Stroking her shoulder, time passed so quickly, a whole year had flown by.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing Lin Yan staring out the window in silence, Su Mojin asked curiously.
"I'm just marveling at how fast time flies; before you know it, it's almost Chinese New Year."
Lin Yan turned his head and said with a smile. It was already December, and indeed, the New Year was approaching.
"Yes, it really is fast. In a blink of an eye, I've gone from a university student to a tired housewife who's just given birth."
Hearing this, the young woman also leaned back against the chair and sighed, her eyelids fluttering as if truly lost in thought.
"When you say that, I can't help but feel a hint of resentment."
"Really? Where?"
"There definitely is."
Lin Yan reached out and pinched her small face. It was delicate and tender, with a pleasant feel.
"You're wearing makeup; aren't you afraid it'll smudge?"
Su Mojin gave Lin Yan a glare and said娇声.
"Actually, you look good even without makeup. Why bother with it?"
Su Mojin didn't answer this. Lin Yan understood what she meant without her saying anything. Usually, the young woman didn't wear makeup, perhaps just a touch of lip gloss. Only when she accompanied him to the races would she dress up so meticulously.
It was as simple as not wanting to embarrass him.
Lin Yan took her hand and intertwined their fingers.
"You've made me feel like retiring."
Leaning back against the chair, with the warm breeze blowing outside, Lin Yan inexplicably uttered these words.
Retire?
Su Mojin's heart warmed. This was the most touching love confession she had ever heard from Lin Yan. Compared to this, even vows of eternal love seemed less significant. She knew the arena held a special meaning for Lin Yan, and thus, she wouldn't let him give it up easily.
"Is it because of me, or because of the child?"
"To be honest, it's a bit of both, but mainly because of you. You've given me a sense of family."
Lin Yan spoke sincerely. Of course, in Su Mojin's mind, Lin Yan had never lied to her, except for that one thing he said in bed back then.
"Husband, speaking from my own desires, I wish you would retire, but at the same time, I don't. I know you have a dream, and if possible, I don't want to ruin it."
Su Mojin's words were filled with conflict, but she felt compelled to say them.
Leaning back against the chair, listening to Su Mojin's words, Lin Yan thought of someone. In a way, his current situation was quite similar to that person's – stepping back from his career for the sake of family.
If his family hadn't been so wealthy in this life, Lin Yan guessed he wouldn't have had such thoughts.
It was precisely because, like Daniel, he was backed by a giant conglomerate that he didn't need to rely on competitions to earn money. Retiring wouldn't decrease his quality of life; in fact, it would improve it. Everything would be risk-free and peaceful, except for leaving his beloved profession.
On one side was the arena, where risks and passion coexisted; on the other was a harmonious and peaceful family life without any storms. It was indeed a difficult choice.
"Do you know how many years my dream will take?"
"Ten years."
Before Su Mojin could ask, Lin Yan answered himself. Ten years. This immediately deflated Su Mojin, who had been confident. She knew Lin Yan had a special obsession with the arena, but she hadn't expected this obsession to require a decade of persistence.
Every time Lin Yan stepped onto the stage, she would be filled with anxiety in the audience. And this worry would last for ten years.
"It's okay, it's a dream. If it were completed so easily, would it still be called a dream?"
Seeing the young woman's somewhat dejected expression, Lin Yan ruffled her hair.
"Are you not as confident as before?"
"A little."
Su Mojin admitted frankly.
"I don't know how long I can persist, but what I can promise is that I will always prioritize my safety."
Lin Yan had long since noticed the change in his mindset, leaning towards prudence. Frankly, this kind of personality was not ideal, but for him at this moment, it was the best.
Fortunately, he was still young, and making up for the gap in personality with skill was not a difficult task.
"Yes, no matter what, I support you."
Su Mojin smiled and extended her small fist. They bumped fists.
...
In the blink of an eye, the car had reached the mountainside, the location of the Western Park.
Lin Yan and Su Mojin got out of the car. Zhang Yingrong and Fu Qingyun's car was ahead. By the time Lin Yan and Su Mojin got out, the couple had already exited their vehicle.
"Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, hurry over here. What kind of roses are these? I've never seen them before."
"Mom, these are roses unique to this place, so of course, you haven't seen them."
The park was vast, covering nearly a thousand square meters of the mountainside. It was enclosed by a European-style wooden fence. The entrance was flanked by golden-yellow roses, and the air was filled with their fragrance. These were the unique golden roses of Valen, possessing excellent color and a rich aroma.
For Fu Qingyun and the others, this was a pleasant leisure spot. For flower enthusiasts like Zhang Yingrong, it was a paradise, filled with Valen's native exotic flowers and rare plants.
This was a park for sightseeing, and it required an entrance fee. After paying, the family walked in. There weren't many people inside; almost everyone they saw were couples, both locals and foreign tourists.
"It smells so good!"
Upon entering, Su Mojin couldn't help but exclaim. The first time she came here, she had said the same thing.
Lin Yan nodded. He had to admit that the air in Dongya was indeed much better than in their country, especially in such a beautiful and fragrant place.
"Husband, let's take a picture."
Women love to take photos, regardless of age. In a short while, Lin Guoxiong, Su Hongyun, and Lin Yan were temporarily acting as photographers.
A series of shutter clicks later, several photos were successfully taken.
"Are you taking a picture of me or the flowers? You made me look so ugly."
Taking pictures of women had always been a monumental challenge for men because they could never find the angle they desired. Even Lin Guoxiong received a smack from his wife.
"No, darling, I'm taking a picture of you."
"Still arguing? Look where you focused the camera; my face is all blurry."
Looking at the photos on her phone, Fu Qingyun was furious. She didn't give Lin Guoxiong any face in front of the younger generation, directly grabbing his ear and questioning him.
"Ouch, ouch, darling, it hurts!"
Lin Guoxiong curled up his body, his one-meter-eight frame hunched over. He held Fu Qingyun's hands, preventing her from squeezing harder, groaning in pain.
Seeing this, Lin Yan found it both amusing and exasperating. At least their interaction was harmonious; Lin Yan wouldn't have focused the camera on the flowers.
"Husband, let's take a photo together."
After taking individual photos, they moved on to couple shots. Lin Yan handed over the camera duties.