The air began to fill with a delicious aroma. Amid Qian Meigui"s reading, Song Sheng placed the dishes in front of her on the island counter. She paused her work to judge the dishes, which made her mouth water.
Song Sheng sat with a bowl of rice in hand. Using reusable chopsticks, he picked up some meat and vegetables. Qian Meigui pouted, wanting the food desperately. But she did not expect in the next moment, that he"d pa.s.s the bowl to her with the food piled in front of her. Is he serving her? She was momentarily stunned before putting her doc.u.ments away and taking it.
Qian Meigui quickly began to feast on the food. Her expression turned delightful at how delicious it was.
As she ate, he rose from his seat. He then returned, holding two bottles of wine. He grabbed two wine gla.s.ses and poured Rosé into of them, and the other a red wine, she was not sure of which brand.
Rosé was Qian Meigui"s favourite. But she wondered if it was okay to drink while they were supposed to work. Nonetheless, she drank the wine as she ate her food.
The sounds of dishes clinking against the island filled the room, and they barely exchanged words.
"Since when did you start acting?" Qian Meigui asked suddenly.
Song Sheng glanced up at her. The incandescent lighting was sparkling against his gold-flecked eyes. He looked at her, thoughtfully, "I"ve been taking cla.s.ses in Europe."
"Europe?" she stated, "Was that what you did in England?"
"Mhm," Song Sheng responded. "There is a lot of theatre art there, plays and operas and all."
Qian Meigui felt stunned momentarily, but she looked at him with admiration. "So interesting," she whispered. "And so all this time, you were practicing?"
"Yes," he began as he chewed some food, "I am the main lead in an upcoming romance drama."
Qian Meigui stared at him. For a moment, she felt as if she never knew him. She did not take into consideration that Song Sheng most likely wanted to join the Entertainment Industry, and he only studied science because it was what Song Rui wanted.
"I"m glad," she spoke softly. Song Sheng stared at her slightly dazed, "What do you mean?" he asked.
"I"m glad you made this choice. If this is what you truly wanted, then I wish you well. I think it"s cool, Sheng." Qian Meigui flashed him a grin that shaped her face into crescent moons.
Song Sheng curled his fingers into fists and smiled at her grimly, without her noticing.
"Can you tell me more about Europe?" she asked.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Mhm." And over dinner, Song Sheng revealed everything. What he"d seen, what he heard, what he did. All while, avoiding to admit the fact that he missed her the entire time.
For the rest of the evening, they spoke about the last two years and exchanged ideas about the case, until they both crashed on his couch asleep.
The next day, Song Ren finished all her work from the company and a.s.signments from school. Su Feng waited for her outside her home.
She parted ways with her family for a holiday. "Bye Jinyi, bye Jun," she said to the twins. Each of the twins hugged her tightly. Song Ren glanced between them and the foyer behind, "Where is Xiao Mei?" she asked. The twins shrugged, "Mei Mei didn"t come home last night," Jinyi observed.
Song Ren nodded. "She is probably at Sheng"s apartment; they"ve been working hard for me lately," she paused, "anyways, will you two do well without me?"
Song Jinyi rolled her eyes, "We"re not children. Besides, it"s not like you"re home most of the time, anyways."
Song Ren smiled at her young sister, and she ruffled her hair as Su Feng approached from behind, taking her carry-on. She glanced toward him before she glanced one more time at the twins, "Be good and call me."
Song Ren started walking away with Su Feng when they heard Song Jinyi yell, "Be safe!"
"Oh and Ren, work hard, I want a niece!"
Song Ren paused abruptly, glancing at Jinyi with a disapproving look. She rolled her eyes as she continued to walk. Su Feng was beaming behind her.
"Why do you look so smug?" she asked, coldly from his side. "Did you hear?" he asked, "We need to work hard," he said as he walked closer to her, their arms brus.h.i.+ng against each other"s bodies.
Song Ren blushed as she gritted her teeth at him. She then straightened her body and haughtily walked ahead of him. Su Feng caught up, opening the pa.s.senger door for her.
Today, he brought a white convertible. Su Feng placed her bags in the trunk and strode to the driver"s seat.
As Su Feng drove, they both kept talked about each other"s day, and occasionally stopped for restroom breaks.
Three hours in, Song Ren was fast asleep from staying up late completing most of her work. Su Feng was distracted from driving just by watching her, but he was glad the roads were clear during this time. Su Feng pulled up at the side of the road, reaching for a blanket from the backseat. He covered her gently as he watched her pull it over her shoulder, unconsciously.
Su Feng gazed at her affectionately, before his sights returned to the road.
When Song Ren woke, she blinked in a daze. She felt warm from the soft blanket and by the sight of the charming young man in front of her. It dawned on her then. Su Feng was going to be her husband, the man that she despised for years of knowing him. She wondered, would he ever fall in love with her? Or did he feel compelled to like and marry her for duty?
Song Ren knew that her parent"s married from an arrangement, but over time, they fell in love. She wondered if she, too, could love him wholeheartedly one day.
She watched his side profile as he drove. His golden hair reminded her of sunflowers and light, his jaw was sharp, and he had a freckled face she adored.
Su Feng glanced at her with one hand on the wheel, shooting her a feline smile.
Song Ren averted her gaze, stared out the window with her tinted cheeks puffed. She looked at the countryside scenery, but she noticed Su Feng stealing glances at her through the reflection. It was a mix of want and need. Her chest beat rapidly from his scorching, longing gaze. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too, but some part of her was still afraid.
Amidst her thoughts, she heard his pleasant and soothing voice say, "We"re here."
The house was a white-modern mansion, but to Song Ren, it resembled a palace. Her lips parted, as the front yard was large and long enough to fit more houses. There was a fountain in front of the home, and several butlers awaited them in front of the mansion.
Song Ren accustomed to wealth, but she forgets that her wealth pales in comparison to Su Feng. He was the heir to Sun Group, the #1 company in the Medical Industry, and she was about to meet his family, the Su"s.