82: Chapter 82 Sleeping in the Master Bedroom

Chen Fan stood up, casually picked up the towel draped over the back of the sofa, and wiped the sweat from his face.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Chen Fan's voice pulled Lin Xi back from her trance.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Lin Xi's face flushed slightly, but she couldn't help but sneak a peek at Chen Fan's abs.

"Do they look good?" Chen Fan didn't answer, asking instead.

Lin Xi froze for a moment, then realized what he meant, her face turning bright red in an instant.

"I wasn't looking!"

"It's fine if you look. You're my girlfriend; not only can you look, but you can touch them whenever you want."

"Who wants to touch them? Hurry up and go take a shower, you're covered in sweat and it stinks."

Chen Fan lowered his head to sniff himself, then looked back up at her.

"Do I stink?"

Lin Xi didn't turn back, her ears red enough to bleed.

"Yes! Go wash up!"

Chen Fan chuckled and turned to walk toward the bathroom.

She sat on the sofa, stunned for a few seconds, then couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The air still held the lingering scent of Chen Fan—not the pungent smell of sweat, but a warm, intimate aura mixed with a faint trace of masculine pheromones. It was hard to describe, but it was… very overwhelming.

…

After showering and changing into fresh clothes, he came out.

Lin Xi was leaning against the sofa, quietly looking at her phone, though the lingering pink on her ears betrayed her.

Chen Fan curled the corners of his mouth and walked over to sit beside her.

"It's not as hot outside now. Let me take you to Tang Paradise for a walk. It's Qixi Festival tonight, so there should be some events."

Lin Xi's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

At this point in 2010, the Great Tang Ever Bright City hadn't fully opened yet, and it wasn't as lively as it would be a few years later, otherwise that would have been a more fun place to go.

But without the Great Tang Ever Bright City, Tang Paradise was actually quite nice too.

Half an hour later, Chen Fan's car pulled into the parking lot at the west gate of Tang Paradise.

It was only a little past 6 o'clock, so there was still plenty of time, and since it was just about dinner time, Chen Fan took Lin Xi to a nearby restaurant to eat.

The meal took about an hour, and by the time they finished, it was past 7 o'clock.

The two of them hurried toward the entrance of Tang Paradise.

When they reached the gate, they realized they needed to buy tickets.

So they went to the ticket office to buy them; adult tickets were 90 each, totaling 180 for both.

The price included tonight's stargazing event, poetry chanting, the duet dance "Magpie Bridge Meeting," and at 8:30 PM, they could watch the world's largest water screen movie, "The Monkey King."

The ticket price wasn't cheap, but it looked well worth it.

After entering the park, Chen Fan took Lin Xi's hand and they started wandering around.

In his previous life, he had spent over a decade in Chang'an but had never been here.

So, Chen Fan wasn't familiar with Tang Paradise either; it was his first time here too.

Lin Xi held Chen Fan's hand with one hand and took pictures here and there with the other, letting out a "Wow" from time to time.

Although the phone camera resolution wasn't very clear in this day and age, Lin Xi was still snapping photos with great enthusiasm.

Just then, they saw a brightly lit covered bridge spanning the lake ahead.

The bridge was hung with red lanterns, which were reflected in the water like two parallel bands of light.

A small stage had been set up in the middle of the bridge, and figures in ancient costumes were busy on it, as if making final preparations.

"That is…"

Before Lin Xi could finish her sentence, the crowd suddenly became restless.

Music began to play.

The lanterns on the bridge lit up all at once, illuminating the entire bridge.

A couple dressed in Tang Dynasty wedding attire walked slowly from the end of the bridge—the man wore a bright red round-collared robe, and the woman wore a phoenix crown and a ceremonial cape, her red skirt trailing a long arc across the wooden bridge.

The duet dance "Magpie Bridge Meeting" began.

The two danced gracefully on the bridge, their reflections rippling in the water as if they were truly meeting above the Milky Way. The surrounding crowd went quiet, leaving only the music and occasional gasps of awe.

Lin Xi was mesmerized, her hand holding the phone slowly lowering.

She turned her head, her eyes shining as she looked at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan happened to be looking at her as well.

In the distance, the pair of dancers were performing the moment the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl met. The lanterns on the bridge, the reflections in the water, and the starry sky all became the backdrop.

Lin Xi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found she didn't know what to say.

Chen Fan lowered his head and captured her soft, pink lips.

After the kiss, a flush of shyness still lingered on Lin Xi's face, but her eyes were watery as she looked at Chen Fan.

…

For the rest of the time, the two watched the stargazing event, the poetry chanting, and what was billed as the world's largest water screen movie.

At 8:30 PM, on the Lotus Lake in front of the Ziyun Building, a massive water screen slowly rose. It was over a hundred meters wide and twenty meters high, resembling a flowing silver screen in the night.

Lasers, fountains, flames, and mist intertwined as the Monkey King rode the clouds through the light and shadow, drawing bursts of exclamations from the crowd.

It had to be said, the 180 yuan spent on tickets today was truly worth it.

They stayed until past 10 o'clock, when the park became less crowded, and only then did they leave.

After returning home, just as the door closed, Lin Xi stood in the entryway, her slippers making a clacking sound on her feet.

She looked up at Chen Fan, a hint of sleepiness in her eyes.

"Which room am I sleeping in tonight?"

Chen Fan changed into his slippers and replied casually, "The beds in the other rooms still have their protective film on. The furniture seller said that after peeling it off, they need to air out for a while before they can be slept on."

He paused and looked at her.

"So you'll have to sleep in the master bedroom."

Lin Xi froze.

"…Then what about you?"

Chen Fan answered as if it were only natural, "I'm sleeping in the master bedroom too."

"That won't do," she said, turning her face away, her voice dropping a little. "I'd better sleep on the sofa…"

"Just sleep in the master bedroom." Chen Fan leaned against the doorframe, his tone turning serious. "Don't worry, Xixi, I absolutely won't do anything tonight."

Lin Xi looked up at him, her gaze lingering on his face for two seconds, as if trying to determine how credible his words were.

Chen Fan didn't look away, just watched her with a calm expression.

"…That's what you said." Lin Xi finally spoke, her voice as light as a mosquito's hum.

"Mhm, that's what I said."

Seeing Chen Fan promising so earnestly, Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

Chen Fan released her wrist.

"Go take a shower first. There are new towels in the bathroom; I'll get one for you."

He turned and rummaged through a cabinet, pulling out a neatly folded white bath towel, then pointed toward the bathroom.

"The water heater is always on, just adjust the temperature."

Lin Xi took the towel, hugged it to her chest, and walked toward the bathroom with her head down.

The door lock clicked.

Chen Fan listened to the sound, curled the corners of his mouth, and turned to enter the bedroom.