Chapter 73

Shen Yiyi returned home and didn’t feel like cooking. She boiled half a pot of millet porridge and steamed the leftover buns that Li Chen had bought at noon but hadn’t finished.

With that, the whole family had a simple dinner.

After washing up, she got onto the heated bed and lay down.

Li Chen had been thinking about what his wife had said all day. He had finally waited until the evening, patiently listening for the Three Baos to fall asleep.

When he finally heard their steady breathing, he was about to call his wife, but as soon as he looked up, he saw that she had already fallen asleep.

Li Chen: “…”

He sighed in defeat, lying back down while silently calculating when he could send these little rascals to sleep in the next room.

In the early hours of the morning, Shen Yiyi drowsily felt that something was missing in her sleep. Out of habit, she turned over, reaching to hold the man beside her, only to realize that the person next to her was Er Bao.

She opened her eyes and looked toward Li Chen’s side. Only then did she remember that last night, while waiting for the Three Baos to fall asleep, she had ended up dozing off as well.

Shen Yiyi sat up and tried to move Er Bao to her original spot. The movement was a bit too loud, waking Li Chen. His voice was hoarse from being woken up: “Wife, what’s wrong?”

“I want to move Xiao Bao over.” Shen Yiyi whispered.

Hearing this, Li Chen propped himself up and effortlessly carried Xiao Bao to her previous position.

Shen Yiyi burrowed under the blanket he was using, snuggling into his embrace as she murmured: “So cold.”

The heated bed made the room warmer than outside, but leaving the covers still brought a chill.

Shen Yiyi was particularly sensitive to the cold, while Li Chen was like a walking furnace. Lately, she had especially liked hugging him to sleep.

She simply wanted warmth and had already forgotten what she had told Li Chen that morning.

But Li Chen hadn’t forgotten.

It had been more than half a month since he last had meat. All day yesterday, he had been thinking about it, but in the end, she had fallen asleep.

Now, at this moment, she took the initiative to cuddle up to him…

The fire that had already died down suddenly flared up again.

His body instantly became energized, and he scooped her up, blanket and all.

Shen Yiyi had just gotten comfortable, planning to close her eyes and drift back to sleep, when she was suddenly lifted into the air.

Startled, she instinctively tried to grab onto something for support, but her limbs were wrapped in the blanket. Realizing he wasn’t going to drop her, she relaxed in his arms and mumbled: “What are you doing?”

“Wife, let’s go to the next room.” Li Chen said, holding her steadily as he carried her out.

Shen Yiyi, still groggy from sleep, didn’t fully process what was happening until he placed her on the heated bed in the adjacent room.

…

A man who had abstained for more than half a month was even more intense than one who had gone years without.

In this aspect, he was especially dominant, completely different from his usual obedient and affectionate self, who would never go east when she pointed west.

From the early hours until the sun was high in the sky, he would have continued if not for Shen Yiyi’s annoyed and embarrassed refusal to talk to him anymore.

Feeling satisfied and well-fed, the man rubbed his nose and began coaxing her.

???

Shen Yiyi glared at him. She had originally intended to ignore him, but when she saw his cautious expression, as if silently saying: “I was wrong.” her heart softened.

But then, catching the faint trace of pride in his eyes, she felt both embarrassed and angry, refusing to acknowledge him.

Li Chen turned and got off the bed.

Curious, Shen Yiyi secretly peeked at him and saw him take out a small box.

“Wife!” Li Chen climbed back onto the bed and stuffed the box into her hands. “This is my money. It’s all yours.”

?

Shen Yiyi’s composure broke. Still wrapped in the blanket, she sat up and opened the box, only to find a neatly stacked bundle of large-denomination bills inside.

Seven hundred yuan. He had mentioned it yesterday.

Shen Yiyi closed the box and looked at him.

He was also looking at her.

When he gave her two hundred yuan last time, she already knew he had some way of making money.

But back then, it was only her second day back, and he didn’t trust her yet, so she hadn’t asked.

Even though she never voiced the question, she had a rough guess in her heart.

After all, in this era, aside from certain special groups of people, there was no other legitimate way to earn that much money all at once.

Thinking of this, Shen Yiyi set the box aside and asked him directly.

Li Chen had already noticed yesterday that she wanted to ask him something. Just now, when he handed her the money, he saw the look in her eyes and knew that she had figured it out.

Sure enough, she asked.

Li Chen hesitated, unsure whether he should tell her.

After all, what he was doing wasn’t exactly legal in the current times.

He was afraid she would look down on him.

Seeing his expression, Shen Yiyi understood. Realizing that he still wanted to hide it from her, she fiercely poked his chest. “So it’s true! Right? You still want to keep it from me? Am I even your wife or not?”

Her attitude actually made Li Chen breathe a sigh of relief. Warmth spread in his heart as he reached out, taking her hand and placing it over his chest. In a low voice, he said: “It’s not that I wanted to hide it from you. I was just afraid you’d look down on me.”

In reality, there was no way to keep it from her forever. He was making money for her, after all, so he had to be upfront about where it came from.

“Why would I look down on you? You’re my man!” Shen Yiyi replied bluntly, giving him the reassurance he needed.

Li Chen’s heart burned at her words. “So… you don’t think what I’m doing is wrong?”

Shen Yiyi shook her head firmly. What he was doing wasn’t inherently wrong. It was just that…

“But this is too dangerous.” Shen Yiyi tried to persuade him, even resorting to a beauty trap. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she softened her voice, reasoning with him both emotionally and logically. “Can you stop doing this? What if something happens? What will Three Baos and I do then?”

Li Chen held her tightly. “But I just want you and Three Baos to have a better life.”

“I have money.” Shen Yiyi said sweetly.

“That’s your parents’ money.” Li Chen shook his head and looked down at her. “You’re already married to me. How can I let you rely on your maternal family for support? That’s not right.”

A man like Li Chen would never feel at ease accepting gifts from his wife’s family.

But Shen Yiyi, unable to reveal the full truth, was left speechless.

“Then we’ll just live frugally.” she said, moving onto his lap, doubling down on her beauty trap.

First, she had to calm him down—then she could figure out a way to change his mind later.

Li Chen wrapped his arms around her, his throat dry, but he remained firm. “But I want you and Three Baos to live better.”

Before, she had always wanted a divorce, and there was nothing he could do.

Now that she was willing to stay and live with him, he just wanted to do his best to provide for her.

Besides, as long as she could spend the money under the excuse that it came from her parents, it would be fine.

“…” She had nothing to say to that.

Frustrated, Shen Yiyi grabbed a certain part of him.

Li Chen’s body tensed instantly. He cupped the back of her neck, lowered his head, and kissed her, murmuring: “Wife, I’ll be very careful~”

Even if he was careful, it was still dangerous.

Seeing that her persuasion wasn’t working, Shen Yiyi immediately withdrew her beauty trap. She mercilessly pushed him away, got out of bed, and quickly dressed.

She glanced at him once, then threw out a casual “You handle it yourself” before dashing away, laughing mischievously like she had just pulled off a successful prank.

Li Chen: “…” Could she at least run a little slower?