She had lived abroad before, where the family had servants. After returning, they did not dare to openly hire help, but they would occasionally ask relatives to come over under the guise of “family visits” to cook and wash dishes.
Her parents would pay them salaries. It was a mutually willing arrangement, and no one said much about it.
Even if someone questioned it, they would simply say a relative was staying for a few days to help out, and others would not interfere.
There were also times when no one was available, but Shen’s father and mother still never let her wash dishes. Usually they took turns doing it themselves—her father even did more, refusing to let Shen Ruanruan lift a finger.
It was said that even the doctors at the First People’s Hospital probably never expected their dean to rush home every day—not because of any new breakthrough in research, but because… he was going home to wash dishes.
Shen Ruanruan obediently shook her head. “No.”
“Then don’t do it in the future either,” the man said, his cold voice striking each word into her heart.
Before she even reacted, he had already efficiently cleaned up the food containers and gone into the kitchen to wash the dishes.
……
Some time later, Shen Ruanruan remembered seeing a post online that asked a question: between the person who loves you and the person you love, which would you choose?
In her past life, her answer had been the latter.
So she ended up with a husband who turned cold without hesitation after marriage. And in order to please his family, when she washed dishes for the first time, she broke a bowl and cut her hand—but no one even told her to go bandage it. All she got was harsh ridicule:
“If you can’t even wash dishes, what can you do? Useless.”
In this life, she chose the former. She didn’t know what the future would be like, or whether this man truly liked her.
But in just one day, what had she received?
He worried about her luggage and went to the train station five days early to wait for her; he prepared snacks she liked in the dorm; he let her sit on the bed when she felt uncomfortable sitting on a hard stool;
He comforted her with White Rabbit candies when she was upset; he chose food she liked, a courtyard she liked… and even after she came to him, he still worried about gossip and asked her again whether she truly wanted him to move into the family compound with her.
Shen Ruanruan felt she was just a very ordinary, worldly person.
If she had met Lu Mingye in her past life, she would have chosen the latter.
“Why are you still standing there? I’ve already heated water for you. Go wipe yourself down first. We don’t have a bathtub yet—just bear with it. I’ll order one for you tomorrow.”
Lu Mingye came in holding a large basin of hot water and placed it in her room.
The family compound had electricity—pull-cord lights. When he pulled it on, the room lit up with a warm yellow glow. At that moment, they both realized something—
There were no curtains in the room.
“I’ll wait outside the courtyard. Lock the door. Call me when you’re done,” Lu Mingye said immediately.
Shen Ruanruan had also not expected the housing compound to not come with curtains. She shook her head shyly. “You don’t need to go out. I’ll just turn off the light.”
If he went outside, and someone saw him, how would she explain it?
Too awkward.
Lu Mingye didn’t even know how he ended up nodding, and by the time he came back to his senses, he was already in the kitchen. The east room lights were off, and he kept his head down, not daring to look that way at all.
After locking the door, Shen Ruanruan carefully hid in a corner and took off her dirty clothes.
She wiped her body with a towel. The water was just the right temperature—very comfortable.
Because there were no curtains, moonlight still filtered in, giving the room a soft glow. It felt a bit like bathing in a public bathhouse in the northeast. Her face flushed as she quickly finished.
After washing, she changed into home clothes.
The sleepwear was something she had bought in Beijing—a white short-sleeved nightdress with lace edges.
She opened the door and called toward the kitchen, “Lu Mingye, I’m done washing.”
The man in the kitchen let out a long breath of relief, then came out and walked straight toward her room.
Shen Ruanruan was about to go pour out the water herself, intending to tell him he didn’t need to hide in the kitchen anymore, but he had already come to help her carry it.
“Let go. With those thin arms and legs of yours…” he said, then looked at her and suddenly froze. His ears instantly turned red. “Put your clothes on properly.”
After saying that, he lowered his head and rushed out with the basin, as if something was chasing him.
“?”
Shen Ruanruan looked down at her nightdress. What was wrong with it? It was just a normal short-sleeved nightdress—no legs exposed, at most just her ankles. What was the issue?
Earlier today, he had walked in after showering wearing only a vest, and she hadn’t said anything.
“Are you dressed properly now?”
After pouring out the water, Lu Mingye stood at the door, calling in without turning around. He was also holding something in his hand.
It looked like if she didn’t add another layer, he wouldn’t come in. Shen Ruanruan helplessly put on a thin jacket. “Alright, you can come in.”
“This is for you. Go to bed early.”
Lu Mingye handed her a thick envelope and turned to leave.
“Wait.” Shen Ruanruan stopped him. When she opened it, she saw a passbook and a stack of cash and coupons. She nearly couldn’t hold it in shock.
Seeing him about to leave again, she quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
Her hand had just been washed, still faintly damp and warm—soft against his hard muscles. The man’s breathing slowed for half a beat.
“Why are you giving me so much money?”
Lu Mingye said absentmindedly, “Aren’t you marrying me?”
He didn’t know what she was thinking, his gaze drifting to her red lips. As if burned, he immediately looked away, only to hear her say, “So this is… bride price?”
Why did she always manage to stir his emotions so casually?
Lu Mingye took a deep breath. “Call it whatever you want. Isn’t it normal to hand over your salary when getting married? This is all my savings over the years. I’ll also hand over my salary in the future.”
“?!”
Shen Ruanruan widened her eyes.
In her past life, Su Jingming never mentioned anything like this after marriage. In fact, because her family was wealthy, his relatives would always ask her for money, saying, “Why are you so stingy? Your family is so rich—do you really need this little amount?”
It wasn’t about money. She just wanted to see his attitude.
But this man in front of her had casually handed over all his savings. There were even a few coins left inside—he had probably kept nothing for himself. And if she hadn’t asked, he wouldn’t even have explained.
Aside from her parents, no one had ever treated her this well.
Suddenly her nose felt sore, and she lowered her head, her voice soft.
“Lu Mingye, aren’t you afraid I’ll spend it recklessly? Or take all the money and run?”
The man laughed at that, a hint of wildness in his brows.
“Shen Ruanruan, if you run off with the money, just remember to take me along—the one who earns it.”
Then he added lightly, “And I don’t mind if you spend it recklessly. Just don’t spend it on that pretty boy. Otherwise, I might…”
“Might what?” Shen Ruanruan blinked up at him with watery eyes.
The man’s gaze darkened.
“You don’t want to know.”