Chapter 34: Commander Fu Got Caught Washing the Bedsheets Early in the Morning

In the second half of the night, Li Zhi cried herself into a mess of tears and turned her back on him, refusing to let him hold her.

“Zhizhi, my dear wife…” Fu Tingzhou reached out, trying to coax her.

Just as he managed to pull her into his arms, she suddenly vanished before his eyes.

He jolted awake, breathing heavily. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

The morning light filtered in through the gap in the curtains.

He looked at the bed—completely empty.

Li Zhi wasn’t there?

Last night, to make her feel safe, he slept downstairs.

Li Zhi had taken the room upstairs.

They slept on different floors, let alone sharing the same bed.

So it had all just been a dream.

The images from the dream, vivid and lingering, kept replaying in his mind. He rubbed his temples—he couldn’t let himself think about it any more.

But the harder he tried not to think, the clearer the scenes became.

The intense pleasure in the dream, contrasted with the emptiness of reality, drove him to an almost maddening level of longing.

In reality, they hadn’t even kissed, yet in his dream he’d acted like a lust-crazed beast.

He glanced at the thin blanket below him… and covered his face with his hand, giving a bitter laugh. His self-control, something he’d always been proud of, completely crumbled in front of Li Zhi.

“Zhizhi~”

He murmured her name. His whole body felt flushed and feverish, as if his reason was being set ablaze. His eyes were slightly red, and his breathing rough.

An hour later, a little after 7 a.m.

Fu Tingzhou bundled up the bedsheets and blanket and took them to the bathroom. After showering, he quickly washed both the bedding and his clothes.

He moved quickly, hoping to finish everything before Li Zhi woke up—afraid she might find out and think he was some kind of pervert.

Li Zhi came downstairs and saw him hanging up the sheets. Her clothes from last night had dried, but she still ended up wearing one of his shirts again.

“Commander Fu, how come you’re washing the sheets and laundry so early in the morning?”

She had just woken up, and he had already done so much.

She thought to herself that he had the potential to be a great househusband—and silently gave him a point in his favor.

Back in this era, most men believed housework was a woman’s job. If a man did chores, it was seen as shameful.

Previously, Lu Yanzhi was exactly that kind of man.

She had to take on all the housework herself. He used the excuse of being busy and would barely come home once a year.

She handled everything in and out of the house, cared for his mother, and looked after the entire family. No wonder she was worn out so young.

In this lifetime, if she were to marry, it would be to a man who could do housework and was attentive.

If she couldn’t find one—she simply wouldn’t marry.

She would never again serve some lordly husband like a maid.

Fu Tingzhou was shaking out the sheets when he heard her voice, and his guilt nearly made him fling them across the yard.

Suppressing his guilty conscience, he calmly explained, “The sheets and blankets on the first floor hadn’t been used in a long time and had collected dust. Last night… this morning I felt a little itchy, so I took a shower and decided to wash the sheets and blanket too.”

He didn’t dare tell her the truth, afraid she’d think he was some kind of freak and leave him.

This excuse was perfect. Li Zhi didn’t suspect a thing and nodded, “Oh, I see. Sorry about that. If I hadn’t taken your bed, you wouldn’t have gotten itchy. Are you still itchy after the shower? If you are, I have some ointment.”

Hearing her take the blame, Fu Tingzhou quickly reassured her, “Don’t feel bad. I’m a grown man with thick skin. A quick shower was all I needed. How did you sleep last night? Did your skin feel itchy?”

Li Zhi had slept in his upstairs room.

He had a bit of a cleanliness obsession. Before his leave ended, he would always wash the bedding and put it away in the cabinet.

If he didn’t have time to wash it when he came back, he’d just use it for one night and wash or sun it the next day.

Li Zhi shook her head, “I didn’t feel itchy. The sheets and blankets upstairs were pretty clean. Do you have OCD? After breakfast, I’ll wash your upstairs bedding and hang it out to dry. The weather’s good today—it should be dry by evening.”

She had completely forgotten she had taken his bed. “You don’t need to do it. I’ll take care of it. I’ll wash everything again before my break ends.”

“You must be hungry. Sorry I got up a bit late. I’ll go buy breakfast now.”

Li Zhi said, “I’ll go with you.”

He was overjoyed. “Okay!”

Li Zhi usually avoided being seen with him in public, not wanting others to know about their relationship.

But now, she didn’t shy away from going out with him at all.

She must be ready to accept his pursuit and prepare to marry him, right?

Thinking this, he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips.

Li Zhi noticed his smile and asked, “You’re this happy just because I said I’d go out and buy breakfast with you?”

“Of course. You used to worry a lot about people finding out about us.” Fu Tingzhou’s lips tightened slightly, eyes downcast, as if a little aggrieved.

Li Zhi raised an eyebrow. “And what’s our relationship now? You’re still just a suitor.”

She was afraid a relationship would distract her but also enjoyed the process of being courted. Six months was her limit.

She planned to give him an answer before the new year—both a test for him and for herself.

She would only agree if it didn’t affect her grades.

She wasn’t young anymore. Senior year was tough and stressful. She had already repeated once and didn’t want to go through it again.

After tidying up, they went out to buy breakfast. People had been lining up since five in the morning, so by the time they got there, it wasn’t early anymore.

It was past 7, and most stalls had already sold out.

They were lucky to find one that still had food left. They bought two servings of porridge for 0.40 yuan, two meat buns for 0.30 yuan, two orders of fried dough sticks for 0.20 yuan, and two eggs for 0.30 yuan—1.20 yuan in total.

While buying breakfast, they also picked up groceries for the day.

Fu Tingzhou planned to use his cooking to win over Li Zhi’s stomach.

It was a chance to show off his domestic side too.

But most importantly, he wanted to help her nourish her body. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight—likely due to the stress of studying.

In his dream last night, his little wife’s waist was so thin and soft he could wrap one hand around it.

He was afraid to use any force, worried he’d hurt her. She fainted after the first round, but he didn’t stop, and like a beast, he kept going until she woke up again.

Dream or not, he couldn’t act like a beast in real life.

So for the sake of their future bliss, he had to work on his cooking and fatten her up a little.

Three goals in one stroke.

He bought half a pig’s trotter to make nourishing soup, plus some medicinal herbs like red dates and goji berries—great for women’s health.

He also bought a bass to steam for brain nourishment, and a pound of choy sum.

After returning and eating breakfast, Li Zhi went to the study to hit the books.

During that time, Fu Tingzhou didn’t bother her aside from bringing her a fruit platter.

He kept busy in the kitchen—making soup, mopping the floors, wiping tables, taking out the trash, and cleaning every corner of the house until it sparkled.

When lunch was ready, he called her to eat.

“I haven’t been home in over a month. Now that school’s on break, I’ll probably need to go home this afternoon,” she said.

“Will you still come out to study tomorrow? I can wait for you at the library or coffee shop.”

Li Zhi replied, “Of course.”

There were only four months left until the college entrance exam. Every day counted.

She felt like even a single day without studying was a waste of time—and life.

As they ate, the phone in the living room rang.

Fu Tingzhou set down his chopsticks and said, “I’ll get the phone. You keep eating, no need to wait for me.”