Su He had just finished showering and stepped out in her robe to find the house plunged into darkness. She tried the light switch, but it remained stubbornly off. Relying on the dim glow of her phone, she made her way downstairs.
"Did the power go out?" Su He cautiously approached the window. Seeing the streetlights on outside, her confusion deepened.
If there was electricity outside, it wasn't a widespread outage.
Could it be a short circuit?
As Su He pondered whether to call Lu Yanbei or go to the fuse box herself, a faint light emanated from the kitchen.
"Happy birthday to you..." accompanied by a man's deep, resonant voice, Lu Yanbei emerged holding an exquisite birthday cake.
Su He's jaw dropped in surprise.
It was her birthday? How could she have forgotten!
Lu Yanbei walked over to Su He and snapped his fingers. The room was instantly flooded with light from the crystal chandelier. Su He had to blink a few times to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"Happy birthday, wife!" Lu Yanbei leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
Meeting his affectionate gaze, Su He murmured, "Are you sure? My birthday hasn't come yet..."
"It's today on my ID," Lu Yanbei presented the cake to her. "Make a wish!"
Su He thought for a moment. It was indeed today.
However, she usually celebrated her birthday according to the lunar calendar. Every year around this time, Tang Jiaojiao would gather her siblings to celebrate it with her. It was always like this, without fail.
Only Lu Yanbei would celebrate her Gregorian birthday with her.
Seeing how elaborately he had prepared, Su He didn't want to dampen his spirits. She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and opened them after a long moment.
Once her wish was made, she puffed out her cheeks and blew out the candles.
"Birthday gift." As Su He opened her eyes, Lu Yanbei presented her with a delicate box and a bouquet of stunningly blue roses.
A flicker of surprise crossed Su He's eyes.
"Such beautiful flowers!" Su He exclaimed joyfully, taking them and holding them close.
Noticing that her hands were full, Lu Yanbei opened the box himself, retrieved a diamond necklace, and walked behind her to gently fasten it around her neck.
Still damp from her shower and clad in a thin nightgown, Su He's slender, fair neck was exposed. Her skin, having been in the warm water for a while, had a faint rosy hue and looked impossibly smooth.
The light purple gemstone shone brilliantly under the lights, connected by ninety-nine sparkling diamonds. The gemstone and diamonds complemented each other, creating a magnificent and dazzling display.
Su He felt a sudden weight on her neck, and a valuable necklace appeared on her chest. "This is..."
"The place I went for my business trip is known for its gemstones. I thought it would suit you, so I bought it," Lu Yanbei said, embracing her from behind and guiding her to stand before the mirror. "Do you like it?"
Looking at her bejeweled reflection, Su He couldn't help but lick her lips. "I like it..."
Cheng Jue had been right. No woman disliked jewelry.
Su He, though ordinary, was no exception.
She couldn't resist raising her hand to gently caress the opulent necklace. "It's beautiful, but a little heavy."
After wearing it for only a short while, her neck was already starting to ache.
Lu Yanbei unclasped it and removed the necklace. "Take it out whenever you feel like wearing it."
With the weight gone from her neck, Su He felt as if she had grown taller.
"Why did you suddenly decide to buy me jewelry?" Su He looked at him, puzzled.
He knew she disliked wearing ornaments, didn't he?
Lu Yanbei took her hand and led her to the dining table. He picked up a fork, scooped a small piece of cake, and placed it in her mouth. "I originally planned to buy you a building, but I was afraid it would put too much pressure on you, so I changed it to a necklace instead."
Su He had thought the jewelry was extravagant enough, but she never imagined he had considered buying her a whole building!
My heavens, poverty truly limited her imagination.
Could she still return the necklace?
She would much rather be a landlady than wear a necklace!
Lu Yanbei, her intimate companion, couldn't miss the expression on her face. He chuckled softly. "You want the building?"
Su He nodded honestly.
That was worth far more than a necklace!
"Well, you'll have to wait until next year's birthday for that," Lu Yanbei said, wiping the residual cream from her lips with his finger and then bringing that finger to his own mouth in front of her.
He... he did that... Su He's face flushed crimson.
Lu Yanbei, unfazed, cut another piece of cake and brought it to her lips. As if mesmerized, Su He slowly opened her mouth. He continued to feed her, and after three bites, Lu Yanbei's gaze deepened.
"Are you full?"
"Full..." Su He replied softly.
"But I'm still hungry..." He suddenly leaned in, trapping her against the dining table.
Su He, held captive in his embrace and unable to move, her eyes growing hazy, asked against her better judgment, "I made lunch, it tasted alright... Shall I heat it up for you?"
The next moment, Lu Yanbei cupped her chin and lowered his head. "No need. I have something else I'd rather eat."
With that, Su He felt herself being lifted effortlessly, her feet leaving the ground.
Lu Yanbei carried her upstairs with ease.
Indeed, receiving gifts wasn't always that simple!
That night, Su He was turned over and over countless times. She was like a fine delicacy that Lu Yanbei seemed to never tire of. Yet, despite his exertion, she was the one who fell asleep first from exhaustion.
Lu Yanbei carried the drowsy Su He to the bathroom for a quick wash, then held her as they slept until dawn.
*
Su He was awakened by the aroma of food.
She glanced at her phone. It was almost noon.
She looked at the other side of the bed. Her sleeping partner had vanished at some point.
Su He rubbed her aching waist and changed into a comfortable loungewear set before heading to the washroom. The woman in the mirror looked as if she had a filter applied, her skin smooth and radiant, more hydrated than usual. Faint red marks on her neck testified to the previous night's activities.
Su He shyly cupped a handful of water and splashed it on her face, trying to cool the heat that had risen.
No wonder Jiang Xiaoxiao often teased her; she really couldn't show herself in public looking like this.
After a lengthy session in the bathroom, Su He could finally descend the stairs with a clear conscience.
Lu Yanbei, uncharacteristically, had not gone to the office. He was busy in the kitchen, dressed in a white shirt. Seeing Su He come down, he turned off the stove and emerged with a freshly heated meal.
Su He took a bite. It was a familiar taste.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the company?" Su He asked after a bowl of soup, unable to hold back her question.
"I've taken all my accumulated leave from the past few years, along with my honeymoon leave," Lu Yanbei replied, putting down his chopsticks.
Su He blinked.
Right, the wedding was only a week away!
"How are things on your end? Have everything been arranged?" Lu Yanbei asked her in return.
"I'm just a nominal boss. Everything at the studio is running smoothly; there's basically nothing for me to do." Su He considered herself an unqualified manager, so she had handed over the reins to professional managers and rarely participated in company decisions.
Of course, laziness was the primary reason.