His voice carried a distinctive, deep resonance, tinged with a gentle warmth.

The delicate sound made her heart tremble. Si Nian felt a sweet sensation spreading inside her. She gently pressed her lips together, looked at him, nodded, and softly responded, obediently.

A touch of softness flickered in Zhou Yueshen's sharp eyes. He slipped his large hand under the blanket, clasped her waist, and pulled her into his arms. She was so petite that he could easily envelop her, waiting quietly for her to fall into a deep sleep.

After a while, he got up, opened a closed drawer, took out an unopened envelope, and walked out of the room. The light of a flame flared up briefly before plunging into darkness again.

Just as Zhou Yueshen re-entered the room, he suddenly noticed something and stopped.

Standing on the second floor, he looked towards the doorway, lighting a cigarette with his fingertips.

As smoke filled the air, his eyes narrowed slightly. Not far away, a white sedan was parked quietly and eerily in front of the Zhou family's entrance.

By now, it was already late at night.

The car remained there, silently.

Time passed, and the cigarette burned to its end.

The man extinguished the flame with his fingertips.

Zhou Yueshen retracted his gaze, his eyes cold, and turned back to the room.

Looking at the deeply sleeping Si Nian on the bed, his cold demeanor softened. He leaned down and left a kiss on her forehead, then lifted the blanket and slipped back in, pulling her into his embrace.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the faint sound of an engine starting up could be heard outside, very softly.

Then it completely vanished into the night.

The next day, the weather was gloomy.

When Si Nian woke up, a fierce wind was raging outside.

She could vaguely hear urgent voices outside.

She frowned and opened her eyes, not knowing what time it was. As she tried to get up, her whole body ached terribly.

Especially her legs, which felt like she had done a hundred frog jumps before sleeping.

She let out a small hiss.

Just as she frowned, the door was pushed open.

She looked up and saw the culprit who caused her so much pain.

Scenes from the previous night flooded her mind, and Si Nian's face turned red instantly.

She quickly pulled the blanket over herself.

Her body felt fresh and clean, and she vaguely remembered the man giving her a bath.

But she had been too groggy and tired to care at the time.

Now that she was fully awake, a wave of shame washed over her.

Zhou Yueshen noticed her movement and let out a few low chuckles.

At his laughter, Si Nian's face grew even hotter.

She hurriedly urged, "Turn around, I'm getting dressed."

Though they had been intimate before, she still lacked the courage to dress in front of him in broad daylight.

Zhou Yueshen didn't mind her attitude and turned around cooperatively.

Si Nian quickly put on her pajamas.

Only then did she lift the blanket.

Slowly, she looked at the broad back of the man and said, "I'm ready."

Zhou Yueshen turned around, holding a bowl of steaming porridge.

He couldn't cook much, but he could handle the basics.

Normally, he would have already been busy at the pig farm by now.

But today was different—it was their second day of marriage.

No matter how busy he was, he wouldn't leave at such a crucial moment.

Zhou Yueshen had barely slept the night before, yet he seemed startlingly energetic. The effects of staying up all night didn't show on him; he looked as he always did, without a trace of dark circles.

In contrast, Si Nian felt weak and sore all over, her eyes listless.

She looked at him with a rather resentful expression.

What was the saying again?

Moderate sex enriches life, but excessive indulgence only leads to exhaustion.

Modern wisdom proved true, she thought.

Seeing her shyness, Zhou Yueshen approached and spoke first, "Why not sleep a little longer?"

His tone was natural, as if nothing had happened, his expression unchanged from usual.

Si Nian, however, felt a bit awkward, sensing that their relationship had subtly shifted.

Before, they had been in an ambiguous, flirtatious stage of their romance, where a mere glance could spark excitement.

But now, after getting married, that thin veil of ambiguity seemed to have lifted.

She opened her mouth, her throat dry and sore. "What time is it? Has Yaoyao eaten?"

Zhou Yueshen placed the bowl of porridge on the table, staring at her with a deep voice, "It's already twelve o'clock. Yaoyao just had lunch and is sleeping. Xiaodong and Xiaohan went to school and haven't come back yet."

He added, "Everyone has gone home."

The implication was that the house was now empty, so she didn't need to feel embarrassed.

Si Nian was indeed worried about others being around. The Zhou family was large, and many guests had stayed over after getting drunk the previous night.

She hated facing others' knowing looks after such an event.

So, hearing that everyone had left, she felt a sense of relief.

But she was even more surprised that she had slept until noon.

Ever since arriving in this world, she had almost never slept this late.

"Drink something to soothe your throat," Zhou Yueshen said in his deep voice, noticing her parched lips. He brought the porridge closer and sat in front of her.

Si Nian's mouth was indeed terribly dry. Last night had completely drained her, and now the scent of the porridge made her stomach growl with hunger.

She opened her lips to accept the spoonful from him.

The porridge had already cooled to a warm temperature, indicating it had been prepared a while ago.

It melted in her mouth, instantly relieving the dryness, and she felt much better.

She couldn't help but glance up at the man.

He was looking down at her, his usually stern eyes filled with an unusual seriousness, almost like he was caring for a child.

Si Nian couldn't resist looking at him a little longer.

"What is it?" Zhou Yueshen's gaze fell on her face, his Adam's apple moving slightly, his voice deep.

She might not have realized how alluring she looked at that moment, with her slightly swollen lips and messy hair.

The faint marks on her pale neck and the thin fabric clinging to her skin only added to the sense of intimacy and vulnerability.

It felt like a single touch could topple her over.

Si Nian noticed him suddenly pause and couldn't help but look up again.

With porridge still in her mouth, she mumbled, "What's wrong?"

The next second, her chin was lifted, and the man leaned down to kiss her.

She let out a startled "Mmph."

"Stop~" she quickly protested.

She didn't understand how eating porridge had turned into a kiss.

Zhou Yueshen soon stopped, ruffled her hair, and continued to feed her.

But Si Nian refused to open her mouth again. After watching him for a moment, she said slowly, "I'll feed myself." Her eyes held a wary look.

Clearly, she was worried that he might try to kiss her again while feeding her.

Her whole body was still sore; she couldn't handle a second round.

She had originally thought of nourishing Zhou Yueshen's health, but seeing him now, full of energy, she realized that she was the one who needed the nourishment.

Zhou Yueshen paused, then chuckled softly and handed her the bowl.

Si Nian reached out to take it, her pale fingers grasping the spoon. She now realized that not only her legs, but also her arms were sore and weak, and she almost couldn't hold the bowl.

She sneaked a glance at Zhou Yueshen, only to find him staring at her, which made her feel even more embarrassed.