauty mark particularly prominent, was pointed out by her.

Only half of his face was shown, but the emotions were captured exceptionally well, especially the blush at the corners of his eyes and the redness on his fair skin, all depicted vividly.

He felt particularly ashamed seeing himself like this.

“You looked especially handsome back then,” Lu Nian insisted on coming close to him and speaking. “I painted it when I got back that night.”

These were all their intimate moments. Because they didn’t have many intimate moments, each one was memorable, and most of them were only from his perspective, obviously coming from Lu Nian’s point of view.

Lu Nian joined him in admiring this picture album again, which was her latest creative achievement.

“It’s really well painted,” Lu Nian said with some pride.

The composition and coloring were both excellent.

Although nothing explicit was shown, every pose and expression, the man’s fluctuating Adam’s apple, the sweat on his clavicle, the tightly pressed thin lips, every detail exuded a hidden sensuality.

“Do you like it?” she asked.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly, knowing this was her gift, seeing that she had put so much thought and effort into it, he lowered his long lashes and said softly, “I like it.”

Lu Nian looked very happy. “See, I told you, it’s painted really well.”

“I really want to send it out for everyone to see. There will definitely be a lot of likes then.”

Qin Si said nothing.

Seeing his expression, Lu Nian chuckled and her eyes curved. “Of course, I’m just teasing you.”

“You didn’t take it seriously, did you? Haha.” She really laughed, finding him so cute.

The man fell silent and then stood up.

Prepared to leave coldly.

Lu Nian went to pull him back, and he didn’t leave, but he didn’t speak either, just stood there, his profile looking aloof and proud.

A bit bad, did she tease him too much?

Did she make him angry?

Lu Nian hugged his waist, her breath sweet and honeyed. “Don’t be angry, how could I bear to send it out?”

He pursed his lips, but in the end, he didn’t push her away.

She continued, “You are my man, so only I can see it.”

This sentence completely disarmed him, and his face turned red.

“Then what about the promise you made to me…” she suddenly said.

The phone on the table suddenly rang.

Once, then again, seeming to not stop until they were interrupted.

It was Fang Deng calling, “Boss, Boss, are you free?”

After a while, the man’s cold voice came from the other end, with a hint of hoarseness, “What is it?”

“Zhao Tingyuan and the others have made a move. They’ve sent someone to Haicheng. Everyone we’re watching at Lu Zhihong’s place is still there, saying everything is normal. What should we do next?”

“We’re downstairs at your place,” Fang Deng said. “Shall we talk here or go to the company?”

“…the company,” he said. “Wait downstairs.”

“Hehe, actually, I’m already at your doorstep,” Fang Deng scratched his messy hair and awkwardly said, “I was in a hurry, and somehow ended up at your doorstep.”

When he opened the door, there seemed to be displeasure in the corners of the man’s eyes and eyebrows, with a hint of just-awoken laziness.

Two buttons of his shirt were undone, his black hair was a bit disheveled, and his gaze was somewhat gloomy.

Fang Deng, “…”

Did I interrupt something?

He buttoned up his shirt and coldly asked, “Do you want to continue staying at my place?”

At this moment, the bedroom door opened, and Lu Nian peeked out, “Who’s there?”

She also had a head of black hair, with a slender ankle peeking out from under her skirt.

When she saw Fang Deng, she said, “Senior Fang?”

“Good evening, Sister Nian,” Fang Deng greeted her.

Seeing Lu Nian like this, he didn’t disturb them right?

Qin Si seemed reluctant to let Fang Deng stay longer.

He pulled the door and said to Lu Nian, “I’ll be back at ten.”

Lu Nian nodded, knowing that when he said ten, it meant ten.

Minghong had been keeping an eye on Lu Zhihong’s movements and was fairly certain that he had decided to stay put.

He briefly explained Zhao’s recent movements and Qin Si’s simple plan.

“The key is still Lu Zhihong,” Qin Si said. “Keep an eye on him.”

After all, he was Lu Nian’s father, and Qin Si didn’t want Su Qingyou and the others to make any moves.

“When Zhao Yayuan comes over, you can tell him to go see Lu Zhihong directly,” Qin Si said. “Tell him not to come find us again.”

He asked Fang Deng, “Do you have Qiao Li’s contact information?”

Fang Deng nodded eagerly.

At the time, he secretly helped Zhao Yayuan leave the Zhao family.

Although Lu Nian privately asked him for help, how could he hide it from Qin Si’s eyes?

He just didn’t say anything and pretended not to know.

The affairs of the Zhao family were for them to resolve themselves.

Qin Si had no interest in meddling in other people’s family affairs or power struggles.

To put it bluntly, whether it was Zhao Tingyuan or Zhao Yayuan who ended up in power in the end had no effect on him.

Even aside from Lu Zhihong’s minor maneuvers, Su Qingyou and Zhao Tingyuan had never come to him to cause trouble.

On the contrary, Zhao Yayuan harbored clear hostility towards him.

It was all for Lu Nian.

He would do as she wished.

After Qin Si left, the house seemed to be genuinely empty.

Lu Nian felt bored, truly feeling lonely for the first time.

Before, whenever she was at home, Qin Si would silently stay at home with her most of the time.

On that rainy night, when they had made plans to meet, she was just about to urge him again, but unexpectedly, Fang Deng came and took him away.

Lu Nian was really bored.

So, she dragged out an old draft from a folder, polished it up, and sent it out.

It was the appearance of Black after the reboot of the “Black and White” series.

Soon, replies came in.

“Ah ah ah ah, I’m here to see the handsome guy!”

“Can the author release more of this? Black’s appearance after growing up, sob.”

“I liked it!”

“Is Mrs. going to have a signing event to coincide with it? I heard Mrs. is going to have a signing event, is it true?”

“@WideNoodles, of course it’s true. The promotion has already started. I’ve bought my plane ticket. I’ll squat at the author’s signing event! It will be drawn on the spot.”

The signing event was scheduled for next month.

Feeling bored, Lu Nian spent some time on the internet.

Her thoughts suddenly drifted far away.

She thought about what their wedding would be like once everything was settled, where they would go for their honeymoon.

He wouldn’t mind staying at home, would he?

Then she thought, when they got married, she would have to change her way of addressing him.

With his thin skin, would he still continue to call her “Lu Nian”?

When Qin Si returned,

Lu Nian had already slouched on the sofa, almost falling asleep.

With sleepy eyes, she said, “You’re lying.”

“We agreed on ten o’clock.” She glanced at the time. “It’s already eleven.”

“Traffic jam,” he said, “I’m a bit late.”

“Okay,” Lu Nian replied without much energy.

She felt a bit dizzy sleeping on the sofa, looking tired.

He couldn’t help it.

With a little force, he pulled her into his arms and whispered, “I won’t be late next time.”

But she minded something else. “You promised to be my model,” Lu Nian snuggled in his arms. “But it got interrupted by the phone call again. Now you act like you never promised. How many times have you backed out?”

Qin Si had been reluctant about this matter all along.

After much persuasion, he finally made a promise that night, but he hadn’t fulfilled it yet.

He sighed, knowing he was in the wrong.

“It’s late,” he said softly without looking at her, “you should go to bed.”

Seeing him like this, Lu Nian suddenly felt wide awake.

She climbed off the sofa, her eyes sparkling. “So, you did promise, didn’t you? I’m not sleepy at all. Can we do it now?”

Qin Si hesitated.

In the bedroom,

She slowly loosened his tie, the one she gave him, a light gray diagonal tie.

Then, she unbuttoned the buttons of his black shirt one by one, revealing his fair skin underneath, his clear collarbones, and that charming beauty mark.

It seemed like a gift long yearned for and carefully treated.

She unwrapped it slowly, her snowy fingertips occasionally brushing against his skin, causing a slight shiver that was hard to bear.

Perhaps because of his childhood hunger, he had always had a slender figure, tall and thin,

But now, as he took off his clothes, under the light, one could see, due to continuous exercise, a layer of smooth and beautiful muscle lines covered his bones.

It matched her aesthetics perfectly.

Lu Nian admired the beauty of her man.

“You said not to move,” she reminded him.

He turned his face away, avoiding her gaze, blushing, “I haven’t moved.”

“No moving at all,” she teased with a mischievous smile, revealing a small dimple, “or else, I can’t draw properly.”

Her pen tip lightly brushed against his collarbone, smiling, “Let me finish first.”

And then, she would pamper him.

His fair skin still had a flush from her teasing.

In a few more days of such days, he felt like he might go crazy from being restrained.

Obviously, getting partial satisfaction was more unbearable than never tasting it at all.

“Just in autumn,” Lu Nian said, “after I finish the signing event, we can do it anytime.”

By then, the full picture of the gift she gave him would be completely revealed.

Now, they were both like lonely people, mutually understanding each other, with no more obstacles.

They could get married anytime they wanted.

Did he agree?

He was somewhat surprised, his mind momentarily not reacting.

“Come on, say you like me,” Lu Nian lifted her snowy little feet, teasing him.

He lightly touched her lips, stopping her mischief, and pulled her into his arms.

Being so intimate with each other, he lowered his eyes, his chin resting on her shoulder.

Having just done something intimate, between the delicate features of the man, there was a rare satisfaction and a faint laziness, rarely willing to take such an initiative to get close to her.

Was it so difficult to say “I like you”?

Lu Nian grumbled, trying to kick him with her foot, but he caught it.

“…I love you, only you,” he said, low and hoarse, very softly, quickly, like a whisper, passing by in an instant.

“Say it again!” Lu Nian’s eyes lit up.

But he didn’t say it again.

Usually, whatever she wanted, he would silently comply, but only wanting to hear these words, out of ten times, he would be lucky if he could satisfy her once.

She huffed, gritted her teeth, and suddenly smiled.

Her temperament had always been very pure, which was his favorite look, with a hint of innocence and coquettishness of a young girl.

At this moment, on her snowy white face, there was an indescribable little mischief.

Alright.

In the future, when they got married, he would wait.

She had at least a hundred and eighty ways to make him obediently say he loved her, say he wanted her, say all the things she wanted to hear, until she was satisfied.