“Do we need to bring snacks? How long we’ll be traveling?”
Shen Yi knew from the start that his wife’s thoughts were always filled with food, but sometimes, he wondered if she thinks of him.
When her husband didn’t respond, Lu Xinyi was worried that the rift between them was still there. There was a proverb ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’; she knew that the days of not being together had disturbed her heart.
“I’m so sorry,” she started, “I broke my promise…”
Shen Yi stared at her, waiting for her to continue. To make clear what she meant.
“I said before that I’ll be open to you, that I will not let a problem between us drag for too long…”
His silence was starting to irk her, but she could only chew her lower lip.
“Pick up your things. We’ll leave soon,” was all Shen Yi said.
Lu Xinyi obediently followed him and came back with her backpack. She shouldn’t let her emotions get the best of her. However, it’s difficult to control one’s emotions. It’s difficult to predict exactly how distance would make one feel, exactly how it would manipulate one’s perspective in a romantic situation.
When it came to romance, people would all experience the unexpected. Love was impossible to predict.
It’s true that not knowing which saying would come true was terrifying.
Not knowing whether one would spend the majority of their days missing or forgetting the other person was what made the distance, in any sense of the word, so G.o.dd.a.m.n scary.
When she went to the campsite without talking to Shen Yi, her heart was already at unease. Although she had an amazing time at first, she was missing Shen Yi more and more each day she was away.
Of course, she knew that she’d miss him, but she was so used to living with him and talking to him daily… that leaving for an out-of-town activity without him was stranger than she’d ever imagined.
But maybe it was a good thing, too. Since they usually talk to each other every day and meet every weekend, it was nice to have the opportunity to feel that ‘she can’t wait to see him again’ thing again. That feeling that she had during the first weeks of their marriage.
“Xinxin?”
s.p.a.cing out once again, Shen Yi called her name to get her attention. Slowly, she walked towards him and glanced on his face. His attention was in the choppers hovering the campsite. Following his gaze, Lu Xinyi coyly slid her hand into her husband’s and was relieved to feel him give it a slight squeeze. He was rea.s.suring her in his own way.
Shen Yi was aware though that his actions were the reason for their last misunderstanding. Had he listened to her request not to fight with her brother, she wouldn’t have gotten mad at him and ignored him before leaving.
“It is I who disappointed you. Please forgive this useless husband of yours.”
He lifted their hands and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles. Seeing her eyes sparkled with love, Shen Yi leaned forward and took hungry possession of her mouth. He devoured her with deep sweeping strokes of his tongue.
The moment the couple reconciled, Tian Lingyu and Huang Shenghao arrived and saw them.
“Urgh, why do you have to force dog food down our throats? It isn’t tasty at all,” Tian Lingyu complained. His face contorted with a deep scowl.
He gave Shen Yi a good look. Despite the crispness of the suit and the perfect tailoring, Shen Yi suited his wife just fine. Against his smooth pale skin, his black hair moved in the autumn breeze. It was cold enough for some to be in winter jackets still, but he made no motion to suggest he even felt it.
On his feet were s.h.i.+ny black shoes that Tian Lingyu couldn’t imagine the guy polis.h.i.+ng himself. At his side, Tian Lingyu saw his little sister with a broad smile.
So this was the guy that his sister chose to love and spend the rest of her life with? Not bad at all.
Initially, he thought that President Shen was just using his sister to get even with the Sun family, but the way the man reacted once he found out that his sister went missing made him think otherwise.
Shen Yi’s anger came like impossible built-up steam, burning one on the way out and the one on the receiving end. Tian Lingyu could honestly say that the moment President Shen blew up, he reckoned the other person deserved it.
However, Tian Lingyu knew that behind his anger, Shen Yi was really afraid of losing his sister. When Huang Shenghao initially told him the look Shen Yi had for his sister, Tian Lingyu refused to accept it. He knew it was the look of a man in love with his partner. He knew that look very well as it was the same look their parents shared with each other.
In private, he thanked Shen Yi for going all-out to rescue his sister, but the latter brushed it aside, telling him it was the natural thing to do as Lu Xinyi’s husband.
At that point, Tian Lingyu finally conceded and truly accepted Shen Yi as his brother-in-law.
He and Huang Shenghao would be joining the couple on their trip back to the capital. Since they were the only Silver Leaf students left at the campsite and that Lu Xinyi was already found, it was time for them to go back to the academy for their incoming cooking battle. Just like Lu Xinyi, Tian Lingyu and Huang Shenghao received a formal challenge for their spots.
Huang Shenghao greeted the couple with a bright smile while Tian Lingyu stood silently behind him. Lu Xinyi slightly tilted her chin when she noticed the sour mood of her brother. What was wrong with him?
His jaw tensed visibly. The set of his chin suggested his stubborn streak. Overall, Tian Lingyu’s profile was sharp and confident.
Lu Xinyi leaned closer to her husband to whisper.
“What’s wrong with my Yu Gege? Please don’t tell me you two fought again!”
“How would I know? Didn’t you see he was fine this morning?” Shen Yi answered her question. An annoyed expression briefly crossed his face.
“Don’t mind him.” Huang Shenghao interjected, “He was just p.i.s.sed off that he received a cooking challenge too soon, and he wasn’t yet over with Proctor Xuan’s issue.”
“What about Miss Xuan?”
“She apparently didn’t follow the academy’s protocol. Lingyu filed a complaint to the board of directors against her. He didn’t like that she had deliberately allowed Miss Meng to take advantage of you. Her weak character was something your brother and Headmistress Han couldn’t overlook,” Huang Shenghao said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Oh…” Lu Xinyi didn’t care what would happen to Proctor Xuan. The fact that she’d failed to keep her students safe during their activity had inconvenienced Lu Xinyi greatly. Miss Xuan also tried to hide her disappearance, delaying the reports to the academy and to Shen Yi.
“Anyway, your cooking battle against Sister Han has been finalized. After your remedial exam, you two should be able to have a face-off before midterm starts,” the top contender of the academy said excitedly. The first time he saw Lu Xinyi cooked, he couldn’t control his excitement as she repeatedly surprised the crowd.
Remembering her plans once the cla.s.ses resume, Lu Xinyi’s face was set in a hard, determined expression.
‘Meng Jiao, Wen Shufen, Han Yixin… it is time to settle your grievances to me…’
Two choppers started to descend from the sky.
“What’s wrong?”
Lu Xinyi was s.p.a.cing out which her husband noticed.
She shook her head and forced a smile. Although Shen Yi was aware of her nature, she was somewhat uncomfortable to let him know her schemes.
“What about Xiao Bai? He can’t ride with us on a chopper.” Lu Xinyi remembered her new pet and forced to change the topic between them. With the way her husband scowl, she knew that Shen Yi wasn’t thrilled to get a new pet.
“I already arranged his transport. We’ll be taking our leave before him. The Su family will board the other chopper and will join us later.” Shen Yi took her luggage and led them to the huge open s.p.a.ce where two choppers descended to pick them up.
When Lu Xinyi boarded the chopper, her eyes caught the arrival of Li Yuren’s troops several meters away from the academy’s campsite. Her eyes sought for the general and found him staring directly on her.
She wanted to hop down the chopper and have a small talk with Li Yuren. However, her husband’s vice grip on her waist forbade her to do so.
Shen Yi gave her a fierce look, daring her to leave his side at that moment. As her eyes studied him, he hoped that his face didn’t betray the hurt and jealousy he felt inside.