Chapter 16: A Once-in-a-Decade Encounter

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Xianyu lay awake until dawn. She had repeatedly told herself not to think about it anymore, but her mind refused to obey.

Early the next morning, Liang Youjia was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, his handsome, refined features marked by exhaustion.

He leaned over to embrace Xianyu, only to find that she was awake.

“You didn’t sleep all night?”

Her delicate eyes opened, filled with red veins.

The sight broke Liang Youjia’s heart.

Xianyu offered him a pale smile. “I wasn’t waiting for you. I just couldn’t sleep.”

“My friend suddenly fell seriously ill and needed someone to stay with her. She only made it out of danger just before dawn.” Liang Youjia kissed her lips lingeringly. Xianyu could smell the disinfectant clinging to his collar, proof that he had not lied.

Then that friend had to be Du Ruanuan, right?

Xianyu did not ask. When the answer was already obvious, asking would only be pointless.

“I won’t make you wait alone next time.”

Xianyu hugged him back and kissed the corner of his lips. “It wasn’t your fault. You told me about it beforehand.”

“Be good, Yu-Yu. Let me take a shower, and then we’ll catch up on sleep together.”

The man’s embrace was as warm as ever.

His long arms encircled her slender waist, her back pressed against his firm chest and defined abdomen. Their bodies were hot and close, nestled together.

A sense of contentment and security rose within her.

At that moment, she refused to think about the holiday that would soon end, or the lover who would soon be leaving her.

All she needed to think about was that the living, breathing man she loved was right behind her.

When she woke again, it was already noon.

Liang Youjia was not in the bedroom.

Had he left again?

Xianyu’s heart sank with emptiness. She climbed out of bed barefoot and pushed open the glass bathroom door, but it was empty inside.

She searched every corner of the suite, yet there was no sign of him.

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Xianyu opened the bedroom door and saw him sitting in the living room.

Her uneasiness immediately eased.

Liang Youjia was wearing a fresh white T-shirt and matching wide-legged trousers. The drawstring at his waist hung loose, and because he was seated, his long legs were bent, revealing graceful lines of muscle.

His laptop rested on the table.

He was completely absorbed in retouching photographs.

People said a man was at his most attractive while working, and Liang Youjia was no exception.

His neatly washed hair was soft and full, and Xianyu could not resist reaching out to touch it. A familiar citrus fragrance drifted into her nose.

Liang Youjia felt the pressure of her palm and simply let her stroke his hair.

When he looked up at her, his phoenix-shaped eyes were bright, as though stars had been set into the Milky Way.

“You’re awake. Are you hungry?”

Xianyu nodded, her lips pursed slightly. “A little.”

Liang Youjia stopped editing, closed the laptop, and patted her rounded bottom. “Come on. Let’s go downstairs to eat.”

His hand had been heavy. Her bottom was surely red by now, and Xianyu’s cheeks flushed as well. She glared at him in embarrassment.

Liang Youjia curled his lips into a wicked smile, lazy amusement in his eyes, and ruthlessly tousled her fluffy curls.

Xianyu grew even angrier.

Liang Youjia became bolder still. His gaze deepened as he looked at her, as though it were catching fire.

Following his eyes, Xianyu looked down at her nightdress. It was low-cut and held up by thin straps, leaving her creamy skin almost entirely exposed—bewitching and alluring.

Blushing, she gathered up her skirt and hurried away.

“I’m going to change.”

With both hands in his pockets, Liang Youjia smiled faintly and lowered his gaze helplessly toward the restless little brother beneath his trousers.

Always so demanding.

What would he do in the future?

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Xianyu changed into a fitted smoky-rose maxi dress with puffed sleeves and a round neckline. On her feet were pink high heels with red soles.

Her skin was fair, and nearly every color suited her perfectly.

She also gathered her long, loose curls up and secured them with a claw clip.

Xianyu was already tall, and in seven-centimeter heels, she stood only half a head shorter than Liang Youjia.

Kissing him was effortless.

His friends were always teasing him about it.

“Every rare beauty in the world has somehow ended up with you.”

“A woman like her appears only once every dozen years—or even across two generations—and you managed to win her over. You’d better enjoy your good fortune.”

Liang Youjia truly believed he had found a priceless treasure. Over the years, he had cherished her as one, protecting her as though she might shatter if held too tightly and melt if kept too close to his lips.

With Xianyu’s arm linked through his, the two of them went down to the restaurant.

The dining table was laden with tropical fruits and fragrant dishes.

Glutinous rice chicken, crispy duck with taro paste, and delicate steamed fish.

There was also durian and jackfruit, already peeled and ready to eat.

Xianyu’s appetite was instantly awakened.

Halfway through the meal, Liang Youjia received another phone call.

Xianyu felt strangely unsettled.

This time, Liang Youjia did not move away from her, so she overheard some of the business discussion.

It sounded urgent. He probably had to leave immediately for a meeting.

Xianyu nodded and let him go. Liang Youjia kissed her once. “Go upstairs and rest when you’re finished eating. Wait for me to come back.”

Xianyu nodded, but as she looked at the delicious food before her, her appetite suddenly vanished.

Then, without warning, the figure of a woman appeared before her.

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