Sweet Gardenia - Chapter 27

Zhenyue Bay was named “Zhenyue” (Pillowing the Moon) because every villa’s bedroom had a swimming pool built outside. The special material of the pool’s base tiles allowed the moon’s reflection to be clearly visible on the surface, even when the pool was empty.

When filled with water, ripples would form with the wind, shattering the moonlight before piecing it back together.

Lu Zhi’s thoughts were a mess, wondering if there would be a moon tonight.

And which crescent were they pillowing?

Having just finished a round of debate, her emotions were turbulent, her breathing somewhat erratic. Her palms were drenched in sweat, and a fine layer of moisture had formed on her back.

He was right in front of her, so close. The silk pajamas he wore were still perfectly in place, the familiar red and black tones, the shimmering black, the bold and unrestrained dark red trim tracing from the nape of his neck down to the collar. With his low body fat percentage, his collarbones were always prominent, even more so when the hem of his clothes swayed. The shadows and light falling on the hem resembled scales, and in her hand was a fish fin he had personally handed to her. The scales were slippery, and with the slightest carelessness, they would slip from her fingertips.

Her gaze halted abruptly there. Unable to look any further down, she had no choice but to lift her head.

He was tilting his head back slightly, his eyes narrowed. All she could see was the restrained movement of his Adam’s apple. The newly replaced rippled lamp by the bedside cast undulating reflections on his neck, like restless ocean waves.

She thought of the crystal-clear blue waters of Penida, splashing onto her palms along the shore, cold and unfamiliar. Yet now, that sensation burned hotly in her hands, like volcanic lava or untouchable blue flames. Wave after wave crashed against the shore’s rocks, and the fish fin in her hand pressed rhythmically against her palm. It was alive, pulsating with a steady frequency, producing faint sounds.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, he lowered his eyes. At the same moment, she quickly averted her gaze. His hand covered the back of hers as he leaned in slightly, his warm lips brushing past her cheek and settling on her neck.

His hair, freshly dried, tickled her delicate skin softly. She tilted her head slightly.

His voice was husky, grainy like something rubbed raw, much like her palm: “Does it itch?”

“…Mhm.”

Silence fell again.

The room was filled only with the sound of the air conditioner and their breathing. His breath was hot, scorching as it landed in the hollow of her neck, rising and falling erratically under her control. But it wasn’t just his breath that was restrained…  It felt like a volcano brewing, struggling to erupt. She pressed her lips together, her cheeks burning, and found the stifling heat unreasonable. Reaching out with her other sweaty hand, she fumbled for the air conditioner remote nearby. Sure enough, at some point, someone had switched it to the hot air setting. The room felt like a stifling, steamy volcano.

So sore…

Distracting herself, she adjusted the air conditioner back to cool mode. With a beep, he narrowed his eyes and gripped her hand tightly. A surge of fullness rushed to the peak, and the vents returned to their original direction. But sweat seemed to be everywhere, her palm was damp and warm.

The potted plant beneath the air conditioner vents swayed gently in the breeze. The stifling heat in the room finally began to dissipate. The long-term observer had at last witnessed the volcano’s eruption. The lava scorched her skin, leaving behind lingering traces of heat. What pressed against her still seemed to be pulsating.  Apparently, it wasn’t just her heart that could beat so fiercely. She didn’t know how to look at him, so she simply stared wide-eyed at the air conditioner vents. After about three to five minutes like this, she finally felt the coolness sweep over her.

The aftermath lingered. His veins throbbed as he asked in a low voice, “What did you just press?”

“The air conditioner,” she said, “I don’t know why it switched to hot air. The longer we stay, the hotter it gets.”

He hummed in response, lowering his gaze as he retreated to his spot. She tilted her head, hoping for the first time to catch sight of the two mischievous little foxes, but there was no movement. Left with no choice, she called out to them, ignoring the sensation of her hand being taken and the texture of paper being wiped across it. Eventually, something crumpled and the torn wrapper of a cat treat were tossed together into the trash.

Fu Yanshang didn’t ask why she had suddenly started giving out snacks.

Lu Zhi steeled herself and avoided his gaze. As she fed the cat treat, she glanced at her fingers before looking away. The sound from the bathroom indicated he had taken the bowl used for the foxes’ food to wash it.

The last bit of the cat treat was always hard to squeeze out. After finishing, Lu Zhi also went to the bathroom to wash her hands and ran into him, who hadn’t left yet.

He asked, “Did it get on your hands?”

Lu Zhi’s gaze drifted. Of course, she knew he was referring to the cat treat, but it was hard not to think he might be hinting at something else. Pushing aside her wandering thoughts, she replied, “Just… washing up.”

The two foxes hopped over again, as if checking for more snacks. Lu Zhi’s mind raced with random thoughts… did foxes need regular vaccinations? Was their saliva dangerous or something?

Then she heard him say, “Hand soap.”

“Huh?” She looked up, slightly dazed.

“I said, use hand soap to wash.”

“…”

–

After lying down, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The light on his side was still on, but he had already settled into bed.

Curious about what he was doing, Lu Zhi turned her head and saw him extending his hand out from under the covers, letting the cool air from the air conditioner blow over it.

Lu Zhi asked, “Are you hot?”

“No.”

Just as she was about to speak, she noticed the corners of his lips curl into a faint smile. His palm came over, cushioning beneath her cheek as he leaned in closer, as if observing her. “Baby, why is your face so warm?”

…

Lu Zhi muttered, “Did you drink fake alcohol or something?”

“No,” he said, “I don’t get drunk.”

He spread his cool palm fully against her cheek, and Lu Zhi shivered from the chill.

The stark contrast between cold and heat made her instantly aware of just how warm her face was, and how his posture seemed as though he was cradling her.

Fu Yanshang asked, “Your face is so red. What were you thinking about?”

“I wasn’t thinking anything!” she immediately retorted. “I used that rose cream. Since it’s made from extracted roses, the cream is red, so it tints the skin when applied. Plus, it has some patented technology that generates heat to stimulate collagen production…”

She made up whatever came to mind, figuring that, as a man, he wouldn’t know much about skincare anyway.

In the half-light, she heard him chuckle softly, unsure whether he believed her or not.

His hand was truly cold.  She didn’t know how long he had been letting the air blow on it. Once his palm warmed from her cheek, he poked her face again, his fingertips sinking into the dimples on her cheeks. “Still warm?”

Lu Zhi’s denial was as stubborn as iron. “It was never warm to begin with…”

She couldn’t remember how many more defiant remarks she made before falling asleep. After the air conditioner switched back to cool air, it finally felt comfortable, though she wasn’t sure if the earlier restlessness had just been in her head.

She was woken by the aroma of pumpkin porridge.

When she opened her eyes, he was standing in front of the mirror, tying his tie. Still groggy from sleep, she watched as he deftly fastened it and buttoned his suit jacket.

He must have had a meeting to attend today.

Lu Zhi instinctively pushed herself up, but her hand suddenly slipped. She stared blankly at her wrist for a moment before the person in front of the mirror turned to look at her.

“What’s wrong?”

Lu Zhi instinctively said, “My hand feels so sore.”

He moved closer, carefully examining her elbow: “Was the cast removed too early? Then I’ll take you to the hospital to get it checked.”

“No need,” she replied too quickly, pausing for a moment before adding, “It’s probably… probably not a lingering effect of the fracture.”

Fu Yanshang, catching on to something: “…”

While having breakfast at the table, she tilted her head to look at him: “Are you heading to the company later? Could you drop me off at the studio on the way?”

“Just for work?”

She was sipping porridge, her words slightly muffled: “Not doing anything… too strenuous.”

He had almost finished eating. Hearing this, he sat there holding his spoon, motionless for several seconds.

Lu Zhi suddenly realized something and cleared her throat lightly: “No hidden meaning intended.”

“…”

–

As soon as she arrived at the studio, everyone gathered around to ask how she was doing. Lu Zhi waved her hand and said she was fine. With the resource pack update deadline approaching, the entire office was bustling with activity.

She made her rounds to check on everyone’s progress, confirming that no one was slacking off before returning to her own desk. Li Siyi was receiving the new card illustrations sent by the artist.

“Here’s the draft. Take a look.”

Lu Zhi nodded.

This was a dual-character interaction card set in a bathtub, an SSR rarity, so she scrutinized it carefully. After zooming in and examining every detail, she finally said to Li Siyi, “The pose seems a bit off.”

Li Siyi glanced at it: “What’s wrong with the pose?”

“…”

“Think properly,” Lu Zhi pointed with her mouse, “Look at this action, from the female lead’s perspective, she’s feeding a raspberry to the male lead with her fingers near his cheek. Don’t you think the angle of her arm looks a bit unnatural?”

“Like what?”

“It just feels awkward. At first glance, it doesn’t look comfortable,” Lu Zhi said, “Don’t you think so?”

“Now that you mention it, it does seem a little off. Let’s ask the artist to revise it,” Li Siyi replied, “How should it be changed?”

It was hard to explain in a few words. Lu Zhi said, “Let me think about it first. I’ll review the illustration a few more times tonight and list all the changes to send to her tomorrow.”

She took out her phone to make a note. Li Siyi leaned over and noticed that Lu Zhi had a memo on her phone, neatly organized with reminders for every time she needed to make use of her “tool husband.”

From the earlier incident when the copywriter quit, forcing her to seek inspiration by meeting and going out with him, to tonight’s plan to recreate the same scene at home to figure out the best angle for the pose.

Her husband, whose net worth was astonishingly high, was being utilized in such a way that even a game began to exude the scent of money.

Li Siyi didn’t know whether to call her meticulous or bold.  In any case, she was quite dedicated: “You really make good use of him.”

“Isn’t that what a husband is for?” Lu Zhi said, “Besides, my memory isn’t great. If I don’t jot things down, I’ll definitely forget.”

Fortunately, there was a bathtub at home. After finishing her review, she went to the mall to buy some bath bombs and fresh flower petals. As soon as she got home, she got busy. The two foxes, who should have shown up when needed, were nowhere to be seen, but when they weren’t needed, they caused chaos, knocking her bath balls onto the floor and under the bed.

Fu Yanshang walked in just in time to see this scene.

She was half-lying on the floor, as if talking to someone, her elbows resting on her knees, her waist arched in a graceful curve. Her fitted jeans accentuated the beautiful lines of her figure.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. Caught off guard, Lu Zhi felt a light pat on her behind. She stood up, disbelief in her tone. “Why did you slap my butt?”

He loosened his tie. “Why are you back so early today?”

“I wanted to take a bath, so I bought some things and came back to get ready,” she complained. “Your son pushed my bath sponge under the bed.”

Clearly accustomed to such sudden incidents, he tore open a cat treat and crouched down to offer it. “He just wants to trade for a snack.”

Sure enough, after the fox had eaten its fill, it pushed her bath sponge out completely intact. Lu Zhi rubbed her bottom, feeling utterly wronged.

The bathtub was already nearly filled with water. She tested the temperature, scattered some flower petals, lit a scented candle, placed a bath tray above it, and even set out a wine glass, recreating the scene perfectly.

Fu Yanshang stood behind her. “Are you going to drink?”

Whether she would actually drink wasn’t part of her plan, and she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. After a moment’s consideration, she said, “Either way is fine.”

A few minutes later, he returned with a glass bottle. “Then let’s have this. It’s a new rice wine Jing Chi sent over. The alcohol content is low.  You probably won’t get drunk.”

With elegant movements, he filled the wine glass and placed a plate of fruit beside it. After finishing everything, he stood up. Lu Zhi looked at him, silently hinting.

The two stood facing each other in the bathroom for a full fifty seconds before Lu Zhi couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’m going to undress. Are you planning to watch?”

She expected him to leave immediately, but instead, he replied casually, “If you need me to.”

“…”

“I don’t need you to,” she said, pushing him lightly. “Hurry up and get out. How can I change with you in here?”

“If you were still in a cast, I could help you change then too.”

“If I were in a cast, I wouldn’t be taking a bath,” Lu Zhi couldn’t resist giving him a light punch. “You’re so annoying. Get out already.”

He raised an eyebrow.

Lately, she’d been growing bolder around him.

After undressing, Lu Zhi used a bubble machine to create soft, fluffy white foam on the water’s surface. Leaning against the edge of the bathtub, she suddenly realized she might have started enjoying herself too soon.

How could she get him to join her in the bath?

As she pondered this, the bathroom door opened, and he walked in wearing a bathrobe.

Well, no need to invite him.  He came on his own.

Watching him step into the water still in his robe and only begin to undress leisurely after sitting down, Lu Zhi couldn’t help but comment, “You’re so conservative.”

He replied, “It’s not that. I was afraid you’d be startled if you saw.”

Lu Zhi: ?

She didn’t dare dwell on what he meant by that, worried she might forget if she got tipsy. Instead, she took small sips of the wine. He, on the other hand, drank more leisurely, and with the music she had chosen, it almost felt like they were on their honeymoon.

Lu Zhi glanced at her phone screen, adjusting the angle to make sure everything was perfect. Surprisingly, he had bought raspberries today too… a perfect match.

She picked one up and brought it to his lips. “Here.”

She resolved not to overexplain as she used to, justifying every move. Why couldn’t she just feel like feeding him on a whim?

Lu Zhi didn’t pay much attention to whether he ate it or not, alternating her gaze between him and her phone, trying to pinpoint what part of the scene violated ergonomics. Her finger remained pressed against the corner of his lips, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Suddenly, the sensation under her fingertip changed… He had taken a bite, his tongue lightly pressing against it as he nibbled. A strange tingling sensation shot through her, and Lu Zhi gasped softly.

“…Does it hurt?” He hadn’t even used much force.

It took Lu Zhi a moment to pull her emotions back from the painting and realize what he had actually done.

She made an example of him, tilting her head to bite the fleshy part of his hand between thumb and forefinger, then asked, “Doesn’t that hurt?”

“No,” he murmured, lowering his gaze, “Feels amazing.”