He stripped with a decisive finality, leaving him in only his underwear in a blink. His clothes were tossed onto the double bed, and he stood before Lan Lan.
Though it wasn't the first time she'd seen his body, Lan Lan's gaze was still captivated, unable to shift for a long moment. She even reached out and touched him, "Oh my, CEO Liang's abs are so firm."
She understood nothing of shyness or reserve, her teasing him effortless. The next sentence she whispered into his ear, "Turns out there's even more..."
Liang Yufeng stopped her hand. "Go get my clothes."
He had intended to tease her, but she turned the tables, seemingly not knowing the meaning of "shy."
"CEO Liang, your ears are red." Lan Lan noticed the blush on his ear tips and couldn't help but laugh. "Are you alright, CEO Liang? You're not young anymore, why are you so easily embarrassed?"
"If you spout one more word, you're not eating tonight," Liang Yufeng said, his annoyance flaring as he warned her.
"Alright, alright, I won't say another word." Lan Lan, as if coaxing a child, brushed his hand away and went to the wardrobe to get him a set of casual clothes.
Liang Yufeng changed into a light-colored sweater, looking much younger, with a hint of his college days. He had loved wearing sweaters back then, and she had even gifted him several.
The hotel meal was still canceled. Liang Yufeng followed Lan Lan to a skewer shop she had picked out. Although the shop was in the city center, it was a street food stall.
Being an old establishment, the decor was rather dated. They happened to arrive during peak dining hours and were seated outside. Lan Lan, however, was content. After sitting down, she said to Liang Yufeng, "It's a good thing you changed your clothes."
Otherwise, him showing up in a suit and tie to eat skewers on the street would have been quite amusing.
Lan Lan ordered one of everything on the menu, also requesting ice jelly and milk tea. Seeing her busy organizing everything, Liang Yufeng couldn't help but reminisce about their past dating days.
She had always been unpretentious. When they were dating, his financial situation was modest, not comparable to hers. She must have been considerate of his feelings then. Even when they went out to eat, she often chose cheap eateries or roadside stalls in the university town. She always ate with great relish.
He knew her parents were senior executives in investment banking, and she was an only child. Yet, she was not spoiled in the slightest. Back then, he had been drawn to this very quality in her.
After all these years, she was still the same. He couldn't find any fault in her, except that she didn't care about him.
The ice jelly and milk tea arrived first. Lan Lan called Liang Yufeng to join her, finally pulling him back from his thoughts.
Soon, the skewers arrived as well. Lan Lan ate heartily. Usually, when dining with new clients, she would put on a bit of a show. But Liang Yufeng was an old acquaintance, so she was as comfortable as she pleased.
Liang Yufeng, however, was watching her eat, her manner much the same as before. In less than five minutes, Lan Lan had already eaten three skewers, while Liang Yufeng hadn't touched any.
"Eat up," Lan Lan said, handing him a skewer of fried potato. "This is delicious. I got you the non-spicy one."
Liang Yufeng took it and asked casually, "You remember I don't eat spicy food?"
His tone suggested surprise. Lan Lan replied, "We dated, after all. I wouldn't be that heartless, would I?"
Liang Yufeng had indulged her by eating hot pot with her once. Although they ordered a split pot, she had given him quite a few items from the spicy side.
Later, Liang Yufeng suffered from gastroenteritis. Only then did she realize he couldn't eat spicy food. She had even scolded him for it. He was drenched in sweat from the gastroenteritis but still said, "Don't be angry, I didn't want to refuse you."
After that incident, Lan Lan remembered he couldn't eat spicy food. She hadn't deliberately recalled it over the years, perhaps because the event was too memorable, so she remembered it until now.
Liang Yufeng suddenly smiled, looking very happy. Seeing him smile so heartily after just one bite of skewer, Lan Lan gave him another piece of meat.
Lan Lan didn't dislike Liang Yufeng. She had a certain fondness for him, but love was a distant prospect. Liang Yufeng's appearance appealed to her aesthetic, but she had never considered developing a real relationship with him, or marriage.
Moreover, Liang Yufeng currently had Shang Ting by his side. He had inherited his family fortune, and his marriage would surely not be under his own control. Shang Ting was also quite a good match for him. Lan Lan hadn't thought about the future; she lived one day at a time.
After dinner, Lan Lan went to an ice cream shop to check it out. She was thoughtful enough to buy Liang Yufeng a cone too. "Try it."
Liang Yufeng said "Mm" and took it, taking a bite of the ice cream.
As they walked back to the hotel, watching the people on the street and feeling the city's atmosphere, Lan Lan suddenly felt very relaxed. "It's been so long since I felt this relaxed."
Liang Yufeng: "Mm?"
Lan Lan said, "This place is very different from Nanjiang. Walking on the street makes me want to slow down. I haven't taken a walk in the two years I've been working."
"Then what do you do on your days off?" Liang Yufeng asked.
"Sleep, shop, or go to bars," Lan Lan replied. "Only this year have I occasionally been able to have weekends off. In my first year of work, I had to go to the company on weekends too."
This industry was like that; Liang Yufeng knew it better than anyone. "Are you tired?"
"Yes, I'm tired. There was a period when I was working on a project, and I could only sleep three hours a day." Once the floodgates opened, Lan Lan rarely showed her vulnerability to him. "For the first month, it was fine. Later, when I was pulling an all-nighter at the company, I cried from exhaustion, which scared my colleagues."
They strolled along the road, chatting about many things that had happened in the years they were apart. Lan Lan curiously asked Liang Yufeng, "Were you tired when you were studying for your master's degree in New York?"
"It was alright." In reality, it was very tiring. Not only was the academic workload heavy, but he also had to adapt to a new environment, which required a lot of time and energy.
"My parents also wanted me to study for my master's there," Lan Lan said. "But I was too lazy and couldn't bear to leave my girlfriends."
At that time, Lin Mei and Feng Feng had also been accepted into the same university. Nanjiang University was a top institution in the country, so Lan Lan gave up the idea of going abroad and stayed with them.
Liang Yufeng didn't know about this. "For your good friends? I didn't expect you to be so loyal."
"Of course. We've been friends for over eight years," Lan Lan said. "We'll still be good sisters when we're eighty, never parting."
Liang Yufeng smiled faintly, but his heart was filled with complex emotions. She was so devoted to her friendships; why couldn't she be the same with him?
If she could only give him a third of that devotion, he would be content.
Before going to sleep that night, Lan Lan finally remembered to ask Liang Yufeng about his work arrangements. "What work did you bring me here for? You must give me a schedule."
However, the response she received was a tempestuous kiss from Liang Yufeng.
She clung to his neck with all her might.
After the storm had passed, it was already past midnight. As Lan Lan's eyes were too heavy to open, she suddenly heard Liang Yufeng ask, "Have you ever thought about marriage?"
The question was too abrupt, and Lan Lan sobered up a bit. "Marriage? What's the point of being with one person your entire life? It's so boring."