First, then, love.

She closed the door and walked back to the living room with the paper bag in her hand.

"What is this?" She placed the paper bag on the coffee table.

He Zheng raised his chin. "Open it and take a look."

Shu Yao tore open the black ribbon sealing the paper bag and reached inside.

I took it out and looked at it.

They were all the same kind of skincare product packaging boxes.

Dior Prestige La Crème de la Mer, Chantecaille Floral Foaming Cleanser, La Prairie Caviar Facial Wash, Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Cleanser.

Neatly arranged, four in total, all full-size and still in their original plastic wrap.

At the very bottom of these boxes, there was a piece of white cardboard.

Shu Yao pulled out the card.

The above is written in bold, unrestrained penmanship.

[This is a face wash that He Lao Er asked me to rush to buy. It's from various brands, costing a total of 8,600 yuan, not exceeding 10,000. Sister-in-law, use it slowly, and buy more when you run out. Please don't let him use it to wash his dog's head again; that would be a waste. — Sang Jiu]

Shu Yao looked at the note.

His eye twitched twice.

She looked up at the man sitting on the sofa.

He Zheng remained in that same imposing posture, with his hands resting on his knees, his eyes open and honest, showing no sign of embarrassment.

"I don't know which brand you use, so I just had a friend pick a few at random." He said casually.

"You call this picking a few at random?" Shu Yao gritted her teeth, pointing to the row of face washes. "These four together are enough for an average person's salary for two or three months."

"As long as I can wash my face, that's fine." He Zheng frowned impatiently, his logic as a straight man simple and crude, "If it's not enough, I'll just use my card to pay tomorrow."

Shu Yao took a deep breath.

The pent-up frustration in my chest vanished completely, along with the four premium facial cleansers and the stack of bank cards.

There's even a subtle sense of pleasure involved.

She casually tossed the note into the trash can, then reached out and unceremoniously gathered all the bank cards and passbooks on the coffee table in front of her.

It felt heavy in my hand.

"Is the password my birthday?" She raised her delicate chin to confirm.

"Mm." He Zheng nodded.

"021226?"

"Um."

"Okay." Shu Yao finally couldn't hold back her smile, and a beautiful smile curved upwards.

She slipped the card into her pajama pocket.

"Since you're sincere in admitting your mistake, I won't hold that 2,800 yuan shampoo against you."

She picked up the four boxes of facial cleanser from the table, turned around, and walked towards the master bedroom.

After taking two steps, I stopped.

She turned around and looked at the man on the sofa.

"But I'm still sleeping in the guest room tonight." Her tone was spoiled and defiant.

She was given a taste of sweetness, and immediately turned hostile again; this woman's temper is like a cat's.

He Zheng watched her slender figure disappear around the corner of the corridor.

They didn't say anything to stop them.

He looked down at the roses on the coffee table and gave a helpless smile.

*

late at night.

The temperature drops very quickly in late autumn.

Yesterday it rained, and tonight the temperature dropped below ten degrees Celsius.

The guest room was as cold as an icebox.

Shu Yao curled up on the single bed, wrapped in a thin down comforter.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin, leaving only her nose exposed to breathe.

It's useless, it's completely ineffective.

The cold air seeped in through every gap in the edge of the blanket.

Her hands and feet were ice cold, and her toes were frozen stiff, like two stones.

A silk nightgown clinging to the skin not only fails to keep you warm, but also sends a chill through you.

Achoo!

She sneezed sharply and sneezed.

My throat is a little dry, and it stings slightly when I swallow.

The symptoms of my cold are becoming more and more obvious.

Shu Yao opened her eyes in the darkness and stared at the ceiling.

She gritted her teeth, her body shivering slightly from the cold, turned over, and pulled her icy feet back.

This guest room is no place for a human to sleep.

But she had just made that threat when she slunk back home that night. It was too humiliating; her dignity wouldn't allow her to do that.

She closed her eyes tightly and forced herself to count sheep.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...

After counting to over five hundred, I still couldn't fall asleep; instead, I felt increasingly cold.

*

The next morning.

Shu Yao was woken up by the cold.

She felt dizzy and lightheaded, her nose was completely blocked, she could only breathe through her mouth, and her throat was so dry it felt like she had swallowed a razor blade.

I struggled to get out of bed.

I put on that thick cashmere morning robe and tightened the belt.

Push open the door to the guest room and go outside.

Sunlight streamed into the living room through the lace curtains.

The temperature was much higher than in the guest rooms.

The sound of pots and pans clattering could be heard from the open kitchen.

"Sizzle—"

The sound of frying eggs accompanied by a rich aroma of butter.

Shu Yao sniffed, smelled the fragrance, and her stomach growled loudly, much to her dismay.

She dragged her feet as she walked over.

In front of the island platform, He Zheng was facing away from her.

He was wearing a loose gray sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

Holding a frying pan, he was flipping a fried egg in the pan.

A tablet computer was propped up on a spice jar next to it, its screen lit up, playing a cooking video by a food blogger.

The voice in the video speaks clearly and distinctly: "After the butter melts, crack in the eggs, fry over low heat, and be careful not to burn them..."

He Zheng stared intently at the pot, his hand holding the spatula, veins bulging.

Shu Yao stood by the island platform, dumbfounded.

This man actually started learning to cook by following recipes.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was hoarse and had a heavy nasal tone.

He Zheng paused.

Turn off the heat and transfer the two fried eggs from the pan into a white porcelain plate.

He turned to look at her.

Her face was pale, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, and her nose was red from the cold, making her look like a pitiful rabbit.

His brows immediately furrowed, his two sword-like eyebrows twisting into a knot.

"Got a cold?" He strode over.

Before Shu Yao could answer.

He reached out and placed his palm directly on her forehead; his palm was burning hot, carrying the warmth of the meal he had just cooked.

Shu Yao was startled and instinctively tried to back away.

"Don't move." He hissed, pressing down on the back of her head.

I carefully felt the temperature in my palm.

"No fever, just a little cold." He withdrew his hand, his tone somewhat somber.

"The guest room is cold." Shu Yao sniffed, complaining pitifully, completely forgetting that she was the one who insisted on sleeping in the guest room.

He Zheng kept a cold face and didn't respond to her comment.

He turned around and pushed the two plates of breakfast on the island counter in front of her.

A golden-brown fried egg, crispy whole-wheat toast, two slices of bacon, and a steaming cup of milk.

Although the presentation wasn't as good as what you'd find in a restaurant, it was a huge leap forward compared to the previous meal.

"Eat." He gave the instruction succinctly.

Shu Yao pulled out a high chair and sat down.

I picked up my knife and fork, cut a small piece of fried egg, and put it in my mouth.

The cooking time was just right; the yolk was runny and the edges were slightly browned.

It was surprisingly delicious.

She looked up at him and asked, "Did you do this?"

He Zheng sat opposite him, taking a big bite of toast. "I learned it from the video. It's not hard, easier than defusing a bomb."

He spoke in a flat tone, as if it were just a routine skills training exercise.

Shu Yao lowered her head and silently ate her breakfast.

After drinking the hot milk, my stomach warmed up, and my frozen limbs gradually regained feeling.

Under the table.

The God of War lay at He Zheng's feet, staring at the bacon in Shu Yao's hand, his mouth watering, but he dared not make a sound.

The princess jumped off the sofa and walked over.

It jumped onto the island platform, bypassed He Zheng's plate, and went directly to Shu Yao.

He looked down and smelled the fried egg on her plate.

"Meow—" it meowed, asking to share.

He Zheng's eyes turned cold. "Get down. You're not allowed at the table."

He reached out and scratched the cat's nape.

The princess reacted quickly, twisting her body sharply to avoid his hand.

Then, he made an arrogant gesture.

It jumped directly into Shu Yao's arms, curled up into a ball, and made a provocative purring sound in its throat. Its eyes were fixed on He Zheng, as if to say: With a powerful backer, you dare to touch me?

Shu Yao took the opportunity to hug the princess and reached out to stroke its fur.

"Why are you yelling at it? It's just sniffing." She was protective of her pet.