Remaining Days, Please Advise

Sleeping Together

After just a couple of notes, Old Master Quant chuckled, "It’s been a long time since I heard you play the flute. I wonder if your skills have improved?"

Elena lowered her gaze, feeling a bit guilty.

Most of her time was spent on work, and recently she had been busy with her marriage to Brian. It had been more than six months since she last touched the flute.

Thinking about the engagement with Brian being called off, Elena felt a sudden surge of joy.

The Quant estate was built on a hillside, with low surrounding walls. If you looked up, you could see the mountains opposite, and the sunlight streaming through the mist.

Elena leaned against the porch, glancing up at Chris, who was deep in thought with a pen in hand.

The man had a serene and composed demeanor, with a refined and handsome appearance.

Suddenly feeling a surge of interest, she brought the flute to her lips and began to play.

As the prelude sounded, the leisurely melody filled the house, and the music was tranquil and beautiful.

The more Elena played, the more absorbed she became, a faint smile curving her lips as the red maple leaves above rustled in the breeze.

When the song ended, Chris finished writing his last stroke unhurriedly, then calmly placed the quill back in its stand.

Old Master Quant shook his head with a smile, "You’ve grown rusty after half a year, but the emotion in the piece was genuine. It seems you are truly happy being married to Chris."

Elena was taken aback and slightly turned her head, "Grandpa Quant, you're getting better at making jokes."

After speaking, she couldn't help but think. It seemed that when she was with Chris, she indeed felt very relaxed.

It was probably because Chris was such a gentleman, always giving people enough respect.

Old Master Quant glanced at the characters Chris had written and beckoned Elena over, "Come and help Grandpa take a look at this writing."

Elena set down the flute and stepped forward, her eyes falling on the painting on the table. She recognized it at a glance.

"This is one of Grandpa's early works."

Old Master Quant stroked his beard and chuckled, "Isn’t it? This is one of his most prized works in his lifetime. I went through a lot to get my hands on it."

Old Master Jones was a famous painter, renowned both at home and abroad at a young age. In his later years, his health declined, and he rarely painted. Now, each of his paintings was worth a fortune.

Elena's fingertips brushed over the painting, and as she saw the inscription, she couldn’t help but praise, "The strokes are confident, the brushwork strong and vigorous, maintaining a stern yet graceful quality. It’s worth savoring."

Old Master Quant laughed heartily and rolled up the painting, handing it to Elena, "Then take it home and savor it."

Elena suddenly remembered that these characters were written by Chris. Praising her husband so highly in front of Old Master Quant seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, "A gentleman does not take what others cherish. I cannot accept Grandpa Quant's painting without reason."

Old Master Quant stroked his beard and laughed, "When an elder gives a gift, how can the younger refuse? Keep it!"

In the end, it was Chris who accepted the painting on Elena’s behalf.

As they stepped out of the Quant estate, the trees along the path swayed, and the sky looked as if it had been freshly washed, bright and clear.

Walking side by side, Chris suddenly spoke, "…You haven’t been happy these past few years. I should have come to propose earlier."

Elena froze in place, holding the flute, her eyes looking dazedly at Chris, not expecting him to understand.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, "It’s all in the past now."

Chris’s dark eyes were deep and intense, "Yes, but we still have the future."

Their eyes met, and Elena smiled, feeling completely at ease.

When they returned to the Jones estate, dinner was already set on the table.

Elena handed the flute to a servant, glanced at the table, and smiled at Chris.

"If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy this dinner."

Chris pulled out a chair for her and said calmly, "If you’d like, we could come here more often in the future."

Elena raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly playful, "Come often? One or two visits might be okay, but if we come too much, Grandpa might get tired of us."

"Even if he gets tired of you, I won’t get tired of Chris." Old Master Jones walked out, leaning on his cane, smiling, "I’m looking forward to often bringing him to visit Old Master Quant."

Old Master Jones’s words were full of pride, showing how much he was satisfied with Chris as his grandson-in-law.

Elena sighed helplessly, "Grandpa, if you keep this up, Grandpa Quant will kick us out."

"He wouldn’t dare!" Old Master Jones, looking like a mischievous old man, made everyone burst into laughter.

Dinner was filled with joy and laughter, with a warm and cozy atmosphere spreading to every corner of the courtyard.

After dinner, Chris and Elena accompanied Old Master Jones for a walk.

Seeing Elena cover her face as she yawned, Old Master Jones waved his hand, "Chris, take Elena upstairs to rest."

Chris helped the old man sit down and responded in a low voice, "Alright."

Elena tended to get sleepy after meals, and managing to accompany the old man for a walk was already a stretch. She was now so drowsy that she was barely conscious.

As soon as she reached the second floor, she lay down.

In her drowsy state, she glimpsed Chris and patted the blanket beside her, mumbling something incoherent before closing her eyes and falling deeply asleep.

Chris stood by the bed, gazing down at Elena's sleeping face.

Her fair skin had a faint blush, and her green eyes were closed.

Her nose was high and straight, her lips rosy, and she lay on the pillow in a deep sleep, exuding a gentle and peaceful aura.

Chris's gaze deepened, his hand slowly falling on Elena’s cheek, his thumb gently brushing across her side face, pausing at the corner of her lips.

Take it slow, no rush.

More than half an hour later, Elena rubbed her soft pillow, waking up comfortably, only to find herself staring at a close-up of a handsome face.

She was stunned for a moment before realizing that the person lying next to her was Chris.

Chris slept very properly, his blue eyes slightly closed, his profile was perfect, his thin lips lightly pressed together, and his chest rising and falling gently.

Elena was only surprised for a brief moment. Afraid of waking Chris, she carefully got up.

As she was about to sit up, she realized that her dress hem was caught under Chris.

She lowered her gaze, staring at Chris’s handsome face, holding her breath, and mentally preparing herself. Just as she was about to tug the dress out, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Suddenly meeting his deep blue gaze, Elena’s heart skipped a beat.

Caught in the act.

Afraid that Chris might misunderstand that she had been staring at him for a long time, Elena blurted out, "I just woke up!"

After saying it, she felt it might have been better not to explain at all.

"Mm." Chris's voice was slightly hoarse, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did."

Elena kept her head down, tracing the patterns on her dress, trying to ignore Chris’s overly intense gaze.

The room fell quiet again.

After a moment, Elena softly reminded him, "You’re on my dress."

"Sorry." Chris seemed to realize this, slowly pushing himself up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elena discreetly pulling her dress out, turning her back to him.

The ends of her brown hair brushed past her collarbone, lazily resting on her shoulder. Her waistline was slender, easily encircled by a single hand.

Chris's throat moved involuntarily.

Elena was just about to head to the bathroom to wash her face when she seemed to suddenly remember something. She turned and asked, "Did I say anything to you before I fell asleep?"

Chris had also gotten out of bed at some point and was slowly tying his tie.

At her question, he slightly turned his head, "You said I could sleep next to you."

Elena froze in place.

Three seconds later, her steps faltered, her cheeks flushed as she hurriedly fled the bedroom.

So that’s why someone as measured as Chris would suddenly take a nap on the same bed with her.

Turns out, in her sleepy daze, she had invited him herself.

Elena was so embarrassed she didn’t dare to look at Chris again, afraid of seeing even a hint of a smile on his face.