Chu Yi stared blankly at the wall, then quickly shook her head, pushing away distracting thoughts.

The two of them passed the time separately until noon when Qiao Anchen emerged to go to the kitchen. He knew that Chu Yi couldn’t cook, so since he had the time, he decided to make the meal himself.

Qiao Anchen had spent two years studying abroad, where he had to cook for himself because he couldn’t get used to the local food. He learned quickly, and cooking was no exception.

He rinsed the rice and set it to cook, peeled two potatoes, and found some beef in the fridge. With swift and clean movements, he soon had all the ingredients ready and began cooking.

Chu Yi belatedly noticed the noise in the kitchen. Seeing that it was already lunchtime, she quickly tossed aside her iPad, got out of bed, and slipped on her slippers.

The living room was already filled with the aroma of food. Qiao Anchen stood at the counter, holding a spatula, carefully controlling the heat. Chu Yi, feeling a bit embarrassed, walked over.

“Do you need any help?” she asked softly. Qiao Anchen glanced at her and immediately shook his head.

“No need. It’s a small portion for two people, so it won’t take long.”

Chu Yi hesitated for a moment, standing there without moving. Seeing this, Qiao Anchen reached out and patted her on the head.

“Go ahead and play in the living room for a bit. I’ll be done soon.”

“Thank you for doing this,” she murmured, feeling a little guilty. Qiao Anchen saw her guilty expression and smiled.

“I often cook alone, so don’t feel bad.”

“Oh.” Chu Yi lifted her gaze to look at him, responding quietly before lowering her head and turning to leave the kitchen.

“Hey, be careful—” The kitchen and living room were separated by a glass door, and seeing that Chu Yi was about to walk into it, Qiao Anchen quickly reached out and covered her forehead.

There was a dull thud as Chu Yi’s head bumped into his broad palm. She looked up at him in confusion, her face slowly turning red.

“Sorry… I didn’t notice…” She felt utterly embarrassed.

“Be more careful. Does it hurt?” Qiao Anchen found it amusing and instinctively rubbed her forehead. Chu Yi averted her gaze, her eyes flickering as her face grew even hotter.

“I’m fine…” Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, and she lowered her head, gently moving Qiao Anchen’s hand away before fleeing the kitchen and hiding in the living room.

Qiao Anchen watched her quickly disappearing figure, shook his head, and couldn’t help but laugh.

When the food was finally on the table, Chu Yi had returned to her usual self. She berated herself for her earlier lack of composure, so she tried to appear especially calm and composed. However, the moment she took the first bite, she lost her composure.

“Wow, this is so good!” she exclaimed in surprise, unable to help giving Qiao Anchen a thumbs up.

They had discussed this before, but only briefly, so Chu Yi had assumed his cooking was just average. But she hadn’t expected it to taste just as good as those dishes prepared by private chefs in restaurants.

Her eyes lit up, and suddenly the person across from her seemed to have a soft glow.

“I just looked up recipes online and made it myself,” Qiao Anchen was pleased by her exaggerated reaction. He felt that his mood had been pretty good all day, and it seemed that every time he was with her, he felt relaxed and happy.

“You’re amazing…” Chu Yi said as she continued to eat, her words muffled by food. Qiao Anchen’s gaze drifted away, and he cleared his throat.

“All right, let’s focus on eating.” He couldn’t help but tap the edge of Chu Yi’s bowl with his chopsticks, his face seemingly a bit flushed.

Qiao Anchen had a busy job, and even though he was married, he only had three days off. Their honeymoon was indefinitely postponed, but Chu Yi didn’t mind staying at home. Though she felt a little disappointed, she understood.

As evening fell, the air cooled, and a pleasant summer breeze blew. Qiao Anchen took her out for a walk to familiarize her with the neighborhood.

The streets were bustling with people, and neon lights flickered. Qiao Anchen naturally held her hand.

They strolled along the sidewalk, occasionally brushing past strangers. Qiao Anchen would sometimes turn his head to explain something,

 while Chu Yi talked much more in comparison.

It was always like this: Qiao Anchen was quiet and steady, while Chu Yi was full of energy, like a lively lark, with a sweet and cheerful voice.

Qiao Anchen listened and occasionally responded, and they walked around for a long time until Chu Yi began to feel a little tired, slowing her pace considerably.

“Are you tired?” Qiao Anchen noticed and asked. She nodded.

“Then let’s head back.”

“Do we have to walk back?” Chu Yi blinked at him. Qiao Anchen paused, then looked around.

“Wait here.” With that, he ran off, and Chu Yi’s eyes followed him until he disappeared at a nearby intersection.

A few minutes later, he reappeared in the distance, and Chu Yi watched expectantly, only to see Qiao Anchen pushing a shared bike.

It was yellow, small, and had some chipped paint.

“So, we’re biking back?” she asked after a moment of silence. Qiao Anchen immediately shook his head and spoke seriously.

“You’ll ride back, and I’ll jog home to get some exercise.”

“…”

“But I don’t know the way…” Chu Yi softened her voice, trying to act cute in hopes of changing his mind.

Qiao Anchen frowned and thought for a few seconds, then seemed to realize something and relaxed.

“No worries, there’s GPS on your phone.”

“…”

Holding in her frustration, Chu Yi pedaled as fast as she could, arriving home in just over ten minutes. She parked the yellow bike at the entrance to their community and collapsed onto the sofa.

When they first started dating, she found Qiao Anchen mature and reliable. Though he was a bit dull, he had no major flaws. But after just one day of living together, Chu Yi felt like she was reaching her limit.

She sulked for a few seconds, then immediately scolded herself.

It’s probably always like this at first; it’ll get better with time.

After all, it’s both of their first marriage, so they’ll have to adjust to each other.

Feeling down, Chu Yi decided to take a shower to wash away her worries.

The hot water cascaded over her, easing her tension. She closed her eyes, realizing she was being too sensitive.

Once she relaxed, she felt much lighter.

Chu Yi dried herself off with a towel, her skin pink from the steam, and reached for her pajamas.

Then she froze.

An alarm bell rang in her mind, and Chu Yi’s eyes widened in panic.

She realized she hadn’t brought her pajamas into the bathroom…

Living alone had made her used to just wrapping herself in a towel after a shower. But now that she had moved in with Qiao Anchen, she had started bringing her pajamas with her. However, this time—

She swallowed hard, praying that no one was outside.