Chapter 303 Surely More Surprising Than Your “Present” (2)
Lu Boyan slowly released Su Jianan, a faint smile on his face.
Su Jianan had barely regained her senses, looking at him stunned. Then, she finally uttered, “You—”
“I what?” That person’s eyes were filled with joy and satisfaction. “Can you think of a better pose?”
“…” Su Jianan pursed her lips, not knowing what to say.
The young couple who helped to take the photograph walked over. The young boy quietly struck a thumbs up at Lu Boyan, expressing how impressed he was. The girl returned the phone to Su Jianan, and said, “The photo looks really sweet.”
“Thank you,” Su Jianan took over her phone and looked at it. Indeed, very sweet.
Lu Boyan had one hand behind her head, another around her waist. She subconsciously wrapped her hands around him. It was showing both of their profiles. Even though their expressions were unclear, it could be felt that love was in the air around them.
Su Jianan suddenly realized: regardless of the people’s appearances or the environment or the photographer’s skills, as long as there was love, it was possible to take photographs of such saccharine sweetness.
She grinned. Just when she was going to put her phone into her bag, Lu Boyan took her phone away from her all of a sudden.
He used the bluetooth function to send the photograph to his own phone. Even more surprising to Su Jianan was that—he had even set the photograph as his wallpaper! And he even did the same to her phone!!!
“Um…”
Su Jianan was going to protest, but that was all the sound she could make. Lu Boyan’s cold glare swept over, “Don’t you dare secretively change your wallpaper!”
“What if…” Su Jianan tested the waters. “I change it?”
Lu Boyan squinted, and closed in on her ear, saying calmly, “Then I will make you cry while changing it back.”
“…” Su Jianan trembled, and all her guts had dissipated. She smiled sheepishly, “I won’t change it.”
Lu Boyan’s dangerous glare then expectedly turned into an expression of satisfaction, petting Su Jianan’s head, “Good.”
“…”
To be petted like an animal gave Su Jianan the urge to bite someone. But soon, her urge was quelled by Lu Boyan’s next statement.
Lu Boyan asked, “Are you hungry? I’ll take you to have some good food.”
Su Jianan had heard from Shen Yuechuan that Lu Boyan was such a perversely picky eater that his a.s.sistant on the job would have to prioritize searching for a restaurant which could live up to his taste before he departed for somewhere new.
Six years ago, Lu Boyan had acquired the winery, and had also worked with a few companies in Paris. Not only did he have to fly to Bordeaux every year, but had also visited Paris very often.
So at that point, there was a comprehensive map of Parisian delicacies in Lu Boyan’s head. He knew everything from the mainstream to the niche places, and even the less-known ones.
Su Jianan, the “food lover”, more colloquially known as “the glutton”, was already bouncing off the b.a.l.l.s of her feet. She nodded and said, “I’m hungry!”
Lu Boyan dialed a number, and a car came to pick them up very soon. The car pa.s.sed by the glamorous and bustling streets of Paris. 30 minutes later, it stopped in front of a bakery on a leisure shopping street.
Only after getting off the car, Su Jianan realized that a “closed” sign was hung at the door of the bakery. She looked confusedly at Lu Boyan, and he was indifferent, signaling for her to wait.
Just in a split second, the wooden door was pushed open. An old man wearing a suited vest and ap.r.o.n walked out and shook Lu Boyan’s hand, then kissed Su Jianan on the cheek as a greeting. He invited them inside.
The bakery was not very big. The overall interior had a vintage design. Every little decoration was exquisite and aesthetically pleasing. Su Jianan was fixated on the little ornaments, then noticed a lit candle in the corner of her eye.
She turned her head, then suddenly the old man pushed out a six-inch cake, with a candle on it.
“Happy birthday.” The old man smiled as he pushed the cake toward Su Jianan. She could recognize the word “happy birthday” in French, written beautifully on the cake.
The old man said, “This is the cake I’ve made as per Mr. Lu’s personal request; he called yesterday to order it. I hope you like it.”
He returned to the baking room. Only Su Jianan and Lu Boyan were left in the s.p.a.cious room.
With the candlelight in the middle, Su Jianan looked at Lu Boyan opposite to her. Perhaps it was the slight smile, his face looked much gentler than usual.
“Why did you get that old man to make me cake?” Su Jianan asked curiously. She was sure that the people who Lu Boyan favored must be impressive figures to certain degrees.
As expected, Lu Boyan said, “He used to be the personal pâtissière of Country X’s royal family. The country’s prime minister had even recognized him as the royal family’s best pâtissière in history.”
Elatedly, Su Jianan blew out the candles and was about to cut the cake with a knife when Lu Boyan stopped her. He reminded her, “Shouldn’t you make a wish before cutting the cake?”
Su Jianan then realized, and closed her eyes to make a wish quietly.
When she opened her eyes, Lu Boyan looked at her with slight antic.i.p.ation, “What did you wish for?”
Su Jianan rolled her eyes, “Not telling you!”
She took the knife and cut the cake swiftly, tasting the cake in great antic.i.p.ation. In that very moment, she felt like she was melting into the heavenly bliss of the cake.
“How is it?” Lu Boyan asked, with an incredibly confident expression.
Su Jianan did not speak, only nodding vigorously at Lu Boyan.
Lu Boyan had expected her reaction, and he handed her a piece of tissue, saying, “I’ll bring you here again in the future to try other flavors.”
Su Jianan was beaming as she held a small piece of cake, “Taste this one first!”
As for the future… she was very happy, very contented at that point. She did not want to talk about the future at all, and much less think about how it would be like.
Su Jianan allowed herself to be indulged in the bliss of the moment. After finishing, she and Lu Boyan strolled back to the hotel hand in hand.
Paris in the nighttime was too bustling and glamorous. The pa.s.sersby on the streets had slowed their pace down, and the city had fallen into a particular kind of leisurely atmosphere. The men and women on the streets in elegant and fine attire formed a dazzling scenery.
Su Jianan held onto Lu Boyan tightly, keeping a relaxed pace. She keenly chattered to Lu Boyan, asking him random questions. At first, he did not bother answering, but Su Jianan persisted, so he ended up answering them restlessly.
She enjoyed being playfully willful like this. She enjoyed it even more when Lu Boyan indulged her.
If only that road were endless. If only that night were to last longer, and the sun not rise so soon.
But time waits for no man. Soon, they were back at the hotel.
Lu Boyan seemed completely fine, but Su Jianan was suffering in her heels. It was painful beyond tolerance, so when she saw the hotel entrance, she felt liberated instantly. Little did she process at that moment.
Then she opened the door to their room, and saw 14 gift boxes lying on the bed.
Every gift box was different. Some of them were even a little worn, but it was apparent that they had been carefully preserved and kept. The boxes were pristine and clean.
Only then did she remember that Lu Boyan had mentioned the presents he had prepared for her in the hotel.
Su Jianan took off her high heels, walking barefooted on the carpet. Uncaring for the pain of her feet, she jumped on the bed, opening the first gift box.
It was a doll which had been sold over ten years ago.
She was recalling, it was probably when she was 10 years old; her favorite doll brand had released a limited edition series. It had coincided with her birthday, so Su Yicheng had specially asked someone to make a reservation for the doll. However, in the end, they did not manage to buy it.
When she was 10, she was still a little princess being doted on by everyone. She loved dolls and beautiful dresses, so she was upset for quite a while that she was unable to acquire that doll. Su Yicheng brought home many other expensive and exquisite dolls, yet none of them were able to make up for the regret in her heart.
In the second box, was a beautiful pen in vibrant, colorful candy color. The design was very pretty, and looked fitting for a little girl in her teens.
The other boxes respectively contained an expensive necklace, a scarf, and a few knick-knacks which were inexpensive but appealing to her. One of them was a purely handmade item. An item she was not even sure what it was.
She met Lu Boyan during the summer when she 10 years old. It had been 14 years since.
She did not need to guess what was the 14th present.
She shockingly looked up at Lu Boyan who was sitting by the bed, “How did you…?”
Lu Boyan was overseas, and even when he was back in the country, he had never kept in touch with her. How could he have known when was her birthday, for him to have prepared a present for her every year?
Actually, when Lu Boyan went overseas at first, he did not know when Su Jianan’s birthday was.
It was on that date 14 years ago when Tang Yulan began nagging at him early in the day, “It’s little Jianan’s birthday today. I’ve sent her a present. I’m not sure whether she’ll like it.” She then paused, shaking her head. “I’ve heard that she likes this particular doll, but her brother did not manage to get it for her. The little girl was so upset that she no longer wants to celebrate her birthday.”
Even though he did not put his mother’s words to heart, that day, he was constantly catching himself thinking of what his mother had mentioned—the doll which Su Jianan wanted so badly.
Finally, he went to look for a girl—it was the daughter of the doll company’s biggest stakeholder.
It was the first time in his life asking for someone’s help. The girl made a call right away to get someone to send a doll over.
When he held the beautiful doll in his hands, he observed its pair of pretty and innocent eyes—it really resembled Su Jianan.
He subconsciously smiled, but he did not even know why he was smiling.
So what to do, since he had managed to get the doll Su Jianan adored dearly?
Send it over? Since it was international shipping, her birthday would have been long over when the parcel reached her house. Given her personality, she could already have a change of heart, and take a liking for other dolls instead.
Furthermore, his mother had already sent a present. So what would be the excuse for him to be gifting that to her?
Feeling inexplicably defeated, Lu Boyan took that doll home, which looked extremely incompatible with himself. Then he properly packaged and stored it in his drawer.
Ever since then, that date of every year became the most important day of the year for him. Regardless of his schedule, he would definitely make time that day to pick a present for Su Jianan.
He packaged the present he had carefully chosen, yet he had never intended to send them out. Each of them were locked up in his drawer, and became a secret he was going to keep eternally. Perhaps after his death, someone might find those items when they were rounding up his possessions.
He would never have imagined that, one day, he could personally give all of them to Su Jianan.