Jin Chen went into the bathroom and saw a piece of black lace fabric in the laundry basket.
As if guided by some strange impulse, he picked it up to look.
It was her underwear.
He recalled the last time he went to her house—what was soaking in the pink basin seemed to be this same piece.
Black, lace-trimmed, with thin straps.
It probably needed washing, right?
Of course, he couldn’t let her do it.
Jin Chen was fully aware of his duties as a husband. He found two new basins, soaked Zhong Yi’s bra and panties separately in cold water, and ten minutes later, began scrubbing them by hand.
In all his years, he had never washed his own underwear. The first time he did it was for his wife.
Jin Chen felt quite proud.
He could have easily tossed them into the underwear-specific washing machine, but he thought Zhong Yi would probably prefer them to be hand-washed.
The delicate fabric felt incredibly soft in his palm.
It even seemed to carry the scent of her body.
Jin Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He handled the fabric with extreme care, afraid of damaging it.
After rinsing off the soap bubbles, he looked at the black lace fabric in his hand and suddenly felt a strong urge to lean in and smell it.
Action preceded thought.
Before Jin Chen could make a decision, his hands were already holding Zhong Yi’s panties, bringing his face closer.
So soft, so fragrant.
Just like her.
“Jin… Mr. Jin…”
Zhong Yi stood at the doorway, not expecting anyone to be inside.
She had been woken up by the urge to use the bathroom and came in to relieve herself. But as soon as she opened the door, she saw Jin Chen holding something black and smelling it.
Upon closer inspection…
It was her panties!
He was smelling her panties!
Jin Chen stiffly turned his head, his expression nearly cracking. Fortunately, he had strong mental fortitude and calmly put the panties back.
He wasn’t a pervert; he was just curious.
But saying he was curious also sounded pretty perverted.
Jin Chen tried to cover it up with an excuse: “I… I was just trying to smell if they were clean.”
Smell them…
Could that really confirm if they were clean?
Only a fool would believe that.
Zhong Yi was so embarrassed she didn’t know whether to leave or stay.
But those were her panties.
She walked over awkwardly, her ears burning red, trying to act calm: “Thank you, Mr. Jin, but I’ll wash them myself.”
“No need to be polite. You’re my wife, and washing my wife’s underwear is a husband’s duty.”
“From now on, I’ll take care of washing your underwear,” Jin Chen insisted firmly.
Cough, cough, cough—
Zhong Yi choked on her own saliva.
That really wasn’t necessary.
“N-no, you don’t have to…”
Would he smell them every day?
Zhong Yi was genuinely afraid Jin Chen might do something indecent with her panties.
She grabbed the basin, quickly trying to move it over to wash them herself, but Jin Chen raised his hand to stop her wrist.
“Don’t move. I’m almost done.”
“Don’t disrupt my rhythm.”
Zhong Yi: “…”
She watched helplessly as Jin Chen took her panties and scrubbed them in the basin.
Such a private item.
Being scrubbed by a man’s hands.
For some reason, the scene looked particularly indescribable.
Even though it was just panties being washed, why did she feel like she was the one being washed?
Was this right?
Zhong Yi was overwhelmed with shame. Shaking off the dirty thoughts in her head, she stood aside and watched him.
Finally, she whispered a reminder.
“Mr. Jin, for the last rinse, use running water. It’s more hygienic that way.”
Jin Chen obediently rinsed the underwear under the water, then went to the balcony to hang it up. The lightweight fabric hung in mid-air, looking particularly well-behaved and adorable.
He happily admired his handiwork.
Washing underwear and bras—what was so difficult about that?
The thought that Zhong Yi’s intimate garments would be personally washed by him in the future made Jin Chen secretly gleeful.
With the underwear and bras cleaned, Jin Chen returned to the bedroom. Zhong Yi had already changed into the new set of underwear that Aunt Liu had washed and dried. The men’s underwear she had taken off earlier had been thrown away, only to be retrieved by Jin Chen from the trash bin the next second.
“Mr. Jin, I’ve worn that,” Zhong Yi tried to stop him.
“I know, but it’s not dirty. It can still be worn. Throwing it away is too wasteful,” he said matter-of-factly. “We need to save money to raise our child.”
Zhong Yi was left speechless again.
Saving money for raising a child by skimping on a pair of underwear—it sounded as if Jin Corporation was going bankrupt tomorrow.
Just then, Aunt Liu knocked on the door to ask if they were having dinner.
Zhong Yi could hardly look Jin Chen in the eye anymore and was eager to escape. “Mr. Jin, I’ll go have my meal first.”
“Wait!”
Jin Chen pulled her back and pressed her against the wall. “I told you not to call me Mr. Jin at home. Have you forgotten already?”
He commanded firmly, “Call me husband.”
“But… we just got married. I can’t bring myself to say it.”
Zhong Yi’s ears involuntarily flushed red, her face scrunching up as if the words were scalding her lips.
For her, they truly were scalding. After all, there was no emotional foundation between them, and Zhong Yi was also Jin Chen’s subordinate. Switching roles so quickly was indeed a bit challenging.
Jin Chen realized he was rushing things.
The fact that this woman had agreed to marry him and get their marriage certificate so quickly was already significant progress.
He didn’t force her, but he said, “For now, just call me by my name, or Ah Chen is fine too. But at home, I don’t want to hear ‘Mr. Jin.’”
As for calling him husband—they could take their time with that.
Sooner or later, he would make her say it willingly.
The kind where she’d cry it out beneath him.
Seeing Jin Chen suddenly smile, Zhong Yi couldn’t help but feel he was up to no good.
In the dining room, Zhong Yi was drawn to the sour and spicy shredded potatoes on the table—a simple dish, but it looked like it would suit her taste perfectly.
“You must be starving. Try tonight’s dishes,” Jin Chen said, leading Zhong Yi to her seat. He pulled out the chair for her to sit down, then took the seat beside her.
Zhong Yi took a bite of the shredded potatoes.
Sour, spicy, and flavorful.
Perfect with rice!
Zhong Yi ate several mouthfuls in a row. Fortunately, the baby in her belly wasn’t giving her any trouble, so she enjoyed the meal thoroughly.
However, as soon as she finished eating, a wave of drowsiness washed over her again.
She shook her head.
She had just woken up—how could she be sleepy again?
Just then, a large hand ruffled her hair. Jin Chen looked at her indulgently. “If you’re tired, go to sleep.”
Zhong Yi wanted to resist.
Sleeping after eating and eating after sleeping—what difference was there between that and being a pig?
In the end, reality defeated her, and she went back to her room to freshen up. When she came out, she saw Jin Chen fiddling with some skincare products.
“What’s this?” Zhong Yi asked curiously.
“These are skincare products safe for pregnant women. I brought them from home for you. Use them, and I’ll buy more when you run out.”
Home…
Zhong Yi tensed up. “So, your parents already know I’m pregnant?”
“You hadn’t agreed to it this morning, so I didn’t tell them. Tomorrow, come with me back to the Jin family home. We’ll discuss our marriage.”
“Can we not have a wedding?” Zhong Yi asked softly.
His public attention was so high. If she married him, as Jin Chen’s wife, her every word and action would also be under scrutiny.
Especially since she was still Jin Chen’s secretary—she would inevitably face many prejudiced looks and gossip.
Zhong Yi couldn’t help feeling nervous and afraid. She had practically grown up under others’ strange gazes, wounded all over by rumors and slander.
She just wanted to hide herself in a shell, where no one could see her.
Jin Chen noticed the change in her mood. Putting down the skincare products in his hand, he cupped her face and told her solemnly, “Zhong Yi, I want everyone to know that you are my wife. Perhaps after the child is born, there will inevitably be some discussion from the outside world, but rest assured, I will prove with my actions that you are the woman I hold dear in my heart.”
“With me here, don’t be afraid.”
“You are not alone—you have me.”