Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly a trip.

Because Lu Yuwen had decided to move to Shanghai, he needed to make a trip back to Nanjing first to pack up his belongings.

And since Su Man happened to be on suspension with nothing to do, Lu Yuwen invited her to come along — they would see some of the nearby sights along the way, and once everything was packed up, the two of them would return to Shanghai together.

Su Ba and Su Ma thought it would be good for their daughter to go out and clear her head after the setback at work, so they were entirely supportive.

But Li Li was a bit thrown.

Moving to Shanghai?

This guy was actually serious about buying a villa near Su Man’s neighborhood?

It seemed he’d been wrong about him — the man named Lu Yuwen was not a swindler after money or women……

That man… was playing a long game!

Li Li felt the situation was dire. The other party’s calculated depth and long-range intentions were already beyond anything he could easily contend with.

……

Nanjing——

One of China’s four great ancient capitals, a city baptized as the seat of six dynasties, with no shortage of tourist sites.

But the weather was simply too hot. Under a blazing sun, even the most beautiful scenery became difficult to enjoy, so Su Man and Lu Yuwen mostly stayed indoors during the day and only went out at night.

Lu Yuwen first took Su Man to one of his restaurants for dinner, then brought her to stroll around the Confucius Temple district of Nanjing.

For Lu Yuwen, who had lived in Nanjing for years, these sights all blurred together — nothing particularly drew his interest. But when two people were together, the simple pleasure of each other’s company far outweighed the appeal of any tourist destination.

They walked slowly along the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The sound of oars drifted lazily across the water. Lamplight swayed and shimmered. The Qinhuai River seemed glazed with iridescent color — gorgeous and glowing — drawing tourists to stop and gaze, or take photographs.

Lu Yuwen held Su Man’s hand and asked her, “Want to take some pictures?”

“I don’t photograph well.” Su Man quickly waved it off. Whenever she was in front of a camera, her smile went stiff.

Lu Yuwen smiled, “What a coincidence — I photograph very well.”

Su Man heard that and immediately brightened. “Then great, let me take pictures of you! Come on, get over here and strike a pose~”

“What I meant was……” Lu Yuwen reached up and ruffled her hair, “my photography skills are good — even someone who isn’t photogenic can look beautiful when I take the picture. Would you like to try?”

Su Man pressed her lips together, then looked left and right. Quite a few people nearby were taking photos too.

“Alright then……” She deliberated for a moment, walked over to the railing, and threw up a peace sign. “Take it quick! If it looks bad you have to delete it right away, you have to — don’t you dare keep an ugly photo of me!”

Lu Yuwen laughed and gently pressed her peace-sign hand back down. “No rush, let’s find the right feel first.”

“What do you mean, the right feel?” Su Man blinked, looking at him curiously.

“A relaxed feeling.” Lu Yuwen came around behind her and gently guided one of her arms up, resting it over the railing. With his other hand he lightly gathered her hair, “Here… it doesn’t need to be this neat — a little looser, as if there’s a breeze……”

Su Man’s cheeks went faintly pink as she let him arrange her hair.

“Relax.” Lu Yuwen stepped back a few paces and said with a smile, “Then turn your head and look at me.”

Su Man turned her head as instructed, looking at him in a befuddled way.

“Yes, just like that……” Lu Yuwen had stepped back about two meters. He opened the camera on his phone, looking at her with a warm smile. “The line of your jaw looks very beautiful from this angle. Your neck is lovely too, and your shoulders, your back… all beautiful……”

With each part he named, Su Man couldn’t help tensing up the corresponding area. She also pulled in her stomach. “……Are you done yet?”

Lu Yuwen said with a smile, “Now close your eyes.”

“Hm?” Su Man paused. “Close my eyes for a photo?”

“Close them first, trust me.” Lu Yuwen said slowly. “Close your eyes, and then try to imagine your favorite food……”

—