Chapter 0452

That’s right, in her dream, Luo Yao was fighting a bloody battle.

She dreamed that Lin Ran had run away again—some said he no longer loved her, others claimed he was dead.

Frantic, she searched the world for him, only to be blocked by countless familiar figures: her parents, her brothers, her grandfather, members of the Lin family, Liu Ruxue, Chen Qingtian, even Wu Zhishang…

Each one stood in her way with twisted faces, telling her, “Lin Ran is dead. He killed himself to escape you.”

Her eyes bloodshot, Luo Yao roared, “A-Ran belongs to me—alive or dead, I will see him with my own eyes!”

One by one, she tore their heads off—until a massive black shadow loomed before her, slowly turning around.

“Meow—”

Its gaze seemed to say, “Lin Ran is gone. You’ll never see him again.”

With crimson eyes, Luo Yao drew a dagger and stabbed. “You’re lying!”

As the shadow collapsed, she finally saw Lin Ran’s corpse—and her entire body turned to ice.

“A-Ran… wake up…”

Suddenly, the corpse’s eyes snapped open. “Yao Yao, are you dreaming?”

Gasp—Luo Yao woke up.

A pair of gentle hands brushed against her forehead, checking her temperature.

“Yao Yao, were you dreaming? A nightmare? Don’t be afraid, I’m right here.”

Lin Ran had always known Luo Yao wasn’t as strong as she appeared—she simply hid her softest parts away.

Recognizing the man before her, Luo Yao’s body instantly relaxed, the nightmare’s insecurity flooding back.

But how long had it been since she’d had such a dream?

Luo Yao’s nightmares depended on her sense of security. Back when Lin Ran had constantly tried to escape, she’d suffered them almost nightly—each one a twisted variation of him leaving her.

She’d feared deep sleep, terrified of the feeling of his absence. But over the past six months, the dreams had faded, and her sleep had improved.

“A-Ran… will you leave me?”

“Of course not.”

“In my dream, you stopped loving me… you chose death just to escape. So many people tried to stop me from finding you…”

Lin Ran pulled her tightly into his arms. “None of it was real. For the rest of my life, I’ll only move closer to you—never away.”

“Really?”

“Of course… Mm—?”

This time, Luo Yao was unusually fierce, as if holding back would mean death.

Only through the most tangible love could she confirm Lin Ran was still hers.

By dawn, Luo Yao had absorbed enough “security” to drift back into deep sleep.

Lin Ran gazed at her sleeping face, her lips slightly parted—and couldn’t resist stealing a soft kiss.

He didn’t want to wake her; it was rare to see Luo Yao sleep so soundly, even lazing in bed.

How could she be this adorable?

He longed to hold his little wife all the time, but his injuries still sapped his strength.

Quietly slipping out of bed, he prepared breakfast himself. Starving was fine for him, but his wife’s delicate stomach couldn’t go hungry.

Leaning close, he whispered beside her ear,

“Yao Yao, eat something before you sleep more.”

Luo Yao rarely slept this heavily, her body limp with exhaustion. She mumbled, “Mmm… A-Ran has to feed me.”

“Okay.”

By the time Lin Ran brought the food, Luo Yao had already taken a bite before jolting awake, staring at him in disbelief.

Luo Yao: “A-Ran (chew chew chew), did I sleep (chew chew chew) that long? (chew chew chew)”

“Sweetheart, it’s still early. Sleep as much as you want—I’ll be right here with you.”

Lin Ran understood the fear in Luo Yao’s eyes when she first woke. She was terrified of losing him.

His answer soothed her, as if the world had suddenly burst into vibrant color.

The steamed buns were delicious today. Satisfied, Luo Yao curled back into Lin Ran’s arms and slept again.

Life settled into a simple yet joyful rhythm. Neither was burdened by trivial matters—even Luo Corporation no longer demanded their direct involvement, with only critical decisions reported by Liu Meng.

Their days revolved around eating, sleeping, and love. Even their old friends seemed to respect this unspoken rule, leaving them undisturbed.

As time passed, Lin Ran’s wounds healed.

Yet his heart wasn’t entirely at peace. In their past life, Luo Yao had tirelessly juggled him and her work.

Now, she showed no interest in work, even delegating authority. It dawned on him: perhaps she’d never liked it at all.

Back then, she’d drowned herself in labor to numb the pain—the pain of his absence, his lack of love.

The realization twisted his heart anew.

“A-Ran, what’s on your mind?” Luo Yao asked, noticing his distant expression.

“I’m thinking how to love you for the rest of my life.”

“This is enough. Just having you beside me is all I need.”

Lin Ran studied her eyes—sometimes lively, sometimes mischievous, sometimes icy or blood-red.

Yes, Luo Yao had never asked for grand gestures. Every shade of her emotions existed because of him.

All she wanted was his presence. Nothing more.

And that was easy enough to give.

One morning, Liu Meng arrived at the estate with a stack of accumulated documents, briefing Luo Yao while collecting signatures.

Though Luo Yao had delegated power, she’d never let Liu Meng overstep. Luo Corporation was her nest egg for spoiling Lin Ran—even if Liu Meng was competent, she’d better not run it into the ground.

“President Luo, remember that interview program you and Young Master Lin attended last year? They held a vote—the top three guests get invited to a two-day outdoor livestream. You two ranked first. The director sent an invitation, but I couldn’t decide for you.”

Liu Meng could’ve refused outright, but she didn’t.

Regardless of Luo Yao’s choice, Liu Meng herself had grown oddly nostalgic. At Luo Corporation, she’d been force-fed their affection until she nearly gagged.

Yet lately, deprived of their displays, she’d started… missing it.

Lin Ran wasn’t in the study, leaving Luo Yao to ponder alone.

Truthfully, Lin Ran had been cooped up too long—he was a free bird, and she’d caged him.

Though he lacked nothing and seemed happy, freedom was still missing.

Maybe it was time to let him fly again—so long as they flew together.

“Alright, I’ll ask A-Ran. We’ll probably go.”

Liu Meng’s face remained neutral, but internally, she was screaming.

Ah—! The long-lost dog food, that familiar flavor… is it finally returning?