A Belated Date

Their cozy morning came to an end as the two fed each other affectionately.

The aroma of soy milk and steamed buns still lingered in the air.

Lu Yan had just finished clearing away the trash when a soft, delicate body, carrying a faint scent of strawberries, pressed against him from behind.

Aemeath slipped her hands beneath the hem of Lu Yan's coat and wrapped her arms around his lean waist. She buried her face in his back, rubbing against him gently as she always did.

"What's wrong? Didn't you get enough to eat?"

"I did..." Aemeath's soft voice came out muffled through his clothes. "I just want a hug. When A-Yan went to buy breakfast, I woke up alone in bed, and it felt awful with no one beside me. I need to make up for it now."

Lu Yan chuckled and turned around, drawing the little pink cat into his arms. Looking into Aemeath's clear eyes, he gently combed his fingers through her slightly tousled hair.

"Aemeath." Lu Yan's voice was gentle, with a trace of solemnity.

"Hmm?" She obediently tilted her head up, as if waiting for instructions.

"The weather's lovely today, and the sun is warm." Lu Yan looked at the bright sun outside the window, then returned his gaze to her face. "How about we... go on a date?"

"A date?"

At those words, Aemeath visibly froze. Her already large, bright eyes widened.

For an ordinary couple, a date might have been just another part of their weekend routine. But to Aemeath, the word carried an entirely different weight.

They had lived together, tested the waters, confessed their feelings, and even put meeting the parents on the agenda for the future, yet they had skipped the most romantic part: going on a date.

"That's right, a date."

Seeing Aemeath's adorably stunned reaction, Lu Yan felt a twinge of guilt. "I should have taken you on one long ago. As your boyfriend, it feels like I've always been the one being cared for and indulged by you."

"You were even the one who took care of furnishing our home."

He tapped the tip of her nose. "So let me have your time today, okay? I want to take my girlfriend out for a corny, sweet romance."

Aemeath clutched the front of his coat tightly, her voice trembling with excitement. "Yes! Of course I want to go! I want to go on a date! I want to go on a date with A-Yan!"

Seeing her so happy she was almost jumping, Lu Yan's smile grew even wider.

"Then where are we going on our date, A-Yan? To see a movie? Or go shopping? Or maybe the aquarium?" Aemeath's mind was already racing, scenes she had seen in movies flashing through her head one after another.

"How about an amusement park?" Lu Yan offered the answer he had settled on long ago.

"An amusement park?!"

"Mm-hmm." Lu Yan took her hand and drew her closer. "I want to take you to do things you might never have experienced before. And then..."

His voice gradually lowered as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "At sunset, I'll take you on the Ferris wheel."

Lu Yan knew Aemeath's past was filled with too many heavy things. He wanted to use the purest joy and most carefree bustle of an amusement park to fill in the missing, romantic moments of girlhood in her life.

"The Ferris wheel..." Aemeath's eyes shone so brightly that it was as if two brilliant stars were hidden in them. "I heard that if lovers kiss when the Ferris wheel reaches the very top, they can stay together forever!"

"That's a fairy tale to fool children." Lu Yan smiled and pinched her cheek, but before Aemeath could pout, he quickly added, "But if that's what my girlfriend wants, then it's true. I promise."

"You're the best, A-Yan!" Aemeath cheered and planted a sweet, forceful kiss on his lips.

The next second, she sprang into a state of emergency, breaking free of Lu Yan's arms and heading straight for the bedroom.

"I have to get ready right away! This is my first proper date, so I can't be careless!"

Lu Yan watched her energetic figure retreat and shook his head with a smile before following her into the bedroom.

Over the next full hour, Lu Yan saw firsthand just how much drive a girl could muster for the person she loved.

The small bed in the bedroom was now piled high with all kinds of clothes.

"A-Yan, what do you think of this long white knitted dress? Is it too plain?" Aemeath held the dress up in front of herself, her brows slightly furrowed.

Lu Yan sat on the edge of the bed and gave it a careful look. "It's lovely. White complements your skin tone and makes you look very gentle."

"But there might be a lot of walking around outdoors at the amusement park today. A long dress might not be very practical."

"Good point!" Aemeath decisively tossed the dress aside and picked up another outfit. "What about this? A short brown trench coat with a plaid pleated skirt, and that top with a bow at the collar underneath?"

As she spoke, she looked at Lu Yan expectantly.

"This outfit is great." Lu Yan's eyes lit up. "It has a British academy style, and the short coat really flatters your proportions. The pleated skirt looks lively too. It's perfect for an amusement park."

"But..."

Aemeath looked down at the clothes in her hands, then at the long black trench coat Lu Yan was wearing, and pouted. "The colors don't go with your clothes, A-Yan. We're going on a date, so of course we should dress like a couple!"

Lu Yan froze for a moment, then a sweet warmth filled his heart.

He got up, walked over to the wardrobe, and rummaged through it. In the past, he could hardly find any colors in his wardrobe besides black, white, and gray, but ever since Aemeath had moved in, she had bought him quite a few new clothes.

He took out a brown mid-length trench coat, then found a coffee-colored turtleneck sweater.

"Then I'll change into these to match your short khaki trench coat. How's that, wifey?" Holding the clothes, he deliberately teased her in a deep voice.

That one word, "wifey," turned Aemeath's cheeks as red as ripe apples.

"Wh-who's your wife? We haven't even gotten that far yet~" She shot Lu Yan a coy glare, but the corners of her mouth, which she couldn't keep from rising, completely betrayed her feelings.

"All right, I'll wear this outfit! I'm going to change, and you're not allowed to peek!"

She carried her clothes to the bathroom. After changing, Aemeath sat down at the dressing table.

Lu Yan leaned quietly against the bedroom doorframe, admiring his girl as she got ready for him.

In his eyes, no painting in the world could compare to Aemeath as she carefully made up her eyes and brows in front of the mirror.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window and fell on her profile.

She carefully applied a little pink blush, giving her already fair, luminous skin an even rosier glow.

Her long eyelashes had been curled upward, and as she blinked, they fluttered gently like butterfly wings.

When she picked up a tube of tomato-red lipstick, ready for the final step, Lu Yan suddenly walked over.

He encircled her seated body from behind, bracing both hands on the edges of the dressing table and enclosing her in his arms.

He gazed at her incomparably beautiful face in the mirror and lowered his head, resting his chin gently in the curve of her neck, his warm breath brushing her ear.

"You don't need to put that on," Lu Yan said softly.

"Why?" Holding up the lipstick, Aemeath looked at him in the mirror with some confusion. "This color makes my skin look fairer, and it goes well with today's theme."

"Because if you put it on, you'll have to touch it up again in a little while. That's too much trouble."

Before Aemeath could understand what he meant, Lu Yan had turned his head, sought out her soft, rosy lips, and kissed her deeply.

"Mm... A-Yan..."

Lu Yan gently worked his lips against hers, the tip of his tongue sweeping over her sweet saliva. Her lips, already growing pinker as blood rushed to her face, became even more luscious under his kiss, glistening with natural moisture.

Only after a long while did Lu Yan loosen his hold on her slightly.

Looking at Aemeath in the mirror, her lips moist and her eyes hazy, he smiled in satisfaction. "See? Now you don't need lipstick."

"This color looks better than any shade."

Aemeath looked at her own alluring reflection in the mirror, her lips so moist they almost seemed ready to drip. So embarrassed, she buried her face in Lu Yan's chest and lightly thumped him twice.

"You're so bad, A-Yan... You're getting better and better at bullying me..."

"You're the only one I bully." Lu Yan smiled, caught her hand, and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

Everything was ready.

Aemeath put on a small square bag containing tissues and a little mirror for touching up her makeup.

The two stood by the entryway.

Lu Yan changed into a pair of comfortable sneakers, while Aemeath put on a pair of black leather shoes.

As he pushed open the door, Lu Yan naturally held out his right hand.

Aemeath looked at his hand and placed her left hand in it without hesitation.

Their fingers interlocked, their palms pressed together.

Without another word, the warmth of their palms passed between them.