The sky was getting darker as the rain became heavier. The whole city was shrouded in a thick mist and the street lamps that were equipped with light sensors were already switched on. Many cars on the road switched their headlights on as well.

It was quite a distance between the Ji Residence and Su Chen's apartment, so it took some time for them to go past the city center.

The two of them did not talk on the road as Su Chen focused on driving and kept looking ahead.

After passing a traffic light, Su Chen finally turned over to the woman beside him. She had been quiet with her eyes closed this whole time, so he decided to break the silence.

"Miss them already?"

Although she had hardly spoken when they parted with her parents earlier, he happened to catch a glimpse of desolation in her eyes. He knew this woman had always suppressed her feelings, and would not express herself even if she cared.

His sudden voice stunned Ji Zitong for a moment. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Then, she replied quietly, "Not really. It's not like we're never seeing each other ever again."

She looked out of the window and noticed the sky had turned dark. The car passed by the plaza and she saw the needle on the clock showing that it was half-past five.

Su Chen glanced at her again before averting his gaze back to the road in front. He did not say anything else. Instead, Ji Zitong explained herself moments later, "I'm not a family-oriented person. I've always wanted to go far, far away when I was younger. I wanted to leave this city and take a look outside, but then I became tired. That's why I'm back here. My parents never left this place, but of course, I do miss this place."

"That's very courageous of you as a woman." Su Chen suddenly remembered their times in the training camp, she was always eager to win, a passionate and positive young lady. However, she had become more mature over the years.

"I remember that you weren't even 20 when you joined the training camp, weren't you?" Su Chen asked.

She searched through her distant memories and tried to recall. "I was young and wild back then, and I did a lot of things on a whim, but I've never regretted any of them. At least, I tried to fight for what I wanted. I didn't make this decision for anyone else but myself. Going into the training camp changed me a lot."

As her voice was filled with sadness, she pinched the space between her eyebrows and continued, "Chairman Mu and you stayed there together as well, didn't you?"

Su Chen laughed and glanced at her, his voice becoming gentle. "That's different. We're guys and you're a woman. Our parents felt that guys need to be trained stronger. That's why our life path is full of challenges that have been prepared from the very beginning. However, it's different for girls. You get all the love and doting at home. It's nothing like what I get."

Ji Zitong was surprised. "Does your family value girls more than boys?"

"Not really. Don't people nowadays have the mentality to put sons in terrible conditions and pamper daughters in their upbringing? That's what happened, I guess. My responsibility is different from Ah Chen and Zimo's. The experience that helped toughen me up would be military school and the times in the army."

The two of them were chatting casually, erasing the dead silence from before.

"I actually don't get the vibe of spoiled brats from rich families from you guys. Chairman Mu is a great person. I've stayed by Director Xi's side for quite some time, and I was quite surprised to see their interaction with each other."

"Have you been in City B these past few years? I tried to search for you after our unhappy encounter the last time." Su Chen was annoyed about their encounter. He meant to look for her and give her an earful again, but he could not locate her back then.

"I went on a mission soon after the training, and I only stayed for two years. After I left, I wandered around in the cities up north and changed several jobs, but I didn't stay long in any of them. I only came back to City B as my mother had some health issues, so here I am now," Ji Zitong gave a brief explanation. She was still unwilling to mention her unpleasant past memories.

"Continue working on your flower store from now on. If you're bored, you can ask my mother to teach you about running a business. Her company is pretty great. I can't help and my sister doesn't want to work in her company. If you help her, she might feel better with a family member close by her side."

The Su family was a typical political family. Su Zhengxun and Xie Jiajia's marriage was a typical marriage between two prestigious families since people back then were more concerned about social statuses compared to now.

Ji Zitong did not reply, and silence returned to the car once again.

"Don't worry about my mother. Although she can weird at times, she's a kind and easygoing person. She's just a bit..." Su Chen frowned as he thought about his own mother, Xie Jiajia.

Ji Zitong turned over and studied him when his sentence stopped halfway. He seemed to be hesitating. "A bit what? Are you worried that I might not get along with her?"

Su Chen shook his head. "No, my mother has what people call a 'princess illness'. My father always says she's quite immature for her age. You'll understand once you meet her."

Princess illness? Ji Zitong frowned at Su Chen in confusion.

"You've seen my grandfather. My father might look strict, but he's quite lenient at home, so you don't have to worry about him." Su Chen gave her an overview of his family. Soon, the car arrived at his apartment.

"We're here. Get down."

Su Chen parked in his garage and got out of the car.

Ji Zitong had been to Su Chen's place.

However, his place seemed different from the last time she was here. The large house had changed into a new style. Now, it was a very refreshing American country design. The large fish aquarium in the living room had been moved to the French window by the balcony.

"It was very rushed. I only had time to prepare some everyday items for you. The bathroom's in the bedroom. Take a shower. The weather's a little chilly. Meanwhile, I'll prepare dinner." Su Chen set the things aside on the sofa as he took his coat off.

"Let me help." Ji Zitong felt a little awkward as she looked around this strange space. She was not quite sure what she should be doing.

Su Chen turned to look at her before focusing his gaze on the clock on the wall which showed that it was 6 p.m. He did not say anything as he silently walked towards the kitchen. Ji Zitong quietly followed him from behind.

He did not usually eat at home, so his kitchen was very clean. She glanced around and guessed that this kitchen probably had not been used for at least a week.

He had just taken the ingredients out from the refrigerator when Mu Yuchen called. Already knowing what it was about, Su Chen answered it calmly.

Indeed, at this moment in Maple Residence, Mu Yuchen was sitting on the lounge chair in his study room and leisurely looking out of his French windows at the dark night as he held his phone.

Mu Yuchen lifted a hand to leisurely brush past the tip of his brow as his voice that contained a smile came through. "Did it go smoothly today?"

Su Chen sliced the ingredients with one hand as he calmly answered, "Duh! Have you ever seen me not handling things smoothly? I just think I was a little too heavy-handed. Hopefully, there won't be any backlash."

"Don't worry. I did a brief check. Your father-in-law's a very open-minded person. Since you've married his daughter, just treat her well. Xiaye reminded me earlier to tell you not to bully Ji Zitong." Mu Yuchen chuckled.

"Only you know how to be good to your wife. If we're going to talk about doting on women, I don't think I'll do worse than you. Alright, that's enough nagging. I'm cooking. Let's find a day to drink and chat freely then. I'm hanging up now!"

Then, before Mu Yuchen could answer, he hung up and tossed the phone onto the table before he started getting busy again.

On the other end, Mu Yuchen watched his dimmed phone screen, and raised his brows, feeling a little surprised.

Had this punk actually hung on him like that?

He barely said anything!

This was quite a rare situation. Furthermore, he was cooking too!

Mu Yuchen fell silent, and then when he looked out of the window again, a faint smile flashed across his handsome face.

This spring had arrived unhurriedly. Was Su Chen's spring probably in season too?

"What are you smiling about, looking all creepy?"

Right at this moment, a clear voice suddenly appeared beside him. He turned toward the source of the voice in surprise and realized that his wife was standing beside him with her arms crossed over her chest. She was squinting at him with a fixed gaze.

He laughed out softly and reached out his arms to her.

Xi Xiaye's beautiful eyes let out a faint light before she walked over obediently.

He held her hand and put his arm around her slender waist as he asked softly, "How can you use that term to describe me? Where's our son? Sleeping again?"

She stood quietly beside him and took a glance at his phone before she asked, "I just gave him a bath earlier and coaxed him to sleep. Who were you on the call with?"

"Su Chen. He's probably cooking right now. It's rare to see him this eager. Usually, it's Zimo and I cooking when we go to his place. Now that he has a wife, he knows how to take the initiative." As he said this, he lowered his head to kiss the back of her hand.

"Well, it looks like him and Zitong... but this is a good thing too. Elder Su and the rest are mild-natured people. They've been worried about Su Chen, but I do find it quite odd. How did the two of them get together just like that? Zitong was by my side every day just a while ago, and I didn't notice her interacting with Su Chen."

"Will you only allow us to get married in the spur of a moment while others can't?"

"I didn't say that. I'm just really curious if something happened. Was it Su Chen who proposed to Zitong?"

"Who cares who asked first? The point is that they're together now!"

"Won't you let me just be a little nosy?" Xi Xiaye shot him a look with a trace of hidden bitterness.

"What good do I get out of that?" He raised his brows and gave her a faint smile.

"Of course, there are incentives, and I saw a Chen Xiang Buddhist bracelet. Is it for me?" She squinted and looked flatteringly at him.

Earlier, when she was tidying the drawer beside the bed, she found a gift box inside. When she opened it, she realized it was a Chen Xiang Buddhist bracelet that had a delightful fragrance, and she wondered if it was a gift for her.

"I bought it for myself." Mu Yuchen scowled at her. He put it there for so long, but she only noticed it now. There was no surprise of receiving a gift at all.

When Xi Xiaye saw this reaction of his, she immediately smiled and quickly kissed him on the lips. She asked excitedly, "I knew it was for me. I'm worried about what to give Mother for her birthday to express my feelings. Great! We'll just give her this."

Upon hearing that, Mu Yuchen was stunned. He looked helplessly at her and said, "Are you a pig?"

"What?"

Xi Xiaye did not understand.

"That's my present to you for Valentine's. Now, besides not even realizing it, you want to give it to Mother? You're really getting better and better at doing kind gestures with little extra cost for yourself." He pinched her at the waist unhappily.

Xi Xiaye raised her brows justifiably, "Aren't you happy that I'm good to your mother?"

"You don't know how to appreciate your husband's kindness at all." He lifted a hand to gently knock her head and smiled. "You and mother seem to be quite close, aren't you?"

"Mmm, earlier, when you weren't around, she took really good care of me. Right, she even told me about you and Lingtian the other day. She said that back then, she and Father neglected you slightly because they pitied Lingtian and Lingshi. She even said that she feels like she didn't do enough for you. Have you ever blamed her for it?"

"It's been so long. As the eldest brother, I'm not that insensible."

When Mu Yuchen said this, he seemed to hesitate a little. Earlier, she was good to Lingtian. However, after that, closer to his and Gu Lingsha's wedding date, she seemed to have called Lingtian to her study room quite a few times, and they eventually had a fallout.

If Xi Xiaye did not mention that, he would not have recalled this.

She knew that he would be unhappy when these matters were raised, so she very knowingly changed the topic.

"Hmm, let's not talk about this. Let's talk about the South River project."

The night was getting late. As the storm incessantly assaulted the night, the cold wind ruffled the muslin curtains that hung down, making the outline of the shadows seem mottled too.

Inside the spacious and cozy bedroom, Ji Zitong stood at the bedside and silently watched Su Chen who was busy by the cupboard. She did not know what to say because she was naturally not used to having to suddenly share a room with a man she was not quite familiar with, so she just stood there without moving.

Su Chen had left the military for many years now, but there were some habits that had not changed since he had been with the troops such as the way he arranged his wardrobe. Ji Zitong could see that his wardrobe was neat and distinct. Even the entire large bedroom was very clean and tidy too with not a thing misplaced.

Su Chen put Ji Zitong's clothes away into the wardrobe. When the bag was down to her undergarments, he straightened up and said in a deep voice, "The drawer inside is empty. Put it in yourself. Underneath the sink in the bathroom is all the new everyday necessities."

He had just finished when his phone that he set aside suddenly buzzed. He quickly picked it up, and based on the conversation, it sounded like matters at the bureau. After he hung up, he looked contemplatively at her. "Settle your things, then go take a bath and rest early. I still have some things to handle."

Ji Zitong nodded while he walked out of the bedroom in huge strides after he picked his phone up.

As she listened to his footsteps gradually move further away, Ji Zitong sighed. Even with her calm personality, she was still slightly nervous in such a situation as she was not sure how best to face it. Nonetheless, it was a fortunate thing that this man was quite at ease, so he did not feel awkward.

She looked at the closed door that had a small gap open. Then, she rolled her shoulders before walking over to swiftly pick up her luggage and put her garments into the drawer. In fact, she noticed that there were quite a number of women's clothes in the wardrobe with the tags still on, indicating that they were all new. There was even a pair of pajamas and a nightgown. She recalled what he said earlier-they seemed to have been prepared for her.

Ji Zitong felt astonished. Nevertheless, she did not think too much about it, and just took her own pajamas she brought and walked into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Of course, when she walked out, the large bedroom was still empty. She frowned at the large and comfortable bed, still feeling nervous and uneasy for some reason. Then, as she turned to look at the door for quite a while, she wondered if he would immediately want to do anything with her since it was their first night together. After all, he seemed like he was still a decent man.

As she mulled over this, Ji Zitong still felt it was hard to accept immediately having to perform those kinds of duties, so she planned to just get away with it. When he got back, she would have fallen asleep, so he would not really do anything, would he?

Ji Zitong was a mess inside. Inhaling a deep breath, she quickly tidied up, and without waiting for Su Chen, she pulled the blanket aside and lay on the bed.

However, Ji Zitong was actually worrying too much. Su Chen had never had much interest in women. Before he could even try to do anything, he could still maintain his calmness, but this might not be true once he had had a taste of he

He was a workaholic. Marrying Ji Zitong was a stop-gap measure. Obviously, he would not think too much, so when he was done with his list of work, it was already close to 1 a.m. He totally forgot that he had a woman that he had just married in his bedroom.

When he returned to the bedroom and saw that the light was still on and the bump on the bed, he remembered what had transpired that day.

He silently switched off the main light, and only left the dim light by the bathroom on before he gingerly looked for his pajamas and walked to the bedroom.

When she heard the sound of water from the bathroom, Ji Zitong, who had always been a light sleeper, was awoken. She quietly slept on her side and was not sure how long had passed before she felt the blanket beside her being pulled aside. The clean and lush smell of a man closed in on her, making her feel surprisingly nervous. A thin layer of sweat involuntarily gathered on her palms.

Su Chen took the remote control and aimed it at the curtains which quickly lowered. The sound of storm was cut off outside. After that, he did not say anything. Ji Zitong was hesitating whether she should say something to him or not. Alas, before she could, she faintly heard the sound of steady breathing.

'A certain someone doesn't seem to feel uneasy at all,' she thought to herself. Was it just her who was thinking too much?

Ji Zitong wondered for a long time in the darkness before she carefully turned to look beside her. Then, she realized that the man was also sleeping on his side with his back facing hers.

She almost did not sleep the whole night. Sleep eventually claimed her at dawn when she could not hold up any longer. When she woke up, Su Chen was no longer by her side. The space beside her was a little cold, so he should have gotten up quite early. Ji Zitong grabbed her phone to look at the screen through dazed eyes. It was almost 10 a.m.!

She had woken up so late!

She got up awkwardly as she cleaned up and walked to the living room. There was already breakfast on the dining table. It should have been ordered from outside. There were plain porridge and some pastries.

Ji Zitong thought about it for a moment before she sat down to quietly enjoy her breakfast. She felt that this was a decent arrangement, so they could avoid any awkwardness.

******

It was a Sunday, so Xi Xinyi was still on a break. She woke up early in the morning while the mist still engulfed the house, and the air was hazy with a light drizzle.

Xi Xinyi did not expect that Mu Yuchen would come looking for her again.

It was early in the morning, so she had not fully woken up when she heard someone knocking outside her door. Upon going out to look, she saw that it was Li Si waiting outside. Something must have happened on Xi Xiaye's end!

She freshened up and went over with Li Si to a pavilion by the lake at a park near her villa.