Volume One, Chapter 58: What If... I Insist?

"Senior, thank you!"
"Thank me for what?"
"Thank you for having dinner with me!"
"Is that really something to thank me for? It was nothing, just a small effort..."
As the words left her lips, Sang Wan suddenly paused.

When she was young, her mother would prepare dinner, and the two of them would wait, eyes full of hope, for her biological father to return. The meal would be reheated again and again, but he never came. Later, they no longer had to wait for him. It became Sang Wan waiting for her mother. Even though her mother always insisted she didn’t need to wait, telling her to eat first, Sang Wan couldn’t bear to do so. Watching her mother tirelessly explain problems to her students, barely finding time for a sip of water, how could Sang Wan eat before her? Moreover, sharing a meal and chatting with her mother was the most beautiful fragment in her childhood memories.

Then came university, graduation, marriage. Once again, she waited for Lu Jinnian. The meal was reheated again and again, but he never returned. In the end, there were only two outcomes: either he finally came home, but the carefully prepared dishes had lost their flavor, or he didn’t, and the meal ended up as kitchen waste. Sang Wan hated that feeling more than anything. That was why she was willing to stay and eat with Lou Ye.

Yet, as soon as she spoke, Sang Wan realized just how foolish she had been. Her waiting was, of course, because of love. But one, two, three, four times... Lu Jinnian had let her down so many times. Was coming home for dinner really so difficult? And once, she had been so foolish, so willing, so stubbornly blind.

"Senior..."
Lou Ye's voice called.
Sang Wan returned to herself.
She saw Lou Ye had brought another bowl of porridge, "If you have time later, could you write down the recipe for this porridge? I'll have the chef try it, so I won’t keep bothering you."
"Alright!"
Sang Wan nodded.
Watching Lou Ye eat gracefully and contentedly, it was as if a breeze swept through her heart, filling in the craters of her moon-like soul with sand, smoothing them out bit by bit.

Her heart softened, and Sang Wan said gently, "You like porridge, don’t you? Then... next time, I’ll make you seafood porridge."

Next time.

Lou Ye looked up, "Won’t it be too much trouble?"

Her hands should be used for drawing, or caressing dazzling jewels and luxurious silks, not buried in the kitchen, wasted on damp vegetables and fruit. Otherwise, what difference would there be between him and that fool Lu Jinnian?

"Not at all."
Sang Wan smiled, her eyes gentle, "Cooking is my favorite thing."

Especially when it’s for someone she cares about.

Seeing the fatigue on her mother's face replaced by surprise, hearing her mother stroke her hair and say, "My little Wan is the best."
Watching Lu Jinnian eat with satisfaction and sigh, "With a wife like this, what more could a man want?"

Those were her happiest moments in the past.
Sadly, times have changed.

"That’s good."
An empty stomach was filled, and so was his heart.
Lou Ye felt much better, "I saw you after work tonight... was that your boyfriend?"

Sang Wan froze, then laughed, "No. He’s my mother’s student, we hadn’t seen each other in years."

"He’s courting you?"
Lou Ye asked.

Sang Wan paused, thinking of the things Ke Yifan had tried to say but she’d cut him off before he could.
She shook her head, "He and I, it’s impossible."

"Why?"
Lou Ye pressed.

Sang Wan smiled, "Because I don’t want to. Because we’re not suitable. Because I don’t like him."

She gave several reasons in one breath.
Each one was sincere.

Sang Wan sighed softly, "Lou Ye, at the moment I have no time for anyone or anything outside of my career."
Especially after a failed marriage.

She wouldn’t easily invest her feelings in someone else again.

"Feelings can’t be forced, and I don’t even want to let things happen naturally anymore."
Sang Wan smiled, stood up, and began clearing the dishes.

As the sound of running water echoed, both of them looked up; outside, rain was falling.

In her heart, she wished the rain would last forever.

Yet Lou Ye comforted her, "It’ll probably stop soon."

Sang Wan nodded.
She calmly put the dishes into the dishwasher, opened the fridge, and brought out a tray full of fruits—red, yellow, purple, and green—washed and presented them on the kitchen island.

Lou Ye was nowhere to be seen.

Sang Wan glanced at the relentless rain outside, grabbed a ball of yarn, and headed upstairs to the third floor.

She played with 2S for a while, then settled into the massage chair and started an old movie.

After showering and changing into home clothes, Lou Ye returned. The living room was filled with a faint fruity fragrance.

He immediately spotted the colorful fruit platter on the island, matching his now bright mood.

Lou Ye turned upstairs, heading to the home theater.

"Sen—"
He began to call, but stopped as he saw Sang Wan’s tilted head and the cat’s head rising from her lap.

Lou Ye fell silent.

2S stood up, stretched lazily on Sang Wan’s legs, then hopped down onto the carpet.

Sang Wan remained asleep.

Lou Ye quietly approached.

The big screen flickered, and Sang Wan’s peaceful sleeping face was bathed in alternating light and shadow.

He crouched, silently gazing at her face.

Lou Ye heard her clear voice echo in his heart.

She had said: Right now, I have no time for others.

She had said: Feelings can’t be forced.

But, Senior...

His fingertips traced the hair at her forehead, barely brushing her cheek, finally landing on her lips.

Lou Ye’s thumb gently stroked her lips, "What if... I insist on forcing it?"

Hidden feelings twined like branches, spreading and twisting endlessly in the darkness.

Lou Ye lowered his head, drawing near.

His lips were almost touching hers.

Softness was just an inch away, within reach.

He could even hear the wild pounding of his own heart.

Suddenly, Lou Ye pulled back and left.

Ding!

A cheerful chime sounded, and Sang Wan woke from her dream with a start.

Only then did she realize she had fallen asleep.

She glanced at her phone; it was already eleven.

Sang Wan hurried downstairs.

In the living room, Lou Ye was playing a game.

With both hands gripping the controller, he focused intently on the racing car on the big screen.

2S was curled up in a ball, pressed against Lou Ye’s leg.

One person, one cat; the scene was unusually harmonious.

Hearing footsteps, Lou Ye looked back, dropped the controller, and stood, "Are you going home, or..."

"Let’s go home."

The rain had stopped.

It wasn’t too late.

Sang Wan stepped forward to change her shoes. "Is the driver here?"

"I’ll take you."

Lou Ye scooped up 2S and followed Sang Wan into the elevator.

The night drive was smooth; in less than half an hour, they reached the alley entrance.

Sang Wan unbuckled her seatbelt, and Lou Ye reached over to take 2S.

He grabbed a cat paw and waved goodbye, "Say bye to Mom..."

2S looked bewildered.

Sang Wan rubbed the cat’s head, opened the door, and got out.

Even as she reached the doorway and looked back, she could still see the bright headlights and Lou Ye in the driver’s seat, holding the cat and quietly watching her.

She waved, turned, and entered.

At the same moment the Maybach left the old town alley, a Mercedes pulled up in front of the Lu family villa.

Opening the rear door, Lu Jinnian got out unsteadily.

Looking up, he saw lights on in the living room.

He leaned against the car door for a long time, but the villa door didn’t open, nor did that rushing figure appear.

Lu Jinnian frowned and told the driver to pick him up later the next day.

He staggered inside.

Pushing open the door, he saw someone asleep on the sofa.

He let out a long breath, feeling much relieved, "Wanwan..."