Chapter 80 She wanted to be with him like this forever.
The sunshine on the island was as abundant and generous as Wenjia's dream.
The sunlight here isn't scorching; instead, it possesses a clear, bright, and dry quality. The sky is a pure, unblemished azure, with clouds stretched into thin wisps.
The distant sound of the waves was long and rhythmic, like the breathing of some huge yet gentle creature, one wave after another, seeping into the master bedroom of the villa.
On the bed, a slender arm was exposed outside the sheets, rising and falling slightly with the woman's even breathing.
It was 11 a.m. in the Caribbean, but she showed no sign of waking up.
There's nothing else to it, it was just that it was over-exploited the night before.
And the man who cultivated her land was lying beside her at that moment.
Xu Shaoting propped his head up with his arm, his gaze fixed on her face.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, falling obliquely on his profile, making his deep eyes appear even more focused.
She was a completely different person from the man who had taken advantage of her last night, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the sun had risen higher, and the strongest ray of sunlight shone on her thin eyelids, forcing her to raise her hand to shield her eyes, and she finally woke up.
"woke up?"
Wen Jia subconsciously shrank further under the covers, only to find that she was completely naked under them.
"How long have you been watching me?" Her voice was slightly hoarse, with the languor of someone just waking up.
"About an hour." He lowered his head and kissed her.
The rich aroma of coffee had somehow seeped in through the crack in the door, lingering in the air.
Just as Wen Jia was about to get up, he reached out first and pulled her, blanket and all, into his arms.
She fell right into his arms.
"Do you have the ability to foresee the future?" he asked.
Wen Jia was still not fully awake and didn't understand what he meant, blinking her eyelashes rapidly.
"You dreamt you were living on a small island, and when you woke up you fell into my arms, is that right?"
Wen Jia gave a muffled "hmm" and nodded with satisfaction.
He really was weaving a dream for her.
-
Brunch was filled with the rich flavors of an island paradise. Johnny's cake, ham and cheese omelets, granola... After the meal, he picked her up and sat her on the living room sofa.
He had also abandoned his formal attire today, opting instead for a light-colored linen shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up, exuding a relaxed and carefree air. He lowered his head, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair, and his slender fingers unconsciously played with the ends of her hair.
"How about I take you diving today?"
Before she could even respond, the maid hurried over and handed her the vibrating phone.
It was a WeChat call from Zhang Linzhi.
The other party seemed exasperated and asked her bluntly where she had gone and why they couldn't get through to her on the phone.
Wen Jia's answer was vague: "I'm on vacation abroad."
"What the hell? You didn't even tell me, and just packed your bags and left?"
"Me too... I was tricked into coming here."
Upon hearing this, the man chuckled softly.
"What's wrong?" Wen Jia composed herself, no longer joking with her. "Is something wrong at the company?"
"Why are you asking me what's wrong? You haven't been online these past couple of days?"
"No, there isn't."
Just browsing around the island exhausted her, and at night she had to endure his increasingly severe punishments. Where would she find the energy to pay attention to the internet?
She just prayed it wasn't negative news, otherwise it would really ruin her vacation mood!
“It’s not a big deal,” Zhang Linzhi said succinctly. “The first issue of MAVEN’s quarterly magazine was released, and your sales are surprisingly…weird.”
"Strange? What do you mean?"
As Xu Shaoting listened to the voice coming from the phone, he seemed to suddenly remember something, looked up, and stopped playing with her hair.
"As of today, the magazine's sales have reached nearly 20 million in the last 24 hours...!"
At 12:30 a.m. local time, Zhang Linzhi opened her laptop for the nth time, staring at the computer screen, where real-time data continued to jump and climb.
Wen Jia remained unfazed. "...That's an exaggeration?"
"Yes, it's still rising, but the later data isn't very meaningful because the sales volume and sales revenue within 24 hours are already excellent enough."
Wen Jia felt a surge of joy, but instead of smiling, she narrowed her eyes slightly and looked up at the man beside her.
He looked calm and indifferent, as if it were none of his business, and his fingers once again twirled a strand of her hair.
"Is it sold through official channels?" she asked, seemingly doubtful.
"Nonsense! If you weren't sold through official channels, you'd be ridiculed to death by now!"
Wen Jia clicked on the super topic, which was filled with big-character posters made by fans, with bold numbers and keywords, each one eye-catching enough.
Sales volume and sales revenue were meticulously tracked, from one minute and ten minutes to one hour and five hours.
The record section clearly states: TOP1 in domestic female celebrity single magazine sales, highest sales volume in the history of the top five women's magazines' opening quarterly issues.
Wen Jia tossed her phone aside, her eyes darting around with a hint of suspicion. "Was this your doing?"
Xu Shaoting said calmly, "Be more confident in yourself."
She rephrased her question, "Was this your doing?"
Xu Shaoting smiled faintly and remained silent.
Wen Jia abruptly broke free from his embrace and sprang up from the sofa, shouting, "This is data fabrication!!!"
He reached out and pulled her back into his arms, patiently coaxing her, "Don't worry, baby, it's not fake."
But he didn't tell her that he had indeed... almost had that thought.
Wen Jia, skeptical, called Ding Qianru again.
Upon hearing her hurried tone, the other party tactfully informed her, "Chairman Xu did have the idea of contributing to sales, but I understand that his approach of simply throwing money at the problem won't work."
“I’m sorry,” Xu Shaoting smiled calmly, “I really know nothing about this.”
He was used to solving everything with money, so his first reaction upon seeing her magazine was to support her financially. However, this clearly violated the platform's sales statistics rules.
This method won't work, and that's all.
How could she possibly know?
As she leisurely cruised around the island in her golf cart, Lin Youzhe posted an announcement in the Yunxi employee group chat:
[Speaker] [Speaker] [Group Welfare Notice]
Dear colleagues:
To enrich employees' leisure time, the company's labor union is launching a special "Fashion Reading Season" benefit program. Starting now, employees can register at the Administration Department to receive a reading allowance by presenting their MAVEN quarterly magazine (including digital edition) purchase receipt. The allowance is generous, with no limit on the number of recipients. Let's work together to support the development of the fashion media industry!
Yunxi's bonuses are notoriously generous; if it were listed in a job posting, people would scramble to get an interview. With such a good deal, no fool would miss it.
As a result, within ten minutes of the announcement being released, the administration department's inbox was flooded with screenshots of various purchase receipts.
After making a rough guess, Wen Jia hung up the phone and slowly turned to Xu Shaoting, "Did you mobilize all the employees?"
“There are bonuses. And there has always been a budget for employee benefits, it’s just been distributed in a different form.”
But I'm worried—
“Honey, all sales are genuine transactions, and every magazine will be delivered to the buyer. If you really need a reason, just say they’re supporting the chairman’s wife.” He patiently explained to her, “Besides, the entire company has several thousand people, and the total sales are only two or three hundred thousand. Compared to your twenty million, it’s nothing and won’t shake your record. Your ability is the main factor; I’m just an assistant.”
He truly understood her; with a single, effortless sentence, he dispelled all her doubts, and the worry in her eyes gradually faded. "Won't the employees think you're abusing your power for personal gain?"
“They should thank you.” Xu Shaoting confiscated her phone, his action leaving no room for refusal. “Alright, no more thinking about work. The rest of the time is mine.”
He took her hand and led her to the helipad behind the villa. A red helicopter's rotors slowed, the cabin door opened, and a lean, wiry foreign man in a professional diving suit jumped out deftly.
“Mark, diving instructor,” Xu Shaoting introduced briefly.
Mark smiled broadly, "Mr. Xu, Ms. Wen. From now on, I will ensure your underwater journey is safe and exciting."
They boarded a speedboat, directed by Mark, and headed towards a marked private coral reef area.
"Are you scared?" Xu Shaoting lowered his head and tightened the weight belt around her waist again.
Wen Jia shook her head, but her fingertips obediently gripped his arm tightly.
Sunlight penetrates the water's surface, filtered into swaying beams of light. The colorful coral reefs resemble a garden on land, with staghorn corals stretching their branches and brain corals displaying intricate patterns.
Countless small fish, adorned with vibrant stripes, darted nimbly through the water. Wenjia's eyes widened in delight as bubbles joyfully emerged from her respirator.
Xu Shaoting stayed by her side the whole time, gently patting her palm and pointing to the glowing giant clam shell deeper inside.
Twenty minutes later, they slowly surfaced, Wen Jia's cheeks flushed with excitement. Mark helped her onto the speedboat and said to Xu Shaoting with a smile, "Mr. Xu, your wife is very talented and very calm."
Xu Shaoting untied the heavy oxygen tank for her, smiled, and kissed her as a reward.
·
Surfing in the afternoon is a completely different experience.
Wen Jia stood in waist-deep water, holding her surfboard, gazing at the rolling white waves in the distance, hesitant.
Xu Shaoting had easily steered a wave to her side, his abdominal muscles sculpted perfectly in the sunlight.
"Don't be afraid, I'll take you."
He steadied her head and supported her body, saying, "Watch that small wave, and stand up when I say 'stand.'"
As the wave surged in, with his help, she actually managed to stand up, albeit unsteadily.
The sea breeze was refreshing, and the board beneath my feet rose and fell with the waves, bringing unparalleled pleasure to the short ten-odd seconds of gliding.
Although she eventually fell into the warm seawater, she was not discouraged at all.
Xu Shaoting smiled and scooped her up. "Great job, baby." He kissed the top of her wet hair. "You've got talent."
·
The following day, they appeared on a wooden fishing platform extending into the sea.
Xu Shaoting put his arm around her and taught her how to hold the rod.
“Like this, place your index finger here,” he said, his fingertip lightly touching her knuckle. “Can you feel the slight vibration? That’s not a fish, it’s water.”
Wen Jia studied diligently, but the fish always seemed to be teasing her. Every time she excitedly thought a fish had taken the bait and eagerly reeled in the line, he would calmly hold her hand and say, "Be patient, baby, let the fish take the bait."
In the end, the two returned home with a full load.
She was as excited as a little girl, looking at her spoils in the bucket, saying she wanted to raise them, not eat them.
·
The sailing experience was quite tough for Wen Jia.
When the sail began to rock violently after countless operational errors, Xu Shaoting grasped her hand from behind as she controlled the ropes: "Relax, go with the wind." He was extremely patient, his breath brushing against her ear.
When Bai Fan finally caught the wind and sailed smoothly forward, she turned her head with great satisfaction, only to be met with his smiling kiss.
·
Deep-sea motorboats give you an adrenaline rush.
She sat in front of him, almost completely nestled in his arms, and could clearly feel his reassuring heartbeat.
The motorboat kicked up huge white waves, and a strong push-back sensation hit her. Wen Jia couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, pressing her body even closer to his chest.
"Xu Shaoting, slow down!"
He seemed not to hear her, and instead sped up, forcing her to lean back and seek her only source of comfort.
During the high-speed drive, he suddenly lowered his head and pressed his warm lips precisely against her bare neck.
"Focus on what's ahead, baby."
Wen Jia leaned against him, her limbs feeling weak, her heart still pounding, unsure whether it was from the speed just now or from the kiss on her neck.
·
When the sun is at its hottest, they sunbathe and read on their private beach.
Wearing sunglasses, Wen Jia was lying on a recliner flipping through the pages of a book when she suddenly felt a dampness on her back—Xu Shaoting was gently applying essential oil to her back, the warmth of his palm almost melting her.
Suddenly, a soft click of a metal clasp rang out, accompanied by a low, husky voice, as he said in a sanctimonious tone, "I'll help you spread it evenly."
His warm fingertips traced along her slender waist, sliding deep into her bikini.
She bit the straw in her juice glass, mumbling and angrily denouncing his lewd behavior.
He ignored her completely, his large hands becoming increasingly unrestrained, almost driving her to madness right there on the private beach.
At that very moment, he could calmly turn a page of the book with his other hand, just like a gentleman.
After playing with her for a while, he finally placed a light kiss on her collarbone.
·
At sunset, they arrived at the best spot on the island to watch the sunset.
Xu Shaoting found a soft sand dune to sit on, gently pulled Wen Jia into his arms, and let her lean on his shoulder.
The sun was slowly setting in the west, like a giant, ripe orange, dyeing the sky and sea a warm orange-red. The light softened, no longer dazzling, carrying a magnificent, twilight beauty.
Wen Jia leaned against him quietly, feeling his steady breathing.
Two silhouettes were cast on the sand, which had just been smoothed by the tide, and stretched very long, as if time itself had been stretched into threads.
They didn't speak again, but simply stood head to head, shoulder to shoulder, quietly watching the most magnificent curtain call in the world.
·
She had played so much that she didn't have much energy left, and in the end, he had to carry her back to the villa.
"Are you happy?" he asked.
"I'm so happy." She looked up and kissed his chin.
Everything before my eyes is no longer, and is no longer just a dream.
She wanted to stay with him like this forever.
·
It was another morning, and she woke up feeling sore all over.
I don't know if it's because he tried all sorts of extreme sports the other day, or because of his so-called 'I'll *you* every corner'.
The sunlight was still generous, filling the bedroom, but today, she was all alone in the large room.
She called his name in a daze, but there was no response.
She got out of bed, quickly washed up, and changed into a flowing dress.
The fragrance of flowers filled the room, and the warm breeze lifted the ribbons, guiding her slowly out.
She strolled down the spiral staircase, her fingers unconsciously clenching tightly as she held the handrail.
Everything in the villa seemed unusually well-behaved today.
The servants are hidden, the wind chimes are silent, the window curtains hang quietly, and the flowers are in full bloom.
In an instant, her mind became unusually clear, as if something in the dark was calling to her and guiding her steps.
It's getting stronger and stronger.
It made her heart beat faster and faster.
She couldn't help but jog for a while, her skirt swaying gently in the morning breeze.
I forced myself to stop and took a deep breath.
He started running again—
It's as if they want to throw themselves into someone's life without any regard for anything else.
Walking along the garden path, a rich tropical atmosphere greets you.
The bird-of-paradise's upright branches and leaves stretch out freely, its strange petals supported by thick blue bracts; the collision of orange and purple resembles a bird of paradise stretching its neck to take flight. It is almost unreal in its beauty.
But for no apparent reason, she couldn't spare a single bit of patience for these beautiful flowers today. It was as if a strong magnet was pulling her from somewhere, keeping her moving forward.
She walked through the swimming pool, through the flower-lined corridor, and through the swaying palm grove.
My steps finally came to a stop on that white sand beach.
Then, she saw it.
Xu Shaoting was standing at the spot where they had embraced and watched the pinkish-orange sunset yesterday.
He wore a perfectly pressed white shirt and black trousers, his tall figure forming a picturesque scene against the backdrop of the boundless blue sea and sky. Even the sea breeze seemed to stand still for him.
Hearing the light footsteps, he slowly turned around, looked at her, his gaze calm and focused, just like every morning in the past when he gazed at her.
Wen Jia's heart suddenly started beating erratically, as if she had a premonition of something, and she unconsciously walked towards him.
On the beach, surrounding him was a giant heart made of vibrant tropical flowers. White orchids, fiery red hibiscus, bright yellow roses… the rich fragrance of these flowers filled the air with a sweet, intoxicating aroma carried on the salty sea breeze.
As he saw her walk up to him, a gentle smile curved his lips:
How did you know I was here?
Wen Jia slowly opened her mouth, "I feel like something is guiding me."
The wind blew her long hair and skirt in the same direction, towards the sea and towards the sun.
"But I don't know what it is."
"I'll answer you."
In the stillness of a vacuum, she could hear nothing.
The sea breeze froze, the waves stopped, and even the path of the sunlight became slow and clear.
She saw Xu Shaoting slowly and solemnly kneel down on one knee.
The man who always had everything under control and was always at ease looked up at her with the devotion of a believer.
Sunlight fell on his eyelashes, casting dappled shadows, and there was a barely perceptible hint of unease in his deep eyes.
Xu Shaoting's Adam's apple bobbed; he never knew his heart would beat so fast, or that he would feel so nervous.
This is even more pronounced than when he took over the reins of the group many years ago and faced hundreds of reporters.
He opened a dark blue velvet box.
Wen Jia's breathing and blinking completely stopped.
A ring lies quietly within. The center stone is an extremely rare white diamond, meticulously cut into a unique oval shape, surrounded by a dense array of colorless diamonds, like stars surrounding the moon.
The diamond was astonishingly large, yet not at all ostentatious; under the blazing Caribbean sun, it refracted a brilliant yet gentle light.
It's a very rare design; no one has ever seen it on the market before.
"The reeds are fragrant."
His voice was lower than usual, with a slight, barely perceptible hoarseness.
“Before, I never believed in fate or premonitions; I only believed in everything I could control.” He paused, his gaze fixed on her. “Until I met you.”
"You said you longed for the sunshine on the island, so I brought it to your eyes. You said you wanted to fall into my arms when you woke up, so I'm willing to open my arms to you every morning from now on. Before, I thought money could solve most of the world's problems, but now I know that some things can't be priced, like the light in your eyes when you describe your dreams, or the way your heart beats out of control right now as you stand in front of me."
He was almost breathless, swallowed hard, and continued, "This island, the sunshine, the waves, every scene we've seen—it's all a dream I created for you, following your guidance. Now—"
He took a deep breath, his eyes brimming with almost pious affection, "I want to ask you, allow me to continue this dream until the end of our lives."
She was overwhelmed by the shock and emotion, clutching her skirt tightly with one hand and placing the other on her chest, unable to utter a single word.
“Wen Jia,” he called her full name clearly and solemnly once again.
"Let me spend every day with you from now on."
"Marry me."
"Are you willing?"
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