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When Ye Ling got home and opened the door, he saw Ning Ruoxi standing there in an apron, a slight smile on her lips as she looked at him.

"Welcome home, sir."

Ning Ruoxi’s voice was like candy, leaving a sweet sensation.

"You’ve worked hard."

Ye Ling chuckled and reached out, pulling the young woman into his arms.

"Alright, stop fooling around. Let’s go eat. I spent all morning preparing this, you know."

Ning Ruoxi tilted her head up and said with a smile.

"Okay."

Ye Ling nodded, letting the girl lead him by the hand into the kitchen.

The moment he stepped into the kitchen, a rich aroma filled his nostrils.

The table was laden with dishes: sweet and sour pork ribs, fried tofu, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar...

"These are all my favorites."

Ye Ling couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Ning Ruoxi.

"They are."

Ning Ruoxi gave him a playful smile. "So? Am I a pretty competent Mrs. Ye?"

"Yes, more than competent."

As Ye Ling spoke, he gave Ning Ruoxi a light peck on her soft lips. "This is your reward."

"Hmph! You rascal, you’re just taking advantage of me."

Ning Ruoxi pushed Ye Ling away in mock annoyance. "Hurry up and eat. It won’t taste as good if it gets cold."

With that, Ning Ruoxi served Ye Ling a large bowl of rice.

"It would taste good even if it were cold. My girl made it, after all."

But Ye Ling shook his head.

’Coming home from class to a meal cooked by my little treasure... this has to be the greatest happiness in the world!’

"Such a sweet-talker."

Ning Ruoxi rolled her eyes at Ye Ling, but watching him eat with such gusto, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness in her heart.

She’d seen feminist hardliners online, clamoring about how women should be freed from housework and needed to "stand up." But in reality, a relationship was a matter of mutual give and take.

If you had to draw the line on everything, turning it into a competition of who wins and who loses, could you still call it love?

Take right now, for example. She learned to cook for Ye Ling’s sake. Seeing him eat so happily made her happy too. This was a true two-way street, true love.

After they finished eating, Ye Ling took the initiative to help Ning Ruoxi clear the dishes.

"Looks like we’re running low on groceries. Should we go to the supermarket tonight and pick some stuff up?"

Ning Ruoxi asked from the sofa, looking at Ye Ling.

"Okay."

Ye Ling nodded, then immediately pulled Ning Ruoxi into his arms.

"You rascal, what kind of mischief are you up to in the middle of the day?"

Ning Ruoxi poked Ye Ling on the forehead and said with a sigh of resignation.

"I’m not up to anything. I just wanted to hold you like this."

Ye Ling looked completely innocent and pointed at the TV. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Okay-dokey."

Ning Ruoxi nodded and snuggled into a more comfortable position in Ye Ling’s arms.

Ye Ling casually selected an anime called ’Weathering with You’. The movie seemed to have been quite famous a while back, but he hadn’t had a chance to see it since he was still in high school at the time.

The film tells the fantastical love story between a young boy named Fang Gao and a girl with the supernatural ability to control the weather, Hinata. Without a doubt, it was a perfect choice for Ye Ling and Ning Ruoxi at this moment.

It had to be said that this type of anime had a very healing quality; it was exceptionally beautiful and aesthetic.

At the end of the anime, the male lead rushed through the torii gate, went up into the sky, and brought the female lead back...

"Stinky..."

Ning Ruoxi suddenly lifted her head, her eyes sparkling.

"Hm?"

Just as Ye Ling was about to say something, Ning Ruoxi suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, gave a gentle tug, and kissed him.

"Mmm..."

There was still a hint of shyness in Ning Ruoxi’s eyes. Most likely influenced by the story in the movie, she was being uncharacteristically forward.

Ye Ling also wrapped a large hand around Ning Ruoxi’s slender waist, feeling her warmth...

...

「Half an hour later.」

"Satisfied now?"

Ning Ruoxi was lying in Ye Ling’s arms, her pretty face flushed red as she spoke.

"For now."

Ye Ling gave a mischievous laugh. Looking at the adorable and shy girl before him, his gaze started to burn with heat once more.

"Alright, stop thinking naughty thoughts. We still have to go to the supermarket."

Ning Ruoxi swatted his wandering hand away and said with a pout.

The movie itself was two or three hours long, and on top of that, the two had been affectionate for quite a while. It was already almost four or five o’clock.

"Okay, let’s go to the supermarket."

Ye Ling dotingly ruffled Ning Ruoxi’s hair.

Going grocery shopping—for many couples still in their school days, this was something they yearned for.

At dusk, a boy holding a girl’s hand, strolling through the supermarket, buying groceries, and occasionally, the little girl in his arms would pester him to buy snacks like a child...

This, too, had once been a dream of Ye Ling’s.

Ning Ruoxi pulled Ye Ling by the hand straight to the vegetable section and began picking out vegetables with a practiced air.

"Babe, since when do you know how to pick out vegetables?"

Ye Ling was slightly stunned as he watched Ning Ruoxi skillfully peel off the wilted outer leaves of some greens.

’Is this girl, who looks so at home with domestic chores, really my precious, pampered little princess?’

"I’ve seen how it’s done."

Ning Ruoxi shot him a look, placed the chosen vegetables in a bag, and then moved aside to pick out a winter melon.

"When you’re picking a winter melon, you want one with a layer of white frost on it. Don’t buy one with lines in the flesh or one that feels very light. A light, spongy melon means it has gone bad and will taste bitter."

Ning Ruoxi explained to Ye Ling as she picked one out.

"My babe is so amazing now."

Ye Ling couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Ning Ruoxi’s waist, his eyes filled with emotion.

She was a girl whose hands had never known housework, yet now she was taking the initiative to do things a housewife would...

’How could he not cherish a girl like this?’

"Don’t mess around, there are so many people here."

Ning Ruoxi slapped his hand away and glared at him.

Ye Ling wasn’t annoyed by this; he just gave a silly smile.

’His wifey, acting like this, was truly captivating!’

Although you could say Ye Ling and Ning Ruoxi were grocery shopping together, in reality, Ning Ruoxi was the one doing most of the choosing while Ye Ling merely watched.

"Okay, that should be enough."

Ning Ruoxi looked at the cart full of groceries and nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly, her eyes darted over to Ye Ling. "My lord~"

Her voice was gentle and soft, with a breathy quality that made Ye Ling shiver.

"What is it?"

Ye Ling couldn’t help but lick the corner of his lips. ’This little minx, daring to seduce me in public. Looks like I’ll have to properly assert my husbandly authority when we get home!’

"I want to buy some snacks. Can I?"

Ning Ruoxi asked, blinking her eyes. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Give me a kiss, and I’ll buy them for you."

Ye Ling said with a smirk.