As she stood in the walk-in closet and pondered over what to pack, Erica suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to ask Matthew how long the trip would take. She hurriedly took out her phone and sent him a message. "How many days will we be there?"
Only when she knew the answer could she begin to pack their luggage.
"Three."
Erica snorted when she read his reply. It seemed that every word was worth a great deal of money to Matthew. His answer was always simple and straightforward, not one unnecessary word.
It was easy for Erica to ask for leave from school. All she needed to do was send a message to the guidance counselor.
Soon after, she began to separate their belongings. At first, she had planned to pack their clothes and other items in two separate small suitcases. But it seemed troublesome. In the end, she found a twenty-eight-inch suitcase in the closet and bundled their luggage together.
Erica didn't know when Matthew returned home that night as she had already fallen asleep.
When she woke the next morning, she saw the man sitting on the bed next to her. He seemed to be sending text messages. She turned, placed her arm on his belly, and said happily, "Good morning, Matthew."
She had often heard people say that waking next to a loved one and seeing them first thing in the morning was precious. Now she knew it to be true.
However, Matthew's expression conveyed that he hadn't forgiven her yet. His tone was indifferent as he replied, "Now that you're awake, get up!"
"Okay…" Mathew's heartless response wiped the smile from Erica's face. She wanted to have some intimate moments with him, no matter how brief. After all, he was busy every day, and she rarely had the chance to see him by her side when she opened her eyes in the morning.
After breakfast, Matthew went to the bedroom to finish dressing. Erica entered just as he was rolling up his sleeves. Without glancing at her, he questioned, "What's in that suitcase on the floor inside the closet?" 'Don't tell me that you are going to carry a twenty-eight-inch suitcase for a three-day trip, ' he thought.
"Oh, I only packed part of our luggage last night. Some of my belongings haven't been put in yet. Thank you for reminding me! I'll be ready soon." Women were troublesome. She had to leave place in the suitcase for the skincare products she had used this morning.
'Is she really going to take a twenty-eight-inch suitcase?' Matthew looked at her suspiciously. "Can you carry such a big suitcase?"
Erica shook her head and answered honestly, "No."
"Then why don't you change it to a smaller one?" he sighed. Somehow, he knew exactly what she was going to say next.
"Why should I change it? I still have you. Can't you carry it?" Erica teased.
Matthew was at a loss for words. His instincts had been correct. She did want to use him as her assistant!
He was on a business trip with her, and she expected him to carry her suitcase? Did she think that he could be manipulated so easily?
Half an hour later, they walked out of the house.
Owen had been waiting for them at the door. When he saw them step out, he hurried over and took the big suitcase from Matthew's hand. "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo," he greeted with a respectful nod.
When he noticed the blank expression on the CEO's face, he glanced at the CEO's wife. She smiled and waved at him.
'Well… haven't they reconciled yet?' Owen wondered.
'It is said that a couple could settle arguments after one night in bed. It seems that Mrs. Huo needs to improve her ability to placate Mr. Huo's anger overnight.'
In the car, Matthew read documents as he didn't want to talk to Erica. She, on the other hand, yawned. She had been playing with her mobile phone for so long that she had begun to feel sleepy. It didn't help that she had woken very early this morning.
It wasn't long before her eyes began to close despite her efforts to stay awake. Soon, her head slumped forward.
Matthew put down the armrest and partition between their seats and held Erica in his arms just as her head dropped on his shoulder.
In fact, Erica woke the moment she felt his touch. As she knew who was holding her, she pretended to be asleep. She even went so far as to turn over and bury her face in his stomach.
His thoughtfulness and concern for her brought a smile to Erica's face. It seemed that Matthew was not indifferent toward her!
At this thought, she kicked off her shoes, curled up on the back seat, and reached out to wrap her hands around his waist. She snuggled up comfortably in his arms and fell asleep.
Matthew glanced at the slender, fair arm around his waist, and leaned back against the seat. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought, 'She is so cunning.'
It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon when they arrived in South City. Matthew had planned to visit the partner company first, but since Erica was with him, he changed the schedule and went to the hotel.
As the room had been prepared two days in advance, the hotel manager guided the CEO and his wife to the presidential suite floor. Owen trailed, not far behind, with their suitcase.
After ensuring that Erica was settled, Matthew rushed off to work.
Still groggy, Erica rested for a while. When she felt bored and couldn't sit still anymore, she texted her husband, who was working. "I'm going for a walk. Call me when you send someone to pick me up."
His reply was still simple and concise. "Okay."
After unpacking her camera, Erica hung it around her neck and walked out.
The moment she opened the door, the door to the room opposite theirs also opened.
Startled, she glanced up and saw a few young men step out of the opposite room. She wanted to shift her gaze, but as soon as she recognized them, she shouted in surprise, "FC group?"
Yes! The young men across the hall from her were members of the idol group, FC, which had gained tremendous popularity in the entertainment circle recently.
Each of the four handsome young men in the group had different characters, and a code name: Red, Blue, Yellow, and Orange.
The young men were stunned. They didn't expect that a beauty would be in the room next to theirs. What surprised them more was that she knew them!
The group leader had the code name, Red, to match the color of his short hair. He greeted Erica politely, "Hello!" Then he pulled the mask on his chin to cover most of his face.
Erica was thrilled. This was the first time she had seen the members of the FC group in person. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought this moment would be possible. What excited her more was that she was lucky enough to meet all four of them at the same time! "Nice to meet you! What a coincidence! Are you also staying in this hotel?"
Blue, who was closest to her, nodded. "Yes!"
Erica grinned. She continued their conversation as she walked alongside. "Are you here for work or fun?"
Before any of the others could reply, Orange said, "We came here for work. What about you, miss?" Orange was the youngest from among the four, and his personality matched Erica's as they were both cheerful and enthusiastic.
"I'm here for fun! Oh! Would you mind if I took a picture of you and keep it as a souvenir?" She shook the camera on her chest and smiled sweetly.
Taking the camera with her as she stepped out for a walk was a fantastic idea!
"Of course!" Being photographed was routine for the idols. Without hesitating, they stood side by side in the corridor and posed for her to take photos.
But… Erica had forgotten to switch on her camera. She smiled at them awkwardly, "I forgot that I hadn't turned it on yet. It's going to be ready soon!"
Her expression amused Red. "Are you a professional cameraperson?"
"Not really. I'm studying photography in college. Since I haven't graduated yet, I'm not a professional!" The camera beeped to indicate that it was ready. Erica adjusted the camera to the automatic mode, aimed at them, and pressed the shutter.
After taking the photo, Erica stepped to the side and said, "I'm done. Thank you!"
Orange joked, "You're welcome. Please don't tell our fans that we're in this hotel. Otherwise, they'll flock here, and the hotel will be too crowded! Ha-ha…"
Erica burst into laughter as well. "Okay, I know! I promise to cover the background if I post the picture online."
"Okay, bye, beauty!" The young men bid her farewell.
After they entered the elevator, Erica opened her camera and glanced at the photo she had taken.
