Emma suddenly chuckled, not seeming to mind the girl's words, and said, "Is she blind?"
Then she recalled the girl's provocative expression and slowly said, "You know, if I really did satisfy her wish and beat her up, would she be stunned?"
Jason: "…"
At that moment, the girl stopped looking at Emma and Jason and cooed to her boyfriend, "If you think I'm your fairy, then take me on this boat ride."
"But you said you get seasick," the boy, exasperated by her whims, responded.
Jason then released Emma's arm and whispered, "Wait here for me."
He walked to the back and quietly instructed the bodyguard who had been following them, then returned.
Soon after, Emma heard the girl shriek, "Why can't I take a boat ride? What's going on? Are you even willing to spend money on a boat ride?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling to spend money, but all these boats have been booked," the boy explained, frustrated.
The girl screamed in disbelief, "You're lying! No one would book all the boats."
People on the shore started to look over due to her loud outburst.
Jason directly took Emma's hand and chuckled, "Let's go, we're going on the boat."
Emma was taken aback.
As they boarded the boat, Emma saw the girl's face filled with shock, anger, and extreme embarrassment on the shore, and turned to Jason, "Jason, you..."
She was at a loss for words. Was this man childish or not, competing with such a young girl by booking all the boats?
"She insulted you," Jason's tone was calm, but his face was full of displeasure.
As Jason leaned closer, he asked in a low voice, "But seeing her expression, doesn't you feel happy?"
Emma blinked at him, and indeed, she felt happy and relieved.
He then lowered his head, and Emma instinctively closed her eyes, and in the next moment, his lips pressed against her soft eyelids.
This time, his voice was like a whisper: "I just want my wife to be happy."
The small boat glided smoothly over the calm lake surface, with the white-walled and black-tiled buildings not far from the riverbank. As the sun set, the entire sky was dyed orange, warm and tranquil.
Many neon lights at the entrances of inns and restaurants came on, creating a strange picture of ancient buildings intertwined with modern bright lights.
Like sitting on a time boat, traveling between modernity and antiquity.
"How leisurely this place is," Emma murmured, her gaze lingering before she let out a soft laugh.
Jason turned to look at her: "Would you like to stay here for a few more days?"
Emma shook her head.
She chuckled, "Have you forgotten where my ancestral home is?"
Her father was from Nanxun, Zhejiang. Although Emma was born in Shanghai, her father would take her back to their hometown in Nanxun. The pace of life in small places was indeed slow and peaceful.
Just like tourism, it's about going from a place you're tired of to a place others are tired of.
"Occasionally experiencing life here can be comfortable and pleasant, but if given a choice, I prefer the fast pace," Emma said.
Jason asked in a deep voice, "Shanghai?"
Emma looked at the calm river and was silent for a few seconds: "Israel..."
Or more accurately, the Middle East.
When Jason heard this answer, his expression seemed calm, but his slightly lowered eyes were like a calm lake with waves rising, showing a surge.
Until he leaned slightly towards her, his gaze fixed on Emma's face, his voice low and deep: "Why?"
"If you can't stop war, then tell the truth of war to the whole world," Emma said slowly. She turned her head and chuckled, "When I was a freshman, a senior who had graduated many years ago was invited back to give a lecture. This was his first sentence. At that time, I just thought his words were exciting."
Yes, as a journalist, especially an ambitious and idealistic one, one is always attracted to such people and things.
At that time, Emma sat in the small auditorium, surrounded by all her classmates who were quiet and attentive.
There was no need for anyone to maintain order; everyone consciously listened to every word the senior said, looking at the photos he brought back from the front line of the battlefield.
Jason didn't interrupt her but continued to listen quietly.
Emma whispered, "Until I truly saw what war was."
She had thought Israel had been peaceful enough in recent years, not like its neighbor Syria, plagued by war and chaos. But the next moment, countless shells rained down on civilian areas, injuring numerous civilians, including women and children.
Yet, in the end, no one could provide them with answers, telling them why.
After speaking, Emma fell silent for a long while, then turned to Jason with a low laugh, "But I won't go."
Jason looked into her eyes, "Because of me?"
"Because of you," Emma gazed at the orange light on the horizon. In such a leisurely and comfortable environment, people seemed more willing to speak their hearts. She turned to him and said, "You're here; how could I bear to leave?"
She had married Jason, and life was no longer just her own affair.
Previously, she had considered herself a bit more, but now she was more willing to consider both of them together.
Jason's usually expressionless face finally unfolded into a smile. The warm orange twilight fell on his handsome cheeks, momentarily dazzling her heart.
Even the slight curve of his lips was so perfectly pleasing to the eye.
Of course, his smile was tinged with a hint of complacency. Although he didn't speak, it was almost written all over his face, as if to say, you know you can't bear to leave me.
To prevent Jason from getting too smug, Emma coughed lightly and said seriously, "Of course, most of it is still because of grandma."
The elderly lady was old, having lost her daughter early and her son-in-law missing for many years. If Emma were to have any more mishaps, it would be the end of grandma's life.
Jason actually chuckled softly, "It's okay, I know you have me in your heart."
He was so agreeable that Emma couldn't help but laugh, and she couldn't resist pinching his cheek, teasing, "Why are you so well-behaved?"
Jason immediately froze, all the smiles on his face pausing as if on hold.
After all, a mature man of thirty-one being pinched on the cheek by his wife and called well-behaved...
"Emma," he called her name solemnly.
Emma knew she had gone a bit too far and immediately withdrew her hand, meekly placing it on her knee, sitting up straight like a well-behaved child in class.
Jason laughed again.
At that moment, the middle-aged man standing at the bow of the boat, watching the young couple sitting on the deck filled with the sunset, thought they were a perfect match.
They were truly a feast for the eyes.
*
The two did not return to the manor for dinner that night but found a restaurant outside, the one Emma found most recommended on a travel app.
They went with a try-it-out mindset, but unexpectedly, the food was quite delicious.
Although they deliberately chose a secluded seat, two girls who seemed to be best friends sitting diagonally across kept staring at them.
"Not your online fan club, are they?" Emma teased him.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Jason really had fans. He had a public account on Weibo but had never posted a single tweet. He registered it to prevent others from impersonating him.
He was naturally low-key and didn't like social media, rarely posting on WeChat Moments.
But he had a super topic on Weibo, and the number of fans in the topic exceeded 100,000, basically ranking first in the financial sector.
Even if he was low-key and refused interviews, fans could take videos and photos of him at public events and keep reposting them.
Sometimes even Emma found these fans cute and amusing.
Jason glanced at her and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense."
Emma chuckled lightly, fortunately not continuing to tease him. As for the two girls who kept looking at them, Emma didn't take it to heart.
She wouldn't actively expose their relationship, but if they were recognized, she wouldn't pretend not to know Jason.
It wouldn't be fair to him.
So Emma ate her meal with ease, no longer concerned with the affairs of others.
After dinner, the couple strolled around for a while before returning to the manor.
As for Xiao Yichen and the others, they naturally wouldn't retire early. Upon returning to the manor and asking around, they found out that the group was in the card room playing, so they went to join them.
Upon pushing the door open, the atmosphere inside was lively.
"I won this round, pay up," a gentle and generous voice rang out, and there was Su Yiheng, sitting facing the door with her hands spread out.
Her face was filled with laughter, and her usually striking black eyes were brimming with amusement.
Upon looking up and seeing Jason and Emma entering hand in hand, she greeted them proactively, "Brother Shen Yan, Jing Xi, you're back."
Her friendly greeting left the people at the table a bit stunned.
Xiao Yichen turned to look at them and laughed heartily, "You guys will never guess how coincidental it is that we came here to play and bumped into Yiheng who happened to be shooting a promotional video in Tongli."
Xiao Yichen was meticulous in his speech, immediately clarifying his position.
They came here to play and did not inform Su Yiheng; it was a chance encounter.
"I haven't even mentioned that you guys came here without calling me. How come, am I now excluded from your group?" Su Yiheng lightly hummed, her bright eyes staring at Xiao Yichen unceremoniously.
Xiao Yichen immediately pleaded for mercy, "You're a big star now, with a schedule so packed it's booked until next year. I wouldn't dare to disturb you lightly."
This statement was familiar and intimate; they had a close relationship, having grown up together since childhood.
Back in high school, Su Yiheng was beautiful, attracting many boys' attention. Xiao Yichen had deflected many unwanted advances on her behalf. Over the years, though not a blood relative, she was more like a sister to him.
He believed that as long as Su Yiheng could let go of her feelings for Jason and move on, she would still be the lovely girl she once was.
Seeing Su Yiheng greet them proactively and even address Emma by name without any awkwardness, Xiao Yichen was genuinely happy for her.
"Others might not have time, but I always have time to play mahjong and win some money with you guys," Su Yiheng's gaze fell on the people at the card table, her spread hands making a motion as if counting money in the air: "Pay up."
"A big star like you, obsessed with money, imagine how embarrassing it would be if your fans saw this," Xiao Yichen teased her, then handed her the money in front of him.
They were playing for small stakes, just a few hundred dollars at most, which was merely for entertainment given the wealth of everyone present.
After carefully counting the money, Su Yiheng chuckled, "Even if my fans knew, they would only praise me for being cute."
She blinked her eyes, perhaps accustomed to the camera, she seemed to be able to maintain a perfect expression at any time.
Han Zhao, on the side, turned to Jason and asked, "Brother, do you want to play?"
"No, you play," Jason shook his head slightly, directly leading Emma to sit on the sofa nearby.
They didn't play for long that night. Around eleven o'clock, Emma became sleepy. She leaned against Jason, her head unconsciously resting on his shoulder, and finally couldn't help but lean on him.
"Tired?" Jason asked in a low voice.
Emma couldn't resist nodding, so he directly said, "Let's go back to our room."
"Keep playing, I'm taking her back to sleep," Jason turned to the others who were still engrossed in the game.
"Maybe we shouldn't play anymore?" Xiao Yichen suggested.
But Su Yiheng said, "No way, I've just started winning money, and you want to run away? Brother Shen Yan and his wife are going back to sleep; why would you want to stop?"
Xiao Yichen was taken aback, and this time he genuinely laughed, "Alright, I'll play with you tonight until you decide to stop. We'll play as long as you want, no one is allowed to leave."
Shen Qiqi immediately raised her hand and said, "I want to have a late-night snack."
"Alright, I'll prepare it," Old Chen laughed.
Jason calmly said, "You all continue to play."
With that, he reached out, took Emma's hand, and led her out of the room.
"Shen Yan is truly enviable now," Xiao Yichen picked up a tile, his face indeed showing admiration, but his peripheral vision unconsciously glanced at Su Yiheng across from him.
After a while, Su Yiheng picked up a tile from in front of her, played it, her voice no longer as lively and happy as before, but she nodded and softly said, "Yes, Brother Shen Yan is the first among us to get married, and he's so happy."
"Wonderful," her voice was so soft it seemed to come from afar.
The manor was quite spacious, and the card room was at least a few minutes' walk from their living quarters. Emma was so tired that she could barely lift her eyelids as they walked.
Until Jason stopped her, and Emma stood still, gazing at him in a daze.
Perhaps she didn't understand why he had stopped.
"Come on, I'll carry you," Jason said, standing in front of her and squatting slightly.
The cool night breeze gently swept by, bringing a chill that made Emma shiver.
She looked at the man's back in front of her, and after a few seconds, her hands gently rested on his shoulders, her chest close to his back. Jason's hands were on her legs, and in an instant, she was lifted off the ground.
Emma now clung tightly to his neck, the clothes between them lightly rubbing together, making a rustling sound, until she pressed her cheek against the warm, exposed skin at the back of his neck.
On this somewhat cold late autumn night, she snuggled close to his back.
So warm.
In just a few minutes, Emma had fallen asleep on Jason's back, and he laid her gently on the bed. Under the soft light of the bedside lamp, the wounds on her face were still visible.
Jason sighed inwardly.
When he couldn't help but lower his head, the girl who had been闭着 eyes suddenly opened them, a pair of round, big black eyes staring at him, her long, curled eyelashes quivering slightly, and she curled her lips, "You're not going to take advantage of a patient, are you?"
This...
Jason's tender feelings were shattered by her words, and he looked at her expressionlessly.
He reached over and pulled the blanket over her enticing eyes.
"Sleep," his voice was a bit hoarse.
When he stood up, his gaze unconsciously drifted to his pants, huh, was he that kind of person?
When Emma woke up, Jason was nowhere to be seen. After wandering around the manor and not finding him, she waited for half an hour until he returned with Old Chen.
"Up already?" Jason walked over and naturally and effortlessly kissed her forehead.
Old Chen, standing by, smiled but remained silent, carrying something in his hands towards the kitchen.
Emma, noticing the dew on his clothes, asked curiously, "Where have you been?"
At this moment, she looked up and noticed not only his clothes but also his black, short hair was wet, as if he had just come back from a place full of green plants.
"Next door is a farm, they grow a lot of vegetables. I woke up early and went for a run, and I happened to meet Old Chen, so I went with him," Jason's voice was particularly pleasant at the moment, as if filtered by the morning dew.
Clear and bright.
Emma didn't expect that he had gone to pick vegetables early in the morning. She knew he had a fixed biological clock, living a schedule like those in American TV shows. He would wake up at six in the morning, run for half an hour, then have breakfast, and go to the company.
Unless he was working late or was busy, he would go to bed around eleven at night.
As a journalist, Emma was aware of the demands of her job and often worked overtime and stayed up late.
Sometimes an urgent news story would require her to immediately turn on her computer, even if she was about to go to bed.
On the contrary, these past few days of being injured, hospitalized, and recovering at home were some of the most comfortable and carefree times she had had in years.
Every day, she didn't have to think about what was coming tomorrow or work, watch movies, and most of her time was spent watching documentaries.
Jason would come back to have dinner with her when he was not busy. When he was busy, she wouldn't disturb him but would send him little videos to share Aunt Qian's good cooking skills. This kind of life was indeed comfortable, but she would also feel a sense of emptiness afterward. It was like you had been running towards a goal, tired but with a purpose in mind, and now that goal had temporarily disappeared.
She turned to Jason and said softly, "Can I discuss something with you?"
Jason chuckled lightly and asked, "Do you want to go back to work?"
Emma's eyes widened in surprise; she really didn't expect Jason to guess her thoughts.
She blinked and stared at his eyes, could this man have X-rays in his eyes?
"Work hours can be long, but your health is important," Jason paused, "I've always supported you in working hard, but only if you take care of your health first."
Emma reached out and grabbed his hand, "I won't go back to work now, I just want to wait until the wounds on my face heal, is that okay?"
She was asking him, so her voice was soft and tender, tickling his heart.
Jason was silent for a moment, then helplessly stroked her forehead and said, "As a boss, I would love an employee like you, dedicated and hardworking."
Emma smiled instantly.
"But as a husband, I would worry," his voice was full of helplessness.
They sat by the window, sunlight streaming in from behind, partially obscuring him. His eyes were slightly lowered, but the helplessness and worry in his eyes were clear.
Emma couldn't help but say, "I promise I will take care of my health first."
She just felt her injuries didn't need a month of rest; the newspaper office had given her a month off, and even the editor-in-chief said she could ask for more time if needed.
"You always know how to say the right things," Jason really had no way with her.
*
Su Yiheng left the manor early in the morning because she had to rush back to Shanghai for another event. As for the others, except for Han Zhao, they all slept in until late morning.
The last one out of the room, Shen Qiqi, seeing everyone there, blinked and asked, "You guys weren't waiting for me, were you?"
"Who do you think?" Han Zhao glanced at her.
Shen Qiqi's face turned red with embarrassment. It was normal for a young girl to sleep in, but it was a bit embarrassing to keep everyone waiting.
Old Chen invited them to the lake by the farm to fish; there were many leisure activities here that didn't require much energy but could pass the time, like picking vegetables, fishing, and boating.
So, they all got on the manor's white electric carts, similar to those at golf courses, two per cart.
When Han Zhao got into the driver's seat, Shen Qiqi quickly jumped in beside him.
Xiao Yichen just shook his head and laughed, got into another cart with Old Chen, and as for Emma, she was naturally with Jason.
The manor covered a large area, but it was early winter, and the surroundings were a bit withered. If they came in spring, the hazy and graceful scenery of the Jiangnan region would be more vivid.
Upon arriving at the lake, the staff prepared fishing rods for the men.
As for Emma, she didn't like this sport; it was too quiet, and neither did Shen Qiqi.
"Sister Jingxi, how about we go boating?" Shen Qiqi suggested.
There were indeed a few small white boats by the lake, apparently for boating.
Emma nodded; these small boats were quite small, and they didn't let the staff follow, paddling out by themselves. The lake surface was like a drop of jade, with a light green color but clear and transparent water quality.
"Sister Jingxi, let me row, you're still recovering," Shen Qiqi said.
Emma was amused by her tone, "I'm not that incapable."
Actually, they weren't very familiar with each other, having hardly spent any time together. It was Shen Qiqi's lively nature that initiated conversation: "Jingxi, how old are you?"
Emma smiled, "Twenty-four."
Shen Qiqi's eyes widened; she only vaguely knew Emma was young but didn't expect her to be so young. She said in surprise, "You're only two years older than me; I'm twenty-two this year."
Shen Qiqi had just graduated and returned to Shanghai from abroad.
Emma was slightly taken aback, "Do I look old?"
"No, no," Shen Qiqi immediately waved her hands, hurrying to explain, "I just think you're too young, and you got married to Brother Shen Yan last year, so you must have been married at twenty-three?"
The average age of first marriage in the country has been increasing, and it's not rare to get married at thirty.
Instead, it's rare to get married right after graduating from university like Emma did.
"You got married to Shen Yan brother at only twenty-three," Shen Qiqi said, her hands supporting her cheeks, her face and eyes full of envy. "It's really so enviable."
She sighed, "No wonder Sister Yiheng is so jealous of you."
She inadvertently blurted out what she really wanted to say, and then was stunned herself, her eyes wide as she immediately apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sister Jingxi."
Emma didn't mind and just smiled, "Just don't let it slip next time."
Shen Qiqi nodded immediately.
She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Jingxi, let me tell you a secret of mine."
Emma glanced at her and casually asked, "What secret?"
Shen Qiqi looked towards where the men were fishing in the distance, her clear black and white eyes hiding shyness.
Emma turned her head to look and lightly laughed, "That you like Han Zhao?"
Shen Qiqi: "..."
When Emma brought her gaze back, Shen Qiqi was looking at her eagerly, and after a few seconds of silence, she asked, "Sister Jingxi, do you have X-ray vision? Why do you know what I'm thinking?"
This was too scary.
Emma smiled lightly and didn't respond.
Fortunately, after Shen Qiqi recovered, she began to chat with her. Being a young and lively girl, when talking about the person she liked, she really wanted to talk for three days and three nights.
However, Emma was not surprised that she liked Han Zhao.
Although she didn't interact with Han Zhao much, he was really different from those rich second-generation kids. He had the iron-blooded strength and toughness that was unique to soldiers.
Full of toughness, for a young girl, it was the most intoxicating poison.
But Han Zhao treated her only as a sister, and Shen Qiqi didn't dare to show her feelings too obviously. The lesson of Su Yiheng was still in front of her; she was afraid that Han Zhao would dislike her, just like how Jason actively distanced himself from Su Yiheng.
As she talked, her tone became a bit downcast.
Emma really didn't know how to comfort Shen Qiqi.
In college, Emma was too lazy to fall in love and didn't want to. The reason was simple; she needed to earn money to support her grandmother and herself. There were rich second-generation kids who liked her, but she always respectfully declined. They hadn't earned a penny themselves but spent their parents' money quite generously.
Moreover, the image of love in her heart should be like her parents'.
A loving couple, even if separated by death, is enough to miss.
Until she met Jason.
To be honest, Emma was too lucky. Compared to so many people in the world who are unable to get what they want and toss and turn, she met the most beautiful love at the most beautiful age.
Emma sighed slightly in her heart, looking at the lovely girl in front of her, and was about to raise her hand to comfort her by touching the top of her head.
But as soon as her arm lifted, she saw Shen Qiqi, who had been depressed just now, suddenly become excited and excited. Her eyes shining, she looked at Emma excitedly and said, "But oh, I recently found out some intelligence."
"Han Zhao has a cousin in Beijing named Han Yao."
Emma didn't interrupt her and listened patiently.
Shen Qiqi continued, "Han Yao's girlfriend is called Yi Duanduan."
After saying this, she looked at Emma excitedly, but Emma didn't understand her meaning.
So what?
"Shen Qiqi, Yi Duanduan," Shen Qiqi said excitedly, "Our names are so similar, it's fate."
Emma: "…"