The Overnight Chosen Wife: Darling, Kiss Me Deeper

After a whole evening of lovemaking, Lanni and Xiehan ate dinner as he finally brought up what he had talked about with his mother. "Would you like to come with us to Ruby's birthday vacation?"

"I don't mind. We can go together. However, I'm not certain whether Lin Jian will let me go." She contemplated as she wondered whether there was a lot of work to be done in her department.

He frowned slightly. "I'll have a word with him later."

Recalling how Lin Jian had complained about Xiehan giving him a hard time, she chuckled. "Don't fight with him, okay? If he doesn't agree, then don't force it."

"Alright. I'll book the plane tickets online later." He didn't give any promises but he would try to negotiate without beating anyone up.

"When are we leaving? I will carry some work with me." She suggested when she realized that Lin Jian might go on the trip too. If she left and didn't work at all, he would have so much on his plate that he might not have for his girlfriend.

"You can have your assistant handle work matters. It's just two days." He said in disapproval. When did she become so workaholic?

"If you say so." She chuckled at his tone.

"I don't think I got you tired enough. You still have time to mess around." He raised an eyebrow at her. Before she could react, he carried her off the seat and headed towards the bedroom, rendering her speechless.

Li Yuming was all smiles as she baked Lanni's favorite cupcakes.

"Madam, you shouldn't let Miss Lanni eat too much sweet food. It's not good for her health." The housekeeper reminded Li Yuming, who was too overjoyed to realize that she had been baking pastries too often.

"Now that you mention it." Li Yuming was still blooming with a smile. She wore a pair of mittens and took out the cupcakes that were now ready. When she was done, she looked troubled. "I can't give them to Luna either, she shouldn't eat too much sugar. Do you want them?"

"Uhm...madam, I don't have a sweet tooth." The housekeeper, who was older than Li Yuming, shook her head. Although Li Yuming had been kind all these years and treated the maids as though they were her siblings and daughters, they were not so free as to overstep their boundaries.

Li Yuming knew this, and she chuckled. "It's okay." She kept some of the cupcakes in a colorful pastry box, then left the rest to the housekeeper. "You can give these to your kids. If not, let the maids have them. Otherwise, we can only throw them away since I'm not a big fan of cupcakes." She only liked baking them but couldn't bring herself to eat more than a bite or two

"Thank you." She knew that Li Yuming would not take them back so she could only nod and say her thanks.

…

Li Yuming was going to Lanni's apartment to give her the few cupcakes she had set aside but before that, she decided to get her a necklace she had seen at the store near Lanni's apartment complex. It would be even better if she could get two of them, one for Lanni and one for Luna.

She entered the store and called a sales girl over. "Hello. Can I have a look at that…" Just as she spoke, another sales girl took the necklace she had noticed to show to someone else. She frowned slightly at her bad luck. "Is there another of the same model?"

"I'm sorry. There were only two of this design and the first was sold yesterday." The sales girl apologized. "However, there are others that are of the same quality. Would you want to take a look?"

Li Yuming sighed and was about to ask whether it had already been bought when she noticed the gentleman to whom the necklace had been given. "Neil?"

"It's you?" Neil was surprised to see Li Yuming. He stood from the couch where he was sitting and inspecting the necklace.

"Are you here to buy jewelry too?" He asked even though it was obvious.

"I wanted to buy a necklace for Lanni and Luna. What a bummer that the one I wanted is sold out." She sat on the couch and he sat down too.

"What a bummer. Luckily, there are many others to choose from." He was unaware that the one he had picked was the very one that Li Yuming wanted. He glanced around and asked, "What do you think of this one? I wanted to buy it for Ruby but I don't think it suits her that much. Do you think it would look good on your daughters?"

Li Yuming raised an eyebrow an amus.e.m.e.nt. What a coincidence that he was showing her the very necklace she had chosen for Lanni. "It's beautiful. Let me find one for Luna."

"Do you mind helping me pick for Ruby too?" He requested, believing that women were better versed in matters of jewelry.

"No problem." She placed her box of cupcakes on the couch and let the sales girls show her the necklaces on sale and their prices.

She chose a teardrop one for Luna and one with a small crystal ball for Ruby, then returned to show it to Neil. "What do you think of this?"

"It's perfect." He wrote a cheque and gave it to the sales girl, who was surprised when she saw the amount. "Sir, you paid too much!"

"I don't think so. The three of them amount to that." He smiled, stunning Li Yuming.

"I can pay for my own purchase." She didn't understand why he wanted to help her pay.

"I know. I have never given any gift to Lanni and Luna. Take this to congratulate them on their engagements." He insisted, leaving her with no chance to reject it.

"Then, thank you." She could only smile and thank him.

The necklaces were returned in their velvet boxes and packed separately. When Li Yuming received her package, she was so excited that she almost bolted out of the store, leaving behind her party box.

"You forgot this…" Neil was just about to hand the box to her when it dropped. "I'm so sorry."

It was certain that the cupcakes were disfigured, which disappointed Li Yuming. "It's alright. It was an accident."

"No, it's not." He felt bad for ruining the cupcakes, which he was certain must be a surprise for her daughters. "Where did you buy them? I'll help you get new ones."

"I baked them." She smiled. "It's really alright. I'll bake her some more next time."

Hearing that she had baked them, he felt even worse. "How about I bake some at my place? You can pick them up."

He was impossible, she thought. Knowing that they would remain stuck on the topic for ages, she decided to agree. "I can come after giving this to Lanni." She motioned at the necklaces.

"I'll be waiting." He hurried to his car, making one wonder why exactly he was rushing. He seemed to be more excited than would be expected of someone who was trying to make up for a mistake.

She chuckled and proceeded to Lanni's apartment.

The latter was not home. She was probably out with Xiehan, so Li Yuming left it at the reception as a parcel and went ahead to Neil's residence.

She was planning to help him out but when she arrived and a maid showed her to the kitchen, the situation was much worse than she would ever expect.

"Have you ever been to a kitchen?" She tried not to laugh when she saw the man who had flour all over him, making one wonder whether he was trying to bake or swim on the jar of flour.

Meanwhile, he was trying to stir eggs into the bowl of flour using a fork, and he didn't seem to understand the role of the mixer on the kitchen counter. She shook her head and pulled the bowl from his hands. "This isn't how you do it."

"Wait! Don't ruin your clothes." He rushed to bring an apron, then looked at her high heeled shoes and wondered whether she would be able to bake with them on. Besides, her hair looked too beautiful. What if she got flour in it?

"You do realize that aprons exist." She scolded and tied it behind her waist, then proceeded to start preparing the batter while he watched.

"So that's how you do it." He nodded in understanding when he saw her position the mixer to mix the egg whites in the bowl.

"Haven't you ever baked before?" She wondered how he was planning to do it if it was something he had never done before.

She shook his head. "Ruby's mother would do it in the past. Once she left, Ruby hated desserts and everything she used to cook for her."

"I'm sorry." She felt bad for reminding him of his past, recalling that he was divorced.

"It's alright. I've long forgotten about her. I have someone else in mind now."

His words took her by surprise. "She must be a lucky woman."

He looked at her meaningfully. "I'll be the lucky one."

_____

Another ship!! 

Sail or no sail?