New Beginning and Future

Chapter 71: Languages of Possession

Summary: A private flight turns into a revelation of long-kept plans, quiet investments, and a future carved deliberately into foreign soil. In Rome, beneath golden skies and behind villa doors, discovery takes an unexpected turn when hidden talents resurface, proving that some advantages aren't tactical, they're devastatingly personal.

Notes:

⚠️ Author's Note: Oh boy! Our girl finds out something about her husband that drives her insane and he is going to exploit it ruthlessly.

Disclaimer: The Muse would like to remind everyone we do not own FIYS nor the beloved characters nor any dialogue from either the show nor the book...the Muse is very sad and not pleased with this continued reminder that they do not own them and never will!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Sixty-Nine

The Lu jet cut smoothly through the sky, the cabin quiet and impossibly spacious, sunlight pouring in through wide windows and glinting softly against polished surfaces as the engines hummed with steady assurance, and for the first time in what felt like years there were no teammates sprawled across adjacent seats, no managers reviewing schedules, no phones buzzing with match data or sponsor obligations, just the two of them seated side by side in comfortable privacy as the clouds stretched endlessly beneath them.

Yao had one leg tucked beneath her as she settled into the leather seat, a hardcover book resting lightly in her hands while a thin ribbon marked her place from where she had paused reading to stare out at the horizon earlier, and across from her Sicheng sat angled slightly toward the window with his phone in hand, scrolling through something with quiet focus, his wrist brace still secured neatly beneath the cuff of his jacket despite the fact that he had tried more than once to remove it earlier that morning. She watched him for a moment over the top edge of her book, eyes soft and curious, before lowering it fully and tilting her head slightly. "Did you really plan everything," she asked gently, her voice low enough that it barely rose above the engine's hum.

He did not look up immediately, finishing whatever he was reading before setting the phone down on the armrest beside him, then turning toward her with that steady, composed expression she had long ago learned to read beneath the surface. "Yes," he replied simply.

She studied him, searching for exaggeration or teasing, and found none. "All of it," she pressed softly.

He leaned closer without hesitation and pressed a warm, unhurried kiss to the side of her head, lips brushing through her hair before lingering just a fraction longer than necessary. "Yes," he repeated quietly against her temple, "all of it."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the spine of her book. "You planned the hotels," she asked.

"Yes."

"The tours."

"Yes."

"The restaurants."

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes faintly, suspicion now threading through her tone. "And Pompeii."

He gave a faint, almost amused huff of breath. "Especially Pompeii."

Her heart softened in a way she did not entirely show on her face, though the warmth crept unmistakably into her eyes. "And you did this," she continued, "while pretending to be annoyed at my suitcase."

"I can multitask," he replied calmly.

She rolled her eyes faintly but did not look away from him. "What are you reading," she asked, nodding toward the phone he had set down.