A Day Just for Us

The kiss that sealed their confession, filled with tears and promises, lasted a long time in the sunlit bedroom.

So long that the shadows outside the window quietly shifted, and the spring breeze rustled the leaves of the persimmon tree.

By the time they reluctantly parted from their breathless kiss, it was nearly noon.

On the double bed that had deliberately been made a size smaller, Aemeath was curled up in Lu Yan's arms like a kitten craving warmth.

One hand still clutched the collar of his hoodie, and her cheek rested against his chest as she listened to his steady, strong heartbeat.

"Lu Yan's... girlfriend."

Aemeath murmured the words against his chest in an exceptionally soft, quiet voice.

"Mm, I'm here." Lu Yan lowered his head, his chest vibrating slightly with a chuckle.

"Say it again." Aemeath suddenly looked up at him, her clear eyes sparkling. "A-Yan, could you call me that once?"

Looking at Aemeath being so adorable, Lu Yan felt his heart melting.

He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his voice gentle.

"Girlfriend. My girlfriend, Aemeath."

"Hehe..." Aemeath couldn't help grinning foolishly when she heard it.

She buried her face in Lu Yan's arms again, rubbing against him just like a cat that had gotten into catnip.

"I'm A-Yan's girlfriend! It's been sealed with a stamp!"

Her rubbing tickled Lu Yan, and he wrapped an arm around her slender, supple waist with a helpless smile. "Yes, sealed with a stamp. So, my newly appointed girlfriend, shouldn't we get out of bed? Your stomach was already protesting a moment ago."

As if to prove his point, Aemeath's stomach gave another faint, timely rumble.

Her face turned bright red in an instant, and she bit her lower lip in embarrassment. But then she confidently stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Lu Yan's neck.

"But I don't want to move... I can't get up. I need A-Yan to carry me up."

Aemeath no longer felt that oppressive weight of gravity, and now she was using her skill at acting spoiled to the fullest.

"All right, I'll carry you up." Lu Yan smiled and picked her up.

The two moved to the kitchen.

To fulfill her duties as a girlfriend, Aemeath was determined not to let Lu Yan touch the stove.

"A-Yan, help me tie my apron!"

Aemeath stood at the counter with an apron printed with seals in her hands, then turned her back to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan stepped forward and took the apron strings.

When he reached around her waist from behind and tied the strings into a neat bow at the small of her back, Aemeath naturally leaned back, pressing her whole back against his chest.

"Thanks, A-Yan~" Aemeath turned her head and kissed Lu Yan on the cheek.

"What are you planning to make for lunch today?" Lu Yan took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder, looking at the washed ingredients on the cutting board.

"Tomato and beef brisket! I learned it from a video yesterday." Aemeath's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"You said the sweet-and-sour ribs I made yesterday were delicious, so today I'm going to try something harder! Just watch from the side, and no helping."

Lu Yan stepped back half a pace and leaned against the kitchen doorway, quietly watching her work at the stove.

After every stir of the pan, Aemeath would sneak a look back at his reaction, like a girl eager for praise.

Some time later, two dishes and a soup were brought to the table.

Aemeath picked up a piece of brisket that had been stewed until tender, blew on it, and held it to Lu Yan's mouth.

"Ah~"

Lu Yan smiled and ate it. After chewing thoughtfully, he gave her a thumbs-up. "Full marks. My girlfriend isn't just beautiful, she's talented at cooking too."

"Of course!" Aemeath lifted her chin proudly, her eyes curving into pretty crescents as she smiled.

She no longer needed to insist, "You can only eat food I make," because she knew that Lu Yan's loving gaze already had room for nothing else.

After lunch, they cleared away the dishes and curled up together on the newly bought Yan-catching trap, a two-seater sofa in the living room.

The afternoon sun slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows and onto the sofa, warming them all over.

The sofa was so small that they were practically lying on top of each other.

Lu Yan leaned against the back of the sofa, while Aemeath lay sideways across his lap like a lazy cat, her head resting on his thigh as she casually leafed through an art book.

"A-Yan, are you going to take commissions again?" Aemeath suddenly looked up and asked.

"No more."

Lu Yan gently combed his fingers through her hair. "I have a very generous boss, Morning Star, to support me now. I don't need to cater to anyone else's tastes."

Hearing the name Morning Star, Aemeath blushed and buried her face in the art book, mumbling, "Back then... I just didn't want you drawing anyone else."

"I know." Lu Yan chuckled and stretched out an arm to pick up his sketchbook and pencil from the coffee table beside them.

"So I've decided that from now on, this pencil will work for you alone."

"Are you going to draw me?" Aemeath put down the art book in delight.

"Mm. I'm drawing my beautiful girlfriend."

Lu Yan lowered his head, his pencil scratching softly across the paper.

At first, Aemeath obediently held her pose, her big eyes fixed without blinking on Lu Yan's intent face. People said a man was most handsome when he was focused on his work. Sunlight traced a golden outline along the side of his face, and Aemeath was entranced.

Gradually, amid the rhythmic scratching of Lu Yan's pencil and the warm afternoon sunlight, Aemeath's eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

She found a comfortable position on his lap, wrapped both arms around his waist, and her breathing slowly grew long and even. Just like that, she fell asleep.

Lu Yan stopped drawing and looked at the girl sleeping soundly on his lap.

Aemeath's long eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes, her lips were slightly parted, and she was completely defenseless.

Rather than wake her, he turned to a fresh page in his sketchbook and began a new drawing.

An hour later.

Lu Yan picked up his phone and took a photo of the drawing he had just finished.

It showed a girl curled up asleep on the sofa, seen from behind. At the edge of the picture, a man's hand rested gently on her shoulder.

Neither face was shown, but anyone could see at a glance the warmth and adoration that spilled off the screen.

Lu Yan opened his Moments feed.

He rarely posted about his daily life; his last update was a selfie from several months ago.

He uploaded the photo with a simple caption:

[My love]

He didn't tag anyone or make a grand announcement, but it was the first time in all these years that Lu Yan had revealed his relationship to the outside world.

By the time Aemeath woke up, it was already evening.

The afterglow of the setting sun had dyed the living room orange-red.

She rubbed her eyes and found a thin blanket covering her, while Lu Yan sat on the carpet beside her, looking up information on his tablet.

Hearing her move, Lu Yan turned around, leaned over, and kissed her forehead. "You're awake? Did you sleep well?"

"Mm~" Aemeath answered in a sleepy, nasal voice. She reached out, hooked her arms around his neck, pulled him toward her, and planted a smacking kiss on his lips.

"Opening my eyes and seeing A-Yan right away feels like a dream."

"This isn't a dream." Lu Yan smiled and helped her sit up.

The evening passed warmly, full of ordinary moments.

They heated up the leftovers from lunch together, then squeezed in front of the bathroom sink to brush their teeth.

With white toothpaste foam in her mouth, Aemeath looked at their reflections pressed close together in the mirror, her eyes curving into crescents.

She deliberately nudged Lu Yan's waist with her elbow, then watched him helplessly tousle her hair.

Night fell completely, and the two finally returned to the bed that had witnessed their confession.

They washed away the day's weariness and changed into soft cotton pajamas.

As usual, Aemeath wrapped her arms and legs around Lu Yan.

But tonight, her movements held less of the urgency born of fearing loss and more of a naturally settled sense of ease.

"A-Yan." In the darkness, Aemeath's voice was as soft and sweet as a tuft of cotton candy.

"Mm, what is it?"

"I saw it just now."

"Saw what?"

"The drawing you posted on your account." Aemeath giggled under the covers, her finger tracing little circles on Lu Yan's chest.

"The way you drew me sleeping looks so ugly."

"What's ugly about it? You're clearly adorable." Lu Yan caught her mischievous hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

"A-Yan~" Aemeath's voice suddenly grew touched. She pressed her cheek tightly against Lu Yan's skin, feeling his body heat. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Thank you for being willing to let me be your girlfriend, and thank you... for writing me into your world."

Aemeath knew how much courage it took for someone accustomed to closing himself off to reveal himself to the public.

In his own way, Lu Yan was giving her the most reassuring sense of security.

"Silly." Lu Yan turned slightly onto his side and held her a little tighter.

In the darkness, he found her lips unerringly and pressed a gentle goodnight kiss to them.

"You were already my everything."

Outside the window, the night breeze stirred the curtains.

In this nest filled with love, Aemeath listened to Lu Yan's steady heartbeat and slowly closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips.