Chapter 45: Intimacy in the Small Kitchen

Huo Nanchuan glanced indifferently at the scattered trinkets.

He seemed completely unconcerned about their value.

His response was as nonchalant as when Chi Wan had discovered his ability to fix bicycles.

He said, “When I was learning to fix bicycles, I read a few extra books, and naturally learned.”

Chi Wan listened.

The surprised expression on her face lingered.

This… could this stuff really be self-taught?

If fixing bicycles was the newbie village of mechanical principles, then fixing watches was definitely a god-level skill.

How many old masters relied on this craft to make a living, even taking apprentices and charging tuition.

To be more precise.

Bicycles and watches are two completely different mechanical structures, corresponding to completely different mechanical principles.

They are not the same thing at all.

Yet, Huo Nanchuan had mastered both.

He…

How many secrets did this man hold, secrets she hadn’t discovered yet?!

Chi Wan’s bright eyes fixed on Huo Nanchuan.

In them, there was admiration, worship, and a faint flicker of affection.

Huo Nanchuan was captivated by her gaze.

The calm that had settled just moments ago was stirred again.

His heart fluttered.

Just now…

Chi Wan had looked at him with the same intensity.

There was disbelief, and an overwhelming sense of attachment.

Whenever their eyes met.

They couldn’t look away.

They longed to become one, to be intertwined forever.

But.

Huo Nanchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He suppressed something, and turned his gaze away.

He couldn’t bear to look at Chi Wan’s eyes, so clear and bright.

More than the watches that had surprised Chi Wan, he was more concerned about her stomach.

Huo Nanchuan stepped forward.

His warm hand clasped Chi Wan’s.

It was so small, so soft.

He simply spread his fingers and enveloped her delicate, white hand.

“Come, let’s get you something to eat.”

…

The door, which had been tightly shut for so long, finally opened.

Chi Wan, guided by Huo Nanchuan’s strength, was led out by him, his hand gently holding hers.

They stepped outside.

And saw a pitch-black sky.

The sky was like a black cloth, dotted with stars.

The entire mountain village was bathed in this darkness, with hardly any lights visible.

Every household had gone to bed.

The Ho family was no exception.

Zhang Yue’e’s room, Huo Dongzhi’s small house, were all pitch black.

Only then did Chi Wan realize how late it was?

Then…

How long had she and Huo Nanchuan been fooling around in the room?

Or rather.

How long had she been asleep, so tired she couldn’t wake up, and her husband hadn’t woken her?

What did the others in the family think of her and Huo Nanchuan?

Chi Wan had done so many things to flirt with Huo Nanchuan, and she had never blushed before.

But at this moment.

A wave of shame flushed her cheeks.

Her fair skin felt hot and stuffy.

She was even a little flustered.

To put it in modern terms, her toes could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.

Tomorrow, when she saw Zhang Yue’e, she didn’t know how much awkwardness she would face.

It was all Huo Nanchuan’s fault!

Why hadn’t he woken her up after so long?

Chi Wan blushed, glaring at the tall, strong figure in front of her.

Her eyes were filled with a playful reproach.

Her gaze flickered.

There was no anger, only charm.

Although she blamed Huo Nanchuan, she couldn’t bear to really blame him.

She followed behind him, and as she walked, she lightly stepped on his shadow.

Just like that.

She had vented her anger.

…

They entered the kitchen together.

Because Zhang Yue’e was at home, and Huo Nanchuan often cooked, Chi Wan, the new bride, had rarely entered the kitchen.

She looked at the earthen stove and the two large pots, and found it quite novel.

One of the fireboxes in the earthen stove had some charcoal fire left, not yet extinguished.

The large pot was also covered with a lid.

When the lid was opened, a wisp of faint heat rose, and in the middle of the heat was a bowl of bright yellow egg custard.

It was Zhang Yue’e who had kept it warm, thinking that Chi Wan hadn’t eaten.

Huo Nanchuan took a bamboo chair.

He didn’t know where he found a cushion.

He placed the cushion on the bamboo chair before letting Chi Wan sit down.

He took the bright yellow egg custard from the large pot.

It wasn’t hot or cold, just lukewarm.

It was the perfect temperature for eating.

“Xiao Wan, have some egg custard to fill your stomach first, I’ll cook noodles, it’ll be ready soon.”

As Huo Nanchuan instructed.

Chi Wan sat on the soft bamboo chair.

She held the warm egg custard in one hand and the small spoon Huo Nanchuan had handed her in the other, her eyes fixed on the tall man beside her.

Huo Nanchuan’s tall figure stood in front of the earthen stove.

The earthen stove, which had seemed quite large, suddenly seemed narrow.

Every simple and rustic item in the kitchen became meaningful because of the man’s presence.

Even though she was in a remote mountain village, in a dilapidated kitchen.

She felt a joy and satisfaction she had never experienced before.

Chi Wan’s heart was warm, and her hands were hot.

The egg custard she was eating was the simplest dish imaginable.

But the eggs were tender and smooth, with a lingering flavor.

This was the best bowl of egg custard Chi Wan had ever eaten in her two lifetimes.

Especially listening to Huo Nanchuan’s busy voice beside her.

The man used the remaining heat from the charcoal embers, just gently stirring them with a branch, and a flame immediately ignited.

He lit the fire, heated the pot, and poured in the oil…

Everything he did was orderly and meticulous.

While cooking the noodles, Huo Nanchuan would occasionally turn his head to look at Chi Wan beside him.

His dark eyes swept over her, unable to control himself.

Even he didn’t know why.

It was as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at Chi Wan.

Chi Wan noticed his gaze.

She gently raised her eyes, her long, narrow eyes curving into a beautiful arc, her red lips also curling into a smile.

They exchanged a silent smile.

At this moment, silence spoke volumes.

Looking at Huo Nanchuan, Chi Wan thought back to what had happened in the room not long ago.

At that time.

Huo Nanchuan had discovered it.

“Xiao Wan, you were awake!”

He was shocked, incredulous, and a little bewildered.

Chi Wan wasn’t surprised.

After all, she was awake, and she couldn’t hide it for long. It was inevitable that he would find out.

As if challenging him, she raised her red lips in a smile.

She deliberately asked him a question instead of answering.

She said, “Huo Nanchuan, do you regret it?”

If at that moment.

Huo Nanchuan dared to say regret, dared to take a step back, Chi Wan would have kicked him without hesitation.

However.

That didn’t happen.

Huo Nanchuan only uttered two words.

“Never!”

He would never regret it!

For Huo Nanchuan now, letting go of Chi Wan was the only thing he would regret for the rest of his life.

No matter what.

He would never take a step back, never!

In those two words.

There was a determination Huo Nanchuan had never shown before.

He was going to spend his entire life with the woman in front of him, sharing the joys and sorrows of life.

…

Thinking back to those words and Huo Nanchuan’s expression at the time.

Unconsciously.

The smile on her lips grew wider.

The man who had followed her act, deliberately letting go on their wedding night, even though he knew his wife had deliberately set him up, was gone.

He had revealed his inner dominance and possessiveness, and his whole self, completely to Chi Wan.

There should be no barriers between husband and wife.

From now on, they were truly husband and wife, bound together by fate.

“The noodles are ready. They’re a bit hot, blow on them first, let them cool down a little before eating.”

Huo Nanchuan quickly cooked a bowl of steaming noodles and carefully brought it to Chi Wan.

It was a simple bowl of clear noodles.

The thin noodles were neatly topped with blanched vegetables, fried eggs, and chopped mushrooms.

The aroma wafted up with the steam.

Chi Wan had only eaten half a bowl of egg custard.

She stuffed the egg custard and spoon into Huo Nanchuan’s hands.

“I’m going to eat noodles, this egg custard is for you, eat it all, don’t leave any.”

Her soft voice gave a gentle command.

Huo Nanchuan’s deep eyes softened, his black eyes holding a faint smile, he replied softly, “Okay.”

He also took a small stool.

He sat beside Chi Wan.

He watched Chi Wan lower her head slightly, her moist red lips gently blowing on the noodles, taking small bites of the noodles he had made with his own hands.

A warm current flowed through his heart.

…

In the small kitchen.

One ate noodles, the other ate egg custard, enjoying the tranquility and beauty of this moment.

But.

There were some things they had to talk about.

Huo Nanchuan still asked about Lu Xiangxiang and Song Jing, not because he doubted Chi Wan, but because he was afraid she would be in danger again.

Chi Wan didn’t hide anything, and simply explained the situation.

“Before, I accidentally overheard… I knew they were going to conspire to frame me…”

“So this time I turned the tables… I deliberately made them suffer the consequences of their actions…”

“But Lu Xiangxiang actually brought you and so many villagers here, that’s something I didn’t expect.”

When Chi Wan spoke about these things, she was calm, without any sadness or joy.

But when Huo Nanchuan heard this.

The man’s brow furrowed, his breath low, a suppressed anger simmering.

What Chi Wan said was similar to what Huo Nanchuan had guessed in his heart.

But when the guess became reality, it still made him angry.

If Chi Wan hadn’t overheard…

If Chi Wan hadn’t acted quickly…

If…

If any step had been wrong, then the woman who would have been seen by so many people in the woods that night would have been Chi Wan!

Huo Nanchuan just thought about it.

He seemed to feel again the panic and worry he had felt when he couldn’t find Chi Wan.

Huo Nanchuan’s face suddenly darkened.

Chi Wan gently put down her chopsticks.

She raised her face and reached out to touch Huo Nanchuan’s brow.

Her slender, white fingers gently stroked, gently smoothing the man’s tightly furrowed brows.

“Ah Chuan, I told you this to let you know the truth, not to worry you.”

“Look, I’m fine, nothing happened.”

“At that time, I was happy that you didn’t suspect me, and that you could find me so quickly.”

At that time…

Things had happened so suddenly.

Chi Wan and Huo Nanchuan had no time to contact each other.

But they seemed to have a telepathic connection, and met at the place where Chi Wan was hiding.

Huo Nanchuan’s brows still held the trace of Chi Wan’s gentle touch.

He took Chi Wan’s hand, his strong palm enveloping her hand tightly.

“It was too dangerous, don’t do that again.”

Chi Wan obediently nodded.

But she also had doubts in her heart.

“Ah Chuan, actually, in this matter, I deliberately used Lu Xiangxiang, and I’m also responsible for her being like this now… Do you think I…”

If Lu Xiangxiang was a scheming woman.

Then Chi Wan was no different.

It’s just that Lu Xiangxiang’s goal was to harm others, while Chi Wan was just protecting herself.

She was worried that Huo Nanchuan might prefer the type of pure and innocent white lotus.

But before Chi Wan could finish her sentence.

She was interrupted by Huo Nanchuan’s low, firm voice.

“No.”

“Xiao Wan, nothing will affect my opinion of you. In my heart, you are the best.”

“And I’m happy. I’m happy that you have the ability to protect yourself in times of crisis. If you hadn’t turned the tables this time, and had simply exposed Lu Shuangshuang and Song Jing, then these two would definitely not give up easily, they would definitely come up with other schemes to target you. At that time, it would be even harder to guard against.”

When Huo Nanchuan said these words, his expression was serious, without a hint of hesitation.

It was clear that he had also thought deeply about these things in his heart.

He came to the same conclusion as Chi Wan.

This time, Chi Wan was lucky, just as Huo Chuchun was going to the river to wash clothes, she happened to overhear their plans in the evening.

She was able to prepare to fight back.

What if next time…

She was completely unprepared…

What if Lu Xiangxiang didn’t find Song Jing, but an accomplice that Chi Wan didn’t know…

The outcome would be unpredictable.

It was better to take this opportunity to pull out the arrow that was shot at her and shoot it back!

Only when Lu Xiangxiang and Song Jing felt a bone-chilling pain, and were unable to turn over for the rest of their lives, would these two be more obedient.

This was also why Chi Wan knew Song Jing’s plan, but still followed him to the woods.

Chi Wan and Huo Nanchuan’s thoughts were exactly the same.

However…

Huo Nanchuan gently rubbed Chi Wan’s white palm with his rough fingertips.

He said softly.

“Xiao Wan, while you have the ability to protect yourself, you can also rely on me more. We are truly husband and wife now, and as husband and wife, we should experience everything together, good or bad.”

Huo Nanchuan didn’t want to be excluded from Chi Wan’s life again.

His deep eyes fixed on Chi Wan, never blinking.

Silently conveying his firm belief.