Yue Chunhan’s dark eyes swept over Su Zhi, who was bowing her head with a serious expression, and he added silently in his heart.
—If it’s Su Zhi with this kind of personality, it actually seems quite nice.
Massage might look simple, but it’s actually very strenuous. Moreover, the original owner’s body was quite weak. After just a few strokes, Su Zhi was already panting heavily, and her shoulders ached from the effort.
Her cheeks were flushed from prolonged exertion, sweat beaded on the tip of her nose, and her forehead was covered in perspiration. Messy strands of hair clung damply to her face, her full, rosy lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes were focused with determination.
Yue Chunhan had never seen Su Zhi like this before. He was momentarily stunned, then snapped back to reality and grabbed her arm, sitting up straight on the kang.
“That’s enough, Su Zhi. Let’s stop here for today.”
Although Yue Chunhan’s left leg was still throbbing painfully, it was much better than before. The piercing agony had lessened considerably—Su Zhi’s massage had indeed been quite effective.
Even Yue Chunhan, who hadn’t fully trusted Su Zhi earlier, now couldn’t help but acknowledge her skill.
His dark eyes swept over Su Zhi, who was panting and slumped on the kang. His narrow, intense gaze paused on her flushed cheeks. Seeing her glistening with sweat, Yue Chunhan took the initiative to ask, “Thanks to you today, Su Zhi. My leg really feels much better. Do you want to take a bath later? I’ll heat water for you.”
Su Zhi was so exhausted she could barely lift a finger. Hearing Yue Chunhan’s words, she nodded, but what she really wanted was to collapse and sleep for a while.
So tired. The original owner’s physique really was too weak.
In the evening, Yue Chunhan finished heating the water, and Yue Tiantian returned right on time as usual. Seeing Su Zhi’s flushed, utterly exhausted face and then glancing at Yue Chunhan, who looked spirited and calm as he tended the fire, Yue Tiantian’s little face grew serious.
Why did this look so much like Uncle and Auntie from Er Gou’s family? Did Daddy and Auntie get into a fight too?
◎
Su Zhi didn’t notice Yue Tiantian’s strange look. After her bath, she climbed onto the kang as usual, held Yue Tiantian close, and began softly telling her a new story.
After finishing the second half of The Little Mermaid earlier, Yue Tiantian had been deeply disappointed. She couldn’t understand the little mermaid’s actions—why would she turn into foam and vanish for a man she’d only met a few times who didn’t even love her back? Even after Su Zhi explained that the mermaid’s soul gained eternal life, Yue Tiantian still didn’t get it.
“Auntie, you mustn’t run off with a strange man like the little mermaid did! Someone you don’t even know—who knows what they’re really like? You can’t rely on them!”
Back then, Yue Tiantian’s face had flushed red as she earnestly tried to explain this reasoning to Su Zhi.
Su Zhi had smiled faintly, but then she thought—hadn’t she also married a stranger? The difference between Yue Chunhan and the Prince was probably that Yue Chunhan didn’t have a fiancée like a princess from a rival kingdom.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true either. Wasn’t Widow Liu next door something of a contender?
Tonight, Su Zhi told Yue Tiantian the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Even though the village was full of familiar faces, Yue Tiantian was always running around outside. Su Zhi worried she might lack caution and get into trouble, so this story seemed particularly fitting.
Yue Chunhan blew out the candle. Separated by Yue Tiantian, he could faintly catch the scent of Su Zhi’s hair after her bath from the other side. In the darkness, her voice was soft and clear—it really did have a soothing, sleep-inducing quality. No wonder Yue Tiantian, who used to be fussy and awake until late, had been falling asleep so obediently at bedtime recently.
Yue Tiantian listened with rapt attention from the beginning of Little Red Riding Hood’s journey into the forest to her visit to her grandmother. When she sensed something was wrong with the grandmother, her eyes widened, afraid she might miss a single detail.
When the slightly frightening Big Bad Wolf appeared, Yue Tiantian was indeed scared. She shrank into Su Zhi’s arms, not daring to look up. But Su Zhi’s gentle voice eased her fear, and soon Yue Tiantian, still trembling slightly, lifted her head again.
The four- or five-year-old child’s cheeks were round and adorable. Yue Tiantian tried hard to keep her eyes open to hear the ending, but she couldn’t resist the overwhelming drowsiness and fell asleep curled up in Su Zhi’s arms.
Perhaps the noodle sauce at dinner had been a bit too salty—Su Zhi had drunk quite a lot of water. Now that Yue Tiantian was asleep, Su Zhi felt the need to use the restroom and hesitated before getting up.
Su Zhi had been to the outhouse once before, so naturally she didn’t need Yue Chunhan to guide her this time. She climbed off the kang and, once her eyes adjusted to the moonlight outside, slowly made her way out.
The autumn cold wind blew against Su Zhi in gusts. Hugging her coat tightly, she fought the urge to run back inside and headed toward the outhouse, which naturally meant passing the vegetable plot again.
The darkness of night cast a shadow over everything. From a distance, it was impossible to see clearly what lay within. Su Zhi knew perfectly well that the tall beanpole trellises weren’t monsters, but she couldn’t help letting her imagination run wild.
The area was a dark, indistinct mass. When the wind blew, the bean leaves rustled. That shadowy clump seemed to hide one or several human figures. For Su Zhi, who had experienced being peeped at during the day, this felt even more frightening than before.
The beanpole trellises, which had seemed harmless in daylight, now became the most terrifying things in the pitch-black night—like dreadful entities hiding countless people.
Even though she knew Yue Chunhan was inside the house and no one would dare sneak in, Su Zhi was still afraid.
She took a few steps back, then finally couldn’t hold back. Whimpering, she dashed back to the house in a flash. The warmth of the room blocked out the chill outside and seemed to shut out all the monsters and demons. Feeling as if someone were chasing her, Su Zhi ran back inside, tears in her eyes.
Yue Chunhan wasn’t asleep. With his eyes closed, he appeared to be sleeping, but in reality, he was thinking about Su Zhi, who had gone out to use the restroom. His sleep was light; the slightest disturbance would keep him awake. So he needed to wait until Su Zhi returned before he could truly rest.
Just as he was resting with his eyes closed, the door was pushed open hastily by Su Zhi. Sobbing quietly, she grabbed Yue Chunhan’s shoulder. Her cold fingers rested on his shoulder, her eyes brimming with tears, filled with alarm and fear. Her voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of a cry.
“Yue Chunhan… please help me. I need to use the restroom… Could you take me there?”
Yue Chunhan sat up and looked back, seeing Su Zhi by the kang with tears welling in her eyes. The hazy moonlight cast a silver glow, making Su Zhi’s face appear pale and delicate. Her red lips were bitten tightly, and her eyes, moist with tears, looked as though they might spill over at any moment.
Yue Chunhan hadn’t been asleep, so his mind was still clear. The autumn chill made Su Zhi shiver all over, her fingertips cold.
He glanced at Su Zhi, let out a soft sigh, then got up and threw on his coat. “Let’s go, I’ll go with you.”
Su Zhi’s mind had been racing with wild thoughts just moments before—imagining dark, shadowy figures watching her, chasing her. But seeing Yue Chunhan, those fears gradually faded. It was as if she had found a steady anchor; her weak legs finally able to move again.
She followed behind Yue Chunhan, stammering, “Th-Thank you, Yue Chunhan…”
Yue Chunhan rubbed his temples. Growing up, he had hardly ever met someone as troublesome as Su Zhi—so timid, with so many issues.
But… he glanced back at Su Zhi. Perhaps because of the evening’s treatment, he felt she seemed a bit more familiar with him now—at least not as afraid of him as before.
Su Zhi’s slender, pale hands reached out, carefully clutching the hem of his coat as if gaining immense security from it. When she noticed him looking back at her, a flush suddenly spread across Su Zhi’s face, as if caught in the act and embarrassed. But after a moment’s hesitation, she still didn’t let go of his coat.
Yue Chunhan was like the mother hen in a game of “Eagle Catches Chicks,” leading the timid, insecure chick step by step outside.
Opening the door, the cold wind howled in. His thin coat quickly grew cold in the wind. Yue Chunhan stood in front, blocking the wind, while Su Zhi hid behind him to avoid it. Seeing the familiar beanpole trellises outside, she nervously tightened her grip on Yue Chunhan’s coat.
Yue Chunhan glanced at the dark mass and thought of the peeping man he had beaten severely during the day. He quickly understood why Su Zhi was so fearful and timid. Lost in thought, he quickened his pace.
“No one will come into the yard.”
Yue Chunhan’s voice was cool, but Su Zhi found it reassuring, especially in the dark, lampless night.
Yue Chunhan stood near the outhouse, arms crossed as he waited for Su Zhi, while Su Zhi took a deep breath, held it, and ducked into the old rural outhouse.
The cold wind outside blew straight into his chest. Yue Chunhan wrapped his coat tighter and waited calmly for Su Zhi to come out, just like that night when Su Zhi had first arrived after their marriage.
He glanced sideways at the tall beanpole trellises behind him, tilting his head thoughtfully.
No wonder Su Zhi was scared. He usually didn’t pay much attention, but looking now, it really was quite eerie. And this wall—it was time to properly repair it, so random people wouldn’t dare peer into his yard.
A cold glint flickered in Yue Chunhan’s eyes. Just then, Su Zhi rushed out of the outhouse, holding her breath, and stood gasping for air. Panting heavily, she lifted her teary, misty eyes to him. “Yue Chunhan…”
Su Zhi raised her hand, about to speak, but Yue Chunhan interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “You want to wash your hands, right?”
Yue Chunhan was already well aware of how troublesome Su Zhi could be. He led her to the well and, just like last time, drew water for her to wash her hands.
The autumn wind whistled past. Su Zhi washed her hands under the cold water, feeling her fingertips turn icy. The water felt less like water and more like ice, chilling her hands until they almost lost sensation.
She washed her hands hastily, then looked up at Yue Chunhan with eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Can’t we have warm water ready for washing hands? It’s so cold…”
Yue Chunhan glanced at her, noticing the redness at her fingertips, and his brows furrowed slightly.
His cold, narrow eyes wrinkled as if somewhat impatient. “So troublesome…”
Even as he said this, Yue Chunhan reached out and took Su Zhi’s hands, clasping her fingertips in his palm, warming them with the heat from his hands.
Her cold fingertips were enveloped, warmth gradually spreading through them. Yue Chunhan radiated heat; on such a chilly night, his skin was still so warm, seemingly completely unfazed by the cold.
Su Zhi glanced at his carelessly thrown-on thin coat, then at her own thick one, and couldn’t help but marvel.
Was this the difference between men and women?
The fingertips held by Yue Chunhan felt as if they were burning. Su Zhi quickly withdrew her hand, curling it into her sleeve, nervously clutching her coat as she replied stiffly, “I-I’m much better now… not cold anymore.”
The fingertips he had been holding were suddenly pulled away. Yue Chunhan’s pupils paused for a moment, then his expression returned to its usual calm, cool demeanor. “Let’s go back inside, then. It’s late.”
Su Zhi nodded repeatedly. This time, she didn’t need to clutch Yue Chunhan’s coat hem; she walked ahead of him, quickly making her way back to the house.
The night flowed gently, pale moonlight spilling down. Yue Chunhan followed unhurriedly behind Su Zhi, watching her ahead, slowly rubbing his fingers.
The sensation from earlier seemed to linger there—delicate, soft.
◎
The next morning, the division of labor among the three in the household was clear: Yue Chunhan went to work in the fields, Yue Tiantian went out to play, and Su Zhi stayed home.
Su Zhi’s body clock was still disrupted. When she woke up, Yue Tiantian was getting dressed. Outside, the sky was still somewhat dark, only just beginning to lighten.
Yue Chunhan was buttoning Yue Tiantian’s clothes. The roosters in the chicken coop crowed sharply. Perhaps because she had napped a bit yesterday afternoon, Su Zhi woke up early today, unusually sharing waking hours with the other two in the household.
With bleary eyes, she took over Yue Chunhan’s task, helping the disheveled-haired Yue Tiantian get dressed and tidied up.
Yue Chunhan was going to the fields today to carry back the stalks and pile them into a haystack—a heavy workload. Su Zhi wanted to help but was turned down by Yue Chunhan.