At 10 AM, Chu Yi woke up in bed. Qiao Anchen had already gone to work; he always moved quietly and never disturbed her.

She took two slices of toast from the fridge, heated them, fried an egg, added some ham, and poured herself a glass of milk. Around 10:30 AM, she started eating breakfast.

Chu Yi was a comic artist whose work was serialized online, with weekly updates. Her work schedule was flexible and relaxed.

She had been drawing since she was a child, learning a bit of everything—sketching, watercolor, oil painting.

When she was in middle school, she was introduced to manga and quickly became obsessed. She didn’t just love reading it; she loved drawing it even more. While others used the blank spaces in their textbooks for notes, hers were filled with little doodles.

In high school, she got into Lan City’s top university through an art entrance exam, naturally choosing a major in fine arts. Since university provided more freedom and leisure time than high school, Chu Yi had more time to do what she loved.

In her sophomore year, a comic she casually uploaded online caught the attention of an editor. She not only signed a publishing contract but also gained a considerable following.

By now, Chu Yi had tens of thousands of followers on Weibo, and the comic serialization site where she started was still the same, though she had gone from being a small, unnoticed artist to a renowned creator on the platform.

Her income was substantial, and shortly after graduating from college, she bought her own apartment and moved out of her parents’ home. Since then, she had been working full-time from home and had never taken up another job.

This year, at 26, she married Qiao Anchen through an arranged blind date introduced by her family. It had been one month since their wedding.

At 3 PM, Chu Yi finished tidying up and began her work. She had a separate study, which Qiao Anchen had specifically prepared for her when they moved in.

Time passed quickly when she was immersed in her drawing. Outside, the sky gradually darkened, and the room grew dim. She put down her pen and picked up her phone from the table beside her.

There was a new message.

Qiao Anchen: *[Working overtime tonight, won’t be home for dinner.]*

Chu Yi was used to it. She lowered her eyes and quickly typed a reply.

*[Okay.]*

Scrolling up through their chat history, most of their conversations were similar—brief and unremarkable. The majority of their exchanges involved Qiao Anchen informing her of his schedule, to which Chu Yi would respond politely.

After sending the message, Chu Yi stretched. Qiao Anchen usually had all his meals at the prosecutor’s office cafeteria during the workweek. She leaned back in her chair, bored, and began browsing through the takeout options on her phone.

After dinner, she worked for a little while longer. When the clock on the wall pointed to 8 PM, Chu Yi finally got up, grabbed her pajamas, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Nighttime was her leisure time. Chu Yi enjoyed surfing the web, watching funny videos, keeping up with social issues, catching up on manga and TV dramas. Her night life was fulfilling and satisfying.

When Qiao Anchen opened the door and came in, Chu Yi was sitting on the sofa, intently watching the TV screen. In front of her was a plate of sliced apples, and she picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth.

“Hmm? You’re back,” she said, finally tearing her gaze away from the large screen to look at him. Her eyes were bright in the light.

Qiao Anchen responded with a hum as he bent down to change his shoes, pulling off the tie from around his neck and then removing his suit jacket, which he casually hung on the coat rack.

He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, his pale fingers holding the glass as he tilted his head back to take a few sips. His Adam’s apple moved up and down, and the outline of his collarbones was faintly visible through the collar of his white shirt.

Chu Yi turned her head to look at him, tilting her face slightly as she asked, “How was work today?”

“Same as usual,” Qiao Anchen replied in a low voice, showing a bit of weariness on his face, before heading into the bedroom.

Not long after, the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom. Qiao Anchen usually took a shower as soon as he got home—it seemed to be his way of relieving fatigue.

Chu Yi settled back into the sofa and resumed watching TV.

Qiao Anchen had very few recreational activities and wasn’t much interested in electronic devices like phones or TVs. Most of his day was devoted to work, and when he was at home, he typically just read and rested.

Before going to bed, he almost never touched his phone, opting to read a few pages of a book before sleeping. His discipline was frightening, something that Chu Yi admired greatly.

The first time they shared a bed, Chu Yi was genuinely surprised. In this day and age, there were still people who didn’t use their phones before bed. Compared to her habitual late nights, it was nothing short of a miracle.

But later, she realized that Qiao Anchen didn’t often use his phone during the day either. His dependence on electronic devices was mostly centered around his Kindle.

Qiao Anchen would finish reading several books each month, ranging from professional legal texts to random miscellaneous books, many of which Chu Yi had never even heard of the authors.

She often felt like an illiterate person who had spent over a decade in school.

By the time Chu Yi finished watching her show’s latest episode, it was already 10 PM. She yawned, turned off the TV, and prepared to go to bed.

The room was lit with a warm yellow lamp. Qiao Anchen, dressed in dark blue checkered pajamas, was leaning against the headboard, reading a book.

He wore a pair of frameless glasses on his nose, giving him a refined and handsome appearance that softened his usual calm and serious demeanor, making him look much gentler.

Chu Yi noticed the book cover—a solid black background with an English title, not a single word she recognized.

It seemed like taking the CET-6 in college was a waste.