The two bodyguards following Pei Rong were extremely anxious. The last time the beautiful man only ordered takeout without showing his face, it was a prelude to him running away.
Fortunately, this time, the takeout couldn't be delivered directly to the room like in a hotel. The bodyguards were responsible for passing the food to him, so they got to see Pei Rong three times a day.
Actually, if you thought about it, it didn't make much sense for Pei Rong to be "traveling" in his hometown. The familiar scenery, the bricks and tiles etched in his memory—he could reminisce for a day, but that's about it. There's no need for the word "travel."
Pei Rong was just going home to sleep.
No work, no responsibilities for the elderly or the young, waking up naturally every day, standing by the window overlooking the clear stream while sipping milk—this was his original retirement plan.
The past three years had completely disrupted his plans, and now, standing by the window, his state of mind was entirely different.
He had given himself ten days off as compensation, but it felt like too much.
The scenery he had seen through felt too lonely to revisit alone; it would be better if he was with someone else.
Telling another person about his middle school days, the bluestone paths he had walked, the trees he had planted—time would quietly pass by like this.
After spraining his ankle, Pei Rong didn't feel like going out anymore. With nothing else to do, he started renovating the old house. The wooden windows, weathered by wind and rain, were hard to close, so he replaced them with double-glazed soundproof windows with alloy frames.
The cracks in the floor of his room couldn't be cleaned properly, so he laid down wooden flooring, painted the walls white, and installed a suspended ceiling.
The 90s-style decor was transformed into a modern look.
Pei Rong didn't touch his parents' room or the living room, only renovating the bedroom, kitchen, and reinforcing the staircase handrails and lights...
With sufficient funds and the help of workers and the two bodyguards, the work was done quickly and well. Pei Rong just stood by and watched. By the eighth day, he effortlessly moved back into his own room from his parents'.
Green Manor sent two bottles of red wine which Pei Rong ordered. He placed the bottles on the dining table.
He then went to the yard and picked two vibrant yellow roses that, despite being neglected, were still full of life, and placed them in a vase.
The fridge was stocked with enough ingredients, and Dundun's snacks were also taken care of.
What else does one need to prepare for a date?
Pei Rong wasn't quite sure. He thought it should be enough, right?
On the ninth day, the beautiful man sat on the sofa, legs crossed, thinking, "Shouldn't President Lu be here by now?"
Tomorrow was the official date, but Lu Qin should have come earlier.
At night, the beautiful man lay in bed, closing his eyes.
Lu Qin must be busy with work and couldn't get away. Maybe he's still working overtime right now.
Could it really be that he didn’t find those two balls?
Looking for a needle in a haystack and not finding it? Why not have the cleaning staff check them one by one?
When he opened his eyes the next day and still hadn’t seen Lu Qin, the beautiful man felt a slight irritation. Was he going to cancel their date?
Did Lu Qin think his old house was too shabby, unworthy of the CEO’s first date?
Did he need to go all out like Miss Lin and book a private room at Green Manor?
Over the years, Lu Qin had dined and gone on blind dates with countless women at countless high-end venues. It had become a habit.
But he didn’t want to follow in others’ footsteps, even though Green Manor was his own creation.
Pei Rong wanted Lu Qin to see the life he had before becoming a big star.
Stripped of the glamour of stardom, he and the Lu family were not from the same social class at all.
Would Lu Qin still find him dazzling?
Meanwhile, the innocent President Lu himself was feeling utterly anxious.
These past few days, he had been trying to guess where Pei Rong might choose for their date.
The most likely possibility was Green Manor. Lu Qin had heard that Green Manor was closed for two days, claiming to upgrade their private rooms, but… it had to be an excuse.
Their official reunion had taken place there, so it held significant meaning. If they could open another bottle of Dundun’s aged wine, that would be even better.
Last time, they had mistaken it for some cheap counterfeit and drank it. He was guilty of that, but thankfully he hadn’t said it in front of the manager, so he wouldn’t be sentenced to a life without a wife.
On the ninth day, when he found out Pei Rong was still in his hometown, Lu Qin began to understand. The lazy beauty was surely planning to leave for S City at the very last minute.
The hometown was only three hours away from S City, so there was plenty of time.
He couldn’t recklessly rush to Pei Rong’s hometown. He had promised not to disturb him, so he had to restrain himself until the very last day.
On the day of the date, Pei Rong was still in his hometown.
Lu Qin was starting to feel unsure.
The less time there was, the more he didn’t want some cliché drama-like missed connection to happen. What if he boarded the train just as Pei Rong was leaving his hometown for Green Manor? Wouldn’t that mean they’d miss each other?
Wasting time was one thing, but being late was a bigger issue.
The time and place written on the bouncy balls were almost impossible to miss. Lu Qin didn’t want to admit he had messed up.
By 11 AM, Pei Rong still hadn’t moved.
Lu Qin grabbed his jacket. Oh no, he must still be at the old house!
The bouncy balls didn’t specify whether it was for noon or evening. Do people usually schedule dates for the evening?
At 2 PM, Pei Dundun’s location was still in S City.
Pei Rong couldn’t even be bothered to check anymore. He set up a voice alert to notify him only if Pei Dundun left S City.
The tracking app remained silent, like a mute.
The great beauty also fell silent, tidied up, and went to bed for an afternoon nap.
***
The bodyguard opened the door for Lu Qin, who walked in carrying a huge bouquet of roses. As soon as he entered, he spotted two familiar bottles of red wine on the dining table. In the center was a glass vase holding two roses that had bloomed past their prime, their petals slightly drooping.
Bloomed past their prime… Lu Qin’s forehead tightened.
He placed the roses on the table and hurried upstairs to find Pei Rong. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and the person inside was asleep.
Lu Qin closed the door and, like the mythical "Snail Girl," quietly went to the kitchen to prepare a candlelit dinner as a remedy.
However, there were no elegant candlesticks to be found. The 60-watt ceiling light in the dining room bathed everything in a stark, white glow. The newly replaced bulb was so bright that it cast sharp shadows of even the finest strands of Lu Qin’s hair.
Well, brighter is better, he thought. At least I can see Pei Rong’s expressions clearly. Tonight is something I must remember forever.
When Pei Rong woke up, he heard the sounds of cooking downstairs. His gaze shifted to the shirt and suit hanging on the clothes rack.
He pricked up his ears, trying to discern Lu Qin’s cooking methods—was he frying a steak or stir-frying a big plate of chicken?
Would wearing a suit to eat a big plate of chicken be too formal?
Five minutes later, the great beauty fastened his exquisite cuffs, smoothed his black hair, and walked downstairs with a radiant smile.
Since retiring from the spotlight and no longer walking red carpets, he rarely showcased his red-carpet-level beauty. Raising a child didn’t exactly pair well with suits, especially white shirts.
Wait… he had said he wanted to shed his celebrity persona for this date.
