Is it easy to be a thief?

Tang Miannian had just gotten out of bed and was about to go look for her marriage certificate.

But after searching through everything, she couldn't find it. Then she remembered, both copies of the marriage certificate were probably tucked away by Long Yejue.

What now…

The girl on the phone was still waiting, and she had severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. If Tang Miannian didn't show her the certificate tonight, she might just barge into her house.

After a brief, frustrating moment of thinking, she decided to sneak next door and steal the marriage certificate.

Although she didn't know exactly where Long Yejue would hide it, marriage certificates were usually kept in the bedroom, right?

And besides, that man seemed to be either in the shower or in the study, so she still had a chance.

Once she decided, she crept out the door.

The door to the next room wasn't locked, so she easily opened it.

And indeed, the man was really in the shower!

Well then, the perfect opportunity to strike.

She started searching through drawers and cabinets.

But after rifling through several places, she still couldn't find it. She couldn't understand where Long Yejue might have hidden the certificate.

Could he have a safe in the bedroom?

She searched everywhere but couldn't find it. Just when she was about to give up, she forgot to keep track of time.

The bathroom door suddenly clicked open.

Startled by the sound, Tang Miannian, the little sheep, panicked and stumbled, trying to find a place to hide.

But she tragically realized the bedroom was so spacious, with only the bed and a few pieces of simple furniture.

In a desperate move, she quickly darted out onto the balcony.

Through the holes in the curtains, she could clearly see the man's every move.

The man, wearing only a bath towel and with wet hair, casually walked over and sat on the lounge chair, half-closing his eyes.

That angle… it seemed like he was looking in her direction.

Tang Miannian's heart almost leapt out of her chest as she tried to calm herself, thinking, He can't see me, he can't see me.

After a moment of staring in her direction, Long Yejue closed his eyes, looking calm and composed. That finally made the panicked little sheep feel a bit more at ease.

But then she realized, this was a disaster! She was going to freeze to death out here!

She was wearing sleepwear, and the night had grown colder. Even wrapped in the curtains, it was still freezing, okay?

And from the looks of it, Long Yejue didn't seem to plan on going to bed anytime soon.

Was she going to turn into a mushroom out here?

Tang Miannian was stuck in that dilemma, while Long Yejue, comfortable on the chair, showed no sign of getting up.

And his face... it was still pointed in her direction.

She couldn't move, not even a little. Even the slightest movement might wake him up.

Before long, her legs were about to fall asleep, her palms were sweating, and the hand gripping the curtain felt like it was cramping.

And to make matters worse, she could clearly hear her cheerful ringtone from next door, probably from Fu Ranran calling.

It kept ringing in bursts, non-stop.

She was willing to bet Long Yejue could definitely hear it too.

But the man remained unfazed, as if he was already asleep.

Wait—

Asleep?

Tang Miannian, who had already been losing hope, suddenly had a lightbulb moment. She looked at him carefully and realized that he really did seem to be asleep.

Should I leave now?

She was conflicted, but seeing how cold she was getting, she decided to take the risk.

She deliberately moved her hand a few times, but the person lying on the chair didn't react.

She moved her hand more forcefully, but still no reaction.

She let out a sigh of relief. It looked like he really was asleep. She cautiously walked out from behind the curtains, stepping lightly, almost like a cat, not wanting to wake the man.

The evening breeze blew in through the glass door.

Tang Miannian slowed her steps and then turned back to close the door.

Although it made a little noise, it didn't seem to disturb the man on the chair.

It seemed like he was sleeping deeply.

Tang Miannian felt bolder now. She walked over to the bed, grabbed a blanket, and covered him with it.

Being this close to him again made her heart race.

This man's body… it was even better than the male models she'd seen.

Her gaze started from his perfect face, slowly drifting downward—

Her nose started to heat up, and she suddenly realized she had been staring at him in a daze.

So embarrassing! Her hands shook, and she quickly covered him with the blanket to steady her nerves.

Her eyes landed on his damp hair.

She hesitated for a moment. He would catch a cold sleeping like this—should she wipe his hair for him?

But if she did that, she'd definitely wake him up. After debating for a while, she decided to let it go.

After all, sneaking in here to steal the marriage certificate was something he definitely couldn't know, or it would be so embarrassing.

At worst, she'd just go back to her room and call him.

Tang Miannian stood up, ready to leave.

But then she felt her hand suddenly grabbed, and she instinctively cried out, "Ah! I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to."

The man opened his piercing black eyes, locking onto her with an intense gaze, and said, "Help me dry my hair."

"Huh?"

He tossed the towel at her, closed his eyes again, and returned to his light sleep.

Tang Miannian, holding the towel, was completely thrown off.

Why did he not seem surprised to see her?

Could it be—

Oh my god!

She was shocked by her own thoughts.

This man must have known she was here all along; he just hadn't called her out on it.

Ugh… is it easy to be a thief?

Even though she was dying of embarrassment, Tang Miannian awkwardly started drying his hair.

From this angle, Long Yejue's chiseled jawline was all too clear.

Truly, there were no dead angles. No matter from which direction, he was perfect to the point of being suffocating.

"Um..." She was about to explain her actions.

"Jue, or should I say, hubby?"

The man, with his eyes still shut, suddenly spoke.

Tang Miannian nearly had a heart attack. Her hand shook as she wiped his hair, and she finally said, "H-hubby, I was actually looking for something. I thought you weren't here, so I decided to look for it myself."

Long Yejue didn't expose her lie, casually responding with an "Mm," thoroughly enjoying the word "hubby."

"Aren't you curious about what I was looking for?" Tang Miannian asked, feeling defeated.

It seemed like he could see through every single one of her actions.

How embarrassing.

"Everything in here belongs to you. You don't need to do this next time."

"Huh? Really?" Does that include you too?

She almost blurted the words out, but quickly stopped herself.

Long Ye Jue opened his eyes, his deep, dark pupils shining with a piercing light. He gazed at her and added, "Including me."

"...Cough, cough, cough."

Was this man reading her mind?

She hadn't even asked that question.

A flush spread across her cheeks, and she couldn't say another word.

The last sentence was just too shocking.

"Mianmian, we're already married," Long Ye Jue emphasized.

Tang Mianmian lowered her head guiltily, pretending to focus on wiping his hair, not daring to respond.

But the man didn't seem ready to let go of this deep conversation. He raised his hand and pulled her into his embrace.

The ambiguous posture almost made her want to flee in panic. 

If it wasn't for him holding her waist.

"Considering the issues you might have with accepting things, I didn't bring it up before, but don't you think the way we interact as a married couple should be different from how we are now?" 

Tang Mianmian tried to change the subject, "I think it's fine, more or less."

It seemed like this little woman was trying to avoid the topic.

But as a true scheming wolf, how could Long Ye Jue miss this opportunity to lure the little lamb?

His long arm wrapped around her waist, and his soft lips brushed against her neck as he whispered, "Aren't married couples supposed to share a bed?"

The hot breath made Tang Mianmian think she might be burned, and she awkwardly turned her head, rubbing her neck. "I... I'm not ready."

"I've given you plenty of time," he responded, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"I know," she muttered quietly, her voice weakening.

Long Ye Jue raised an eyebrow, and the heated air that escaped his lips caused her delicate skin on her cheek to tingle. "How long do you want me to wait?"

Wait? Wait how long?

Tang Mianmian almost wished she could disappear right then and there.

That question was impossible to answer—every answer was a trap!

But the way he was being so serious, it seemed like he wouldn't let her off the hook until she gave him an answer.

Hesitating, she finally lowered her head and twisted her fingers together. "Three months?"

"Hmm?"

The single word that escaped his lips was enough to express his disbelief.

Tang Mianmian bit her lip and tried again, "Two months?"

Wasn't three months enough?

After all, she had been with Su Shijie for five years, and they had never crossed that line.

She had already been brave enough to say three months, now anything shorter would be crossing a line.

"Oh?" Another simple sound of disbelief.

Tang Mianmian gritted her teeth, made up her mind, and extended one finger. "One month!"

This was her limit. She couldn't give in any further.

He raised an eyebrow, his smile carrying a dangerous allure. He reached up to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "One month, huh? For a man, that's already a fatal challenge. Mianmian, are you sure you can do this?"

"...Is it?" She didn't believe him.

But then, her thoughts drifted to Su Shijie.

He had once sworn to her, yet in the end, he couldn't resist the temptation from Yan Youlan and had discarded her.

Wasn't that the painful lesson that he was pointing out now?

Seeing her struggle, Long Ye Jue's lips curved into a light smile. "But if you really can't accept it, I'll wait."

Her face, once filled with indecision, brightened, a hint of relief and gratitude flashing in her eyes. "Really?"

"Mianmian, that expression of yours is actually a blow to a man's ego, you know?" he said with a tone of helplessness.

He really couldn't do anything with this little woman.

After all, Long Ye Jue could have any woman he wanted with just a snap of his fingers.

But now, here he was, carefully enticing this little woman in front of him, and yet, she reacted this way.

It was a little frustrating.

Tang Mianmian flushed red, feeling a little guilty. "I didn't know..."

She had no idea why that was supposed to be a blow to his ego.

Did it mean she was undermining his masculine charm?

But this man was already irresistible, did he really need to prove his masculinity to her?

It seemed his pride as a man was what was in play here.

She hadn't expected him to be so willing to back down, though.

She was too focused on feeling grateful, and didn't notice the gleam of determination that flashed through Long Ye Jue's eyes.

One month?

Maybe he wouldn't need that long.

This woman wasn't very clever, but Long Ye Jue had plenty of confidence.

With a firm pull, he pressed her into his chest, holding her tightly.

Tang Mianmian's ear was pressed to his chest, and she could clearly hear his strong heartbeat.

The colorful night outside made the embrace feel elusive, like she couldn't fully understand it.

It almost felt like a dream—a beautiful, intricate dream.