◎ Your man always keeps his word ◎

The important question wasn’t whether she had drawn Qiu Tingyu in an unbuttoned white shirt but rather the fact that he brought it up. Did that mean he had seen the drawing of him with his shirt unbuttoned? Actually, the most critical point wasn’t even the drawing itself.

That drawing was created the night Tao Xiaoxi and Chen Fang went on their blind date. At the time, she felt that his sharp, chiseled features and the imposing aura between his brows didn’t suit a neatly buttoned shirt.

She drew several sketches—one with two buttons undone, another with a few buttons open at both the top and bottom, and finally concluded that a completely unbuttoned look worked best. As for the chest exposed under the open shirt, she had imagined it entirely. Based on her first impression of him, his physique was unlikely to disappoint. And indeed, reality proved her imagination inadequate. No matter how much she visualized, it couldn’t compare to the real thing’s impact.

In fact, just this morning, while trying to refresh her mind, she had drawn another sketch…of his back.

That night, during a timed session, she had grown overwhelmed midway through and used the excuse of being thirsty to ask him to get her a glass of water. She thought a break would help. He nonchalantly got out of bed, and though Tao Xiaoxi immediately covered her eyes with her hands, she couldn’t help but peek through her fingers.

A lean waist exuded restrained power capable of explosive energy. His hips curved into a pleasing shape, connecting to two long, straight legs.

She insisted her sketches of him carried no other intentions—they were simply an appreciation of beauty. And they were only for her eyes. If he found out, she wouldn’t want to live anymore—it was just too embarrassing. The one with his shirt open was bad enough, but if he saw today’s sketch, it would be even worse.

“Why were you snooping through my stuff?” she tried to take the moral high ground to squash the matter.

Unfortunately, her moral high ground wasn’t high enough. Chen Fang shot back, “You drew me without my permission and even made up details about my body.”

“I…” Tao Xiaoxi was at a loss for words and choked on her response.

Outside, Zhao Yijiang knocked on the car window, peering inside, but he couldn’t see anything. “Brother Fang, what are you two doing in there? It’s been ages, and you’re still not out.”

Taking advantage of the distraction as Chen Fang turned to deal with Zhao Yijiang, Tao Xiaoxi hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt and escaped the car.

How could he accuse her of imagining things about his body? She had based her sketches on reasonable assumptions. Besides, according to the golden rule of marriage—“what’s yours is mine”—his body technically wasn’t just “his body” anymore. By that logic, his accusations held no ground.

However, Tao Xiaoxi didn’t have the courage to voice her thoughts aloud. She wasn’t ready to face a disaster tonight.

Seeing Tao Xiaoxi’s flushed face, Zhao Yijiang wanted to crack a joke, thinking they’d been up to no good in the car. But when he saw Chen Fang step out right after, he swallowed his words. He’d already misspoken earlier; provoking Chen Fang again would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

Thanks to Zhao Yijiang’s interruptions, the car incident was brushed aside for now, and the cold winter air helped cool the heat on Tao Xiaoxi’s face.

When they arrived at Old Zhou’s door, they hadn’t even knocked when Old Zhou opened it from inside. “You all have perfect timing. The fish just started simmering, and here you are.”

Chen Fang raised the wine and cigarettes in his hand and waved them in front of Old Zhou.

Old Zhou chuckled, “You’re always so thoughtful. Xiaoxi, come in—your aunt has been waiting for you. And Yijiang, where’s your wife?”

The group entered the house, and the room quickly filled with lively chatter.

Old Zhou’s wife, Jin Yi, was a great beauty in her youth. She was won over by Old Zhou’s persistence in carrying firewood to her house every day, and the two eventually married. They had a daughter named Zhou Ying, whom Tao Xiaoxi called Sister Yingying. She was four years older than Tao Xiaoxi.

Zhou Ying had a significant influence on Tao Xiaoxi during her formative years. She was everything Tao Xiaoxi admired and aspired to be—beautiful, academically successful, talented in singing and dancing, cheerful, assertive, and unwavering in pursuing her goals, no matter what others said.

To Tao Xiaoxi, Zhou Ying was the epitome of a “perfect child.” Meng Qing admired Zhou Ying’s personality and often compared her to Tao Xiaoxi. For a long time, young Tao Xiaoxi believed that Zhou Ying might be the biological daughter of the Tao family while she was the one picked up from the streets.

Tao Xiaoxi’s most rebellious moment against Meng Qing was also related to Zhou Ying. The summer Zhou Ying took her college entrance exams, Tao Xiaoxi did poorly in her finals. Already upset, she snapped after days of Meng Qing comparing her to Zhou Ying. At breakfast one day, she blurted out, “Why don’t you just make Zhou Ying your daughter instead?”

She locked herself in her room and refused to eat for an entire day. Even when Tao Wenyong knocked, she didn’t respond. It wasn’t until evening that she came out, grabbed a bowl of rice, and began eating. But as she ate, tears started falling. She was starving. Her tears silenced the lecture Meng Qing had prepared, and the incident blew over.

From that point, Meng Qing became more mindful and refrained from frequently mentioning Zhou Ying. But sometimes, conversations naturally drifted there, and Zhou Ying would inevitably come up again.

Later, Tao Xiaoxi slowly grew up and became indifferent to these comparisons. She realized one thing: no matter what, she could never become Zhou Ying. It was a fact that had already been established, and she had to learn to accept it. Her mother had to learn to accept it too.

Although Tao Wenyong had a good relationship with Old Zhou and the two families often interacted, Tao Xiaoxi and Zhou Ying never became close. Even though she liked her, some likes required a certain distance.

After graduating from university, Zhou Ying stayed in the south, where she started her family and career. She married a wealthy boss and became an executive at a publicly listed company. With a busy career and family, she could only return a few times a year. Tao Xiaoxi hadn’t seen her for several years. When she saw the photo hanging on the wall, she momentarily felt a bit disoriented. Zhou Ying looked even more beautiful, her smile still as radiant as ever.

“Zhou Ying said she would rush back for your wedding, but something came up last minute. You haven’t seen her for many years, have you? When she comes back for the New Year, you two can meet up,” Jin Yi said, pulling Tao Xiaoxi onto the couch.

Tao Xiaoxi thought Jin Yi was just being polite since her relationship with Zhou Ying wasn’t close enough to attend each other’s weddings. However, she followed Jin Yi’s words, “Yes, Aunt. I haven’t seen Sister Yingying for five or six years. My mom told me that she’s amazing now, her annual salary is nearly a million.”

Jin Yi laughed so hard she couldn’t close her mouth. “What’s the point of earning so much if you’re always working? She’s been married for several years and still hasn’t had a child. Xiaoxi, listen to me, getting pregnant right after marriage is the most important thing. Everything else is secondary.”

Uh… how did the conversation shift to children? Tao Xiaoxi was still adjusting to the idea of marriage, and having children seemed a bit far off.

The conversation continued with more talk about pregnancy and children. Tao Xiaoxi listened with one ear, while her eyes searched for Chen Fang. He and Zhao Yijiang had gone into the kitchen with Old Zhou and hadn’t come out. Were they becoming chefs in there? If he were there, at least she could change the topic.

When Zhao Yijiang heard them talking about children, he ran out of the kitchen. He had just become a father a little over a month ago and was still in the honeymoon phase. He had plenty to talk about with Jin Yi. Tao Xiaoxi breathed a sigh of relief and used the excuse to go to the restroom, getting up from the couch.

After exiting the restroom, Tao Xiaoxi’s eyes fell on a photo frame on the TV stand. It was a picture of Chen Fang and Zhou Ying standing on top of a mountain. Judging by Chen Fang’s appearance, it must have been from when he was in high school. Had his relationship with Old Zhou been this close even back then? She stood in front of the photo for a moment before heading to the kitchen.

Chen Fang was indeed the one cooking in the kitchen, while Old Zhou stood nearby giving instructions. Chen Fang was clearly annoyed by his constant chatter and ignored every suggestion he made, which made Old Zhou fume.

Tao Xiaoxi found it amusing. Was it fair to say that Chen Fang was Old Zhou’s nemesis? After all these years, Old Zhou still couldn’t do anything about him. But it was also clear that Old Zhou really liked Chen Fang, as if he were his own child.

Chen Fang turned around and caught her watching, a smile hidden in his eyes, and teased, “What’s so funny? Are you enjoying watching me work? Come over and help me peel the garlic.”

“Sure,” Tao Xiaoxi replied. She didn’t mind helping out, as long as she didn’t have to go back to the living room and talk about having children. She could peel as many garlic cloves as needed.

Jin Yi called Old Zhou to take a phone call. As he walked away, he scolded Chen Fang, “You’re so used to bossing Xiaoxi around. Be careful, or your father-in-law will chop you up later.”

Chen Fang raised his voice and replied to Old Zhou, who was walking away, “You’re trying to stir up trouble between us. This isn’t bossing around.”

Once Old Zhou was out of earshot, Chen Fang lowered his voice, speaking to Tao Xiaoxi, “At most, it’s just you paying me for being your model.”

After her conversation with Aunt Zhou^[1]Aunt Zhou here refers to Jin Yi. Old Zhou’s wife. earlier, Tao Xiaoxi had already come to terms with things. If he saw the drawing, so be it. She was drawing the future father of her children, not anyone else. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, and it wasn’t shameful.

She picked up a garlic clove from the countertop and weighed it in her hand. “That’s a good deal for you. Can I still use you next time? I’ll peel two garlic cloves and pay you double, how does that sound?”

Chen Fang added some salt to the dish and stirred it with a spatula, waiting for the sauce to reduce before serving. He didn’t comment on her “cheap” assessment but instead asked, “What’s the price for two garlic cloves? Are you going to take off my shirt for that?”

Tao Xiaoxi assumed a negotiating stance, “If I tell you, would you let me draw it?”

Chen Fang wasn’t falling for her trap. “You tell me first what you want to draw.”

In someone else’s kitchen, the two spoke in a deliberately lowered voice, both intimate and flirtatious.

Tao Xiaoxi peeled the garlic and glanced at him, casually saying, “It’s simple. I just want to draw you in an apron.”

Chen Fang raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that. It was indeed simple. A grin spread across his face, mixed with a playful edge. He tilted his head and studied her seriously. “Do you like watching me cook?”

Tao Xiaoxi’s pupils flickered at his smile, but she quickly lowered her head and continued peeling the garlic, not answering him.

Chen Fang reached out and lifted her chin, locking eyes with her. In a low voice, he repeated the question, “Tao Xiaoxi, do you like watching me cook for you while wearing an apron?”

Tao Xiaoxi noticed a pattern. Whenever a third person was around, he would call her “Xiaoxi,” but when it was just the two of them, he always called her by her full name.

She actually preferred when he called her “Tao Xiaoxi.” The first two syllables felt vague, and the emphasis on the last syllable made it particularly… intense. Whereas “Xiaoxi” felt more like a term of affection meant for outsiders.

“Mm?” Chen Fang moved even closer, “Do you like it or not?”

Tao Xiaoxi honestly nodded, “I like it.”

Chen Fang was very pleased with her answer. “I’ll make sure to arrange that for you tonight, how does that sound?”

“As long as you’re fine with it, I’m good with it.”

Chen Fang released her and turned to check the dish. “If I can’t meet such a simple request, how could you marry me without losing out?”

“Then it’s settled. You’ll wear just the apron for my drawing, no backing out,” Tao Xiaoxi felt like she had caught her fish and quickly reeled it in.

“Why would I back out? Don’t worry, your man always keeps his word,” Chen Fang said with a smirk, his hand still holding the spatula as he paused mid-action.

He turned to look at her, his movements robotic, repeating her earlier words with uncertainty, “Only wearing an apron?”

“Yes, just an apron,” Tao Xiaoxi smiled and confirmed with a gleam in her eyes.