"Come and visit us in France if you both have time." Aunt Alice hugged Luo Jingyi. Originally, the couple intended to stay in the country for another week but there were more pressing matters in Uncle Antoine's company so they had to leave today. They would be flying first to Shanghai before taking the jet they chartered to fly them to France.
"Definitely. We'll talk about the details of our marriage then." Yun Jinghan promised.
Don't say something like that. Aunt Alice would really be expecting that...Luo Jingyi protested with her eyes.
"We'll be looking forward to that." Uncle Antoine laughingly patted Yun Jinghan. He was sure that Yun Jinghan would keep his word: that was to keep Luo Jingyi safe. That was the assurance he needed.
"Don't overwork yourself again." Aunt Alice continued giving Luo Jingyi reminders. She was mostly concerned with Luo Jingyi's work habits. She works too much and often forgets to relax.
"Stop worrying. Yun Jinghan will be around to take care of her." Uncle Antoine smiled tenderly to his wife.
When the Lacroix couple entered the car, Yun Jinghan called out Luo Jingyi who appeared to be in deep thought.
Luo Jingyi turned at him. "Shall we take a walk? I want to talk to you about something."
When they reached a quieter area of the resort, Luo Jingyi cleared her throat to get his attention. "I made a decision. Will you listen to it?"
Yun Jinghan nodded in anticipation. His heart was on tenterhooks. Although he had a feeling she would give him a chance, there was also a possibility that she would refuse. If the latter, he didn't know what he would do but one thing was certain, he wouldn't give up.
"Once I made my mind on something, I would go for it, regardless of the circumstances. When I returned to the country 3 years ago, the only thing I had in mind was standing at the top. And nothing else. Things like falling in love, getting in a relationship, or even marriage, I've never given it a single thought..."
"Don't you think that having someone to support you in this endeavor would be better?" he asked, jamming his hands into his pockets.
Luo Jingyi was silent. "The truth is when I agreed to this charade, I had already been thinking that we are going to part ways after a year. And that decision is set."
Luo Jingyi paused, looking at the horizon. "But I kept on thinking, maybe I also needed to change my perspective. I should really be doing something for this psychological fear I have but I have been acting like a coward... I guess Maybe my fears were greater than my desire to get better. So, I took what you said into consideration."
Yun Jinghan's heart was precariously close to having tachycardia but he kept himself cool and listened patiently.
Luo Jingyi touched his forearm. "I can't say I like you too because that's not how I feel at the moment. But I know that I could trust you. Hence, I am going to try and give this a chance."
Yun Jinghan touched the hair blocking her face, pushing it behind her ear. His lips drew into a small laugh when she looked down. The colors of her cheeks turned red. "Thank you, sweetie. You just made my day."
Yun Jinghan embraced her. It was to assure her that she made the right decision. He would take this opening as a chance to show her how he cared for her and that he would never hurt her.
Luo Jingyi was like a statue, unmoving. When a group of tourists passed by and gawked at them with interest, Luo Jingyi moved away from him.
"Don't be shy, sweetie. Hugging is normal for couples."
Is it?... "Could you not use sweetie? It gives me creeps." It was the same endearment Wen Minghua used to the original and every time she heard it, she felt annoyed.
"Okay, darling." He hooked an arm on her shoulder and they walked back to the resort. This time, she didn't push him away. However, her right hand was balled into a fist and she let her eyes wander around to distract herself... Romance novels were liars. Panic attacks wouldn't easily go away...As a doctor, she knew better.
When a signboard caught her attention, Luo Jingyi went inside the shop. A few days ago, she told him that she was going to bring him somewhere. This was the plan. It wasn't a candlelight dinner or a movie.
"Go and try this." Luo Jingyi ordered and handed the suit she took from the selection of suits hanging on the display.
Yun Jinghan briefly glanced at it and head to the changing room with a happy smile. When Yun Jinghan emerged, Luo Jingyi released an intake of breath. He wore the maroon suit well that she thought he was too dazzling. She chose the color because he was always sported in a black or navy blue. Based on how the two shop assistants on the side reacted, her assessment was correct.
"Good?" He paraded in front of her like a model.
"Try this one too." Luo Jingyi avoided his gaze, got three more suits of brighter color, and put it on his arm.
Yun Jinghan happily followed. But he came out with an unhappy face. He gave himself a once over and he felt self-conscious. Luo Jingyi laughed at his reaction. The pink suit fitted him well but the color didn't suit his personality. Yun Jinghan breathed a sigh of relief when she shook her head. Just seconds earlier, he was in a dilemma. He wanted to please her but he didn't know how to tell her that the color was too bright for him.
He immediately entered the room and changed into a different one. After parading different suits, Luo Jingyi decided on four sets.
"We'll take these." Luo Jingyi told the shop assistants. This time Luo Jingyi was already holding her purse before Yun Jinghan could do anything about it.
"I'm paying." She said to him, passing her black card to the woman's hand. After her payment was processed, they exited the shop.
"Why did you suddenly want to buy me suits?" He was curious.
"I'm paying you back." Luo Jingyi saw Yun Jinghan's brows quirked up, waiting for her to continue. "The dress you sent from ZK Fashion."
Surprised she found it out, he expressed his thoughts. "You know, we don't have to calculate every penny we spent on each other."
Luo Jingyi halted and faced him. "I don't like owing people. You sent the dress before we started pretending to be a couple. So technically, I was a stranger then."
"That's true. But I made up my mind then that I'm going to pursue you." He retorted, touching the strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail.
Luo Jingyi meant to push his hand away like she always did yet, she stopped herself. She grasped the strap of her bag tighter. "Still, It was a favor I owed you because you save me time from getting another dress for that occasion. A favor meant repayment."
Giving up the argument, Yun Jinghan heaved a sigh. It was better to accept it now. He just had to make sure that in the future, she wouldn't be doing the same.