Chapter 21 My Legal Husband

Cheng Hexi has spent nearly ten years studying and working in New York, and is very familiar with the city.

Beijing has no spring or autumn seasons; it is windy and dry, and the weather suddenly turns cold in October.

Winters in New York seem to be even longer than those in Beijing.

These are the two cities where Cheng Hexi has spent the longest time, and she doesn't particularly like either of them.

The gentle rain of Paris only fell during her childhood.

-

The weather in New York was quite nice on the day of the economic forum.

This event brought together entrepreneurs from all over the world, making it a true industry extravaganza.

The organizers have arranged a hotel, and attendees can choose to stay there.

The day before the forum, You Yue took a break from work and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of the conference room. Looking at the lawn outside, he took out his phone and sent a message to Cheng Hexi, asking her if she wanted to live with him.

There is a hotel owned by the Ying family near the forum venue, including a presidential suite that Ying Zeqing usually reserved for his friends, costing tens of thousands of dollars per night.

Cheng Hexi was probably busy at the time and only saw the message during her lunch break and agreed.

She didn't care about where she lived, but it would be better to stay with You Yue, since they were a loving couple in public.

The suite is very spacious, so even if you enter through one door, you don't need to stay in the same room.

Besides, having already slept in the same bed, I don't care about these things anymore.

That evening, after landing, Cheng Hexi got into the waiting car and headed straight to the top floor of the hotel. It was already 10 p.m. local time when she entered.

This presidential suite is nearly 200 square meters and has three bedrooms, a study, and a walk-in closet.

She changed her shoes after entering the room and wandered around for a bit. When she reached the bathroom, the door opened right in front of her.

You Yue walked out wearing a bathrobe, leaving behind a trail of steam.

He was casually drying his hair, perhaps unaware that she was there; his bathrobe was not properly tied, revealing a large expanse of his chest.

Cheng Hexi knew he had a good physique before, but she had only caught a glimpse of it under his clothes. Now, she could actually see the man's pectoral muscles.

She has the kind of figure that Cheng Hexi admires most: slim when dressed, muscular when undressed, and very sexy.

A few tiny drops of water dripped from her hair, slid down her neck and skin, and into the fabric of her bathrobe.

After regaining her senses, Cheng Hexi glanced away, then realized that the man in front of her was her legal husband. When she looked up again, her expression had returned to normal.

You Yue looked at her and casually adjusted his robe, his movements elegant and slow.

The bathrobe had lost its usual neat appearance.

"You're here?" he said.

"Hmm." Cheng Hexi asked, "Still not resting?"

Yu Yue: "I flew from Silicon Valley and just arrived recently."

Cheng Hexi had just unbuttoned one button of her shirt in the elevator, and the sparkling pendant of her necklace hung around her neck.

Normally, she has bright eyes and a straight back, but a ten-hour flight is really tiring, and landing late at night adds to her weariness. In front of You Yue, she adopts a lazy and relaxed posture.

The New York night was still sweltering, and the suite's temperature control system worked diligently. She stepped inside, travel-worn, and stood before him.

You Yue lowered his eyes, his gaze softening slightly: "Get some rest, you have a speech tomorrow, don't you?"

"I'm going to get some water," Cheng Hexi said, her tone unusually tinged with helplessness. "I have a feeling I'll have trouble sleeping."

"Go take a shower, I'll pour it for you."

Cheng Hexi smiled, and without further ado, turned around to get her bathrobe and makeup remover.

The suite in the top-tier hotel has a large bathroom, a scenic jacuzzi in a separate room, and a large floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the room.

Youyue only used the shower next door, where there was still a faint steam.

Manhattan is brightly lit all night, with lights scattered throughout the skyscrapers, a scene of dazzling extravagance.

Cheng Hexi really liked the bathtub, but she wasn't in the mood to enjoy it tonight. She just wanted to quickly wash up and go to bed, so she opted for a shower instead.

As soon as she opened the shower door, she was enveloped in warm steam, with a faint scent of shower gel lingering in the air.

Overwhelmed by the scent that almost carried the warmth of Youyue's body, she took off her clothes one by one and looked at herself in the mirror.

Then, she looked away and turned on the shower.

-

When Cheng Hexi came out of the bathroom, her hair was already dry.

Her hair was naturally deep black, of excellent quality, and grew to almost waist length, resembling fine silk after washing.

The robe was worn appropriately, but it couldn't hide her clearly defined and sexy collarbone.

You Yue got up from the sofa, handed her warm water, and watched her swallow a melatonin pill with the water.

The two were much closer than social distance, so close that he could see a small brown mole on Cheng Hexi's collarbone and smell the familiar scent of shower gel and tea on her.

It smelled exactly like him.

The small mole reminded him of the day at the cruise ship dinner when she slept in his arms, her rounded shoulders exposed.

He didn't look at it much at the time, nor did he notice any of it.

After saying goodnight to each other, the two went back to their respective rooms.

You Yue fiddled with the sash of her bathrobe, gazing at the bustling night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

In the enclosed space, the aroma of tea lingered more clearly in the surroundings.

He stood there silently for an unknown amount of time, then closed his eyes and resignedly returned to the bathroom.

-

It was probably the melatonin pill that worked, because Cheng Hexi slept well and woke up very early the next day.

After leaving the gym in the suite, You Yue went into the dressing room.

Cheng Hexi had already finished her makeup and changed into a neatly ironed shirt. She was looking radiant as she buttoned the last button in front of the mirror.

She saw the man's reflection in the mirror and greeted him, "Good morning."

"Good morning." You Yue watched her movements calmly, thinking she would sleep a little longer.

He stood there at a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the person, and after a few seconds he looked away. When he turned to get his clothes, he was suddenly stopped by Cheng Hexi.

He turned around and stopped, and heard her ask which of the two earrings in her hand looked better.

One is a pair of lustrous pearl earrings, and the other is a pair of Chanel diamond-encrusted tassel earrings.

You Yue stared at him for a few seconds, then walked a little closer and asked, "Which suit are you wearing?"

Cheng Hexi turned her head and raised her chin at the white suit hanging on the clothes rack.

"The one on the right, please."

It should be brighter, and it will be even more dazzling under the spotlight.

Cheng Hexi looked in the mirror and compared herself to the mirror, and also felt that this one was more suitable.

You Yue hadn't left yet; they were neither too close nor too far apart, and he stood behind her.

The man had just exercised, and his body lines were hidden under the tight fabric, with only his bare forearms showing smooth lines and a sense of power.

Cheng Hexi had only thought You Yue was tall, broad-shouldered, and long-legged before, but when they stood in front of the mirror together, she realized how big the difference in their body shapes was.

-

When You Yue came out of the bathroom, Cheng Hexi was already waiting at the dining table for her meal.

She did indeed take the advice and put on the tassel earrings.

The suite is equipped with a dedicated suite butler. They did not choose the self-service option; she casually ordered a few items, which were quickly prepared to order.

The hotel's breakfast service had a good reputation, so Cheng Hexi ordered the signature French toast. Knowing that Youyue didn't eat sweets, she also ordered him a scrambled egg salad. Because she wasn't sure if the salad would contain salmon or shrimp, she specifically asked that there be no seafood in it.

Although You Yue is not picky about food, his sense of taste is normal, and this breakfast suits him very well.

He was eating slowly and deliberately with his knife and fork when he heard the person opposite him say, "There's something I'm curious about."

The long tassels by her ears swayed slightly as she leaned forward.

"Hmm?" The man raised his eyes, gesturing for her to continue. "What?"

Cheng Hexi asked, "Are you left-handed?"

You Yue was surprised by the question and raised an eyebrow.

At their home in Beijing, they often met to have breakfast together, but they rarely interacted before, and eating was more like a task.

They've eaten face-to-face at least a dozen times. Did she only just realize this today, or did she never have any curiosity about him before?

You Yue hummed in affirmation, and after a while asked her again, "When did you find out?"

Cheng Hexi's mouth was filled with the sweet aroma of toast as she said, "That day at the Lingjiang Club."

Western dining etiquette dictates that the fork is on the left and the knife on the right, but Yu Yue has always used the knife on the left and the fork on the right.

He couldn't possibly be unaware of something so simple, so he could only be inconvenient with it.

If something doesn't go smoothly, then you won't change it; that's quite in line with Youyue's personality.

As for whether it was appropriate, given his status, even if someone had doubts, no one would bring it up.

"And what about writing?" she asked again.

Cheng Hexi realized that she hadn't paid much attention to You Yue's daily activities before, and had only seen him write on the day they got their marriage certificate.

Which hand did he use? I don't remember.

"You can write with either hand." You Yue recalled something from a long time ago, and slightly raised the corner of her lips as she told her, "When I was little, my grandma always scolded me for writing with my left hand, but I gradually changed my habit."

The dining table is very close to the floor-to-ceiling windows, where the morning sunlight shines in at an angle, outlining a warm golden edge on the interior furnishings.

Cheng Hexi sat opposite him and smiled when she heard this.

After the meal, You Yue went back to the dressing room to change his clothes, tying his tie as he walked out.

Cheng Hexi had just changed into her high heels and was waiting for him.

When You Yue walked over, his tie clip was a little crooked. Without thinking, she reached out and straightened it for him.

The man paused, looked down at her, and could almost kiss her hair.

Cheng Hexi's hands didn't linger; she put them down after finishing tidying up. Her gaze swept over You Yue, who was dressed in a black suit, for a moment, then she narrowed her eyes, a hint of satisfaction in her gaze.

She took a half step back and said, "Let's go." She turned around first.

-

The presidential suite's sightseeing elevator leads directly to the underground parking lot, where Cheng Hexi and You Yue stand side by side.

You Yue watched as she looked down at the bustling city.

As the elevator descends, the view gradually narrows.

He asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

“It’s good,” Cheng Hexi said. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but I fell asleep soon after. I was lucky.”

"Long-haul flights are too tiring?"

She smiled and said nonchalantly, "I've already recovered."

After exiting the elevator, the driver waited by the car and opened the door for the two of them.

Cheng Hexi had already extended that trust to his driver.

After taking her seat, she fastened her seatbelt and told You Yue about her plans for tomorrow: "Many of my friends are in New York, and we're planning to get together tomorrow night."

Then he asked, "Are you in a hurry to return tomorrow? If not, would you like to travel together?"

You Yue's gaze went into her eyes.

Is this just a polite remark, or is it a genuine invitation?

You Yue was unsure and didn't want to bother her and her friends catching up, so after a moment's thought, he declined.

"I fly in the morning."

Perhaps it was just a casual remark, or perhaps she had already anticipated his refusal, but Cheng Hexi showed no regret and simply hummed in agreement.

-

The venue brought together entrepreneurs from various countries.

Cheng Hexi stood on the stage, her hair pulled back, wearing a white suit.

Having lived in New York for many years, her American accent is fluent and pleasant to the ear, her content is substantial, well-organized, and she is poised and confident.

The pair of diamond-encrusted tassel earrings swayed gently with the movement, and were indeed dazzling under the spotlight.

After getting to know Cheng Hexi, You Yue always felt that she had a very attractive quality, one of which was her confidence.

She stood tall with her shoulders back straight, and her gaze was not aggressive, yet she managed to quiet the entire venue as she spoke.

The speech was short, and everyone applauded when it ended.

You Yue sat in the first row, his gaze fixed intently on her, and he recalled looking at her with the same gaze a few years ago in the auditorium at Columbia University.

At that time, they probably only knew each other's names and knew nothing else about each other, nor did they care to find out.

He knew she was He Chongguang's daughter, but he had no interest in the He family's affairs; he simply admired her performance.

Cheng Hexi didn't notice that there was an extra audience member in the audience at that time.

Today, before stepping down from the stage, she suddenly turned her gaze over and her eyes met You Yue's.

True satisfaction and high spirits.

The enthusiastic applause around them became background noise, but Cheng Hexi didn't care.

The admiration and praise in You Yue's eyes were unmistakable, and he made no attempt to hide them.

-

During the tea break, the two did not stay together; they each chatted with different people.

Cheng Hexi ran into several bigwigs she had worked with before, as well as her former boss Peter. Peter had personally approved Cheng Hexi's resignation back then, and he knew the reasons for her resignation. He congratulated her on her achievements.

Just then, You Yue appeared beside her from who-knows-where.

Peter and he already knew each other, so they naturally started exchanging pleasantries without Cheng Hexi having to introduce them.

Peter was unaware of their relationship, but he could see the natural intimacy in their behavior.

Upon seeing this, You Yue took her hand and introduced himself to Peter, saying that he was her "husband".

Cheng Hexi smiled and touched the wedding ring on his ring finger.

After Peter left, she sat very close to You Yue, as if she were daydreaming in school, and whispered, "I'm going to a friend's bar tonight, I'll be back later."

Having just been rejected, she wouldn't invite You Yue again.

Upon hearing this, You Yue paused and asked her, "With friends?"

"No, it's just him. He's busy mixing drinks. I just want to go for a drink."

He nodded, and a few seconds later asked, "Would you mind bringing your legal husband along?"

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Author's Note: Hmm, writing is business, reading is like a honeymoon.

Thank you everyone for your comments and nutrient solutions! [Heart emoji]