Chapter Fourteen
Xing Bei was happy for the week before her promotion, until her boss started to exploit her. Every day she missed the days when she used to slack off in the planning department.
Actually, she initially applied to this company because she knew someone there and thought she could slack off. Who knew she would end up as a miserable working person?
After working for almost half a month, she couldn't take it anymore. She realized that the boss's wife didn't really value her talent, but was colluding with the boss to exploit her.
She had mentioned her desires to Lin Yuan, but Lin Yuan always gave her empty promises. Later, he found her annoying and started avoiding her. Gradually, she gave up on the idea.
On Valentine's Day, the boss was going on a date with his wife, and finally they were allowed to leave work on time.
A few days ago, her car broke down and Lu Runxu picked her up. Today she got off work early and didn't tell Lu Runxu. On the street, she saw many couples holding bouquets of flowers.
Thinking that Lu Runxu usually gives her flowers, she should give him a bouquet today for Valentine's Day.
Upon entering the flower shop, Xing Bei was greeted by the fragrance of roses. She frowned slightly, covered her nose, and walked in. After searching for a while, she finally selected flowers that satisfied her.
Just as she was about to head to the next shop, she noticed the lush mint in the corner out of the corner of her eye, and paused.
She seemed to remember that Lu Runxu liked mint very much, so why not get him a bunch?
Xing Bei walked over and picked out a few bunches, glanced around, then picked out a few bunches of chamomile and bellflowers from the side, and went to the blue section to get blue star flowers.
The owner was surprised to see these bouquets of flowers. He took the flowers and chatted with them, saying, "You have a very unique eye. Most of the people who come here choose roses, and very few people like mint."
Xing Bei lowered her eyes, her long, black hair sliding down as she looked down, her eyes slightly upturned: "I wouldn't say I like it that much, it's mainly because my boyfriend likes it, and he likes it too and likes to give it to me."
The shop owner's eyes lit up: "It seems your boyfriend is very romantic. Sending flowers every day isn't something everyone does. Your boyfriend must love you very, very much."
Xing Bei smiled but did not answer her.
Do I love you? Maybe.
Seeing the doubt in her eyes, the shopkeeper asked again, "Do you know the meaning of mint flowers?"
Xing Bei looked away and shook her head at the proprietress: "I don't know, what meaning can mint have?"
The shop owner smiled meaningfully and patiently explained, "Of course, every flower has its own meaning. Mint has two meanings: one is undying love, and the other is the wish to meet you again."
The shopkeeper handed her the wrapped flowers. Xing Bei took them and stared at them for a while before smiling and saying to the shopkeeper, "I never expected such ordinary flowers to have such romantic meanings."
After leaving the flower shop, she felt that one bouquet of flowers was not enough, so she took a taxi to the mall. She spent half a day browsing in store D but couldn't find anything she liked. None of the clothes she saw were as nice as the ones in Lu Runxu's wardrobe.
She turned her gaze away but noticed a brooch for sale next to the counter. There were many styles, and a saleswoman took out the new styles for the month. Among them was a mint brooch, and she stopped again.
The small, delicate mint leaves are not made of metal; they resemble the intangible cultural heritage of wrapped flowers, with vibrant yet elegant colors. Simple and understated, they are perfect for everyday wear.
She used to buy gifts for Zhou Xuzhe from D store, and she was always very satisfied with their new products.
After buying the brooch, Xing Bei felt it wasn't enough, so she took a taxi to Patek Philippe.
Lu Runxu is a watch collector. There is a very large cabinet in the dressing room filled with his collection of watches, including several models that she particularly likes.
Among the many hand-made series, Xing Bei immediately took a liking to the 6140G-001 star blank gold model in the counter, which was stunning and unforgettable at first glance.
Under the lights, it feels like being in the Milky Way. The azure dial contains a panoramic view of the Northern Hemisphere starry sky, and the silver hour hand rotates alternately between the blue sky, Sirius and the moon, making it a perfect work of art.
Xing Bei was very tempted and immediately had the item wrapped up. She returned to Zhuqing Bay with the package, completely satisfied.
The aroma of delicious food wafted over me as soon as I entered the door. I didn't expect Lu Runxu to be off work so early today.
Xing Bei put her bag on the sofa and looked around the living room. Finding that Lu Runxu was not home, she went back to the sofa, took out her phone, and was about to call Lu Runxu when the door outside was suddenly pushed open.
Lu Runxu brought back a large bouquet of sunflowers. Seeing her standing in the living room, he asked in surprise, "You're off work so early today!"
He carried the flowers to Xing Bei's side, and Xing Bei took the bouquet and happily gave Lu Runxu a big hug: "Of course I came back to spend Valentine's Day with Boss Lu."
Xing Bei didn't know why, but she always liked to call him Boss Lu.
Lu Runxu lowered his head and kissed her forehead: "My girlfriend specially came back from her early shift today to be with me, so I'm so happy."
"Being Xing Bei's man means you have to be happy." Xing Bei raised her chin, her eyes slightly upturned, looking at him with a haughty air.
Lu Runxu lowered his head and smiled slightly, then led her to the sofa: "I'll give Mrs. Lu a surprise today, I guarantee she'll like it."
Xing Bei stared at him curiously: "What surprise?"
Lu Runxu: "Close your eyes first, and don't peek."
Hearing his words, Xing Bei obediently closed her eyes. Lu Runxu smiled as he watched her obedient behavior, took out a velvet box from his pocket, and put the necklace on her.
Xing Bei felt a cool sensation on her neck. After hearing Lu Runxu say it was all done, she touched it with her slender fingers and immediately ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror.
It's the Butterfly Phantom Duet diamond pendant from Graff. Two butterflies of different sizes seem to be dancing gracefully on a fair and slender neck. The larger butterfly is made with a hollowed-out design, making it even more lively between the collarbone.
She had always loved Graf's butterfly designs and had added them to her shopping cart a long time ago. This month, she was preparing to buy her two favorite pieces of jewelry when Lu Runxu beat her to it.
She came out of the bathroom and went straight to the sofa, where she saw gifts on the table, all of them diamond jewelry that she liked, several of which had appeared at the Jiangcheng auction a few days ago.
In particular, the ruby 'heart' necklace that she had her eye on but couldn't afford made it to the trending topics on the day she won the bid. She clearly remembers that the necklace was highly sought after, and the price was driven up to 200 million yuan.
Unexpectedly, it appeared in her home. Xing Bei was so excited that she couldn't express herself in words. Not to mention the others, none of them were less than 30 million.
In an instant, she felt that the mint brooch and watch she had bought paled in comparison to these jewels, and were somewhat embarrassing to present. She should have just picked out a few more expensive items.
Xing Bei picked up the gift box from the sofa, opened it, and handed it to Lu Runxu: "Actually, I also prepared a gift for you, but it seems a bit embarrassing to present it now."
Lu Runxu was slightly taken aback. He didn't expect Xing Bei to prepare a gift for him. He looked down and saw that it was a watch with a beautiful face.
Xing Bei put it down and picked up another small gift box: "This is a brooch, and it's a small mint. I saw that you really like mint, so I bought it."
With her slender fingers gently picking up the mint brooch, Lu Runxu lowered his eyes and smiled, noticing the bouquet behind her out of the corner of his eye, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Everything was prepared perfectly.
Xing Bei looked at him and muttered under her breath, "Now that I see it, what I prepared isn't even a third of what you've prepared."
Meeting those aggrieved peach blossom eyes, Lu Runxu was amused and annoyed. She was complaining that he had prepared too much and hadn't given her a chance to perform.
He raised his hand and pinched Xing Bei's cheek: "Anything given by Mrs. Lu, even if it's just a leaf, I would consider it a treasure."
Xing Bei couldn't help but roll her eyes at him as he showered her with sweet talk. Lu Runxu saw this and pinched her cheek, saying, "Girlfriend, that eye roll of yours is really ruining the mood."
"I didn't mean to." Xing Bei smiled again. "That watch is very beautiful. I'll put it on you."
She carefully took out the watch and put it on Lu Runxu's wrist. Lu Runxu cooperated by reaching out his hand, and Xing Bei lowered her head and carefully fastened it.
Lu Runxu's hands were slender and well-defined, so fair that thin blue veins could be seen on the back of his hands. The azure starry sky on his fair wrists seemed to be tailor-made for him.
Xing Bei looked at it with great satisfaction: "It's exactly what I expected."
The next second.
Lu Runxu took out his phone from his pocket, took a picture of his watch, and a slight smile flashed across his lips, which was quickly wiped away.
Xing Bei watched his series of actions and couldn't help but laugh: "Lu Runxu, how childish are you? You have to post everything on your WeChat Moments."
Lu Runxu looked at her and placed a kiss on her lips, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, his soft voice escaping from his lips: "My girlfriend prepared a gift and flowers for me for the first time, of course I have to show it off."
Xing Bei looked up and joked, "Then I'll prepare them all for you from now on."
Lu Runxu paused for a moment, met those bright, star-like eyes, and suddenly laughed: "Alright, then Mrs. Lu mustn't go back on her word."
After dinner, Xing Bei sat on the sofa and played Snake. The person cleaning up in the kitchen hummed a few lines of a song from time to time. Xing Bei looked over and really wanted to record Lu Runxu's appearance at that moment.
She exited the game and prepared to browse her WeChat Moments. The third post she saw was a simple update from Lu Runxu, with only four words in his caption.
—A gift from my wife.
She glanced at it for two seconds and then gave him a thumbs up. Seeing that Lu Runxu was still tidying up in the kitchen, she tossed the cushion aside, sat up slightly, and clicked on his profile picture.
She rarely browses her WeChat Moments or posts anything, while Lu Runxu posts frequently, so she's a little curious about what he posts.
When she opened it, she found that Lu Runxu's WeChat Moments were not at all worth her curiosity.
Because his WeChat Moments contained nothing but her and things related to them, and Lu Runxu's first post on WeChat Moments was from several years ago.
Xing Bei looked at the first post he made on WeChat Moments, which was a picture of a house. The more she looked at it, the more she felt that the house in the picture resembled her small villa in Qingyang, or the art studio where she often stayed.
It couldn't possibly be her home. Why would Lu Runxu go to Qingyang for no reason? She must be homesick and mistaken.
When she returned, she found that Lu Runxu's profile picture had also been changed to a photo of them taken in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Previously, it seemed to be a picture of a girl's back.
Why did he insist on using this picture as his profile picture? Her bewildered state makes her look a bit dim-witted.
After exiting his WeChat Moments, Xing Bei saw Ji Youli's comment under Lu Runxu's WeChat Moments.
--Oh, this was a gift from my wife.
Seeing this comment, Xing Bei could imagine how sarcastic Ji Youli would be if he said it to Lu Runxu face-to-face.
After washing up, Xing Bei was sitting on the windowsill watching a TV series when she heard a knock on the door. She went to open it and saw Lu Runxu standing at her door with a blanket in his arms. She frowned in confusion.
"What are you doing?" she said, putting out her cigarette.
Lu Runxu leaned against the door, holding a blanket, and said in a serious tone, "When Mom video-called today, she found out that we were separated and said she would come over for a check-up tomorrow."
Xing Bei stared at him with a hint of disbelief: "Are you sure you're not lying?"
"No?" Lu Runxu quickly shook his head. "If you don't believe me, you can call Mom now."
Xing Bei hesitated at the door for a while, still somewhat disbelieving him. But then she thought that since they were already married, it wasn't appropriate for them to sleep separately. What if Lu's mother really launched a sneak attack one day? Then it would be impossible to explain.
"Alright, I'll trust you this once." With that, she stepped aside.
Lu Runxu's expression changed instantly. He happily hugged the blanket and skipped in. Xing Bei stood at the door watching the man making the bed very seriously, and she sighed helplessly.
They had slept together once at the old house, but since returning to Zhuqing Bay, they had been sleeping separately. She was quite unaccustomed to having someone else in the bed all of a sudden.
The main reason was that she wasn't sure how good her sleeping posture was, and if she did something indescribable, she really wouldn't have the face to face him.
Just as she expected, when she woke up the next day, she was no longer in her original position, but in Lu Runxu's arms, with Lu Runxu's hands still around her waist.
She paused for a second or two, then quickly pulled away from his embrace. The person next to her moved and pulled her back into his arms.
"Mingzhu, it's still early, sleep a little longer."
Xing Bei was held tightly in his arms and dared not move. Her drowsiness had already been dispelled the moment she saw Lu Runxu's face.
She lay there staring blankly at the ceiling. After an unknown amount of time, Lu Runxu slowly came to his senses and smiled when he saw the person in his arms who was in a daze.
He released his hands from Xing Bei's waist and asked softly, "Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
Xing Bei rolled her eyes at him and said, "How can you sleep like that?"
She got up to wash up, a blush flashing across her fair neck before Lu Runxu's eyes. Looking at the oblivious man, she lowered her eyes and smiled, then slowly returned to her room.
She was relatively free at her workstation today, and Chi Qingtang liked to come over and chat with her whenever he had free time.
Xing Bei looked down at the documents, her jet-black hair falling down with her movements, revealing her slender neck. Chi Qingtang's gaze inadvertently swept over the red mark above Xing Bei's snow-white collarbone. In fact, the color was already very faint, but it was particularly conspicuous on Xing Bei.
Chi Qingtang clicked her tongue meaningfully: "It seems your married life with President Lu is quite harmonious."
What about married life?
Xing Bei looked up in confusion. She and Lu Runxu had been together for so long, but they were like a couple who had just started dating. They had almost crossed the line several times, but they had never actually taken that step.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Chi Qingtang looked at her with some disbelief: "Baby, don't tell me that you and President Lu haven't done anything intimate yet."
Is there a problem?
“That shouldn’t be the case.” Chi Qingtang’s mind automatically conjured up Lu Runxu’s face. “Our CEO Lu looks very capable, how could you be like this?”
Xing Bei: "......"
As expected, one cannot expect to hear anything nice from Chi Qingtang's mouth.
To prevent her from continuing the discussion, Xing Bei quickly changed the subject: "I recently heard that Teacher Bai You, who hasn't taken on any apprentices for ten years, is now actually taking on apprentices. Do you have any thoughts on that?"
Hearing this, Chi Qingtang remained silent for a few seconds, looked at her right hand, and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes: "What thoughts could I possibly have? My hand hasn't even fully recovered yet."
A car accident injured Chi Qingtang's wrist. If she hadn't received timely treatment, she might never have been able to play the violin again.
But that incident still left Chi Qingtang with psychological trauma. When she saw others playing the violin, Xing Bei could sense from her eyes that she wanted to return to that stage.
"Tangtang, you have to get over that hurdle eventually. If you keep it buried in your heart, it will only hurt more." Xing Bei took out a business card from the drawer. "This is the contact information for Teacher Bai You that I got from someone. You can choose for yourself."
Chi Qingtang looked at the black business card in front of her, hesitated for a moment but decided to accept it anyway. Xing Bei breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her accept it.
Chi Qingtang learned violin from her mother from a young age and can be said to be exceptionally talented. It would be a pity for anyone to fall at the height of her talent, and she did not want Chi Qingtang to fall into such a state.
Xing Bei left work on time in the afternoon and went home. As soon as she left the company, she saw Lu Runxu's Maybach not far downstairs. She jogged over and was about to ask Lu Runxu why he had time to pick her up today.
Just as he opened his mouth, he caught a glimpse of Lu's mother smiling kindly in the back seat. His smile instantly froze, and he glanced at Lu Runxu.
--Why didn't you tell me in advance that Aunt Lu was coming?
Lu Runxu shrugged innocently.
--Didn't I tell you that yesterday?
Xing Bei glanced at him speechlessly.
--I thought it was fake.
Seeing their flirtatious exchange, Lu's mother, sitting in the back seat, felt even better and handed over the pastries she was carrying: "Beibei, Mom brought you some pastries to fill your tummy first."
Xing Bei took it, pursed her lips, and gently thanked her, "Thank you, Aunt Lu."
Lu Runxu glanced at it and frowned slightly when he saw something labeled "rose-flavored flower cake." Before Xing Bei could open it, he took it away.
Xing Bei looked at him in confusion: "What are you doing?"
Lu's mother glanced at them and said, "Anyway, it's still early before dinner time, so we can't let Beibei have something to eat first."
Lu Runxu glanced at her helplessly and pointed to the three small words on the packaging box: "Mrs. Lu, have you forgotten that you are allergic to roses?"
Xing Bei looked in the direction he was pointing and saw rose-flavored flower cakes. She realized what he meant and looked at Lu Runxu with some confusion.
"I'm so sorry," Lu's mother said guiltily to Xing Bei. "I didn't even know what your dietary restrictions were."
Xing Bei felt a little uncomfortable, swallowed hard, and said with a smile, "I just have a mild allergy, it's not that serious."
Mrs. Lu still felt a little guilty and sighed softly, "Mom will definitely ask clearly next time, or I'll make you a soufflé later."
Just as she was about to refuse, Lu Run, who was focused on driving, interjected: "My mom makes such delicious soufflés. I've only ever had them three times in my life."
Seeing Lu's mother's expectant gaze, Xing Bei couldn't refuse: "Looks like I'm in for a treat today."
After returning to Zhuqing Bay, Lu Runxu was in charge of cooking, and she took Lu's mother upstairs. At this moment, she was truly glad that she had let Lu Runxu sleep in the room yesterday.
Are these surprise attacks an essential skill for parents?
Lu's mother didn't expect the place to have changed so much. The last time she came here, the decoration was in a cool color scheme, which made it look cold and lifeless.
The whole place has been renovated now, with warm lighting and little trinkets and cute little dolls everywhere.
Finally, she raided their room and saw that the bathroom contained personal items shared by the two of them, which put her at ease.
Yesterday, during a video call, she discovered that Lu Runxu was in her room. At the time, she thought they had argued and were living separately, but she wasn't completely at ease and still had to occasionally sneak over to check on him.
After dinner, Lu's mother finished making the soufflés and didn't bother them too much. She had only come to check on the couple's life, and she would leave when Lu Baiwen arrived.
After Lu's mother left, Xing Bei finally breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned on Lu Runxu's shoulder and said, "How about we don't sleep in separate rooms for a while? I'm afraid Lu's mother might launch another surprise attack one day."
Lu Runxu put his arm around her shoulder, a smile playing on his lips, and replied softly, "No problem, I'll do whatever Mrs. Lu says."
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