Chapter 108: Let Me Braid Your Hair — Bonus Chapter for Reaching 4,300 Diamonds

Lin Wanbai pressed her hands against the countertop, with nowhere left to retreat. She tried to push herself up, but he pinned her in place, making it impossible to escape.

She turned her head away. "You..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Fu Juxing tugged at a strand of her hair and said, "There's something stuck here."

It pulled at her scalp, and Lin Wanbai hissed, raising a hand to cover her head as she glared at him. "What is it?"

He chuckled, showing her the tiny speck of dirt in his hand. "Where on earth have you been crawling? You've got all sorts of things in your hair."

Lin Wanbai glanced at it, and her face flushed instantly. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. Not daring to meet his eyes, she swatted at his hand and said, "You certainly have sharp eyes."

Her hand shot out, but she couldn't pull it back; he caught it effortlessly.

The next moment, a ring was slipped onto her ring finger. This time, it didn't slide off; it fit perfectly.

She looked down and realized it was actually tied with a piece of red yarn.

"You have such a crafty side."

He straightened the ring and said, "Keep it on. You are not allowed to lose it."

"Lose it? Did I lose this ring before?" She looked up, blinking her eyes at him, a glint of shrewdness shining within them, as if to say: Look, see how well I grasp the point?

She even felt a little smug.

Fu Juxing lifted her up and set her on the display counter. He placed his hands on either side of her, bringing their gazes to the same level—though now, she appeared slightly taller.

He looked into her eyes, his intense emotions laid bare. "Now that you're wearing the ring, may I kiss you?"

Lin Wanbai's smile stiffened, and she immediately covered her mouth. "No."

He wasn't annoyed. He reached out, his hand resting on her back before moving to the nape of her neck. As she tried to resist, he closed his eyes and kissed the back of her hand.

Lin Wanbai’s breath hitched; she felt as if her heart had stopped for a beat before it began to race wildly.

The way he kept his eyes closed was as gentle as water. His eyelashes were long, drooping softly, and his expression was filled with profound affection.

She stared at him, wide-eyed. The warmth of his lips on the back of her hand spread instantly, flowing through her entire body. A moment later, he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. They stared at each other like that for several seconds. Finally, Lin Wanbai lowered her eyes and used her forehead to push against his, forcing him back.

Fu Juxing retreated, and Lin Wanbai jumped off the counter and ran out.

She ran like a headless chicken, not knowing where she was going, and only stopped when she reached the entrance.

She kept her hands over her mouth, gasping for air. Her heart was beating too fast—so fast that it actually hurt.

Tears fell for no apparent reason. She looked down at the tears that had appeared on her hand, then touched her face, realizing she was crying.

She stood there, stunned, her heart still racing, her hands tingling.

While she was dazed, Fu Juxing came out with a coat and draped it over her shoulders. "It's windy by the sea and the sun is strong. Wearing an extra layer will protect you."

As she went to look up, he placed a sun hat on her head. "Let's go. It's not far from here; we'll walk."

He took her hand and led her outside.

The estate was vast, taking several minutes to reach the main gate. Halfway there, Lin Wanbai pulled her hand away and began walking behind him. He looked back from time to time. After walking like this for a while, he stepped behind her and said, "You walk in front, and I'll follow you."

Lin Wanbai stopped, then ran back behind him and said, "I don't know the way. You lead me. Don't worry, I'll follow closely."

He glanced at her and asked, "Don't want to hold hands?"

She hummed, turned her head away, and clasped her hands behind her back.

Fu Juxing took the hat off her head. "Then we'll hold the hat."

"I told you I wouldn't get lost." She snatched the hat back. "There's no one around here anyway."

"If you won't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to carry you."

"Carry me how?"

He smiled, turned to face her, and asked, "How would you like to be carried?"

"Go to hell." She rolled her eyes at him, put the hat back on, and bypassed him to head for the gate.

Fu Juxing put his hands in his pockets and didn't step forward, simply following her at a distance.

At the main gate, a tandem bicycle was parked in the center.

Lin Wanbai pointed at it and asked, "Did you prepare this?"

"I did. Do you like it?"

"It's interesting enough, I suppose."

Lin Wanbai had been cooped up at home for too long; once outside these gates, everything seemed interesting to her.

Fu Juxing sat in the front, she sat in the back, and they pedaled together toward the village.

This village was relatively prosperous, with each house built with a unique style. Since the area had been developed for tourism, there were many visitors every year. Many villagers had renovated their homes into guesthouses.

As for the prices, those near the beach were expensive, while those further away with no sea view were quite cheap, but they still offered a pleasant environment.

Lin Wanbai pedaled for a while, then stopped, resting her feet on the pedals to watch the scenery.

Along the way, they passed people in twos and threes—some local villagers, some tourists.

Their journey attracted quite a few gazes; a handsome man and a beautiful woman always made for a pleasing sight.

When they reached the shore, Fu Juxing took her across the beach and onto a yacht.

It was the only boat on the coast, clearly prepared by Fu Juxing in advance.

The yacht pulled away from the shore.

Lin Wanbai asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"Since we're out, we'll visit the island ahead. It's a private island with a nice environment, and we won't be disturbed." He pointed forward.

Lin Wanbai followed his gaze and indeed saw an island, where flags were planted along the shore.

Half an hour later, they landed.

A large villa had been built on the island, complete with servants and a housekeeper tasked with its maintenance. A tour car came to pick them up.

After circling a tree-lined path, the full view of the villa appeared before them. It was surrounded by clusters of flowers, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

The car didn't stop at the entrance but circled the entire island, giving them a rough tour of the grounds.

Fu Juxing asked, "Do you like it here more, or the estate back there?"

"What do you mean?"

"This is also your home."

Just then, the car turned toward the rose garden. The sight of a vast expanse of blooming roses was spectacular, a truly mesmerizing view. Lin Wanbai was momentarily dazed, but the car didn't stop; it continued forward.

Fu Juxing looked at her. "Do you like it?"

Lin Wanbai turned to meet his gaze. "Is it because I like roses, or because all women like roses?"

"You like them."

"I’m so generic, then. To think the flower I like happens to be a rose."

"What do you like now, then?"

"Sunflowers. Before you arrived, I had Aunt Rong plant a bunch with me. I don't know if they'll bear any seeds in the end."

"Why those?"

"They're pretty and they bear fruit. What a good flower."

"They are indeed quite good."

As they spoke, the car returned to the villa entrance. They got out and went inside. Fu Juxing showed her around. The decor here was more modern with a strong sense of design and warm tones. On the second floor, there were two large floor-to-ceiling windows: one facing the beach and the other facing the sea of flowers.

The scenery was beautiful, but Lin Wanbai still preferred the estate.

At noon, they ate there, enjoying a seafood feast prepared by a private chef, and Lin Wanbai ate quite a bit. In the afternoon, Fu Juxing piloted the boat himself, taking her out to sea for some fishing.

Lin Wanbai, however, wasn't very interested in any of this. She lay on the deck and drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, only half the sun remained in the distance—the sunset was incredibly beautiful. She had woken up at just the right moment. She sat up, letting out a sigh of wonder. It was beautiful.

She squinted, watching in a trance.

Fu Juxing brought her a cup of warm water and sat down beside her as the boat rocked gently.

Lin Wanbai took it, yawned, and asked, "Did you catch anything?"

"Caught two fish. Just enough for you to eat."

"I don't like fish," she replied flatly, taking a sip of water.

"I know. You find picking out the bones too much trouble. I'll de-bone them for you, just like before."

Lin Wanbai raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him, cupping her face in one hand. "When you put it that way, you seem to treat me very well, very indulgently."

"Not enough."

"I guessed as much. Otherwise, why wouldn't you want me to remember the past? You must have treated me badly, right?"

The smile on his face dimmed slightly. The glow of the setting sun fell into his eyes, making them shine brilliantly.

Lin Wanbai pinched his chin. "Then I really should remember everything so I can prescribe the right medicine and teach you a lesson. Otherwise, I’d be letting you off too easy."

He didn't speak, just looked at her, his expression tinged with sadness.

Lin Wanbai tilted her head. The next second, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her toward him with force, and covered her lips with his.

She froze for a few seconds before starting to struggle, but she couldn't break free; instead, she ended up falling back.

He pinned her wrists to the deck, kissing her with singular focus, controlling his strength to ensure he didn't go too far.

After an unknown amount of time, the sky above turned deep blue, and stars began to twinkle. Only then did he slowly stop.

Forehead against hers, he said, "You can torture me however you like. Anything is fine."

Just don't die again.

They had kissed for so long that Lin Wanbai felt her mouth aching. She wiped her lips vigorously, her face burning. During the kiss, there were several moments where she had nearly lost her senses and been swept away.

Her body’s response told her that they were indeed a married couple—at least, a couple that was very harmonious in that regard.

She glared at him and said, "Aren't you going to let go?"

He didn't. He felt better than he ever had. He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, then slowly moved back to her lips. Lin Wanbai’s hands were pinned by him and she couldn't move, so she bit his lip, muttering, "That's enough! Are you taking advantage of me just because I can't run away? Do you believe I'll kick you into the sea?"

She bit him only lightly, not using any real force, her eyes wide with warning.

Fu Juxing chuckled. He didn't continue, but leaned in close to her ear and whispered a single sentence. It was just one sentence, but it made Lin Wanbai flush with such embarrassment that she kicked him in the stomach and ran into the cabin.

Fu Juxing was knocked over on the deck, yet he couldn't stop grinning.

Heaven and earth as his witness, she was the only love of his life.

So, he begged the heavens: do not take her away from him.

That night, Fu Juxing kept the boat in the middle of the sea. He cooked the two fish for her, having meticulously removed every single bone.

For himself, he boiled a pack of instant noodles to fill his stomach.

However, smelling the aroma of the noodles, Lin Wanbai became very tempted. She slid half the fish toward him and said, "I'll trade with you."

She pointed at the fish on the plate and then at the noodles in his bowl.

"You want to eat this?"

Lin Wanbai nodded, her eyes sincere.

"No. Junk food isn't good for your health."

"But you're eating it."

"It doesn't matter for me."

"Are you not a human, then?"

He smiled. "I can let you eat it, but I don't want the fish. I want something else."

"What do you want?"

Fu Juxing’s gaze swept across her face. He thought for a moment and said, "Let me braid your hair."

Lin Wanbai breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought if he asked for something outrageous, she would smash the plate in his face or find a chance to kick him into the sea.

She never expected he would ask for such a thing.

"Fine." She agreed, of course. There was no loss; it was just letting him play with her hair. It didn't matter.

Seeing her agree, Fu Juxing moved the entire bowl of noodles in front of her and said, "If you can't finish it, give it to me."

In other words, he would have the leftovers.

Lin Wanbai looked at him, her contrarian nature kicking in. "And what if I finish it all?"

"Then leave the broth for me."

Lin Wanbai was speechless. After staring at him for a moment, she began to eat without ceremony, eating the noodles and the fish, looking quite happy.

She didn't finish all the food; she left half of the fish and half of the noodles. Then she put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and said, "I'm full. The rest is for you."

Fu Juxing took it and began to eat slowly and methodically.

Lin Wanbai wiped her mouth while watching him, then looked outside. "When are we going back?"

"We'll stay here tonight and go back after watching the sunrise tomorrow morning."

With just the two of them, Lin Wanbai only glanced at him sideways and didn't say anything.

After dinner, Fu Juxing washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchenware. He found two hair ties from somewhere and signaled for her to come over. "Sit here."

Lin Wanbai obeyed, sitting on a small chair and obediently letting him have her hair.

Fu Juxing was very focused, combing her hair strand by strand with light, cautious movements.

His palm brushed over her head, and he asked, "Does your head hurt?"

"No."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on a lighthouse in the distance.

His hand trembled involuntarily, and he stopped combing.

Lin Wanbai turned back, seeing his strange expression, and looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." He turned her head back. "Sit still, don't move around, or it’ll end up crooked."

"Do you like daughters too?"

Fu Juxing carved out a middle part. "Why do you ask that?"

"Since you like braiding hair so much, you must like daughters. You must have used me for practice a lot in the past, right? But then we had a boy, so were you disappointed?"

He smiled, staring at her. "I like you."

His voice was soft and gentle, falling into her ears along with the sea breeze. Perhaps because a strand of hair brushed against her, her ear felt a little itchy.

She scratched her ear and didn't say anything, pretending she hadn't heard.

The hair was braided quickly into two pigtails; there were no other styles.

Lin Wanbai cupped her face and turned to face him, the corners of her mouth curving. "Are you satisfied?"

He didn't say, but his smile showed he was quite pleased with his handiwork.

When Lin Wanbai went to the restroom and looked in the mirror, she felt speechless but couldn't help but find it funny.

...

Xiangsheng Mansion.

Lin Zhouye received several photos sent by Han Chen. In one of them, Lin Wanbai’s face was clearly visible, and she was smiling.

The smile was baffling.

He set his phone aside. His cup was empty, so he got up to pour more water. Over the past few days, he had contacted many people—former employees of the Lin family and several family friends who had been close to Lin Zhaowei.

He had learned about the situation in detail.

The Lin Corporation had undergone a complete overhaul. The old staff had either been transferred or forced into retirement; in short, not a single one remained.

The Lin Corporation was now Fu Juxing’s. The only thing to be happy about was that under his leadership, the company was thriving and doing better than ever.

He returned to the desk, took a sip of water, and picked up the phone again, staring at the photo and carefully observing Lin Wanbai’s smile.

The next day, Lin Zhouye dressed in a formal suit and went to a law firm to process the paperwork to inherit the portion of the estate that Lin Zhaowei had left for him.