Chapter 144: Extra Story: London [The End]

Landing at Heathrow Airport, An Ling finally felt that she must have truly had too much to drink when she bought the ticket last night.

To think she actually came here on a whim.

Did she really miss Shen Linyan that much?

Her face flushed slightly, and she gave a soft cough. Soon after, a voice sounded by her ear.

"Ma'am, please get in the car." Secretary Chen placed her luggage in the trunk and opened the back door for her.

An Ling got into the car. "Shen Linyan still doesn't know I'm here, right?"

"Yes, the young master is out today, and he doesn't know I came to pick you up either."

Heaven knows how shocked Secretary Chen was when he received An Ling's message yesterday.

He glanced at the backseat through the rearview mirror, hesitating for a moment before asking, "But, why did you come so suddenly?"

An Ling looked up from her phone. "I came as soon as my work was finished. Will it interfere with your work?"

"No, not at all." Secretary Chen paused. "The young master will definitely be thrilled that you're here. However... did you know that he caught a cold recently?"

An Ling was stunned.

"A cold?"

...

"You've had this cold and cough for days now, are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? Why do you catch a cold every time you come to London?"

Damian's voice sounded from behind.

Shen Linyan stopped coughing, pulled down his mask, took some medicine out of his pocket, popped a pill into his mouth, and swallowed it dry.

His voice was hoarse and carried a hint of exhaustion. "It's nothing serious. It will clear up on its own in a few days. Going to the hospital here won't do much good; I might as well wait until I return to China to get it checked."

Damian walked out of the building, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "True."

Seeing this, he chuckled. "It reminds me of the first time I met you. You were sick and coughing just like this, with heavy dark circles under your eyes. It was obvious you hadn't been getting any good sleep. And sure enough, working four jobs a day—I really admire you."

Shen Linyan paused and gave a soft "Mm."

Damian sighed. "But I'm still disappointed your wife didn't come. You promised you'd bring her along next time."

"She's busy with work." Shen Linyan's tone softened a bit.

Damian got into his car and turned to look at Shen Linyan. "Aren't you leaving? I remember your secretary isn't here, right? Let me drop you off at your hotel."

Shen Linyan shook his head. "No need, you go ahead."

After the car drove away, he slipped his hands into his pockets and turned to look at the street.

The foreign streets, unfamiliar faces, and strange language pieced together almost nine years of Shen Linyan's life.

From the first time he set foot on this land, he had lived merely to survive. Pushing himself to the limit, draining his body, his daily sleep was brutally compressed to just two or three hours, like an endlessly running machine.

Later, he was finally noticed by Damian, and his life seemed to take a turn for the better.

But to him, it was no different from before.

Shen Linyan didn't even know what he was doing all this for. Was it to take revenge on the Shen family? To gain that momentary thrill—and then what?

Even if he just stayed silent like this and died quietly abroad, no one would remember the eldest son of the Shen family. No one would know all the suffering and humiliation he had endured, and certainly no one would feel an ounce of pity for him.

The only one who could exact revenge on the Shen family was himself.

So every time he returned to London, during countless silent nights, he felt as if he had gone back to the past.

Back to the old him—having lost his soul, leaving only hypocrisy, an empty shell forcefully stuffed with hatred and obsession.

Shen Linyan lowered his gaze, coughed softly twice, and adjusted his mask. The wedding ring on his ring finger stood out as he took out his phone.

He remembered there was a very famous chocolate shop nearby.

Although Shen Linyan had never tasted it, the female students used to talk about it a lot when he was studying here.

His wife would probably like it too.

He walked into the shop, took a picture, and sent it to An Ling.

Shen Linyan: [Does my wife like chocolate?]

Wife: [Love it, love it! (≧∇≦)ノ Is hubby going to buy some for me?]

A smile flashed through his eyes, and his lips curled up.

Shen Linyan: [Yes. (≧∇≦)ノ]

After buying the items, he returned to the hotel.

Shen Linyan carried the bag into the elevator and pressed his floor button.

At that moment, a young woman carrying a suitcase also entered the elevator. A hat and a mask obscured her face, and her soft, slightly curly long hair cascaded down her back.

He didn't pay much attention, stepping aside to make room and waiting for the elevator to go up.

The air was quiet, leaving only the mechanical hum of the elevator.

The woman beside him suddenly spoke up: "Is that chocolate you're holding?" Her voice was slightly muffled under the mask, lowered so her tone was indistinct.

He paused, turning his head to see that she was talking to him, and gave a brief "Mm."

The woman pressed on, "Is it good?"

"...Sorry, I'm not really sure."

The woman let out a soft "Oh." Seemingly oblivious to his cold attitude, her voice was gentle. "Then can I try one? Because my husband said he's going to buy some for me too, so I want to taste it first."

Shen Linyan's movements froze, and he turned to look at her.

His gaze fell on her suitcase and clothes, and he blanked for a moment. Finally, his eyes landed on the wedding ring on her ring finger, and his pupils suddenly dilated in shock.

"Ding—"

The elevator doors opened, but neither of them moved.

Finally, An Ling looked up at him, her eyes curving into a smile from under the brim of her hat.

"What a coincidence, you live on the same floor as my husband."

Shen Linyan stared unblinkingly at the person in front of him. Countless emotions seemed to surge in the depths of his eyes, so clear they were almost scalding, yet he forcefully suppressed them.

After a moment of silence, he handed over the bag of chocolates, took her suitcase with his other hand, and led her by the hand out of the elevator.

The man's fingertips were cool, but he held on very tightly.

An Ling blinked and smiled as she walked out with him.

Shen Linyan's voice was very soft. "When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just arrived not long ago. I wanted to give you a surprise. Were you surprised?" An Ling tilted her head to look at him.

Shen Linyan's eyes curved. "Very surprised."

Entering the room, An Ling took off her hat and mask, looking around the room.

"Are you tired, dear?"

"A little."

She sat on the bed and lay back. "Mostly just sleepy. I caught an early flight today, so I had to get up super early to pack my bags."

"Have you had lunch?"

"Not yet, but I was planning to—"

An Ling looked up and saw the man standing by the table, watching her, and her voice abruptly cut off.

She blinked and patted the spot next to her. "Why are you standing so far away? Come sit here."

Shen Linyan pursed his lips. "I have a cold. I'll pass it to you."

"I know."

An Ling shifted her position, propping up her head to look at him. "It doesn't matter, I don't mind. Come over here."

Shen Linyan met her gaze for a moment before finally compromising, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

An Ling scrambled up and skillfully straddled his lap.

The man's body stiffened slightly, but his hands still wrapped around her waist. He leaned his head back slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "Baby, it's contagious."

An Ling blinked, her gaze sweeping over the faint dark circles under the man's eyes. "So I finally made it all the way here, and you want me to keep my distance from you the whole time? Then I might as well go back tonight."

Shen Linyan's arms tightened slightly around her, and he said softly, "No."

"Then don't go back." She smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and kissed his chin. "We are husband and wife, we're bound to touch. There's no hiding from it. I still want to sleep with you tonight. Don't you want to sleep with me?"

Shen Linyan paused. Seeming swayed by her words, he looked down at her.

An Ling took the initiative to kiss the corner of his lips and said with a beaming smile, "There, now you really can't hide. You have to take responsibility for me. Hubby, sleep with me for a while, okay? I'm exhausted. We can go eat after we wake up."

The slight pout in her trailing voice tugged tightly at Shen Linyan's heartstrings, making his entire body tense.

He had missed her so terribly much. Now that she was right here in his arms, a surging desire screamed at him to kiss her, to devour her.

He had never been able to refuse An Ling, nor could he ever.

His Adam's apple bobbed. With a dark, intense look in his eyes, Shen Linyan planted a kiss on her lips, then lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "Okay."

An Ling lay on the bed, his arms wrapped around her waist. She nestled completely into his warm embrace, her nose filled with the man's familiar scent.

Under the covers, the man lowered his head and sucked on her lips, gentle and lingering. He peppered kisses on her face and eyes from time to time, as if trying to make up for all the kisses they had missed during their week apart.

At first, An Ling responded to him, but that response sparked a fire between them, leading to a few more passionate rounds in the bathroom.

By the end of it, she had lost all her strength, lying limply on the bed and letting the man kiss and nibble on her as he pleased.

Now genuinely sleepy, An Ling reached out a hand to cover the man's mouth. "Alright, time to sleep."

Shen Linyan's eyes were filled with satiation. He kissed her palm and helped tuck the loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Go to sleep, honey."

The girl suddenly spoke up, "You have to actually sleep too."

Shen Linyan's expression froze slightly.

He watched as An Ling kept her eyes closed and mumbled, "Secretary Chen said you go to bed late and wake up early. You video call me every noon instead of catching up on sleep. No wonder you got sick. I told you to rest more before, but you never listen to me. Now I have to come supervise you in person."

Coming to his senses, a low chuckle rumbled in his chest. He pulled her closer into his arms, his heart completely full.

"Okay, honey."

An Ling nuzzled her face into his chest. "Did you study abroad here before? When we wake up, go out with me. I want to see the places where you studied."

Shen Linyan lowered his eyes. After a moment, his lips curled into a soft smile. "Okay, we'll go see."

He closed his eyes, smiling as he kissed her forehead, his voice dropping very light.

"My wife will see it with me."

Accompanying him, replacing all that hatred.

So that the next time he set foot on this land, there would be nothing left but memories with his beloved.

—— End of Story ——