Chapter 21 It Turns Out to Be You

The most romantic thing in the world is simply accompanying you until we grow old and die...

Returning home from the hotel, Xue Zuining discovered that the man was currently soaking in the bathtub.

Seeing her return, Lu Huaining raised the corners of his lips and smiled at her.

"Enjoying yourself very much?" Xue Zuining narrowed her eyes slightly, smiling with an ambiguous and hazy charm. "Huaining, how about we play a game?"

A game.

"Hmm." Lu Huaining raised his gaze slightly, only to see her eyes fall upon the three glasses of wine. Before he could understand, she had already spoken.

"One of those three glasses of wine doesn't come from the same bottle. If you can taste the difference, I'll join you in the hot spring. How about it?"

Lu Huaining hooked his lips into a smile, raised his hand to clasp hers as it lingered on his chest, and asked leisurely, "Really?"

"What do you think?" Xue Zuining smiled coolly. Her other free hand picked up a wine glass, the rich liquid gently sliding into her mouth. Then, amidst the man's intoxicated gaze, she unexpectedly pressed her lips to his, transferring the warm liquid into his mouth with a gentle flick of her tongue. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she asked, "Did you taste it?"

Lu Huaining suddenly realized that his past assumptions no longer applied to the woman before him. Gone was the washed-away bashfulness and shyness; this playful little woman had long since transformed into a soul-captivating little enchantress.

And he, too, was stirred by her every expression and smile. The red wine was tasted cup by cup, and he seemed quite earnest. Suddenly, his slender fingers pointed to the middle glass of wine and he said with utter confidence, "This one."

"Uh-huh." Xue Zuining smiled and shrugged, picking up that glass of wine, her gaze shifting with myriad charms. "Actually, these three glasses of wine were originally from the very same bottle. It's just that I added a little water to this one, so... bye-bye!"

Then, before the man could stand up, she dashed back to her room, ran up the stairs, and leaned out from the second-floor window. Seeing him pouring a little water to rinse the glass, a mischievous urge struck her. Noticing a plate of mandarin oranges resting on the small table by the window, she picked one up and threw it at him.

Intending to give the man a direct hit right on the head, she never expected to miss completely.

Xue Zuining seemed to have no talent in this area, lacking accuracy. The orange flew past a spot not far from his shoulder and landed with a plop into the water. Without even turning his head, he simply raised his voice and uttered a single word: "Clumsy."

You're the clumsy one! You didn't even show any care or consideration when I got back from outside; couldn't you at least try to make me happy? Such a fool.

Her anger flared instantly. Grabbing another one and carefully aiming for a long time, she threw it again. He evaded her body, reached out a hand, and caught it. Turning his head to smile at her, he said, "Are you throwing a绣球 (embroidered ball)? I remember the rule is that whoever catches it, you have to marry."

The expression on her face suddenly froze, yet her pounding heart instantly leaped with joy amidst the bewilderment...

Sitting alone like this was quite boring, so she went downstairs anyway and walked on tiptoe toward the terrace. He was sitting at the head of the stairs, turning back to give her a gentle look before turning back around. The tray now held two oranges, one of which he had presumably fished out.

Watching his solid back, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her heart. Quietly steadying herself against the stairs, she walked up behind him and suddenly kicked out with force, watching a splash of water erupt before her eyes.

Lu Huaining hadn't expected her to do this and plunged directly into the water, kicking up a huge splash. A few droplets even landed on her face, quickly turning from warm to cool, yet making the woman's smile all the more triumphant.

Indeed, women are naturally creatures like cats; they demand with alluring flair that men not ignore them, nor do they tolerate men challenging their pride.

Lu Huaining quickly stood up, wiped the water from his face, and stared at her. Great joy welled up inside her; the anger she had felt earlier from being ignored instantly vanished into thin air.

Lu Huaining had originally intended to set her straight. The little woman had sneaked out without telling him, and though he knew she didn't want him to worry, how could she constantly put herself in danger without making him anxious? Yet, the moment he saw her smiling like a blossoming flower, he couldn't help but share her joy. Quickly withdrawing his smile, he put on a straight face, walked over to the other side of the pool to sit down, and closed his eyes to continue soaking.

Xue Zuining sat on the step directly above where he was sitting, lowering her gaze to look at the tray. At some point, he had fetched a bottle of treasured aged wine from the cellar. The stopper on the blue-and-white porcelain bottle had already been removed; this fellow really knew how to enjoy himself. She picked up the bottle, pulled out the stopper, and a mellow aroma drifted out, carrying a slight sweetness. She took a sip—sweet and sour on the palate, with a lingering aftertaste—which was indeed different from the firm, rich tannins of red wine. She took two more sips before putting the stopper back in and setting the bottle aside.

A fallen leaf drifted lazily down, landing right in the water before her. She stepped down one level, half-squatted, leaned forward, and reached out to scoop it up. However, the place where he had been sitting was wet and slippery; as her body leaned forward, the soles of her feet involuntarily slid, and she tumbled directly into the water.

Dazed for a moment, she opened her mouth and choked down a large mouthful of water, laden with the distinct, fishy-sweet taste of hot spring sulfur, instantly causing nausea in her stomach.

Before she even had time to react, Lu Huaining had already fished her up and brought her to the edge of the pool, making her bend over while his large hand patted her back to force her to spit out the water. Once she finished coughing, he suddenly burst out laughing: "What goes around comes around."

She had only played a tiny trick on him; did the heavens really need to make her humiliate herself like this?

Xue Zuining wrinkled her nose, wearing an unyielding expression. This bastard, did he really think he had a monopoly on bullying her? She simply refused to believe it. Remembering the series of events just moments ago, she suddenly chuckled.

Her hair still draped over the front of her face, pitch-black and blocking her vision, so she could only look down. The edges of the pool were built with mountain stones, looking very natural yet clearly having been polished smooth. Right along the side touching the pool water, many of the stones had shallow depressions that happened to fit a person's neck and back. Water dripped steadily from the ends of her hair, landing on the green stones with a pattering sound.

She finally collected her wits, feeling she had lost all her dignity. The good mood from kicking him in earlier vanished completely. His remark about retribution made her cheeks burn red with embarrassment. Letting her hair fall loose to cover her face—unwilling to let him see—he reached out to push her hair aside himself. She hurriedly turned her head away, and he chuckled lightly, "One should not harbor intentions of harming others."

"Indeed. And the ancients also taught me that one cannot afford to let down their guard against others." Xue Zuining pushed him away roughly and walked back angrily, but the bottom of the pool was slippery and her mind was in turmoil. After taking two steps, she staggered again, though thankfully she managed to steady herself. He walked over with a smile, embraced her from behind, pulled her into the water, and wrapped his hand around her front to begin untying the buttons of her thin woolen cardigan. "Since it's come to this, we might as well soak together."

"I won't." She struggled hard in his embrace, but to no avail. The buttons were undone one by one, revealing the white shirt underneath, the fabric soaked through and nearly transparent.

"Lu Huaining! If you take advantage of me like this again, I'll really be angry. Do you really take me for someone without a temper?"

Lu Huaining sighed softly and coaxed in a low voice, "Alright, I won't mess around. Let's just sit together, soak in the hot spring, and talk."

"What do you take as a guarantee?"

"You name it."

"If you dare step out of line again, believe me, I will instantly vanish from before your eyes."

"Fine." After his expression stiffened for a moment, Lu Huaining suddenly smiled slightly, reached out to remove her wet clothes, draped them over the edge of the pool, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Tilting his head slightly so that it rested against hers, the pads of his fingers caressed the smooth skin of her shoulders, lingering over this warm and soft sensation.

He talked with her for a while, fell silent for a bit, and then continued talking. After a while, his mouth grew dry, so he went over to fetch the tray, letting the wooden platter float on the water before them. He poured water, let her drink a few sips first, and then drank some himself.

Steam billowed around the two of them. Glancing up, a sky full of stars spilled down overwhelmingly through the gaps in the landscape plant leaves, so breathtaking it made one feel dizzy. This area had been a hot spring villa district developed under Shengshi more than a decade ago. Those living here were all wealthy and noble, with each villa spaced far apart to exclusively enjoy their own magnificent scenery. Yet the scattered and sparse lights added a touch of human warmth to the entire mountain, making it feel quiet yet not desolate.

Lu Huaining breathed deeply. Her scent filtered through the aroma of the hot spring, tracing into his nostrils—a warm fragrance that brought joy to his heart. He couldn't help but glance at her. Below the waterline lay her exquisite, curvaceous figure, glowing like jade under the lights. The surface of the water reflected the illumination; whenever he moved, the lights fractured and scattered like pieces of gold, dazzling his eyes and preventing him from seeing the magnificent scenery hidden beneath the water. He felt that the woman beside him was simply too beautiful. A sky full of stars, a courtyard full of red leaves, distant mountains, and hot springs combined could not compare to her.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he desperately suppressed the growing craving in his body. Pulling his hand away, he picked up an orange and began to peel it. A crisp, refreshing fragrance quickly spread, helping him clear his mind slightly. Breaking off two segments of the orange, he offered them to her lips: "Here."

His burning gaze constantly roamed over her body. How could she not know? A bit shy and a bit annoyed, she glared at him. He only escalated his behavior, saying, "Well, someone who has become a mother indeed possesses even more alluring charm than before."

Alluring charm. Xue Zuining narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to take in the orange, but also captured the tips of his fingers. Her tongue tapped against them twice and gave a gentle suck before releasing her bite to begin chewing, while a tingling sensation spread from his fingertips all the way through his entire body.

This playful little woman was definitely doing it on purpose. Seeing the corners of her mouth curling upward uncontrollably, he knew in his heart that she must be secretly rejoicing over his forbearance.

He had never realized before that this little woman loved teasing people so much, employing endless tricks—first the red wine scheme, and now the beauty trap. Reminiscing about it made him want to laugh. Shaking his head, he continued feeding her oranges. Fruit juice stained her lips, gleaming with a lustrous sheen under the lights. She stuck out her tongue to lick it, and once again, his mouth grew dry and parched...

He pulled her into his arms, and she naturally snuggled against his chest, tilting her head up to kiss his lips before burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. She murmured softly, "Huaining, if time could just freeze at this very moment, how wonderful that would be." Without calculated scheming, without bone-deep yearning, just purely enjoying the peace and tranquility.

Watching her obediently lean against him, Lu Huaining's heart instantly softened. "Having you by my side makes everything good."

Xue Zuining looked up, sharing a tacit smile with him. "Guess what I'm thinking right now."

"Is there a reward if I guess right?"

"What do you think?" Xue Zuining lifted her chin and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek.

"Our daughter."

Xue Zuining hadn't expected him to guess it in a single word. Confronted with this scenery and this moment, if their precious child—who inherited both of their lives—could accompany them by their side, then everything was worth it. Let the regrets of the past be fulfilled by their shared future.

She raised her arms to wrap them tightly around him, seemingly terrified that the present moment might just be like the dreams of the past four years, where waking up meant embracing only cold air. His warm body heat chased away the chill in her heart; at this moment, happiness was real.

Lu Huaining gently smoothed the hair of the person in his arms. Her hair, black as inkweed, intertwined with his, just like how they had once stumbled into each other's worlds. From the moment this little woman appeared in his life, she had brought him too many unexpected shocks and surprises. Her beauty, her coyness, her liveliness, and her stubbornness—after all these years of searching high and low, it was her, always her.