My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 143 A Little Goodbye Is Better than a New Marriage

The National Day holiday flew by, and Chen Xiaomiao's life returned to being filled with books and exercises.

As for Lu Yuan, under Lü Lei's guidance, he gradually took over the complex affairs left by his grandfather, often spending ten days or half a month in the capital.

The black van drove smoothly through the evening rush hour traffic on the Second Ring Road.

"Ning Qian, please double-check these meeting minutes."

"Okay, Mr. Lü."

As Lu Yuan's newly appointed secretary, Ning Qian, who is in her thirties, is capable, insightful, and doesn't talk much.

At the right time, one can always cleverly make oneself invisible.

After the business was finished, the carriage fell silent.

Lu Lei looked at Lu Yuan, who was resting with his eyes closed, and his whole demeanor relaxed: "Boss, are you really not considering moving to the capital? It's too much of a hassle to keep running back and forth like this."

This is the third time that Lü Lei has offered advice.

Lu Yuan's voice sounded somewhat tired: "Let's talk about it later."

The vehicle slowly drove into a modern Chinese courtyard, with blue bricks, gray tiles, and a vermilion gate.

The car door opened, and Lu Yuan stepped out, followed closely by Ning Qian carrying a briefcase.

"Sir, you are back."

A middle-aged butler came forward and naturally took Lu Yuan's coat: "What would you like to eat tonight?"

"Just make me a bowl of noodles."

Lu Yuan loosened his tie and walked straight to the restaurant.

A short while later, a steaming bowl of beef noodles and a glass of lime water were served to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan picked up his chopsticks, took out his phone with his other hand, and started a video call.

The screen flickered slightly, and the call was quickly connected.

Her delicate face, adorned with black-rimmed glasses, almost filled the entire screen, with a familiar desk in the background.

"Ready to go to bed?"

Lu Yuan picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks and blew on it to cool it down.

Chen Xiaomiao nodded on the other end of the video call, and the screen shook, revealing her oversized pajamas.

"I just finished showering and I'm going to read for a while longer."

Don't overwork yourself.

"I know."

Chen Xiaomiao rested her face on the table, puffed out her cheeks, and asked in a muffled voice, "Are you coming back tomorrow?"

"Go back." Lu Yuan nodded, then added, "If there's nothing else urgent."

"Humph."

Chen Xiaomiao let out a soft snort from her nose.

"Sister Song Jia chatted with me today and told me to be careful. She said that if a man stays outside for too long, he might develop some bad intentions."

Lu Yuan chuckled: "She has nothing better to do, huh? She's just bored."

Chen Xiaomiao grumbled, "Her law firm can't get a single case, no wonder she's so idle."

"So, do you believe what she says?"

“Now that you’re a big boss, you must have a lot of temptresses around you who want to climb the social ladder. I need to keep a close eye on you.”

"So how do you plan to keep a close eye on me?"

Chen Xiaomiao brought her face close to the camera and pretended to be fierce as she waved her fist, looking cute but fierce.

"Let me tell you, I can tell fortunes! If you misbehave outside, I can figure it out with a few quick calculations, and then... then..."

She couldn't imagine what she could do to Lu Yuan, so she made a light threat.

I'll never talk to you again!

"Tsk tsk tsk, that's terrifying!"

The two chatted about various things for a while, mostly Chen Xiaomiao talking and Lu Yuan listening.

It wasn't until Chen Xiaomiao yawned several times that the two said goodnight to each other and reluctantly hung up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Xiaomiao's image disappeared from the screen, and the restaurant returned to silence.

Lu Yuan picked up his chopsticks again, took a bite, and found his mouth bland. He looked up at the butler waiting beside him and asked, "Uncle Wu, do you have any chili sauce or Lao Gan Ma chili sauce?"

The butler said respectfully, "Sir, is the noodle soup not to your liking? I'll have the kitchen make you a fresh bowl."

"No need." Lu Yuan waved his hand: "Just go get me a bottle of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce."

"Okay, sir."

The butler turned and quickly left, silently noting down Lu Yuan's preferences.

Putting down his chopsticks, Lu Yuan gazed at the courtyard outside the French windows, his eyes filled with confusion.

These days, most of the people he sees are just like the butler.

From company executives to service staff, everyone treated him with utmost politeness, keeping their heads bowed and speaking and acting with extreme caution.

It would be a lie to say you don't enjoy the feeling of being looked up to and surrounded by others.

But when the night is quiet, especially after talking to Chen Xiaomiao on the phone, that fleeting sense of satisfaction quickly fades away, replaced by an inexplicable sense of confusion.

……

The next day, Lu Yuan flew back to Jiangcheng, and Chen Xiaomiao took a rare day off for herself.

At 11 a.m., upon hearing the door open, both the person and the dog looked up simultaneously.

With a loud "woof," Erbaiwu pounced on Lu Yuan, wagging his tail wildly around Lu Yuan's trouser leg.

Chen Xiaomiao also stood up, a smile she couldn't hide on her face.

She dressed up specially for today, wearing an apricot-colored cross-collar short shirt with gathered cuffs embroidered with a few elegant bamboo leaves.

She paired it with loose-fitting dark brown trousers, the cuffs of which were slightly tapered, revealing her slender ankles.

Her long, jet-black hair was loosely tied into a bun and secured with a wooden hairpin.

Her whole appearance has a classical charm, yet she is also neat and tidy, as if she has come from the misty Jiangnan region and is standing steadily in the warm autumn sun.

"What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?"

"Hehe, my wife is beautiful."

"That is."

Chen Xiaomiao smiled smugly, just about to ask him what he wanted for lunch, when Lu Yuan suddenly sprinted and picked her up, carrying her towards the bedroom.

"Ugh... You're so annoying!"

……

Absence makes the heart grow fonder; after the initial excitement and exhaustion, a profound sense of weariness washes over you.

The two embraced and fell into a deep sleep, sleeping until dusk.

"Woof...Woof! Woof woof!"

The sound of a fool yelling outside woke Lu Yuan from his deep sleep.

I opened my eyes to find the view outside bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. The room was quiet except for the steady breathing of the girl in my arms.

I checked my phone and it was already 5 p.m.

Lu Yuan gently patted the girl's back: "Xiao Miao, wake up."

The person in his arms stirred, snuggling deeper into his embrace, tightening their arms around him, and uttering incoherent murmurs.

"Let me sleep a little longer..."

"You can't sleep anymore. We haven't even had lunch, and you haven't gone for a walk either." Lu Yuan continued to coax, "Let's go for a walk together. If you keep sleeping, you won't be able to sleep tonight, and how will you go to class tomorrow?"

Chen Xiaomiao ignored him and rubbed her head against his chest.

Lu Yuan urged in a more forceful tone, "Hurry up... get up!"

Chen Xiaomiao remained silent, only burying her face even deeper, as if she were playing dead.

"Fine, you're not getting up, huh?"

Lu Yuan flipped over and pinned Chen Xiaomiao beneath him.

Chen Xiaomiao was startled awake by the sudden movement, instantly losing all sleepiness.

"Okay...I'll get up! I'll get up right now!"

The protests were quickly silenced, turning into intermittent sobs that were crushed and swallowed up in the dim twilight.

"Um...no...it won't work...I really won't work..."

(End of this chapter)