Chapter 4: Self-Deprecation
Countless grievances welled up at the tip of his nose. These dishes were prepared by him after waking up at five in the morning, spending nearly two hours to make them, yet she threw them in the trash like garbage. Wen Lan Sheng suddenly felt an indescribable discomfort.
He returned to the bedroom, where the thin, soft white gauze curtains swayed gently with the cool night breeze. A light drizzle drifted in through the open window.
Wen Lan Sheng sat sideways on the edge of the bed, raising his fair hand to gently caress Fan Xia's delicate sleeping profile with his fingertips. The subtle movement seemed to disturb her sleep, and she shifted slightly, causing the collar of her nightgown to stretch, revealing smooth, jade-like skin.
Wen Lan Sheng pursed his lips and gently bit Fan Xia's shoulder, filled with grievance.
'Hiss—' Fan Xia frowned, waking up in a daze. The bitten shoulder didn't hurt, but it made Fan Xia feel strange. Looking at the fluffy little head resting on her shoulder, Fan Xia's voice was slightly hoarse: "You're back. What's wrong?"
Wen Lan Sheng raised his head, his eyes filled with both grievance and anger: "You still ask what's wrong? The lunch I prepared for you, why didn't you eat it? You even threw it away. Do you think the food I made is not good enough?"
"It's not what you think. I've been eating your cooking for so many years, how could I dislike it? I originally planned to eat it, but I had to go out for something urgent and forgot to put it back in the fridge. By the time I remembered, it had already gone bad."
Fan Xia smiled and pinched Wen Lan Sheng's puffed cheeks, coaxing gently: "Don't be angry, okay?"
Wen Lan Sheng's arms were wrapped around Fan Xia's neck, and hearing her explanation, his anger subsided a bit.
"Oh right, when I was getting off work, designer Miss Shen told me that the diamond ring was ready, so I picked it up on the way back," Fan Xia changed the subject, taking out the ring box from the bedside drawer.
The iris flower design, Wen Lan Sheng's favorite, was beautifully and dynamically crafted, surrounded by countless small diamonds embracing the perfectly cut central diamond like stars around the moon.
Wen Lan Sheng's eyes brightened slightly, quickly forgetting the earlier unpleasantness. His heart was filled only with the brilliantly sparkling iris flower ring. This was the wedding ring they would wear for a lifetime, proof of their intimate relationship.
"Do you like it?" Fan Xia turned on the ceiling light, and the diamond sparkled with even more radiant brilliance under the ample lighting.
"I love it so much." Wen Lan Sheng nodded excitedly, extending his hand to Fan Xia with utmost expectation: "Xia Xia, can you put it on for me?"
Fan Xia smiled indulgently: "Of course."
The diamond ring, custom-made specifically for Wen Lan Sheng, fit his hand perfectly. The beautiful but not ostentatious iris flower seemed to bloom from his finger bone. Wen Lan Sheng was overjoyed, sitting on Fan Xia's lap, arms around her neck, disregarding all propriety as he kissed her frantically like a puppy: "Xia Xia, I want to marry you so badly. I stare at the calendar every day, complaining about how slowly time passes."
Fan Xia laughed at his kisses: "It will be soon, don't rush."
Wen Lan Sheng rested on her shoulder, looking at the wedding ring on his hand with a face full of happiness. Suddenly, he put the women's wedding ring on Fan Xia's hand, intertwining their fingers tightly, and took a photo with his phone, posting it on his Moments.
At eleven o'clock at night, it wasn't considered late for the night owls of the imperial capital. Wen Lan Sheng's Moments post quickly received many likes, all voices of congratulations.
Wen Lan Sheng clung to Fan Xia's arm, pleading: "Xia Xia, can you post on your Moments too?"
"..."
Wen Lan Sheng persistently wheedled: "Please, I want everyone to know we're getting married soon, and how beautiful our wedding rings are."
Immersed in happiness, Wen Lan Sheng couldn't wait to share his joy with the whole world.
"...Alright." Fan Xia sighed lightly, unable to resist Wen Lan Sheng's insistence, and posted the same photo on her Moments, with the same text as Wen Lan Sheng's 'Only one person in a lifetime'.
"Satisfied now?" Fan Xia smiled, helpless yet indulgent.
"Yes, yes." Wen Lan Sheng smiled happily, his fingertips lightly caressing the spot he had just gently bitten, leaning down to kiss it, his legs also restlessly wrapping around her waist.
The night rain pattered softly, intimate and nourishing.
"What would you like to drink? Whiskey again?" At the Lan Club, Chen Yu Ze asked lazily, leaning against the bar. This private club was his, and as the son of the powerful and wealthy, doing business was just a small venture that didn't matter if it lost money, so this private club only served men in their circle.
Rong Xiu shook his head slightly, his voice faint: "No need."
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