Ten Years of Yearning. My Love, Let Me Protect You.

The private jet headed towards the United States. After fifteen long hours of journey, it landed in one of New York city's international airports. 

Luo Lixi was totally exhausted in this tiring journey. It was the first time she had gone to a foreign country, also the first time she had traveled for a long time in a jet. 

The woman showed signs of jet lag disorder. Also, she had vomited at least two times in the meantime. Sheng Ruming was very worried about her condition as her complexion became pale. He just hoped she could be okay until they reached the destination.

After the plane landed on the runway, Sheng Ruming opened the plane's door. He got down the stairs with Luo Lixi. The spare dresses she had brought, came handy in the meantime. 

Luo Lixi didn't know she would feel uncomfortable that much. 

After the plane had taken off, she felt discomfort and nausea. She had told Sheng Ruming and both of them went to the washroom. There she had spilled out every single thing from her stomach. 

After some hours, they were served food but she couldn't even take a bite. Her time wasn't pleasurable at all.

When they got down from the plane, she got away from the plane as much as she could and took several mouthfuls of fresh air. Sheng Ruming was at a loss because of her reactions.

Then, two people came towards them.

"Mr. Sheng, welcome to New York again…" A man greeted him. It seemed they knew each other.

After that they guided them towards the airport's building and were brought to a private room where they got a security check thoroughly from head to toe.

Because they didn't have any luggage with them, they took only a few minutes to finish. 

Sheng Ruming had to come to New York often due to the matter related to business. The people who had checked them knew him beforehand so they didn't ask for his passport. 

Whenever he would come, he was excluded from this check. But due to the recent scandal involving one of the owners of the airport, nobody could be spared from it any longer.

But Luo Lixi was a new face to them.

"Miss, can I have your passport?" The woman who checked Luo Lixi's body earlier wanted to make sure everything was okay. Thus she wanted to take a look at Luo Lixi's passport so she asked for it in English. 

"Passport?..." At that Luo Lixi turned towards Sheng Ruming.

Then, a man was checking Sheng Ruming outer suit while he was standing motionless.

"Ruming, I need my passport." 

Sheng Ruming turned at her. When he understood she was asking for her passport he went ahead and took his outer suit from the security guard's hand.

"Wait for a second." He told the man in English as he took out a black passport from a hidden pocket of his black jacket and handed it to the lady. 

Luo Lixi was nervous when she saw the lady was checking the passport very carefully. She even typed in the computer in front of her and entered some information about the passport in it. After checking everything was okay with her, she gave it back to her.

"Miss, your passport." The lady replied in English as passed on the passport.

Luo Lixi accepted the passport with much more calmness but her heart was throbbing very fast. 

In her whole life this was the first time she had done an illegal thing. She didn't even know why she agreed with Sheng Ruming to do it. 

After five minutes, they were led outside of the airport's gate by a man.

"Mr. Sheng, I was told to give these keys to you by Sir Han." A blonde man passed him a set of keys that are together on a metal ring. He was in his late thirties and was a little plump, but the thing worth noticing was his broad smile.

"Thanks, Nil." Sheng Ruming kept the keys while he shook hands with the man.

"My pleasure." The man broke their joined hand and returned inside the airport.

Sheng Ruming turned to the woman beside him. There were a lot of people outside of the airport gate that Luo Lixi was busy looking at them. He adjusted the time of his watch according to the time of the airport's clock.

It was 11:53 o'clock...

Suddenly Luo Lixi was tugged at her dress from behind. When she turned back at him, he showed a smile which was so radiant that it was blinding to her naked eyes in that broad daylight of New York city.

"Ruming… do you have something to say?" She felt quite shy as she turned her gaze away from him. Even if she didn't sleep in the airplane, Luo Lixi wasn't sleepy even a bit. 

Then, she was amazed at the sheer number of people walking at the street. But Sheng Ruming's unusual expression made her shy. It seemed like he was hiding his true colours back at the villa. But then she got to spend very little time with him.

Sheng Ruming took her waist and dragged her body beside him. He hugged her sideways as he dragged her to the parking lot.

"Hey! Are you out of your mind?! There are so many people here." Luo Lixi tried to get away but his grip on her tightened even further.

"It's 'normal' here. I think you should know…" He smirked while they walked before the rows of cars. When he still felt her struggling, he turned towards her and kissed at her left cheek. At that Luo Lixi turned still.

"Be good, my honey." After doing what he intended to do for a long time, Sheng Ruming's mind cooled down as he dragged the flustered woman with him and started to walk faster. 

Meanwhile, Luo Lixi's whole face had turned red. The lights of the day made it very obvious to notice her strawberry-like face.

Suddenly, Sheng Ruming stopped before a blue car. It seemed like it was arranged for him beforehand. He went beside the car door and inserted the car key inside the door lock but even after he had attempted for three times the key didn't go well with the lock.

"It must be the wrong car. Or the key is wrong?" Luo Lixi lifted her head and told him meekly. 

"You are right." Sheng Ruming separated the car key from the metal ring. There was a remote control button attached to it. He held his hand high up and turned the controller around all the direction while he clicked the button repeatedly.

From a distance he saw a blue coloured car's headlights turned on immediately as it gave out some sounds. After confirming it, he went there. Those two cars were identical so he mistook that as his.

After he had unlocked the door, Luo Lixi sat in the front seat while Sheng Ruming sat in the driver's seat. 

"Put your bag down. No need to carry it any longer." 

He frowned when he saw she had placed the bag on her lap. 

"Okay." Luo Lixi obediently placed the bag down this time. She didn't have any energy to talk back now.

After that the car became silent. The weather was a bit cold so Luo Lixi rubbed her hands together to make some warmth.

When Sheng Ruming saw it, he closed all the windows of the car. 

"You should tell me your problems. Don't keep them only to yourself." He sounded very displeased but she was quiet.

'She was feeling cold yet she decided to endure it. Why can't she just tell me? Is it very difficult to voice out her thoughts?' Sheng Ruming shrugged his shoulders and drove the car to the road.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a very low growl. If one didn't have keen hearing ability, they would have failed to hear it.

When he turned to her, he saw her eyes were closed tightly. 

'This woman… she was hungry yet didn't tell me!... It is my fault. She had vomited so many times.' Sheng Ruming clicked his tongue at that.

"Honey, you must be hungry, right?" Sheng Ruming turned his attention at the front as he drove the car on highways.

"Honey?!... are you talking with me?" Luo Lixi slowly opened her right eye and asked him. 

"Is there anyone here aside from you, HONEY?" The man emphasised the word honey with such a deep tone that she felt goosebumps.

" Ahha! I'm not hungry at all. It was just a random sound coming from my 'stupid' stomach. Just ignore it. Don't mind me, keep driving." She replied without a pause but then she regretted it. 

Because the next second her very own 'stupid' stomach protested at the accusation thrown at it with a loud growl. 

At that she closed her eyes again, clenched her fists tightly while she cursed in her mind space. 

'Damn it! Shit! Does it need to be so dramatic?!' 

Sheng Ruming chuckled at her reactions. He brought his left hand against his lips and faked a cough to bring her attention to him.

"Cough! It's okay. Just an honest body reaction. Tell me what you want to eat now. We will go to a restaurant."

"Restaurant?!" She unfolded her eyes and turned towards him. "At this hour? Shouldn't we eat lunch later?"

 "It's okay. We will go to a restaurant to eat earlier." Sheng Ruming sounded a bit excited.

"Okay then." The car turned quiet yet again.