Sure enough, when Lan Lan returned to her room, she found Liang Yufeng sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, his complexion even worse than when she had left that morning.
Lan Lan placed the items on the table and commanded him, "Liang Yufeng, come and eat."
The man, who had been looking down, finally shifted his attention to her. However, he didn't move for a long time. Lan Lan, impatient, went over to pull him and brought him to the table.
When Liang Yufeng saw the takeout dishes on the table, he looked confused. Before he could ask, Lan Lan said, "I knew you wouldn't eat, so eat up quickly."
"If you starve yourself, I'll have to take responsibility," Lan Lan said, taking out chopsticks and shoving them into his hand.
The meal boxes were already open, and the aroma of sweet and sour pork ribs wafted out. Liang Yufeng hadn't eaten all day, and the smell finally made his stomach feel hungry.
Lan Lan sat down with him. Although she had already eaten, she still picked at a few bites. Seeing Liang Yufeng start to eat, the heavy stone in Lan Lan's heart finally lifted.
She was genuinely afraid that Liang Yufeng would have problems after spending a few days with her in Xiangxi. She wasn't afraid of him being unreasonable, threatening her, or making things difficult for her. What she feared was his listless, unresponsive demeanor, his lack of expression, as if he had no will to live and could disappear at any moment.
In front of Liang Yufeng, she often felt that her own emotions were not sensitive enough, or perhaps Liang Yufeng was too sensitive, making her seem like someone without delicate feelings.
Liang Yufeng continued to eat without speaking. Lan Lan then tried to find a topic of conversation, "Why are you in such a bad mood? Is it really because of what I said last night?"
She had only said that she wouldn't have children with him. She didn't think her words were excessive; she had simply stated a fact. Why would he be angry for so long?
Before, she had said even more hurtful things, and Liang Yufeng would at most punish her in bed, not give her the cold shoulder like this.
Lan Lan had a direct personality; she liked to resolve conflicts immediately. When it came to a cold war, she would feel uneasy and just want to move past it quickly.
"What do you think?" Liang Yufeng finally spoke, but it was still a rhetorical question, not giving her an answer.
"How can I guess your thoughts?" Lan Lan said. "Did my words hurt your pride or something?"
"But I really didn't mean anything else," Lan Lan explained to him. "At this stage, I don't want any children. I'm only interested in my work; other things are too far away for me."
"Your genes are quite good, not inferior to those in the sperm bank. I was just making an analogy."
Lan Lan offered many explanations. She didn't know which of her words had worked, but Liang Yufeng's expression finally wasn't as bad as before. Seeing his faint smile, Lan Lan felt a lot more relaxed.
Work was too busy. Although she liked her godson very much, Lan Lan didn't stay in Xiangxi for more than a few days before returning to Nanjiang. Her relationship with Liang Yufeng continued.
When Liang Yufeng attended events, he always brought Zhou Bing with him. Once, he even brought Zhou Bing to Xinhu. On that occasion, many people in the company were waiting to see Lan Lan make a fool of herself.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Bing invited Lan Lan to dinner. While they were eating at the Western restaurant downstairs from the company, many people, wanting to witness the drama, also chose that restaurant to eat and spectate.
However, the scene of catfights and hair-pulling did not occur. Lan Lan and Zhou Bing chatted happily, like good friends, which greatly surprised the people in the company. After that incident, rumors about Lan Lan decreased significantly.
By the end of the year, Lan Lan's evaluation was approved, and she was officially promoted to department manager. Those who joined the company with her had long been left far behind. Even General Manager Liu said that Lan Lan was the most driven young person he had ever seen.
Young person, perhaps not so young anymore. After this Spring Festival, she would be thirty. Lan Lan didn't have any age anxiety, but hearing that the new hires were born in the 2000s, she did feel a little flustered.
This anxiety wasn't about her appearance; she was just afraid her brain would degenerate and she wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace of work.
After her promotion, Lan Lan took her annual leave. She hadn't taken it for several years, and this time she took all her accumulated leave. Over a month was just enough time to accompany Lan Zhong and Yu Ran on a vacation and enjoy a Spring Festival as a family of three.
She hadn't gone on vacation with her parents for many years. On the cusp of turning thirty, her greatest realization was that her parents were also getting old, and she should spend more time with them.
Lan Zhong and Yu Ran were very happy to hear the news. Lan Lan covered all the travel expenses, and the family went to Northern Europe. Yu Ran had long wanted to see the aurora borealis. Their journey began in Denmark, then to Finland, then to Great Britain, and finally to Iceland.
Before taking her annual leave, Lan Lan visited Liang Yufeng.
During dinner that evening, Liang Yufeng suddenly mentioned taking her to the Runcheng Sanatorium to visit Jiang Wan during the Spring Festival. "My mother wants to see you."
"I can't go," Lan Lan refused outright. Liang Yufeng frowned, "What are your plans?"
"I've taken annual leave and plan to go on a trip to Northern Europe with my parents. The tickets are already booked," Lan Lan said. "We're leaving the day after tomorrow and will spend the Spring Festival there too."
Taking annual leave wasn't Lan Lan's style. "Why did you suddenly think of going on a trip?"
"I've been too busy these past few years and haven't spent much time with them," Lan Lan suddenly became profound. "I'm turning thirty soon, and they're fifty-seven. The time I can spend with them is not much."
Liang Yufeng said, "Mm, go ahead."
"Regarding your mother, I'll visit her after I return from my trip," Lan Lan said. She didn't mind meeting Jiang Wan. Jiang Wan treated her well and liked her. It would be good to accompany Jiang Wan and make her happy.
"Okay," Liang Yufeng replied.
"Oh, right, what do you like? I'll bring you back a gift," Lan Lan suddenly remembered. "Earl Grey tea sounds good. Do you like tea?"
"It's alright," Liang Yufeng said. "Are you going to see the aurora borealis?"
"Yes, Ms. Yu wants to see it," Lan Lan said. "She's been saying it for years. I wonder if we'll be lucky enough to see it this time."
"You will," Liang Yufeng said. "When you see it, send me a photo."
"You want to see it too?" Lan Lan asked curiously. "You're interested in this sort of thing? I can't tell."
"There are many things you can't tell about me," for some reason, Liang Yufeng suddenly became sarcastic again.
Fortunately, the atmosphere of the meal was generally good. It was snowing outside, and the room was lit with warm lights. The two of them ate hot pot, steaming and exceptionally cozy.
Later that night, when they were intimate, Liang Yufeng was particularly vigorous again. After three rounds, he still refused to let her go. Lan Lan, exhausted, rolled her eyes, "I can't anymore, stop it."
"You'll be gone for over a month," Liang Yufeng ignored her, calculating the time. "Normally, it's a few times a month. I'm paying you, so you can't be at a disadvantage."
"You profiteer!" He was even counting the times. Lan Lan was so angry she bit him on the chest.