While making the cake, Zhuang Yan also had to keep an eye on the time. Before he knew it, it was 3:58. He quickly asked a staff member for his phone and immediately called Lu Yan after getting it.
Lu Yan: "I thought you were having too much fun on your date and forgot to call me."
"I haven't forgotten." In fact, he had been thinking about what Lu Yan had said that morning.
Lu Yan asked, "When are you going home?"
Upon hearing the words "go home," Zhuang Yan felt a surge of warmth in her heart: "I'll be home by 5:30 at the latest."
Lu Yan suddenly fell silent, and Zhuang Yan wondered if she was unhappy.
"I was preparing a surprise and it took me a little longer. Where are you now?" What he really wanted to ask was, are you still on a date with Ling Xuan?
"Me..." Lu Yan drawled, originally intending to torment him a little, but she suddenly changed her mind, "I'll wait for you at home, come home early."
Everyone else likes to call it a "little house," but Lu Yan prefers to call it "home."
Zhuang Yan smiled; it seemed like he hadn't "come home" in a long time.
...
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Yan hurriedly made a cake, finishing it around 4:30.
He didn't ask for help from anyone throughout the entire process; he even did the packaging all by himself.
"I didn't know you could bake cakes, let alone bake them so well." Jiang Ning walked over with a glass of water and asked, "Would you like some water?"
"I don't want to drink it right now." Zhuang Yan just wanted to pack it up quickly and get back as soon as possible.
Without looking up, he said, "There's a strawberry cake in the fridge, it's for you."
Jiang Ning asked in a trembling voice, "You... made this especially for me?"
"You spent the whole afternoon with me, consider this a thank you gift."
It was just a simple thank-you gift, without any other meaning. Jiang Ning understood the implication, said "thank you," and then opened the refrigerator.
The cake wasn't big, just the right size for her to eat by herself. She took a bite, and although it was supposed to be sweet and sour, she tasted a hint of bitterness.
The air was filled with the sweet aroma of cake. Zhuang Yan lowered his eyes and slowly finished the finishing touches, the light above his head illuminating his face.
Jiang Ning felt that she could sit here and look at him forever without ever getting tired of it.
Zhuang Yan decorated the box with colored lights, and after confirming that it was sturdy enough not to fall apart, he picked it up and said, "We can go back now."
Jiang Ning also finished eating the cake.
...
The bodyguard drove them back. Zhuang Yan opened the back door and instead of putting the cake in the trunk, he held it in his arms to prevent it from tipping over on the way.
Jiang Ning got into the car and sat next to Zhuang Yan: "Is the cake for Lu Yan? Is it her birthday today?"
Jiang Ning could guess that Zhuang Yan wasn't surprised at all, since the two of them had been together all day and he hadn't made any special effort to hide it.
She didn't want anyone else to know.
Jiang Ning assured him, "I won't tell anyone."
Once they stopped talking, the atmosphere became awkward. Jiang Ning looked out the window and asked, "Xiao Yan, do you like Lu Yan?"
Having been given a second chance at life, Zhuang Yan actually takes a very detached view of love. He simply believes that it's better to have nothing than something bad, and he can't follow in the footsteps of his previous life. Marrying just anyone and settling for a life together is absolutely unacceptable.
When he first joined the show, he thought he would just go through the motions, be a nobody, take the money, and leave. But now, his thinking has changed.
Let things take their course. If you meet the right person, go for it. If you don't, it's not so bad to live alone for the rest of your life.
Jiang Ning couldn't help but remind him, "I always feel that Lu Yan isn't as simple as she seems..."
"I prefer to know her myself rather than just what I hear from others."
Feel, see, hear, explore... slowly get to know a person from the outside in, and that can be quite enjoyable.
Lu Yan is indeed not as simple as she seems. In Zhuang Yan's eyes, she is like a mysterious treasure, waiting for you to slowly discover it.
"I just want to remind you not to get too involved too quickly, be careful."
"She won't hurt me, why should I be careful around her?" Realizing that his tone was a bit harsh, Zhuang Yan added, "Thank you for your kindness, I know what I'm doing."
It's normal for Jiang Ning to be wary of Lu Yan since they haven't known each other for long.
He's different; based on the timeline of his previous life, he's known Lu Yan for twenty or thirty years.
Seeing Zhuang Yan protecting Lu Yan like this, it's impossible not to feel pain. She could only comfort herself by saying that there's a psychological concept called desensitization, and once she got used to it, she wouldn't feel the pain anymore.
...
The other guests had already finished their appointments and returned, but Zhuang Yan and Jiang Ning's group arrived last.
Jiang Ning got out of the car carrying the plush rabbit: "Was that fox you bought a gift for Lu Yan? Do you need me to help you take it to her?"
Jiang Ning's idea was that since she lived with Lu Yan, if Zhuang Yan didn't want to attract attention, she could help him resell the property.
Zhuang Yan immediately refused: "No need, I'll give it to her myself, she'll be even happier." The gift is important, but the process is equally important.
Zhuang Yan planned to put the cake and the plush fox in the car. The temperature had dropped sharply recently, and the temperature at night was 23 degrees Celsius, so there was no need to worry about the cake spoiling if it was in the car.
When Zhuang Yan returned to the cabin, the first person he saw was Lu Yan.
Strangely, Lu Yan wasn't wearing the red dress she wore that morning.
"I'm back."
Zhuang Yan raised his hand to show Lu Yan his watch: "I'm not late, it's exactly 5:20 now."
Lu Yan was originally sitting in a rattan chair, but when she saw Zhuang Yan return, she stood up and looked him up and down.
Her naked gaze felt like she had stripped him naked as she approached him: "Where's my surprise?"
"It's in the car." Zhuang Yan paused. "There are too many people now, I'll give it to you tonight."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
