◎ Who was the one enjoying it earlier? A dog? ◎

After Tao Xiaoxi finished speaking and, before Chen Fang could react, she darted to the kitchen doorway like a rabbit.

Chen Fang’s gaze darkened as he looked at her. “Tao Xiaoxi, we both know why we haven’t gotten enough sleep. Just don’t come crying to stop me later.”

Tao Xiaoxi walked a few steps into the living room, ensuring a safe distance. “Of course, I know. I think the root cause might be that we didn’t build a good foundation. Think about it, during other people’s wedding nights, their candles burn until dawn. But ours? Did it even last… a minute?”

Chen Fang strode toward her in big steps to catch her. It seemed he hadn’t completely ‘convinced’ her yet, as she still dared to tease him about this matter.

Tao Xiaoxi backed toward the entryway while continuing to taunt him. “So, as for whose fault it is, I know, and you know too.”

She realized she might have gone too far. Initially, she felt safe thinking he wouldn’t dare do anything to her in front of Grandma, so she mustered her courage. But now, seeing the dangerous look in his eyes, she felt she had overstepped. Without even bothering to change her shoes, she turned the doorknob and dashed outside, nearly colliding with Yan Qiufang, who was about to enter the hallway.

“Grandma, why are you back?!” Tao Xiaoxi immediately clung to Yan Qiufang’s arm. Grandma was her heaven-sent savior, arriving at such a critical moment. Clinging to her, she tattled, “Grandma, Chen Fang is bullying me!”

Yan Qiufang had rushed out earlier and forgotten her phone. She had already secured her spot but came back to retrieve it. Without her phone, she felt incomplete and uneasy.

Yan Qiufang, knowing the two were just playfully arguing, shielded Tao Xiaoxi behind her. “Don’t worry, if he dares bully you, I’ll knock him out!” Then she turned to Chen Fang, “Why aren’t you properly washing the dishes? What are you bullying Xiaoxi for?”

Chen Fang smiled, his expression gentle and mild. “How could I be bullying her? I just wanted her to help me see how long a candle can burn.”

Yan Qiufang looked puzzled. “A candle? Don’t we have electricity? Why use candles?”

If Grandma truly understood, Tao Xiaoxi might as well find a wall to bang her head against. This was not the place to stay any longer. She said to Grandma, “I’ll go upstairs and take a bath now.”

“Alright, go ahead. If he bullies you again, you can go to Chuntao’s house and call me.” Yan Qiufang patted Tao Xiaoxi’s shoulder.

Tao Xiaoxi nodded repeatedly, rushed upstairs, grabbed her change of clothes, and locked herself in the bathroom. She planned to soak in the tub for an hour, then spend another hour on skincare and blow-drying her hair. Tonight, she intended to linger in the bathroom as long as possible.

Yan Qiufang pushed Chen Fang, who was blocking the doorway. “Move aside. Go wash the dishes. What’s so fun about teasing your wife all the time?”

Chen Fang leisurely followed behind Grandma. “How do you know she’s not the one teasing me?”

Grandma scoffed, “Oh please, Chen Fang, aren’t you ashamed of saying that? How could Xiaoxi bully you? Does she have the height to overpower you, or the cunning to outwit all that mischief in your head?”

Chen Fang chuckled and thought to himself, If we’re talking about cunning, your granddaughter-in-law has just as much as your grandson.

He asked Grandma, “Do we have any candles at home?”

“Yes, I bought some red candles specifically for your wedding. Why do you need candles now?” Grandma asked, confused. They had been talking about candles since earlier.

“Tao Xiaoxi wants them.”

Hearing that her granddaughter-in-law needed them, Grandma didn’t ask further. “They’re in the second drawer of the storage cabinet. Go get them yourself. I’m leaving now.”

Feeling fully prepared, Tao Xiaoxi locked the bathroom door twice. She even brought the bathroom key inside with her. Without any concerns, she could now soak in the tub in peace.

Soft music played from the Bluetooth speaker as she scrolled through comics on her tablet. Her slender legs occasionally stirred the bubbles in the water. She was thoroughly enjoying her bath.

Suddenly, she heard movement outside the door, and her breathing stilled.

Chen Fang knocked on the door in his signature rhythm—two heavy knocks followed by a light one.

Tao Xiaoxi responded, “I’m taking a bath.”

“I know. Taking a bath doesn’t stop you from opening the door.”

Tao Xiaoxi replied, “…I’m soaking in the tub, I can’t get out.”

The person outside fell silent for a few seconds and left. Tao Xiaoxi’s lips curled into a smile as she returned to her comic.

But before she could turn another page, there was movement again outside. She froze, her leg pausing mid-splash, staring at the turning lock. How did he still have a key? She had brought all the keys in with her!

The door swung open, and there he stood, dressed in black, holding up a key. “You forgot the spare key.”

Tao Xiaoxi sank deeper into the bubbles, leaving only her flushed face visible through the steam. “This is outrageous, Chen Fang! You don’t even treat me like your wife. You never told me there was a spare key!”

Chen Fang looked at her with a faint smile. He had noticed that whenever she was guilty, she would randomly accuse him of things. “I’m sure I told you, but you never pay attention to what your husband says. Lucky for me, or I’d have to break the lock today.”

Tao Xiaoxi: …

Chen Fang sat on the edge of the tub, idly stirring the pink bubbles with his fingers. His brows lifted slightly—she seemed to have developed an unusual fondness for pink lately, even the bubbles were pink.

“I’m almost done soaking. Can you step out for now? Or maybe you could use the other bathroom outside; it’s bigger and more comfortable for you.”

At the moment, the situation was too unfavorable for Tao Xiaoxi, so she softened her voice to negotiate with him.

Chen Fang’s hand sank deeper into the bathtub, the pink bubbles covering the lines of his palm. His fingers searched through the warm water for even warmer skin, tracing her body’s curves with pauses until they reached the base of her slender neck. With his slightly heated fingers, he gently lifted her chin.

“Tao Xiaoxi, why don’t you try it? See just how soft your voice can get to make me soft-hearted enough to let you off tonight.”

Tao Xiaoxi: …

Her stiff body moved slightly. She tilted her chin up for a moment before letting it fall back into his hand, treating his fingers like flower petals while blinking at him. “I was just joking earlier. You’re a grown man; surely, you can take a little joke, right?”

Her cheeks, already pink, turned a deeper shade of red. The pink bubbles seemed to have spilled into her eyes, making them glisten softly.

Chen Fang’s dark eyes mirrored the night outside the window. His thumb lightly caressed her smooth jaw. “Precisely because I’m a grown man, I don’t mind most jokes, but this one? I can’t ignore it. My wife has regrets about our wedding night, and I have to make it up to her. If one night isn’t enough, then two nights. If two nights still won’t suffice, then three. Excluding the days of the year when you’re… unavailable, we should have enough time to rebuild the foundation of our wedding night properly, don’t you think?”

Tao Xiaoxi: …

Chen Fang reached for the bag he had brought in earlier. “When we got married, Grandma bought some red candles. We didn’t use them then, but I brought them all here. Didn’t you want the candles to burn until dawn? Tonight, your wish can be fulfilled.”

Tao Xiaoxi stared at the long, thick red candles. Straightening her body, she instinctively tried to put some distance between them. But in this small space, there was nowhere to hide. Resigned, she tried to appease him. “You don’t need to get so worked up. I don’t have any regrets. It’s your fault for teasing me back then. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Even a rabbit will bite when it’s cornered’? I was just upset earlier and said some nonsense. I absolutely have no regrets. I don’t even want to see candles burning till dawn. I like it better when it’s pitch black at night,” she said, her wet eyes darting nervously. “I especially like seeing you in black clothes.”

Chen Fang chuckled softly at her words, but though his gaze appeared gentle, the air around him carried a dangerous vibe.

Seeing that her attempt had failed to extinguish his temper, she added weakly, “Lighting candles is dangerous. One careless move, and there could be a fire. We can’t risk doing something so hazardous.”

Chen Fang’s hand left her chin and returned to the water, stirring the pink bubbles into chaos. “You do have a point. How about… we stay in the bathtub? The water can extinguish the fire. The water in the bathtub can put out the candle flames.” Leaning closer, his breath teased the sweat on the tip of her nose, and his voice turned hoarse and low. “Your water… can put out my fire. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”

Tao Xiaoxi: …

She wasn’t keen on this “two birds with one stone” idea, but before she could protest, his long legs stepped into the bathtub, soaking half of his pants in the pink water.

“Hey, your clothes!” she exclaimed in panic.

“No rush. I’ll take them off one piece at a time. Hmm?”

Was she worried about how slow he was undressing? No, she was anxious about him ruining perfectly good clothes.

Tao Xiaoxi used to think this bathtub was spacious, but tonight, it felt unbearably cramped. No matter how she pressed herself into the corners, he could always reach out and pull her back with ease.

Exhausted and drained of strength, her soft hands rested limply on his shoulders. The pink bubbles, stirred by the turbulence beneath the water, splashed onto his thick, dark eyebrows. Tao Xiaoxi’s hazy gaze shifted to his brows. She stared at a bubble resting there for a while before puffing her cheeks and blowing it gently.

The turbulence beneath the water came to an abrupt halt, leaving ripples that gently rocked the bathtub. In the quiet that followed, only their heavy breaths remained. But the stillness lasted less than a second before the storm hidden beneath the bubbles resumed, more intense than before. Pink foam splashed into the air, landing on his brows, his hair, her brows, her hair, and even on the flickering red candle beside them.

The red candle wavered, its flame almost extinguished, but it flickered back to life.

Tao Xiaoxi’s soft whimpers grew louder as even the candles seemed to be against her.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before she felt like she was on the verge of ascending to the heavens. Finally, when the man who had pushed himself to the limit calmed down, she managed to catch her breath.

Tao Xiaoxi, clinging to her last shred of energy, cupped his face with her hands and pressed her sticky lips to the bridge of his nose, pleading softly and sweetly, “Chen Fang, I really know I was wrong.”

Chen Fang, one arm resting lazily on the edge of the bathtub and the other running through her damp hair, asked in a relaxed tone, “Will you still bring up ‘one minute’ again in the future?”

Tao Xiaoxi shook her head firmly. The pink bubbles caught in her hair scattered through the air as she moved, falling back into the bathtub.

Chen Fang asked again, “Any more regrets about the wedding night?”

Tao Xiaoxi shook her head once more.

With a hoarse, tearful voice, she said, “From now on, the word ‘regret’ will no longer exist in my life’s dictionary.”

Chen Fang’s lips curved slightly, but he didn’t comment on whether her apology had satisfied him.

Tao Xiaoxi, with misty eyes, gazed at him earnestly.

Chen Fang gazed back at her.

The red candle flickered in the air, swaying back and forth.

Tao Xiaoxi’s heart swayed along with it.

After a long pause, Chen Fang finally spoke, patting her waist lightly. “Go blow out the candle yourself.”

Tao Xiaoxi wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned over his shoulder, and carefully blew out the candle.

The flame didn’t reignite. Only then did Tao Xiaoxi breathe a sigh of relief. With the candle extinguished, the wedding night ordeal was finally over. She curled back into his embrace, leaning against his chest with her eyes half-closed as she recovered her strength.

Chen Fang was ready to let her off, but the soft curves of her body brushed against his shoulder again and again, reigniting the fire that had only just begun to subside.

He lifted her horizontally out of the water. As he moved, Tao Xiaoxi opened her eyes, looking a bit uneasy.

Chen Fang spoke, “I’ll carry you to rinse off, and then we’ll go back to bed.”

“Oh,” Tao Xiaoxi responded softly and closed her eyes again.

He placed her under the shower. Tao Xiaoxi’s feet rested on his as water and his hands brushed over her skin. She kept her eyes closed the whole time. At this point, she had given up all resistance—he had seen everything there was to see. Too exhausted to bathe herself, she decided to just enjoy his post-care service.

The moment her back touched the bed, Tao Xiaoxi finally felt a bit alive again. However, instead of a soft blanket, what covered her was a firm body.

Her sleepy consciousness instantly snapped awake. She pushed at him with both hands, her voice trembling slightly as she protested, “Chen Fang, what are you doing? Didn’t you say we were done?”

The candles—she had even blown them out.

Chen Fang held her hands, wrapping them around his neck. “I thought about it. We should respect tradition. A proper wedding night requires the bridal chamber to be on the bed. What we did earlier doesn’t count.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi opened her mouth and bit down on his shoulder. “If that didn’t count, then who was the one enjoying it earlier? A dog?”

Chen Fang chuckled softly, lightly biting her ear as he teased, “I don’t think I was the only one enjoying it.”

…

All the retorts Tao Xiaoxi had in mind were instantly swallowed back down.

Tonight, she felt like she had experienced several “little deaths.” By the time she recovered again, she found herself on top of him while he lay below. Completely spent, she collapsed against him, unable to lift even a single finger.

Usually, she would have passed out from exhaustion by now. But tonight, it seemed she was too tired to sleep. Though she didn’t want to move, she surprisingly didn’t feel sleepy either.

Chen Fang’s large hand gently pressed against her back, soothing her soreness. Tao Xiaoxi felt so comfortable she almost started humming but stopped halfway when she felt him stirring again beneath her. Summoning all her remaining strength, she removed his hand, rolled off him, and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.

“You started this fire, so you can put it out yourself. Don’t even think about involving me again.”

Chen Fang chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you off tonight.”

Tao Xiaoxi glared at him through half-lidded eyes. Did she need to thank him now?

Chen Fang reached out and smoothed her messy hair outside the blanket. “Did Grandma talk to you about my parents?”

Like a silkworm cocoon freezing in place, Tao Xiaoxi looked up at him, softly replying, “Yeah, we talked about it while making dumplings. Grandma said… Mom was gentle and beautiful.”

Chen Fang turned to rest his forehead against hers. He liked how softly she called “Mom,” which made him want to share his past with her—something he had never done with anyone before, not even Grandma.

“She was indeed beautiful, especially when she smiled. Her voice was always soft and gentle, even when I made mistakes. She never raised her voice at me and would patiently explain things. She was also an amazing cook, able to make even steamed buns look fancy. She… was truly a wonderful mother.”

Tao Xiaoxi moved her cocoon closer to him, gently touching his temple as her fingers brushed his hair. “You must miss her a lot, don’t you?”

Miss her? It wasn’t just that…

That day, he was playing in an alley when he overheard adults talking about his dad. He moved closer and listened—they were saying his dad had fallen from a tall scaffolding. At the time, he didn’t even know what scaffolding was but understood that falling from a great height was serious. He ran home and met his mom as she was leaving with her bicycle. He grabbed her arm and told her, “They said Dad fell from a high place.” The arm he held trembled even more violently. She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly as her voice quivered. It was unclear if she was comforting him or herself. “It’s nothing; everything will be fine. Your dad is so strong, he’ll be okay. Be good and wait at home for Mom and Dad to come back.”

He obediently returned home, but they never came back.

That day replayed in his mind countless times. He often wondered if he hadn’t said those words, would her emotions have been more stable? If so, would she have ridden more carefully and avoided the accident?

Seeing the emotions surging in his eyes, Tao Xiaoxi felt a sharp pain in her heart. “It wasn’t your fault. How could it be your fault?”

Chen Fang tugged at the corner of his mouth but said nothing.

Tao Xiaoxi brushed his hair and thought of something. “So… is that why you didn’t tell me when you got hurt?”

Chen Fang’s shoulders stiffened. There were few things he feared, but in that moment when the car crashed, he was scared. He feared history repeating itself. He feared the words Huang Zhenzhu’s mom had said about how no woman who married into the Chen family would have a good life—they were destined for hardship and suffering.

He didn’t want to show that fear or vulnerability in front of Tao Xiaoxi. It wasn’t that he disliked the way she looked at him now—with concern or pity. But he preferred seeing her pleading softly under him. Shutting down all his emotions, he flipped over, pinning her silkworm cocoon again, not giving her another chance to speak. He dove into a deeper abyss with her.

Tao Xiaoxi’s sleep that night was far from peaceful. She had a string of dreams and woke up groggily. The man beside her was still asleep. He rarely slept in like this. She turned to watch him for a while, noticing how long and thick his lashes were. For a man, what was the point of having lashes this long?

Her fingers lightly traced his nose bridge, then moved down to press against his thin lips. She pushed firmly. He had left her utterly spent yesterday—why was it that she was awake so early while he was still sleeping soundly?

Chen Fang chuckled deeply, taking her finger into his mouth and biting lightly. He opened his eyes and asked, “Why are you up so early today?”

Tao Xiaoxi quickly pulled her hand back, glaring at him. So he had been awake all along and was just pretending to be asleep!

She propped herself up halfway, leaning down to look at him from above. “Chen Fang, I remember you said I was your first love?”

“Yes.” Chen Fang rested his arms behind his head, curious about what game she was playing now.

Tao Xiaoxi’s loose hair brushed against his shoulder. “Then, by that logic, I should also be your first kiss?”

“Of course.”

“I’m finding it a bit hard to believe. Are you lying to me?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

Tao Xiaoxi used her hair to tickle his lips. “So, I can trust you, then?”

Chen Fang wrapped his arm around her waist, raised his head, and leaned in to kiss her. He murmured indistinctly, “You can always trust me.”

Nonsense, Tao Xiaoxi grumbled internally. He had already gone back on his word three times just last night.

Her fingers gently pressed against his lips, then slid along his jawline to trace circles on his Adam’s apple. She spoke softly, “Grandma said that back when you were in the senior class of kindergarten, a girl sitting next to you declared she wanted to be your bride. You agreed, brought her home, and during dinner, she kissed you. You don’t happen to have forgotten about that, have you?”

Chen Fang’s Adam’s apple, which had been moving rapidly, froze in place.

“Your first kiss was gone in kindergarten, yet you claim I’m your first kiss.” Tao Xiaoxi pouted as her eyes turned slightly red. It wasn’t sadness—she was just exhausted—but it made for perfect acting. “Chen Fang, you lied to me.”

Chen Fang: …

“You promised me last time you wouldn’t lie again, and how long has it been? Now you’ve lied to me again.”

“What do you want me to do?” Chen Fang knew she was waiting for him to ask this.

Tao Xiaoxi got the response she wanted, lay back down on the bed, and prepared to catch up on her sleep.

“I’ve already ordered the bunny apron. The recipient’s name and phone number are yours. The rest is up to you.”

Chen Fang: …