Chapter Forty-Seven

In the afternoon, the photography studio called Xing Bei and asked her to double-check that the photo frame could be installed.

On the day of their engagement party, Xing Bei specially invited the best photographer in the industry to take photos.

She wanted to create a special photo album about them from the moment they got engaged, and then make a large framed photo to hang in the study.

After looking at the photos at the studio, Xing Bei stopped at Yun Jian Coffee Shop on her way home and went in for a while.

Since moving to Maple Lake Garden, she has rarely gone out. Today, the sun is shining brightly, which makes her recall the scene of the first time she met here.

During that time, Zhou Xuzhe often spent time with Chu Yunyao. Although he told her that she was his sister, her intuition told her that Zhou Xuzhe was lying.

But they hadn't done anything outrageous, and Xing Bei's repeated questioning only led to arguments, bringing their relationship to a freezing point.

Adding to her woes, the client at work was particularly difficult during that period, which put Xing Bei in a terrible mood and indirectly caused her to suffer from insomnia.

Whenever she couldn't sleep, she would think of Zhou Xuzhe. The repeated arguments she had with Chu Yunyao made her wonder if Zhou Xuzhe had ever liked her.

Whether she still liked Zhou Xuzhe or not, the answer remained to be seen until that day when she was resting at the Cloud Cafe.

Whether it was those beautiful eyes or something else, her usually calm heart began to beat for a stranger.

At the counter, the man wore a well-tailored suit, his long legs encased in trousers. He lowered his head slightly, and wisps of hair on his forehead obscured his deep, fox-like eyes.

The black earring on her left ear was dazzling, and her every move exuded nobility.

Xing Bei couldn't quite describe what she felt at that moment. If she had to describe it, she felt that everyone else had become background figures, and she only had eyes for him.

Perhaps her gaze was too direct at the time, because the man in front of the counter looked at her.

Whether it was her imagination or not, when he looked over, a faint smile appeared on his lips, as gentle and tender as the autumn breeze outside the window.

So when the other person asked her for help, she didn't hesitate to pay for his coffee, and she didn't even take the contact information he offered.

Because she believes in some unscientific theories, such as: destined people will eventually come back to each other.

Lu Runxu later verified this theory, and Xing Bei only received his contact information when she met Lu Runxu for the third time.

Zhou Xuzhe is very busy, and Lu Runxu often takes care of things he can't help with. Occasionally, Lu Runxu will also give her some advice and help her with her work.

Perhaps those years had long since exhausted her last bit of obsession with Zhou Xuzhe, so when she broke up with him later, she didn't feel particularly sad; instead, she felt relieved.

Now that she's in love with Lu Runxu, she feels that the right person will appear in a very illogical way.

Looking back now, she really felt that she was captivated by Lu Runxu's good looks at the time, and she didn't even notice the obvious action of turning off the phone.

Xing Bei stepped into the cloud-like space and ordered a cappuccino, just like before. She had just sat down when she saw Zhou Xuzhe walking towards her.

She was stunned when she saw Zhou Xuzhe. Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long, but she noticed that Zhou Xuzhe seemed more mature than before.

"Long time no see." Xing Bei smiled and gestured for him to sit down. "How have you been lately?"

Zhou Xuzhe stared at her and smiled: "That's good. I heard you and Lu Runxu got engaged."

Judging from Lu Runxu's updated WeChat Moments, it's clear that she's very happy with him.

In contrast, Xing Bei rarely had happy moments with him, and he always ignored her feelings.

Xing Bei grew up in a loving family and should have always been happy, but he caused her a lot of pain.

But things are good now; she has met the one who truly has her in his heart and eyes.

"Xing Bei".

Zhou Xuzhe suddenly called her name very seriously: "I wish you and Lu Runxu a long and happy life together, and I also wish you happiness and freedom."

Xing Bei smiled and nodded: "I accept your blessings, and I'll invite you to my wedding banquet later."

Zhou Xuzhe: "Okay."

When they broke up, Chi Qingtang asked her: Do you hate Zhou Xuzhe? Or do you regret agreeing to be with Zhou Xu?

She thought perhaps it had happened.

But it wasn't so much hatred as resentment, more of a sense of injustice that her love had been misplaced.

Now, let's just consider that misplaced affection as the price we pay for meeting the right person.

The past should be put behind us. Now she is with Lu Runxu, he brings her three meals a day, he brings her a bouquet of flowers when she gets off work, and he cooks her favorite soup.

Although it seems ordinary, it is fulfilling and happy.

She used to crave a passionate, dramatic love affair, but after meeting Lu Runxu, she realized that what she had never wanted was intense love.

What she wanted was a pure love, a love where there was only room in each other's hearts, and Lu Runxu happened to have that.

She hadn't chatted with Zhou Xuzhe for long before she was about to leave. As she emerged from the clouds, she spotted a Maybach parked not far away, with a familiar license plate. Xing Bei knew that Lu Runxu had come to pick her up.

The man in the car saw Xing Bei chatting and laughing with her ex-boyfriend, and his fox-like eyes instantly darkened.

Back in high school, Xing Bei followed Zhou Xuzhe like this, chatting and laughing, her peach blossom eyes sparkling.

Even though Zhou Xuzhe didn't really want to talk to her, Xing Bei still tried her best to find topics to talk about.

Secretary Lin saw the displeased expression on her boss's face through the rearview mirror and just hoped that his wife would come over soon.

Xing Bei smiled and said goodbye to the person beside her, then ran towards Lu Runxu with her arms around her.

After getting in the car, Xing Bei didn't notice anything amiss. She leaned over and took Lu Runxu's arm, saying, "Runxu, I want to drink corn and pork rib soup tonight."

Lu Runxu looked down at her, his dark eyes filled with amusement: "It's been a long time since I've seen our Mingzhu smile so happily. Is there something good to share?"

These words sounded strange to Xing Bei, as if they were subtly criticizing her.

Back at Fenghu, Lu Runxu was making soup for Xing Bei in the kitchen, while Xing Bei was drawing line drawings on the sofa, and Xiao Tangyuan was playing with toys beside her.

At the dinner table, Xing Bei noticed that Lu Runxu was acting strangely. Normally, Lu Runxu would come over and ask her for a kiss.

She was a little uneasy that the dinner was eaten so quietly tonight.

However, she didn't think too much about it. After taking a bath, Xing Bei was scrolling through her WeChat Moments when she saw that Zhou Xuze had actually liked the engagement photos that Lu Runxu had posted a few days ago.

When did they become friends?

She remembered that Zhou Xuzhe's business had nothing to do with Lu Runxu.

Xing Bei turned over, and the bathroom door opened just then. Lu Runxu came out wearing a deep V-neck bathrobe, his snow-white chest muscles exposed in front of her.

Lu Runxu wiped his hair with both hands, his fox-like eyes slightly raised, with a hint of moisture in them.

Xing Bei swallowed hard as she looked at him.

Remembering that she still had something to ask Lu Runxu, she immediately got up and jumped out of bed.

Lu Runxu noticed her bare feet, his cool and indifferent brows furrowed slightly, and before Xing Bei could speak, he wrapped his large hand around her slender waist and picked her up, placing her on the edge of the bed.

"The temperature hasn't fully warmed up yet, remember to wear shoes."

Xing Bei looked up at him and held her phone in front of him: "How did you get Zhou Xuzhe's contact information?"

Lu Runxu didn't even look at her, his gaze remaining fixed on her face: "We've worked together before."

You're kidding me. Do you really think she's as easy to fool as a three-year-old?

Zhou Xuzhe is a researcher, and he didn't go back to inherit the family business, so it's no wonder there's no cooperation.

Lu Runxu saw the person in front of him secretly roll their eyes, and a soft laugh escaped from their thin lips: "Sister, are you sure you want to mention your ex-boyfriend in front of me?"

He emphasized the last three words, and Xing Bei immediately detected a hint of jealousy in his voice.

She casually tossed her phone aside, stood up, lifted Lu Runxu's chin, narrowed her eyes slightly, and said in a nonchalant yet teasing tone, "Little brother, are you jealous?"

Lu Runxu lowered his eyes, looking at the person in front of him with the air of a superior, his eyes full of disdain: "Him? He doesn't deserve it."

A man who says one thing but means another.

"Really?" Xing Bei looked at him with regret. "I thought you'd be jealous after meeting Zhou Xuzhe today, but I didn't expect our Xuzhe to be so generous."

Is he generous?

Lu Runxu's lips curled into a meaningful smile, and his fox-like eyes grew even more intense. Xing Bei sensed something was amiss and immediately fell silent.

Based on her understanding, she knew she would definitely not get away with it if she continued.

She smiled and got out of bed, ready to take him to dry his hair: "It's getting late, let me dry your hair."

Considering how understanding she is, I'll let her off the hook tonight.

Lu Runxu pulled him into his arms and said, "No need, we'll be washing again later anyway."

Xing Bei could easily understand what he meant, but unfortunately, the bed was right behind her, and she had no way out.

Forget it, I brought this trouble upon myself, so I'll just submit to Emperor Lu.

One night, Lu Runxu demonstrated to her through his actions that she should never mention her ex-husband in front of him again.

*

The next morning.

When Xing Bei woke up, she was alone in bed as always.

Just as he stood up, a sharp pain in his lower back caused him to fall back down. Xing Beisheng stared at the ceiling with a sense of despair.

Not long after breakfast, the studio delivered the finished photo frames, and the housekeeper instructed the servants to move everything to the third floor.

Xing Bei and the others helped frame the photo on the wall; she didn't ask the housekeeper to help with the one in Lu Runxu's study.

A smile touched the man's handsome features as he gazed tenderly at the person beside him. Xing Bei looked at the photo, and the scene of their engagement kept flashing through her mind.

She placed another glass photo frame on the desk, took out her phone to take a picture, and sent it to Lu Runxu.

After everything was tidied up, Xing Bei looked around the study. Her fingertips accidentally touched a book, and the bookshelf suddenly made a noise, startling Xing Bei.

The third compartment on the second floor suddenly moved, and a black safe popped out. Xing Bei stared at it curiously.

She touched the lock, first entering Lu Runxu's birthday, but couldn't open it.

It wasn't even his own birthday.

Could it be that there's some secret here that she can't know?

Xing Bei stared at the cabinet in front of her, her eyes flickered, a smile appeared on her lips, and she re-entered a string of numbers.

The next second, a green light appeared at the unlock point, and the door slowly opened. Xing Bei stared at what was in front of her for a few seconds, stunned.

It's open already?

That's so illogical! Using her birthday as a secret.

She glanced briefly at the contents of the cabinet; there was only a photo album and a gray notebook, completely different from what she had imagined.

Xing Bei took the items out and placed them on the table, then curiously opened the light green photo album.

Xing Bei was so startled when she opened the first page that she quickly closed it. After a second or two, she opened it again.

The photos inside really are all of her; she wasn't mistaken.

The further Xing Bei flipped through the photos, the heavier her heart became. After looking at all the pictures, Xing Bei's mind went blank.

Every single photo here is about her, most of them are from her high school years, and several of them were taken near her home.

At that time, she loved to paint and spent most of her time in the studio. There was a big tree outside the studio, and this photo was probably taken under that tree.

Seasons come and go, but the one who waits remains unchanged.

But she and Lu Runxu didn't go to the same school, so how did he manage to take a picture of her?

Xing Bei saw countless high-speed rail tickets, all from Chanjing to Qingyang. She instantly understood what was going on, and looking at the tickets, her nose tingled with emotion.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the gray notebook on the table. She picked it up and held it in front of her. She didn't even realize that her hands were trembling slightly as she held the notebook.

Xing Bei didn't have the courage to open the first page; she closed the notebook and took a deep breath.