Huo Zheng clicked his tongue.
“Just because I say kiss me, I’ll kiss you? Am I a dog? So obedient?”
“And it’s not even dark yet, Su Qian’an. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
He was the one who started it, yet he turned it around on her.
Su Qian’an puffed up her fair cheeks and glared at him.
Huo Zheng looked quite pleased with himself as he said lazily, “If you really want a kiss, it’s not a big deal. Tonight, once we’re under the blanket, I’ll kiss you enough.”
It was unclear whether it was because of the kiss at noon, but Huo Zheng seemed to be getting more and more improper.
Su Qian’an’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she carried the child back into the room.
After dinner and a bath that night, Su Qian’an took out the scar-removal ointment Huo Zheng had given her and carefully applied it. Under the dim candlelight, she looked at the frightening scar in the mirror, and a trace of worry appeared on her face.
Such a large scar—would it really heal in time for the wedding?
On the other side, the father and son didn’t know what they were playing, but little Huo Jibei suddenly let out a few angry babbles.
Huo Zheng wiped the saliva off his face and grabbed the child’s chin.
“Huo Jibei, do you not want your teeth anymore?”
He didn’t even have many teeth yet, and he was already trying to bite people.
“Aah!”
Little Huo Jibei ground his gums, his tiny expression both fierce and adorable.
Seeing this, Su Qian’an said, “He’s probably teething. His gums will feel itchy. Tomorrow you should make him a teething stick to chew on.”
Huo Zheng let go of his chin.
“He bit me and now you still want me to make him a teething stick? Not happening.”
As expected of someone the villagers said held grudges—he even held grudges against his own son.
But Su Qian’an had already figured him out. He might say that, but he would still go and make it in the end. After all, it wouldn’t take much effort, especially when it was for his son.
Huo Zheng went to take a bath, while Su Qian’an fed the child and coaxed him to sleep. Looking at the baby’s obedient sleeping face, her expression softened.
When Huo Zheng came back, he saw this scene. Though his ears were still slightly red, he was no longer as awkward as before.
He walked in shirtless, carrying a cool air with him. His broad, strong chest, six-pack abs, and well-defined arm muscles were clearly visible under the dim light.
It was a little chilly at night, but he still preferred cold showers.
“I left you some hot water,” Su Qian’an said. “Why are you still taking cold showers?”
Recently the nights had been cool, so she always left him hot water, but he still insisted on cold showers every night.
Huo Zheng’s gaze darkened slightly. “I run hot. I’m not afraid of cold.”
Hearing this, Su Qian’an thought of how every night when they slept—even with the child between them—she could still feel warmth constantly coming from him, making her feel a bit warm herself.
He really did run hot.
She silently agreed in her heart.
Tonight there was no moon. After the candle was blown out, the room fell into darkness—perfect for doing improper things.
Huo Zheng walked to the bed and moved little Huo Jibei to the innermost side.
“He sleeps inside. I sleep deeply at night. If I turn over carelessly, I might squash him flat.”
Thinking of his large build, Su Qian’an imagined it and found it quite possible.
“Mm.”
The bed suddenly felt much smaller tonight. Their arms even brushed against each other, making it hard to turn over.
The closer they slept, the hotter Huo Zheng’s “fire” seemed to get, and Su Qian’an also felt her own body warming up more than usual. She pulled the blanket aside slightly, but the heat didn’t dissipate.
Huo Zheng could smell the faint fragrance coming from her—it wasn’t soap, but something indescribably pleasant.
The sound of swallowing was especially clear in the silent night, along with a faint, pounding heartbeat.
A low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded beside her ear, warm breath brushing against her cheek.
“Su Qian’an, give me a kiss.”
Thinking of the sweet softness from the kiss in the kitchen at noon, Huo Zheng suddenly felt an urge.
Before she could respond, her face was turned aside, and his lips pressed down.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Huo Zheng’s kiss had no technique—only instinct. He didn’t control his strength and accidentally bumped her lips, causing pain. Her eyes immediately filled with a mist of tears.
She pushed against his chest and said softly, “It hurts…”
Huo Zheng stopped, his eyes already filled with desire.
He was a normal man with normal needs. Thinking of that overwhelming feeling from before, his whole body tensed, hard and rigid like a stone.
“Where does it hurt?”
“My mouth.”
Huo Zheng frowned. “So delicate.”
When he kissed her again, his movements softened, tasting her gently, reluctant to let go…
Suddenly—
“Aah… hehe…”
Little Huo Jibei in his sleep suddenly giggled, pulling the two back to their senses.
Su Qian’an quickly pushed Huo Zheng away and straightened her messy clothes. She didn’t even know when they had become undone.
Her ears were so hot they felt like they could fry an egg.
Their moment interrupted, Huo Zheng looked clearly displeased, even considering grabbing the sleeping little troublemaker and giving him a beating.
Sensing his thoughts, Su Qian’an quickly said, “It’s late. Let’s sleep. You still have work tomorrow.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, soothing him instantly.
“Mm.”
In the end, things between them had changed. There was no rush—they had already registered their marriage. She couldn’t run away anyway.
Thinking this through, Huo Zheng decided not to argue with the little troublemaker. Even later that night when the baby woke up for milk, he still calmly made formula for him.
The next morning, the ground outside was wet from an autumn rain that had fallen overnight, and the air was cool.
Breakfast today wasn’t made by Huo Zheng. He had bought dumplings from the state-run restaurant—large, plump, and fragrant, with pork fat and scallions.
When Su Qian’an woke up, her lip still hurt from last night’s bump, and she shot him an annoyed look.
Huo Zheng touched his nose awkwardly. “I’ll be more careful next time.”
She snorted. “There won’t be a next time.”
For once, Huo Zheng didn’t argue.
Outside, the gong for work rang, and people went off to the fields. Seeing that he wasn’t moving, Su Qian’an asked, “Aren’t you going to work today?”
“Later,” he replied.
After she finished breakfast, he finally left.
Ma Youlan came again, asking her to go into the mountains to pick mushrooms after the autumn rain.
So Su Qian’an carried little Huo Jibei, took a basket, and went with her.
As for the things Liu Hongmei said yesterday at the Huo house… somehow, they had already spread.