Ning Qianyu had no idea where Mu Shengchen was taking her. However, she still continued to follow him, trusting him completely. "Let's take a taxi," he suggested, and she immediately raised her hand to call for one.
As they sat in the taxi, she couldn't help but look out the window. The changing sights continued as they moved farther and farther away from the city. Soon enough, the large crowds had finally dispersed.
After around half an hour had passed, all she could see were one or two people walking around them. The tall buildings and bright structures were already gone. All she could see were small houses and narrow roads. It seemed that they had already reached the countryside.
"We can stop here," he called out to the taxi driver. Once everything was handed over and paid for, he signaled Ning Qianyu to push him along the bumpy road.
They only stopped when they had reached a large courtyard. There were green vines climbing up the wall, decorating the solemn structure. Even as she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, she still couldn't see what was inside.
Entering the courtyard, she curiously looked around. The structure had yellowed and darkened from the times that had passed, but other than that and the scattered leaves, it looked quite clean and well-taken care of.
There were a few stray flowers growing around the courtyard, and she could also see a number of potted plants surrounding them. The entire courtyard looked like a private garden, one meant for their viewing only.
Her eyes widened. Noticing this, Mu Shengchen held her hands. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"
"It's not that..." She blinked rapidly, wanting to see if her eyes had failed her. "It's just...This place is so beautiful."
"You like it?" He stared at her for a long time as if he didn't want to miss the slightest change of expression in her features.
"Heck, I love it!" Ning Qianyu clasped her hands together as she spun across the courtyard. She gazed longingly at her surroundings before turning away. "If only I could live here."
Mu Shengchen tilted his head as soon as he heard the woman's words.
An indescribable feeling surged in his chest that he couldn't help but turn away. Live here?
"Why do you want to live here? Isn't it better to live in the city–to enjoy the city life?" His voice was a little hoarse as if he wanted to say something in between the lines. His eyes had already turned glassy.
"The city's bustling, sure, but it's too noisy. Here, everything's quiet and...and fresh." Ning Qianyu didn't notice the slight tremor in his words as she continued to look around. "Plus..." I've always wanted a simple life with you.
"What were you going to say?"
"Hm?" Her head immediately snapped. "Oh, that's nothing."
Mu Shengchen gazed at her steadily, but he didn't ask anything more. Instead, he slowly lifted her up into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. She laughed softly as they continued to move around the courtyard.
This was the last place that his mother had lived in. After Mu Zhenghong's harsh words, he wanted to escape to somewhere more serene and peaceful. This courtyard was the first thing that came into his mind, and he wanted to share this beautiful place with his wife.
Although Ning Qianyu didn't know what was going on, she could feel the sadness wafting from his words and actions. Instead of asking about it, she simply wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug.
After a few minutes had passed, he raised his head slightly. His gaze immediately fell onto her delicate face.
Her heart raced in her chest. A dark hue colored the tips of her ears, and she immediately bowed her head.
"Look at me," he said softly, raising her chin. His fingers grazed against her lips as they stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity.
His dark eyes looked like they were sucking every single inch of her, and her breath hitched. Her body started to lean in as the grip he had around her tightened even further. "Shengchen," she breathed out.
The cold atmosphere started to rise. Without another word, he drew her into a passionate kiss.
She didn't know how long they had done it or what happened in-between. All she knew was that he had already plopped her onto the bed and the rest was history. Their scattered clothes had already proved their point quite well.
A few hours later, the couple slept soundly in each other's arms.
The breeze blew in from the window, cooling the heat around them.
It was only when the phone rang did the couple finally wake up. Ning Qianyu rubbed her eyes wearily as she glanced at his screen before looking around.
Her face immediately flushed as the memories started to come back to her.
"I..."
"Get the luggage in our apartment, then come to the Courtyard to pick us up." Mu Shengchen eyed her surprised movements as he was making the phone call. When he heard her voice, he immediately hung up the phone and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"We're...Where are we?"
"The courtyard, silly." He laughed softly, kissing her hair. "Get ready. Ye Xi will be picking us up."
"Assistant Ye is coming?" Ning Qianyu didn't even think as she jumped from her bed and started putting on her clothes in panic. A dark blush colored her cheeks as she did so, much to his amusement.
"He isn't that fast." He smirked.
"Ass." She shot him a glare. Despite this, he didn't look quite bothered as he lounged on the bed. In fact, he couldn't even help but lean in just a bit more till the tips of their nose were touching.
"Keep staring, and I'll kiss you again." If it was possible, her face turned even darker, and she immediately pulled away.
"Put on your clothes. Assistant Ye will be coming soon," she snapped. Although he wasn't that fast, he'd still reach them if they continued to dawdle around like this. And the last thing she needed was an audience.
Mu Shengchen also knew that this wasn't the time to continue anything. After pecking her on the forehead, he sat up and put on his clothes.
He was just about to put on his shirt and button it up when he felt a pair of porcelain hands running down his chest. His breath hitched as he looked up at the culprit. A small smile spread across his lips.
"I'll help you." Her face was beet red, but that didn't stop her from buttoning his shirt up one by one.
Once they were done, Ning Qianyu squatted on the ground and helped him put on his shoes and socks.
Staring at the woman squatting on the ground, his heart immediately softened. Her words flashed at the back of his mind as he leaned back on his seat. Could they really live there together? Could he really give everything up?
Ning Qianyu squatted for a long time and looked up to see that Mu Shengchen still hadn't moved. Raising her head in confusion, she saw that his eyes were as deep as the sea. And they were fixated on her, only her.
"What's wrong?" she asked doubtfully.
He looked away. "Nothing."
The atmosphere between them had suddenly become awkward.