What was once a path covered in red rose petals soon turns into a set of stairs leading down to the lake. Although the sky was not clear, the atmosphere gave off an enchanting feeling. The grey clouds reflected onto the lake like a fog.
Lu Tian takes three steps down the stairs, and he turns to face his wife with his lips faintly curled up at the corners.
Yue Ling held his gaze, and without uttering a word, she took his hand. Her steps were calm, and with Lu Tian's guidance, they soon near the end of the deck.
Wanting to see her reaction, Lu Tian lets go of her hand and stays a few steps behind her.
However, his eyes never once left her.
Yue Ling stops at the end of the deck, and when she looks down, she is in for another surprise.
The plain wooden boat they had once ridden was decorated with flowers, and wrapped along the edges were decorative lights.
She felt the urge to go down and sit in the boat but finally realizing the emptiness of her hand, she stops in her movements. She turns around to look at the man behind her and smiles a laugh.
This time, she reached her hand out to Lu Tian, and he didn't hesitate to take it.
He lightly nods his head with a calm expression. However, he was exuberant that his wife liked his surprises deep down.
He steadily takes a step down onto the boat then turns back to help her in.
As the couple sat in the boat, they had forgotten about those who were following behind.
"Wow, for a second there, I almost forgot we were in the middle of a photo shoot."
Xu Long tilts his head at the scene of the two people in the boat. He was so amazed by the way Yue Ling and Lu Tian were behaving that he swore it was like they were strolling in their backyard.
Standing next to the assistant, Liu Shan focuses on the camera viewfinder and continues to snap photos of the couple. However, he gives him a side glance when he hears the man.
"Well, what did you expect? My boss was once a renowned model."
He says no more and walks toward the edge of the deck. He snaps another shot of the couple then lowers the camera to check the image.
Xu Long stares at the man then at the others. He looks down at the tripod he was holding and slightly furrows his eyebrows.
"I know that we're here for a photo shoot, but how are we going to take the photos if we're here and they're going further into the lake?"
Hearing this, Gui Tian Lan turns to face the assistant and grins.
Xu Long blinks his eyes in puzzlement, but he steps to the side, seeing that Tang Zhonghui and Gui Zhongmin are not in sight. Once he located their whereabouts, he gasped in shock.
"Wow, you guys really were prepared."
There was another wooden boat waiting for them, except it was more significant than the one Yue Ling and Lu Tian were currently on.
Liu Shan climbs down onto the boat and looks back at the assistant.
"Hurry up. We don't have enough time."
Xu Long nods his head and jumps down. His movement rocked the boat, and the men exclaimed as each person grabbed a firm hold of the equipment in their hands.
"Xu Long, are you asking for a death wish?"
Tang Zhonghui bellowed with eyes full of daggers at the assistant. If he had not reacted in time, the light fixture he brought would have fallen into the lake.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Xu Long's neck shrunk as his shoulders rose. He didn't dare to look at the men as he could feel the lasers in their eyes stabbing his soul.
"Sorry. I got too excited."
Qi Li had yet to get onto the boat. He stared down at Xu Long and looked like he wanted to say something but decided to keep to himself.
He climbs down to join the men and takes the center seat. Before he sits down, he unties the rope securing the boat then takes a seat. His hands grabbed hold of the wooden paddles then began strolling them in the direction of their bosses.
Aware of what had happened to the men, Yue Ling couldn't stop laughing. Once she was able to calm herself down, she fixed her eyes back on the man sitting across from her.
"This might be random, but how did Xu Long become your assistant?"
She had always wondered about this. Liu Shan was her friend before he became her assistant. Was it the same for Lu Tian and Xu Long?
Lu Tian calmly paddles the boat. He arches an eyebrow at his wife's sudden question then turns his head to the side. He could see the men on the boat slowly come closer, and his eyes focused on his assistant for a quick second.
He looks back at his wife with full-on attention and shrugs his shoulders.
"I guess he met the qualifications."
He had to admit that Xu Long may have an odd personality, but he (Xu Long) can get any assigned tasks done.
Yue Ling was at a loss by his response. She looks away from him to the other boat and nods her head in understanding.
"I see. I suppose it's normal since my subordinates are the same."
Just like how Lu Tian sees his assistant, she also saw the same thing in her subordinates. Each person has an out-of-this-world personality, but they can become severe with a snap of the finger.
Lu Tian fixated on his wife for a long second. After doing some pondering, he asks a question that had been lingering at the back of his mind.
"Do you regret your career choice?"
He never thought to ask because she never brought it up to him, and he feared that she might see him a nuisance for prying into her life.
However, since they were doing a photo shoot for their wedding, he was worried it might bring back memories for her as someone who used to model.
Yue Ling's expression turned inexpressive for a split second as she didn't expect him to bring up an unexpected topic. She slowly turns her attention to him and shakes her head.
She knows he had asked because they were taking a photoshoot for their wedding. He must be worried that her being in front of a camera might bring back memories of her time as a model.
She looks to the horizon, where the trees stand like guards protecting the lake.
"Modeling was fun for me at the time, but it isn't the career I wanted."
She looks back at Lu Tian, and a faint smile curls on her face.
"Being a fashion designer and owning my own brand was my lifelong dream. That's why I don't regret the choice I made when I retired."
Lu Tian smiles with her and nods his head. He stops paddling the boat and looks straight into her eyes.
"My ears are yours if you ever need someone to talk to."
He made a promise to be there for her, and for that, he hoped that she would depend on him more.
Yue Ling was genuinely thankful for the care he had for her. She held his gaze, and she could see the love and respect within his eyes.
She parts her lips to say something, but from the corner of her eyes, she sees a glowing white light.
All thoughts cleared in her, and she turned her head in the direction of what had taken her attention.
Her eyes lit up as she inhaled a gasp, as a radiant smile slowly appeared on her face. She unknowingly raises her hands and covers her mouth.