Chapter 32

Running two laps.

The memory of how her legs felt after running that day made Youyi’s legs feel even weaker. She could barely stay seated.

But she couldn’t slide down because Fu Cheng always held her tightly when she sat on his lap.

It felt as if they were naturally meant to be together.

“What do they call you?” Fu Cheng asked, “Your nickname.”

He should have heard it before.

Youyi said, “Youyou. Everyone close to me calls me Youyou.”

When she was young, her parents called her Youyou. When she was learning to write, her strokes were too many, so she wrote Youyou over and over again on paper.

It was easier to write a character in two strokes.

“Youyou,” Fu Cheng called her softly.

Youyi responded, “Mm.”

“How many people have confessed to you?”

“I…”

Youyi wasn’t sure why he was asking this. She hadn’t really kept track of such things and couldn’t answer immediately.

Fu Cheng asked, “Too many to count?”

“That’s nonsense,” Youyi immediately retorted. “I can count them.”

Fu Cheng said, “Okay, then count for your husband.”

What kind of strange request was that? Counting them one by one?

Youyi was about to speak when she heard him lower his voice and say, “Count one, remember it.”

“Tonight.”

Youyi’s pupils swayed.

Fu Cheng’s counting wasn’t a normal unit of measurement.

To her, it meant many times.

Youyi was almost crying from fear.

“There aren’t many, and all of them were confessions from others. I rejected them all.”

“Since I was young, I’ve never had someone I liked. It’s always been others confessing to me.”

If someone liked her sincerely and politely, she would respectfully reject them, but she couldn’t stop people from confessing.

“Never had someone you liked?” Fu Cheng seized on that point.

Youyi nodded.

She had never met anyone she liked, and even six months ago, she didn’t know what kind of person she would like.

Youyi hugged his neck, her wrist hitting his firm arm muscle painfully. She said pitifully, “But now I do.”

This meant that she liked someone like him, whether it was due to their future interactions or compatibility, Fu Cheng was her ideal type.

Even more so than she could have imagined.

Fu Cheng suddenly stood up.

Youyi felt a strong upward force. Her arms dropped, and with gravity pulling her down, she instinctively tightened her grip, shifting her hips into his empty hand and letting out a frightened cry.

He didn’t embrace her but stood straight, only supporting her with one hand.

“You like my hand, don’t you?” Fu Cheng asked near her ear. “I can lift you with just one hand.”

She liked hugging his hand at night, resting her head on his arm, her cheek against it, and falling asleep quickly.

Youyi nodded shyly, “Mm.”

She admitted she liked it.

“What about my waist? Do you like it too?”

His waist had abs, and it was firm and hard but felt good to the touch.

When she hugged him, she didn’t want to let go.

Fearful that he might let go, Youyi hurriedly admitted, “Yes.”

“Which part do you like the most?” Fu Cheng asked in a hushed voice.

“I’m asking you, what do you like most about your husband?”

She had to say it.

What she liked the most.

Youyi felt on the verge of tears.

She buried her head in his neck and murmured, “Husband, I’m going to fall…”

“Youyou, you won’t fall.”

How could he let her fall? He had never let her fall before.

“Can’t say? Do you like everything?”

“Or do you need to try to see which part you like the most?”

Fu Cheng suddenly tightened his grip and kissed her. At that moment, he recalled Wei Jing’s confession earlier that day, seeing it all clearly.

He was very displeased then, wanting to just pick her up and leave.

He had heard everything clearly, including those later comments.

Youyi didn’t answer his question immediately. After a forceful kiss, Fu Cheng released her and said in a low voice, “Don’t compare me with him.”

Youyi felt even more aggrieved, “I didn’t.”

She now understood that Fu Cheng was jealous.

He was frighteningly jealous.

“Then I haven’t made a fuss about your ex-girlfriends,” Youyi replied, bringing up his past.

Last time, when she asked about his romantic history, he hadn’t answered directly, only saying he would tell her when the time was right.

Fu Cheng: “Who told you I had an ex-girlfriend?”

Youyi: “You mentioned it yourself.”

That time…

That was…testing her.

Fu Cheng: “I went to the National Defense University, where there are very few girls. I never had a girlfriend or even a crush.”

Once he joined the military, there were even fewer opportunities.

“After retiring from the military, I met you.”

It was right after his discharge that he met her. Although she didn’t know him back then, meeting him meant she wouldn’t meet anyone else.

Youyi listened to him seriously.

Even though she considered herself not a petty person, and even if he had had an ex-girlfriend, it would have been in the past, she told herself not to care too much.

But hearing that he hadn’t had one made her happy.

So, everything that belonged to her, everything she liked, truly belonged to her alone.

“It’s just that—” she stopped abruptly, “you seem experienced…”

Her voice grew softer.

“Experienced? Of course,” Fu Cheng said naturally. “Otherwise, how do you think these scars came about?”

Actually, at this point, everything was clear.

Their home, from being two strangers to becoming the real man and woman of this house, required more honesty and openness.

There could always be more liking, with no upper limit.

Youyi rested her chin on his shoulder, turned her head to his ear, and softly answered his earlier question.

“… I really like you.”

Guided by him, Youyi began to express her feelings more actively.

Her tone was almost coquettish.

“Again, it’s not even eight o’clock yet.”

What are we going to do for the rest of the night?

So, the term “experienced” should not have been mentioned in the first place.

*

The temperature had dropped again.

But Fu Cheng was warm in her arms.

Youyi loved waking up like this in the morning, in the cold wind of winter, in the quiet, spacious room. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was in a warm embrace.

One hand supported her from behind, the calluses on his fingertips felt distinct.

Just over a month ago, she had said she wasn’t used to sleeping with others.

Now she loved waking up in his arms.

“Awake?” Fu Cheng’s voice came from above her.

“What time is it?” Youyi asked.

The room had its curtains drawn, with excellent light-blocking effects, so she couldn’t tell the time by the light.

“Eight o’clock,” Fu Cheng replied.

Although Youyi didn’t have classes today, she needed to go to the college in the morning. Hearing it was only eight, she sighed in relief.

It wasn’t too late, thankfully.

“Isn’t today Saturday?” Fu Cheng’s voice was hoarse. He pulled her closer into his arms, a muffled sound escaping his throat, “Sleep for another two hours.”

After being so busy recently, even on weekends, now that he finally had a little time to relax, he didn’t want to think about waking up early.

With him earning money for their family, he didn’t want to go out now.

“But there’s something at the department,” Youyi explained. “I need to pick up some materials in the morning.”

Fu Cheng was silent for a while.

His hand slid down her back as he said, “Be good.”

Compared to his harshness last night, this one word of comfort seemed particularly gentle. Youyi snuggled closer, sniffing and pitifully saying, “Next time, it really can’t be like this.”

“Okay,” Fu Cheng agreed immediately, pausing for a moment, “we’ll continue next time.”

Youyi: “Let’s change the color of the curtains at home. I don’t like ones that block too much light.”

She actually preferred waking up with sunlight streaming in, bringing a sense of joy with the morning sun.

Not just sunlight, but colors she liked as well.

Fu Cheng asked, “What color do you like?”

Youyi thought for a moment. “Creamy coffee or matcha green, the colors of spring.”

Fu Cheng: “Then we’ll go look in a few days.”

Going out to see things was something Youyi enjoyed the most. She wished she could buy everything beautiful and fill their home with lovely things.

Although he agreed readily, there was still one thing.

The more he talked, the more it seemed less ideal.

Youyi buried her face in his arms, biting her lip, unable to bear it.

“Why didn’t you come out last night?”

*

After a simple breakfast, Fu Cheng took Youyi to the college

He had business to attend to, so he ended the call she made to him.

Everyone in the medical school knew Fu Cheng.

People avoided him, though a few brave ones would force themselves to greet him, saying, “Instructor, hello.”

Fu Cheng nodded.

In the office, Zhu Zhihong was already waiting for him.

Although Fu Cheng’s methods were strict, his training model at the base was outstanding. Compared to the monotonous military training at university, the new and interesting training at the base was not only engaging but also improved cohesion.

Zhu Zhihong felt this model could be continuously implemented, with further improvements as needed.

He had called Fu Cheng today to discuss some improvement measures and to ask if he had time to personally lead some training sessions.

“Sorry, I don’t have the time,” Fu Cheng declined. “I need to take care of my wife.”

He had agreed to personally lead the training because of Ding Youyi, and he wasn’t doing it now also because of Ding Youyi.

As a company owner and manager of the training base, it was expected he couldn’t always personally lead the training.

Fu Cheng, with his stern demeanor, made Zhu Zhihong hesitant to speak further. Just as he was feeling anxious, someone knocked on the door from outside.

“Professor Zhu, I’m here to get the stamp,” Youyi said, standing at the door.

“Wait a moment,” Zhu Zhihong waved his hand.

Youyi peered into the office and saw Fu Cheng. She hesitated for a moment as their eyes briefly met. After a half-second pause, she quickly looked away and obediently stood outside.