A moment later, she cried out in surprise.

Chen Yuan had swept her up by the waist, lifting her into the air. Suspended in mid-air, she could only cling tightly to his shoulders to keep her balance. Her sunglasses slipped from behind her ears and tumbled down her clothes.

As Jiangg Yao felt the security of his embrace, a whirlwind of emotions churned within her.

Her feet dangled with nothing to stand on, forcing her to grip his waist with her thighs. In an instant, her cheeks flushed bright red. "Put me down," she whispered.

"Alright..."

Chen Yuan realized he'd gotten a little carried away and quickly set Jiangg Yao back on her feet.

"I just missed you so much."

"I know... I missed you a lot, too."

Jiangg Yao's lips curved. She shyly bit the edge of her lip and rose slightly onto her tiptoes.

A waft of her sweet perfume drifted over him.

Chen Yuan touched the cheek she had just kissed, his heart filling with pink, bubbly happiness.

It seemed just as they had both feared: after being apart, their reunion was tinged with a hint of unfamiliarity, lacking the easy intimacy they once shared.

But as they walked forward side-by-side, him pulling the suitcase, they found a different feeling: the same cautiousness from when they were first falling for each other, before their relationship had truly begun.

On the short walk out of the airport, they would keep turning to glance at each other, only to quickly look away again.

Fortunately, Chen Yuan had done some reflecting during their time apart and wasn't as shy as before. After they had walked a little ways, he deliberately leaned closer to Jiangg Yao, switched the suitcase to his left hand, and let his now-empty right hand drift toward hers, making a few tentative movements.

And then he took Jiangg Yao's hand in his.

Jiangg Yao froze for a second, her cheeks instantly growing hot. It was such a simple gesture, yet it filled her heart with a sweetness greater than honey. Even her slender calves, clad in gray pantyhose, seemed to move with a lighter, more joyful gait.

The heels of her small brown leather shoes lifted just a little higher with every step.

...

A dazzling red coupe sped toward Lanjing University. Inside was Jiangg Ning, who had been on the same flight as Jiangg Yao.

Originally, she was supposed to switch with Jiangg Yao and be the one to meet Chen Yuan at the airport. She should have been the one enjoying this sweet, heart-fluttering moment.

But the day before yesterday, Principal Zhang from Lanjing University had suddenly called to say her resignation application had been approved. The date was set: today she had to go to the university to sign the papers. After that, she would no longer be a member of the Landa University faculty.

Since Jiangg Ning had left their trip early, Yaoyao was supposed to make up that time for her. But fate had other plans, and the two events coincided.

The two sisters had to strike a deal. In exchange for them switching identities the moment Jiangg Ning returned from the university, Jiangg Yao won the right to spend two hours with Chen Yuan today.

Furthermore, starting tomorrow and for the entire next week, Jiangg Yao could only be with Chen Yuan in the afternoons. The evenings belonged to Jiangg Ning. The mornings when he woke up belonged to Jiangg Ning. Dinnertime also belonged to Jiangg Ning.

Of course, Yaoyao was extremely reluctant to agree, but when she remembered how her sister had voluntarily returned to Mingzhu City during their trip for the sake of their shared happiness, she couldn't bring herself to resort to any more schemes.

This was destined to be a long week.

The thought of not being able to sleep in Chen Yuan's arms every night, of having to endure the humiliation of being "cheated on," made Jiangg Yao want to cry a river of tears. She regretted her decision immensely.

For now, the coupe sped down the road, the breeze caressing Jiangg Ning's hair. She reached up to tuck a few stray strands behind her ear, her heart filled with emotion as she gazed at the familiar streets of Lanjing.

"So you've really decided to resign? You're not going to reconsider?"

her best friend asked from beside her.

"It's probably too late to reconsider. The papers have already been processed; signing them is just a formality."

"Not necessarily. The vice principal definitely doesn't want you to go. It all comes down to what you want to do."

"I've already made up my mind," Jiangg Ning said with a relieved smile. "Teaching at the university has been wonderful. I've fulfilled that dream, and I think it's time to move on to a new stage in my life."

Lanjing University held so many of Jiangg Ning's memories. She loved the school's atmosphere and enjoyed being around the vibrant, young students. More importantly, imparting knowledge was a noble profession, one that gave her a sense of self-worth.

If she hadn't met Chen Yuan, she probably would have kept teaching until she grew tired of the job.

Just as she'd reasoned before, life is about making sacrifices. Regardless of whether she could win this game of love and end up with Chen Yuan, resigning first was a necessary sacrifice. She didn't want their relationship to be discovered one day, only for people to direct their malicious speculation at Chen Yuan.

She also wanted to be able to stand by Chen Yuan's side openly, to let everyone know they were a couple. That way, he could tell the world without any reservations, 'Look, this is my girlfriend. Isn't she beautiful?'

It was better than sneaking around and hiding their relationship from everyone like they were now.

...

Meanwhile, Chen Yuan had just picked up Jiangg Yao and was about to head to Fengting District.

He closed the car door.

They were finally alone in the privacy of the car.

Chen Yuan thoughtfully fastened Jiangg Yao's seatbelt for her, and she asked with some surprise:

"Where'd this car come from?"

"It's my family's."

Hearing his answer, Jiangg Yao was a little stunned. She'd had her suspicions about Chen Yuan's family, and it seemed they were just confirmed.

"I never would've guessed. So you really are a 'young master'... Your family must be pretty well-off."

Ordinarily, Jiangg Yao didn't know much about car prices, but she recognized luxury brands. She'd simply seen too many of them.

And Mercedes-Benz was definitely a luxury brand, at least domestically.

"'Young master'?" Chen Yuan scratched his head. "We're just a normal family." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"So if I marry you, will I get to live like a rich man's wife? Shopping sprees every day!"

"Maybe. I really don't know."

"Haha, I'm just teasing you, my little 'young master.' I'm not that much of a spendthrift. If I really married you, I'd definitely be a frugal and diligent wife and mother..."

"I'm so touched, I think I'm going to cry," Chen Yuan said, pretending to wipe away a tear.

"Tch!"

For some reason, Jiangg Yao breathed a sigh of relief. She used to worry that Chen Yuan might feel pressured dating her, but now she realized she'd been overthinking it. No matter how you looked at him, he didn't seem like a kid from a poor family; he just lived a simple life.

She was still mulling this over.

Suddenly, a large bouquet of fresh flowers appeared before her.

Jiangg Yao's eyes widened. After a moment of stunned silence, she looked up at Chen Yuan. "You bought flowers..." she murmured, reaching out to take them.

"Yeah, they're for you. It's a little cliché, I know, but I felt like I had to prepare some kind of surprise for your return to Lanjing."

"This is the first time you've ever given me flowers..."

Holding the large, fragrant bouquet, Jiangg Yao felt an overwhelming wave of emotion. All girls liked flowers. She didn't usually care much for romantic gestures, but seeing the surprise Chen Yuan had prepared just for her... why was there a tingling in her nose?

"Chen Yuan..."

The directness with which she said his name took Chen Yuan by surprise.

But in the next moment, her soft lips pressed against his in a kiss as light as a dragonfly skimming the water's surface. It made his face flush and his heart race, yet he also felt a pang of longing as she pulled away.

"That's your reward. It's not every day you're this thoughtful." Jiangg Yao winked at him, her expression full of allure.

Before, Chen Yuan had been your typical, romantically clueless guy. But as their relationship had progressed and he'd matured, he had changed in remarkable ways.

Perhaps it was thanks to the combined efforts of the two sisters, or maybe it was simply the magic of being in love that spurred his growth.

"In that case, I'm bringing you flowers every day!" Chen Yuan declared.

"Why?"

"Because then I'll get a kiss every day."

"Pervert..." Jiangg Yao pinched his side. "You can get kisses without bringing flowers, you know. When we get home, I'll let you kiss me as much as you want."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, until the last few words were as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito.

But Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

Filled with immense anticipation, he started the engine.

He wasn't sure why—perhaps because they'd been apart for so long—but he found Yaoyao's outfit today to be exceptionally alluring. She had the face of a cool, mature beauty, yet there was a mischievous, impish spark in her eyes. The form-fitting trench coat hinted at her gorgeous figure, and it was impossible to tear his eyes away from her long legs.

In the half a month they'd been apart, Jiangg Yao seemed to have grown even more womanly.