Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Their First Road Trip
The morning sun bathed the city in a golden glow as Ruediger and Lariette left the vicinity of the apartment. The rays basked on the moving truck, casting shimmers on the metal.

Despite the time being so early, the roads were already congested with various vehicles. Most people were heading to their workplaces, making Ruediger and Lariette’s departure not smooth.

Sitting beside Ruediger, Lariette skimmed through the playlist on her phone, looking for the perfect song to accompany their trip. She had connected it to the truck’s Bluetooth system.

‘Which song, en? Hurm… Mr. Dreamer hasn’t released any new songs.’

Lariette scrolled her VibeTube app, hoping to find a new song from her favorite cover artist. Unfortunately, Mr. Dreamer’s latest cover was the one he published a few weeks ago[01].

From the beginning of his singing career on VibeTube, Mr. Dreamer usually only released one or two cover songs per month. If he was busy with real-life stuff, his fans had to wait longer.

‘I hope he’ll upload a new song soon.’

Swallowing her disappointment, Lariette shifted her gaze from the phone screen to Ruediger. His emerald eyes were fixed on the road ahead.

The man’s crimson locks caught the brilliant rays of the sun. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the firm muscles of his forearms.

“Eddy, any preferences?” Lariette asked, holding up her phone.

Ruediger smirked slightly. Briefly looking at Lariette, he said, “Go ahead. Just don’t choose anything that’ll put me to sleep. It’s dangerous, you know?”

Ruediger’s remarks elicited laughter from Lariette. Shrugging, she playfully replied, “No slow ballads, then.”

“Exactly.”

With a small smile, Lariette finally chose an upbeat playlist. Most of the songs were in the soft rock genre that matched the ambiance of their road trip.

“Okay,” Lariette chirped, “This song first.”

As the first song played, the inside of the truck was filled with the soothing strum of a guitar before the tempo eventually increased. The melody blended seamlessly with the hum of tires against the asphalt.

Ruediger began tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, following the beat, “Not bad. I know I won’t fall asleep.”

“Hahaha! Don’t joke about that,” Lariette burst out laughing. She pretended to scowl at Ruediger, earning chuckles from him.

Lariette threw her gaze out of the window, watching the sky in the perfect shade of blue. Wisps of soft white clouds left streak marks on the sky, drifting alongside the breeze.

The landscape gradually shifted as they left the city behind, replaced by the open fields and the rolling hills between the expressways.

Looking at the clock, Lariette reached out for a paper bag behind her seat. She took out a lunch box and placed it on her lap.

After opening the lid, Lariette stared at the bite-sized sandwiches and cut fruits, neatly arranged in three small compartments. They only had a glass of milk each before leaving the apartment.

“That smells nice, Lettie. Bacon and cheese, right?” Ruediger commented. He briefly turned to look at Lariette, “I’m quite starving now.”

Lariette rolled her eyes. Her voice had a hint of a smile as she said, “I made them into skewered sandwiches. You can eat them easily. Here.”

Taking one of the sandwiches by the stick, Lariette handed it to Ruediger. The man hummed softly before flashing her a mischievous look. His lips curved into a grin.

“What?” asked Lariette, arching her brows. She eyed Ruediger suspiciously.

“Hehe,” Ruediger chuckled, his eyes returning to the road as he said playfully, “My hands are still preoccupied. Shouldn’t you feed me, Lettie?”

Lariette blinked, heat creeping up her neck. She almost couldn’t believe what Ruediger had just said. She nearly whispered, “…feed you?”

Ruediger nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. Deepening his smirk, he reiterated, “My hands are glued to the steering wheel now, aren’t they?”

Lariette wanted to point out the many times Ruediger drove easily with just one hand on the steering wheel, but she swallowed her words. She muttered, “Fine. I’ll feed you.”

Lariette held the sandwich closer to Ruediger’s lips, her movement slow. The man opened his mouth, taking a bite before chewing with satisfaction.

“It’s tasty,” Ruediger said lightly, smiling at Lariette, “Feed me more, can you? You should eat too, Lettie.”

“…yes.”

Lariette darted her eyes away from Ruediger’s face, trying to hide her shyness. After tossing the used stick into a tiny paper bag, she picked up one sandwich for herself.

Ruediger refrained from laughing. Turning briefly to Lariette, he noticed the slight redness on her cheeks. He felt bad for teasing her, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Thus, Lariette continued feeding Ruediger in between having her own portions. More skewer sticks filled the paper bag. They also finished the cut fruits.

“Aren’t you sleepy?” Ruediger asked after drinking some water. He glanced at Lariette, “Get a shut-eye if you want. We’ll reach the rest area in one hour.”

Ruediger didn’t plan to stop until one hour and a half into their trip. He hoped to reach Moonville Village before one o’clock.

The journey took four hours, but it would be much longer if they included the stopping time.

Ruediger doubted Lariette only wanted to drop by the rest area for a short time. He also wanted to stretch his legs and relax.

“I’m still fine,” Lariette leaned comfortably against the seat cushion, her eyes staring at Ruediger’s side profile, “You traveled often before, right? Where else have you toured?”

Lariette remembered a few of Ruediger’s traveling stories, including the one when he trekked to the base of Annapurna[02]. She believed he hadn’t shared all of his adventure tales.

The right corner of Ruediger’s lips raised higher. He caught the hint of interest in Lariette’s voice. Gently tapping the steering wheel with one index finger, he racked his mind.

“Storytime, huh?” Ruediger lifted one brow, something playful glinted in his emerald eyes, “Is this your way to keep yourself awake?”

Ruediger’s last remark lured laughter from Lariette’s lips. Propping her elbow on the armrest, she rested her chin on the back of her hand, leaning more toward the car door.

“You’re so smart, Mr. Alvord. If you’re up to it, may you share both the adventures and misadventures you’ve experienced?”

This time, it was Ruediger’s turn to laugh. Lariette’s cheeky words cast helplessness in his heart.

“Adventures and misadventures, huh?”

Smiling to himself, Ruediger’s eyes were focused on the road, but his mind wandered to the times he traveled around the world.

Which stories should he tell her?

———-

Reference:

1 – Chapter 31

2 – Chapter 142