◎ One step is done, no need to take anything off. ◎

After spending the last few days together, up and down from the bed, Chen Fang felt he had gotten to know her somewhat.

But when he heard the emphasized word “only,” the spatula slipped uncontrollably into the pot. Tao Xiaoxi saw the soup splashing toward her, but he stepped in front of her just in time. She avoided disaster, but his clothes were not so lucky.

She quickly grabbed a tissue to help him wipe it off, but as she continued, she felt something was off. Standing up, she balled up the tissue, clenched it, and then loosened her grip, shoving it into his hand. “Wipe it yourself.”

“Mm.” Chen Fang’s voice was tight as he squeezed out a word.

Tao Xiaoxi stared at the buttons on his chest without moving, then realized she was in his way. He couldn’t wipe it off. She stepped aside to the left to make room, and he naturally moved that way too. When she lifted her foot to the right, he did the same.

At that moment, Old Zhou entered, glanced at the two of them, and said, “What are you two doing, performing a square dance in the kitchen?”

Tao Xiaoxi pretended to continue peeling garlic, while Chen Fang reached up to grab the apron hanging on the wall and tied it around his waist with ease, his voice calm, “Some oil splashed on my clothes.”

Old Zhou asked, “Is it bad? Should I get you one of my cloth to change into? You can wash yours in the laundry.”

“It’s not serious, it’s black cloth, so you can’t tell.”

Tao Xiaoxi listened to their conversation, her heart racing, almost ready to leap out of her throat. How could he be so calm? Then she answered herself—he must have done a lot of bad things to be this unshaken.

The doorbell rang, signaling someone else had arrived, and Old Zhou quickly walked out to greet them.

With the noise from outside, the kitchen felt even quieter. The fish in the clay pot was bubbling away, and the vegetables in the wok were about to burn if the fire wasn’t turned off soon.

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t care if the garlic was peeled or not; she needed to escape the suffocating silence.

Chen Fang grabbed her arm, blocking her way, and leaned close to her ear. “Tao Xiaoxi, tonight, I’m waiting for your two cloves of garlic.”

Tao Xiaoxi’s ears nearly burned from the heat.

“Brother Ah Fang-” Huang Zhenzhu rushed in, and when she saw the actions of the two people, the smile on her face froze.

Chen Fang ignored the intrusion and kept his focus on Tao Xiaoxi. Since she dared to bring it up, she should be brave enough to respond.

Tao Xiaoxi couldn’t pull free from his grip and didn’t want to struggle in front of others. She could only glare at him, her peripheral vision catching the pink apron around his waist. She almost laughed but held it back. In the softest voice, she replied, “We have a deal, Brother Ah Fang~”

Chen Fang momentarily lost focus as her eyes met his, and Tao Xiaoxi took the opportunity to break free and hurried out of the kitchen. She greeted Huang Zhenzhu with a somber look, “Younger Sister Zhenzhu, you’re here.”

Huang Zhenzhu was taken aback, but Tao Xiaoxi didn’t think she had said anything wrong. After all, she called her man “brother,” so it was only natural to call her “sister.” As Chen Fang had said, in front of others, they were one.

As Chen Fang turned off the fire, he smirked slightly at her words and called Old Zhou to come look at the fish. Old Zhou rushed in, followed by Zhao Yijiang. The lively chatter from the living room now spilled into the kitchen.

By the time dinner ended, Huang Zhenzhu hadn’t had a chance to speak to Chen Fang alone. She wore a sullen expression, looking visibly upset. Wan Jingjing, seeing this, quickly excused her for other matters and sent her away.

Wan Jingjing, Zhao Yijiang’s wife, had brought Huang Zhenzhu here today to make her see the reality—Chen Fang was already married, and he had been very clear about his intentions when he wasn’t. There was no need to keep pursuing someone who wasn’t interested, but Huang Zhenzhu didn’t understand that. Since she wouldn’t get it, Wan Jingjing decided to show her. Hopefully, this would wake her up.

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t feel uncomfortable about Wan Jingjing bringing Huang Zhenzhu here. As Zhao Yijiang had said, they were all Old Zhou’s students, and there was no reason for her to be the only one allowed to celebrate the teacher’s birthday. She liked Wan Jingjing’s straightforward personality, and her infectious laughter made life more joyful.

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t dislike Huang Zhenzhu either. She could tell that Huang Zhenzhu was just a young girl who hadn’t matured yet. She had no malice, liked Chen Fang, and wasn’t hiding it from anyone. At the dinner table, she quietly ate her food and occasionally glanced at her Brother Ah Fang.

None of that bothered Tao Xiaoxi. What mattered to her was Chen Fang’s attitude.

Gu Zichu once said something nonsensical—no man could withstand a girl’s full admiration and affection, especially if the girl was beautiful. That’s why he couldn’t resist Wu Sining’s intense admiration and ended up in her bed.

When Tao Xiaoxi first met Chen Fang again, what struck her most was how, in school, he had rejected girls with cold indifference. She had witnessed it several times—girls gazing at him with affection, but he would turn them down with icy detachment. It was so cold that she felt sorry for those girls. She had also overheard girls gossiping, wondering who would eventually win over Chen Fang, but even by graduation, no one had managed to.

At the time, Jiang Youlin had murmured to her that Chen Fang was wasting his handsome face and his unyielding attitude. If she had his guts, she would have been more carefree in dating.

The impression that Chen Fang left on Tao Xiaoxi during their student days was that he might have been a big shot in some mysterious gang, but he was also someone who had his own principles and beliefs. Even though she was afraid of him back then, she didn’t have a bad impression of him overall. This was also why she agreed to continue developing their relationship after the arranged meeting.

Chen Fang had drawn a clear line with Huang Zhenzhu, so Tao Xiaoxi wasn’t worried. She also vaguely felt there was some connection between him and the Huang family. That day, she overheard him on the phone mentioning Huang Baodeng, and his tone and expression had been ominously grim.

Chen Fang brought over a glass of water and placed it in front of her. “What are you thinking?”

Tao Xiaoxi came back to her senses. “I wasn’t thinking about anything. I’m just a little sleepy after eating.”

Chen Fang laughed at her. “You’re so lazy, even the old lady has more energy than you.” He glanced at his watch. “When Zhao Yijiang is done, we can leave.”

“Alright.”

Chen Fang gently tapped her cheek. With her obedient and gentle demeanor, he wondered how such daring ideas had even come to her mind.

Finally, Zhao Yijiang finished washing all the dishes. As soon as he entered the living room, he saw the two of them—one sitting, the other standing by the sofa. Unable to hold back, he teased, “You two are so lovey-dovey, spending every moment together. Who are you trying to make jealous?”

Chen Fang gave him a sidelong glance. “Then why are you still alive?”

Zhao Yijiang clutched his chest and made a melodramatic face. “Brother Fang, you’ve completely changed since you got married. I’m no longer the most important person to you. I’m so heartbroken.”

Tao Xiaoxi giggled at Zhao Yijiang’s antics.

Chen Fang looked at her, then glanced at Zhao Yijiang. Did she like his antics? That might be a bit too much for him.

Old Zhou and Jin Yi had been busy in the small storage room for a while, and each of them came out carrying a paper bag.

“Here,” Old Zhou called to the two standing people, “My wife and I went back to the countryside a couple of days ago. We brought back some millet, dates, and a few free-range chickens. I’ve divided them up, and each family gets a bag.”

Zhao Yijiang didn’t hesitate and went up to take the items from Old Zhou’s hands. “Oh, Old Zhou, you really know me well. Our family needs these right now.”

Old Zhou slapped his hand away. “Go grab the bag from your wife. That one’s for you. I know your family needs it, so I put in two extra chickens.”

Zhao Yijiang was even more pleased.

Old Zhou turned to Chen Fang. “This one’s yours. I’ve put some good things in it for you.”

Before Chen Fang could take it, Zhao Yijiang tried to grab it. “Old Zhou, what good things did you give him? I need to see if you’re playing favorites.”

Old Zhou clicked his tongue at him. “You’re so nosy. It’s donkey meat. Doesn’t your family not eat donkey meat?”

Oh, his family didn’t eat donkey meat. But what was so special about it? He hadn’t quite understood at first, but as soon as he left Old Zhou’s house, it hit him. He chuckled and turned to Chen Fang. “Hehe.”

“Are you going crazy?” Chen Fang couldn’t stand his silly behavior.

Tao Xiaoxi followed behind him, laughing softly. She realized that sometimes his words could be quite sharp.

Zhao Yijiang’s laughter grew louder. “Old Zhou and Aunt are always worrying about things they shouldn’t be. You’re already the ‘Seven-time Wolf’—do you still need donkey meat to make up for it?”

Chen Fang slapped him on the head, “Can’t you just keep quiet for once?”

Tao Xiaoxi felt her brain freeze, her smile faltering. Did she really hear that correctly, or was she hallucinating? Jiang Youlin had promised her multiple times that it wouldn’t leak. Was she just playing with her? Should she go to the capital and shut Jiang Youlin’s mouth for good?

Chen Fang turned back and saw the dumbfounded expression on her face. He reached out to pull her closer. If she dared say such things out loud, she should’ve expected it to reach his ears one day. Should he praise himself for marrying such a good wife who knew how to save face for him? Now, all his friends called him “Wolf Brother.”

Tao Xiaoxi unconsciously hooked her fingers around his. When she realized it, she immediately jerked her hand away, as if burned. Did he already know?

She was done for.

Zhao Yijiang, unaware of the awkward situation between them, assumed that Tao Xiaoxi was just shy and quickly shut up. He hurried down the stairs, not wanting to be the third wheel.

The sound of Zhao Yijiang’s footsteps echoed as he descended, almost drilling into Tao Xiaoxi’s ears. Would Chen Fang hold this against her later? Maybe that was why he had mentioned seven times earlier. He had known all along. Did he think she was mocking him with that nickname? She swore that wasn’t her intention!

Tao Xiaoxi felt a mess of confusion, unsure how to explain to him that she had just been spouting nonsense in a moment of madness.

No wonder, when they timed things earlier, it always took over an hour. Next time, would they start counting how many times?

She hadn’t been learning to count for this, though. Seven times—she was really going to die. One thought after another bombarded her mind, each ending with her imagining death.

Chen Fang enjoyed watching her face change, no longer teasing her. He held her hand, pulling her downstairs.

“I should thank you. At least you didn’t give me a nickname like ‘One-minute Quick Shooter.’ Seven-time Wolf isn’t bad. Thanks to you, I’ve already been crowned.”

One-minute Quick Shooter…

Tao Xiaoxi tried hard to hold back, but she couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud.

This had to be the happiest laugh she’d had this year. His self-awareness… well, he was pretty accurate. He really was a One-minute Quick Shooter.

Chen Fang regretted it. He shouldn’t have made fun of himself. He should’ve let her stew for a bit longer.

He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Since you’re already telling everyone I’m a seven-time wolf, I might as well live up to the name. It wouldn’t be fair to leave it unclaimed. How about tonight? Tao Xiaoxi?”

…

Tao Xiaoxi stopped laughing. It wasn’t good at all—actually, it was quite bad. Not good in the slightest.

“Aren’t we supposed to paint tonight?” Tao Xiaoxi gently reminded him.

“It won’t be delayed. This actually makes it simpler. One step is done, no need to take anything off.”