Chapter 47: An Affectionate Liking

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The pen in her hand swiftly glided across the paper, and that long line surpassed the scope specified in the drawing. Since she had used too much force, the tip of the pen made a large dent in the paper.

Anran sighed, put the pencil in her hand on the desk, and leaned back on the swivel chair and closed her eyes. Those past memories kept flashing in front of her eyes—joy, as well as tears. She still remembered their first date. They walked side-by-side on the little round lakeside on campus. He smiled as he told her about his future dreams and goals. He smiled as he told her about his plans to start a construction company, then to build many skyscrapers. They talked about their aspirations and ambitions, and as they talked, they got closer and closer. It wasn’t clear whose hand touched the other’s first, but under the sunset, his hands intertwined with hers, and their fingers crossed. Under the sunset and in the reflection of that little round lake, his lips brushed against hers. At that time, both of them were naive and innocent. Having their lips pressed together was enough to make both of their faces turn as red as ripened apples, and their hearts had pounded rapidly.

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Not wanting to be controlled by her memories, Anran’s eyes suddenly flew open. She crumpled up the sketch on the desk into a ball, then forcefully threw it into the basket near her feet. There were seven or eight crumpled up paper balls in that basket, and they were all the result of Anran’s struggles that night.

The door of the study flung open. Su Yicheng, wearing a neat suit and holding a briefcase in his hands, entered. Seeing this, Anran quickly stood up. “Y-you’re back. Do you want to use the study? I-I will go out immediately.” Then, she stood up and gathered her drawing designs and prepared to leave.

“Anran,” Su Yicheng called out to her and shook his head, then said, “I don’t need to use the study. I already completed all my work in the office. If you have to use the study, then use it. We are now husband and wife, and you are the female head of this family, so you can’t always be this polite and distant.”

Anran was speechless and simply stood there watching him. She just wasn’t used to it.

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Su Yicheng smiled at her as he set his briefcase aside and loosened the tie on his neck. “I’ll take a shower first,” he said, then left the study.

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Anran sat down again. She grabbed the drawing, spread it on the large office desk, and started carefully drawing with a ruler and a paintbrush. But her mind was distracted with what had happened in Huang Dexing’s office in the afternoon. She didn’t know what Mo Fei planned on doing, and she had never thought he would be such an obstinate and persistent person. If he could end their relationship so heartlessly and without hesitation or looking back, then why must they be so entangled with each other now? Either he had too much confidence in himself, or he had too much condescension for her, because did he really think that she would be foolish enough to accept him wholeheartedly again? Didn’t he know that there were some relationships that, once you let it slip through your fingers like time, things could never go back to the way they were again?

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Letting out a deep sigh, Anran put down the pen in her hand. It seemed like she wouldn’t be able to continue sketching anymore that night since she was too distracted and distressed. She put down the paintbrush and put away the sketches, along with the reference books.

As she went to put her things back in the master bedroom, she bumped into Su Yicheng, who had just finished taking a bath and had come out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Their eyes met, and Anran’s face instantly turned bright red. Although they had already been intimate before, seeing his naked upper body still unconsciously made Anran feel bashful. She avoided his eyes and placed her things aside. Finding it somewhat awkward for the two of them to stay together in the same room like this, she looked up without making eye contact with him and asked, “Have you eaten dinner yet? Would you like me to make some noodles for you?”

Su Yicheng saw the discomfort on her face. In reality, he had already eaten dinner with a few of his grassroots cadres, but he felt a little nostalgia over the memory of how she had looked the other day when she had been making noodles for him, and his heart stirred. He nodded. “Okay, tomato noodles like last time.”

Anran nodded and went out to the kitchen. There was barely anything she could cook besides tomato noodles. Of course, she wasn’t good at making that, either.

After Su Yicheng changed into his home clothes and came out of the room, he leaned on the counter as he watched her get busy for him, and he felt an inexplicable sense of tranquility inside of him.

As he watched Anran busy stir-frying in the wok, he remembered how there also used to be a woman who did all this for him. He used to believe that she would be the one he would spend the rest of his life with, yet he had never expected things to turn out as they did. He used to think he would never get married in this life, yet he didn’t expect himself to be so impulsive as to agree to a flash marriage. He had once put the ring on the finger of his most beloved, yet he was betrayed in the cruelest way. After that, he began to reject relationships, even friendships, not to mention marriage.

Only after meeting Anran did he realize that marriage could be extremely simple. Love wasn’t necessary. Suitability was the most important thing. Even the wedding and the wedding ring weren’t necessary.

As he thought of this, Su Yicheng had entered the kitchen at some point without realizing it. He embraced her from behind with his chin against her shoulder, and, as his warm breath spilled into her ear, he could feel her body start to stiffen in his arms as he held onto her. Seeing her face slowly redden, he couldn’t help but laugh. The woman was so thin-skinned that she couldn’t even stand being teased in the slightest. Now that he thought about it, it was truly unbelievable that this was the same woman that had asked him to marry her on their first official date. He wondered where she got the courage to do something so bold at that time.

“The n-noodles are almost ready. Y-you can sit there. You will be able to eat soon.” She started stammering anxiously as he held onto her from behind and was dying from nervousness inside.

“Um,” Su Yicheng answered but didn’t let go of her. He started sniffing her skin. Her body had the same fragrance as the body milk that he used and smelled fresh and crisp.

Anran turned off the fire a little stiffly, then took out a bowl and started placing the noodles from the pot into the bowl.

“Ah!” The bowl with the noodles nearly slipped from her hands. Where was he putting his hands?!

“S-Su Yicheng!” Anran called out in a reprimanding tone to remind him of the inappropriateness of his hands.

Su Yicheng didn’t speak but held onto her as his hands traveled up and down her body. He could care less about the noodles at the moment; he had a much better “supper” at hand, and it was guaranteed to be delicious. Anran had asked him repeatedly why he agreed to her absurd marriage proposal. In reality, he had asked himself the same question repeatedly as well. Every time, his answer was the same as hers: because they were suitable for each other. But, in reality, was she really the only one that fit that criterion?

Perhaps, he took an immediate liking to her the first time he saw her—an affectionate liking. Not love, but affection.

It was already midnight by the time the bowl of tomato noodles was devoured, and by that time, Anran was so exhausted that she was already fast asleep on the bed.