Lu Mingye was also sulking.
The way he sulked was very extreme—he just worked. After finishing setting up the east room for her, he went on to clean the west room, the main hall, the kitchen, and every corner of the courtyard.
Everywhere she looked, there was the man’s figure. Shen Ruanruan felt completely outclassed.
She walked around and discovered that apart from the two flimsy single wooden beds in the east and west rooms, there was only a table and a few stools in the courtyard. Nothing else.
After thinking for a moment, she took out paper and pen from her bag, preparing to write down what they needed to buy.
“Lu Mingye.”
She called out to him, but the man in the kitchen kept working without responding.
Shen Ruanruan “thump-thump-thump” walked over to the kitchen and leaned in front of him. He actually stubbornly turned his head away and refused to look at her.
She almost laughed, but held it in.
“Are you a child? Still sulking and ignoring people? What I meant just now was that we haven’t officially registered our marriage yet, so it’s not appropriate to sleep together. That’s why I said you should sleep in the larger east room. Did you think I wanted you to sleep with me before marriage?”
Lu Mingye stiffened.
Shen Ruanruan snorted inwardly.
“Clearly you misunderstood me, and you still wouldn’t listen to my explanation!”
“You knew I misunderstood—why didn’t you explain sooner?” Lu Mingye said softly, glancing to the side.
She heard him clearly.
“Because you were the one acting impulsively and ignoring me. Why should I warm up a cold shoulder? Besides, I even gave you a way out—you just didn’t take it.”
Lu Mingye’s attention was entirely on the phrase “warm face to a cold butt,” and his ears turned red.
“Little girl… don’t speak so crudely.”
“I’m crude? I—” Shen Ruanruan suddenly stopped. Then she remembered what she had just said, and her face instantly turned red again.
“You… you’re a hooligan!”
She slapped his arm hard and ran out of the kitchen.
The man stood there, staring at his arm. It didn’t hurt—just a faint numbness lingered. After a while, he finally walked out.
As soon as she saw him come out, she turned her back on him with a soft huff.
“It’s my fault.”
Lu Mingye rubbed his nose and obediently walked behind her.
“I’ll ask clearly before I get angry next time—no, I won’t get angry randomly anymore.” As he spoke, he pulled another White Rabbit milk candy from his pocket and handed it to her.
“…”
Shen Ruanruan took it helplessly and turned around. “Lu Mingye, you’re so childish!”
Then the two of them looked at each other and couldn’t help but turn away and laugh.
……
“How do you know I like White Rabbit milk candy?”
Shen Ruanruan was curious.
Lu Mingye didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, staring at her quietly, “Then do you remember why you like White Rabbit milk candy?”
She thought for a moment and realized she didn’t know. She hadn’t really eaten candy when she was abroad. It seemed she only started liking it after returning to the country—but why…
Seeing her expression, Lu Mingye knew she didn’t remember. A trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes, and he changed the topic.
“What did you call me for earlier?”
“Oh right, almost forgot. Is there anywhere nearby that makes furniture?”
“There is. There’s a village nearby with carpenters. I already ordered two large wardrobes, two square tables, and some stools and bedside tables.”
“As for beds, I borrowed military ones for now. In a couple of days, I’ll get someone to install a kang. It’ll be warm in winter.”
“A kang?”
She had heard of it before but never slept on one. People said it was very warm in winter. She was a little excited.
“Speak slower. I need to write it down.”
The two of them discussed and really wrote out a full checklist.
First were furniture items: another wardrobe, a dressing table, plus what he had already ordered. That was enough for now.
Then kitchen supplies: they already had one iron pot, but needed a larger one, plus oil jars, salt containers, flour jars, cutting boards, knives—basically everything.
Next were daily necessities, then cleaning tools and farming tools—everything she hadn’t even thought of was added.
Looking at the long list, Shen Ruanruan’s face scrunched up.
“Lu Mingye… there are so many things…”
He took the list, but what caught his attention wasn’t the items—it was her handwriting.
“Tch, you’re not just pretty, your handwriting is good too.”
“Don’t worry. You’re not the one moving them.”
He folded the list neatly and put it into his pocket.
“Are we going to buy these things tomorrow?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Can we leave around 10 a.m.? I’m a bit tired today.”
“Okay.”
His tone was cold, but full of indulgence.
He looked outside. “It’s getting late. I’ll go get your dinner. Anything else you need? I’ll bring it back. You can sleep alone tonight, right?”
“Of course.” Then she paused. “You’re not sleeping in the west room?”
The man fell silent.
In the dim evening light, his expression was unclear.
Only his cold voice could be heard:
“Shen Ruanruan, do you know what it means for me to stay here?”
“Tomorrow, everyone will know. At that point… you won’t have a chance to regret it.”
In this era, things were very strict in some ways and very loose in others.
After engagement in rural areas, couples often lived together. In the military, it was stricter—they needed approval and a marriage certificate—but even so, staying under one roof meant something.
Shen Ruanruan wasn’t stupid. She understood this clearly.
“Lu Mingye, I came from Beijing to this unfamiliar place. Don’t you already know my answer?”
That simple question struck like thunder.
Lu Mingye felt his heart go soft and sour all at once.
He had finally waited for this day… but he still wanted to be greedy.
“Shen Ruanruan, I want to hear you say it yourself.”
After a long silence—just when he thought she might regret it—her soft but firm voice finally came:
“Lu Mingye, I don’t regret it.”
Author’s note:
Oh no… I think I’ve written two childish little fools. Is this how people actually act when they’re in love? (can’t stop smiling like an auntie)