Lin Shen, however, really liked this kind of dynamic. He felt that first and foremost, a couple should be the best of friends.

Sharing their joys and sorrows, trading a friendly jab from time to time.

These were all spices that seasoned an otherwise ordinary life.

Lin Shen got up from the sofa, stretched, and walked straight to the master bedroom.

He had booked a business class seat on a high-speed train for a little after six the next morning, so time was tight.

He pushed open the door and looked around the luxurious master bedroom. It felt no different from the presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton.

The only difference was that the decor felt more residential, more like a home.

The moment Lin Shen walked in, the curtains automatically drew shut, and the nightstand lamp turned on, casting a soft, warm glow.

It all happened automatically, no command needed.

"The smart home features are really well done."

Lying on the soft, massive bed, Lin Shen rolled over twice without even reaching the other side. It felt spacious enough for three or four people.

’Perfect for a party!’

Lin Shen thought gleefully. After setting his alarm, he rolled over and fell asleep.

——

——

August 29, 2025, Saturday.

23℃–32℃, sunny, light southeast breeze, 28% humidity.

[Construction Bank: Your account ending in 7946 received a deposit of RMB 100,000 on August 29 at 00:01. Current balance: RMB 8,620,000.]

At 5:00 AM, the jarring, staccato Radar alarm from his iPhone jolted Lin Shen from his sleep.

BEEP BEEP BEEP—!

—BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"SMACK!"

Lin Shen forced his bleary eyes open and slapped his phone into silence. For the first time in a month, he was being woken up by an alarm in the early morning.

However, this time it was to catch a train for a vacation, not for work, which put him in a slightly better mood.

"YAWN—!"

After a yawn, Lin Shen got out of bed, walked to the window, and gave a quiet command.

"A, open the curtains."

WHIRRR—!

As the curtains slowly parted, the hazy dawn, as if freshly washed by rain, gradually unfolded before his eyes.

Mist veiled the river and the dense rows of skyscrapers. The burgeoning daylight wasn’t a sudden, sharp white, but a pale, cyan-tinged blue that bloomed in layers from the east, spreading across the sky.

’What a great view!’

A slight smile touched Lin Shen’s lips. Once the fog of sleep had completely lifted from his mind, he left the bedroom to wash up.

——

「5:20 AM.」

Wenjing Garden, Building 3, Apartment 201.

A clattering and banging had been coming from Jiang Wan’s room for nearly half an hour.

This was starting to irritate her roommate, Xu Lu, who got out of bed and pushed open the door to Jiang Wan’s room.

"Wanwan, are you still not ready?"

"Almost, almost."

Jiang Wan was sitting at her vanity, meticulously checking every detail of her makeup—patting on foundation, carefully drawing her eyeliner. It was a picture of precision.

Seeing this, Xu Lu scratched her messy hair, then grabbed Jiang Wan by the shoulders and began ushering her out of the room.

"Oh, come on, stop with the makeup! You look so beautiful with a bare face; a little bit is more than enough. What are you trying to do, enter a beauty pageant?"

"It’s almost five-thirty! Your train is at six-something, are you going to make it? Get going! I want to go back to sleep!"

"Okay, okay! Sorry, Lu. I’ll treat you to dinner when I get back."

Jiang Wan said apologetically as she quickly grabbed her suitcase and headed downstairs.

The DiDi she had called arrived a few moments later.

Since there were already two male passengers in the back, Jiang Wan chose the front passenger seat, her heart full of anticipation for her meeting with Lin Shen.

However, a small incident occurred on the way to Hongqiao Station: she got hit on.

"Hey, miss. Can I get your WeChat?"

?

Jiang Wan froze, taken aback. She hadn’t expected to get asked for her number just from riding in a car. She refused firmly but politely.

"Sorry, I have a boyfriend."

"Ah, okay."

A disappointed sigh came from the back seat. ’I thought meeting a girl as beautiful as her meant my luck was finally turning,’ the man thought. ’Who knew she’d have a boyfriend!’

’Her boyfriend is one lucky guy...’

——

「6:00 AM.」

After getting out of the car, Jiang Wan scanned her ID to enter the station. To her surprise, she discovered the high-speed rail ticket Lin Shen had booked for her was for business class!

A staff member even appeared to guide her to the VIP lounge, offering to pull her luggage for her.

Jiang Wan, who had never experienced such premium service before, was astonished.

’This must have cost a fortune, right?’

Jiang Wan walked into the VIP lounge and found Lin Shen waiting there alone, a nearly finished breakfast on the table in front of him.

"Jiang Wan!"

Lin Shen stood and waved, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.

It seemed Jiang Wan had made a special effort to dress up today. Her face, already lovely without any makeup, was exceptionally beautiful, enhanced by the exquisite cosmetics.

She wore a sleeveless white ribbed top, a yellow floral-print skirt, white platform shoes, and carried a large woven straw bag.

The whole outfit was simple and chic, exuding a romantic, summery vibe that perfectly matched her personal style.

"You’ve gotten even more beautiful, Jiang Wan."

Lin Shen couldn’t help but praise her, which made Jiang Wan cover her mouth to hide a giggle.

"You’re so sweet, Lin Shen. You look very handsome today, too."

"You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you?"

Lin Shen pointed to a nearby food counter with a smile.

"They offer a complimentary breakfast over here. There are steamed buns, sandwiches, things like that."

"Then I’ll go take a look."

Jiang Wan got a sandwich and a carton of milk from the counter and returned to her seat across from Lin Shen. She couldn’t help but ask curiously,

"You booked business class for us? That must have cost a lot."

"Not much."

Lin Shen said with a smile, "It’s a five-hour train ride to Qingdao, after all. Better to be comfortable."

"Well, thank you, Lin Shen."

Jiang Wan remarked, taking small bites of her sandwich.

"This is my first time ever riding in business class. I wonder what it’s like."

"It’s basically like swapping the seats for personal massage chairs..."

Lin Shen gave her a brief description. After she finished her breakfast, the two of them boarded the train via the VIP passenger lane.