Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, Yu Jiuyuan was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.
The seat beside him was empty, the sheets still warm from his body, mixed with the scent of his usual ebony laundry detergent, just like him—gentle yet with an unmistakable presence.
She walked barefoot on the cashmere carpet and heard noises coming from the kitchen as she reached the bedroom door.
Rong Shenghan stood with his back to her in front of the kitchen counter. The morning light outlined his tall shoulders, and the old scar on his left arm was faintly visible under his light-colored loungewear.
He was frying an egg, his movements not very skillful, the edges of the yolk were a little burnt, but it revealed a clumsy earnestness.
"Good morning, baby." Yu Jiuyuan hugged him from behind, her cheek pressed against his warm back, her voice still tinged with sleepiness.
When Rong Shenghan turned around, the spatula in his hand was still steaming. He looked down at her bare ankles, frowned slightly, and bent down to pick her up in his arms: "The ground is cold."
As Yu Jiuyuan was placed on the chair next to the dining table, she watched him turn around to get his slippers, and suddenly felt a corner of her heart soften completely.
This pet, which she had "tamed," always kept her firmly in her arms in the most subtle way.
"About yesterday..." Rong Shenghan scooped the fried eggs onto a plate, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather, "Did Xie Zhecheng come looking for you?"
Yu Jiuyuan paused in stirring the milk. The blue thread on his pinky ring shimmered with a pale purple light, a color he cared about but deliberately concealed, like a lake surface veiled in a thin gauze.
She knew that with Rong Shenghan's keen perception, it was impossible that he hadn't noticed the subtle atmosphere between her and Xie Zhecheng at the joint exhibition.
"Yes, he came to pick up the final documents for the flower show." She looked up, her eyes crinkling into crescents with a smile, and deliberately moved closer to him. "What's wrong, baby? Are you jealous again?"
Rong Shenghan didn't answer, but simply put the peeled egg into her mouth and gently brushed her lips with his fingertip: "Eat quickly, or we'll be late."
His movements were as gentle as feeding a picky cat, yet his eyes held a stubbornness she was familiar with.
Yu Jiuyuan, with an egg in her mouth, suddenly grabbed his hand, brought his fingertips to her lips, and gently kissed his palm, just as she had done countless times in those three days.
The moist touch made Rong Shenghan's breath catch in his throat. Looking at the ingratiating and cunning look in her eyes, he suddenly chuckled and leaned down to bite her earlobe: "Come back tonight and continue to make it up to me."
The blue light from the pinky ring suddenly brightened, like a star being ignited.
Yu Jiuyuan knew that she had won this tug-of-war over jealousy again.
I was somewhat distracted during the morning student council meeting.
When Lin Yanran slammed the event summary on the table, Yu Jiuyuan was still staring at her phone screen.
Xie Zhecheng sent her a message asking when she would give him the "thing" she had promised.
She tapped the screen with her fingertips and replied, "See you in the club activity room during lunch break." The blue line on his pinky ring jumped, indicating that his positive mood had increased a bit.
"President Yu," Lin Yanran's voice carried its usual arrogance, "are you going to approve the school festival plan for next week or not?"
When Yu Jiuyuan looked up, she met his impatience.
This arrogant guy has been much more well-behaved lately, probably because his family is keeping a close eye on him; he's even toned down his attitude towards her.
“The budget in the plan is 30% over the limit.” She pushed the document back and pointed to the “fireworks display” section. “Remove this and I’ll approve it.”
"Why should I?" Lin Yanran's face flushed instantly. "They even had fireworks last year!"
"Last year, the school anniversary celebration and the cooperation project with Rong's Group were scheduled to coincide."
Yu Jiuyuan leaned back in her chair, smiling casually, "If Director Lin can get Rong's to postpone the press conference by three days, I'll sign it right now."
These words were like a needle, precisely piercing Lin Yanran's weak spot.
He tightened his grip on the document, but ultimately said nothing more, turned and slammed the door shut as he left.
Rong Shenghan sat beside her, taking in everything. Only when the two of them were left in the conference room did he slowly speak: "You're becoming more and more impolite to him."
“You have to be a little tough when dealing with disobedient pets,” Yu Jiuyuan whispered in his ear. “Unlike you, who are so well-behaved.”
Her pinky ring brushed against the side of his neck, causing a slight tickle.
Rong Shenghan grabbed her mischievous hand, his fingertips caressing the delicate silver ring: "I have to go to Rong's this afternoon, I might be back a little late."
"Then I'll wait for you to have dinner together." Yu Jiuyuan's voice was soft. "I'll save your favorite, rose pastry, for you."
The blue light on the pinky ring had a soft, warm hue, like honey that had been dried in the sun.
Rong Shenghan knew that her promises might be tinged with calculation, but they always managed to precisely strike the softest spot in his heart.
The club activity room during lunch break is filled with the scent of sunshine.
Xie Zhecheng sat by the window, tapping his fingertips on the table with a rhythm as regular as a timer.
When he saw Yu Jiuyuan push the door open and come in, he paused, and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses lit up.
"Here's what you wanted." Yu Jiuyuan placed an exquisite wooden box in front of him. Inside was a specimen of a Venetian red rose, the edges of the petals carefully wrapped in gold foil, a special treatment she had asked Yuan Xu to do.
When Xie Zhecheng picked up the specimen, his fingertips trembled slightly.
He recognized it as the one that had been lost in the supply room last week, except that there was a tiny mark on the petal, the initials of Yu Jiuyuan's name, which was so faintly engraved that it was almost invisible unless you looked closely.
"This is……"
“A one-of-a-kind version.” Yu Jiuyuan smiled slyly, the blue line on the pinky ring showing his favorability rating had jumped to 87. “President Xie, don’t you like perfection? This one, there will never be another one like it.”
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