"What sort of dreams?"
"All kinds," Long Fengxi murmured weakly, unwilling to move. "Right now, it feels like a vast, fragile bubble of illusion—afraid that one poke will burst it. We're both stubborn, both resolute. During my time abroad, I suspect my family missed me far less than I missed you."
"So did I."
Closing her eyes, Long Fengxi sighed softly. "At this moment, I just want to relish a secret love, unknown to anyone else. If they found out, our romance would be under constant scrutiny, and the family would press us to wed..."
"You haven't decided whether to marry me yet—that must be the most pressing matter, isn't it?"
"You guessed right," she retorted with a hum. "Marrying me is no easy feat. Don't think you can simply take me home on a whim—you vastly underestimate me."
"No matter the difficulty, I will make you my wife."
Long Fengxi tightened her embrace. "You know my boundaries well. Don't violate my principles. When we are together, you mustn't have any intimate contact with any other woman. Otherwise, Shen Congmo, this time I'll make you truly understand the consequences—not mere breakups."
"What consequences?"
"I'll cut off your manhood and feed it to the dogs."
Shen Congmo burst into laughter. "Fengxi, you haven't changed one bit."
"What do you mean?"
"Childishly adorable."
"Get lost."
With a smile, Shen Congmo held her close. "I've remained faithful to you all these years—do you think it was easy?"
"Was it only you who was faithful? Wasn't I as well?"
His heart melted. "This time, I swear I'll hold onto you tightly, never letting you slip away."
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
By May, the weather had turned sultry.
Gu Lili's days were fulfilling and joyful.
Upon completing her first instructor's course, Long Yubei arranged for another expert, proficient in computer science, design, and programming, to teach her.
Her rapid progress left both instructors astonished, repeatedly impressed and humbled.
Where others needed three or four years of study, she finished in two months.
Gu Lili was not surprised by her own aptitude; since childhood, she had always absorbed knowledge swiftly—one of the gifts bestowed upon her by fate.
After completing this phase, Long Yubei asked, "What next would you like to learn?"
"To drive," she answered with a gentle smile. "That is indispensable."
"Very well, then learn to drive."
During her driving lessons, she passed every test on the first try. From initial lessons to obtaining her license, she took only fifteen days.
She purchased a car she truly liked with her own money.
Originally, she planned to buy an inexpensive vehicle, but Long Yubei accompanied her and chose a model with superior performance, suited to her tastes.
A red, two-seater Porsche convertible, priced over a million.
To be honest, the cost was extravagant for Gu Lili—she had thought something in the hundred or two hundred thousand range would suffice.
But Long Yubei would not hear of it, insisting that for his wife, anything less than a million was unacceptable.
For his sake, she agreed, and indeed, driving it was a wonderful experience.
Upon arriving home in her new car, Long Yubei stepped out, took her hand, and said, "By the way, the renovations on the Xiliang Mountain house are complete. When do you plan to go?"
"Tomorrow morning," she replied, her spirits high. "I've seen the photos he took. I'll go early to pick out furniture, then head over."
"You've been in such good spirits lately, and you've put on a bit of weight—just the way I like it," he murmured. "You feel even more wonderful to touch. I like it very much."