The Domineering CEO's Vain Trophy Husband 29

On Ming Yao's large bed, a conspicuous gift box was displayed.

This style clearly didn't match Ming Yao's taste. Under Lin Zhi's gaze tinged with mockery, Ming Yao pursed his lips and said: "Someone suggested that this approach works well."

Ming Yao hadn't just asked Grandfather—he'd asked others too, including Special Assistant Gao. When selecting the gift box, Gao had offered this suggestion.

A gift that catches the eye immediately would give people a sense of surprise. If Mr. Lin didn't notice it right away, wouldn't the effect be diminished?

That's what Special Assistant Gao had said, and Ming Yao found it quite reasonable. He was even planning to give him a year-end bonus.

Lin Zhi personally unwrapped the gift box. Inside were two items.

A painting worth three million, and a vinyl record with no set price, both from masters long since passed.

These were works that Lin Zhi had mentioned loving in passing while appreciating paintings or listening to music.

The value of these items had transcended the monetary worth attached to them. In Lin Zhi's eyes, what made them truly captivating was Ming Yao's sincerity.

Bright moonlight streamed through the window, making the night beautiful and serene.

"You don't like it?" Ming Yao asked with some unease. Lin Zhi's expression wasn't particularly surprised. Instead, there was a feeling he couldn't quite describe.

"No, I like it very much. I've been very happy today."

Lin Zhi looked at Ming Yao, his smile brilliant.

Lin Zhi took out the vinyl record. Ming Yao's room had a record player. With practiced movements, Lin Zhi began playing the record.

The lyrical and romantic violin melody flowed through the space like pouring moonlight.

"Thank you. This has been a very meaningful birthday for me."

Lin Zhi embraced Ming Yao. Since Ming Yao's leg had fully healed, the height difference between them meant Lin Zhi had to stand on his tiptoes and crane his neck to kiss Ming Yao.

The stringed melody was like the rising and falling tides, tinting the air with a subtle, ambiguous moisture.

Ming Yao's eyes brightened again. He wrapped his arms around Lin Zhi's waist and deepened the kiss.

His hand pressed against Lin Zhi's side, instinctively drawing the other closer into his embrace.

When one holds a beloved person in heated embrace to the extreme, it naturally breeds a mad desire to merge with them.

The gift box was moved to the bedside. Shoes lay scattered about, and the intertwined shadows of their kiss were elongated by moonlight.

Ming Yao's chest heaved, his heart pounding violently. Under Lin Zhi's active kiss, he hadn't thought about the most important gift, but Lin Zhi's kiss gave him confidence.

He kissed the beautiful young man lying in his shadow, then rose bare-chested to find something he'd been preparing for a long time.

The man's broad back and gracefully muscled lines, not exaggerated but perfectly aesthetic, were pleasing to the eye. Lin Zhi propped himself up on his arms and waited for him to retrieve it.

Ming Yao found what he was looking for and walked steadily to Lin Zhi, half-kneeling by the window. He opened the ring box in his hand.

Inside were a pair of matching rings—brilliant blue diamonds gleaming with breathtaking light.

These were the rings Ming Yao had promised. Matching rings with an expensive blue diamond auctioned in Geneva, expertly cut and set.

"May I put it on you now?"

Despite Ming Yao's efforts to stay calm, his slightly ragged breathing and his eyes still betrayed his nervousness.

This was a silent vow—a promise of whether to become lifelong lovers.

Lin Zhi stared for a moment, then curved his lips and answered: "Not at our wedding?"

"Good."

Ming Yao's eyes grew brighter. His voice was hoarse as he responded. He used his last bit of restraint to carefully place the ring box away, then turned to draw close to Lin Zhi.

The string melody had reached a joyful part, expressing the hurried, passionate moment of lovers' reunion.

Scattered, soft winter clothes and destroyed intimate garments departed in an irrevocable manner, announcing their exit.

Lin Zhi was somewhat astonished, but it seemed human genes naturally encoded this sort of primal romance.

In the violin melody, the interlocking, urgent notes stretched and compressed time. Lin Zhi was covered in sweat, and with his heart pounding in sync with Ming Yao's, even the music became a blur.

Lin Zhi truly felt the capabilities of his recovered husband. Everything was no longer constrained, imprisoned in an inescapable world.

The moonlight gradually dimmed as clouds obscured it. In the not-so-bright light, the moisture in the young man's eyes gleamed like amber, condensing and threatening to fall as they swayed, only to disappear in a kiss before ever sliding down.

Those lips, never quite unsmiling and always curved slightly upward, had become an excessively deep red, and his innocent, beautiful face grew even more deserving of tenderness.

"Zhizhi," Ming Yao called the intimate name in a low voice, his heart so full it seemed ready to burst.

The beautiful, illusory flower blossoming in his hand became real, and he couldn't help himself.

He had agreed to marry him.

He had agreed.

In the late night, as Lin Zhi was being carried by Ming Yao, he suddenly discovered something interesting.

Ming Yao's room contained cake-making materials, and there was leftover cream in the piping bag.

"Your cake was made in the kitchen. I was just practicing here," Ming Yao explained softly. After all, he couldn't practice constantly in the kitchen, and he wasn't comfortable being watched.

Lin Zhi hadn't expected the cake to be homemade either. In the next moment, Ming Yao set him at the practice table.

Sweet cake and soft cream were an excellent pairing—no one would deny that.

Lin Zhi casually decorated it, then looked at Ming Yao with mock regret, saying, "I seem to lack this talent."

Ming Yao's eyes were unfocused, and Ming Yao tilted his head back with some pain, but laughed quite happily.

Ming Yao thought that Lin Zhi had exceptional talent in everything.

The violin music was paused by someone. Night had sounds all its own.

The string music faded, but the rising and falling tide did not cease.

As daylight arrived, the sky became brighter. However, winter's warm sun wasn't scorching. Ming Yao drew the curtains, cutting off the light entirely.

He carried Lin Zhi to the bathroom. Lin Zhi was sleeping deeply, his nose still tinged red from tears.

In front of the bathroom sink, the mirror reflected the beautiful young man's drowsy face and the figure holding him from behind.

Ming Yao felt somewhat apologetic. He had intended for Lin Zhi to sleep better, but he'd spent far too long in there.

Lin Zhi slept even more soundly. Even the ringing of his phone in his coat pocket couldn't rouse any response from him.

Ming Yao retrieved the phone and looked at the contact name displayed, his eyes sharp. He clicked to answer.

"Do you have time today? Let's grab a meal. The work I was busy with here is nearly finished. I need to go back to the branch company, and I'll probably have to return to the overseas headquarters later. We probably won't be able to see each other for a long time."

Ji Shuangcheng's voice carried some regret. He knew his invitation would be accepted, after all, his friendship with Lin Zhi was quite good.

The other end of the line was quiet. His voice full of laughter, he continued: "I still remember the art exhibition we arranged. If I'm in the country at that time, I'll definitely go. If there's a suitable exhibition overseas, I'll definitely tell you. Then I'll be your host and show you around."

In the next moment, he heard a response from the other end—not the familiar, cheerful voice he knew, but a cold, deep male voice.

"He's not available. He just fell asleep."

Ji Shuangcheng, looking at his computer showing ten in the morning, fell silent for a moment.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Ming Yao."

"You can send your address to Lin Zhi. Since you're leaving, I'll remind him to send you a wedding invitation."

The call was disconnected. Ji Shuangcheng looked at his phone and tried to suppress the subtle regret in his heart. Now, finally, he understood why President Ming was so difficult to approach.

Ming Yao set Lin Zhi's phone aside and looked at his soft sleeping face, kissing his lips.

However, recalling the incident where Lin Zhi had gone to meet Ji Shuangcheng bearing his marks, Ming Yao's eyes darkened slightly.

Lin Zhi was roused from his sleep by pleasant sensations. He gripped Ming Yao's shoulder, his voice hoarse as he murmured softly: "So sleepy."

When Lin Zhi fully woke, he realized his life seemed to have jumped ahead several days at once.

He rubbed his brow and heard System No. 01's voice:

[Congratulations, Host! Task completed! Would you like to proceed to the next world immediately, or remain in this world? You can stay up to seven days.]

Lin Zhi: [What about the aftermath of this world?]

System No. 01: [It will disappear.]

Lin Zhi's tone grew cold: [What do you mean? If it's destined to disappear, what's the point of having me perform meaningless tasks in a fictional world?]

System No. 01: [It's not like that, it's not! After the wound heals, this trauma disappears. You've healed this place!]

[It's like a person with many wounds. We traverse into this world, which is equivalent to entering one of those wounds. If left unattended, these wounds would fester, causing not only suffering to the main body but ultimately leading to death.]

[By healing one Mission Target, we're essentially healing one wound. This world won't have any further aftermath—it disappears. That's how it works.]

Lin Zhi: [So everything you told me before was a lie? The energy points are fake?]

System No. 01 said aggrievedly: [I didn't do it intentionally. My programming is set that way. I only learned these details after you succeeded. I didn't mean to deceive you.]

[After you've successfully healed all the wounds, you can obtain any reward you desire!]

Lin Zhi remained calm, recalling System No. 01's words, and seized on a detail to ask: [The main body? Are all the Mission Targets the same person?]

System No. 01: [Yes, and no.]

[The other Mission Targets won't retain memories, and they're still essentially independent existences. But fundamentally, they're all fragments of the same person.]

System No. 01: [Host, you need to make a choice quickly. Proceed to the next world immediately or remain here? My recommendation is to stay—it will help you better adjust your condition.]

What a cunning designer. System No. 01 was innocent and sweet, but its programming was limited. Even fishing for information might not yield results.

However, Lin Zhi didn't think there was a problem. This was how a truly intelligent person designed things. Revealing all cards at the start wouldn't be wise. Only after confirming the first success should some secrets be revealed. This setup was quite sound.

They were all the same person.

The slight melancholy in Lin Zhi's heart dissipated completely. A familiar smile returned to his face.

He made his choice: [Remain for seven days.]

He sent a message to Ming Yao and leisurely rose to head to the bathroom.

Lin Zhi said he wanted the wedding in a week. Ming Yao, upon seeing this message, lost all interest in handling work.

He even had his long-retired grandfather return to the company to manage some of the work while he devoted himself to the upcoming wedding.

Within half a day, everyone knew that the head of Ming Group was getting married.

Qiu Qingrong, who received the invitation, secretly rejoiced. Cao San, who had spoken recklessly back then, was beaten again at home by his family. Hu Tong rushed to prepare wedding gifts. When Guan Yi heard the news, he also sent a gift.

On the wedding day, Ji Shuangcheng's gift arrived with Hu Tong. Ming Zhiqi, Ming Yao's father, also sent a gift.

Inside were many photographs of Ming Yao's mother, along with a handwritten card and two peace talismans—a signal of sorts—of letting go.

During the ring exchange and kiss ceremony, Lin Zhi took the initiative to kiss Ming Yao, whispering with a soft laugh: "Goodbye."

My dear, I will save your life, and you will grant me rebirth.