Su Ci’s life motto was simple: if you can sit, never stand; if you can lie down, never sit.
But in an era without washing machines or robot vacuums, housework was a mountain to climb.
Su Ci looked at the pile of dirty clothes in the basin, then glanced at Lu Si, who was sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun and spacing out.
Her eyes rolled slightly.
A plan formed instantly.
“Husband~”
The way Su Ci called out stretched and curled sweetly, almost cloying.
Lu Si shuddered all over. The newspaper in his hand nearly slipped from his grasp.
He looked at her warily. “Speak normally.”
Su Ci dragged over a small stool and sat beside him, holding a handful of unpeeled garlic and a basket full of green beans.
“Well… the doctor said your legs may be injured, but your upper body still needs exercise. Especially fine finger movements—they help stimulate nerve endings and benefit overall recovery!”
Lu Si frowned. “Which doctor said that? Why haven’t I heard it?”
“Doctor Su, the barefoot doctor,” Su Ci replied shamelessly, pointing to herself. “I’m doing this for your own good. Here—today’s rehab task: peel two heads of garlic and trim this basket of green beans.”
Before he could react, she stuffed the basket into his arms.
Then she flopped onto the lounge chair nearby, placed a palm fan over her face, and sprawled comfortably.
“Cooking was exhausting. I need to rest a bit. Thanks for the hard work, Commander Lu. This is all for our lunch—braised noodles with green beans.”
Lu Si stared at the beans in his lap. The veins at his temples twitched.
Turning someone into free labor while making it sound so noble… she was truly one of a kind.
He, a dignified regimental commander, had fallen to the point of trimming vegetables in the compound?
If his former subordinates saw this, where would his authority go?
“I’m not doing it.” Lu Si said coldly, about to toss the basket aside.
From beneath the fan covering her face came Su Ci’s lazy voice.
“Oh? Then we won’t have lunch. And I heard if green beans aren’t trimmed properly, they can cause poisoning. When we both end up foaming at the mouth on the ground, we’ll have to trouble Fat Auntie next door to collect our bodies…”
Lu Si took a deep breath.
Endure.
For the sake of that bowl of braised noodles with green beans—endure.
And so the neighbors in the compound witnessed something astonishing.
The usually gloomy, intimidating Lu Si—who always kept people at a distance—was actually sitting obediently in his wheelchair, head lowered, clumsily but seriously trimming green beans.
Meanwhile, his new wife was lying beside him, sleeping soundly, with a suspiciously shiny trail of drool at the corner of her mouth.
“Did the Su family’s eldest daughter put a spell on Commander Lu?” the neighbors whispered, their entire worldview shaken.
That night, the real test came.
Although Lu Si’s lower legs had no feeling, rainy weather triggered phantom pain around his knees.
The air was heavy and humid tonight, as if rain was coming. Since dinner, Lu Si’s face had looked terrible—pale enough to frighten anyone.
After washing up, Su Ci walked out and saw Lu Si gripping the blanket over his knees tightly. Cold sweat trickled down his jawline, and his body trembled faintly.
He was enduring the pain.
Silently.
“You hurting?” Su Ci walked over and frowned.
Lu Si clenched his teeth, his voice fragmented. “None… of your business. Go to sleep.”
Su Ci sighed.
“I’m being paid, you know. After-sales service has to keep up.”
She brought a basin of hot water and pressed a warm towel against his knees.
Lu Si instinctively tried to move away, but Su Ci held him firmly.
“Don’t move,” she said seriously for once. “I’m a professional.”
In her previous life she had been scolded plenty by her grandfather while learning massage techniques. Even though she often slacked off, the skills he personally taught her were still useful—maybe not master-level, but enough to help with poor circulation.
She crouched in front of his wheelchair and placed both hands on his legs.
Though the muscles had begun to shrink slightly, the once-powerful lines could still be felt beneath her fingers.
A hideous scar twisted across his calf like an ugly centipede.
Su Ci showed not the slightest disgust.
Instead, she touched it as if examining a piece of artwork.
Her fingers were warm and strong, pressing precisely into acupuncture points.
“That scar must have hurt a lot back then,” she said softly.
Her tone carried no pity—just a calm statement.
Lu Si couldn’t move and could only let her do as she pleased. Being touched by a woman for the first time, his entire body stiffened to the extreme.
Su Ci massaged from his calves upward to his thighs.
When her hands reached his thighs, his body tensed even more.
Her hands were soft and smooth, carrying a faint scent of soap. Through the thin layer of cloth, the touch felt like an electric current traveling up his spine.
The tingling sensation almost overshadowed the pain deep in his bones.
He lowered his head and looked at the top of Su Ci’s fluffy hair.
Her head was bowed, revealing a delicate, snow-white nape—completely unguarded.
“Su Ci.” Lu Si’s voice was hoarse, carrying a dangerous undertone. “Do you even know what you’re doing?”
This was the most humiliating and vulnerable place for a man.
Yet she touched it so casually.
Su Ci looked up. A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead from the effort, and her cheeks were flushed.
“I’m massaging your legs so they can recover,” she said, blinking.
Then she suddenly grinned mischievously.
“Besides, Commander Lu, even though your legs can’t move, the muscles are still pretty firm. Nice feel.”
Lu Si: “…”
The slightly romantic atmosphere shattered instantly.
What exactly went on inside this woman’s brain?!
“That’s enough.” Lu Si pushed her hands away awkwardly and turned his wheelchair so his back faced her. “Go to sleep.”
Even from behind, Su Ci could see that his ears had turned bright red.
Su Ci shook her sore wrists, feeling extremely pleased.
So the so-called Living King of Hell wasn’t actually made of stone after all.
Wasn’t he just a shy young man deep down?
That kind of contrast was exactly her type.
“Alright, I’m off to sleep. We’ll continue tomorrow—don’t forget to tip!”
Humming cheerfully, Su Ci returned to the room.
What she didn’t see was that in the darkness, Lu Si’s hand slowly covered the spot she had just massaged.
The dead, silent depths of his eyes rippled violently for the first time.
He had thought his life would rot away in the mud like this.
But now…
he suddenly felt like standing up again.
..
Early the next morning, when Lu Si woke up, he discovered his wheelchair had changed.
The once-hard backrest and seat had been padded with thick sponge, neatly covered in sky-blue floral cloth.
The armrests were wrapped with anti-slip fabric.
When he sat down, it felt soft and comfortable. No more aching bones.
On the table lay a note.
The handwriting was elegant yet slightly flamboyant:
“Saw that your chair was hurting your butt, so this master kindly upgraded it.The sponge came from an old pillow I tore apart.No need to thank me—just remember to add two chicken legs to my meals.—Su Ci”
Lu Si ran his fingers over the cloth wrapped around the armrests.
The stitches were fine and dense—clearly made with care.
This woman looked lazier than anyone alive, yet she was actually meticulous.
And this kind of sewing and modification skill couldn’t be learned overnight.
How could a stepdaughter who supposedly never did housework possess such craftsmanship?
Lu Si stared at the note.
The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably.
It was the first genuine smile he had shown since his injury.
This house…
was finally starting to feel like a real home.