Shen Nian and Lu Cheng returned to their newlywed room. The place was still decorated as it had been for their wedding.
The "double happiness" characters were still on the walls, and matching paper-cuts adorned the windows. Even the colorful ornaments hanging from the ceiling hadn't been taken down.
Of course, the sheets and duvet cover on the bed were still the same bright red set from their wedding night. Having slept here alone for only one night before running back to her parents' house, Shen Nian naturally hadn't had time to change them.
Now, however, Shen Nian was quite glad they hadn't been taken down, as it let her bask in the wedding atmosphere.
After coming inside, Lu Cheng also took in the room's decor. His mom had prepared it all before the wedding; he hadn't even had a chance to see it on the day of the ceremony.
Seeing it now, he was naturally delighted. 'But I wonder if Shen Nian likes all this?'
With this thought, Lu Cheng's gaze shifted to Shen Nian beside him.
When he saw Shen Nian also gazing at the decorations with a faint smile on her face, Lu Cheng smiled too.
'His Shen Nian... she really seems different now. It's like she said—she's trying to see the good in me.'
"What are you grinning about? You should get some rest. I'm going to go help Mom with dinner."
The moment Shen Nian turned her head, she saw Lu Cheng staring at her radiant smile, and her heart instantly began to pound like a drum.
'How did I never notice in my past life that Lu Cheng had such an alluring side to him?'
Not wanting Lu Cheng to see how flustered she was, Shen Nian had made an excuse about helping Sun Yufeng with dinner.
But clearly, Lu Cheng wasn't willing to give up what little time he had to spend with Shen Nian.
"Can you... stay with me for a little while?"
Hearing the request he had mustered up the courage to make, Shen Nian stopped in her tracks.
Turning to look at Lu Cheng, Shen Nian gave a slight nod.
"Aren't you tired?"
"I'm not tired."
'How could he possibly be tired with Shen Nian right here in front of him?'
"Even if you're not tired, you should sit down and rest for a bit. It'll do you good to just close your eyes and relax."
"Then... don't leave."
"Okay, I won't leave."
Only after seeing Shen Nian nod did Lu Cheng sit down on the bench in the bedroom, reassured, and obediently close his eyes.
Shen Nian sat down beside him, quietly watching him. 'Lu Cheng... he really is handsome,' she realized once again.
'Even after living more than a decade in the future, Shen Nian had to admit that Lu Cheng's looks would stand out even in an era swarming with handsome men.'
'A man like him must have had plenty of admirers. How did he fall so hard for me that he couldn't turn back?'
"Xiao Nian."
"Hm?"
Shen Nian answered, only then realizing that Lu Cheng's way of addressing her had changed from "Shen Nian" to the much more intimate "Xiao Nian."
"After I go back to headquarters, I'm going to apply for company housing. Once it's approved, could you maybe..."
"Yes. Once it's approved, I'll go over and stay with you."
This was something Shen Nian had already decided after her rebirth. Lu Cheng worked for a security company, so he naturally couldn't stay home for long. If she wanted to be by his side, the only way was to go to his company's headquarters.
'In her past life, she'd never even considered going. Back then, all she could think about was getting a divorce!'
'And Lu Cheng, back then... he never once suggested she come stay with him, not even right up until their divorce.'
'In this life, everything was truly starting over.'
"Really? You've agreed?"
Lu Cheng was overjoyed. He had only been testing the waters with his question; he'd even considered that Shen Nian might refuse. After all, their relationship wasn't that deep yet.
'He never expected her to actually agree so readily.'
"It's true, I've agreed. Oh, wait, that's not right... I think there's a problem..."
Shen Nian had just nodded when she suddenly thought of a very important issue. It was an issue that had become an obsession for her after the tragic experiences of her past life.