A Sweet Deception

The next morning.

Summer sunlight always wakes up exceptionally early. The blackout curtains on the French windows were drawn tightly shut, but a few rays of morning light still slipped into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains, casting bright lines on the carpet.

The air conditioner's fan blades emitted a barely perceptible whirring sound, maintaining the room temperature at the perfect level for couples to snuggle up and drift off to sleep.

Lu Yan woke up first.

Perhaps because he slept exceptionally well last night, or perhaps because the touch in his arms was so comfortable, he woke up almost half an hour earlier than usual.

He didn't open his eyes immediately, but first took in the tranquility around him.

He felt a very soft touch on his right shoulder and arm. But he didn't pull his arm away immediately, and he didn't even dare to change his Frequency, for fear of waking the sleeping little pink cat.

An extremely pleasant sweet fragrance lingered around her nose; it was the scent of the hair oil he had personally applied to her last night, mixed with Aemeath's naturally faint body fragrance, creating an incredibly reassuring atmosphere.

Lu Yan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gradually focusing in the dimly lit bedroom. The first thing he saw was Aemeath's sleeping face, so close to his.

She lay on her side, curled up tightly in his arms like a small, insecure animal. Her slender arms were across his chest, and her head rested securely on his right arm.

The usually mischievous and playful little darling is sleeping peacefully right now.

Her long eyelashes cast a soft shadow beneath her eyelids, and with each even breath, they fluttered slightly like butterfly wings from time to time.

Her fair, rosy cheeks clung tightly to Lu Yan's cotton pajamas, bulging slightly from the pressure, giving her an indescribable air of naivety and cuteness.

Lu Yan's gaze softened instantly. His eyes were like the most delicate paintbrush, carefully tracing her eyebrows, eyes, and nose, finally settling on her slightly pink lips.

In a few days, we'll be getting our marriage certificate.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a strange smile appeared on his face, like that of a pervert.

So as not to wake her, Lu Yan did not move, but turned his head slightly, his gaze naturally falling on the long pink hair spread out on the pillow and around his neck.

I must say, this hair is absolutely gorgeous. Even in the dim light, the pink strands still shimmer with a soft, smooth sheen, without the slightest frizz.

Lu Yan recalled the scene in the bathroom last night.

That was the first time in his life that he had ever taken such meticulous and careful care of someone else's hair.

Looking at his hair, so smooth after being blow-dried that it seemed to slide down his fingertips, he felt a sense of accomplishment, thinking he was truly gifted and had delivered a perfect result on his first try.

Thinking of this, Lu Yan couldn't help but reach out his left hand and gently pinch a strand of pink hair that fell to his collarbone with his index finger and thumb.

He brought the strand of hair to his nose and took a deep sniff.

Mmm, it really smells delicious, full of the aroma he left behind last night.

He gently rubbed the strand of hair between his fingertips, savoring its delicate and smooth texture.

In the dim light, he even held his hair up to his eyes to examine it closely.

No split ends, no tangles, strong yet soft hair.

"The craftsmanship is indeed quite good," Lu Yan thought to himself, secretly praising himself.

However, as he looked at it, Lu Yan's painter's brain, which was usually immersed in details, suddenly seemed to freeze for a moment.

He stared at the flawless strand of hair at his fingertips, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Etc.

Is Aemeath's hair like this all the time?

Lu Yan's gaze did not leave that strand of hair, but his thoughts began to rewind rapidly in his mind.

He recalled that last week, when they were sitting on the sofa playing games together, Aemeath's hair was draped smoothly over her shoulders, and he had even pulled on the ends of her hair, which resulted in her hitting him hard with a pillow.

Does the feel of that material differ from how it feels now?

It seems... no.

He recalled his second date a month ago, the way his hair swayed in the sunlight, its shine—was there any difference between then and now, after that elaborate hair treatment he had last night?

It seems... there isn't one.

In fact, in the months since they started living together, Lu Yan had never seen Aemeath worry about her hair.

Her long hair seemed to have an innate quality of requiring no maintenance.

Whether you have a messy head of hair when you first crawl out of bed in the morning, a quick comb and a couple of strokes will restore its smoothness.

Even though I'd been out all day and the wind had messed up my hair a bit, a gentle comb with my fingers would fix it perfectly.

Most importantly, before last night, Lu Yan was absolutely certain that there had never been any bottles or jars of hair masks or hair oils on the sink in his home.

She usually uses the most ordinary shampoo. After washing her hair, she scrubs it vigorously with a towel, then haphazardly blow-dries it until it's dry, and that's it.

Where have you ever heard of such strict rules as "using an amount the size of two coins", "waiting fifteen minutes for a hot compress", and "absolutely not touching the scalp"?

The case is solved.

Lu Yan's fingers, which were holding that strand of hair, paused slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Therefore, last night's serious and complicated hair care tutorial was not because her hair needed care at all.

Rather, this quirky little pink cat simply wanted to find a reason for him to fawn over her like a little princess on the eve of their marriage registration, and to enjoy the clumsy yet wholehearted care he gave her.

All that talk about worrying about ruining the perfect red-background photo, or insisting on the scent of something he personally washed—it's all just excuses this little pink cat makes to exploit him and enjoy the cuddling!

Having figured this out, Lu Yan not only didn't feel angry, but instead felt an irresistible warmth welling up in his chest, almost melting him completely.

It turns out that being tricked by your loved one with such sweet and thoughtful gestures is such a blissful thing.

She wanted his attention, his touch, and for him to learn things he wasn't good at for her; this in itself was a form of unconditional dependence and deep love.

While Lu Yan was engrossed in struggling with a strand of hair and deep in thought, he was completely unaware that Aemeath had actually been awake for a long time.