Since we are all reborn, let’s arrest the senior!

Jiang Yun was lounging on a single sofa in the hotel, with a laptop on her lap. On the screen, Lu Mingze was leaning back on the beige sofa where they usually sat, his hair slightly sticking up, and a small part of his collarbone showing through the neckline of his loungewear.

She suddenly felt a tightness in her throat, and her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the band-aid. "Mingze, did you eat properly today?"

"Of course." Lu Mingze held up his phone and spun it around. There were two lunch boxes on the kitchen counter. "Tomato and egg noodles, and the cucumber salad you taught me to make." When the camera zoomed in, Jiang Yun noticed two golden-brown fried eggs lying on the edge of the bowl, exactly the same shape as the ones she had fried.

The steam rising from the bathroom suddenly filled the room, and Jiang Yun's cheeks flushed. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said, "You're lying. You used to always burn the edges when you fried eggs."

"I've gone to great lengths so someone can go on their business trip without worry." Lu Mingze suddenly leaned closer to the camera, his eyelashes casting fine shadows under his eyes. "Want to video chat and watch me do the dishes?"

Jiang Yun was amused and grabbed a cushion, throwing it at the screen: "Who wants to see you washing dishes!" Her laughter stopped abruptly. She stared at the smiling face of the man on the screen, suddenly feeling a little dazed. In the warm yellow glow of the desk lamp, the photo wall behind Lu Mingze was faintly visible. A photo of them riding bicycles in Dali was framed in a light blue frame, and at that time, the ends of Jiang Yun's hair were still damp with the wind from Erhai Lake.

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Mingze's voice was seductively low and husky. He reached out and turned off the main light in the living room, leaving only a small nightlight in the corner. In the warm light, his features softened, and his Adam's apple bobbed gently with the rhythm of his voice. "Are you thinking about..."

"No way!" Jiang Yun hurriedly denied, her ears turning uncontrollably red. She glanced at the teddy bear that Lu Mingze had packed in his suitcase before his business trip, its fluffy paws still clutching a note with the words "Squeeze its belly if you miss it" scrawled on it. At that moment, as if possessed, she reached out and squeezed it. Immediately, a voice recorded by Lu Mingze came from inside the bear's belly: "Little Jiang Yun, remember to eat on time."

A muffled chuckle came from the other end of the screen. Lu Mingze raised his hand and ruffled his hair. "Looks like my secret weapon worked." He suddenly stood up, and the camera shook as he did so. "Wait for me."

Jiang Yun heard light footsteps, and then Lu Mingze entered the bedroom holding his phone. Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains onto the bed, and when he lifted the covers, a framed photo was revealed beside the pillow—a picture of the two of them taken on the rooftop last New Year's Eve. In the photo, Jiang Yun was looking up at the fireworks, but Lu Mingze's gaze was fixed on her face, a tenderness on his lips that even he himself didn't realize.

"You actually put this on your bedside table?" Jiang Yun felt her heart skip a beat, and her fingertips unconsciously tugged at the bear's ears.

"Is that not okay?" Lu Mingze lay back down on the bed, his phone propped up on the pillow. He reached out and gently touched the screen, as if he could touch Jiang Yun's face. "I can see you every day when I open my eyes, and I feel like the blankets are filled with your scent."

The air suddenly felt thick. Jiang Yun stared at the man's slightly open collar on the screen, her throat dry. She looked away, pretending to adjust her pajamas collar, but heard Lu Mingze chuckle: "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you shy?"

"Who, who's shy!" Jiang Yun grabbed her phone and rushed into the bathroom, taking a deep breath in front of the mirror. The person in the mirror had flushed cheeks and water droplets still clinging to the ends of their hair. In a daze, she remembered a rainy night when Lu Mingze had looked at her with burning eyes through the shower glass.

When he returned to the room, Lu Mingze was fiddling with his phone stand in front of the camera. He looked up and saw Jiang Yun, his eyes suddenly turning deep: "Come here."

Jiang Yun sat on the bed as if possessed, placing her phone beside her pillow. On the screen, Lu Mingze reached out and brushed aside her stray hairs, his touch so gentle it was as if they were truly beside each other. "Turn off the light," he said, his voice alluringly husky.

In the darkness, the cold light from the phone screen illuminated their faces. Jiang Yun could clearly hear her own heartbeat, mingling with Lu Mingze's steady breathing, creating a tapestry in the silent room. "Close your eyes," Lu Mingze whispered, "Imagine I'm right beside you."

Jiang Yun obediently closed her eyes and heard rustling sounds coming from the screen, followed by Lu Mingze's deep whisper: "My hand is in your hair, down your neck..." The warm breath seemed to really brush against her ear, and Jiang Yun felt a fine shiver run down her skin, and the collar of her pajamas became burning hot.

“Mingze…” she murmured unconsciously, her eyelashes casting trembling shadows under her eyes.

"Hmm?" Lu Mingze's voice was very close, "Can you feel it? I'm kissing your collarbone, and..."

The sound of water coming from the bathroom suddenly woke Jiang Yun. She opened her eyes abruptly and found her fingertips unconsciously rubbing her collarbone. On the screen, Lu Mingze chuckled, his eyes filled with a triumphant smile: "So Miss Jiang is so easily embarrassed."

"Lu Mingze!" Jiang Yun grabbed a pillow and threw it at her phone, but accidentally pressed the video call end button. Her heart pounded like a drum. She stared blankly at the black screen until her phone vibrated again—Lu Mingze had sent a voice message: "What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I learned a new recipe."

Jiang Yun typed, biting her lip, her fingertips trembling slightly: "Egg pancake, double the pork floss." After sending the message, she buried her face in the pillow, but couldn't help but sneak a peek at her phone. When the screen lit up, Lu Mingze's reply, accompanied by a voice message, read: "Okay, but you have to kiss me first as payment."

The moonlight outside the window suddenly became ambiguous. Jiang Yun quickly pecked at the phone camera, and the next second Lu Mingze's laughter exploded from the receiver: "Not enough, we need to make up for it in person tomorrow via video."

"You rascal!" Jiang Yun typed with a laugh, but her eyes welled up with tears the moment she pressed send. She realized that longing across a screen could be so intense. She turned over, hugged her teddy bear, and drifted off to sleep listening to Lu Mingze's voice message, her dreams filled with the scent of roses and sunflowers.

As the plane roared to a halt upon landing, Jiang Yun's fingers tapped lightly on the handle of her suitcase. Her phone screen lit up with a message from Lu Mingze: "Exit B, holding your favorite succulent." She couldn't help but smile, imagining him standing solemnly among the crowd of people waiting to pick up passengers, the suitcase wheels tracing light arcs across the ground.

Outside the glass door of Exit B, Lu Mingze was indeed holding a pot of succulents covered with pink flowers, the light green leaves still glistening with morning dew.

Today he wore a navy blue sweater that Jiang Yun had given him, with half of a silver necklace peeking out from the collar—it was a matching pair that she had personally picked out for them at the night market when they were traveling in Xiamen.

Amidst the bustling crowd, his gaze pierced through the figures, clinging to her like a magnet.

"Mingze!" Jiang Yun ran and jumped into his arms, the wheels of her suitcase thudding against the ground. Lu Mingze steadily supported the flowerpot with one hand, his other arm tightly holding her, his chin resting on the top of her head as he took a deep breath: "You've lost weight." The moment his breath brushed against her ear, Jiang Yun felt a fine shiver run down the back of her neck, her skin hidden under her sweater suddenly burning. "No, I haven't," she retorted, tilting her head back, her nose almost brushing against his lips. Lu Mingze's gaze fell on her watery eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, his knuckles white as he gripped the flowerpot. The sounds of people arriving at the airport suddenly faded into the distance, and Jiang Yun heard his heart pounding in his chest, merging with her own.

The two were jolted awake by the sound of suitcases clattering behind them. Lu Mingze took her luggage and gripped her wrist tightly with his other hand: "Let's go, the car is in the underground parking lot." The warmth from his fingertips seeped into her skin through her sweater. Jiang Yun followed him through the corridor, catching a glimpse of his taut jawline out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, she remembered his low, husky whisper in the video, and her ears instantly burned bright red.

As the elevator descended, a faint scent of cedarwood filled the cramped space. Lu Mingze propped his suitcase up in the corner, then turned and pinned Jiang Yun against the metal handrail, his gaze fixed on her flushed earlobes. "Have you missed me this past month?" he asked, his thumb tracing the skin of her wrist, his voice low and sweet. Jiang Yun looked up into the turbulent depths of his eyes, her throat tightening. "I missed you..." she stammered, but before she could finish, Lu Mingze's lips pressed against hers, his voice filled with a lingering longing and suppressed desire.

When the car stopped in the underground garage of the residential complex, Jiang Yun's fingertips were still trembling slightly. Lu Mingze walked around the car, opened the door, and bent down to unbuckle her seatbelt. His warm breath brushed against her collarbone: "Let's go home. I have a surprise for you." His voice was as husky as late-night whiskey, and Jiang Yun felt her heart skip a beat. She let him lead her by the hand toward the elevator.

The elevator numbers jumped to the 18th floor, and the sweet scent of roses wafted out the moment the doors opened. The entryway was filled with her favorite cappuccino roses, their petals still glistening with dewdrops. Warm yellow string lights twined among the bouquets, casting dappled light on the floor. Jiang Yun froze, then turned to meet Lu Mingze's smiling eyes: "Welcome home, my gardener."

The living room's floor-to-ceiling windows were covered with sticky notes, each with a simple drawing: a little person wearing a straw hat watering flowers, a teddy bear hugging a succulent, and a couple holding hands watching the sunrise.

Jiang Yun leaned closer to examine them and discovered that each sticky note had a note written on the back: "Day 1, thinking of you watering the succulents" and "Day 15, the sunflowers on the balcony have bloomed, you should be there." Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and Lu Mingze caught her steadily as she turned around.

"Silly girl." His palm rested on the back of her neck, gently pressing against his chest. "I think of you every day here." Kiss landed on her hair, forehead, and the tip of her nose, finally lingering on her lips. Jiang Yun wrapped her arms around his neck, tasting the flavor of roses intertwined with longing.

Lu Mingze carried her toward the bedroom, but stopped as he passed the photo wall—the newly added photo frame showed the empty balcony reflected in the lens when he took a picture of sunflowers alone.

“Now it’s perfect.” He murmured, pinning her against the wall and tracing her flushed cheeks with his fingertips.

Looking at the burning passion in his eyes, Jiang Yun suddenly reached out and loosened his tie: "Didn't you say there was a surprise?" Before she finished speaking, Lu Mingze had already picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. The bed was covered with rose petals, and moonlight shone through the gauze curtains onto their overlapping shadows.

"The surprise is here." His kiss landed on her collarbone, his voice alluringly husky. "For the past month, I've stored all my longing in this night." Jiang Yun felt her breath grow hot, and reached out to hook her arms around his neck, sinking into a long, tender embrace amidst the moonlight and the scent of roses.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Yun curled up in Lu Mingze's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat.

The bedside lamp cast a warm glow, making his eyelashes cast delicate shadows beneath his eyes. She reached out and gently traced his eyebrows and eyes, recalling the longing she felt across the screen during the video call, and suddenly felt that the real touch at this moment was so precious that it brought tears to her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Mingze's voice was hoarse from just waking up. He took her hand and kissed it lightly.

Jiang Yun snuggled closer to him, the scent of cedar and roses lingering around her nose: "I was thinking... I never want to be apart for so long again." She felt his arms tighten, and his chin gently stroking the top of her head: "Okay, from now on, our secret garden will be watered together."

The moonlight gradually shifted westward, casting a soft glow on the rose petals by the bedside. Jiang Yun gazed at the familiar night view outside the window and suddenly remembered the teddy bear Lu Mingze had packed in her suitcase before her business trip.

Turning around to look, she found Little Bear sitting upright on the bedside table, a fresh rose pinned to her chest. She reached out and pinched Little Bear's belly, and Lu Mingze's newly recorded voice message sounded: "Welcome home, my girl."

Um.
Then, quite a while later...

The warm light from the bathroom diffused, and the rising steam blurred the mirror.

Lu Mingze turned on the shower first, and the warm water flowed over the tiles. When he turned around, there were still tiny water droplets on his hair. He reached out to test the water temperature and said, "Come on." Jiang Yun, wrapped in a thin blanket, huddled by the door, her ears still red. Her gaze swept over the winding water streaks on his back, and she hurriedly looked away.

"Shy?" Lu Mingze chuckled as he approached, his fingertips gently lifting a strand of her hair to his lips for a light kiss. Before Jiang Yun could protest, he had already softly unbuttoned her pajamas, his movements deliberately slow and tender. As the fabric slipped off her shoulders, Jiang Yun reached out to cover his eyes, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the wall, his warm breath brushing against her ear: "Don't move, let me see."

Amidst the sound of flowing water, their shadows intertwined in the mist. Lu Mingze took some shower gel, squeezed it into his palm, and gently rubbed it to create a rich lather. He began to slowly apply it, starting from her shoulders. As his fingertips brushed against her collarbone, Jiang Yun couldn't help but tremble slightly. He chuckled softly behind her ear, "You should have gotten used to it by now." His warm palms slid over her waist, massaging her aching muscles with just the right amount of pressure, and Jiang Yun's tense body gradually relaxed.

As he rinsed off the foam, Lu Mingze held her close, letting the water wash over their intertwined bodies. He lowered his head and kissed her earlobe, his voice low and husky, mingling with the sound of the water: "Are you tired?" Jiang Yun's cheeks flushed, and she reached out to poke his chest: "It's all because of someone..." Before she could finish speaking, his lips were sealed by a kiss, and the bathroom was filled with the soft sound of water and intermittent panting.

After drying her body, Lu Mingze took the hairdryer and carefully dried her hair. The warm air brushed against the ends of her hair, and his fingers gently combed through the strands, patiently untangling any knots he encountered. The mirror reflected their intimate posture. Jiang Yun looked at his focused profile, then suddenly reached out and turned off the hairdryer, tiptoed and planted a kiss on his lips: "Let me help you now."

In the bathroom, where the steam had dissipated, under the warm yellow light, the two people's wet hair was tangled together, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of shampoo.

Lu Mingze let Jiang Yun play with his hair, occasionally turning back to steal a kiss on her flushed cheeks.

(End of this chapter)