Chapter 282 - 279: A Unique Gift

Chapter 282: Chapter 279: A Unique Gift

The day-long classes were finally over. Just as Jiang Xia and Su Qing were walking out of the School of Art Building, he saw Lin Yanwan standing by the entrance.

"Nanny Su, can you take my books back for me?"

Su Qing nodded. She knew the two of them were probably going out for a stroll and might not even return to their dorms tonight.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Jiang Xia naturally took her hand. His mind was groggy after a full day of classes, but just seeing her made his mood inexplicably lift.

"Not at all. I timed my arrival perfectly," Lin Yanwan said with a light laugh.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Let’s just wander around."

Jiang Xia nodded slightly. He’d been so busy lately; it really had been a while since they’d had some time to themselves.

"Is your roommate’s foot better?"

Lin Yanwan followed him, a wide smile on her face. "You’re with me, and you’re thinking about another woman?"

"My wife is getting jealous. Give me a kiss." Seeing that no one was around, Jiang Xia boldly leaned in.

Lin Yanwan didn’t stop him, and she naturally met his lips for a quick kiss.

Ever since that night they spent alone together in the office, she’d had a change of heart about many things. Besides, today was special.

Before they knew it, they had walked off campus. With nothing in particular to do, they started heading toward the Science Park.

Standing at the foot of the building, they were surprised to see the lights in the company office were still on.

"It’s this late and they’re still working?" Lin Yanwan asked, a little surprised.

"That’s how animation is. Pulling all-nighters to meet a deadline is common," Jiang Xia said with a smile. ’I used to be one of those people working endless overtime. Now that I’m only responsible for storyboarding, it’s a breeze.’

Lin Yanwan looked a little puzzled. "But didn’t you just form the team? Are you already rushing to meet deadlines?"

"Yes. That’s exactly why we have to rush. The team is still in its adjustment period, which wastes a lot of time, but the production schedule is already set. If any department fails to complete its tasks on time, it will slow down the entire project. So, they have to work overtime to make up for it," Jiang Xia explained.

He couldn’t help but think of Su Qing and Luo Peng. ’Those two are pulling all-nighters every day to keep up. Otherwise, the whole pipeline would get stuck on them, delaying the production of the actual episodes.’

"Oh." She nodded. "So... should we go up and take a look?"

"Nah, let’s not. My showing up now would just stress them out. As long as we reach our final goal, I don’t really care how bumpy the road is to get there." Jiang Xia shrugged. With Li Weiya keeping an eye on things, he wasn’t worried.

"That’s true."

Jiang Xia asked, "Babe, are you hungry? Want to find a place to grab a bite?"

"Can I be the one to decide what we eat?" Lin Yanwan asked with a sudden, mischievous smile.

"Of course. I’m not picky, anyway."

There were many night markets near the university, but they mostly served different kinds of barbecue. Lin Yanwan glanced at them and immediately dismissed them, pulling Jiang Xia along.

After about a five-minute walk, they entered a residential complex.

"There’s food in here?"

Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow. They had passed so many eateries, but Lin Yanwan hadn’t given a single one a second glance.

’I’m starting to get it. From her waiting for me at the School of Art Building, to her suggestion to just "wander around" off campus, and now leading me here... It feels like my wife is deliberately hiding something from me.’

Lin Yanwan nodded very seriously. "There’s something delicious!"

"Then lead the way," Jiang Xia said, holding back a laugh.

"You put this on first."

She pulled a blindfold out of nowhere. Jiang Xia glanced at it and said with a helpless sigh, "You really came prepared."

"Hehe, hurry, hurry! We’re almost there," she urged, her voice sweet and playful.

"You’re not trying to steal my kidney, are you?"

"That’s right. Tonight’s special is Husband and Wife Lung Slices."

Jiang Xia silently rolled his eyes. ’What a morbid joke.’

He slowly put on the blindfold. ’My wife would never actually hurt me, anyway. There’s probably a surprise waiting for me when we get there.’

Lin Yanwan led him by the hand into an elevator. A short while later, the doors opened. She fished a key out of her bag and pressed it into Jiang Xia’s palm.

"We’re here."

Jiang Xia pulled off the blindfold. He looked up at the security door in front of them, then down at the key in his hand. "Uh... you rented an apartment?"

"Stop asking so many questions. Just see for yourself."

Dubiously, Jiang Xia inserted the key into the lock. With a gentle twist, the door swung open.

His heart skipped a beat. ’She said there was something delicious... could it be... that she’s the surprise for tonight?’

They stepped inside, and Lin Yanwan flipped a switch on the wall. The room was instantly flooded with light.

The apartment was spotless. The living room was filled with balloons, and a cake sat on a table adorned with fresh flowers. Jiang Xia blinked, then turned to look at her. She met his gaze with a beaming smile and wrapped him in a hug. "Happy birthday, hubby."

"Today is October 10th?"

"Yep."

Jiang Xia thought for a moment. The National Day holiday had ended a couple of days ago, so it really was the 10th. ’I’ve been so busy lately, I completely forgot my own birthday.’

"Thank you, honey."

He was deeply moved. He held her tight and nuzzled his face against hers.

’Renting an apartment, buying a cake, even decorating the whole place... she must have been secretly planning this for days just to celebrate my birthday.’

"I thought when you mentioned something delicious, you were talking about yourself," he chuckled.

Lin Yanwan’s face flushed. "In your dreams! I meant the cake!"

"The cake isn’t as delicious as you are," he said, gently nibbling her earlobe. "What made you decide to rent an apartment?"

"It was after that time we got trapped in the office during the storm. But don’t get the wrong idea! I just didn’t want you to have to sleep on a folding cot again."

Jiang Xia laughed to himself. ’The last time I asked her if we could rent a place off-campus, she adamantly refused. And now look at her. She went and secretly rented one all by herself, then presented it to me as a surprise.’

’Such a tsundere.’

"You’re right. A folding cot is way too crowded for two people. A big bed is much more comfortable. We can make a lot of noise and movement without worrying about it collapsing," Jiang Xia said with a perfectly straight face.

Lin Yanwan’s face was flushed. Of course she knew what he was implying.

She huffed softly. "I rented a two-bedroom apartment. There are two separate bedrooms. You can sleep in one, and I’ll sleep in the other."

She bit her lip. ’This doesn’t count as living together,’ she thought. ’At most, we’re just roommates.’

"Well... I guess that could work."

Jiang Xia’s eyes crinkled with amusement. ’We’ve already graduated from dorm rooms to renting an apartment off-campus. How far away can those wild, passionate days of living together be?’

’It’s even possible... if the mood is right tonight, and I’m just a little more roguish and assertive, I could carry her straight to bed.’

They slowly pulled apart. Jiang Xia glanced around the decorated living room and grinned. "Honey, I think you should change the ’HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ on the wall to ’HAPPY NEWLYWEDS.’"

"Pfft! This isn’t our marital home," she retorted.

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. If this were their marital home, they’d have to consummate the marriage. No matter what he said, his one and only goal was still to get her into bed.