Chapter 1

### Chapter 1: Morning

#### A Day in October 2007

At six in the morning, the sky was already beginning to brighten. In a high-end villa in the Gangnam District of Seoul, a figure lay in the second-floor bedroom of one of the villas.

The spacious bedroom had walls of a creamy white base with light yellow patterns, adorned with intricate carvings. A large, ornate Chinese-style double bed occupied the center, where two figures lay together. Above the bed was an inlaid headboard, holding some books and a few small indoor plants. The entire bedroom exuded a simple, warm, and comfortable atmosphere.

At this moment, one of the figures slowly opened their eyes. After waking, they turned to glance at the clock on the bedside table, then carefully moved the limbs of the person in their arms and got out of bed. They turned back to tuck the person in and then entered the bathroom.

Standing in front of the sink, they began to wash up. The mirror reflected the image of a mature man: black hair, deep-set eyes, blue irises, a high nose bridge, and clear, deep-set features. His bare upper body showcased two solid pectoral muscles, a well-defined eight-pack, and a sexy V-line. His muscles were well-proportioned and smooth, without appearing overly aggressive.

"Rinse... spit..." He spat out the mouthwash, took a towel from the rack, and wiped the water from his chin before leaving the bathroom.

This man was named Li Shenxing. As his name suggests, his parents hoped he would think carefully before speaking and acting.

Born in the UK on March 8, 1979, he was 29 years old, a mixed-race individual of Chinese, British, and Korean descent. Standing at 187 cm tall and weighing around 75 kg, he had a well-built, muscular body due to his love for fitness and sports.

He had recently become engaged to his girlfriend of three years in May, planning to get married next year. They were already living together, and their life as a couple was very sweet.

He took a black and white striped tracksuit from the wardrobe and changed into it, then walked out of the bedroom and downstairs.

He put on a pair of running shoes from the shoe cabinet by the front door, opened the door, and walked through the small courtyard to open the villa's main gate.

The road outside was quiet, with almost no pedestrians, except for the occasional passing car.

After a brief warm-up at the gate, he began jogging along the roadside. The villa area was well-landscaped, and the air was fresh.

Li Shenxing's ability to afford a standalone villa in the Gangnam District indicated his strong financial standing. He owned five stylish chain restaurants, located in Myeongdong, Cheongdam-dong, Apgujeong-dong, Sinsha-dong, and Yeouido. These restaurants served a variety of authentic Chinese and international cuisines, which were very popular among tourists and young people.

In Apgujeong, he also had a cat-themed café, where the cats were all adopted from shelters. The café specialized in handcrafted coffee and international pastries and snacks, making it particularly popular among young people, especially women.

After running a lap around the neighborhood and returning home, Li Shenxing was not sweating much. This level of exercise was not too intense for him. After hydrating, he entered the gym on the first floor.

The gym was spacious, with a large window overlooking the backyard garden. It was well-equipped with various fitness machines, including a treadmill, a stair climber, a stationary bike, a seated rowing machine, a dumbbell rack, and a multi-functional training machine. In the corner, there was a standing punching bag, and the variety of equipment was extensive.

After following his fitness routine for half an hour, Li Shenxing's tank top was drenched in sweat. He took it off and headed to the kitchen, where he poured a glass of water and sipped it slowly over ten minutes.

"Meow~!"

He looked down to see a yellow and white cat at his feet, its round eyes looking up at him adorably. He crouched down.

"Meow, are you hungry?"

Li Shenxing scratched its chin and asked.

"Meow~!"

He took four cat bowls with cat head patterns from the bowl rack and a box of cat food from the cabinet, poured the food into the bowls, and placed them on the ground.

"Go, Xiao Pang, Wangzi, it's breakfast time." As soon as he said this, three cats darted into the kitchen.

He had four Persian cats at home, adopted from an animal shelter with his fiancée. The silver-spotted one was named Wangzi, who was quite proud and didn't like strangers. The black-and-white one was named Go, who was timid and shy. Xiao Pang had a soft white coat and was the most approachable of the four, as long as there was food. The yellow and white one, Meow, was relatively quiet and usually slept lazily unless called.

Seeing the cats eating happily, Li Shenxing began preparing breakfast for himself and his fiancée.

"What should I make for breakfast today?" Li Shenxing thought as he opened the refrigerator. [Xiao Mao is his fiancée's pet name]

After some thought, he decided on the menu. He took out whole wheat bread, a few eggs, and milk, as well as some apples, avocados, bananas, kiwis, and strawberries.

He poured milk into two glasses, placed a slice of bread on each, and put them in the microwave for one and a half minutes. This would make the bread soft and milky.

He washed the apples and strawberries in the sink, cut them into pieces, and carefully removed the cores. He took a strawberry and put it in his mouth, "Mmm~! So sweet."

He cut the avocado in half, scooped out the flesh with a spoon, and sliced it. He did the same with the kiwi and banana. He put all the fruits in a bowl, poured yogurt over them, and mixed them to make a simple fruit salad.

He turned on the stove, placed a non-stick pan, and added some olive oil. Once the oil was hot, he cracked the eggs into the pan and skillfully fried them, placing them on a plate.

After finishing breakfast, Li Shenxing went upstairs to the bedroom.

The bedroom was still quiet, and the person in bed showed no signs of waking, just changing their sleeping position.

Li Shenxing did not wake her. He took off his clothes and threw them into the basket by the bathroom door before going in to wash off the sweat.

Ten minutes later, Li Shenxing, wrapped in a towel, walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair. The room was dim, so he walked to the large window and pulled back the heavy curtains, letting the warm sunlight fill the room. He stretched and then walked over to his sleeping fiancée.

He gently pulled back the covers, revealing her slightly swollen face, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Lazy cat~ wake up!" Li Shenxing sat on the bed and patted the covers gently.

"Mmm~" His fiancée turned over, stretched, and showed her beautiful figure. She reached out her hand and mumbled, "Carry me."

"Oh, Hyori, you really are a lazy cat? You're so lazy that you need to be carried to get out of bed..." Although he complained, he took her nightgown from the foot of the bed, put it on her, and then carried her to the bathroom.

Both of them preferred to sleep naked, finding it more relaxing and comfortable.

Listening to his complaints, Hyori wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, giggling.

Li Shenxing set her down on the toilet, handed her a toothbrush with toothpaste, and said, "Hurry up and wash up, breakfast is getting cold. You have a schedule today, so hurry."

He kissed her cheek and turned to leave.

After changing, Li Shenxing went downstairs first, set the breakfast on the dining table, and turned on the TV on the wall to watch the morning news.

My fiancée, Lee Hyori, yes, the Korean singer Lee Hyori, the sexy and charming Lee Hyori. But to Li Shenxing, none of that mattered. What mattered was that he loved Lee Hyori, and her identity was just his wife, the future mother of his children. Just like when they first met, Lee Hyori was just Lee Hyori, and he loved her, not the celebrity.

After a while, seeing Hyori come down, Li Shenxing urged, "Hurry up, breakfast is getting cold."

"Smack~ Thank you, Oppa." Hyori kissed his cheek and smiled.

Hyori sat down, and they started eating breakfast together.

"Drink some milk to warm your stomach."

"Okay~!"

After taking a bite of the egg, Li Shenxing asked, "Are you having dinner at home tonight?"

Because Hyori had a busy schedule, she didn't eat at home often.

"I have a variety show to film tonight, Oppa, you don't have to wait for me." Hyori answered, her mouth full of bread.

"Alright, I'll be eating alone at home then." Li Shenxing pouted, looking pitiful.

Hyori leaned over and kissed his lips, "Is this better?" She rolled her eyes, sat back down, and continued eating.

"Hehe, I'll forgive you this time." Li Shenxing said with a smile.

Before they finished breakfast, the doorbell rang.

"It must be Joo and Seok." He stood up and went to the intercom.

The image on the display was indeed Joo, "It's Joo, I'll open the door for you." Li Shenxing pressed the button.

"Okay!" A young woman's voice replied.

"Click!" The front door opened automatically.

Kim Yoo-ran walked in and closed the door behind her.

Joo's real name was Kim Yoo-ran, Hyori's assistant, who usually accompanied her and helped with her schedule.

By the time she came in, Li Shenxing was already waiting by the door.

"Good morning, Oppa." Kim Yoo-ran bowed.

Li Shenxing waved his hand, "We agreed to be casual, right? Come in, the cats are still eating breakfast. Have you eaten yet?"

Kim Yoo-ran followed him inside and replied, "Thank you, Oppa, I've already eaten."

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