Chapter 29: Wait for Me to Come Back and Compensate You

After dinner, Shen Yanhui was called away by a phone call and returned to the study to handle work.

After showering, Gu Yan lay on the bed and dialed Lin Wei's number.

"Yo, our Miss Gu actually has time to think of us common folk amidst all your pleasure? I'm flattered." As soon as the call connected, Lin Wei's teasing came through.

The two had been best friends for years, and Gu Yan had her own way of dealing with her.

"Then I'm hanging up..."

Before she could finish, the person on the other end started shouting: "Don't, don't! Good Yanyan, I'll shut up."

Gu Yan gave a light hum.

After the banter, Lin Wei began to care about business: "The paintings for the exhibition, put some heart into it yourself, don't you dare forget."

Gu Yan buried her face in the pillow: "I'm painting them. I plan to name this series 'Lake Light'; at least I can get it out."

"Only six pieces?"

"Aren't six pieces enough?"

Lin Wei clicked her tongue: "Great Painter Gu, shouldn't your inspiration be gushing while you're in a relationship?"

"Who said that..."

"I said it. Your big boss Shen, that face, that physique—isn't he a walking muse just standing there?" Lin Wei laughed.

Gu Yan's earlobes grew slightly hot, and she didn't respond.

The sound of flipping paper came from the other end of the phone: "Speaking seriously, six pieces definitely aren't enough. At least ten."

Gu Yan let out a "woo-woo" sound and said muffledly: "I'll try."

Lin Wei: "If you don't try, I'll climb onto your bed in the middle of the night and wake you up to paint."

Gu Yan: "..."

She turned over and stared at the ceiling lamp, the light and shadow flickering in her eyes.

"Sometimes when he looks at me, his gaze is like he wants to tear me apart and swallow me whole," she said suddenly, her voice a little softer.

Lin Wei was quiet for two seconds, then burst into laughter.

"Gu Yan," she laughed until she was breathless, "you're telling me this? Don't you want to tear him apart and swallow him whole?"

Gu Yan choked.

Fine, she did want to as well.

But she always felt something was wrong.

"I'm not talking to you anymore," Gu Yan muttered, "I'm going to paint my paintings."

After hanging up, the bedroom went quiet. She lay on her back for a while, then got up and walked toward the studio.

Before, she had no inspiration and nothing felt right no matter how she painted. Now that she had it, she couldn't bear to stop.

According to the popular saying on the internet, she was painting like a woman possessed, completely lost in it.

It was already one in the morning when Shen Yanhui returned from the study.

The bed was empty; there was no sign of the young girl.

He thought for a moment and walked toward the studio. The studio hadn't been there when Man Island was first designed; it was converted later. It was at the end of the hallway, very quiet.

Usually, no one would use this room.

Gu Yan was the first.

The studio door was open.

The young girl was asleep, slumped over the high stool by the easel. Her right hand was still loosely holding a paintbrush, the tip drooping and dotting a small patch of pale blue on the wooden floor.

Shen Yanhui leaned over and pulled the brush from her hand.

His movements were very light, but she still stirred, let out a vague whimper, and didn't wake up.

Shen Yanhui picked her up; she instinctively burrowed into his arms, her cheek pressing against the front of his shirt, rubbing against it.

"Hard..." she mumbled vaguely, as if talking in her sleep.

His footsteps paused, and he looked down at her.

Gu Yan's eyes were still closed, her lips slightly pouted, her fingers unconsciously clutching his clothing: "... not nice to touch."

Not nice to touch?

Shen Yanhui looked down at the hand she had pressed against his abdominal muscles.

Back in the master bedroom, he placed her into the covers. She curled up, but her hand still wouldn't let go of his shirt hem.

He leaned over and pried her fingers open one by one, his movements very patient.

As soon as her fingertips loosened, she groped around and reached out again, this time sliding directly under his shirt, pressing against him without any barrier.

"... Mine."

The voice was very small, like a murmur.

Shen Yanhui didn't pull her hand away again: "Mm, yours."

——

Over the next few days, Gu Yan was completely immersed in her paintings.

Although she was under the same roof as Shen Yanhui, she felt like she barely saw him; they were each busy with their own things.

When Shen Yanhui returned to the room at night, Gu Yan was often already too tired to open her eyes. Feeling the mattress sink and his familiar scent approach in her daze, she would habitually reach out to touch his abdominal muscles.

Usually, she wouldn't touch them for ten seconds before her fingers would slide away limply and her breathing would deepen.

Shen Yanhui would remain silent in the darkness for a moment, then pull her into his arms. His palm would rest against the small of her back, rubbing and pressing gently.

Late on the fourth night, Gu Yan was uncharacteristically clear-headed.

She turned over, her nose brushing against his collarbone: "I'm almost finished painting."

"Mm." His palm lingered on the small of her back.

"Finishing up tomorrow." Her voice carried a hint of weariness, "And then..."

Then what, she didn't continue.

Sleepiness came too quickly.

The next afternoon, Gu Yan washed her hands, watched the last stroke of oil paint on the easel dry slowly in the light, and let out a soft sigh of relief.

She prepared to properly coax Shen Yanhui.

She had indeed been too focused these past few days and had neglected him a little.

And while she was at it, she would properly reward herself as well.

Pectorals, abs, here I come!

Just as she walked out of the studio, her phone rang; Gu Yan glanced at the screen, it was her eldest brother, Gu Chen.

Sensing something ominous, she answered it.

Gu Chen: "Where are you? I had someone send new tea to Yunqi Jian, and they said you haven't been back for several days."

Gu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm at... a friend's place. I've been looking for inspiration lately, so I changed environments." She walked quickly toward the master bedroom.

Gu Chen: "Which friend?"

"Just... one Lin Wei introduced me to, a very quiet guesthouse." She pushed open the door, "Brother, I can't talk right now, the signal is bad—"

"Gu Yan."

Her footsteps came to a halt.

Gu Chen issued an ultimatum: "Come home for dinner tonight; I want to see you before six o'clock."

The call hung up.

Gu Yan gripped her phone, stood in place for two seconds, and then turned and ran toward the stairs.

She had to go back, immediately.

Her eldest brother wasn't like Gu Lin, who was a bit dim-witted; he wasn't easy to fool.

Just as she rounded the corner of the hallway, she bumped into someone's arms.

Shen Yanhui held her arms, steadying her body as she nearly stumbled, "Where are you going in such a rush?"

Gu Yan's face was flushed; she looked up, met his deep gaze, pouted, and said, "I have to go home for a bit. My brother is checking up on me, and I have to leave right now."

Shen Yanhui didn't let go; he lowered his eyes to look at her, his expression devoid of emotion, yet it made her inexplicably guilty.

He spoke slowly: "These past few days, I really haven't seen much of you."

Gu Yan caught the subtle implication.

She bit her lip and stood on tiptoe to give his cheek a quick kiss.

"I've neglected you," her voice softened, coaxing him, "I'll make it up to you when I get back, okay?"

"How will you make it up?"

"Anything you ask." She kissed him again, this time on the corner of his mouth, "Be good, wait for me."

Having said that, she tried to slip out from the crook of his arm.

Shen Yanhui's palm gave her waist a light squeeze, and he was met with a reproachful glare, "Let go quickly, if I don't make it back by six, I'm dead."

There was no lethality in the young girl's gaze; on the contrary, it was alluring without her even realizing it.

Shen Yanhui pinched the soft flesh at her waist before letting go, "Let the driver take you back."

Gu Yan waved her hand, "No need!"

Once she finished speaking, she ran off in a flash, her footsteps disappearing at the top of the stairs.

He stood where he was, looking at the empty hallway.

His eyes narrowed slightly.