Fall in love again after marriage

　　Do you want to wash first or should I? Lin Jinshen's indifferent words were like a hard stone hitting her head. She was confused for a moment, and after chewing on it, she asked cautiously, "So soon?"

"What's soon?" Lin Jinshen frowned slightly and asked in return.

Realizing that she had been thinking of the wrong thing, and that the person speaking had no other meaning, she tightened her expression to make herself look normal: "Nothing, you go ahead and wash, I might exercise later."

　　Unlike Lin Jinshen, who gets up early to go for a morning run, she can't get up. She schedules her exercise time after work, with two private workouts a week, and occasionally plays basketball with friends like Yu Ying. The rest of the time, she does yoga at home.

"Hm."

Lin Jinshen said and turned around. Out of the corner of his eye, the round-headed cat had still not lowered its guard, moving its eyes with every move he made.

It didn't seem smart.

　　But it didn't run around or bark, so it wasn't annoying at first glance.

After taking a shower, it was still early before bedtime, so Lin Jinshen habitually went ahead and prepared for tomorrow's work. As he walked over to the study with his computer, Lu Yi was on the first floor, spreading out a purple yoga mat by the French windows.

The two of them each occupied a layer of space and didn't disturb each other.

Lu Yi changed into a set of gym clothes, pulled her long hair into a bun, and stretched her long legs.

　　The sports clothes fit snugly, outlining her slender and well-proportioned figure. Her legs are straight and slender. She kneels on the floor, stretching her waist as she looks up.

She is wearing a Bluetooth headset and talking on the phone with a colleague.

They are still discussing work. Resource integration is a meticulous task that involves selecting art exhibits and communicating with artists. The list provided by the art museum requires confirmation with each artist, as well as the number of works provided, the price, and whether the works are for sale.

　　There is no shortage of eccentric personalities in the art world, and some are difficult to communicate with.

One of the most difficult is Xin Qi, a young up-and-coming painter who is Lu Yi's favorite. He has become famous for his distinctive style, but he is also very private. His contact information is just an e-mail address. They have been trying to contact him since they started, but he has yet to respond.

Her colleagues have advised Lu Yi to give up, as there are plenty of works that fit the theme, and there is no need to stick one's neck out for no reason.

　　"I still want to try. He didn't come out of nowhere. There must be people who know him."

Her colleague meant: "It's hard."

"I've asked other teachers about you in the past few days, and they all said they didn't know him or didn't know him well. Even though they have met him, they have never been given his contact information. People like him like to create an image of being independent and aloof.

Xin Qi's work is the closest to the theme of this year's competition. His bold and rich use of color perfectly interprets the theme of "Summer Rhapsody".

　　"I'll think of something."

Lu Yi didn't give up until the very end.

When it was time to change positions, she stood up slowly as if she sensed something. She looked up at the upstairs position and happened to see Lin Jinshen walk over and enter the study with his back turned.

Dark pajamas, his back straight and unbending, broad shoulders, like simple blocks of light and dark cut out by light and shadow.

"Lu Yi?"

"Are you still there?"

　　Lu Yi's mind snapped back to reality as she heard her colleague's voice again and she said, "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything in particular, but there was suddenly no sound from your side, and I thought something had happened to you."

She replied calmly, "It's okay."

After answering, she held her breath, but before she could finish the series of movements, she stopped.

The two of them were both trying to adjust to the fact that there was an extra person in the house, and the awkwardness of living under the same roof with someone they didn't know well would take some time to resolve.

　　After hanging up the phone with her colleague, she got up and went to the bedroom to take a shower, then came back downstairs with her computer, ready to do some more homework.

Lu Yi went to the island counter to boil a pot of black tea. Puff thought he was supposed to be fed, so he followed her stubbornly, sitting obediently and waiting for her to feed him.

"No, it's late, you can't eat anymore."

"Meow~~"

　　Pao Fu stretched out his paw and rubbed her slippers.

Lu Yi couldn't resist at first, but now she has stronger resistance for his health and shook her head: "No, no discussion."

After brewing the black tea, she took a cup and went to the living room sofa, then played music and continued working overtime.

She wasn't the only one working overtime; the work group was extremely active.

After talking about work, she didn't forget to tease Lu Yi, who had just gotten married.

　　[Your husband won't be happy that you're working so late, right?

[You are newlyweds and your wife is working overtime. I'd be upset too if I were you. Yi, do you want to go comfort her?

[I want to know how to do that.

[Lu Yi, do you know how to be cute? I'm so curious!

[Curiosity +1, let's have a live lesson.

[...

　　The other one is working overtime even harder than her.

Lu Yi likes this state of affairs, where they are independent and undisturbed.

The overtime ends in a pleasant atmosphere, and her colleagues go offline one by one. She finally clicks on Xin Qi's portfolio, still touched by the pictures and reluctant to give up.

Dazed, the cream puff at her feet jumps up like an arrow leaving the bow and scurries back to its own little nest.

　　Lu Yi was shocked. She looked up to see what was going on when Lin Jinshen came down from the upper floor with a glass of water in his hand.

Before he went downstairs, he saw Lu Yi working in the living room. She was sitting cross-legged on the carpet by the sofa in a casual posture, listening to music. She was resting her head on one hand, her long hair fluffy and casually draped behind her. She looked focused, occasionally rubbing the cat lying next to her.

　　Comfortable and happy? The first words that came to his mind.

Puff became Lin Jinshen's detector.

Whenever he appeared, she reacted quickly. The body of the gas tank showed unprecedented flexibility as it quickly hid to safety.

Lu Yi's expression was slightly lazy. After a moment, she asked, "Did I wake you up?"

She was referring to the music.

"No."

　　Lu Yi noticed his cup and asked, "Would you like some tea?"

Lin Jinshen's gaze shifted from her to the half cup of black tea on the coffee table. He wanted to say no, but he was thinking about sleeping, and he usually didn't drink anything with caffeine at night. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but then he stopped and, as if possessed, he opened his lips and said, "Thank you.

"You're welcome."

　　She was really just being polite.

Lu Yi sat cross-legged on the sofa, and Lin Jinshen came over. As he approached, his tall figure seemed to block out some of the light, creating a false sense of independent space. He lowered his body, and the pleasant smell of wood wafted into her nose. He held out a dark glass of water, and the silver ring on his ring finger glistened in the light.

　　His hands are exceptionally handsome, and she can't help but stare.

His bones are clear and white, not a feminine beauty, but a sense of powerful strength. The ring looks like a seal, and even the metallic sheen seems soft in comparison.

　　Holding the handle of the teapot, she poured it to the brim, and the aroma of black tea began to fill the air.

"What are you looking at?" Lin Jinshen noticed her computer screen, and his first reaction was that she was choosing a decorative hanging picture.

Since he moved in, he had noticed that a few small things had been added to the house: an irregular minimalist carpet, a misty blue vase with a fresh bunch of flowers... the colors were bright but harmonious.

Lu Yifang put down the teapot and said, "This is a painting that could be displayed in this exhibition.

　　The gaze under the long, thick eyelashes was slightly focused, and after a careful look, he said, "It looks good.

He also remembered the first time he met Lu Yi in the exhibition hall. She had said that good works could inspire changes in the viewer's emotions.

Lu Yi's eyes brightened noticeably and she said, "You think it's good, too?"

Lin Jinshen took the cup back, and a deep, low sound escaped from his throat. He took a sip of the tea, which was rich and smooth in the mouth, with a lingering aftertaste.

　　Lu Yi was interested and wanted to introduce him.

"This is the work of a young painter, Xin Qi, you may not have heard of him. His work uses bold colors and delicate, romantic brushstrokes, with the influence of the French Post-Impressionist Ferdinand. You can see a fascination with light in his work, as if the flames were burning with a powerful vitality.

　　"He is obsessed with the moon. Unlike the serene night scenes of other painters, the moonlight scenes in his paintings are always strange and indistinct, like dreams that don't really exist."

"..."

"There is one thing." After Lu Yi's explanation, the blurry impression was accurately expressed. He nodded and listened silently.

"Unfortunately, Xin Qi himself is relatively reclusive and not easy to contact. It might not be possible to cooperate this time."

　　Seeing the work with one's own eyes must be a hundred times more shocking than seeing it on the screen.

Lu Yi turned around and met Lin Jinshen's gaze. She then realized that she had just rambled on and apologized with a smile, "Sorry, did I say too much? It sounds boring."

Her eyes flickered, not as reserved as usual. The light from the screen reflected off her clean, fair face as if she were a shining body herself.

　　When Lu Yi has so much to say, she is usually a silent listener.

"No."

"You said it very well."

Lin Jinshen's voice was very deep and his eyes were dark.

Lu Yi was stunned and temporarily speechless. It was as if they were supposed to keep a one-meter distance in their relationship, but now that distance had been broken and they were leaning too close.

The scene suddenly went silent.

　　The music was still playing on the computer, "Ride" by HBYS.

The male voice was magnetic and tender, like a state of mild intoxication, whispering and singing softly in the night:

Come and ride with me tonight.

(Hold my hand tonight and snuggle up to me.)

Please don't you go

(Please don't leave me.)

I'll be alone

(I'll be all alone.)

...

　　Lin Jinshen finished the tea in his hand, but his throat felt even thirstier. He wanted a second cup, and he was ready to get one. He was just thinking about it, but when he reached for the teapot that was next to Lu Yi, the two of them became even closer. Lu Yi pushed her body back to create some distance, and he realized what she was doing, so he stopped.

"..."

Suddenly, there was a stalemate.

　　Lin Jinshen lowered his long eyelashes and his gaze fell on the tip of Lu Yi's pretty nose, and further down, on her lips.

Lu Yi's lips were beautifully shaped, full and rosy, their shiny color like the cool water from the well in the summer or the peaches after careful washing.

He looked away, his lashes hiding the emotion in his eyes. After clearing his throat, he said that the wedding was already being planned, and it could happen in a month at the earliest, or possibly three months later.

　　"No rush." Lu Yi said, only to realize that her voice didn't sound natural.

If it weren't for the family, they could actually do without the wedding. The two of them had no feelings for each other, and it would be more like a performance.

Fortunately, the wedding preparations were being handled by the elders on both sides, and they didn't have to think about much.

"We'll see what my parents and Lin Jinshen arrange, and I'll be responsible for cooperating."

"Mm."

Lin Jinshen paused for a moment, looked at them quietly for a while, and said, "There will be a kissing session at the wedding. Do you need to practice before?"

　　"What?"

Lu Yi thought it was the sound of her heart beating that had masked the outside world, and she was already hearing things.

"I've never done this before, so I don't have much experience," he said seriously.

Lin Jinshen turned his gaze back to her, met her eyes at eye level, and said in an unwavering tone, "So, Lu Yi, shall we start kissing?

Practice first.

Start kissing.

...

　　Lu Yi digested every word. If the tone had been different, it would have been very similar to the ambiguous flirting between mature men and women, but coming from Lin Jinshen, it was more like an invitation for her to do an experiment.

It had nothing to do with love, just a normal couple's to-do list.

"Okay."

There was no need to be shy. They couldn't be expected to really cultivate their feelings before acting on them, and the possibility of that was extremely small, as she had thought.

　　Kissing and then going to bed are normal steps, which sounds better than just getting down to business.

Lu Yi was mentally prepared, but when Lin Jinshen leaned over, her heart still beat uncontrollably.

The first thing to be touched was the tip of her nose, a cool sensation that activated a faint current that traveled from the nerve endings to every part of her body.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her palms were sweating.

　　Their breaths mingled and his lips came close, barely touching.

Her heart stopped.

Lin Jinshen tilted his head slightly and pressed his soft lips against hers again. His jaw and neck muscles tensed at this moment, and his throat was parched with thirst, forcing him to grind his lips against hers to quench his thirst. His movements were jerky and stiff until her lips parted slightly, responding to him in the slightest way.

　　His breathing also stopped at that moment, long enough for all his muscles to stiffen and his brain to stop turning like rust.

Lu Yi hadn't kissed anyone in years.

But she was still more experienced than Lin Jinshen, and after a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly placed her clenched hand on his shoulder, straightened her back, and kissed him back.

But because she was nervous, she missed a bit and kissed the left corner of his lips.

It was their first kiss.

　　It wasn't very good, stiff and awkward, and she was a bit confused.

Lu Yi's eyes were clear and she was a little curious about the result of the experiment: "What was it like?"

Lin Jinshen's eyes were dark, and the warmth and touch of her lips were still there, replaying in his mind. He paused and said honestly, "It was a little sweet.

"Maybe it was the black tea? Lu Yi explained.

"It was different, Lin Jinshen could tell, but he didn't argue.

　　"At the wedding, you can push forward a bit like I just did," Lu Yi insisted, as a senior with the responsibility of guiding an inexperienced junior, "close your eyes and then slowly open them, look at each other for a moment, and then finish."

As she described it, images appeared and she thought it would almost fool him.

Lin Jinshen: '..."

The overly tense muscles still hadn't relaxed very well, and he began to feel acid and pain, and his body temperature rose, causing an unbearable dryness.

　　His eyes unconsciously catch her lips, opening and closing, and his attention is no longer on what she is saying.

His Adam's apple rolls up and down, and he makes a very subtle swallowing motion.

This is an insult to women. Lin Jinshen forces himself to look away, then raises his hand to reveal his wristwatch, and the time is 10:40.

Relieved, he purses his lips and says, "It's time to go to bed.