Outside, the night was deep and dark.
Ye Ximeng lit incense in the villa, watching a movie while exercising.
She breathed rhythmically, sweat sliding down her fair, taut skin.
After finishing her workout, she showered and then carefully tended to her skin.
Her face and body were naturally taken care of, and she didn’t even neglect her hair strands and fingernails.
A refined woman must start by loving herself.
After making herself fragrant and tender, looking at the delicate face in the mirror with moist skin and a rosy complexion, even she couldn’t help but feel moved.
A rare beauty in the world must be like this.
Unfortunately, Jiang Yufeng’s eyes probably had some issues.
No matter, give her some time, she would straighten him out.
Ye Ximeng lay down on the bed wearing a nightgown, and a notification sound came from her phone.
It was a consultation message from her online shop.
A customer was inquiring about blended incense.
【Hello, is your shop one that can customize blended incense?】
After just one glance, Ye Ximeng was delighted.
Hello, may I ask…
Such a serious, proper, polite message sent at this exact time—it was undoubtedly Jiang Yufeng.
She tapped the screen to reply.
【Dear, yes, it is.】
【Besides blended incense customization, our shop also offers single-item incense and various cold incense products for customization.】
【Dear, which service are you interested in?】
…
In a five-star hotel not far from Clearwater Bay, Jiang Yufeng sat on the sofa, looking at his phone screen, his brow almost furrowed together.
Whether it was his misconception or not, he always felt this incense shop wasn’t quite proper.
But Ye Ximeng had told him that Goose Pear Bedroom Incense and Snow in Spring were bought from this shop.
He slightly narrowed his eyes and continued sending a message.
【Can Goose Pear Bedroom Incense and Snow in Spring be customized? What are the prices?】
…
Clearwater Bay marital home, Ye Ximeng typed.
【Dear, they can be customized.】
【Our shop mainly relies on reputation business. Dear, do you have a referral? If you have a referral, we can offer you a discounted price.】
…
Five-star hotel, Jiang Yufeng replied.
【No referral.】
…
Clearwater Bay, Ye Ximeng’s eyes rolled around.
Originally, she had wanted to give Jiang Yufeng a 20% discount.
Since he didn’t want a discount, she wouldn’t go against money either.
【Dear, Goose Pear Bedroom Incense is 1088 yuan for 10 grams.】
【Snow in Spring is 999 yuan for 10 grams.】
【Dear, how much would you like to customize?】
…
Five-star hotel, Jiang Yufeng pondered for a moment before replying:
【50 grams of each first. When will they be shipped?】
…
【Dear, customized incense products are shipped within three days.】
【Also, for customized incense products, once the customer confirms the customization, the items cannot be returned or exchanged.】
【Dear, do you confirm you want to customize?】
…
【Confirm.】
…
【Okay, dear.】
【For this order, please make the payment, dear.】
…
Five-star hotel, Jiang Yufeng unconsciously pinched his brow, looking at the screen full of ‘dear’…
Are online shop customer service agents always so enthusiastic?
He didn’t shop online much and felt a bit uncomfortable.
…
Clearwater Bay villa, Ye Ximeng smiled delightedly. Making a bucket of gold right before sleep was wonderful.
Once the funds from this order arrived, her cracked-screen phone could be repaired.
Or perhaps, she could simply get a new phone…
Thinking about these things, she drifted into a sweet dream.
……
The next day, early morning.
Ye Ximeng woke up following her biological clock.
She didn’t have the habit of lingering in bed, stretching lazily before getting up to wash and freshen up.
When she opened the door and headed down the corridor to the living room downstairs, her footsteps suddenly paused.
Was it an auditory illusion?
Why did she feel faint chanting sounds coming from downstairs?
After standing quietly for a moment, she confirmed it wasn’t an illusion.
There really was chanting.
The sound wasn’t loud, and… it was quite pleasant.
Thinking of a possibility, Ye Ximeng couldn’t help but smile.
Could this be… Jiang Yufeng doing morning prayers?
Devout Buddhist practitioners at home indeed seemed to perform morning rituals…
Ye Ximeng descended the stairs to the living room and indeed saw Jiang Yufeng sitting cross-legged on a patch of floor, softly chanting scriptures.
Jiang Yufeng probably heard her footsteps, turned his head to glance in her direction, nodded, and greeted her with a “morning.”
Ye Ximeng also smiled brightly and returned the greeting.
“I wasn’t sure when Zhang Yi would deliver breakfast, so I came a bit early,” Jiang Yufeng said.
After a pause, Jiang Yufeng asked, “Does my morning prayer here disturb you?”
Ye Ximeng shook her head and said, “It doesn’t disturb me, but would you mind if I also exercised in the living room?”
“This is your place, feel free to do as you wish, don’t mind me,” Jiang Yufeng replied.
Jiang Yufeng continued his morning prayer.
Ye Ximeng habitually lit a burner of incense on the tea table first.
Today, she planned to use the renowned incense passed down from the Northern Song Dynasty, Ying Xiang.
While preparing the incense, she pondered what exercise to do today.
Originally, she intended to practice yoga, but yoga required accompanying music.
The music would definitely disturb Jiang Yufeng’s morning prayer.
Although Jiang Yufeng said not to mind him.
But Ye Ximeng couldn’t really ignore him.
After thinking, she simply went to the wardrobe, changed into loose Tai Chi attire, and began practicing Tai Chi in another open area of the living room.
Actually, she also liked playing music while practicing Tai Chi.
But today, she suddenly discovered that Jiang Yufeng’s chanting had a rhythm too.
Tai Chi movements, synchronized with Jiang Yufeng’s chanting rhythm, surprisingly matched perfectly.
In the villa’s living room, Ye Ximeng and Jiang Yufeng each occupied an open area, one sitting cross-legged chanting morning prayers, the other gracefully practicing Tai Chi with flowing sleeves.
From the incense burner on the tea table, wisps of smoke rose.
The entire living room resembled a vivid, harmonious, yet naturally seamless painting.
While chanting, Jiang Yufeng smelled the blended incense.
A subtle and elegant scent, like tender flowers blooming in spring, carrying a hint of sweetness, fresh and warm.
Not Goose Pear Bedroom Incense, nor Snow in Spring Promise.
It was a completely new blended incense, not inferior to the previous two.
At one moment, Jiang Yufeng raised his head and glanced toward Ye Ximeng’s direction.
In his view, the young girl moved lightly, like a swallow dancing in the morning light, her movements flowing smoothly, soft yet firm.
Each posture displayed a perfect blend of elegance and strength.
The girl in white, as if a celestial maiden descending, exuded a unique charm between motion and stillness.
Jiang Yufeng’s gaze was uncontrollably drawn—Ye Ximeng, his newlywed wife.
In less than two short days, Ye Ximeng seemed to have acquired a hazy veil of mystery in his perception, becoming elusive and enigmatic.
Perhaps lost in thought, he realized at some point that his chanting had ceased.
On the other side of the living room, Ye Ximeng was in the midst of her practice, her movements flowing like water, blending strength and grace seamlessly.
But suddenly, she noticed the chanting had stopped.
It was like the music cutting out mid-dance—enough to drive a perfectionist mad.
“Jiang Yufeng, have you finished your morning prayers?
Could you chant a bit longer? I’m just a few moves away from finishing. Without your voice as accompaniment, I can’t find my rhythm.
Stopping halfway is unbearable.”