Chapter 43 – Reward

After dinner.

Wen Nian didn’t even have to lift a finger.

Lu Hanzheng quickly cleared the table, leaving it spotless in no time.

Then he took all the dirty dishes to the sink and washed them one by one with practiced ease.

Wen Nian leaned against the kitchen counter, quietly watching him.

The man lined up the cleaned dishes in neat rows beside the sink.

Wen Nian couldn’t help but laugh.

Even washing dishes looked like military training with him.

She picked up a clean cloth, intending to dry the dishes.

But the man stopped her.

“Leave it to me.”

Wen Nian’s lips curved into a small smile.

She continued being a qualified supervisor.

A man doing housework was the most attractive thing in the world.

No room for debate.

Ever since they’d officially confirmed their relationship last time, Lu Hanzheng had become much more proactive.

When he wasn’t busy at the military camp, he’d come home a bit earlier.

And whenever he was home, he would revolve around her.

If she picked vegetables, he washed them.

If she cooked, he prepared and handed over the seasonings.

If she plated the food, he would automatically carry it to the dining table.

Wen Nian was very satisfied with this arrangement.

To make housework easier, he had rolled up the sleeves of his military uniform to his elbows, revealing his strong, muscular arms.

Even while washing dishes, his posture was perfectly straight.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs.

Wen Nian couldn’t help but feel tempted again.

She inched closer bit by bit.

And finally wrapped her arms around his firm waist from behind.

Lu Hanzheng had already noticed her little movements.

But he hadn’t expected her to be so bold.

The kitchen directly faced the bedroom of Lu Binghuai and Lin Siyun.

If they opened the bedroom door, everything here would be in full view.

Her fair arms wrapped around his waist, and a soft warmth pressed against his back.

Lu Hanzheng’s body stiffened for a moment.

He said in a low voice, “Let go. Hugging and clinging like this—what does it look like?”

“Nope.”

Wen Nian not only refused to let go, she even tilted her head and pressed her cheek against his broad back.

She rubbed playfully against him.

Lu Hanzheng’s whole body tensed.

He had no way to deal with her mischief.

He didn’t try to stop her again and instead just sped up his dishwashing.

Seeing that he didn’t push her away, Wen Nian grew even bolder.

Her fingers poked at the well-defined muscles at his waist.

Even through the military uniform, she could feel the explosive strength underneath.

After poking, she gave him a squeeze.

Having a great time.

But after a while, she noticed something off with the way it felt.

The previously soft muscles were now rock-hard.

Lu Hanzheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Her soft little hands were slowly lighting a fire in him.

This little woman never knew what it meant to be reserved.

Just as Wen Nian was thoroughly enjoying herself, her arms were pulled away by him.

She looked up and met the man’s dark, intense gaze.

Wen Nian blinked her sparkling eyes, gazing at him innocently.

She was so close that her whole body was practically pressed against him.

Lu Hanzheng looked down at her, his eyes locked onto those mischievous watery eyes.

Her unique fragrance lingered in his nose.

Her soft red lips curled into a slight smile, as if silently inviting him.

She looked like a ripe fruit, just waiting to be plucked.

Lu Hanzheng took a few deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the heat rising in his chest.

Wen Nian could see the calm gradually returning to his eyes.

She knew that once again, this man’s rationality had won.

Wen Nian sighed inwardly.

He really could hold himself back.

Her attempt at seduction failed today.

No big deal—she would just try again next time.

She firmly believed…

There’s no such thing as a man who can’t be seduced—only fairies who aren’t trying hard enough.

Wen Nian opened the fridge and took out the dessert inside.

“This is called crème caramel. It’s a French dessert.”

She scooped out a small piece with a spoon and held it up to the man’s lips.

“I made this especially for you. Try it.”

Lu Hanzheng looked at her expectant gaze and couldn’t help but open his mouth to take a bite.

Cool and smooth on the tongue, creamy and soft, sweet with a slight hint of burnt bitterness—along with a trace of vanilla.

The taste was fresh and unique.

Seeing his relaxed expression, Wen Nian knew he definitely liked it.

“Isn’t it delicious? This dessert was really hard to make.”

In modern times, crème caramel isn’t difficult to make.

But in this era, it wasn’t so simple.

No oven, and ingredients were hard to find.

Just whipping the cream had taken a ridiculous amount of effort.

She had even made a special trip to the overseas Chinese shop.

She couldn’t find cream, but she did find cocoa beans.

So she ground them into cocoa powder and sprinkled it on top of the pudding to add richness to the flavor.

Wen Nian leaned in close to his ear, her voice soft and sweet.

“You still haven’t said if it’s good or not. I spent the whole afternoon making it.”

In truth, it only took her a little while—the real issue was that the crème caramel had to be chilled in the fridge for several hours to taste its best.

Lu Hanzheng cleared his throat and gave a light “Mm.”

A warm current passed through his heart.

She might be the only person who knew he had a sweet tooth.

“Then you’d better finish it. It’s my heartfelt gift to you.”

Wen Nian smiled as she said this, her eyes curved in delight as she looked at him.

Because Jiang Jiang loved sweets, Wen Nian had gotten into the habit of making a dessert every day.

Lu Hanzheng never complained, but each time, he’d only take a single bite.

One time, Wen Nian made a plate of candied sweet potatoes.

Afraid the little girl might eat too many sweets and get cavities, she didn’t let her have much.

Lu Hanzheng, on the other hand, cleaned up the remaining half a plate without a word.

After a few times, Wen Nian had figured it out—

This man had a serious sweet tooth.

But he always forced himself to restrain the craving.

Lu Hanzheng suddenly felt his ears heat up and shifted his body slightly to the side.

He quickly averted his gaze and stuffed another bite of pudding into his mouth.

The soft, silky texture was just like her lips—tender and inviting.

After he finished eating, Wen Nian finally asked,

“Was it you who had Wen Xue taken away?”

Lu Hanzheng nodded.

That time period was just when the factory workers were switching shifts, and there were quite a few people at the gate.

If he hadn’t braked in time, innocent bystanders might’ve gotten caught up in it.

Wen Xue’s act of staging a fake accident wasn’t just despicable—it needed to be punished and investigated, to prevent future trouble.

Wen Nian clicked her tongue at the long list of charges.

Wow—if those charges really stuck, there was no way Wen Xue was escaping prison time.

This matter could be big or small, depending on Wen Xue’s next move.

If she had even a little bit of sense, she wouldn’t try to resist.

If she confessed properly and paid compensation, the matter could be put to rest.

Lu Hanzheng was really just trying to teach her a lesson.

Wen Nian tiptoed up and pressed her soft red lips lightly to the man’s.

Just a quick peck.

“A reward for you.”

He had handled the Wen Xue situation perfectly.

When faced with women who approached him with ill intent, he should always be this decisive.

Like a gust of autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves—ruthless and clean.

Lu Hanzheng’s throat bobbed as he swallowed.

He watched her skip up the stairs.

His long fingers traced over his lips.

The lingering touch of her kiss was still there, along with that faint, sweet scent.

He glanced down at a certain part of himself under his military trousers—

Then took a deep breath and forcefully shoved all the wicked thoughts back into his chest.