After finding the little dumpling’s clothes, Lu Zhixing draped them over the crook of his arm and made his way downstairs at an unhurried pace.
The dark gold and deep crimson carpet stretched from the top of the staircase all the way to the ground floor. The handrail was engraved with intricate patterns, smooth to the touch with faintly raised carvings beneath one’s fingertips. Against the warm brown wood grain, the man’s fair fingers looked especially elegant.
Standing some distance away, Lu Zhixing looked at the man sleeping soundly on the sofa before quietly walking over.
He reached for the glass coffee table in front of him and picked up the plate of strawberries.
The bright red strawberries were obviously freshly picked. Their tiny green leaves made the fruit appear even larger and more enticing.
Something flickered in Lu Zhixing’s eyes.
Keeping his back straight and his head slightly lowered, he selected the smallest strawberry and took a bite.
It was slightly tart, but even more fresh and sweet, making the hint of sourness pleasantly refreshing.
After finishing it, he held the little green calyx between his fingers, looked at it for a moment, then prepared to throw it into the rubbish bin.
Su Qing was sleeping fitfully when he suddenly felt a chill approaching.
Still groggy, he opened his eyes and saw a dark figure standing nearby.
He jumped in fright, instantly becoming fully awake, then hurriedly scrambled to his feet once he realised it was only a man.
Feeling awkward, Su Qing watched as the man casually dropped the tiny strawberry calyx into the pale pink bin tucked beside the sofa.
The man was tall with long legs. Even when he bent over, the lines of his back remained graceful, his entire bearing refined and elegant.
Su Qing’s face reddened.
The man looked up and smiled faintly at him, carrying a trace of apology.
“Did I wake you?”
Su Qing immediately shook his head.
“No, no.”
From the way the man carried himself, Su Qing assumed he must be one of the villa’s owners, making him even more nervous.
He stepped forward, intending to ask whether the man knew where Sister Leng Feng was.
Unexpectedly, the man asked first.
“You’re here to see Leng Feng?”
As he spoke, Lu Zhixing casually adjusted the little dumpling’s clothes resting over his arm.
Su Qing nodded, his face flushing.
He had always been quiet and introverted. Whenever he found himself in an unfamiliar place, he became so nervous that he barely knew how to speak.
“He won’t be back until noon. What’s your name?”
Remembering the errand he had entrusted to Leng Feng, Lu Zhixing answered calmly.
“Hello… my name is Su Qing.”
Su Qing replied hurriedly, growing even more nervous.
So this man really was Sister Leng Feng’s employer.
“Thank you.”
Lu Zhixing’s eyes curved gently.
“Since you’re Leng Feng’s friend, join us for breakfast later.”
Su Qing stared at him in surprise.
He had never imagined this family would be so kind.
The woman he had met that morning had treated him with remarkable patience, and now the master of the house was so gentle as well.
The kindness shown to him left his heart warm.
“Thank you very much.”
The smile on Lu Zhixing’s face deepened.
The bead of his lower lip looked especially crimson against his pale lips.
“There’s no need to thank me. Wife thought the same.”
Without knowing why, Su Qing immediately thought of the woman leaning against the windowsill earlier that morning, looking down at him from above.
She must be the “Wife” the man was referring to.
His eyes drifted to the light blue children’s clothes draped over Lu Zhixing’s arm.
That must be their child… he thought quietly.
“In a little while, Uncle Xiao will take you to breakfast. If you need anything, just let him know.”
Su Qing nodded gratefully.
Only after watching the man disappear into the distance did he finally relax his stiff shoulders.
For some reason, he always became nervous whenever he was around that man.
Looking around at the villa’s elegant and luxurious furnishings, Su Qing lowered his head, forced a faint smile, then quietly fell silent once more.
After returning upstairs, Lu Zhixing calmly knocked on the bedroom door.
The moment Wen Lan opened it, the first thing she saw was a flash of brilliant red.
Only after the fresh strawberries were lowered did the man’s face come into view.
“Strawberries.”
Wen Lan casually accepted the plate.
She was just about to thank him when his next action caught her completely off guard.
His fair fingers picked up a bright red strawberry and held it gently to her lips.
The familiar fragrance of strawberries lingered beneath her nose.
Wen Lan noticed him secretly rising onto his tiptoes, all while maintaining a perfectly composed expression, pretending nothing was unusual.
“They’re very sweet.”
At a glance, she noticed that the tips of his ears were every bit as red as the strawberry itself.
Seeing that Wen Lan made no move, the strawberry hovering by her lips retreated slightly.
Lu Zhixing’s eyelashes trembled faintly, yet he continued looking steadily at her.
His eyes were ordinary, neither double-lidded nor particularly almond-shaped. Yet his pupils were bright, framed by thick, naturally curled lashes. Whenever he looked at someone from the corner of his eyes, scattered reflections shimmered within his pupils, giving him an elusive, faintly mysterious air.
Wen Lan stood there in a daze for a moment before finally opening her mouth and accepting the strawberry.
Whether by accident or not, her soft lips brushed against the tips of his fingers.
Both of them froze at the same instant.
Lu Zhixing withdrew his hand as quickly as lightning.
His fingertips burned intensely, while a tingling softness spread through his heart, leaving his knees almost too weak to support him.
Wen Lan was even more embarrassed.
Only after swallowing the last bite did she step aside and make room for him.
“Come in.”
She tried her best to sound natural.
Lu Zhixing nodded.
Watching him enter the room, Wen Lan quietly took a deep breath.
Only after the heat on her face had subsided did she follow him inside.
The little dumpling remained curled beneath the blanket, her chubby cheeks still flushed with sleep.
Sitting beside the bed, Lu Zhixing gently stroked the child’s soft, fine hair.
Watching the father and daughter together from a short distance away, Wen Lan suddenly felt an unexpected sense of peace settle over her.
After quietly watching the little dumpling for a while, Lu Zhixing leaned down and kissed her gently.
Normally, she would already have been awake by this hour.
Yet today, after sleeping beside Wife, she had somehow slept even longer.
Remembering that she had carried the little dumpling outside to play shortly after five in the morning, Wen Lan inexplicably felt a little guilty.
Her gaze drifted to the vase nearby.
Inside, the four mist roses were arranged in a graceful display.
After Lu Zhixing had left earlier, Wen Lan had ultimately decided to keep the roses for herself instead of giving one to him.
Another time.
Next time, I’ll give him something more valuable…
Following his wife’s line of sight, Lu Zhixing naturally noticed the bouquet of roses as well.
He lowered his eyes.
Threads of gloom quietly gathered within them, hidden so deeply that no one could glimpse what lay beneath.
The roses had obviously been picked only a short while ago. Their dark green stems and leaves were still full of life, while the deep pink blossoms trembled delicately in full bloom, carefully arranged in the vase by someone’s hands.
So…
Why had his wife gone to the garden so early that morning to pick flowers?
Lu Zhixing gently stroked the little dumpling’s cheek. His cool fingertips accidentally brushed past her ear.
Wen Wu’s eyelids fluttered. Still asleep, she instinctively rolled over and called out in a sleepy, babyish voice,
“Daddy…”
“Mm, little sleepyhead. It’s time to get up.”
Lu Zhixing gently picked the little dumpling up in his arms.
Wen Wu blinked her eyes, wrapped her chubby little arms around her father, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Good morning, Daddy.”
“Good morning.”
Lu Zhixing took out the little one’s clothes.
Wen Wu glanced at the unfamiliar bedsheets before suddenly remembering.
“Mommy!”
She had gone out to play with Mommy that morning!
Wen Lan walked over to her just as the little girl looked up with her bright, clear eyes.
Unable to resist, Wen Lan gently patted her head as well.
“Good morning.”
The little dumpling sat obediently on the bed, stretching out her arms and legs one after another as Lu Zhixing quickly helped her get dressed.
“Brush teef.”
Wen Wu pointed at her own cheek as she spoke in her soft, childish voice.
Watching the cleanliness-loving little girl, Wen Lan’s slightly narrow eyes curved into a faint smile.
Lu Zhixing set the child down on the floor and took her hand, preparing to bring her back to her own room to brush her teeth and wash her face.
“Flowers! Flowers!”
The moment Wen Wu looked up, she spotted the flowers Mommy had picked that morning and cried out excitedly.
Wen Lan bent down, picked up one of the roses, snapped off most of the stem, then handed it to her.
“Here.”
“Thank you, Mommy.”
Holding the largest blossom, Wen Wu beamed happily.
Then she stood on tiptoe and eagerly offered it to Lu Zhixing.
“Daddy, flower.”
Lu Zhixing crouched down.
Looking at the flower the little girl was presenting to him, he hesitated for a moment before accepting it.
The faint fragrance of the mist rose drifted into his nose.
Lowering his eyes, he found the scent somehow…
Familiar.
“Mommy went to pick flowers first thing this morning.”
Wen Wu announced happily.
Only then did Lu Zhixing remember.
That man named Su Qing had also carried the faint scent of mist roses.
Without betraying a hint of emotion, he concealed the flower in his hand, lifted the little dumpling into his arms, and said gently as before,
“Alright, it’s time to brush your teeth. Say goodbye to Wife.”
Wen Wu waved her chubby little hand.
“Bye-bye, Mommy.”
Originally, Wen Lan had intended to follow them.
But after hearing the father and daughter say that, she could only stand there and watch them leave.
Looking out the window, she decided that her “gift plan” for the morning had ended in complete failure.
Still…
It had not been entirely without rewards.
Remembering the man’s bright red ears, Wen Lan smiled faintly.
Her slightly narrowed eyes and the curl of her lips made her look inexplicably mischievous.
When she had eaten the strawberry just now…
She had done it on purpose.
After all, the man had deliberately tempted her first.
Wen Lan had never been someone willing to suffer a loss.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhixing carried the little dumpling into his pale blue bedroom.
Lowering his head, he squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush before handing it over.
Standing on a small wooden stool, Wen Wu brushed her teeth while watching her father, her beautiful eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
After she finished brushing, Lu Zhixing carefully wiped her face with a towel.
“Daddy.”
The little dumpling suddenly spoke.
“Mm?”
Lu Zhixing bent down and picked up a comb, preparing to make the little girl look her prettiest.
Her hair was soft, smooth, and jet black.
He planned to tie it into a tiny topknot.
“Daddy, lower your head.”
Wen Wu tugged at his hand coquettishly.
With a helpless smile, Lu Zhixing lowered his head.
“Alright, alright. What does my little darling want to tell me?”
Wen Wu’s little face flushed with excitement.
Leaning close to his ear, she whispered in her sweet, childish voice as though sharing a great secret.
“Daddy, I think… Mommy picked those flowers for you.”
Lu Zhixing froze.
Looking at Wen Wu, he asked hesitantly,
“How do you know that, sweetheart?”
Wen Wu smiled like a clever little fox.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she declared confidently,
“They’re definitely for Daddy!”
“I can feel it!”
Lu Zhixing gently stroked her head.
His mood improved ever so slightly.
“What a good girl.”
Lowering his head, he carefully tied up the little topknot.
The thick lashes beneath his brow concealed every trace of emotion in his eyes.
No one could guess what he was thinking.
“Daddy, are you done?”
Wen Wu felt that Daddy had taken longer than usual tying her little topknot today.
“Done.”
Lu Zhixing released the little girl.
Looking at the perfectly tied topknot, he smiled faintly, the bead of his lower lip as crimson as blood.