Chapter 54: Let Him Marry Into the Family

Although the summer retreat life was indeed comfortable, Gu Yan still hadn't forgotten her proper work.

She set down the final stroke, and another painting was finished. She tossed the brush into a water bucket, stood before the easel to admire it for a moment, and then let out a satisfied breath.

Walking out of the studio, the living room was quiet.

Shen Yanhui was sitting on the sofa by the window, holding a tablet in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at the screen.

Gu Yan walked over barefoot and naturally sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck: "What are you looking at?"

Shen Yanhui took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist and handed the tablet to her.

On the screen were all sorts of ring design drafts.

Gu Yan was stunned for a second.

"Wedding rings." Shen Yanhui was concise and to the point, his finger sliding across the screen, "Which style do you like?"

Gu Yan looked carefully, and then she felt a bit dazzled.

There were simply too many styles.

Gu Yan leaned on his shoulder, flipping through the design drafts one by one: "When did you start preparing these?"

"The day after we registered our marriage, I had the designer produce twenty drafts, and these are what's left after filtering."

"Twenty drafts?" Gu Yan was surprised, "Aren't your requirements a bit too much?"

"Not much." Shen Yanhui pinched her waist.

Gu Yan clicked her tongue.

"If there isn't one you like, I'll find other designers and have them produce a few more drafts."

Good grief, please don't.

Her eyes were already blurred from looking.

Just as she was about to speak, her phone rang; it was a video call request.

The words "Ms. Yang" were pulsing on the screen.

Gu Yan's expression changed.

She remembered that she had been busy painting this week and had completely forgotten to call her mother to report her whereabouts.

"Wait, I..."

She wanted to get off Shen Yanhui's lap, but was held down by him.

"Just answer it like this." Shen Yanhui's tone was calm.

"No way!" Gu Yan struggled, "My mom will see—"

"So what if she sees?" Shen Yanhui raised an eyebrow, "Am I not fit to be seen?"

"That's not what I meant..."

The phone was still ringing; if she waited any longer, her mother would get worried.

Gu Yan gritted her teeth and had no choice but to answer. But she carefully adjusted the angle, letting only her upper body enter the frame to ensure Shen Yanhui was completely out of view.

The video connected, and Yang Bing's gentle face appeared on the screen.

"Yanyan," Ms. Yang's voice carried a hint of reproach, "Why hasn't there been any news all week? Not a single phone call; have you become so engrossed in your painting that you've forgotten yourself?"

Gu Yan instantly groveled, her voice softening by eight degrees: "Mom, I was wrong~ Inspiration hit these past few days, I was painting until I was dizzy and disoriented, I really forgot..."

Yang Bing shook her head helplessly, "You, you've been like this since you were a child, forgetting everything once you start painting. Have you eaten? Is it hot in the mountains?"

"I ate, I ate, it's not hot, I don't even need to turn on the air conditioning..."

Gu Yan answered obediently, while secretly glaring at Shen Yanhui from the corner of her eye; he was looking down, his lips almost touching her shoulder and neck.

The warm breath brushed against her skin, and Gu Yan almost couldn't hold her expression.

Yang Bing suddenly asked: "What is that sound over there?"

Gu Yan's heart skipped a beat: "N-nothing, really."

She hurriedly adjusted her posture, wanting to push Shen Yanhui further away, "Maybe the window wasn't closed properly, the wind..."

Before she could finish, Shen Yanhui's finger suddenly brushed across a sensitive spot on her waist.

Gu Yan's body trembled, and she almost cried out.

This damn man!

"Yanyan?" Yang Bing leaned closer to the screen suspiciously, "Why is your face so red?"

"It's the heat... the weather is a bit hot today..."

Yang Bing was silent for two seconds.

After all, she was the one who gave birth to her; she knew her daughter's little thoughts like the back of her hand.

"Yanyan, tell Mom honestly, are you dating someone?"

Gu Yan's breath hitched.

"No." She denied it subconsciously.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the hand on her waist tightened abruptly. Shen Yanhui narrowed his eyes, a trace of displeasure in his gaze.

On the other side of the screen, Yang Bing clearly didn't believe her and sighed: "Sigh, my daughter is grown up, she has her own little secrets and doesn't tell Mom anymore."

Gu Yan felt a headache coming on and hurriedly interrupted, "Alright, I am indeed dating someone."

She thought to herself, not only am I dating, I'm married, we even registered the certificate—isn't that shocking?

She had expected her mother to act like she was facing a great enemy, but unexpectedly, she laughed.

"Really? Is he good-looking?"

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "You don't even ask what kind of person he is, why are you only focused on whether he's good-looking?"

"Well, of course." Ms. Yang said righteously, stating her theory, "The person you have to look at all day long, of course they have to be good-looking."

"That's called pleasing to the eye and a feast for the senses; just looking at them can put you in a better mood."

Gu Yan laughed until her shoulders trembled, stealing a glance at Shen Yanhui.

At the very beginning... she really had been captivated by this excessively handsome face.

Her mother was truly a hero who thought just like her.

"How old is he?" Ms. Yang asked again.

"29."

"29? That's a bit old."

Gu Yan blinked at Shen Yanhui; the old man was being looked down upon for his age.

But the next second, Ms. Yang changed her tone: "Being a bit older is fine too, he'll know how to cherish people."

Gu Yan: "..."

"What kind of work does he do?"

"Just works at a company."

It barely counted as working at a company, though his work and ordinary work were two different things.

"What about his personality? Is he good to you?"

"It's all good, it's all good."

She was sitting on his lap, how could she say he wasn't good?

"That's fine then," Yang Bing laughed, "Money doesn't matter, our family isn't lacking. If it really doesn't work out, let him marry into our family, Mom will arrange a job for him."

Gu Yan laughed until she was rocking back and forth: "Mom! What are you saying!"

"I'm being serious, your happiness is what's most important."

The mother and daughter chatted about daily life for a while longer, during which Shen Yanhui was never idle.

His fingers lightly drew circles on her waist, occasionally lowering his head to touch her shoulder with his lips, stopping each time just as she was about to lose her composure.

He grasped the boundaries with precision, yet it was tormenting.

Gu Yan was on edge the entire time, and after finally coaxing her mother to hang up the phone, she felt almost completely drained.

She turned around and glared fiercely at Shen Yanhui: "You did that on purpose!"

"Mm," Shen Yanhui admitted candidly, his arms tightening, "So, when will you give me an official status?"

"Isn't the Marriage Certificate with you? How is that not an official status?" Gu Yan felt guilty, but her tone remained righteous.

Shen Yanhui narrowed his eyes and pinched her chin: "Gu Yan, you know what I'm talking about."

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Gu Yan was the first to lose, and she began to act coquettishly again: "I already agreed to such shameful conditions, why are you still holding onto this? You stingy person."

"You've reminded me," Shen Yanhui suddenly smiled.

That smile made alarm bells ring in Gu Yan's heart.

"Wh-what?"

Shen Yanhui didn't answer, simply carrying her as he stood up and walked toward the master bedroom.

"Shen Yanhui! It's not even dark yet!"

"So?" He kicked the bedroom door open, placed her on the bed, and leaned down to press over her, "Who says you can only fulfill an agreement when it's dark?"

"You—"

Her voice was blocked by a kiss.