Celia hadn’t been in contact with Rivermoon for some time.

And it was even rarer for Rivermoon to message her first.

Celia cautiously checked his Moments first. After several months, there was only one new update, posted a few days ago:

The picture was a casually snapped photo of an earthworm under a rock, with the caption: "Lurking in the shadows? Like this?"

Celia stared at it for a while, completely baffled. She closed his Moments and finally replied to Rivermoon:

Cece: "Mr. Trenton already told me about the base. Thank you, Big Boss, for showing me such favor."

A few seconds later, he replied:

Rivermoon: "Not generous enough."

Celia’s fingers paused mid-type. ’We’ve chatted so many times, and the Big Boss has always been so aloof. Why does he suddenly sound a little... greasy today?’

But a matter as important as the base couldn’t be properly discussed over text. Words were too easily misinterpreted and could create all sorts of misunderstandings.

Cece: "Is now a good time to talk on the phone, Boss?"

Rivermoon: "My wife might get the wrong idea."

With no other option, Celia composed a long message of gratitude, then apprehensively added her doubts about her own capabilities.

Rivermoon: "Just get a feel for things for the next few months. We’ll do the official handover after the New Year."

Celia took a deep breath. The temptation was ultimately too great. She hesitantly sent a sticker indicating her agreement.

Then she tactfully raised a question: "Will your wife mind?"

This time, Rivermoon took a while to reply: "Worst case, I’ll just have to kneel in penance a few more times."

In the past, Celia wouldn’t have read anything into it.

But after the wild days she’d spent with Silas Norwood, the phrase "kneeling in penance" between a married couple immediately brought several rather risqué positions to mind.

Playing it safe, she didn’t reply.

The next morning, Celia and Adeline Lowell went to the airport together. Celia was flying to Tulia, while Adeline was returning to Port Sovereign.

"I do still have a CEO position to think about. I’ve had my fill of adventure for now, so it’s time to get back to the grind for a while. I should also check on the progress of the younger generation in the family."

Adeline walked with her toward the boarding gate, saying with a smile, "As for the base over in Tulia, I’ll leave it in your hands, Cece. Thank you for the trouble. When you come back, visit me in Port Sovereign. I’ll treat you to tea."

After spending the last few days together, Celia had grown close enough to affectionately call Adeline "Auntie," and Adeline’s form of address for her had changed from a polite "Miss Sterling" to "Cece." Her fondness for the younger woman grew deeper by the day.

"Don’t worry, Auntie," Celia assured her quietly. The site in Tulia was one of the Lowell Family’s floral bases, planted with tulips, hyacinths, and roses. It was currently the season for essence extraction. Sapphire Shores was only a two-hour flight from Tulia, so Adeline had originally planned to fly over directly for a look and had already arranged a time with the person in charge there.

However, a project at the Lowell Group had run into some issues, requiring Adeline to personally return and adjust the plans, forcing her to change her itinerary at the last minute.

Adeline left first.

Soon after, Celia also boarded her flight to Tulia.

「Florinelle International Hotel」

Several hours later, Celia entered the hotel with a small suitcase and presented her passport to check in.

"You must be Miss Celia Sterling from Metropia?" The hotel receptionist had been briefed in advance and was extremely welcoming after verifying the passport. In broken, halting Chinese, she said, "This is your key card, for the presidential suite, 801. We hope you have a pleasant stay."

A key card was handed to her.

Celia took it, hesitating for a moment. "Does the hotel have brand-new bedding?"

The receptionist answered with a smile, "Please rest assured. Everything in your room has been replaced with brand-new items, including the bed, bathtub, and sofa. Even the wardrobe was custom-made for you from new, eco-friendly materials."

’This all feels very familiar.’

Celia lowered her gaze thoughtfully. "Is there someone else in the room?"

The receptionist nodded. "Three hours ago, a very handsome gentleman checked in. You don’t need to worry, he showed us a marriage certificate."

’He even brought the marriage certificate?’

A smile flashed in Celia’s almond-shaped eyes. She hummed softly in acknowledgment as the receptionist took the lead. "Miss Sterling, this way, please."

She led Celia to the door of 801 and then tactfully excused herself.

Celia stood at the door for a few seconds before the card reader BEEPED. She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The next moment, she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

He held her tightly.

Celia pushed him gently. "Silas—"

"Baby," he whispered, lightly biting her earlobe. "First, this."

A flurry of kisses rained down on her. Celia lightly thumped his chest, her tone vexed. "I haven’t even showered."

"Mm. Together."

Silas Norwood swept her up into his arms and carried her straight into the bathroom.

Two hours later, Celia emerged from the bathroom, finally in the mood to survey the unfamiliar suite.

The bathroom, bedroom, and living room were all newly fitted with soft carpets, and all the furniture and bedding had been replaced. A few sets of sexy lingerie were tossed casually on the large, soft bed. On the nightstand beside it, several small boxes were neatly arranged, one of them already open.

Silas came up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. His voice was low, husky, and sensual. "How many days will my wife be staying?"

"However long I stay, you can only stay for two nights at most." Celia leaned back into his embrace. "Any longer and you’ll interfere with my life decisions."

Silas’s amber eyes were deep, his tone laced with an indescribable hunger.

"Then I’d better make the most of our time."

He reached out and gently untied her bathrobe. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

For two days and nights of wild abandon, Celia barely left the room.

On the day of his departure, Silas held her and asked probingly, "Baby, where are you headed next?"

Celia shot him a lazy glance. "I know what you’re trying to do, but we can’t meet this often. We agreed on three months. What will it look like if you’re clinging to me every other day..."

’We’re a legally married couple, but this feels like we’re having some thrilling, illicit affair. It’s exciting, but also a little mortifying.’ "If this continues, I’ll have to extend our three-month separation."

"It’s not every other day. It’s a two-day date every ten to fifteen days," Silas coaxed in a low, gentle voice. "Think about how often we were together before you left Metropia, and then think about now. A date once every two weeks really isn’t that frequent."

In fact, he thought it was pitifully infrequent.

The days he spent apart from Celia felt like years. He would drink glass after glass of ice water and scroll through his phone’s photo album again and again. Every few minutes, he’d check his chat with Celia for new messages, but he couldn’t bring himself to message her first, afraid of disturbing her or, worse, that she’d find him annoying.

"Fine, every two weeks," Celia relented after a pause. "And next time... don’t be so rough."

"But my lady was the one who said I didn’t have to be so gentle all the time," Silas murmured, as if seeking clarification. "I was just about to ask what you meant by that."

"It didn’t mean anything. I was just talking. It definitely didn’t refer to *this* sort of thing."

"Mm," Silas agreed readily. "Shall we go for a walk this afternoon?"