Growing Closer

Tang Miannian twisted her body under the blanket, gritting her teeth from the pain. What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking about this now?

When Long Ye Jue emerged, the figure under the blanket had become perfectly still.

He furrowed his brows slightly as he walked over. "Didn't I tell you to wait until your hair dries before sleeping?"

Reaching out to pull the blanket aside, he noticed the figure inside tremble slightly.

His dark eyes narrowed, and he slowed his movements, gently lifting the blanket. What greeted him was the sight of Tang Miannian's restless sleeping face.

She was clearly trying hard to fake sleep, but her long lashes fluttered with each nervous tremor.

A warmth spread in his chest, and his lips curved into a slight smile.

This little woman always had a way of making him feel at ease.

He hadn't intended to disturb her. The timing just wasn't right, and his earlier words were meant to scare her a little. He hadn't expected her to panic like this, even pretending to sleep.

Her acting skills were impressive, though.

Long Ye Jue didn't expose her, instead, he gently tucked her hair to one side, then went to grab a towel.

Taking advantage of this moment, Tang Miannian cautiously peeked through the slits of her eyelids, hoping to see what he was doing. However, before she could get a clear look, he left the bathroom again.

Frightened, she quickly shut her eyes, afraid he would notice her trying to spy on him.

She thought she was doing a good job of pretending, but unfortunately, the man had already seen through her act.

Still, he didn't call her out. He let her keep pretending.

He placed the towel under her head, brushing her hair to the side to avoid any moisture touching her. Despite all the shifting, she remained completely still.

Didn't she know that pretending too perfectly could backfire?

The man's lips curled into a thin smile, and he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

At the moment, she finally shuddered, and perhaps realizing she might have been caught, she rolled over with an exaggerated motion, pretending to sleep even more deeply, her heart pounding wildly.

She even convinced herself that the rapid thumping of her heart could be heard by him!

But Long Ye Jue didn't say a word. He simply adjusted the blankets around her, turned the air conditioning to a warmer setting, and lay down beside her.

The dip in the bed next to her made her heart race.

Her nerves were so taut it felt as though they might snap, and her hands instinctively clenched the sheets beneath her. She couldn't help but wish for an invisibility spell, to disappear from his presence completely.

Sadly, that wasn't going to happen.

With her eyes still closed, she silently prayed in her heart, but suddenly, her shoulder tensed, and the coldness of her back was replaced by a wave of warmth.

Long Ye Jue pulled her into his arms, and his grip on her shoulder tightened with each passing second.

Tang Miannian felt like she couldn't breathe from the closeness, but more than that, there was an overwhelming sense of warmth that seemed to seep deep into her soul.

Without realizing it, the space between them had closed even more.

His hot breath whispered in her ear. "Sleep."

"..."

She was already trying to sleep!

Wait—

Did he know she was faking it?

Was this the moment she should cry from the embarrassment?

Just when she thought sleep would elude her, the exhaustion from the day before caught up with her, and she soon fell into a deep slumber in his arms.

Since they were at the main residence, the rules had to be followed.

At 7:00 a.m., breakfast was served, and everyone gathered around the table. Long Ye Jue woke the still-sleeping Tang Miannian, and seeing her sleepy face made him feel an inexplicable warmth.

"What's wrong?" she mumbled, still half asleep, struggling to process what was happening.

"Time for breakfast."

"I'll eat in the car later," she responded groggily, clearly still not fully awake.

Long Ye Jue softened his voice and slightly raised his lips. "Grandpa's probably already waiting. Are you sure you want to eat in the car?"

Grandpa?

Suddenly remembering, Tang Miannian's eyes shot open, and she quickly surveyed her surroundings, realizing that she was in the old mansion.

And the most important thing—last night, they had shared a bed!

Her face turned red, and she couldn't bear to look at him. Flustered, she quickly nodded. "Okay, I'll be ready in a minute. Please wait for me."

As she threw off the blanket, she remembered something else and anxiously turned to him. "I don't have any other clothes. Is it rude if I wear the same clothes as yesterday?"

Long Ye Jue hesitated for a moment before heading to the wardrobe. A short time later, he returned with a dress in hand. "Just make do with this for now. I'll have Cindy prepare something for you later."

Tang Miannian was incredibly grateful.

Although she found it strange that he took a dress from his own wardrobe, not wanting to waste time, she didn't ask any questions.

The dress fit her surprisingly well, though the style was completely different from what she would normally wear.

It was ethereal and graceful, giving off an almost otherworldly vibe.

She looked herself over in the mirror, deciding it didn't look bad after all. She quickly tied her hair up and, with a fresh, bare face, walked out with a bright smile. "Let's go."

Long Ye Jue's expression flickered slightly, a strange gleam flashing in his eyes.

It was so subtle that almost no one would have noticed it.

This was Tang Miannian's first night at the old mansion, and Long Ye Jue's first stay there in eight years. The whole Dragon family was abuzz with excitement.

At breakfast, the old master remained silent, and the others dared not speak.

It was only when Long Ye Jue and his wife finally arrived that everyone understood the old master's unspoken intention.

Dragon Ruoshui, from the second branch, complained about being late for school.

It wasn't until then that the tension at the table began to ease.

However, Long Fengcheng's wife, Wang **, was clearly unhappy. "The old master is clearly showing favoritism. For the eldest young master, we're all forced to wait!"

Dragon Fengcheng shot her a cold look. "Keep it down."

"That's exactly what it is!" she muttered under her breath.

Whispers and Tensions

Wang ** still muttered quietly to herself.

Hearing this, Zhu Wenyi's expression darkened.

Long Fengcheng spoke up first, "We agreed on this yesterday, so stop making a scene."

Zhu Wenyi felt a pang of resentment but could only hold it in.

Long Ruoshui glanced at the others, then coldly shot a glance at Tang Miannian before sneering, "She has the nerve to make everyone wait for her. We don't have this kind of daughter-in-law in the Dragon family."

"Ruoshui!" Long Fengcheng sighed deeply at his daughter, who was always stirring up trouble.

Tang Miannian felt embarrassed and apologized, "I'm sorry for being late."

"It's alright. We chatted for too long last night. It's normal for young people to sleep in. Please sit down and pick something you like. Let the eldest pick for you," Long Zhenfei said, smiling kindly.

Such treatment was unheard of in the Dragon family, and the others could only feel envious, jealous, and resentful.

None of them could understand why Long Zhenfei was so kind to this unknown woman.

Tang Miannian apologized with a quick glance at everyone, as if to make amends.

She had never experienced such a breakfast with so many people before, so she felt extremely uncomfortable.

But Long Ye Jue had told her that anyone staying at the Dragon family mansion was expected to attend breakfast, no matter how busy or tired they were.

The lavish breakfast left Tang Miannian speechless.

Even though she had seen meals as extravagant as those in Michelin-starred restaurants, she hadn't expected breakfast to be so elaborate.

She was a foodie, and as long as it was delicious, she'd eat it all.

So, Long Zhenfei's offer to have Long Ye Jue pick something for her was completely unnecessary.

After breakfast, Long Zhenfei turned to Long Fengcheng. "Has the second son returned? Why haven't I seen him?"

Long Fengcheng quickly responded, "He's gone to S City again. He said he was going to discuss a partnership."

Long Zhenfei was only somewhat satisfied with the answer. "Business is important, but it's not right to come back and not visit home."

"Yes, I'll talk to him about it," Long Fengcheng said, relieved.

Long Ye Jue raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Second brother is back?"

"Yes. When I was chatting with Old Master Mo yesterday, he mentioned seeing him. I thought you knew. This brat has been abroad for so many years. Now that he's back, he won't even come home. No conscience!" Long Zhenfei said with a cold face, cursing a few times before walking out with the old butler for a stroll.

Once the old master left, the others returned to their usual selves.

Zhu Wenyi stood up immediately, glaring at Tang Miannian, before turning and leaving in a huff.

Seeing this, Tang Miannian felt a bit dejected. It seemed that Long Ye Jue's mother still hadn't accepted her.

Long Ye Jue patted her shoulder. "Let's go. Time to head to work."

"Work?" Long Ruoshui's voice rose in disbelief. "Big Brother, she works at Jue Shi? How can that be?!"

Long Ruoshui's reaction was so extreme that Tang Miannian couldn't quite understand what was going on. Long Ye Jue, however, remained expressionless and dismissed her question with a cold tone. "Jue Shi is my company. Do I need your approval to hire someone?"

Big Brother's cold reply seemed to make Long Ruoshui even more upset. "But last time, when I asked you to get Sister Wanru into the company, you refused. Now, you let her in? You're being so biased!"

"She's my wife!" Long Ye Jue's firm response made Long Ruoshui freeze, her face cooling with anger.

Although Tang Miannian didn't want the two to argue, she couldn't help but feel moved by Long Ye Jue's words.

Just hearing "She's my wife" made it clear where she stood in his heart.

Wang ** whispered to her husband, "The eldest has really changed. It's so weird. But he spoils his wife so much, and the old master says nothing. This is true favoritism."

"Enough! Stop talking during breakfast!" Long Fengcheng, who hated women gossiping, snapped.

Wang ** pouted and sneered, "You're such a silent type. In the end, you might not even get anything."

Long Fengcheng's face darkened in frustration, but he couldn't do anything about his wife.

Wang ** looked at Tang Miannian, who was already walking away, and muttered in confusion, "Doesn't Tang Miannian look a lot like someone?"

"Shut up! That person is taboo in our family! If you dare say it again, the old master will throw you out!" Long Fengcheng couldn't hold back his anger anymore and scolded her.

Wang ** was stunned into silence by his mention of the old master, and she dared not say another word.

At the entrance, Su Wanru arrived as usual to meet Long Ruoshui.

However, she didn't expect to run into Long Ye Jue today.

She was about to wave, but then saw his car parked next to a woman.

The sight of that figure made her heart skip a beat.

Taking a few steps forward, she hid behind a garden tree and peered carefully, only to realize that the person was Tang Miannian.

She had mistaken it at first, but when she saw clearly, she couldn't help but think, What a shock!

Her once excited mood instantly deflated, and her expression turned melancholic.

She watched helplessly as the car drove past her without slowing down.

She was certain that Long Ye Jue had seen her, but just like before, he completely ignored her.

Perhaps she had never truly been part of his world—she wasn't even a passing figure in his life.

Lost in her thoughts and sadness, she was shaken out of it when Long Ruoshui drove her BMW Z6 up.

Seeing her waiting by the roadside, he stopped and asked, "Wanru, why are you waiting here? Why not come inside?"

"Oh, I just got here," she replied casually as she got into the car.

Long Ruoshui didn't question her. Instead, she vented her frustrations. "You wouldn't believe it, I didn't even have a good breakfast this morning. Let's go grab something to eat."