The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

"You said you booked a table here?" Suwen looked incredulous. This place is clearly not cheap, is it?

Xiao Ai remained silent and mysterious, only pulling her upstairs. The Western restaurant here was very famous, frequented by many fashionable people. The decor was exquisite and aesthetically pleasing. Xiao Ai stopped outside the door of the top-floor private room, where a smiling gentleman waiter had already opened the door for her.

Suwen walked in, bewildered, like Alice stepping into a fairyland.

The dimly lit, cramped private room was unlit, save for the flickering candlelight and the vast expanse of sunset's afterglow streaming across the river. The door faced a single wall of glass, offering a panoramic view of the entire Bund. Countless buildings from bygone eras seemed shrouded in the golden sands of time in the hazy twilight. Rivers of car headlights flowed through the streets, while the reflections of those lights on both banks shimmered on the river. Oil tankers glittered as they slowly passed by, and the buildings along the Huangpu River, viewed from afar, resembled crystal palaces, or clusters of sunlight reflecting off the rocks, a forest of shimmering gems, radiating light, as if all the stars in the sky were falling to earth—this was truly a paradise on earth.

A beautiful day and a stunning view, unparalleled in the world.

Even the most eloquent words pale in comparison. From this vantage point, the most bustling part of the city unfolds majestically, overlooking the vibrant life of its inhabitants.

Lu Zheng stood up from the round table. There were only candles in the private room, and the flickering light was reflected in his deep black eyes, like dark gems. Compared to them, the starry sky at his feet was nothing but a distant, dazzling spectacle.

Su Wen was momentarily dazed, as if she had fallen into a dream. She asked in a daze, "...Why are you here?"

The candlelight was dim, and the slight smile at the corner of his mouth was barely perceptible: "It was some business. After we finished talking, I wanted to invite you to dinner. I called your assistant, and she said that telling you directly like this wouldn't be a surprise, so she chose this method."

Suwen belatedly turned around, looking back for Xiao Ai, but the girl had already vanished without a trace. After spending the whole afternoon as best friends, Suwen only now realized she'd been betrayed, and completely betrayed at that. Whose assistant was this girl anyway, to have turned on them so quickly?

But you can't blame her, since the person in front of you is the one paying her salary.

Lu Zheng smiled and invited her to sit down: "I hope you like what I've prepared for you today."

River view, candlelight, champagne, flowers—he had prepared all the most romantic elements in the world. If he were to take out a diamond ring at this moment, kneel down on one knee, and present it to her, Su Wen wouldn't find it strange at all.

Suwen was led by the hand and sat down on the luxurious velvet sofa. Before sitting down, Lu Zheng bent down and gently kissed the back of her hand.

Suwen's face flushed slightly, and she shyly pulled her hand away.

Champagne was chilled in an ice bucket, emitting wisps of white mist. Beside a slender crystal champagne glass sat a bunch of roses, blooming brightly and vibrantly, their red petals dripping.

He took champagne from the ice bucket and poured it for her: "I'm not driving tonight, so I can have a drink with you."

The white steam rising from the ice bucket made everything seem dreamlike and unreal.

Every girl has dreamed of being Cinderella. The more difficult reality becomes, the stronger her longing for the prince grows, until reality shatters her dream.

How many times had she fantasized about this scene?

She couldn't remember it anymore, but she thought she would remember this moment forever.

She experienced the happiest moment in the world.

A breeze stirred the sheer curtains, and the candlelight flickered. Unconsciously, Suwen reached out to cup the candle flame, its light dancing on her face. Across from her, Lu Zheng elegantly sipped his champagne, casually brushing aside the strands of hair obscuring her eyes.

Sitting quietly with him, enjoying a Western meal and listening to the gentle flow of music, I felt as if I were admiring a perfect oil painting. He was extremely well-mannered, never speaking while eating or sleeping.

As they left the restaurant, she took his hand and walked along the riverbank. As dusk fell, the lights of countless homes flickered in her eyes.

Along the bustling Nanjing Road, he carefully shielded her on the inside. Just watching others enjoy the festivities made her smile from ear to ear.

Standing in front of the McDonald's dessert station, she opened her hand and asked him for three coins. Lu Zheng searched all his pockets and finally awkwardly placed a hundred-yuan bill in her palm.

She laughed so hard she almost fell over, and finally, holding two ice cream cones, she skipped back to his side like a child who never grew up.

"Why did you buy two?" He doesn't eat these kinds of street-side sweets.

She handed one to him and answered confidently, "The second one is half price!"

He had no choice but to take the ice cream cone and hold it in his hand, his smile a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.

They walked all the way to the end of the pedestrian street. A gentle breeze blew across the river, and the Bund's night view was breathtaking. Holding Lu Zheng's hand, they reached the observation deck. Su Wen stood by the railing, facing the river breeze, and turned to ask him, "How many days are you staying in Shanghai this time?"

Lu Zheng didn't eat the ice cream cone; the melted cream dripped onto the back of his hand.

Suwen lifted his hand, licked it, and then shook her head: "It would be a waste not to eat it."

He lowered his head to kiss her, his gaze as deep as the night: "Who said I don't eat it?" He then licked the corner of her mouth, which was still covered in cream, and then frowned seriously as he commented: "Too sweet."

She laughed and dodged away, while Lu Zheng leaned against the spot she had just been sitting in, turning to look at her: "I'm leaving tomorrow morning, I still have some things to take care of in Beijing."

She whistled with a hint of regret.

I should have known better than to ask. The atmosphere was so nice tonight, but this is a bit of a mood killer.

Lu Zheng stroked her hair knowingly, his eyes sparkling gently: "Tell me about yourself, is filming hard?"

"It's alright, but Shanghainese is really difficult. I always mispronounce it. And I even have to learn how to unbutton a cheongsam. Isn't it supposed to be unbuttoned one button at a time?"

After she finished speaking, Lu Zheng was also stunned and asked her in return, "Wasn't it untied one by one?"

Suwen burst into laughter. He was so happy he was practically hanging on him.

Lu Zheng put his arm around her and asked, "Why did you decide to study acting?"

Because someone said to her: Nie Suwen, your acting is terrible. You're always pretending with me. At least try to act more convincingly.

"Because I like it." She was silent for a moment, then smiled calmly.

Is it such a simple reason?

"What if you hadn't met me?" Who would invest in her films? Who would take care of the crew and protect her? Who would shield her from lustful investors? There are too many dark sides to this industry. Fortunately, he still has the ability to keep her pure and innocent in this industry.

Suwen thought about this question very seriously for a while, then snuggled into his arms and whispered against his chest, "There are no ifs... because I have already given myself to him."

She didn't go back; instead, she followed Lu Zheng to the hotel where he was staying.

They strolled hand in hand through the city lights.

The hotel he booked wasn't far from here, and on the way, they went to a supermarket together to buy some necessities.

Su Wen lingered in front of the slipper rack, unable to move her feet. Even after Lu Zheng pulled her away, she was still reluctant to leave, repeatedly emphasizing, "Buy one get one free, it's a great deal."

Actually, it's because the toe of that slipper is decorated with a Simsimi chick doll.

Unable to resist her, he eventually turned back and bought two pairs of chick-shaped flip-flops, one large and one small. Lu Zheng's lips twitched, and he said meaningfully, "Your taste is still so unique."

"..."

As they passed the adult products section, Suwen's face stiffened, and she quickly pushed her cart past. Lu Zheng, however, stopped and very naturally took two boxes and tossed them into the shopping cart.

Suwen blushed and glared at him, asking, "Why did you buy two boxes?"

He raised an eyebrow: "Buy one get one free."

Suwen turned around and saw a bright red label on the shelf: Durex Surprise Price, Buy One Get One Free!

Dumbfounding.

He's only staying here one night, so he doesn't need two boxes. And of course, he doesn't need two pairs of slippers either... right?

Waking up in the middle of the night, Lu Zheng leaned over and saw her long eyelashes resting peacefully on her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed, as if she were having a sweet dream. It was just like a long, long time ago, when he came home late and found her asleep on the living room table, with food left for him on it. She still held a pen in her hand, and her English textbook was open in front of her, covered with red and green markings. She was like a little bird, sleeping with her head resting on her wings. He stood there stunned for a long time before finally gently taking the pen from her hand, then carrying her to bed and tucking her in.

At that time, her cheeks were like apples, with a crisp, pinkish glow, and seemed to have a delicate fragrance, making one almost reluctant to touch them.

The year he met her, she was only eighteen years old, and she said to him smugly, "Eighteen years old, so crisp and refreshing."

He silently withdrew his fingers, got up, walked to the windowsill, and lit a cigarette.

Perhaps it was the sound of the lighter that startled her, or perhaps it was the smell of tobacco, but Suwen woke up soon after, turned over, and stared at him in a daze.

Even without the lights on, he could see her clearly in the darkness; she looked like a child half-asleep, or perhaps just woken up and still somewhat dazed. He stubbed out his cigarette and said to her, "It's still early, you can sleep a little longer."

Su Wen didn't speak, but silently sat up in bed and turned on the bedside lamp. The light from the floor lamp was like water, softly reflecting on her, the light with a slight yellow tint, and the circles seemed to ripple. As if the light stung her eyes, she slowly turned her head, then walked step by step to him, took his arm, and straddled him.

"Stop fooling around, it'll be dawn soon." He patted her on the head.

Su Wen nodded, but wouldn't let go. Lu Zheng had no choice but to let her unbutton his clothes. Her kisses were light and warm, melting like snowflakes on his lips. Lu Zheng held her tightly, as if he wanted to embed her into his body.