Lu Xi was just about to step into the bedroom to check when suddenly, the dressing room lit up again.
But it wasn’t from the ceiling lights. The glow came from the floor—countless candlelights spread across the entire dressing room.
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow, suspicion creeping into her heart, but she couldn’t help finding it incredibly beautiful.
A small candle flickered near her feet. She crouched down for a closer look and realized they were LED lights shaped like candles, each encased in a glass cover—delicate and elegant.
She had a pretty good guess now.
This had to be a romantic surprise prepared by Xie Yizhao… A sweet smile curved her lips.
She just didn’t know what he was planning next.
As she hesitated, her call connected, and she heard his voice—not just in her ear but also coming from the bedroom.
“I’m in the room. Come find me?”
Lu Xi : “Alright.”
One candle might be dim, but when so many were spread across the floor, their combined glow was quite bright. Lu Xi switched off her flashlight and walked into the bedroom with ease.
The bedroom was spacious—nearly a hundred square meters. The bed was positioned to the left, a sofa stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, and there was a wide open area where she sometimes did yoga or aerobics when she didn’t feel like going to the gym.
Now, Xie Yizhao stood next to the sofa.
On a nearby shelf sat a black vinyl record player, which Lu Xi only just noticed.
More candlelight adorned the wooden floor, casting a soft golden glow and elevating the atmosphere to something almost dreamlike.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but smile at Xie Yizhao, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. “What’s next?”
Xie Yizhao arched an eyebrow with a smile. “Shall we start with a song?”
Wow, not just lighting, he even thought about setting the mood with music?
Lu Xi nodded eagerly, playing along with full enthusiasm.
Xie Yizhao turned, walked to the record player, took out a vinyl record he had prepared in advance, and carefully set the needle in place.
The record player immediately filled the room with music.
It was a song that Lu Xi loved to listen to. The first time she heard it was at their wedding. The melody was incredibly romantic, with a deep male voice that seemed to whisper tenderly into a lover’s ear, recounting his infatuation with her.
The song had been chosen by the wedding planner, but this small arrangement had made even their cold, business-like marriage seem a little more romantic.
Lu Xi: “<Wonderful Tonight>? The song from our wedding?”
Xie Yizhao saw that she remembered it too, and a flicker of emotion crossed his gaze. He chuckled softly and nodded. “Mm. That day, you said you wanted to see me dance. Do you still want to?”
Lu Xi’s eyes lit up. “Of course I do! But… are you going to dance here?”
She responded so quickly, as if afraid that if she hesitated even a second, Xie Yichao would change his mind and she would miss a great show.
After all, this was Xie Yichao dancing!
“Yes, right here.” Xie Yichao took slow steps toward her, reaching out his hand amidst the romantic candlelight and soft music. In a low voice, he asked, “May I?”
Lu Xi felt her heart flutter slightly.
She had learned to dance as well, so she understood his invitation. Tilting her head playfully, she deliberately made things difficult for him. “Weren’t you going to dance alone? Why drag me into it?”
That way, she wouldn’t get to enjoy the spectacle of him dancing alone.
Xie Yichao remained unruffled. “It’s been too long since I last danced. I’m a little out of practice. You can guide me.”
“…” Lu Xi stared at him in surprise, genuinely curious how he could tell such an obvious lie with such a straight face.
But she had to admit, his words pleased her.
After a moment of thought, she lowered her gaze with a faint smile, lifted her hand, and gently placed it in his. With a playful wink, she said, “I’m out of practice too. If I step on your foot, don’t take it personally.”
Xie Yizhao was silent for a few seconds before chuckling. “Why do I feel like you’ll do it on purpose?”
Lu Xi just smiled without answering. Who knew?
She truly was a little rusty, and she could tell Xie Yizhao wasn’t exactly skilled either. But in the end, their dance wasn’t about precise steps. They simply held hands, with her hand resting on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her waist. Swaying gently to the music, their rhythm was slow and comfortable.
At least, neither of them stepped on the other’s feet.
As the song ended, the next track began—another soft, romantic melody. Without realizing it, Lu Xi rested her head against his shoulder.
She felt Xie Yizhao’s arm tighten slightly around her waist, and from time to time, his fingers brushed against her hair.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but look up at him.
The candlelight cast a warm glow on his face, making his gaze seem incredibly gentle. When he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips, his touch was just as tender.
Dazed, Lu Xi closed her eyes.
She had no idea how much time passed… One song? Two? She was too relaxed to count. The music was merely background noise, while she and Xie Yizhao were completely absorbed in each other.
It felt like sinking into a deep blue ocean, the outside world fading away until only the two of them remained.
When Xie Yizhao lifted her into his arms, Lu Xi already had a sense of what was coming.
After all… this wasn’t the first time.
From the moment the candles were lit, she had a feeling about where the night was headed, and she had no intention of resisting.
Even so, she still heard Xie Yizhao’s low voice asking, “Xixi… is this okay?”
She opened her eyes, her gaze hazy, taking a moment to refocus.
The candlelight highlighted the sharp angles of his face. He looked down at her intently, his eyes burning with warmth. Though eager for her answer, he remained silent, waiting patiently for her decision.
Lu Xi thought for a moment before teasing, “What if I say no?”
Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together, hesitated for a few seconds, then murmured, “I can wait.”
But no matter how composed he seemed, he was still a man. Even someone like Xie Yizhao couldn’t completely hide when he was saying one thing and feeling another.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but laugh as she snuggled into his embrace, playfully nudging him with her knee. In a quiet voice, she said, “Forget it. I wouldn’t have the heart to tease you like that.”
Besides, tonight, Xie Yizhao was both irresistibly sexy and incredibly gentle, perfectly aligning with her tastes.
She couldn’t deny she wanted him just as much.
Xie Yizhao paused, drawing in a slow breath as he gazed down at her, his expression unreadable. She was truly testing his patience now.
After her little act of mischief, Lu Xi regretted it slightly. Trying to make amends, she looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes and nestled deeper into his arms.
Seeing her like this, Xie Yizhao couldn’t help but smile.
Over the years, people who knew about their situation had asked him—wasn’t he torturing himself by refusing to give up on her, even when there seemed to be no hope?
He had asked himself the same thing. Maybe it was true. Maybe saying it didn’t hurt was a lie.
Even now, with her back in his life, he still wasn’t completely at ease.
He couldn’t even pinpoint exactly when he had started to care for her.
Was it the moment she clung to him at their wedding?
Was it after their son was born?
Was it the day she disappeared?
Or was it during these recent days, as they slowly found their way back to each other?
The emotions were intense—deep, persistent, and unwavering. What he was certain of was that, during this period, he had gradually come to recognize his own feelings. Though they tormented him, he liked her. And he liked this torment, too.
Because his Xixi was worth it.
Lu Xi herself didn’t dislike this kind of torment.
But… she felt that Xie Yizhao tonight was a little frightening.
She was still in her twenties physically, yet she really didn’t want to admit—why was there such a huge gap in their stamina? How could he still wake up on time and go to work the next day?
*Ahem*—actually, there was a slight difference.
This morning, for the first time ever, Xie Yizhao didn’t go for his usual morning run. After waking up, he lazed around with her for a while.
The servants weren’t home and wouldn’t arrive until after nine. It was just the two of them in the house, silent and undisturbed, with no need to worry about soundproofing issues.
Xie Yizhao got dressed and sat by the bed, looking at her. His smile was faint, yet he radiated confidence.
Lu Xi lifted her eyelids, lazily turned over, and showed him her back.
She ignored him. She was truly exhausted and drowsy, mumbling, “I’ll go to work in the afternoon.”
Xie Yizhao chuckled softly, brushing her hair as his gaze fell on her delicate, fair earlobe. A dark look flashed in his eyes as he murmured, “Mm, then I’ll head to work.”
Lu Xi was already fast asleep before she even heard his words. Naturally, she didn’t notice that Xie Yizhao had stayed by her side until the servants returned. He had specifically instructed the butler to keep things quiet so she wouldn’t be disturbed before finally heading to the office.
Since Xie Yizhao had explicitly told them not to wake her, the butler made sure the household remained silent all morning.
By noon, however, Lu Xi still hadn’t gotten up, and the butler grew concerned, finally sending someone to wake her for lunch.
Though she was still drowsy, hunger was hunger.
After going downstairs for lunch, she checked the time and, without hesitation, decided to take the day off from her studio.
She had gone to sleep close to four in the morning. As someone who never stayed up late, she was now so exhausted that she was losing the ability to think properly.
Right before she fell asleep again, she couldn’t help but resentfully think—there was a reason Xie Yizhao was so successful.
She had heard that some people naturally had more energy than others, both mentally and physically. Seeing how energetic he was this morning, she could only conclude—serves him right for making so much money.
As for her, today, she didn’t want to be CEO Lu. She only wanted to be Mrs. Xie, a Mrs. Xie whose energy reserves were depleted and who needed to sleep in.
When she woke up again, it was already 7:30 PM.
She was roused by noises coming from the walk-in closet.
Something had fallen to the ground with a thud, followed by a sharp, panicked intake of breath.
Lu Xi frowned as she sat up, glancing outside. The sky was already completely dark, with only the soft glow of the nightlight illuminating the bedroom.
Was it a servant in her closet?
Lu Xi quietly got out of bed. The heating in the room kept her warm, so she didn’t bother putting on shoes.
Passing by the full-length window, she inadvertently caught sight of her neck in the reflection. She instinctively touched it, then grabbed a coat from the sofa and put it on to cover up.
“Xiao Chen?” she called softly, walking toward the closet.
Xie Heng froze.
He glanced at the side door leading to the bedroom, then at the closet door, quickly calculating the distance. If he ran now, he could definitely make it out.
But then again, why should he run?
Before coming in, he had already informed the butler that he was borrowing one of his Dad’s suits. Even if he got caught, it wasn’t a big deal.
Running now would only make him look guilty.
So Xie Heng stood his ground. When Lu Xi appeared, he forced a casual smile to mask his awkwardness and waved at her. “Hey, you’re up?”
But inwardly, doubts crept in.
He had only gotten home at six, and the butler had told him she had been sleeping all day.
Didn’t TV dramas say that pregnant women tended to be extra sleepy…?
Xie Heng fell into deep thought, completely forgetting what he was holding.
But Lu Xi had already seen it. She raised her brows in surprise. “You’re taking back the perfume you gave me?”
Xie Heng stiffened.
Only now did he realize what he was holding.
A brief flash of panic flickered in his eyes as his brain worked at lightning speed. “Of course not! I… I bought the wrong one! I was just going to return it to the mall and exchange it for something else. Something even better! More expensive!”
She didn’t want to listen, the blue-haired brat is chanting nonsense!
Lu Xi strode over, snatching the perfume from his hands. She eyed him warily, her expression full of accusation. “You gave this to me. I don’t want anything else, I just want this one. You little perfume thief.”