Chapter 266: Silence

Looking at the girl sleeping peacefully on the sofa, Lei Yin let out a soft sigh.

When Lei Yin left Naoko’s apartment and returned to his own residence, this was the scene that greeted him as soon as he stepped in.

Seeing the still-on television and the remote in the girl’s hand, Lei Yin realized she must have waited for him late into the night before dozing off unknowingly.

Her serene, childlike expression as she slept stirred a vague sense of heaviness in Lei Yin’s heart.

After a while, he extended his right hand and gently brushed the back of his fingers across the girl’s smooth, porcelain-like face.

Still deep in slumber, the girl remained oblivious, continuing to sleep soundly.

Lei Yin gazed at her for a moment longer before slowly standing up and walking toward the door.

Half an hour later, Lei Yin returned with breakfast in hand.

Seeing that she was still asleep, he walked over and gently shook her awake.

“Rumi, wake up.”

It wasn’t long before Rumi slowly opened her eyes.

When she saw it was him, her face immediately lit up with delight. “Senpai, you’re back!”

Lei Yin smiled. “Go wash your face. I’ve brought breakfast. We can eat together after you freshen up.”

“Okay.” She glanced at him again before standing up.

However, as soon as she got up, she felt a wave of soreness throughout her body, prompting a soft groan.

“What’s wrong?” Lei Yin asked.

“My whole body aches,” Rumi said, frowning slightly.

Lei Yin replied with mock irritation, “That’s what you get for sleeping on the sofa instead of the bed.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, Rumi stuck out her tongue before heading to the bathroom.

Lei Yin called out loudly from behind, “There’s a new toothbrush and towel in the cabinet next to the bathroom. If you can’t find them, just let me know.”

“Got it,” she replied from the bathroom.

When Rumi emerged after freshening up, she saw that Lei Yin had already set out and portioned the breakfast.

As they ate, Lei Yin said, “You should rest for a bit after this. I’ll wake you up at lunchtime.”

“I can’t. I have two required classes this morning,” Rumi said, glancing at the time. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Oh no, it’s already 10 AM! I’m in trouble. Senpai, I have to go now.” She hurriedly stood up to leave.

Lei Yin grabbed her hand. “Don’t bother. You’re already late anyway. Missing one or two classes isn’t a big deal.”

Hearing this, Rumi hesitated before nodding and sitting back down, realizing it was too late to make it to class.

Noticing her slightly uneasy expression, Lei Yin said, “It’s just a couple of missed classes. What’s there to worry about?”

Ever since middle school, Rumi had been a model student, and the thought of missing classes made her anxious. “But I’ve always wanted to maintain a perfect attendance record. This is your fault, Senpai. You promised to come back last night, and I waited so long for you that I overslept!”

“Hey, didn’t I call and tell Kazumi that I wouldn’t be coming back last night? Didn’t she tell you?”

“But I wanted to make sure you were okay. By the way, who ended up winning?” she asked excitedly.

“Take a guess.”

Looking closely at his eyes, Rumi hesitated before saying, “Did you win, Senpai?”

Lei Yin didn’t reply, only smiling at her.

Seeing his smile, Rumi’s face lit up with excitement. “You really won? That’s amazing! I knew you were the strongest, Senpai!”

As he watched her joyful expression, a fleeting thought crossed Lei Yin’s mind, and the smile in his eyes subtly dimmed.

※※※

Watching her marvel at the shops and facilities around them, Lei Yin smiled quietly, keeping his thoughts to himself as he continued walking with her arm in his.

When they arrived at the main entrance of the China Tower, Naoko stared in awe at the grand design of the outer walls, instinctively tightening her grip on Lei Yin’s arm.

As the two of them stepped through the entrance, Zhang Mingyu, who had been waiting for them, immediately walked over and said, “Mr. Gennai, you’re here.”

Lei Yin nodded and continued walking inside with Zhang Mingyu.

As they arrived at the long corridor designed in the style of a classical Suzhou garden, Naoko gazed in delight at the artificial mountains, pavilions, and the koi swimming in the ponds.

At this moment, Lei Yin said to Zhang Mingyu, “This is my fiancée, Hasegawa Naoko. Naoko, this is Zhang Mingyu, the manager of China Tower. He’s a Chinese international student but will be graduating soon.”

Naoko bowed slightly and said, “Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhang.”

Although Zhang Mingyu was struck by Naoko’s beauty, he dared not show any disrespect and hurriedly returned the bow, saying, “Hello, Miss Hasegawa.”

Lei Yin then said to Zhang Mingyu, “If you have work to attend to, you can go ahead. Don’t worry about us. By the way, is Kuang Dao here?”

Zhang Mingyu replied, “At this time, Mr. Kuang is likely on the rooftop of the office building.”

Lei Yin knew the martial arts fanatic would probably be training on the rooftop again. “Got it. You can go about your business.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.” After bowing to Naoko, Zhang Mingyu turned and walked away.

Once he was gone, Lei Yin asked Naoko, “Do you want to keep looking around?”

“Mm,” Naoko nodded enthusiastically.

Lei Yin smiled, took her arm, and continued walking with her.

After they finished a general tour of China Town and China Tower, Lei Yin brought Naoko to his office.

Opening a can of soda and handing it to her, Lei Yin asked, “Do you like it here?”

Naoko nodded. “It’s really beautiful. Although I’ve seen advertisements for it on TV, this is my first time coming here. I never imagined China Town was your creation. How long were you planning to keep this from me?”

Seeing her playful pout, Lei Yin smiled, pulled her head gently to rest on his shoulder, and said, “I wanted to wait until China Town was fully up and running to surprise you. So, how does it feel to be the boss’s wife? Complicated?”

Naoko chuckled lightly. “No wonder you’ve seemed so busy lately. It turns out this was the reason. You’re so sneaky, keeping this from me for so long.”

Lei Yin said, “Actually, among the people I know, you’re the first to find out. Even Maeda and my mom don’t know about this. Aside from the senior management here, not many people are aware that I’m the owner. I want to keep a low profile to avoid unnecessary trouble. You’ll help me keep it a secret, won’t you?”

“I understand,” Naoko nodded.

Suddenly, Lei Yin’s expression turned mischievous. “I have something for you.”

Seeing his smile, Naoko felt a foreboding sense of unease.

After rummaging through a cabinet for a moment, Lei Yin walked over holding something.

When Naoko saw what he had in his hand, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was a cheongsam. There was no need to guess; he undoubtedly wanted her to try it on for him.

Lei Yin looked at her with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Looks like you already know what I’m thinking.”

Naoko shot him an exasperated yet amused look.

Lei Yin walked over with a smug expression and said, “Hurry up and try it on for me.”

“Here?” Naoko asked, looking at him nervously.

Sure enough, she saw him nod firmly.

“Can I try it on when we’re back home? I’m afraid someone might come in,” Naoko pleaded.

“Don’t worry. I’ve locked the door. Besides, no one other than Zhang Mingyu will come looking for me at this hour. Be good and try it on for me.”

Seeing the eager look in his eyes, Naoko didn’t want to dampen his excitement. She gave him a playful, exasperated glance, then turned her back to him, blushing furiously as she began unbuttoning her dress.

Lei Yin silently admired Naoko as she shyly and gracefully slid off her dress, revealing her delicate and sensual figure wrapped in minimal lingerie.

Though it was her first time wearing a cheongsam, its design was much simpler to handle compared to a kimono. Naoko quickly figured out how to put it on and soon had it perfectly fitted to her form.

After tidying herself up, she turned around, her cheeks flushed, and asked softly, “Lei, how does it look?”

Lei Yin didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he examined her from head to toe with an intense gaze that made her feel like her entire body was on fire.

As Naoko grew more and more flustered under his scrutiny, Lei Yin suddenly stood up and led her to the mirror on the wardrobe.

Gazing at her reflection, Naoko’s blush deepened, but a peculiar light shimmered in her eyes.

Unlike a Japanese kimono, which often obscures the figure, a cheongsam highlights a woman’s curves. It’s a dress only those with confidence in their physique would dare to wear.

The smooth, fitted fabric of the cheongsam perfectly outlined the woman in the mirror, accentuating her flawless curves. The phoenix embroidered with golden thread on her chest and abdomen seemed almost alive, while the slit along the skirt revealed glimpses of her sleek, porcelain-like legs. The entire ensemble was breathtaking, making Naoko’s heart race as she looked at herself.

“Do you like it?” Lei Yin asked, wrapping his arms around her slender waist from behind.

“Lei, this dress is truly beautiful,” Naoko murmured, her fingers lightly tracing the vibrant phoenix.

Lei Yin smiled. “You looked so reluctant earlier, but now you seem enchanted. Women truly are unpredictable. But you look stunning—very few women could wear it this well. Tonight, we’ll have dinner here, and I’ll introduce you to someone. He’s a bit rough around the edges, prone to foul language, but overall, he’s not a bad person.”

Curious, Naoko asked, “Is he your friend?”

“Our relationship is complicated. You could call him a friend or a rival. Either way, I’m glad to see him again.”

Seeing his smile, Naoko couldn’t help but smile as well.

After a moment, Lei Yin’s expression turned slightly unusual. “Naoko, there’s something I need your help with.”

“What is it?”

Without answering, Lei Yin scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the sofa.

Naoko wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head gently against his chest.

※※※

“Kazumi, why isn’t Senpai back yet? It’s getting late,” Rumi asked with a hint of worry.

“Don’t worry. He said he’d be back by nine. It should be soon,” Kazumi replied absentmindedly.

Rumi nodded and continued watching TV.

After a while, the doorbell rang, and Kazumi immediately got up to answer it.

When she opened the door and saw that it was indeed Lei Yin, a smile appeared on her face.

But suddenly, her smile froze, and her expression darkened.

“Brother, why…?” Kazumi looked at him with disbelief.

Lei Yin shook his head and walked in slowly.

When he entered the living room, Rumi’s face lit up with joy. “Senpai, you’re back!”

Lei Yin nodded. “I’m back.”

Rumi was about to say more when she noticed an incredibly beautiful woman walking in behind him.

This woman was someone she had never seen before. Curious, Rumi asked, “Senpai, who is this lady?”

Lei Yin looked at her deeply and said in a serious tone, “Rumi, let me introduce her. This is Hasegawa Naoko—my fiancée.”