Chapter 32

Shen Yiyi was a little nervous at first, but as time passed and Li Chen made no sudden movements, she gradually relaxed.  

What she had just told Li Chen—that she felt safer with him around—was indeed true.  

Knowing that the person lying beside her was him, she felt at ease.

Before long, she drifted off to sleep.  

In her dreams, she felt as if there was a warm heater beside her.

Unconsciously, she leaned closer to it.  

Li Chen, however, was having a much harder time. Due to the differences in male and female physiology—and the fact that he was at an age when his blood ran hot—having a woman lying next to him, and not just any woman, but the one he deeply loved, was no joke.  

He struggled for a long time before finally suppressing the rising impulse.

Just as he was about to fall asleep in a daze, he suddenly felt something soft and fragrant pressing against him.  

His eyes snapped open.

Through the darkness, he could barely make out the outline of her peaceful, sleeping face.

But what he could feel was much clearer—the silky smooth sensation of their skin pressed together.  

The urge he had just managed to suppress surged back with full force.  

Resisting the overwhelming impulse to grab her, he carefully shifted backward.  

But the moment he moved away, she followed.  

This happened several times, and Li Chen nearly lost his mind.  

Through the darkness, he glared fiercely at her sleeping figure—  

To hell with it, she was his wife!  

Even though his thoughts were intense, his actions remained gentle.

His arm carefully slid under her neck as he pulled her into his embrace.  

Holding her soft, delicate body, Li Chen let out a deep sigh.

He had wanted to hold her like this for so long.  

Just then, the little woman in his arms suddenly stirred. Li Chen froze, but when he realized she hadn’t woken up, he exhaled in relief.  

All in all, that night was both sweet and agonizing for Li Chen.  

As for Shen Yiyi, she slept soundly.

But she was thinking about making breakfast for Li Chen, so when she vaguely heard the sound of a rooster crowing, she groggily opened her eyes.  

The moment her hand reached out from under the covers, a wave of cold air rushed in, making her shrink back immediately.  

Her sudden movement was a bit too abrupt, disturbing Li Chen, who had been in light sleep the entire night. His voice was low and slightly hoarse. “What’s wrong?”  

Shen Yiyi’s drowsy eyes widened instantly.  

That voice was too close—right above her head?  

Fully waking up, she became aware of everything strange around her.

What was her head resting on?

His arm!  

And what was this firm, warm wall in front of her?

His chest!  

???  

So she was curled up in Li Chen’s embrace?  

But she clearly remembered that when they went to sleep last night, there was still some distance between them. If they squeezed a little, there would’ve been enough space for another person—Xiao Bao, at least.  

Had she moved closer in her sleep?

Or had Li Chen pulled her into his arms while she was unconscious?  

It wasn’t impossible, considering that he liked her.  

But none of that mattered now—what mattered was that she was in his arms!  

Sleep instantly fled from Shen Yiyi’s mind.

A mix of panic and excitement surged through her, and her face started burning again.  

Li Chen, not hearing her response for a long time, became more alert. He quickly realized that he was holding her and stiffened slightly—but he didn’t let go. “What’s wrong?”  

“Nothing.” Shen Yiyi quickly answered, feeling grateful that the room was still dark so he couldn’t see her flushed face.  

“I was just thinking… shouldn’t we be getting up around now?” she explained.  

Li Chen let out a quiet sigh of relief. Though reluctant, he slowly loosened his hold on her. Carefully, he lifted the blanket, making sure not to let too much cold air seep in, before getting up and opening the window to check the sky outside.

The horizon had already begun to lighten with the pale white of dawn.  

Li Chen rolled over, got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and said as he moved: “I’m getting up. It’s a bit cold—sleep a little longer.”  

But Shen Yiyi also sat up, still wrapped in the blanket. She reached for the clothes she had placed by the bedside and put them on. “I’ll get up with you.”  

Li Chen was about to say something, but Shen Yiyi quickly hushed him. “Don’t talk—you’ll wake up the Three Baos.”  

At that, Li Chen kept quiet.  

The two of them took a flashlight and headed outside together. The moment the door opened, a rush of cold air poured in. Shen Yiyi shivered, tightened her coat around herself, and hurried toward the kitchen. “Quick, come in, come in—it’s freezing!”  

Li Chen swiftly followed, and Shen Yiyi shut the kitchen door behind them.  

Li Chen went to light the kerosene lamp while Shen Yiyi lifted the lid of the grain vat. “Brother Chen, what do you want for breakfast?”  

“Anything is fine. Just something simple.”  

How could that be acceptable?  

After all the exhausting work of the autumn harvest, they needed something nutritious.  

But time seemed a bit tight.  

Shen Yiyi grabbed some rice, a few sweet potatoes, and a couple of eggs. “Let’s have egg porridge today, and we’ll steam a few sweet potatoes.”  

Li Chen didn’t mind. “Okay.” He then reached for the rice in her hands. “The water is cold—I’ll wash it.”  

Shen Yiyi didn’t argue with him. The kitchen already had water prepared, so she scooped a few ladlefuls into the two stoves—one for cooking the porridge, which would be ready once Li Chen finished rinsing the rice, and the other for boiling water, which they would need for washing up later.  

Once that was done, she started the fire. After building it up, she placed a large log on top. Once it had burned down enough, she would add another.  

Li Chen, having finished washing the rice, poured it into the pot. Then, he cleaned the sweet potatoes and eggs, placed them in a steamer, set it into the pot, and covered it with a lid.

The water in the inner stove had warmed up, so Shen Yiyi scooped out a ladleful, and the two of them went to wash up.  

By the time they returned, the porridge was nearly boiling. After letting it cook a little longer, she scooped out a portion for the Three Baos. They would add eggs to it later once the children woke up—if they added them now, the porridge would have a strong, overly rich smell by the time they ate.  

As for the remaining porridge in the pot, she cracked in the eggs and added oil, salt, scallions, and ginger. Soon, a thick and fragrant egg porridge was ready.  

With the steamed eggs and sweet potatoes, they carried everything to the main room. Sitting across from each other, they began their breakfast.  

At first, they had worried about not having enough time, but since their meal was simple and quick to prepare, they actually had plenty of time left.  

As Li Chen ate, he glanced at Shen Yiyi across the table, contemplating something to say. After a long moment, he finally came up with a topic. “You shouldn’t take the Three Baos up the mountain to gather firewood today. It’s too dangerous. I’ll go after the harvest is finished.”  

Shen Yiyi nodded obediently. “I know. I’m not going today.”  

Of course, it was only for today.  

Her easy compliance surprised Li Chen a little.

He shot her another glance.  

She was holding the bowl with both hands, sipping her porridge in small, refined sips—looking quiet and well-mannered.  

It reminded him of last night, when she had curled up so small in his arms…  

Cough.  

Li Chen quickly lowered his head and took a big gulp of egg porridge. The warmth of the ginger spread through him, heating him from the inside out.  

Feeling a little warm, he took off his work jacket.  

Shen Yiyi noticed and glanced at the faded jacket, which had been patched up here and there in a crooked manner—clearly his own handiwork.  

A sudden wave of sadness welled up in her. “After breakfast, I’ll take your measurements. I’ll make you two new sets of clothes.”  

“You know how to sew?” Li Chen was surprised. He knew she had never done any needlework before. All of her clothes had been made by her Mom and sent to her.

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