A few minutes later.

Cheng Zhinan and Xiang Yuan returned to the picnic spot.

The students who had accidentally witnessed their intimate moment earlier now felt awkward upon seeing them again.

Cheng Zhinan resumed grilling and handed some food to Xiang Yuan.

Xiang Yuan initially wanted to explain the situation but feared it would only make things more suspicious. Since they were all strangers anyway, she decided not to bother.

Their relationship appeared particularly ambiguous in front of these students, with occasional teasing and suggestive remarks from the crowd.

While Cheng Zhinan mostly remained silent, Xiang Yuan maintained a smile and occasionally responded to the banter.

Having skipped the dating phase and jumped straight into marriage, they were now experiencing something akin to the ambiguity of a budding romance.

The thrill of their earlier kiss in seclusion still lingered in Xiang Yuan’s mind, leaving her somewhat dazed.

An occasional outing truly did help strengthen marital bonds.

After finishing the skewers in her hand, Cheng Zhinan brought her more.

When Xiang Yuan tried to open a can of beer but found both hands occupied, Cheng Zhinan noticed her struggle. He picked up a can, effortlessly popped it open with his well-defined fingers, and handed it to her.

With both hands full, Xiang Yuan deliberately pouted, “Feed it to me.”

Cheng Zhinan indulged her today, “Is this how you corrupt young people?”

“What did I do?”

“Didn’t you see their expressions?”

“They’re all adults who’ll naturally experience romance. No need for me to corrupt them.”

This reminded Xiang Yuan of something important, “By the way, I might be busier in the coming period.”

“Oh?”

“My long-pending art exhibition application has finally been approved. I’ll need to devote much energy to preparations.”

Cheng Zhinan understood, “Just let me know if you need anything.”

Xiang Yuan didn’t have specific requests for Cheng Zhinan. His daily presence alone, with his handsome face, provided her with endless inspiration.

Thus.

In the following period, Xiang Yuan immersed herself in her busy schedule.

She sometimes went out to handle affairs but spent most of her time creating in her studio. Though she initially planned to pause her online serial updates, relentless demands from readers forced her to juggle both tasks simultaneously.

Fortunately, dog walking became her daily routine, providing pleasant breaks that refreshed both body and mind.

After about half a month, Xiang Yuan noticed something amiss.

She turned before the mirror, increasingly dissatisfied with what she saw.

Her stomach seemed rounder, her buttocks less firm.

She attributed this to recent late nights and indulgent eating.

Xiang Yuan decided to incorporate fitness into her busy schedule.

Too occupied for gym visits, she followed online workout tutorials instead.

Cheng Zhinan knew about her busy schedule and her additional efforts to reshape her figure.

Xiang Yuan mostly secluded herself in her studio.

Her dedicated painting studio, located near home, was spacious. She had previously hired assistants during busy periods but granted them extended leave during recent slower times.

She had recently intended to call her assistant back to work, but the girl informed Xiang Yuan that she was preparing to study abroad and might not have time to help out here anymore.

Xiang Yuan had no choice but to slowly search for another assistant, asking friends around her to connect her with knowledgeable people to handle miscellaneous tasks.

Cheng Zhinan found her temperament quite amusing.

When she was lazy, she would go out everywhere to have fun; when she got serious, she was almost never seen.

As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, Xiang Yuan’s mother asked where they would spend the holiday this year.

Cheng Hua and Ji Yanhong were recently abroad on a business trip, so they couldn’t even make it back in time for Xiang Yuan’s birthday, let alone the Dragon Boat Festival.

You Mei suggested, “How about coming to our home to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival this year?”

Cheng Zhinan replied, “Alright, I’ll go inform Xiang Yuan.”

Xiang Yuan hadn’t seen Cheng Zhinan much recently. She returned home very late, often collapsing into bed exhausted as soon as she arrived.

Today, Cheng Zhinan was off work, but Xiang Yuan was still busy at her studio.

Around one in the afternoon, Xiang Yuan suddenly called.

Cheng Zhinan answered the phone and heard her slightly weary voice. “Doctor Cheng, could you do me a favor?”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Could you check if my sketchbook folder is in the study? If it is, please bring it to me.”

Cheng Zhinan went to the study and indeed found the sketchbook folder she had left behind.

“Alright, I’ll bring it to you now.”

When he arrived at the studio and pushed the door open, a gentle breeze swept in, and wind chimes tinkled softly.

Lately, she had been the only one here, and the room was slightly messy.

Cheng Zhinan’s gaze swept across the room before finally settling on the woman sleeping with her head resting on the desk.

She was wearing an off-shoulder white T-shirt, her long hair loosely tied to one side with a blue hairband. The desk was scattered with numerous sheets of white paper. Perhaps too exhausted in the afternoon, she had fallen asleep right there.

Cheng Zhinan watched her sleeping face, softened his footsteps, and walked over to her.

She must have been truly tired lately, sleeping so soundly that she didn’t notice someone had entered the studio. Her breathing was deep, her long eyelashes resting beneath her eyelids, and red marks from the pressure of sleep were visible on the side of her face.

Cheng Zhinan reached out and gently touched her cheek with his fingertip.

He didn’t disturb her, thinking it best to let her sleep a little longer.

He placed the sketchbook folder on the desk. The window beside it was wide open, and the scent of flowers from outside drifted into the room.

Waiting a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

Cheng Zhinan pulled over a chair and sat down beside her.

It was rare for him to have such a quiet moment, simply sitting beside her without feeling the slightest bit bored.

He glanced at his wristwatch, planning to keep track of the time for her.

If she woke up soon, she would probably ask right away:

“Doctor Cheng, how long was I asleep just now?”

A faint smile lifted the corners of Cheng Zhinan’s lips, and the light in his eyes softened considerably.

As he waited, the wind outside suddenly grew stronger, sweeping into the room and rustling the leaves of the potted plant by the desk. Cheng Zhinan was about to get up and close the window when the sketchbook folder on the desk was also blown open.

Several hand-drawn sketches fluttered to the floor.

Cheng Zhinan lowered his gaze to look.

For a moment, he thought he must be seeing things.

A few seconds later, he bent down slightly to pick up the sketches from the floor.

He examined the one on top for a long time.

A black-and-white drawing.

It was vividly rendered, every detail lifelike.

But Cheng Zhinan didn’t think this kind of thing should be here.

He frowned slightly.

Xiang Yuan always said she was busy every day was she busy with this sort of thing?

The slight noise earlier seemed to have startled Xiang Yuan.

She rubbed her eyes and woke up from the desk. “Cheng Zhinan… you’re here.”

Cheng Zhinan looked up at her.

Xiang Yuan: “You…”

“The sketch from the sketchbook folder fell on the floor earlier. I picked it up for you.” After saying this, Cheng Zhinan placed the drawing in front of her.

Xiang Yuan lowered her head to look.

She blinked her eyelashes, her mind still not fully awake yet.

She hadn’t figured out how to explain herself the drawing that should have been tucked away at the very back had unexpectedly been discovered by Cheng Zhinan.

“You’re usually busy with this sort of thing?” Cheng Zhinan asked her calmly.

Xiang Yuan gathered the drawing and placed it face down on the table.

“Of course not.”

Cheng Zhinan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Xiang Yuan was at a loss for words and could only reply weakly:

“It’s just a casual pastime, that’s all.”

Cheng Zhinan leaned back in his chair and said softly:

“Using this as a pastime?”

“…You’re my husband. Did you think I’d draw someone else’s for fun?”

Cheng Zhinan fell silent, as if unsure how to respond to that.

The moment he saw that drawing, the impact had indeed been strong.

Due to his naturally impressive physiological size, even appearing in a drawing was startling.

Xiang Yuan hadn’t expected Cheng Zhinan to find the drawing either.

It was just something she had casually sketched in her free time for her own amusement, but Cheng Zhinan had ended up seeing it.

A few seconds later.

Cheng Zhinan offered a simple evaluation:

“It looks very realistic.”

He had never even observed himself carefully, yet his wife knew him inside and out he wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“…”

“You always insisted on turning off the lights before. How did you manage to capture it so vividly?”

Xiang Yuan muttered, “Of course I’ve seen it…”

“What was the purpose of drawing this?”

Xiang Yuan closed her eyes in resignation. “Just consider it a weird quirk of mine.”

After she closed her eyes, the person beside her remained silent for a long time.

When she opened her eyes again, Cheng Zhinan was standing beside her.

He picked up the watering can and watered the plants by the window.

“If you want to see it next time, you can just tell me directly. The real thing is more interesting than a drawing.”

Soon after, he paused and hesitated:

“Or is it that I haven’t been…”

Xiang Yuan had been busy lately, and the two of them occasionally neglected their Sunday routines.

Cheng Zhinan wondered if he hadn’t been fulfilling his duties as a husband.

Xiang Yuan quickly said:

“It’s not about you. I’ve just been too busy lately. It’ll be better once this busy period is over.”

Cheng Zhinan set down the watering can. “I heard you’ve been hiring an assistant recently?”

Xiang Yuan: “Yes, there’s too much work at the studio. Sometimes I can’t handle it all alone.”

He rolled up his sleeves. “I’m off today. Is there anything I can help you with?”

After lunch, Xiang Yuan felt drowsy and ended up napping at her desk.

Now she needed to refresh herself, so she asked Cheng Zhinan to make her a cup of coffee.

“The coffee machine is on your right. Just turn around and you’ll see it.”

Cheng Zhinan walked over to the coffee machine and began brewing coffee for her.

He had learned how to make coffee before and had some skill with latte art. Now, serving his wife, he could at least manage something presentable.

Xiang Yuan was quite pleased with the result and opened her eyes in surprise. “Did you study this or something?”

Cheng Zhinan: “No, I just learned it out of interest before.”

Xiang Yuan inhaled the rich aroma of her coffee, taking a deep breath before sipping the hot beverage comfortably. “Once the exhibition is over, I’ll finally be able to relax.”

Cheng Zhinan remarked, “If work gets too busy, you don’t have to walk Black every day. I can take over that task for you.”

Xiang Yuan insisted, “No, that won’t do. I’m not getting enough exercise lately, and walking the dog at least keeps me active.”

She stood up and twirled in front of Cheng Zhinan. “Do you think I’ve gained weight recently?”

Cheng Zhinan shook his head. “No.”

Xiang Yuan glared at him. “You’re definitely lying to me on purpose.”

Cheng Zhinan replied, “I’m not lying. I’m telling the truth.”

Xiang Yuan stepped closer, grabbing his hand. “Feel my waist does it have more flesh than before?”

She guided his warm, masculine palm under her shirt hem, letting it rest against her slender waist.

Cheng Zhinan’s movements were initially passive, but then he took control, gripping her waist and pulling her into his embrace.

“Has any other man been here?” he asked softly.

“Other men?” Xiang Yuan paused, confused. “No.”

Her assistants were all women how could there have been other men?

Seeing she didn’t understand his meaning, Cheng Zhinan clarified, “Have any male models been here?”

Xiang Yuan finally grasped his implication.

She cupped his cheeks, smiling playfully. “Of course not.”

“I’ve only ever painted you.” Of course, she didn’t count those mandatory nude studies from her school days.

Cheng Zhinan pressed his lips together slightly. “If you ever need to practice in the future, you can tell me.”

“You’d cooperate?” Xiang Yuan looked at him curiously.

His fingers trailed slowly up her back, tracing her spine until they reached a firm button.

With a soft snap,

the clasp at her back came undone.

He lifted his head, nipping at her jawline.

“You made a mistake in one part earlier. Let me teach you again this time, watch carefully and don’t get it wrong.”