You're my wife, don't doubt it!

"So they've found a backer?"

Yu Luying reached out to pry Xiao Yao's fingers off: "Let go, shouldn't we clean up first? Otherwise, where are we going to lie down—or sit?"

"I've already finished cleaning, haven't I?" Xiao Yao argued.

"Did you actually clean this or have you been slacking off? The work you did was worse than not doing it at all."

"Oh." Xiao Yao released the girl's waist: "Then, let's do it again."

……

Sing our song and bless me, for I am leaving this lovely home;

The wind-blooming tree, which listened to our stories in the night breeze, now sways lonely in the setting sun.

Sing our song and bless me, for I am leaving this lovely home;

The old guitar on the wall will accompany me to a foreign land, and now, without realizing it, I'm playing it again...

More than a year ago, Xiao Yao left while singing this song.

"Stop singing!" Yu Luying said coquettishly.

She held a mop in her right hand and a long broom in her left, with a plastic dustpan tied to the end. The girl had somehow found an old apron and was wearing it: "If you're not going to help, go for a walk or two. Don't just stand here getting in the way."

Wow, what an amazing Cinderella aura!

Actually, Xiao Yao wanted to go down to a less demanding job, but he couldn't bring himself to be shameless, so he silently followed along and worked.

Yu Luying skillfully wielded the mop, effortlessly sweeping over every corner, using firm and powerful movements to clean away the dust and grime.

Cinderella had a keen eye and could quickly spot stains hidden in corners; she moved with remarkable agility. She deftly moved among the furniture, carefully cleaning the surfaces of the mahogany pieces, wiping them with a damp cloth until they shone with a captivating luster.

Although Xiao Yao was clumsy, he tried his best to keep up with Yu Luying's pace.

"That's enough, I feel like the sun is already setting," Xiao Yao said. "We don't live here permanently anyway."

“First of all, it’s your place to live, not ours. Secondly, I didn’t expect to clean everything up, but I can’t just feel uncomfortable thinking about it.” Yu Luying said clearly, “I just want to clean up the bedroom, dining room and bathroom for you—you need to have a place to stay.”

Xiao Yao was a little unhappy when he heard "It's you living here, not us," but he didn't say anything. Sometimes, for some things, it's better to take action naturally than to argue.

On the bright side, at least Yu Luying didn't say, "Now that the water pipes are fixed, let's go back tonight/tomorrow morning," but was making arrangements.

Cinderella carefully removed the sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcases, washed and ironed them, and then tidied them up. The girl spread the blankets out and carefully arranged them to restore their original softness and comfort.

During this process, her snow-white pantyhose inevitably began to turn slightly dusty.

The sky began to darken.

"That's it, I can't do it anymore." Cinderella finally gave up her obsessive-compulsive disorder and surrendered to physical strength and time.

"Finally!" Xiao Yao cheered, took out a new towel that he had prepared in his luggage bag, wet it with tap water, and ran over to wipe the sweat from Yu Luying's forehead.

Yu Luying took off her apron, draped it over the back of a chair, and sat down to rest on the edge of Xiao Yao's parents' bed.

Xiao Yao looked around – the room wasn't exactly brand new, but at least it looked like a place where you could sleep.

The neatly made sheets and pillowcases on the bed create a sense of comfort and security, and the whole space exudes warmth and tranquility.

This is a space of warmth and tranquility for just the two of us, her and me.

Xiao Yao made up his mind that no matter what, he would coax, trick, or force Cinderella to stay tonight.

Yu Luying used the tips of her shoes to push off her white Adidas shell-toe shoes.

As the shell-toe shoes slipped off her slender feet, they revealed her small feet encased in white pantyhose. Her feet peeked out boldly from the shoes, the white pantyhose conforming perfectly to her shape, gently and flawlessly outlining her long toes and delicate ankles. The pantyhose tightened gently at the ankles, forming a natural boundary, keeping her feet snug and warm.

The feet peeking out of her shoes exuded an innocent and pure beauty—her toes were slightly curved, as if breathing freely; she wiggled her feet slightly, releasing a lingering trace of fatigue.

Xiao Yao swallowed hard.

Yu Luying stretched her tired body, placed her two ridiculously long legs on the bed one after the other, and slowly collapsed onto the bed.

She sighed softly and closed her eyes in relaxation.

Xiao Yao's gaze fell on the shoes she had just taken off—there was some dust and tiny stains on them, but they were not noticeable.

The boy went over and helped her place her shoes at the foot of the bed, arranging them neatly.

Yu Luying stretched out her tired legs, her pantyhose clinging tightly to her calves, which were free of any excess fat.

After a long, hot trip and a tiring cleaning, the originally snow-white pantyhose have slightly lost their original whiteness and purity, revealing a subtle, dusty color.

There were some tiny sweat stains on the pantyhose, making them slightly damp, but not noticeably so. The moisture didn't seep into every inch of the pantyhose; it just gently and tenderly touched her skin.

Xiao Yao could feel the slight dampness—he felt a coolness spreading through his body and mind, as if he were relaxing in a comfortable hot spring.

Despite the changes in the pantyhose, they still accentuated the beauty and purity of the young girl. These minor imperfections did not overshadow her youth and radiance; instead, they made her even more adorable and authentic.

Xiao Yao stepped forward and boldly extended his groping hand.

In this environment, it's only natural that he would become bolder than before—just like playing football on home soil.

This is his "old lair".

Xiao Yao's large hand covered Yu Luying's calf, but she didn't resist or flinch. The Cinderella-like girl simply lay slightly to her side and whispered, "Xiao Yao, I'm tired. Let me rest, okay?"

Xiao Yao gently grasped Yu Luying's ankle, feeling its warmth and softness. His palm left a warm touch on her ankle, as if conveying comfort and care.

……

Yu Luying instinctively shrank back, but Xiao Yao's grip was firm, and she couldn't manage it. Cinderella gently bit her lower lip, seemingly a little shy, yet not daring to show it.

Xiao Yao's nose gradually approached the tip of Yu Luying's sock. He took a deep breath and smelled a unique scent.

It was a faint, pleasant fragrance, a subtle scent of laundry detergent blended with the girl's natural body odor. On the slightly damp toes of her pantyhose, there was also a faint, cool aroma, as if carrying a refreshing breeze.

The fragrance and coolness reminded him of a summer breeze gently brushing against green trees and grass.

Of course, in the spirit of science, objectivity, and seeking truth from facts, Xiao Yao must also admit that there is a slightly unpleasant element to it, probably because it was somewhat contaminated with rainwater.

However, it's not a big problem.

"Stinky!" Yu Luying yelled and kicked him, hitting him squarely in the face.

Xiao Yao instinctively let go and took two steps back.

"It hurts," Yu Luying said.

"How dare you say it hurts?" Xiao Yao complained, rubbing the tip of his nose.

“It really stinks! I’ve been running around all day—don’t you find it smelly?” Yu Luying buried her face in the pillow.

"Where does it smell?" Xiao Yao asked.

"I can smell it—thankfully I'm not wearing leather shoes today."

Xiao Yao also took off his shoes, tiptoed onto the bed, and embraced Yu Luying from behind.

The girl placed one hand on the back of his hand, her body trembling slightly.

The tremor gave Xiao Yao the illusion that he was putting his hand on a cat's belly.

“Xiao Yao,” Yu Luying said.

"Mm," Xiao Yao said.

"I'm really tired today and I want to sleep. Can you let me sleep?" Yu Luying pleaded.

“Okay.” Xiao Yao blurted out and was about to get up: “But there’s only one pillow, I’ll find another one.”

Yu Luying suddenly turned around, grabbed Xiao Yao, and buried her head in the crook of Xiao Yao's arm.

"Ok?"

"I am very happy that we have crossed the Yangtze River together today and can also... be together in your childhood home."

Xiao Yao felt a chill run down his spine.

If you often read classical novels, you will know that people in ancient times were relatively reserved and would generally not say things like "I love you" or "I like you". If the female protagonist said "I am very happy" to the male protagonist, it meant that they were going to be engaged.

As a member of Yu Luying's literary society, how could Xiao Yao not know the weight of these four words?

“I’m very happy too,” Xiao Yao said gently. “Especially since this is my childhood home, I have a special feeling of peace and security, that kind of inexplicable sense of security. I also want to make this our home, and let you make it your home too.”

Yu Luying nodded in Xiao Yao's arms: "I also want to treat this place as my home, but I'm very nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" Xiao Yao asked her.

“Because of you, you make me very nervous,” Yu Luying told him.

"Uh……"

"I'm so tired right now, I just want to close my eyes and get some sleep," Yu Luying told Xiao Yao. "But with a man around, a woman can only fall asleep if she completely trusts him."

"Is that so?" Xiao Yao said, "I know."

"Can I trust you?" Yu Luying looked up and asked him.

The girl's breath hit the boy's face.

“You can trust me,” Xiao Yao solemnly promised. “One pillow is too crowded, I’ll go get another one.”

“No need…” Yu Luying hugged Xiao Yao even tighter and buried her head in Xiao Yao’s chest again, murmuring something.

Yu Luying's voice was very soft, but in the silent environment, Xiao Yao could hear it clearly: "People say, it takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat ride, and a thousand years to share a life together..."