Chapter 142: A Surprise Gift

Sang Yijia raised an eyebrow as she watched the floor numbers on the elevator display climb steadily upward. "Are we heading to the top floor?"

Lu Wenchuan had mentioned it briefly that morning, but she truly hadn't expected him to be so efficient; it was already arranged by the afternoon.

"You caught me," Lu Wenchuan replied with a smile. "I wanted to surprise you."

"It is a surprise," Sang Yijia answered.

As the sensation of vertical movement faded, the elevator arrived at the penthouse suite.

Lu Wenchuan led Sang Yijia out. The hallway carpet was strewn with bright, fresh red rose petals, and the air was thick with their fragrance.

It was clear that Lu Wenchuan hadn't known his assistant had made these preparations. "Do you like it?"

"Did you arrange this?" Sang Yijia hesitated to step on the delicate petals but, seeing no other path, stood still and looked at him.

"I arranged the stay, but the specifics were handled by my assistant and secretary," Lu Wenchuan admitted honestly. Seeing that she didn't seem entirely pleased, he promised, "I’ll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It’s lovely, but I can't bear to step on them," she said, looking up at him with a troubled expression.

Lu Wenchuan paused, then smiled faintly. "Shall I carry you over?"

"Wouldn't that be the weight of two people?" she declined. "I suppose I'll have to be heartless and just walk."

Lu Wenchuan couldn't help but chuckle. "Fine, whatever you say."

Beyond the hallway was the suite door. The key card was in Lu Wenchuan’s hand, so Sang Yijia waited for him to unlock it.

"Close your eyes first," he said, producing a silk ribbon from somewhere. "Let me help you."

She didn't refuse, allowing him to tie the ribbon over her eyes.

Deprived of sight, her sense of smell and hearing seemed to sharpen. She heard the beep of the key card, followed by the click of the door opening.

Lu Wenchuan stood behind her, his hand resting on her waist. His cool, calm voice whispered in her ear, "Keep walking. Trust me."

Sang Yijia moved forward cautiously based on his guidance.

"Careful, the threshold."

She stepped over it.

She caught a heavy, rich fragrance—it was the scent of roses from the hallway.

"Are there roses in the room too?" she asked.

Lu Wenchuan looked around. The penthouse was a three-bedroom, two-living-room suite.

On the coffee table in the living room, a vase held several vibrant red roses. On the dining table sat a gift wrapped in red paper, tied with a pink ribbon bow, making its contents impossible to discern.

As for the master bedroom, he hadn't gone inside to check, but given the trail of roses, he knew there were surely more on the bed, likely arranged in the shape of a heart.

"Can I take this off and look?" Sang Yijia asked, waiting for his reply. Her eyelashes fluttered, tickled by the silk ribbon.

Lu Wenchuan snapped out of his thoughts, feeling a surge of regret for not being clearer with Guan Zijin and the others. "My apologies. This might not be the kind of scene you'd enjoy."

He untied the ribbon.

"It's beautiful," Sang Yijia said, opening her eyes to see the charming red roses. "I like it very much." Then, she spotted the gift on the dining table. "Is that for me?"

"Of course," Lu Wenchuan confirmed.

"Then I'll open it." She walked over toward the table, followed closely by the camera crew.

Lu Wenchuan’s phone buzzed with a message, but he ignored it.

Sang Yijia untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside lay a set of lace, semi-transparent lingerie.

The production staff were stunned.

Lu Wenchuan’s face turned pale.

"Are you sure this was meant for me?" Sang Yijia asked with a faint smile in her eyes.

Lu Wenchuan didn't know how to respond, caught between admitting it and denying it.

Just then, his phone rang, breaking the awkward silence.

Sang Yijia told him to take the call while she examined the lingerie with interest.

The segment director fell into deep thought. "We have to censor this part. Otherwise, we'll get complaints."

Sang Yijia looked confused. "It's just a little joke between a couple, what's the problem?"

"..." *That is quite a joke, especially since you aren't actually a couple,* the director thought, though he quickly regained his composure. "Are you and Mr. Lu officially together?"

"Yes." She didn't deny it, but after looking at the lingerie for a moment, she concluded, "This really cannot be aired."

She had almost forgotten—if her family saw this, they might show up at Lu Wenchuan's doorstep with kitchen knives.

The director was still reeling from the revelation, blinking in confusion.

Elsewhere, Lu Wenchuan answered the call from his chief assistant, Guan Zijin. His expression darkened instantly before he could even ask what was going on.

Guan Zijin explained first, "Mr. Lu, that gift at the hotel must not be opened. It was a surprise Zuo Fei prepared for her boyfriend."

His tone was frantic. "The gift meant for Ms. Sang is currently with Zuo Fei."

"Thank you, it's already quite a surprise," Lu Wenchuan replied expressionlessly. He glanced at Sang Yijia, who showed no particular emotion, leaving him uncertain if she was angry. His heart tightened. "She has already opened it."

Guan Zijin went silent.

"And she took it out to inspect it."

Guan Zijin didn't know how to respond.

"Now..." Lu Wenchuan took a deep breath, looking at the floor-to-ceiling windows. The view from the top floor was magnificent, revealing the endless expanse of the ocean.

He had previously told them not to open the windows facing the sea, so they remained shut, but the blue ocean was still clearly visible.

"Tell me, how am I supposed to explain this?" Lu Wenchuan had never been in a relationship, let alone experienced something so inexplicable.

He rubbed his temples, feeling momentarily blank.

"Mr. Lu, why don't you just tell her the truth?" Guan Zijin didn't know what else to say, already thinking about how he would settle the score with Zuo Fei when he got back.

Getting no useful answer, Lu Wenchuan hung up.

"Was it a misunderstanding?" Sang Yijia asked. She trusted that Lu Wenchuan wouldn't have prepared such a gift, meaning the staff must have made a mistake.

Lu Wenchuan looked at the red box, at a loss for words.

The director cleared his throat. "Let's step out for a moment. You two go ahead and talk."

Sang Yijia didn't object.

Once they were alone, Lu Wenchuan cleared his throat and looked away uncomfortably. "That was a surprise my secretary, Zuo Fei, prepared for her boyfriend. The two gift boxes were identical, so they got mixed up. The gift originally intended for you is currently with Zuo Fei."

He wasn't sure if she would believe his explanation.

Sang Yijia was silent for a moment. She tilted her head, looked at him, and asked, "Then what was the gift you originally prepared for me?"