Anxin didn’t expect Bai Yichen to be so thoughtful, having considered every detail. Her mother, Chen Hongyan, was gravely ill and bedridden. Without transportation to the hospital, taking her there would be a significant challenge.

Moreover, with her younger siblings to care for, Anxin had to bring them along. Since her mother would need to stay in the hospital, Anxin would have to focus on making money by driving her taxi in the provincial city. Younger sister Anyang would naturally go along to help take care of their mother, while the twin brothers, being so young, couldn’t be left behind and had to come along as well.

Grateful, Anxin nodded and agreed.
“Alright, I’ll trouble you with this.”

Hearing her response, Bai Yichen’s tall figure paused briefly before continuing to walk ahead as if nothing had happened. His calm voice drifted back.
“It’s no trouble. We’re family.”

Under the moonlight, it was a restless night for some. Some people slept soundly, while others tossed and turned.

Lying in bed, Anxin thought through her plans: once her mother was hospitalized, she would need to rent a small house near the hospital. It would provide a place for her siblings to stay, a kitchen to prepare meals, and somewhere to rest. Importantly, she could cook nutritious soups for her mother, like chicken soup, pork rib soup, and seafood soup, to help with recovery.

With everything organized in her mind, Anxin finally drifted off to sleep.

Beside her, Bai Yichen lay awake, listening to her steady breathing. He opened his eyes, gazing at the sleeping woman. Her delicate face had a soft pink glow in sleep, making her look especially alluring.

His dark eyes flickered with restraint, and he sighed inwardly. It seemed tonight would be another sleepless night.

At dawn, Anxin woke up and got out of bed quietly, beginning her preparations. She needed to make breakfast before heading to the provincial hospital.

Bai Yichen opened his eyes slightly, watching her busy figure, then turned over to sleep again. He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. Being single used to be so much easier. Having such a delicate woman by his side made it impossible to sleep properly. If not for his self-control, he might have had a nosebleed.

Meanwhile, Anxin focused on breakfast. She boiled millet porridge and started making scallion pancakes. Knowing they’d have a long, busy day ahead, she figured these hearty pancakes would keep them full longer.

She soon had a tall stack of fragrant pancakes on a plate. She then made some spicy meat sauce to go with the pancakes. Afterward, she boiled a dozen eggs and prepared Bai Yichen’s lunch in a thermal lunchbox.

As she was about to wake Bai Yichen, she saw him already up, tidying the bed. Standing at the door, she called out to his tall figure.
“Bai Yichen, go wash up and have breakfast.”

Then she turned back to set the table, feeling a bit exasperated. Was she being too dutiful? Getting up early to cook breakfast and even calling him to eat—was she becoming overly traditional?

As she sat down, mulling over her own virtuous ways, Bai Yichen finished washing up and walked over. Seeing her lost in thought, he couldn’t help but ask,
“What’s on your mind?”

Looking up, Anxin met his sharp, defined features. His damp hair glistened, and his deep eyes locked on hers. Embarrassed, she averted her gaze.
“Just spacing out.”

Realizing her answer sounded awkward, she quickly changed the subject.
“Eat quickly. Mom’s waiting for us.”

She handed him a bowl of millet porridge and a plate of golden, crispy scallion pancakes.

“Mm.”

Bai Yichen took the porridge and pancakes with satisfaction. Following her example, he spread the spicy meat sauce on the pancakes and took a bite. The crispy pancake, paired with the savory sauce, burst with flavor. His eyes narrowed in delight.

He had to admit, just as his colleagues had said, marrying Anxin had improved his quality of life immensely. She took care of everything with meticulous detail, from household chores to preparing meals that perfectly suited his taste.

He felt lucky to have her as his wife. The villagers who had labeled her a “bad omen” clearly didn’t know what they were talking about. Since marrying her, everything in his life had gone smoothly.

As they ate breakfast, voices from the neighboring house drifted over.

“Why are you standing at the door staring at the captain’s house instead of making me breakfast?” an exasperated male voice grumbled.

It was their neighbour Chen, berating his wife for lingering outside instead of cooking.

Mrs. Chen’s voice followed, flustered.
“I wasn’t staring! I was just watching how Anxin makes those pancakes. They smell so good. I wanted to learn how to make them.”

Bai Yichen: “…”
Anxin: “…”

Then came Chen’s sarcastic retort.
“With your clumsy cooking, do you think you can match the captain’s wife? Get back to making breakfast!”

Bai Yichen and Anxin exchanged a silent glance, choosing to ignore the commotion. They quickly finished their meal, packed up, and left the house.

They got into the jeep and drove to the village, picking up Chen Hongyan, Anyang, and the twins, An Wen and An Wu. Anxin handed the younger siblings the boiled eggs she had prepared.

Under the curious gazes of the villagers, the jeep sped off toward the provincial hospital.

At the hospital, Bai Yichen bustled around, helping settle Chen Hongyan into the inpatient ward. However, when he went to pay the fees, the receptionist informed him that someone had already paid.

Holding the money in his hand, Bai Yichen immediately understood—Anxin had planned everything in advance. This woman always acted with such care and thoroughness.

Once everything was settled, Anxin pulled out a thermal lunchbox from a bag and handed it to Bai Yichen.
“You should head back to work. I’ll take care of things here.”