Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

The day after the wedding, when Lin Qingmian woke up, the sunlight had already filled the entire bed.

She shifted slightly and found a strong arm across her waist, and a warm chest behind her, his breathing steady and long, as if he were still asleep. She carefully turned over, facing Ji Linzhou, and secretly peeked at his sleeping face.

He is very different when he is asleep and when he is awake. When he is awake, he always has a cold aura that keeps strangers away, and even his brows are habitually slightly furrowed, as if he is always thinking about something important. But when he is asleep, his brows and eyes are relaxed, his eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyelids, his lips are slightly pursed, and he looks much softer.

She stared at him for a long time, then, as if possessed, reached out and gently touched his eyelashes with her fingertips.

Then her fingers were caught.

Ji Linzhou opened his eyes, still sleepy, and said in a low, husky voice, "Spying on me?"

Lin Qingmian was caught red-handed. Her face flushed, but she didn't pull her hand back, remaining defiant: "I was looking openly and honestly."

Ji Linzhou chuckled softly, took her hand in his palm, and touched it to his lips.

"Then I'll let you watch to your heart's content."

Lin Qingmian's heart skipped a beat at his action. She quickly pulled her hand back and tried to get up, but he pulled her back into his arms, trapping her in his embrace, making it impossible for her to move.

"Lie down a little longer." His chin rested on the top of her head, his voice languid and content: "No need to get up early today."

Lin Qingmian was held in his arms, her ear pressed against his chest, and she could clearly hear his steady, powerful heartbeat. Each beat was rhythmic.

She closed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, and let herself linger in his arms for another ten minutes.

After getting up and washing up, the two went to the dining room for a simple breakfast. Ji Linzhou fried eggs and bacon, and toasted two slices of bread, while Lin Qingmian made two cups of hot milk. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the white tabletop, making everything appear peaceful and warm.

After breakfast, Ji Linzhou went to his study to handle a few work emails, while Lin Qingmian sat on the living room sofa scrolling through her phone. The online uproar had largely subsided; after the official statement from the Ji Group and the clarification from Su Tingwan's studio, most people had accepted the fact that "Ji Linzhou is married."

Occasionally, someone might make a sarcastic comment in the comments section, but it won't cause much of a stir anymore.

She was just about to put down her phone when she received a message from Fang Shiyang: [Baby!! I have good news to tell you!!!]

Lin Qingmian replied with a question mark.

Fang Shiyang replied instantly: [After you sent me the photos of the sample garments from that haute couture collection, I took them to a small international design exhibition, and an Italian buyer took a liking to them! He wants to discuss a collaboration with you!]

Lin Qingmian was taken aback: [A buyer?]

Yes! A fairly well-known buyer, the kind who frequently collaborates with major brands! He said your design style is very unique and he'd like to learn about your other work. If possible, he'd like to exclusively represent your line in the European market!

Lin Qingmian stared at the screen, unable to react for a long time.

She certainly knew what it meant to be noticed by international buyers. It was an opportunity that many designers might not get even after years of hard work.

"Really?" Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed. "Are you kidding me?"

Fang Shiyang immediately sent over a screenshot—an email in English. The sender was an Italian buying company, and the content was professionally and sincerely written, with a list of brands they had previously collaborated with.

Lin Qingmian glanced at the list and almost stopped breathing. She was very familiar with those names; they were all top brands she used to only see in her school textbooks and design magazines.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: "Sister Shiyang, what should I do now?"

[First, compile all your work. I'll send you a link to the buyer's company's website and contact information. Send them your portfolio, and they'll evaluate it. If it's approved, they'll contact you to discuss a collaboration.]

Lin Qingmian replied with an "okay," then immediately jumped up from the sofa and rushed into the study.

Ji Linzhou was sitting behind his desk reviewing documents when she rushed in. He raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong?"

"Ji Linzhou!" Lin Qingmian rushed up to him, shoving her phone screen in his face: "Look! An Italian buyer has taken a liking to my design! They want to talk to me about a collaboration!"

Ji Linzhou glanced down at the screenshot of the email on the screen, then looked up at her.

A genuine, undisguised admiration flickered in his eyes: "Not bad."

Lin Qingmian excitedly spun around on the spot, then ran to her computer, opened a folder, and began organizing her portfolio. She pulled out all her design drafts from the past two years, categorizing and sorting them one by one, repeatedly filtering them, and selecting only the dozen or so that she was most satisfied with.

Ji Linzhou sat behind his desk, watching her busy figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He didn't disturb her, but quietly continued with his work. The two of them were busy with their own things in the study, the occasional sounds of her flipping through folders and his typing creating a harmonious and reassuring background noise.

Lin Qingmian was busy until the afternoon before she finally finished organizing her portfolio, packed it up according to the format required by the buying company, and sent it over.

She leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief: "All done."

"Hmm." Ji Linzhou closed the document in his hand, glanced at her, and said, "Now we just have to wait."

"I don't know how long we'll have to wait." Lin Qingmian pursed her lips nervously. "What if they don't think it's good enough?"

"No," Ji Linzhou said confidently. "Your design will be excellent."

He had said this many times, but every time he heard it, Lin Qingmian still felt a sense of being firmly supported.

She got up, walked to his side, bent down and kissed him on the cheek, then quickly pulled back.

"Thank you," she said.

Ji Linzhou was taken aback by her sudden, unintentional kiss, then reached out and grabbed her wrist: "Just once?"

"Otherwise what?"

Ji Linzhou didn't answer, but pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips.

His kisses were delicate and tender, as if he wanted to meld her entire being into his body. Lin Qingmian was completely disoriented by his kisses, her fingers unconsciously clenching the collar of his shirt, her mind blank.

When the kiss ended, both of them were a little out of breath.

Lin Qingmian leaned against him, the blush on her face spreading all the way to her ears and neck.

"Ji Linzhou," she called him softly.

"Um?"

"You're becoming increasingly unpredictable."

Ji Linzhou chuckled softly and ruffled her hair: "I learned it from you."

The two were joking around when Lin Qingmian's phone suddenly rang. She answered it; it was Jiang Yao calling.

"Mianmian," Jiang Yao's voice was a little tense, "I have something to tell you, don't worry."

Lin Qingmian's heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Yao was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "Lin Qingqing came to the hospital to see me. She said... she has some things you designed before, and she wants to expose them to the media."

She said that many of your previous award-winning works were actually plagiarized from hers.