Lin Shu swiftly undressed Pan Pan and tucked him into bed as well, then told Lu Shaotang, “You’ve been on the road all day, you must be exhausted. Why don’t you rest a bit too? From what the kids said, you saw them yesterday afternoon, and now you’ve come back right away. You haven’t slept all night, have you?”

Lu Shaotang’s eyes were fixed intently on her. “I’m not tired.”

He was actually quite excited.

Lin Shu met his gaze and felt the intensity of his stare.

She quickly looked away, covering the children with blankets.

She didn’t want them to wake up and search for their father if they suddenly woke up.

Lu Shaotang sat at the foot of the bed, his tall frame and long legs creating a sense of pressure.

Lin Shu felt like she could trip over him no matter which way she walked.

She was uneasy, feeling that he might have some ulterior motive.

However, Lu Shaotang drew back his long legs and stood up, making the height difference even more apparent.

At nearly 1.9 meters tall, Lu Shaotang towered over Lin Shu, who was only 1.65 meters.

The height difference made her feel even more pressured, causing her to instinctively step back.

Noticing her tension, Lu Shaotang naturally moved further away and complimented her on how well she had made the tea eggs, praising her parents’ taste and so on.

Lin Shu said, “You came all this way without sleeping just to see us? Are you… foolish?”

Lu Shaotang looked down at her. “I’m not tired. I just wanted to see you all as soon as possible.”

Lin Shu avoided his gaze, murmuring, “You’re so silly. You didn’t even recognize your own children.”

Lu Shaotang, usually reserved and taciturn, found himself more willing to speak with Lin Shu, who was more shy than afraid.

He said softly, “There are people who don’t recognize their own husbands either, you know? It felt almost like a blind date.”

Lin Shu: “…

Am I the only clown here?

Lu Shaotang, fearing she might be upset, quickly added, “It’s been years and I’ve changed a lot. Even my parents didn’t recognize me right away, so don’t blame yourself.”

Lin Shu thought, “Well, that must be true!”

She quickly went out to cook with her sister, feeling a sense of oppression as if the room was too small and hard to breathe when alone with Lu Shaotang.

Lin Xia noticed her sister’s flushed cheeks and said softly, “Fortunately, my wound is healing, or else I would have had to wait longer for my brother-in-law to come back.”

If only she had smiled earlier, she would have split her mouth from laughing.

The room was small, and their whispered conversation was perfectly audible to her.

She hadn’t expected them to have such gossip!

Lin Shu said, “Sister——”

Lin Xia hurried to comfort her, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

For dinner, they kept it simple, making egg noodles with two poached eggs for Lu Shaotang.

Lin Shu served him a big bowl of noodles with two eggs and some cabbage leaves.

Lin Shu and Lin Xia had smaller bowls without eggs.

Lu Shaotang tried to offer the eggs to Lin Shu and Lin Xia, but Lin Shi quickly said, “You eat them. We’re a bit tired of eggs. We’ve had two hundred eggs recently.”

Lin Xia added, “Really, brother-in-law, you eat them.”

So Lu Shaotang ate the eggs.

After finishing a large bowl of noodles, he felt he could eat another bowl but didn’t want to ask, so he drank the soup instead.

He hadn’t had a decent meal since last night, always in a hurry to travel.

Even at lunch with the kids, he hadn’t eaten properly.

Lin Shi thought that with no activities planned for the afternoon and no work, the large bowl of noodles should be enough for him, not realizing that his appetite was enormous—truly impressive.

It took three large bowls for him to feel full.

During the days fleeing in the dense forests of the southwest, he hadn’t had enough time to find food and had experienced real hunger.

The discomfort of an empty stomach made him uneasy; he now couldn’t stand being hungry and felt restless.

After dinner, it was still early. Lin Xia noticed Lu Shaotang’s bright eyes showed no signs of tiredness and suggested, “You Should go see a movie.”

She winked at Lin Shu, “The kids are awake, and I’ll take care of them. They’re so well-behaved; they won’t give their freshly operated second aunt any trouble.”

Lu Shaotang glanced at the room.

Although he was reluctant to leave his kids, he also wanted some alone time with his wife.

He was incredibly curious about her.

Lin Shu didn’t want to go.

It was late at night, and as a couple who were legally married, what if he tried to do something?

How would she handle it if he did?

Rejecting the offer seemed too fussy, but accepting it… what about her dignity?

He had been away for five years and came back acting like a teddy bear. It was quite embarrassing for her.

Moreover, his skills were lacking, and she was afraid.

Complaints aside, she obediently followed her sister’s arrangement and went out with Lu Shaotang.

The streetlights were flickering, and the path was dim.

The stairwell was a bit dark.

Lu Shaotang walked in front and turned back to remind her, “Be careful.”

Lin Shu replied, “It’s fine, I’ve walked this path so many times… Ah—”

She didn’t see what she stepped on and stumbled, her ankle twisting, and she almost fell.

Lu Shaotang reacted swiftly, catching her and reaching to hold her waist.

In those days, young men and women didn’t dare to hold hands in public, and even secretly holding hands or making eye contact could be nerve-wracking and thrilling.

Lin Shu wasn’t afraid of this, being a person from the 21st century.

She just had some psychological scars.

Lu Shaotang hadn’t dated anyone before and hadn’t been subjected to the societal norms of shame.

As long as his wife didn’t reject him, he could hold her like he would a child.

If she was willing, he could carry her.

Clearly, she wasn’t willing.

Lin Shu pulled her arm back.

Lu Shaotang looked at his empty hand with a hint of disappointment.

Lin Shu secretly wiped the spot he had touched, his hand felt so warm that it made her skin tingle.

As they came down the stairs, there were people talking in the courtyard.

When they saw them coming down, they greeted Lin Shu.

“Lin Shu, is this your partner?”

Lin Shu nodded, replying with brief acknowledgments, trying to quicken her pace.

She was wary of being asked about where he had served or what he used to do.

The situation, which seemed like a romantic reunion to him, felt to Lin Shu more like a blind date.

She was shy, attracted to his looks but not yet fully acquainted with his character.

The dim streetlights amplified every sensation, and Lin Shu couldn’t help but overthink.

She thought, he’s so tall!

Then she thought, he’s really handsome, and so imposing!

Then she worried, he’s so strong, what if he hit me? I wouldn’t stand a chance.

Her mother had said that her father was gentle and affectionate when they were dating, but later they started fighting.

No matter how loving things were at first, the trivialities of daily life could drive anyone mad.

Lin Shu felt that she needed to maintain some distance from Lu Shaotang.

Distance creates beauty, and being a couple for convenience was fine—she didn’t want to get too emotionally involved.

He earned the money, she took care of the kids; they could lead a married life without getting too emotionally entangled.

But don’t get too involved.

Lin Shu walked slowly while Lu Shaotang adjusted his pace to match hers.

After a while, not hearing her speak, Lu Shaotang asked, “Do you like reading now?”

Lin Shu immediately thought of the situation with Yao Naiwen testing her. “It’s alright, just to pass the time.”

Lu Shaotang said, “If you want to read anything in the future, just let me know and I’ll get it for you.”

Lin Shu felt pleased at his words and replied, “Okay.”

As long as he didn’t test her, that was fine.

They passed by a restaurant that was bustling with people, with many queuing for tables.

Regardless of the time, some people always have a little extra money and like to show off, gathering with friends after work for drinks and idle chatter.

Lu Shaotang asked, “Do you want to eat something?”

Lin Shu realized that he must still be hungry, otherwise a normal person wouldn’t ask a woman if she wanted to eat right after a meal.

She looked around and said, “It’s so crowded inside. How about buying some buns?”

Lu Shaotang agreed, “Alright, I’ll go buy some.”

Lin Shu waited outside while Lu Shaotang went in to buy the buns.

“Hey, miss, waiting for someone at this time?” Two drunken men, swaying as they walked, approached Lin Shu.

Seeing such a beautiful woman alone by the roadside, they instinctively thought they could make advances.

Lin Shu frowned and said, “Go away!”

One of the men, provoked by her disdainful gesture, started to curse, “Stinky woman, acting all high and mighty. Just standing by the roadside, you must be waiting for someone to hit on you. You think I’m broke? A few dimes for one night? Will fifty cents be enough?”

He reached out to grab Lin Shu’s arm.

Before his hand could touch Lin Shu, it was suddenly kicked away with great force, crashing to the ground.

The other man shouted, “Who the hell dares to hit you…”

“Get lost!” Lu Shaotang, holding a bag of buns, stood beside Lin Shu with a cold, fierce expression.

The two men, frightened, quickly fled, shouting, “You wait and see!”

Lu Shaotang looked down at his wife and asked, “Are you scared?”

Lin Shu laughed lightly, “No.”

She wasn’t afraid of him hitting others for her; she felt… very secure.

The steel mill was a large factory with thousands of people, creating its own small society, complete with a worker’s cinema nearby.

A movie was playing inside. Lin Shu wasn’t interested and suggested they should head home.

However, Lu Shaotang had already bought her a bag of white five-spice melon seeds.

They were sitting in a wind-sheltered spot by the ticket booth.

Lin Shu was eating sunflower seeds, while he was eating big steamed buns.

Lin Shu noticed how impressive he was. He was eating the buns plain, without pickles or water, and he managed to… eat three big buns just like that!

“Oh my god, didn’t you just have a big bowl of noodles and a big bowl of noodle soup before?”

It’s a good thing this is all going to the state; otherwise, who could afford to feed you!

You’re going to eat me poor before I can even blink.

She instantly felt he was more down-to-earth, not as aloof and serious as he appeared.

Instead, he seemed a bit clumsy and cute, like a big dog that only knows how to eat.

They chatted intermittently. Lu Shaotang noticed that Lin Shu was still nervous around him before.

Especially when he got close, she would visibly shrink back and seem a bit afraid. But now she was much more relaxed.

When she glanced at him secretly, her eyes were as soft as water, her gaze playful, making his heart itch with excitement.

By the time Lu Shaotang finished eating four big buns, Lin Shu had shelled half a bag of sunflower seeds and listened to a bit of the movie.

When he finished, Lin Shu suggested they go back.

They walked back slowly, and as they walked,

Lin Shu kept drifting towards the edge, almost stepping into the roadside bushes.

Lu Shaotang gently held her hand and guided her closer. “Be careful.”

Lin Shu tried to pull her hand back, but he held on and didn’t let go the entire way.