Su Luoyan emerged from the bathroom and walked over to the leisure area. On the easel was a painting she had started last year when she returned. The paints were neatly arranged on the table. She settled into the beanbag chair.
Dijing Court was the first residential project developed by Fu Cheng Shen after taking over the Fu Corporation. It was a high-end residential area with one elevator per household. When the project launched, he purchased a unit under his own name. During the renovation, Fu Cheng Shen had specifically asked for Su Luoyan’s input.
Su Luoyan was someone who lived in the moment. She wasn’t considerate enough to think about Fu Cheng Shen’s future wife. Even if they couldn’t be together in the future, she wanted to leave her mark on his life.
Her requests were simple: there had to be a large walk-in closet, a floor-to-ceiling window, a leisure area in front of the window with a beanbag chair, and a table where she could sit and paint or read.
Later, she saw each of these wishes fulfilled.
She still remembered the summer of her sophomore year when she returned to China. He had put aside his work to pick her up from the airport. She had expected him to take her directly to her own apartment or to his villa, but instead, he brought her here.
At the time, she had been dragged along like a puppet, from the underground garage to the entrance. She had thought it was a friend’s new home for a housewarming. Puzzled, she looked at Fu Cheng Shen, who held her hand and entered the password into the keypad lock.
Then, he handed her a set of keys and patted her head. “From now on, this will be our home.”
Su Luoyan stood there in a daze, unsure how to react.
Home?
That word felt so foreign to her.
When she had been taken in by the Fu family, her brother, Su Luo Qing, had just been admitted to a military academy that year. Military academies were extremely strict, and although they were both in Beijing, the siblings rarely had the chance to meet.
Later, after her brother graduated, he was transferred to the south. When he went on missions, he would be gone for months at a time, often unreachable, let alone able to meet.
But could Fu Cheng Shen really give her a home?
He wasn’t meant to be hers in the first place.
Fu Cheng Shen gently squeezed the back of her hand, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“What were you thinking about just now?”
“I was thinking about Brother.”
“Luo Qing is on a mission for the next few months. You probably won’t get to see him during this break.”
Su Luoyan shook her head. “As long as he’s safe.”
No news was the best news.
Her fingerprint had already been registered, and the door opened. “Go in and see if you like it.”
Perhaps because she had grown up with her grandmother and mother, she had a deep fondness for traditional Chinese culture. Fu Cheng Shen’s interior design incorporated many Chinese elements, almost entirely tailored to her tastes.
There was a Chinese screen in the entryway, a vintage chandelier overhead, and the floor-to-ceiling window she had always wanted, along with the beanbag chair and a low table. On the table were paintbrushes and paints, and beside it stood an easel.
Su Luoyan immediately let go of Fu Cheng Shen’s hand and walked over to lie down in the beanbag chair, then gently touched the easel.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling window, bathing Su Luoyan in its glow. When she turned to look at him, she was backlit, her gentle smile radiant.
Fu Cheng Shen couldn’t tear his eyes away. Even Monet or Da Vinci couldn’t capture a fraction of the beauty and grace she possessed in that moment.
*While Su Luoyan was selecting clothes in the walk-in closet, Fu Siqi called again.
Fu Siqi’s voice was excited, “Yan Yan, what are you wearing tonight? I want to wear matching outfits with you.”
“What color clothes do you want to wear?”
The walk-in closet was filled with the latest seasonal items, all chosen by Fu Cheng Shen based on her usual style of dressing. It was overwhelming, and her indecisiveness kicked in, so she simply left the decision to Fu Siqi.
“Black. I dyed my hair a new color yesterday, and I want to try black.”
“Then we’ll go with what you said.”
“Do you want me to pick you up tonight?” Fu Siqi asked, considering that Su Luoyan hadn’t bought a car yet.
“No need, I have a car.”
“You have a car?” Fu Siqi was somewhat shocked.
Her best friend had just returned to the country yesterday—did she buy it overnight?
Su Luoyan rolled her eyes playfully, starting to tease, “You’ll find out tonight. I guarantee it’ll be stunning.”
“Looking forward to your surprise,” Fu Siqi said.