Chapter 53 True Love Arrives
On a summer night, the lights reflected on the pool water, creating shimmering ripples. The two leaned back on deck chairs, chatting casually. Gradually, Cheng Hexi became drowsy.
You Yue got up and carried her into the room.
Cheng Hexi was just tired, not asleep, but she still enjoyed his services with peace of mind.
He placed her on the bed, took off her long dress, and helped her change into a bathrobe.
As his slender fingers touched her smooth skin, Cheng Hexi knew rationally that he wouldn't do anything, but her body trembled slightly involuntarily.
You Yue was inexplicably amused by her reaction, and after hanging up the skirt, he lay down next to her.
Cheng Hexi closed her eyes, found a comfortable position in the man's arms, murmured "Goodnight," and soon fell into a deep sleep.
You Yue rubbed his chin against the top of her head and kissed her hair.
-
When You Yue woke up the next day, he closed his eyes and felt the warmth in his arms, realizing that a soft arm was draped over his waist. Their body heat mingled, and they slept soundly, inseparable.
He no longer follows his biological clock to get up and exercise. He lies in bed hugging someone, too lazy to even move, clearly very attached to this bed.
No one could get up in this situation.
Smelling the fragrance of her shampoo, You Yue lowered his eyes to look at the sleeping face of the person in his arms.
Cheng Hexi's eyes are always very bright. When she's not smiling, she looks a bit distant, but when she smiles, she's radiant and confident.
She looked quite docile when she was asleep.
Long, slender eyelashes draped over her lower eyelids; her nose was high and straight; her lips were full. Her bone structure was perfect, and the mole at the corner of her eye was the perfect finishing touch.
He inappropriately recalled how she had completely opened herself up on that sofa yesterday afternoon.
You Yue breathed softly, closed his eyes, and stopped thinking. He lay there with her for twenty minutes until the person in his arms slowly woke up.
It was not yet seven o'clock.
Cheng Hexi didn't open her eyes; she was still conscious.
Having shared a bed for so long, You Yue knew that she went through this process every morning, quietly waiting.
Two or three minutes later, she finally regained her senses, buried her face in his shoulder, yawned briefly, and mumbled, "Good morning."
"Good morning," he chuckled. "It's still the ninth today. Happy birthday."
Cheng Hexi's hand was still on the man's strong waist, and she chuckled softly with her eyes closed.
According to him, she'll be flying to Las Vegas soon, so she'll have three more hours to celebrate her birthday.
Where can you find something like this?
Even through a silk robe, the lines of the man's waist were clearly visible.
She remembered something, and said "Eh?" deliberately, "You didn't go to the gym this morning, Mr. You?"
You Yue raised an eyebrow, casually playing with a strand of her long hair, and said in a slightly lower tone, "Does this mean you're not satisfied with my figure?"
"Should we check it?"
Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Hexi's hand instantly moved away from the man's waist, and she looked up at him: "You so early in the morning..."
You Yue leaned against the bed, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
This person always appears indifferent to others; the power hidden within his body is concealed beneath his bespoke suits, unseen by anyone.
Cheng Hexi naturally dared not question You Yue's figure.
From the first time he effortlessly lifted her with one hand, or even earlier.
Yesterday afternoon, during the day, Cheng Hexi was clearly not the delicate type; she was skilled at racing and horseback riding, but she couldn't resist in bed. Every time, she would arouse him, but soon after, she would feel soreness in her waist and legs.
Thinking of this, she looked into his eyes and quickly looked away.
Such a side of Cheng Hexi was a rare sight. You Yue admired her for a while, then stopped teasing her.
He knew he would be the one who couldn't hold back first.
-
Those twenty hours were a short but happy time.
When Cheng Hexi landed in Las Vegas, she still felt like she was in a dream.
Ten minutes earlier, You Yue asked if she had landed. She sent him a picture of the landmark and said, "[Landed safely.]"
He replied two minutes later: 【Okay, got it.】
It's hot there, be careful of heatstroke.
Las Vegas is scorching hot, with the sun blazing down and ultraviolet rays burning exposed skin, and the air is thick with heat.
It's the hottest time of the year right now.
Cheng Hexi replied: 【Don't worry.】
【Get plenty of rest after you land.】
You Yue sent a voice message.
The man's deep, sexy voice resonated in her ears, causing a slight tremor in her heart.
He said, "Remember to think of me."
A smile spread across Cheng Hexi's face as she watched the bustling city recede into the distance, and replied, "I know—husband."
-
The wedding started at 5 p.m. She changed into a light purple long dress, her hair half-tied up, looking beautiful and elegant without overshadowing the main event.
Upon arriving at the wedding venue, Finn and the bride went to greet her.
She hugged both of them.
The bride wore a snow-white veil and a flowing skirt, holding a bouquet of snow-white orchids.
The newlyweds were dressed formally, and their smiles were gentle and happy.
Previously, Cheng Hexi had attended numerous weddings both domestically and internationally.
Watching the newlyweds exchange rings and listening to the pastor officiate, I offered my blessings, but I didn't really feel much.
At that moment, perhaps she herself had come to realize love. She felt touched as she watched them exchange rings and kiss, and listened to Finn read his wedding vows, and smiled knowingly.
The wedding ceremony still ended with the bouquet toss.
Cheng Hexi never tries to compete for this; she always stands quietly on the outside of the crowd.
A field of white roses lay on the lawn, and her skirt fell to the side.
The heat subsided somewhat.
The trees are lush and the sunset over the lake is breathtaking.
Perhaps it was fate, but before she could step forward, the snow-white bouquet flew through the crowd and landed in her arms like a gift.
Cheng Hexi was stunned for once, her mind going blank for a moment.
Finn's cheer and the surrounding laughter and applause finally brought her back to her senses.
Cheng Hexi had never received a bouquet at any of her previous weddings, but she never expected to receive this blessing after her marriage.
The beautiful bride turned her head, looked at her, and smiled brightly.
Last year on her birthday, Xu Zhumeng gave her a bouquet of orchids.
Cheng Hexi was living in a large apartment in the Second Ring Road at that time. The bouquet of flowers was placed in a vase until it withered.
She knew the meaning of the Phalaenopsis orchid: "Happiness flies to you."
Now, this happiness has flown into her arms.
-
The after-party lasted until late at night.
Las Vegas is dazzling with neon lights and a decadent atmosphere after nightfall.
Upon opening the room door, the hotel's giant floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a bright and clear view.
Standing by the window and gazing out, the traffic looked like a shimmering river.
When she got on the bus, she sent a message to You Yue, saying that she was on her way back to the hotel and asked if his plane had landed. He did not reply at the time.
Cheng Hexi threw herself onto the sofa, took out her phone, and opened the chat window between the two of them.
You Yue sent a message five minutes ago, which was a picture of the familiar Chang Street in Beijing, as captured by his lens.
Then, he began to show concern for her:
Are you happy today? Are you tired?
This person was worried about her getting heatstroke and also told her to drink less alcohol; he was extremely concerned.
Cheng Hexi smiled, recalling how she initially thought You Yue was too arrogant, as if the whole world only admired him.
So this is what this person is like when they're in love.
She lay on the sofa typing: "I'm so happy, but not as tired as you are."
Go home and get some sleep.
You Yue: [I'm used to being a frequent flyer, it's fine.]
Cheng Hexi smiled slightly, flipped through the photos taken at the wedding, thought for a moment, and gave them all to You Yue.
Before he could reply, she asked again, "Can we video chat?"
Within seconds, the other end of the line made a call.
Beijing is experiencing a sweltering summer afternoon, while Las Vegas is experiencing an equally sweltering late night.
When the video call connected, You Yue was wearing her favorite black shirt, with two buttons undone.
The front-facing camera was positioned a bit low, and Cheng Hexi could see his prominent, sexy collarbone directly.
He was looking at her too.
On the screen of her phone, she lay on a black sofa, having carefully applied makeup to show how important it was to her.
Cheng Hexi has beautiful bone structure; applying makeup to her is like playing a coloring game.
He figured she must be exhausted today, because she lay down on the sofa as soon as she came in, without even taking off her earrings.
His gaze swept over her eyebrows and eyes before settling on her sleeveless long dress.
The pale purple hue added a touch of softness to her beauty.
You Yue had never seen this color on her before, and he was amazed, unable to look away for a moment.
Cheng Hexi spoke first, asking him, "Are you going home? You're not going to the company again, are you?"
"Go home." You Yue raised an eyebrow and asked, "Am I that capable in your eyes?"
“You’re a workaholic,” she shrugged. “You hardly ever came home when we first got our marriage certificate.”
It was rare for You Yue to hear her mention the past, so he immediately smiled, his eyes teasing, and said, "Likewise."
Cheng Hexi smiled and asked, "Did you sleep on the plane?"
"She's asleep."
He said softly, "You're so tired, yet you still call me. Do you miss me?"
“A little,” she answered ambiguously.
You Yue gave her a half-smile and hummed in agreement: "I miss you so much."
Cheng Hexi blinked, as if she were being drawn into his gentle gaze. After a while, she came back to her senses and sighed, "I've wanted to ask you this for a long time, where did you learn all these sweet nothings from..."
You Yue leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed: "I guess I learned it on my own after falling in love with you."
He added, "You can teach me too; I've always been a good student since I was a child."
"..."
Cheng Hexi fell silent.
The crystal chandelier in the hotel room was very bright, and its light shone on her face.
She turned her head slightly and asked You Yue, "Have you ever been to Las Vegas?"
You Yue hummed in agreement: "I've been there a few times."
Cheng Hexi was not surprised by this answer at all.
To be honest, she was very curious about what You Yue was like when he was in college.
Participating in various competitions, achieving top results, coding until dawn, attending cruise parties in the summer, driving along Highway 1 in the winter, skiing and mountaineering...
is that so?
She thought this way, and that's how she asked the question.
"Pretty much, you guessed right."
He was always delighted whenever Cheng Hexi showed curiosity about him.
"Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you when you come back."
Cheng Hexi said, "Okay."
"Is it possible that I bumped into you when you came to Las Vegas?"
"The few times I went were to watch F1, I can't remember the others," You Yue smiled. "What about you?"
“That’s very likely,” Cheng Hexi said, “because I’ve been there twice myself.”
Neither of them asked each other what year they went or whether they had actually seen the same show.
Let's leave that for a bit of mystery and imagination.
You Yue could see that she was tired. After chatting for a while, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her and told her to go and rest.
She replied, "I'll take a shower and then go to sleep."
When You Yue saw her get up from the sofa, she didn't immediately end the video call. Instead, she moved closer to the camera and said, "I've never seen you wear a dress of this color before."
Cheng Hexi curved her lips slightly, tilted her phone, and wanted to take a picture of her whole body.
Unfortunately, the angle was hard to find, so I couldn't make out anything.
Fortunately, the hotel mirrors were large.
She walked to the mirror, turned the camera so that the image in the mirror would appear on the screen.
The design of this dress is similar to a fishtail skirt, which cinches her slender waist and highlights her extremely superior waist and hip curves.
She turned slightly to the side and asked, "How is it?"
"very beautiful."
It was rare for You Yue to make a request: "Wear it for me when you come back."
Cheng Hexi had originally planned to wear it for him this morning, but after the two of them joked around in the dressing room for a while, they forgot about it.
She said, "Okay."
-
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Hexi put down her phone, changed out of her dress, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
The water washed away the faint red marks that still remained on her body.
Returning to the place reminded her of her first time visiting Las Vegas.
That was during my third spring break at Columbia University.
It just so happens to be March, the best month of the year for the city's weather.
She and Xu Zhumeng went shopping in the morning, experienced the shooting range in the afternoon, watched a concert in the evening, and went to the rooftop bar for drinks after returning to the hotel.
The night view of Las Vegas is dazzling and colorful.
Xu Zhu dreamed of the city's lavishly decorated casinos and suddenly mentioned that many movies and TV shows feature scenes of people getting married or holding weddings in Las Vegas, asking if she could recall any.
Cheng Hexi had spent her free time watching many movies with Xu Zhumeng, so this question wasn't difficult for her.
Getting married here is simple, quick, and has few barriers to entry.
Therefore, stories that resemble movie plots can happen in real life.
It is precisely because of this that, in addition to being known as the gambling city, this city is also known as the "wedding capital" and the "holy land of whirlwind marriages".
Xu Zhumeng put down her wine glass and asked, "Would you consider a whirlwind marriage?"
Cheng Hexi thought for a moment and said, "Maybe."
Xu Zhumeng opened her mouth, surprised by the answer.
When asked if she would ever fall in love at first sight, Cheng Hexi said no. Why would a whirlwind marriage be possible?
The answer is actually quite simple.
Ultimately, it was because she didn't care about marriage at that time, and didn't equate marriage with love.
Actually, compared to spending money like water at a casino, the $60 required to get married here is the biggest gamble.
Deciding to love is a gamble in itself.
The previous frames flashed through her mind.
She thought that since that was the case, then You Yue's love for her was the biggest bargaining chip.
A few days ago in the study, she found Cheng Yuqing's letter, took it out and reread it. The real reason was that she thought of a sentence in the letter.
When Cheng Hexi first saw this sentence, she didn't think she would fall in love with anyone. But when she saw it again that day, her mindset had changed somewhat.
In her letter, Cheng Yuqing wrote: Even if my love is riddled with holes, I don't want you to be afraid of love because of it. You are my daughter, but we are completely independent. You should enjoy your own life and not be afraid.
Her mother understands her so well.
Looking back, Cheng Hexi never considered herself a lucky person, so she never liked to gamble everything. But the little bit of luck she had was enough for her to feel love, and enough for her to arrive at the correct conclusion through rigorous reasoning.
The conclusion is: when true love comes, don't hide.
-
She turned off the shower, water droplets sliding down her skin. She put on her bathrobe, walked out of the room, picked up her phone, and dialed You Yue's number.
The call was answered quickly.
"He Xi?" he said softly, "Having trouble sleeping again?"
Cheng Hexi stood in the hotel room, took a deep breath, and called his name: "You Yue".
The man paused slightly, as if he realized that this moment was not ordinary, and he reached out to remove the laptop from his lap.
"Yes, I'm here."
Cheng Hexi smiled.
She was nervous when he answered the phone, but now she felt relaxed. She walked to the French windows, suppressing the urge to cry, and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to tell you that I like you."
"I don't know if this is 100% what you want right now, and I don't know if I know how to love, but I hope to be by your side every day in the future."
"We can try... dating together."
It was quiet and silent over there.
Cheng Hexi even thought there was a problem with the signal.
You Yue leaned back in the leather seat in the back of the car, rolled down the window, and surprisingly felt a sudden urge to light a cigarette.
I've never felt my heartbeat so strongly before.
After an unknown amount of time, You Yue spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.
“Okay, let’s do it together.” He paused slightly, then said softly, “He Xi, thank you for believing in me.”
Cheng Hexi rarely gives her trust, which makes it all the more precious.
The car slowly drove into the villa's courtyard gate, and on the laptop screen on the seat was the diamond ring design that Bruno had just sent.
Outside the car window, it was a bright August.
-----------------------
Author's Note: The chapter I most wanted to write is one where the timid bravely express their love and the proud bow down in submission.
The coincidences all over the world are telling He Xi to be brave and love.
After all this time, there hasn't been a heavy snowfall yet, and there are only twenty-odd days left in 2025. I hope everyone can find happiness, take good care of themselves, stay safe and healthy, and have their wishes fulfilled.
P.S. I suddenly had a lot of thoughts and rambled on, it sounds like I'm writing an epilogue, but actually it won't be finished this year, haha.
Thank you for reading, love you all [rose emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com