First, then, love.

The tea is ready in the living room.

The finest Da Hong Pao tea.

Four people were sitting on the sofa.

He Zheng sat on a single sofa with his back straight, legs naturally apart, and hands resting on his knees.

His posture exudes the rigor of a soldier, yet his expression is relaxed.

Lin Shufen pushed the cut fruit over.

Into the title.

"Xiao He, I'm a straightforward person. Sister Zhang has already told us about your family's situation," Lin Shufen said, holding her teacup. "Your parents are both very busy, and your job is in the SWAT team. To be honest, being a police officer is dangerous. Yao Yao has been spoiled since she was little and has a bad temper. We're worried about her..."

Lin Shufen didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

She was afraid her daughter would suffer, afraid her daughter would be wronged, and even more afraid that her daughter would become a widow.

Shu Jianguo nodded in agreement from the side.

The atmosphere was a bit heavy.

Shu Yao sat beside her, looking down at her newly done manicure, without saying a word.

He Zheng didn't touch the tea on the table.

He raised his head and looked directly into Lin Shufen's eyes.

His gaze was open and sharp.

"Auntie, Uncle," He Zheng said in a steady voice, each word firm and resolute, "the line of work I do is indeed dangerous. I can't guarantee I'll be able to leave work on time every day, but as long as I'm alive, no one can touch a hair on her head."

The living room was extremely quiet; the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.

He Zheng turned his gaze to Shu Yao, staring at the top of her fluffy hair.

"She's all bossy outside, and at home, she's the one who calls the shots. I do all the housework, I can quit smoking, I don't drink, and I don't have many expenses. My life belongs to the country, but my salary card and rest time are nowhere to be found."

He paused, then added the last sentence.

"She won't suffer at all."

These words were like a reassuring pill, hitting the Shu family parents hard on the heart.

Lin Shufen was so moved that her eyes reddened, and she covered her mouth, nodding repeatedly.

Shu Jianguo slapped his thigh hard.

"Great! He's a real man! I trust you with Yaoyao!"

The situation reversed instantly.

*

Lunch.

Lin Shufen prepared a large table of dishes.

Braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, and braised prawns were all laid out in front of He Zheng.

Lin Shufen picked up the largest piece of pork rib and put it into He Zheng's bowl.

He turned to look at Shu Yao, his eyes instantly turning to disdain.

"Look at Xiao He! How sensible and mature he is! And look at you!" Lin Shufen launched into a lecturing mode. "You're already twenty-four, and you can't even cook a simple tomato and egg stir-fry properly. Your temper flares up at the drop of a hat. Xiao He is out there protecting the country every day, and when she comes back, she still has to serve you. You need to tone down your spoiled brat attitude and stop acting like a spoiled princess all the time!"

"..."

It's said that a mother-in-law finds her son-in-law more and more pleasing the more she looks at him.

But this pleasing look came about a little too quickly.

If she remembers correctly, Lin Shufen was a looks-obsessed person in her early years.

Lin Shufen married him because his father was the most handsome man in the surrounding area.

Indeed, women are the least fickle.

Her mom really does like handsome guys, as always.

This defection happened far too quickly!

So you sold your own daughter?

Shu Yao bit her chopsticks, so angry she was practically fuming.

"Mom! Who is your biological child anyway?!" Shu Yao slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"What are you yelling about!" Shu Jianguo glared at her. "Xiao He has a good temper and spoils you, and you're getting all cocky? Xiao He, if she dares to act up against you again, just call me and I'll teach her a lesson!"

Shu Yao's eyes widened, she blinked rapidly, and her voice was soft and trembling: "Dad~~~"

He Zheng sat to the side, slowly and methodically eating the ribs in his bowl, his movements quick but not rude.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and glanced at Shu Yao's puffed-up cheeks, which were puffed up with anger.

"Uncle and Aunt, please don't blame her." He Zheng pulled out a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth, his voice carrying a hint of a smile. "She's great. I like her personality; she's so vibrant."

Shu Yao's hand trembled, and she almost knocked over the soup bowl.

My ears instantly burned.

This man!

This man is such a good actor!

After finishing the meal.

He Zheng helped clear the dishes.

Shu Jianguo refused to let him go and dragged him to the balcony to play chess and chat.

Unable to bear it any longer, Shu Yao went to the balcony and grabbed He Zheng's wrist.

"You, come with me."

She dragged He Zheng through the living room.

In front of his parents' surprised gazes, he pulled him into his bedroom.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed shut and locked from the inside.

It blocked the view from the outside.

Shu Yao's bedroom was quite large, but it was crammed full of things.

Light pink silk curtains, a huge princess bed, and a white cashmere carpet that covers half the room.

The dressing table was piled high with expensive skincare products and perfume bottles.

The air was filled with the rich fragrance of tuberose.

Sweet and cloying, extravagant.

He Zheng's tall figure stood out awkwardly in the center of the room.

Like a wild beast that has strayed into a crystal palace.

He lowered his head slightly.

The ceiling of the room felt a bit oppressive to him.

My gaze swept over the huge pink lace throw pillow on the headboard.

On the cat tree in the corner.

The calico cat "Princess" is perched on the highest point.

Upon seeing this intimidating stranger intrude into her territory, the princess's hair stood on end.

"hiss--"

The princess arched her back and hissed sharply at He Zheng.

He Zheng lifted his eyelids and his dark gaze swept over them.

There was no action taken.

He just stared at me like that.

The princess's cry stopped abruptly, her fluffy fur deflated little by little, her tail curled up timidly at her side, and she cowered into a ball, not daring to utter a sound.

"What are you doing!"

Shu Yao was furious.

She stretched out a slender, white finger and forcefully poked it into He Zheng's chest.

It's as hard as a sheet of iron.

"Stop putting on an act!" Shu Yao said through gritted teeth, her voice low. "Fixing the robot vacuum, fixing the pipes, and you've got my parents wrapped around your little finger. He Zheng, what are you pretending to be, this perfect gentleman?"

He Zheng lowered his head and looked at the finger that was poking his chest.

Her nails were painted with burgundy nail polish, and her fingertips were rounded and delicate.

He suddenly raised his hand, grasped her fingers with his large hand, and then enveloped her entire hand in his palm.

The woman's hand was just as he had imagined.

Soft and boneless, pitifully small.

He Zheng took a step closer.

The distance between the two instantly shrank to a dangerous level.

His pleasant citrus scent forcefully invaded her territory, which was filled with the fragrance of tuberose.

He Zheng stared down at her.

A wild undercurrent, indescribable and untamed, surged within his dark eyes.

"Not installed."

His voice was extremely low, as if it were vibrating against her eardrum.

"Those were the kinds of demands you made yesterday, like those from heaven." He Zheng gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, his gaze locked on her eyes.

"I can do it all."