Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

The scenery outside the Royal Garden Villas is beautiful.

Plum blossoms planted at equal intervals line both sides of the road.

In this cold season, when all flowers have withered, only the plum blossom thrives, dancing gracefully in the air and standing tall in the biting wind.

As she ran, she stopped and slowly walked to the plum tree. She couldn't help but admire it. Her small hands, warm from exercise, gently stroked the petals scattered on the ground, feeling a little sorry for them.

From Ji Hancheng's perspective, what came into view was a slightly flushed face and a graceful figure, quite beautiful.

Like a painting, so beautiful that one cannot look away; the whole world consists only of plum blossoms and beautiful women.

Tang Junyao was unaware that Ji Hancheng had also stopped and was standing on the side waiting for her; she too was captivated by the beautiful scenery.

I came for a run a few days ago and didn't see any plum blossoms in bloom.

It was the first time I had ever seen so many plum blossoms swaying in the wind; the beauty was beyond words.

She looked up with a bright smile, meeting Ji Hancheng's gaze. "Young Master Ji, the villa you chose is quite nice."

He scoffed, "That's good enough," and said expressionlessly, "Just because of the plum blossoms."

After a moment of contemplation, she looked at him with gentle, watery eyes, "Yes and no, how should I put it, the air around here is quite nice, except for the distance."

While it's a bit difficult to get a taxi, the rest of the accommodations are quite comfortable, and there's no fear of insecurity due to the excellent security. That's probably why I feel so safe and secure sleeping here.

That's quite similar to Grandma's; "Does she like scenes of flowers blooming?"

"I don't think any girl dislikes flowers, but I don't like bouquets. I always feel that when they're in full bloom, being plucked cuts off their chance to survive. They look much better blooming in the soil." She didn't mention the waste of money; talking about money at this moment seemed a bit out of place.

"Hmm." The man stopped talking, perhaps annoyed by his own rambling.

Because the two of them didn't run properly and kept stopping to chat, the distance that usually takes one person half an hour to run took them two hours today.

We spent a lot of time strolling and chatting.

It was almost 10 o'clock when I got home.

Tang Junyao politely asked, "It's almost noon, are you going to the company for lunch or staying at home?"

The way this was said made it sound like a wife inviting her husband to stay for dinner.

The man paused in his steps toward the stairwell, then after half a minute, he made a graceful arc in his step, and said, "At home."

Tang Junyao: Did he also misunderstand something?

She quickly went to her room to take a shower. After showering, she stood in front of the mirror and dried her hair. She noticed that her lips were unusually red and slightly swollen.

Doesn't look like a mosquito bite?

She didn't pay much attention to it, because she wouldn't attribute the cause to Ji Hancheng.

I made three dishes and a soup for lunch: chicken and potato, boiled fish, lettuce with oyster sauce, and a three-delicacy soup.

Ji Hancheng still ate with great relish, feeling that it tasted even better than usual today.

"Did your servants know how to cook these dishes before they entered the Tang family home, or after they entered?"

"Oh, are you really concerned about this?" This was the second time he had asked her this question, and she couldn't help but be a little surprised. What was the difference?

"No." He wouldn't comment on things he hadn't checked.

But the fact that Ji Hancheng kept asking the same question meant there was something wrong, even if there wasn't. She wasn't stupid, and asked with a determined look, "What does Young Master Ji want to say?"

"It's nothing, let's eat."

Instead, she answered him, helping him organize his thoughts, "I don't know if the maid's cooking style is unique before or after she comes in, but I've been eating this dish since I was a child; my mother knows how to make it."

"Hmm." With that concise reply, the topic he had started ended abruptly and without any clear conclusion.

I finished eating a little before 12 o'clock and sat on the sofa, ready to play on my phone for half an hour.

The man, who was about to leave, suddenly remembered her comment that it was a bit far, and blurted out, "Let Xu Mingkai accompany you to buy a car."

Just like last time, it was raining heavily, making it impossible for her to move an inch. She couldn't hail a taxi here, and she certainly wouldn't drive her own car.

If you suddenly offer her a car, she will almost certainly refuse it, and you'll have to buy it yourself.

She looked up at him, engrossed in texting Su Xue, and said firmly, "No need. I don't really like four wheels; they're too congested."

Ji Hancheng's brow twitched with anger. He pinched his brow, unaware that this was the reason she wouldn't buy a car: "On rainy days, your car, which isn't congested, is just for looking at."

She urged impatiently, "You should leave now, I have my own plans."

I've thought about buying a car, especially during heavy rains, but I don't want to anymore once the rain stops and the sun shines again.

For example, people who want to lose weight think about losing weight when they buy clothes. After they get home, they buy a scale, make a weight loss plan, and so on. The next day, they sleep until noon. What is weight loss? It's all just a passing cloud.

Furthermore, I'll be leaving here in two months. If I rent somewhere close to the hospital, I won't need to buy a car. Taking a taxi occasionally will be convenient, since I can't fit in so many cars. I can't afford to lose favor with any one of them.

It's difficult to treat someone with only one bottom equally.

Sensing her impatience, he coldly replied, "Suit yourself."

Tang Junyao didn't care that his attitude had turned cold again. She kept playing the chameleon video on repeat every day. If he didn't change, he wouldn't be Ji Hancheng anymore.

-

"My dear Yao Yao, you're late again today. Have you and Young Master Ji gotten any closer lately?"

Su Xue didn't want her best friend to get divorced. Firstly, she would have no one to rely on after the divorce, and secondly, it was safer for her to live there, as Tang's father wouldn't look for her or dare to.

Tang Junyao, whose arm was being held, thought that he seemed to be a little better, but his mood was unpredictable, and she couldn't figure out what he wanted to do.

"She doesn't seem as sarcastic as before. I'm telling you, she asked me about the dishes today, which I found quite strange because she asked me several times."

"Is Young Master Ji so concerned about this matter?"

"I don't know. He's unpredictable. Who knows what he cares about? I've had my suspicions before, but I've eaten this dish since I was a child. My mother knows how to make it. Maybe my mother learned it in that training class. Maybe the chef just happens to be from the same hometown as the chef at the Emperor Hotel." This was the first explanation she could come up with, since she didn't know her mother was an orphan.

Su Xue nodded in agreement.

"I told you my brother is coming back next week. Do you want to come with me to pick him up? You're not saying no, are you?"

She gave her a disdainful look, always imagining a lot of unnecessary details. "Didn't I say I wasn't going? When is Su Yu coming back? Have you seen what class we're in that day?"

Su Xue slapped her forehead. "Oh dear, I completely forgot about that. Let me check quickly; it's still early before I go to work."

As she spoke, she took out her phone to look at the calendar and compared it with Tang Junyao's work schedule, because the two of them had already checked and their work schedules for the next month were the same.

Even people in the department said they must have used connections to get it transferred, because it really is exactly the same.

It's no wonder they were suspicious; even I was puzzled.

Su Xue muttered to herself, calculating as she spoke: "Today is December 26th. My brother will be back on New Year's Day, January 1st. We're on the night shift today, on duty on the 27th, and off the day after tomorrow on the 28th. We'll be on the morning shift on the 29th, the night shift on the 30th, and on duty on the 31st. My goodness, my brother really knows how to pick his time. We're off on New Year's Day, January 1st."

Tang Junyao shook her head helplessly and reminded her, "Big sister, did you ask your brother what time his flight is?"

"At 3:30 pm, after we finish picking you up, we can go for lunch. I think the food at the Emperor Hotel is quite delicious, it's very similar to what you make. Let's go there that day."

Tang Junyao thought to herself that 3:30 was fine, since she had gotten up early. If it were in the morning, she would have to stay up late, since she had been working a long shift.

As for going to the Emperor Hotel, I didn't really want to go. It was Ji Hancheng's place, and I could do anything within his sight. It felt like I was being watched. But Su Xue seemed to like it.

For some reason, the image of that man's cold and handsome face appeared in my mind.