The blind boss's nanny

Lu Tingzhao's gaze hardened, and he gritted his teeth as he said:

"Lin, Xiao, Man, you're not getting away today."

Lin Xiaoman initially tried to be stubborn, glaring back at him with a "what can you do to me?" expression.

However, when Lu Tingzhao started unbuttoning his clothes and lifted her up from the bedside, half-dragged and half-carried her into the bathroom, he pressed her down on the toilet seat and told her to "stay here."

He was afraid she would run away while he was taking a shower.

The bathroom lights were blindingly bright, and steam filled the air. She was forced to sit in this awkward position, watching him calmly turn on the shower and adjust the water temperature, the sound of rushing water filling the air.

This scene immediately reminded her of when she first arrived at the manor.

"Chairman,"

She couldn't help but speak up.

"Looking back now, you were really generous back then... you just let 'Sister Lin' see everything naked."

Upon hearing this, Lu Tingzhao glanced at her sideways. A misty vapor began to rise, blurring the sharp contours of his face. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards very slightly.

"yes,"

He turned off the water, turned around, and water droplets slid down his muscular chest. He looked at her, his gaze lingering on her slightly flushed face, his voice seductive:

"Xiaoman, want to come along?"

He took a small step forward:

"You used to wash me so many times. Now... it's my turn to wash you, how about that? It's fair."

Lin Xiaoman's heart pounded uncontrollably, her fingertips clenching the hem of her clothes. Her throat was dry, and her voice was weak:

"No...not very good."

Before she could finish her refusal, Lu Tingzhao had already walked straight towards her. The man was steaming and warm, and with a swift movement, he lifted her off the toilet seat and tucked her into the warm water.

"ah--!"

The sudden gasp was cut off by the sound of water and the kiss that followed.

The bathroom quickly became a mess.

The rising steam blurred the glass partition, only vaguely reflecting the undulating, overlapping silhouettes.

A slender hand slapped against the wet, slippery glass, leaving a clear handprint. It was quickly covered by another, more forceful strike.

The sound of rushing water was mixed with intermittent gasps and sobs.

The man remained silent throughout, channeling all his anger, helplessness, and longing into more direct action.

At first, Lin Xiaoman could still stubbornly shout and curse, but soon she could only utter broken syllables. In the end, even that bit of stubbornness couldn't hold on, turning into a plea for mercy incoherent incoherently.

"...Lu Tingzhao..."

"...Enough... Waaah... I was wrong..."

The sounds of water, panting, and suppressed groans gradually subsided after a long time.

As the sound of water stopped, Lu Tingzhao carefully wrapped the limp Lin Xiaoman in a large bath towel, carried her horizontally out of the bathroom, and gently placed her on the soft bed.

He lay down as well, but his arms remained stubbornly wrapped around her, holding her tightly in his embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head, as if he were holding a lost treasure that had been found again, leaving no gap between them.

In the quiet night, his low, husky voice reached her ears:

Xiaoman, I love you.

Lin Xiaoman was exhausted, her eyelids heavy. She mumbled a faint "hmm" in his arms, like a whisper or a response.

The two of them fell asleep in each other's arms, their breaths gradually mingling.

After an unknown amount of time, in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, Lu Tingzhao held her even tighter, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered:

"Xiaoman, you won't leave me again, right?"

The person in his arms seemed to stir slightly. Just when Lu Tingzhao thought she had fallen asleep again, Lin Xiaoman spoke, her voice still heavy with sleepiness, but it sent a chill down his spine:

"Lu Tingzhao, I like spicy food and I like to travel spontaneously. That's just my personality—unconventional and a bit selfish. I won't be like before, always taking care of you and putting your feelings first."

"Am I still the person you want?"

In the darkness, Lu Tingzhao remained silent.

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, so they could feel each other's heartbeats and body temperature.

After a long while, he slowly spoke:

"Yes."

Lin Xiaoman snuggled gently against him, finding a more comfortable position, burying her face in his warm chest, her breathing quickly becoming long and steady.

Listening to her even breathing and feeling the weight of her completely dependent on him, Lu Tingzhao's tense nerves finally relaxed completely.

A sense of solid satisfaction slowly spread through my limbs and bones.

He finally had her back.

In the darkness, Lu Tingzhao's lips curved upwards. He lowered his head, placed a light kiss on the top of her head, and held her as they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, the two of them had breakfast at a bustling morning market stall, enjoying freshly made naan bread and steaming hot mutton offal soup.

Lu Tingzhao pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, looked at Lin Xiaoman who was focused on scrolling through her phone, and asked in a soft voice:

"Xiaoman, where do you want to go next?"

Lin Xiaoman's fingertips flew across the screen, without even looking up, her tone casual:

"Lu Tingzhao, you came all this way to see me, is there a lot of work piling up at the company?"

Lu Tingzhao paused for a moment, then made no attempt to hide anything:

"Yes, some."

"oh."

Lin Xiaoman responded, finally looking up from her phone screen, her gaze clear as she looked at him, her tone crisp.

"Then you should go back."

Lu Tingzhao's breathing became slightly labored:

"And what about you?"

"I?"

Lin Xiaoman shook her phone; the screen displayed several group chat interfaces.

"I've made plans with a few bloggers to go to the grasslands next and take some different kinds of photos."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and sent another voice message, her voice tinged with laughter.

"Sure, I'll be there this afternoon. You guys go scout ahead!"

Lu Tingzhao wanted to say something, but held back.

"Boss, check please."

He got up and walked towards the stall owner.

After he paid and took his change, he turned around and walked back to the small table—

The seats were empty.

Only a used tissue remained on the table, fluttering slightly in the wind.

Lu Tingzhao's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly looked around. The morning market was bustling and noisy, but there was no sign of Lin Xiaoman.

He immediately dialed her number, but the ringtone sounded faint amidst the noise, and no one answered.

A familiar premonition welled up inside him. He quickly rushed out of the crowd and came to the dirt road outside the market.

In an SUV driven by a girl, the passenger window was rolled down, and Lin Xiaoman leaned out halfway, cupping one hand to her mouth and waving vigorously in his direction.

"Lu Tingzhao! I'm leaving now!"

The next second, the SUV let out a low growl, its tires kicked up a small cloud of dust, and sped away in the opposite direction from where it came from.

Lu Tingzhao stood there, still clutching a few coins in his hand, watching the car rapidly shrink and finally disappear into the straight horizon of the Gobi Desert.

The wind swept sand and dust past his feet.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, took a deep breath of the dry, crisp air, turned around, and walked towards the airport bus stop.