The two sat facing each other, with him remaining silent, his large hands fiddling with the teacup, as if pondering how to start.

She suddenly felt a bit nervous, afraid that he might say something she didn’t want to hear. She broke the silence first. “Actually, there’s something I want to ask for your consent.” She hesitated.

“What is it?” He took a sip of the perfectly brewed, sweet and sour fruit tea, once again admiring her culinary skills. What was behind this miraculous change?

“Does Yangyang really need a nanny to take care of him during the day? As you can see, I’ve fully recovered and can take care of Yangyang myself.”

He looked at her thoughtfully. “Don’t you find it tiring?”

“Tiring?” She was taken aback and shook her head. “No, not at all.”

He put down the teacup. “But I find it tiring for you.”

“Huh?” She was even more confused.

“Why are you pushing yourself so hard?” He asked directly.

She blinked, looking a bit lost.

“You’ve never been used to doing housework, and you didn’t know how to do it before. Why are you doing all this now?” He looked at her intently, his gaze sharp and penetrating.

She felt a bit flustered under his gaze, her heart racing.

“Isn’t it good for me to do this? Don’t you want me to be like this?”

Don’t all men want their wives to be diligent and thrifty? Deng Ruofan used to say that he worked hard outside so that he could come home to a clean and warm home. Therefore, he never allowed her to go out and work.

“Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Your most important task is to take care of this home for me.”

Deng Ruofan always demanded this of her.

The man takes care of the outside, the woman takes care of the inside. She had always shouldered all the housework, while Deng Ruofan couldn’t even pour himself a cup of tea.

“If you’re doing it willingly, I have nothing to say. But you don’t need to force yourself,” Du Lingyun said seriously.

She stared at him in shock.

“Think about it, ever since you came back from the hospital to this home, has there been a day when you weren’t busy like a spinning top? Have you ever stopped to take a breath and truly rest?”

“You’re pushing yourself too hard, Jian Lanxi. Why?”

Why? Isn’t that obvious?

Cheng Yu smiled bitterly. “This is what I should do…”

“No, this is not what you should do. What you should do is be a good mother to Yangyang. As for the housework, you can leave it to the part-time housekeeper. You don’t need to force yourself to do it.”

“I’m not forcing myself.” She was unhappy, feeling inexplicably hurt by his rational and seemingly caring words. “I want to do these things. I want this home to feel like a real home. I want to make this place a true home. I want…”

She suddenly stopped, her voice choked in her throat.

“What do you want?” He asked calmly.

She couldn’t express it.

But he said it for her. “You want to prove yourself, don’t you? You want to prove that you’re not the same Jian Lanxi as before. You want to prove that you can be a good mother and a good wife, right?”

“So what if I do? What’s wrong with that?” His accusatory tone made her inexplicably hurt. “What’s wrong with me doing this?”

He looked at her, like a hedgehog raising its defensive spikes, and his eyebrows furrowed even more, his tone sharper. “Are you afraid? Afraid that if you don’t do everything perfectly, I won’t let you stay? Are you afraid of being kicked out of this home?”

Cheng Yu suddenly gasped.

She was stunned. At this moment, she suddenly understood her fear.

Just like a long time ago, when she was sent to a foster family by the welfare agency, she worked tirelessly to prove her worth, to show that she could contribute to the family and truly belong.

So, don’t abandon her, don’t kick her out. She wanted a home.

Because she had lost it before, she yearned even more to have it…

Why did this man always see through her weakest side so easily? Why did his casual words make her feel so miserable?

Cheng Yu bit her lip hard, trying to suppress the surging emotions in her heart, but her trembling lips betrayed her agitation.

Du Lingyun looked at her, feeling a faint pity in his heart. He never thought he would have such feelings for this woman, but now, he truly felt a sense of compassion.

For some reason, he felt that she seemed very lonely and isolated, and she had become accustomed to this loneliness and isolation.

But how could that be?

She was clearly a girl who had been pampered since childhood.

Or was it that he had never truly understood her before?

“Don’t be afraid.” His voice unconsciously softened. “This is your home too. As long as you don’t give up, you have the right to stay here.”

Cheng Yu’s heartstrings tightened, and she suddenly looked up at him. “Can I?”

He nodded solemnly.

A tear silently fell, and she suddenly realized her loss of composure. She hurriedly wiped it away, her lips blossoming into a beautiful smile.

“Thank you! Thank you…”

She thanked him again, as if he had given her a great favor.

Du Lingyun didn’t understand why, but he felt a pang of sorrow.