The Paris night in February was bitterly cold, the sharp wind cutting like ice blades against the skin, stinging the face with each gust.
Luo Yunmian instinctively tightened her trench coat, but it did little to ward off the chill.
Seeing this, Fu Yanchi stepped forward and removed his black scarf.
Luo Yunmian instinctively took a step back, trying to create distance, but Fu Yanchi grabbed her and, without a word, wrapped the scarf around her neck.
“If you catch a cold and get sick, it’ll be Sister Mianmian who suffers.”
Luo Yunmian was momentarily taken aback but then stopped resisting.
The two walked slowly along the Pont Neuf, the streetlights on both banks of the Seine reflecting off the rippling water, creating shimmering layers of light as the breeze passed.
The riverside buildings were outlined by lights, their reflections in the water forming a beautiful scene.
Luo Yunmian paused as she looked ahead, and Fu Yanchi followed her gaze to see a foreigner setting up a stall.
“Shall we go try that?”
Fu Yanchi spoke first.
In the past, when she was with Fu Tingshen, she had given up the habit of eating street food because he considered it unhygienic.
While Luo Yunmian was still lost in thought, Fu Yanchi had already stepped forward, speaking fluently in a foreign language to the vendor, and soon ordered two jianbing guozi.
Luo Yunmian stood quietly nearby. Even in heels, she was only 168 centimeters tall, and standing beside him, she only reached his shoulders.
She watched Fu Yanchi’s back as he chatted effortlessly with the vendor, feeling that the maturity he sometimes displayed was at odds with his youthful, lively, and endearing side.
Fu Yanchi handed one of the bags to her.
She opened the steaming bag to find the jianbing guozi filled with plenty of cilantro and no scallions. For some reason, her nose tingled with emotion.
Love and indifference seemed so clearly distinguishable.
Fu Yanchi naturally positioned himself on the side closer to the traffic, leaving the safer spot for Luo Yunmian. The two walked slowly forward, eating their jianbing guozi as they went.
Luo Yunmian’s heart was a mix of conflicting emotions. Her gaze lingered on the person walking beside her, realizing that the chubby little boy from her memories had grown up.
She tilted her head slightly and asked in a half-joking tone.
“How did you know I was at the bar? Did you plant a tracker on me?”
Her words eased the slightly awkward atmosphere.
Fu Yanchi’s eyes crinkled into a smile, his expression growing even clearer and purer.
“I was just afraid Sister Mianmian would abandon me.”
Luo Yunmian took a deep breath, her expression turning serious.
“Yan Chi, we need to have a proper talk.”
“Sure, but it’s really cold here, Sister Mianmian.”
“Then let’s go back first. Which hotel are you staying at?” Luo Yunmian asked him.
“Sister Mianmian, you’ll have to take me in. The hotels are fully booked.”
“In such a big city, could they really all be full?”
Luo Yunmian didn’t believe him.
“It’s true. You said you wanted to talk to me, right? I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”
Fu Yanchi raised two fingers as if to swear.
In the end, Luo Yunmian took him to her room. However, when they reached the hallway on her floor, her furtive, guilty glances made Fu Yanchi feel uneasy.
He deliberately strode ahead and stepped out of the elevator first.
Luo Yunmian hurriedly rushed out, grabbed Fu Yanchi’s hand, swiped the key card, and pushed him inside.
“Am I really that embarrassing to be seen with?”
“Shut up.”
Luo Yunmian glanced at the door and quickly closed it.
But before she could even change her shoes, a rapid knocking sound echoed from outside.
“Yunmian, are you in the room?”
It was Fu Tingshen’s voice.
Panic-stricken, Luo Yunmian grabbed Fu Yanchi and hurriedly pulled him deeper into the room, her eyes darting around frantically in search of a place to hide him.
Then, pointing at the bathroom, she pushed him forward without hesitation, her voice urgent.
“Get in the bathroom and don’t come out.”
Stumbling, Luo Yunmian crouched down, hastily opened her suitcase, and quickly stripped off her clothes. She changed into a loose set of loungewear, untied her hair, and let it fall loosely over her shoulders.
She was completely unaware that in the bathroom, a pair of eyes was watching her every move through the reflection in the mirror.
The man’s gaze was deep, now shimmering with an unreadable intensity. The figure Luo Yunmian revealed as she undressed was fully exposed to his view.
He saw the marks on her body—marks left by him, the very one who had caused them.
After finishing her hurried preparations, Luo Yunmian finally walked to the door and opened it.
“What’s going on? I knocked for a long time before you answered.”
Fu Tingshen strode in without hesitation.
“I wasn’t feeling well and went to bed early.”
Fresh from a shower, Fu Tingshen was dressed in casual clothes, his hair naturally falling on both sides, giving him a more relaxed appearance.
He handed her an exquisite box. “See if you like it.”
Luo Yunmian opened it to find a pair of black high heels. Her eyes showed no particular emotion as she simply said, “Thank you.”
“Tomorrow, the partner is holding a press conference. I noticed you didn’t pack much, so I bought these for you.”
Fu Tingshen wrapped an arm around Luo Yunmian’s waist, the scent of roses from his shower enveloping her.
Instinctively, Luo Yunmian tried to push him away, her brow furrowing as she recalled what he had done with Shen Xin’er in the greenhouse.
Fu Tingshen hadn’t expected Luo Yunmian’s waist to be so slender.
He had always known Luo Yunmian was beautiful.
Now, his gaze lingered on the loungewear she wore, her fair skin glowing with a healthy pink hue. Unconsciously, a flicker of desire ignited in his eyes.
He tightened his arms slightly around her waist, his low voice whispering into Luo Yunmian’s ear.
“Yunmian, we’re about to get engaged. Shall I stay tonight?”
Luo Yunmian looked up, meeting the man’s undisguised desire in his eyes, and a sudden pang of pain shot through her heart.
Fighting back her disgust, she pushed him away forcefully. “President Fu, you’ve had too much to drink.”
But Fu Tingshen mistook her resistance for shyness and took another step closer. “We’ll reach that point sooner or later.”
With that, he leaned in, intending to kiss Luo Yunmian’s lips.
Just then, a loud crash came from the direction of the bathroom.
“What was that?”
Oh no, Fu Yanchi must have heard the conversation. That guy did it on purpose.
She was about to stop Fu Tingshen, but he gave her a puzzled glance and strode straight toward the bathroom.
Fu Tingshen pushed open the bathroom door, scanning the room before his eyes settled on a shattered cup on the tile floor.
Luo Yunmian followed behind him, her own gaze darting nervously around the bathroom. She breathed a sigh of relief when Fu Tingshen turned and walked back out.
“It must have been me. I probably didn’t place the cup properly after washing up.”
Fu Tingshen nodded and sat down directly on the edge of Luo Yunmian’s bed, looking up at her with unmistakable intent in his eyes.
Clearly, he intended to stay tonight.
Luo Yunmian truly couldn’t understand—wasn’t Shen Xin’er right next door? Had she lost her mind today?
No matter what, Luo Yunmian neither wanted nor was willing to let Fu Tingshen stay. Besides, there was still a ticking time bomb in the room.
“What’s wrong? Yunmian doesn’t want me to?”
This was the first time Luo Yunmian had heard Fu Tingshen speak so bluntly.
While she was still stunned, Fu Tingshen’s phone rang.
The man’s eyes visibly flickered as he muted it.
“It must be Miss Shen calling. You should go check on her!”
Luo Yunmian gave him an out.
He glanced at her, and the phone rang again like a death knell.
Fu Tingshen had no choice but to stand up. “I’ll go see what’s going on. Yunmian, you should rest early.”
After the door closed, Luo Yunmian leaned against the wall and let out a long, relieved sigh.
Remembering something, she hurriedly dashed toward the bathroom in her slippers.