Gentleness All to Himself
The next day.
Lu Yan turned over on the sofa, instinctively trying to curl up toward the warmth. But the narrow armrest and rigid backrest immediately gave him a cold reminder: this was not a bed.
He blearily opened his eyes, only to feel waves of soreness in his shoulders and upper body.
"Man, I don't even feel like moving," Lu Yan muttered self-mockingly, rubbing his aching shoulders.
In bed, Aemeath had actually been awake for quite a while.
She was lying on her side, fiddling with her phone.
She watched Lu Yan sit up on the sofa and knead his shoulders, her brows drawing together involuntarily.
Aemeath thought, A-Yan should have slept in the bed. But now, because I came here, he made himself sleep on that little sofa where he couldn't even stretch his legs, all to preserve that so-called gentlemanly conduct.
Her heart clenched, aching dully.
A-Yan is so gentle, but he's so foolish too.
Aemeath lowered her eyes, her fingers moving swiftly across her phone screen.
The air here isn't good enough, and the soundproofing is poor. Most importantly, A-Yan isn't comfortable living here.
Aemeath pressed her lips together, a thought flashing through her eyes.
Since A-Yan wants to give me a home, I'll prepare a better haven for him first.
A few minutes later, she found a detached two-story house on the edge of the old town, a quiet spot amid the bustle.
It was a little two-story Western-style house with its own courtyard, its cream-colored walls softened by the passage of time.
What pleased her most was that the courtyard walls were high, and there were no tall buildings nearby from which anyone could peer inside. It was the perfect "nest" in Aemeath's eyes.
Aemeath found the owner's contact information, then routed the money through a series of secret overseas accounts and completed the full-payment transaction in an instant, under the name of the nonexistent investment company behind Venus.
All done. Now I just need to rent this house to A-Yan as a studio provided to him by his client, Venus.
A satisfied smile curved Aemeath's lips.
She had already decided to set the monthly rent at a token one thousand yuan, so he could move into this nest belonging only to the two of them without any fuss.
In Aemeath's mind, it would be a very gentle cage, where she would use her love to melt away his unease completely.
"Aemeath, are you awake?" Lu Yan's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Aemeath immediately turned off the screen and rolled over like a nimble cat, revealing a perfectly innocent smile. "I'm awake, A-Yan! Where's my good morning kiss?"
Lu Yan stood beside the sofa, looking at the girl in his white shirt, swinging her bare feet on the bed. His cheeks grew hot again. "Since when have we ever had good morning kisses?"
"Come on, get up and freshen up. I'm taking you shopping for clothes today."
"Hee-hee, we will from now on, A-Yan~" Aemeath jumped out of bed and winked playfully.
"Besides, last night I found out your shirt is really comfortable to sleep in, A-Yan."
An hour later, Lu Yan and Aemeath arrived at the most upscale mall in the city center.
If the shopping trip the day before yesterday had been a hasty stopgap, today Lu Yan was determined to outfit Aemeath from head to toe.
Lu Yan felt that the pleasure of splurging on the person he loved greatly eased the unease in his heart.
He led Aemeath into an affordable luxury women's clothing store.
"Hello, how can I help you?" The sales assistant was struck by Aemeath's beauty and Lu Yan's delicate features, and her tone became especially attentive.
"Bring out everything in the store that would suit her, whether it's loungewear, dresses, or pajamas. She can try them on." Lu Yan sat on the sofa in the lounge area, trying to make himself look like a composed benefactor.
Aemeath, for her part, was quite at ease.
She moved among the rows of expensive clothes, occasionally giving Lu Yan a sweet smile.
Aemeath picked up a black silk slip nightdress with lace, held it up in front of Lu Yan, and lowered her voice. "A-Yan, do you think seeing me in this would help you find inspiration?"
Lu Yan nearly spat out the water he had just taken into his mouth. Flustered, he turned his head away. "Y-you can pick whatever you like."
The next two hours became a feast for Lu Yan's eyes.
Every time Aemeath changed into another outfit, she would pull back the fitting-room curtain, give a little twirl, and ask him, "Does it look good?"
The pale blue French-style bellflower dress outlined her fresh, youthful waistline.
The black business suit, meanwhile, accentuated the curves of her figure.
Lu Yan could only keep nodding, and the sound of his card being swiped was especially pleasing to the ear.
Then they walked into a lingerie salon.
The store was lavishly decorated, and the air was filled with the scent of expensive perfume.
A dazzling array of lingerie and stockings was on display, soft light falling on lace as thin as cicada wings.
The moment Lu Yan stepped inside, he felt all the blood in his body rush to his face.
In his more than twenty years of life, when had he ever set foot in a place like this, except to look up references for his artwork?
"Sir, you can sit in the waiting area over here. We can provide your companion with precise measurements," the sales assistant said with a gentle smile.
"No~ I want A-Yan to help me choose." Aemeath looped her arm through Lu Yan's, half hanging off him.
A teasing glint flashed in Aemeath's eyes as she murmured in his ear, "A-Yan is an artist, so he must have a very good eye."
"You should know best which colors and materials would suit my skin tone, right~?" Aemeath's words were full of temptation.