After closing the front door, Lin Yi’an led Zhou Mingshi upstairs. Assistant Chen had already carried their luggage up.
Her parents and grandmother lived on the first floor, while guests were usually accommodated on the second.
Zhou Mingshi glanced around casually. “The house is nice.”
Lin Yi’an smiled. “My eldest brother arranged for it to be built. He even handled all the interior decoration himself. I don’t know much about these things.”
The two of them chatted casually as they walked. When they reached a room, she opened the door and said, “The two rooms next door belong to my eldest and second brothers. This room is a little more spacious, and no one’s ever stayed in it before. You can have this one. There’s another room across the hall for Assistant Chen.”
That afternoon, after her parents learned he was coming, they had cleaned the room all over again. It was spotless inside.
Zhou Mingshi nodded. “Mm.”
Assistant Chen wheeled the suitcase inside and took out his boss’s clothes one by one, hanging them neatly in the wardrobe.
Lin Yi’an returned carrying a set of bedsheets and a summer quilt. “You decided to come over so suddenly that we didn’t have time to buy new bedding. You’ll have to make do with these.”
They weren’t really old, though. Her eldest and second brothers had used the quilt during previous visits, but only a handful of times.
Silk quilts weren’t easy to maintain. Fortunately, her grandmother knew how to care for them. Even though this quilt had been put away since last year, it still looked almost brand new.
Leaning against the doorway, Zhou Mingshi watched her bustle about and said, “It’s fine. I’m not picky.”
After finishing with his boss’s luggage, Assistant Chen headed out. Hearing that remark, he had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. President Zhou’s words carried absolutely no credibility. Everyone around him, including his friends and childhood companions, knew that the heir of the Zhou family had more than a touch of young master’s temperament. He was extremely particular about food, clothing, housing, and transportation. The slightest dissatisfaction would make him frown.
Ye Lingzhi came over to help make the bed. Catching the unconvinced look on Assistant Chen’s face, she wondered if there was some secret about the future son-in-law that she didn’t know.
She quietly tucked the thought away, planning to tell Sister Yi’an later.
After the bed was made, Lin Yi’an took out a pair of slippers her eldest and second brothers had worn before. “We don’t have any new slippers at home. I’ll go to the county tomorrow to buy some. For tonight, you’ll have to make do with my brothers’ slippers. They’ve all been washed.”
Zhou Mingshi glanced at Assistant Chen before looking at Lin Yi’an. “It’s fine.”
Sensing his gaze, Assistant Chen no longer dared grumble inwardly and quickly slipped out of the room.
Lin Yi’an said, “Since we didn’t know you were coming, we couldn’t prepare in advance. So if you have any plans in the future, you can discuss them with me first.”
Zhou Mingshi replied, “Sorry. I’ll keep that in mind next time.”
Lin Yi’an said nothing more. “The toiletries are in the cabinet in the bathroom. They’re all new.”
After returning to her room, Ye Lingzhi said to Lin Yi’an, “Just now, your future husband said he wasn’t picky, but Assistant Chen clearly didn’t believe him…”
Lin Yi’an smiled. “Do you believe he isn’t picky?”
The Zhou family was an old, established clan. During the turbulent years, they had moved to Hong Kong, then gradually returned to the mainland to expand their business in the early 1980s. The family had strict rules and paid attention to every detail. Zhou Mingshi had been raised as the heir from childhood, with the entire family placing him first in all matters. He had grown up pampered and privileged. How could someone like that not be particular?
Ye Lingzhi asked, “So what he said just now was simply politeness?”
Lin Yi’an replied, “I don’t know.”
Ye Lingzhi: “…”
Lin Yi’an added, “Maybe after spending more time with him, I’ll understand him better.”
Meanwhile, after coming out of the bathroom, Zhou Mingshi dried his hair with a towel as he called Assistant Chen into the room.
Assistant Chen asked, “President Zhou?”
Looking at him, Zhou Mingshi said, “Tomorrow, have someone deliver quilts and bedsheets under the pretense of bringing gifts. Make sure there’s something for everyone in the family. Bring a few pairs of slippers as well…”
He couldn’t very well keep using Lin Su’s quilt and slippers.
“Anything else?” Assistant Chen asked.
Zhou Mingshi continued, “After Miss Lin and I get married, we’ll probably come here for short stays quite often. Prepare some everyday necessities, clothes, and shoes to keep here.”
Assistant Chen nodded. “I’ll go back and make a list tonight. Everything will be delivered tomorrow afternoon.”
After drying his hair, Zhou Mingshi lay down.
The countryside was exceptionally quiet at night. He turned off his phone and prepared to sleep, yet his thoughts drifted involuntarily to Lin Yi’an.
Before the elders had arranged the marriage alliance with the Lin family, he had met several daughters of prominent families through their introductions. Every one of those meetings had ended the same way. After one or two meals together, there had been no further contact. It wasn’t that those women weren’t good enough. They simply weren’t compatible.
During the few times he had spent with Lin Yi’an, he had been thoroughly satisfied. She was quiet, or perhaps more accurately, serene. She never said a single unnecessary word.
Even when they were alone together, she never seemed uncomfortable. If he happened to be occupied and couldn’t pay attention to her for the time being, she was perfectly content entertaining herself.
He could tell that she was someone who knew how to enjoy life.
Although her attitude toward him had been ordinary enough, it had never made him feel awkward. On the contrary, it felt just right, leaving him with a growing sense of anticipation for the married life they would share in the future.
Zhou Mingshi had expected that sleeping in an unfamiliar place would leave him tossing and turning as usual. To his surprise, he fell asleep not long after lying down.
He slept deeply through the night and didn’t wake until the sun was already high in the sky.
He sat up and picked up the watch from the bedside table to check the time. It was almost nine o’clock. Over the past two years, he had rarely slept in this late. Slipping into his slippers, he opened the door just as he saw Lin Yi’an coming upstairs.
Zhou Mingshi spoke first, his voice still husky from sleep. “Morning.”
The moment Lin Yi’an looked up, her eyes landed on the well-defined muscles of his chest visible beneath the loosely tied bathrobe. She paused slightly. “Your…”
Zhou Mingshi raised his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Lin Yi’an glanced at his clothing. “Your robe.”
Following her gaze, Zhou Mingshi looked down. Calmly, he pulled the bathrobe closed and tightened the belt around his waist before saying apologetically, “Sorry.”
Lin Yi’an explained, “We didn’t wake you this morning. Grandma said you’ve been sleeping poorly lately, so she wanted you to sleep until you woke up naturally before having breakfast.”
Zhou Mingshi asked, “Assistant Chen told Grandma?”
Lin Yi’an shook her head. “Grandma is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. She could tell.”
Zhou Mingshi said, “Grandma must be an excellent physician.”
Lin Yi’an smiled. “People from all the surrounding villages like to come to Grandma for treatment. There are even patients who seek her out by reputation.”
Zhou Mingshi asked, “Did you become a traditional Chinese medicine doctor because of Grandma’s influence?”
Lin Yi’an nodded. “When I was little, I loved following Grandma around to learn medicinal herbs and memorize traditional herbal formulas.”
Then she added, “Go get changed and freshen up. Come downstairs for breakfast afterward.”
Zhou Mingshi watched her head downstairs before returning to his room to change and wash up. When he came out again, he was dressed in casual clothes.
After finishing his work in the village, Zuo Mingyang was about to head to the county town on an errand. He came over to ask Lin Yi’an if she wanted to come along for a visit.
She had originally planned to go to the county today to buy slippers and a quilt for Zhou Mingshi. However, early that morning, Assistant Chen had already told her that he had arranged for someone to deliver everything, so there was no need to make a special trip.