166: Greeting ceremony, morning exercises, breakfast

In the early morning, soft sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, gently falling on Lu Chen’s face.

The golden light was like a thin veil, casting a warm glow on his chiseled features.

Lu Chen slowly sat up from the bed, raised a hand to pat his forehead, his face full of shame and helplessness.

He let out a soft sigh and muttered to himself, “I really am a scumbag!”

Yesterday, one moment he was passionately kissing Chen Mengyao and confessing his love, showering her with sweet nothings.

The next moment, he was playing idiom Solitaire (word chain game) with Gu Xiaoxiao.

What was worse, this happened right next to Chen Mengyao’s room.

As a result, when Gu Xiaoxiao played idiom Solitaire, she was afraid of being heard next door, so she didn't dare to speak too loudly, only whispering.

“It’s truly despicable, how can there be such a despicable person in the world?” Lu Chen shook his head, despising himself immensely.

In the middle of the night, he had intended to sneak from Gu Xiaoxiao’s room to Chen Mengyao’s room to teach her how to play idiom Solitaire too.

After all, he had already heated things up with Chen Mengyao, and it would be a shame not to strike while the iron was hot.

But unfortunately, there was a little girl in Chen Mengyao’s room—Chen Mengyao’s younger sister, Chen Xuening.

This forced Lu Chen, who was preparing to switch venues, to abandon his idea.

Lu Chen was filled with regret; he should have known to have Chen Xuening brought over tomorrow instead.

“I must be more careful next time.” Lu Chen secretly warned himself, then began to sit up, reaching for the clothes beside him and putting them on one by one.

Just then, Gu Xiaoxiao also slowly woke up.

Her eyes slowly opened, her face flushed, her sleepy gaze carrying a hint of lingering weariness and unspent spring energy.

Her eyelashes were long and thick, casting a shadow beneath her eyes, like the gentle fluttering of butterfly wings.

She stretched slightly, her arms gently extending, her waistline rising and falling gracefully.

Her tender pink lips parted slightly as she let out a small yawn, revealing a set of neat white teeth.

The soft blanket slipped down with her movement, revealing an extremely captivating sight.

Her fair and delicate collarbones were faintly visible, appearing even more charming in the sunlight.

Gu Xiaoxiao’s gaze gradually focused, landing on Lu Chen, who was getting dressed.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Lu Chen with a puzzled expression.

Listening to Lu Chen muttering things like, “I’m such a scumbag, I must be careful.”

Gu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but be stunned, her originally muddled mind instantly clearing up a bit.

Her eyes widened, filled with surprise and curiosity.

What did this mean?

Had Lu Chen finally realized his scumbag nature and was preparing to turn over a new leaf and mend his ways?

A hint of surprise flashed in Gu Xiaoxiao’s eyes, and she gently pinched the corner of the blanket, her fingertips trembling slightly.

She wanted to ask something but felt a bit embarrassed to disturb Lu Chen’s moment of self-reflection.

So she just lay there quietly, watching Lu Chen earnestly getting dressed and listening to his self-reproaching words.

At this moment,

Lu Chen also seemed to notice that Gu Xiaoxiao had woken up; his movements paused, and he slowly turned to look.

When his gaze met Gu Xiaoxiao’s sleepy face, which held a hint of innocence and shyness, he first froze for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curved upwards, revealing a knowing smile.

Immediately after, he made a move that greatly surprised Gu Xiaoxiao—he took off the clothes he had just put on, one by one.

Gu Xiaoxiao looked at Lu Chen in astonishment, her already flushed face now even redder, like a ripe apple.

She softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Chen smiled, his smile holding a hint of mystery, and said, “How about I teach you a morning greeting ritual?”

“A greeting ritual?” Gu Xiaoxiao’s eyes were full of curiosity; she tilted her head, her gaze sparkling with a thirst for knowledge. She had never heard of a morning greeting ritual.

Lu Chen nodded, the smile on his face growing wider.

Then, he patiently began to instruct Gu Xiaoxiao on how to perform this so-called morning greeting ritual.

Gu Xiaoxiao learned very diligently, her eyes incredibly focused.

Before long, Gu Xiaoxiao had mastered the essentials and successfully completed the morning greeting ritual.

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes, nodded with satisfaction, and praised, “Not bad, you are very talented.”

Gu Xiaoxiao did not speak, because she did not want to open her mouth.

After completing the greeting ritual, Lu Chen got up again and put on his clothes.

He looked at Gu Xiaoxiao, who was getting dressed, a hint of tenderness in his eyes, and asked, “I have morning exercises, do you want to join me?”

Gu Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment, a picture of her exercising with Lu Chen appearing in her mind, and a surge of anticipation filled her heart.

She nodded gently, answering with a clear voice, “Okay.”

Afterward, they went out to the balcony together.

The morning sun filled the entire balcony, and the air was fresh. Lu Chen stood on one side of the balcony, stretched his body, and then began to demonstrate squats to Gu Xiaoxiao.

He stood with his feet slightly apart, shoulder-width apart, hands naturally hanging down, slowly squatted, knees bent, back straight, the entire movement fluid and standard.

Gu Xiaoxiao watched Lu Chen’s demonstration carefully, then imitated him and began to squat.

Her movements were a bit clumsy, but she tried very hard. With each squat, she gritted her teeth, trying her best to make her movements standard.

Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead, glistening in the sunlight.

After finishing squats, they began to practice leg raises.

Lu Chen sat on a chair on the balcony, lifted one leg, straightened it, held the position for a moment, then slowly lowered it.

Gu Xiaoxiao also sat on the chair next to him, carefully lifting her own leg.

Her legs were slender and long, appearing exceptionally fair in the sunlight.

She tried hard to maintain her balance, not letting her legs sway.

Then, they did some simple exercise routines together.

Lu Chen led Gu Xiaoxiao in stretching her arms, rotating her waist, and moving her ankles, performing each movement meticulously.

Gu Xiaoxiao closely followed Lu Chen’s rhythm; her face was radiant with vitality and vigor, and although she was a bit tired, her eyes were full of determination.

After the morning exercises, Lu Chen looked at the slightly breathless Gu Xiaoxiao and smiled faintly.

He walked over to Gu Xiaoxiao and said softly, “That’s enough, let’s end today’s morning exercises here. I’ll prepare you some breakfast; you won’t be hungry after eating.”

Gu Xiaoxiao’s face flushed; she wasn’t quite used to Lu Chen’s gentle side. She shyly lowered her head and softly said, “Okay.”

Lu Chen turned and walked into the kitchen, and soon emerged with a carefully prepared loving breakfast.

The breakfast was very rich, with golden fried eggs, fragrant bread, fresh fruit, and a steaming cup of milk.

Gu Xiaoxiao felt a warm current surge through her heart as she looked at the breakfast.

She parted her pink lips and slowly began to eat.

After finishing breakfast, Gu Xiaoxiao felt a bit tired.

The morning exercises had consumed too much of her physical strength, and coupled with playing idiom Solitaire late last night, her eyelids began to droop, and she felt sleepy again.

She looked at Lu Chen, hesitated for a moment, then softly said, “Boss Lu, I’m a bit sleepy. Can I ask for a leave today and sleep a little longer…?”

After speaking, she was incredibly nervous, watching Lu Chen's expression, fearing that this presumptuous request would displease him.

However, to Gu Xiaoxiao’s pleasant surprise, Lu Chen did not get angry; instead, he smiled and nodded, saying, “Then go rest.”

Hearing Lu Chen’s consent, Gu Xiaoxiao’s tightly strung heart instantly relaxed, and a brilliant smile bloomed on her face, like a flower in spring, bright and captivating.

Her eyes curved into crescent moons, sparkling with surprise and gratitude, each ray of light filled with immense joy.

Two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, adding a touch of playfulness and cuteness to her smile.

Her already pink lips curved slightly upwards, revealing a set of clean white teeth. In the sunlight, her smile seemed to dispel all the gloom in the world.

“Thank you, Boss Lu!” Gu Xiaoxiao’s voice was clear and melodious, carrying a hint of coquetry, a true expression of her inner joy.

With that, she turned and walked towards the bed, her steps light yet a little cautious.

Standing by the bed, she first hesitated, a hint of shyness flashing in her eyes.

Her fingers gently pinched the corner of her clothes, applying a slight force, then slowly raised her hand, reaching for the buttons of her clothes. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unbuttoned them one by one.

A blush spread across her cheeks again, reaching her earlobes, as red as ripe cherries.

With each button she unfastened, her breathing became a little more rapid, her chest rising and falling slightly.

After taking off her clothes, she quickly burrowed under the covers, pulled the blanket over her, and wrapped herself tightly, revealing only her flushed face.

She adjusted her posture to lie more comfortably, then closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her cheeks.

Before long, her breathing became even and steady, and she drifted into a sweet dream.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen stood by, silently watching everything, a smile always playing on his lips.

He shook his head, then turned and quietly walked out of the room, his steps light and his spirits high, ready to face the busy new day.