When Mo Lin returned home, she found a fresh bouquet on the dining table again. White roses were paired with green pine branches, the arrangement had a hint of traditional Chinese elegance, simple, yet creative.
Mo Lin looked towards Jiang Yuanmu, who was sitting by the table. He gazed back at her, his dark eyes reflecting the bright light from the living room, seemingly holding hidden expectations.
Mo Lin couldn’t help but ask, “Which flower shop did you get these from? Their flowers have a great design.”
A good question, though not what Jiang Yuanmu was expecting… But at least it showed that Mo Lin liked the flowers he sent.
“The new flower shop downstairs from the company, it’s pretty good.” Jiang Yuanmu decided not to dwell too much on the flowers and got straight to the point, “Next week, can you spare about three days? Our company has a team-building event.”
“Team building?” Mo Lin was a bit surprised, “Are you going?”
“Yes, this time we’re inviting some important influencers, so I have to go.”
Mo Lin nodded, mentally categorizing this trip under the obligations of their marriage contract.
“Things at the store have been running smoothly lately, nothing particularly busy. The new hires have settled in, and Lulu mentioned wanting to take a break. She can have her mother help watch the store for a while, so I think I can go. Speaking of which, I’ll ask Lulu if she wants to join us. Of course, we’ll cover our own expenses.”
Jiang Yuanmu didn’t say much. He just unlocked his phone, opened the chat with “influencer He Ye,” and sent an invitation while telling Mo Lin, “Let her come.”
And so, it was decided.
But the night didn’t end there.
Mo Lin brought a vase, intending to put today’s fresh flowers in it. Jiang Yuanmu said her hand wasn’t fully healed and it would be inconvenient, so he took on the task of unwrapping and trimming the flower stems.
However, he was clearly not skilled at it. Mo Lin sat beside him, gently guiding him on where to cut the stems at an angle.
By the time the flowers were in the vase, their shoulders were tightly pressed together. After last night, it seemed the atmosphere between them had subtly changed. Both Jiang Yuanmu and Mo Lin could feel it.
Their touch seemed to leave invisible threads on each other. Once they parted, the threads would pull at their veins, tug at their hearts, drawing them closer again.
The flowers were in the vase, but no one went to get water.
A voice in Mo Lin’s mind was stirring:
“Your goal won’t be achieved in one go, right?”
“Of course, you need to try a few more times!”
“If you kiss him over the flowers today, will he still avoid it?”
“Give it a try.”
Mo Lin turned her head to look at Jiang Yuanmu, and at that moment, Jiang Yuanmu was also looking at her. Their eyes met, filled with ambiguity and tenderness. Mo Lin’s gaze lowered to his lips, and Jiang Yuanmu did the same.
Today, neither of them said another word. Their slightly dry lips met in a passionate kiss in the quiet room.
And so, today was another spring day filled with blooming flowers.
Time passed, and the next week arrived.
Mo Lin had finished drafting the contract and gave it to Jiang Yuanmu, but he hadn’t confirmed it yet. The time for their trip had come, and Mo Lin didn’t plan to rush him. She packed her luggage and went to the island with him.
On the day of departure, their flight was delayed. By the time they were about to land, the city below was already lit up. From the plane, Mo Lin saw the city’s roads illuminated by streetlights, looking like rivers filled with gold, with cars moving along them. The red tail lights looked like rubies, and the white headlights like diamonds, quietly flowing through the city’s landscape, carrying countless treasures.
Mo Lin watched quietly, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t traveled in a long time.
Running a store was like taking care of a child, she was always worrying about unexpected events when apart. This was the first time since graduation that she had completely left work behind.
When they arrived at the hotel and met up with the group, Mo Lin saw He Ye among the crowd. Of course, Cheng Lulu, who came with her, also saw him. Cheng Lulu turned her head and only spoke to Mo Lin, without any intention of greeting He Ye.
In Mo Lin’s last incident, He Ye had used his influence to help a lot, and Cheng Lulu seemed to have had more contact with him since then. But how things had developed, Lulu didn’t say, and Mo Lin didn’t feel comfortable asking. It seemed they hadn’t reached the point of reconciliation.
He Ye, however, didn’t mind Cheng Lulu’s attitude. He walked up and offered to help, “Lulu, let me help you with your luggage.”
“No need, the small suitcase is easy to push. You take care of your own things.”
“I’m here, so of course, my business revolves around you.”
His voice was pleasant, and he spoke with a smile and a gentle tone, which made Mo Lin glance at He Ye. She remembered him as not being so forward and charming with his words.
“Don’t say things like that. Who gave you that bad advice!” Cheng Lulu pointed out directly. “That doesn’t work on me, don’t copy it.”
He Ye smiled wryly, “Alright, I didn’t learn well. I won’t say it again. But let me carry your suitcase.”
“No need, really!”
The two argued as they walked towards the reception. Mo Lin was watching their backs when her own suitcase was taken from her. She turned and saw it was Jiang Yuanmu.
“Let’s go, time to check in.”
Mo Lin nodded, raising her hand as per their five-year-old rule—in public, they were to be model spouses—she intended to politely take Jiang Yuanmu’s arm, but instead, Jiang Yuanmu took her hand in his.
Their fingers interlaced, unusually intimate…
Mo Lin was momentarily taken aback.
She didn’t know why, but she felt her face flush. Psychologically, she felt as if everyone around was watching.
Mo Lin didn’t shake off Jiang Yuanmu’s hand, remembering her “duties.” She was a bit dazed as she followed Jiang Yuanmu, checked in, and then arrived at the hotel’s banquet hall.
Jiang Yuanmu held her hand the entire time until they sat down at the round table.
“Tonight’s dinner is with everyone, but starting tomorrow, there won’t be any group activities,” Jiang Yuanmu whispered to her. “We can explore other places.”
Jiang Yuanmu didn’t include himself in the “group” but rather placed him and Mo Lin in the “we.”
Mo Lin rubbed her palm and nodded, “Okay.”
The scale of Jiang Yuanmu’s company team-building event was quite large. The organizers had thoughtfully included several performances during the banquet, making it feel like a lively annual party. Many employees had brought their families along.
During a break, Mo Lin spotted Assistant Xiao Li’s girlfriend, Bei Bei, outside the banquet hall. It wasn’t that she had a deep impression of Bei Bei, but when she saw her, Jiang Yuanmu was talking to her about something.
Bei Bei’s expression as she looked at Jiang Yuanmu was somewhat indescribable.
Mo Lin suddenly felt curious, wondering what topic they were discussing privately. At that moment, Xiao Li emerged from the nearby restroom and immediately saw Jiang Yuanmu and Bei Bei talking. He also noticed Mo Lin watching them intently.
Xiao Li’s heart tightened, and he quickly approached Mo Lin to greet her:
“Mo Lin, why are you here alone? The boss is over there. Let’s go, my girlfriend is also there, she was just waiting for me. My girlfriend, Bei Bei, you remember her, right? She came with me one night when we moved…”
Halfway through his sentence, Xiao Li realized he had put his foot in his mouth.
Moving at night, which night could that be? It was the night when they were having their divorce spat!
Xiao Li figured that if the boss and Mo Lin were attending the team-building event together, they must have reconciled and didn’t want a divorce anymore. He really picked the wrong topic…
“I remember her.” Mo Lin politely exchanged pleasantries with Xiao Li, “She’s a very genuine girl. You’re quite lucky, Assistant Li.”
Xiao Li scratched his head, smiling a bit sheepishly, “Yes, we plan to get married this year. It’s all set.”
“Congratulations…”
Before Mo Lin could finish, a figure approached from the side.
“What are you chatting about, so happily?”
Jiang Yuanmu walked over to Mo Lin, once again taking her hand.
Mo Lin lowered her gaze to their interlocked fingers, feeling more accustomed to it this time. She looked up at Jiang Yuanmu, noticing a hint of coldness in his gaze towards Xiao Li.
Xiao Li, having been scolded many times at work, naturally understood the meaning behind Jiang Yuanmu’s look. He was quite speechless, thinking to himself: Seriously, boss? You’re jealous of me? I never saw you like this before…
Xiao Li quickly excused himself and ran over to Bei Bei.
At that moment, Bei Bei was standing there, thoughtfully observing Jiang Yuanmu and Mo Lin as they walked away.
“What are you looking at?” Xiao Li tugged on Bei Bei, “What were you talking about with my boss?”
“Well…”
“Hmm?”
“I think your boss has fallen in love.”
“Hmm?”
“I was just standing here waiting for you, and he came over to greet me. He said he remembered me from the last time we talked.”
“Talked…?” Xiao Li frowned, “Wasn’t it a paid consultation on the night he was getting divorced? Now he’s calling it a consultation…”
“Yes, I also expressed my discomfort with the word ‘consultation,’ but he didn’t dwell on it. Then he asked me a question.”
“What question?”
“He asked if I had found the answer to the last question we discussed.”
Xiao Li still didn’t get it, “What was the last question?”
“Exactly, I couldn’t remember either.” Bei Bei turned to Xiao Li, seriously saying, “But he asked, ‘What is love?'”
“Uh…” Xiao Li looked perplexed. He glanced in the direction Jiang Yuanmu had gone, “Really? I can’t wrap my head around why he would ask that question.”
“Right, I couldn’t figure it out either.” Bei Bei also looked in the direction Jiang Yuanmu had gone, “But it seemed like he genuinely wanted to learn something from me.”
“…” Xiao Li was silent for a while, then said, “I think the theme for tonight is feeling speechless.”
“But I really answered.”
“What did you say?”
Bei Bei smiled without saying a word.
On the other side, Jiang Yuanmu waited until the banquet ended and then took Mo Lin for a barefoot walk on the beach to digest their meal.
The moonlight shone down, and the beach was very quiet, with only the timeless sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
This sound came from an ancient past they had never experienced and would continue into a future they were destined not to experience. But one thing was certain: in the past and the future, the sound of waves hitting the shore would always be the same, more enduring than any human vow.
Jiang Yuanmu and Mo Lin walked quietly, as if they were walking to the end of time. Suddenly, Jiang Yuanmu stopped.
Mo Lin, puzzled, turned to look at him, “Are you tired?”
“No.”
Jiang Yuanmu took a step forward, moving closer to Mo Lin.
A subtle change in the atmosphere occurred between them.
In the moonlight, Jiang Yuanmu gently cupped Mo Lin’s cheeks. Mo Lin, almost out of habit, slightly tilted her head back and closed her eyes. The expected warmth fell on her lips, but this time, Jiang Yuanmu whispered softly against her lips:
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No one else will do.”
His voice was slightly hoarse. The words were ones Mo Lin had memorized long ago, but tonight, they seemed different.
He seemed… more certain, more longing.
“Mo Lin…”
“Only you.”
