Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  “You’ve not answered me the question I asked last night,” Ye Ningyuan asked as he saw that she was almost done with eating.

  Xu Nuo, of course, knew why he did it and briefly told him about her matters. Ye Ningyuan felt that it was weird and lucky. He did not ask her anything else and just propped his head and watched her eat.

  “Aren’t you hungry?”


  “I’m full,” Ye Ningyuan said. Xu Nuo looked up and saw that his bowl was empty. She looked down and drank her soup. Ye Ningyuan asked, “Do you like the food?”


  Xu Nuo nodded.

  He asked again, “Is the soup good?”


  Xu Nuo nodded again and looked at him in confusion. “What exactly do you want to say?”


  Ye Ningyuan said righteously, “Of course I want to know your preferences. After all, I want to cook for you for life.”


  Xu Nuo was taken aback and immediately lowered her head. Her face almost fell smack into the soup bowl. As if nothing had happened, Xu Nuo’s fingertips slightly trembled. It was unsure if she was happy or sad. Both of them did not mention Hailan. If Ye Ningyuan did not mention it, so would Xu Nuo not mention it either. It was as if nothing had happened. She was still her, and he was still him. They were just a couple who had been together for many years.

  After dinner, he took her for a stroll on the beach. Xu Nuo was a little full. Although she had applied medicine on her leg that cooled it, her leg was still a little numb. She did not want to go for a stroll with him, but she could not dissuade him and could only walk on the beach with him. The two of them talked about the past—mostly the past. They did not mention the future at all. It was Xu Nuo who did not mention anything about the future. Ye Ningyuan wanted to mention it, but he could only hold back when he saw her expression. She needed time to adjust her mood and he would not stress her too much. The two of them sat on the beach for a while. Ye Ningyuan was inspired and wanted to draw a painting for her. He went back to his room to get his painting equipment and the sketchbook. He was mixing the colors when Xu Nuo flipped open his sketchbook and saw the four words, “My wife, Xu Nuo.” She was shocked. She looked up at him and saw that he was seriously mixing the colors. The corners of Xu Nuo’s lips curled slightly. She had to admit that she was happy, a subtle difference from the happiness obtained from a reunion.

  It was a little sweet.

  Ye Ningyuan flipped open the sketchbook and it was filled with her, no, her past self. He must have used Xu Xing’s appearance to draw her. Ye Ningyuan turned back and smiled. “Is it nice?”


  “Yes, it’s nice. I look good, and it’ll look good matter how bad you are at drawing.”


  Ye Ningyuan’s hand paused and he shook his head. “Okay, I know you look good, and my drawing is ugly.”


  “Of course.”


  She looked at his painting seriously. One could tell from a painting if they had put in the effort. It was clear that Ye Ningyuan had put in a lot of effort. She could see how dedicated he was from the well-drawn painting.

  Did he really love her?

  It was easy to love someone for a year or two, but it had been more than ten years. It was rare for him to still have such thoughts. However, perhaps she should let go of the knot in her heart and not torture each other like this as long as Ningyuan could let go.

  They did not have multiple thirteen years in their lives, and they could not possibly miss each other again.

  “Nuo Nuo, how nice would it be if you were by my side since you were young.”


  “Then you’ll get tired of me.”


  “No!” he said. “Never.”


  Xu Nuo only smiled and did not say a word. She knew that her character was terrible, and it was a surprise that he liked her. She thought that Ning Ning liked lively and cheerful girls instead of girls like her.

  “I forgot to ask you something. Do you want to reunite with the Xu family?”


  “No!” She said firmly and closed the sketchbook.” Let them think that I’m dead. They don’t care about my life, and I can’t be bothered with them.”


  It would be a lie to say that she did not hate that family. She had been by Michael’s side for so many years. Although she had acknowledged a Godmom who doted on her, they was ultimately a thin veil separating them, preventing them from being close to each other. Especially after she had a falling out with Xu Xing, she did not walk around often. She did not know what was on the mind of that mother of hers, but she did not want to be involved with that family.

  It was also very troublesome to explain. She did not have high expectations for kinship. On the contrary, the person who had given her the best in all these years was Michael. He was a Daddy and a Michael who had given her all the kinship that she lacked. Compared to them, she was closer to Michael. This was also why she went crazy after Michael was killed.

  “Okay, then let’s not talk about it,” Ye Ningyuan went along with her and kissed her lips. He gently said, “I will not let you be lonely anymore. You have me.”


  Xu Nuo looked down and smiled.

  Ye Ningyuan stroked her hair and got her to pose as he drew. Xu Nuo was very uncooperative, and Ye Ningyuan was very vexed. Finally, he got her to pose in a way he wanted using both the carrot and stick approach. Only then was Ye Ningyuan satisfied.

  He did not draw very quickly and was very serious with each stroke. She was the person he loved the most. All these years, he had always imagined her in his heart. It was the first time she stood in front of him, and the first time she stood in front of him so vividly. Her fluttering long hair, white clothes, and lively expression made Ye Ningyuan feel nothing but gratefulness.

  The heavens, after all, cared for him and eventually returned her to him.

  The sunset cast a thin layer of light on her. Although the sea breeze was strong, it was not cold. Instead, it was warm. Ye Ningyuan picked a white camellia and tucked it behind her ear. Xu Nuo said, “F***, what a love-struck fool!”


  “Not at all. It looks particularly good.” Her face shape was very suitable for wearing such a big flower, and her long hair was beautiful enough. As the flower hung over her ear, it gave her a different charm. Their duo’s aesthetic preferences were clearly not on the same level. He felt that she was extremely beautiful, but she found it stupid. She refused to don the flower. He hugged and kissed her for a long time, and even tried to wheedle. Xu Nuo rejected all of them. The white camellia was beautiful, but it was silly and childish wearing it.

  “Nuo Nuo, be good.”


  “It looks silly. I’m not wearing it.” Xu Nuo’s temper was much worse than his. Ye Ningyuan stared at her, and she stared back at him. No way was she wearing it. “At most, I’ll draw it red?”


  “Pfft, red makes one look more smitten and silly.”


  “You’ll only know the effect after it’s drawn. How do you know it’s silly?”


  “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; you’ll find me good-looking wearing cow dung. It’s obvious how silly it is without you drawing it.” Xu Nuo rolled her eyes.

  Ye Ningyuan solemnly said, “Nuo Nuo, don’t doubt my beauty standards. If you want to wear cow dung, I will not say that it looks good.” Besides, how was one to wear cow dung?

  Xu Nuo felt stifled. Ye Ningyuan stroked her face and said, “Be good and let me draw. I’ll let you rest for the night. If not……”


  “Don’t go too far!”


  Ye Ningyuan smiled cunningly, and Xu Nuo eventually relented. Really, if they had another round tonight, she would go crazy. The frequency of having sex needed to be regulated, especially when her body that had just tasted meat.

  “If you dare go back on your words, you’re dead meat,” Xu Nuo warned. Ye Ningyuan knew that she had compromised and smiled like a cat that had stolen a fish.