Chapter 8

The air in the car suddenly crackled with a strange tension. Mu Ling, who was driving, collapsed into silent laughter. His shoulders shook as he tried his best to control his mirth. He would have laughed out loud if Lu Shijin hadn't shot him a warning look from the back seat. Tang Ruochu's cheeks had turned bright red and even her slender neck was stained with a faint blush. Lu Shijin's eyes suddenly darkened as he added, "There's no need to worry. I don't like to take advantage of others, so I won't touch you until you're ready." He said this to alleviate her embarrassment but this was also a promise. Tang Ruochu immediately let out a sigh of relief. She looked at him gratefully. This was the first time she felt that she had made the right decision to marry him. He was a true gentleman and he wouldn't touch her if he had promised not to do so! She trusted him because he was Lu Shijin. He wasn't like Ji Yinfeng. Ji Yinfeng wasn't a man of his word. He had promised that he would only touch her after they were married but he kept dropping hints that he wanted to sleep with her before marriage. Lu Shijin was the complete opposite. He could have utilized his position as his husband to coerce her into bed, but instead, he promised that he wouldn't force her and he was even willing to wait until she was ready. Tang Ruochu was secretly thankful that she had chosen to marry him. "Thank you, Mr. Lu!" "You're welcome." The car stopped as they were talking and Lu Shijin glanced outside before he said, "We're here." Tang Ruochu was surprised when she followed his gaze and realized where they were. They were in front of a restaurant known as "Sea Galaxy". "Sea Galaxy" was located in the suburbs and the restaurant was built on a hill. It was very spacious and surrounded by many tourist spots and hotels. It had a great view and was tastefully and lavishly decorated. There was even a private observatory at the back that was meant for customers to appreciate the city lights or gaze at the stars while dining. This was why the "Sea Galaxy" was extremely well-known within Beining City and there was usually a month-long waitlist to secure a seat at this restaurant. It was also the favorite haunt of Beining's rich. "Let's head in," Lu Shijin said. He had stepped out of his car without her noticing and had even opened her door for her like a true gentleman. As Tang Ruochu stepped out of the car with her head bowed, she couldn't help saying, "You should've told me that we were coming here earlier, then I would've changed into a better outfit." Lu Shijin shot her an appraising look and said placidly, "You're a natural beauty, so you'll look good in anything. You look good enough as you are." He was telling the truth. Tang Ruochu was a true beauty and gave off a bookish air. Her looks were elegant and refreshing and she had a perfectly proportionate figure. She also had very good taste in fashion, so she still looked very gorgeous even in the outfit she wore to work. Tang Ruochu paused in surprise before she said with a laugh, "I didn't expect such words of praise from you." This was the first time she smiled since that incident. Lu Shijin was also surprised that he had this newfound ability to praise others after he got married! Fortunately, this was just a private conversation. His friends' jaws would have dropped in shock if they had heard him blurt out those words earlier. They walked into the restaurant. Lu Shijin had booked the area near the observatory and had even decorated the place. The chef wheeled out the dining cart and served the food. Then, several violinists who were clad in suits walked out, stood in a line, and started to play a beautiful melody. There were flowers, candles, wine, music, and all other staples to create a romantic atmosphere. Tang Ruochu suddenly realized that all her misery, sadness, and anguish vanished as she took in the romantic atmosphere and she was pleasantly surprised. "Does all of this fit your taste?" Lu Shijin suddenly asked while they were eating. ... Tang Ruochu chewed on her steak and nodded. "I really like it. Foie gras, borscht, European-style smoked steak, and the vanilla dessert are all my favorite foods..." She paused for a moment before she suddenly looked at him in surprise and said, "Did you... order all these?" Lu Shijin met her gaze and said placidly, "It wasn't difficult to find out." Tang Ruochu's breath caught in her throat and she found herself at a loss for words. She didn't expect this lofty and unapproachable man to be so attentive. He had even taken note of what she enjoyed eating. Ji Yinfeng would never have done such a thing. He could never remember what her favorite food was, what she liked to wear, or what kind of movies she enjoyed watching. Yet, Lu Shijin had done all that for her! Tang Ruochu couldn't express how she felt at the moment. Ji Yinfeng was a man who she had given her heart to, but he had stomped viciously on her heart and reduced her love to nothing. Lu Shijin was her husband whom she had barely known for a day but he had managed to do what Ji Yinfeng could not. Tang Ruochu suddenly looked at Lu Shijin in a new light. This man wasn't as aloof as he seemed. In fact, he was very kind and attentive. She could tell that he had these traits when he promised not to touch her until she was ready and when he personally ordered her favorite food. She even had a feeling that he had shown up at Times Entertainment that afternoon to help her. Tang Ruochu felt inexplicably touched as she said, "Thank you, Mr. Lu!" Lu Shijin's brows creased slightly and he seemed to mind how she addressed him so formally. He said, "You're welcome, but why don't you change the way you address me?" "Uh... what should I change it to?" Tang Ruochu said and her mind suddenly drew a blank. ... She had given some thought to this after Lu Shijin started addressing her as "Mrs. Lu" earlier in the car, but she couldn't come up with something suitable, so she changed her form of address from "Sir" to "Mr. Lu". She didn't expect Lu Shijin to bring this topic up less than an hour later. "Why don't you try calling me by my name?" he suggested. Tang Ruochu blinked and thought for a moment before saying, "Shijin?" "That doesn't sound endearing enough but I'll let you take some time to adjust," Lu Shijin said as he smiled approvingly. ...