◎ He decided to save the grand finale for the evening ◎

As soon as Tao Xiaoxi stepped into the shop, she spotted a scowling “Black-Faced Buddha” standing there.

“Why aren’t you resting at home? What are you doing here?” She cast him a glance and set the items in her hand on the floor.

Chen Fang had the urge to ask why he was being referred to as a dog, and not just any dog, but a stinky one at that. However, now wasn’t the time for such questions. He was here to make peace, not stir up trouble.

“The doctor already said I’m fine. Staying cooped up all day isn’t good either, so I came out for some fresh air.”

Chen Fang reached out to take the scarf she had removed, but Tao Xiaoxi dodged his hand. She casually crumpled the scarf and stuffed it into a cloth bag placed on the nearby table.

His hand hung awkwardly midair for half a second before he shifted to grab the milk tea on the table. He poked the straw into the cup and handed it to her.

This time, Tao Xiaoxi didn’t refuse. She accepted it, took two sips, and handed it back. “I don’t like full-sugar milk tea; it’s too sweet.”

Before meeting Tao Xiaoxi for their blind date, Chen Fang had no idea about the difference between full sugar and half sugar. It was only after they had met a few times and visited some milk tea shops that he gradually figured out her preferences. She always ordered full-sugar milk tea, claiming that milk tea was meant to be sweet—so sweet that it felt overwhelming.

Chen Fang raised an eyebrow. “You used to drink full-sugar milk tea all the time.”

Tao Xiaoxi responded flatly, “Well, just because I liked it before doesn’t mean I like it now. Maybe my taste has changed.”

Chen Fang’s temple twitched slightly. Her words sounded like they carried a hidden meaning.

He placed the wet straw in his mouth, his dark eyes fixed on her. Just as Tao Xiaoxi was about to stop him, he had already taken a sip. His gaze remained locked on hers as he drank deeply. One gulp down, and most of the milk tea was gone. He took another sip, and the cup was empty.

“It’s quite sweet,” he said, flicking the empty cup with his finger. “Next time, I’ll buy one of each—full sugar, half sugar, and no sugar. No matter how your taste changes, you’ll have something you like.”

By now, the two had been married for nearly two months. They had done everything that should and shouldn’t be done as a married couple. Yet, watching his thin lips wrap around the straw that had just been in her mouth, his dark eyes holding her captive, his Adam’s apple moving slowly as he swallowed, and the way he downed the milk tea in big gulps, Tao Xiaoxi’s face inevitably flushed red.

The entire scene replayed in slow motion in her mind, step by step, breaking apart and then coming back together.

It was simply too… shameless.

He was definitely doing it on purpose.

Tao Xiaoxi muttered under her breath, “Pervert.”

Chen Fang looked aggrieved. “It’s broad daylight in a public space. I didn’t touch you or even come near you. I was just drinking milk tea. How am I a pervert? That’s slander.”

Tao Xiaoxi ground her teeth, wishing she could bite him. Broad daylight, public space? Why didn’t he go become an opera singer?

The workers in the shop perked up their ears, trying to eavesdrop on the hushed conversation between the two at the corner. Among them, A Jian’s ears were the most alert, though he couldn’t catch a single word. However, he was certain of one thing—Brother Fang was teasing his wife, because Sister-in-law’s face was getting redder and redder, almost as red as the newly hung lanterns across the street.

Chen Fang was just getting into the swing of teasing his wife when his phone buzzed. Taking it out, he saw the caller ID: Zhou Ying. Since they were so close, Tao Xiaoxi naturally saw it too. She turned to leave, but Chen Fang quickly grabbed her, half-hugging and half-pulling her into an empty side room.

He answered the call and put it on speaker. “Sister Ying, what’s wrong?”

Zhou Ying’s cheerful voice came through the phone. “Wow, the sun must’ve risen from the west today. I can’t believe I’m hearing you call me ‘sister’ in this lifetime.”

Chen Fang glanced at Tao Xiaoxi. “I’m just following Xiaoxi’s lead. She calls you Sister Yingying, so I call you sister too. When you’re married, you follow your wife’s example.”

Zhou Ying chuckled. “Following your wife’s lead? Xiaoxi is so sweet and polite when she calls me Sister Yingying—it’s pleasant and heartwarming. But when you call me sister, it’s nightmare fuel. I’ll be haunted in my dreams. But I have to tell Old Zhou about this. He’ll probably die laughing when he hears it. Anyway, tomorrow’s meeting with Fengyi won’t be in the city anymore. They’re coming over to check the site in person.”

Chen Fang replied, “Got it. I’ll have the meal arrangements changed accordingly.”

After finishing the business talk, Zhou Ying was about to hang up but suddenly remembered something. “Oh, and tell Qiu Tingyu to stop calling me from different numbers. I’ve told him a thousand times—I don’t like younger guys. I’m looking for a man, not a little brother. I prefer older men, not fresh-faced boys. He’s driving me crazy.”

Chen Fang fiddled with Tao Xiaoxi’s fingers and replied, “I don’t keep in touch with Qiu Tingyu much these days. You two sort it out yourselves. If he ends up becoming your boyfriend, I’ll be in an awkward position between you two. So, you better handle it.”

“Ugh, you’re such a jinx. Forget it, I can’t count on you,” Zhou Ying said before hanging up decisively.

Chen Fang gently pinched Tao Xiaoxi’s thumb, then her index finger, and continued pinching each of her five fingers in turn. Finally, he wrapped her soft hand in his palm and gave it a light squeeze. “I’ve been thinking about the root of our misunderstanding. I’m used to calling Zhou Ying by her full name, and I didn’t think much of it. But to you, it probably sounded like something else. From now on, I’ll follow your lead and call her sister too. That way, there’ll be some distance. After all, I’m on your side.”

Should she say he was good at pinpointing the crux of the problem? If there was anything about him and Zhou Ying that made her uncomfortable, it was his habit of calling Zhou Ying by her name so casually. She liked how he called her Tao Xiaoxi, and she disliked how he called Zhou Ying so intimately. A name carried more meaning than one might think.

Tao Xiaoxi pulled her hand back, her eyes now more lively, though she didn’t show it on her face. “Call her whatever you want. Why do I feel like you’re so eager for Qiu Tingyu and Sister Yingying to get together?”

Chen Fang wasn’t exactly rooting for Qiu Tingyu and Zhou Ying to end up together. He just wanted Qiu Tingyu to settle down with anyone—anyone at all—as long as he stopped hovering around his wife. But, of course, he couldn’t say that aloud.

When he couldn’t hold her hand anymore, Chen Fang reached for her ear and pinched it gently. “If they get together, we’ll only need to give one gift. How great is that? It’ll save money.”

…

Chen Fang noticed that she didn’t resist when he pinched her ear and was contemplating whether he could push his luck when a sudden burst of wailing and shouting came from outside. Annoyed, he craned his neck to see what was going on, his eyes flashing with irritation. What were they yelling about now? He was at a critical moment coaxing his wife.

A Jian appeared with a distressed expression, his face pale. “Brother Fang, what’s in this black bag that Sister-in-law brought? Something inside keeps moving.”

Tao Xiaoxi stepped out of the small room and answered A Jian calmly, “It’s fish. I just bought two from the nearby market.”

“Fish?” A Jian wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I thought it was something else.”

The other workers burst into laughter, teasing A Jian for being scared of a live fish. They joked that his courage was even smaller than a mouse’s.

A Jian’s face flushed red with embarrassment, turning from dark to a sugar-brown shade.

The corners of Tao Xiaoxi’s mouth curled up. She hadn’t expected the burly and broad-shouldered A Jian to be so timid.

Chen Fang watched his wife, noticing the rare smile on her face these past few days. He began pondering whether he should feign being scared of a fish when they got home, just to make her laugh again.

Tao Xiaoxi picked up the black bag from the floor and carried it back to the small room. She reassured A Jian, “Alright, you can’t see it anymore, so there’s no need to be afraid now.”

A Jian’s face turned from sugar-brown to purplish-red. He was scared, but not to that extent!

Just then, Tao Xiaoxiao entered the room with a stick of candied hawthorn in one hand and a cotton candy in the other. She immediately noticed A Jian’s flushed face. “A Jian, why is your face so red?”

Someone beside her was about to answer when A Jian quickly slapped a hand over their mouth. He replied to Tao Xiaoxiao, “Maybe I’m feeling hot.”

Tao Xiaoxiao took a bite of her cotton candy and handed the candied hawthorn to Tao Xiaoxi. “You’re really something. It’s so cold, yet you’re still hot?”

A Jian’s face turned from purplish-red to a deep reddish-black.

The laughter in the room grew louder, and even Tao Xiaoxi couldn’t help but chuckle.

Chen Fang watched her soft, gentle profile as she laughed, then hooked her finger with his and leaned close. “Did you buy the fish just to cook something to nourish me, hmm?”

He recalled how, on their way back from the hospital, her mother had listed a bunch of foods that were good for recovering from a concussion, and fish was among them.

Tao Xiaoxi turned to glance at him, her smile fading slightly as she replied, “It’s for the dog.”

Chen Fang: …

So, he was doomed to live like a dog, huh?

Chen Fang didn’t stay long before leaving, as he still had other matters to attend to. Besides, coaxing his wife wasn’t something that could be resolved in a short time, and the effect of doing so during the day wasn’t as good as at night. He decided to save the grand finale for the evening. After all, as the saying goes, couples argue at the head of the bed and make up at the foot. Moreover, this didn’t even really count as an argument—making up should be much quicker.

Before leaving, he stole a bite of her candied hawthorn while holding her hand. “See you tonight at home.”

Tao Xiaoxi glared at him. “See your ghost.”

Not long after Chen Fang left, Tao Xiaoxi also went home. She had work to do. A senior colleague had sent her a new project, and the deadline was tight. Projects with tight deadlines usually paid well, and she liked well-paying work.

When she drove home, she noticed clothes hanging in the yard on the first floor. Was Grandma back already? She wasn’t supposed to return until the day after tomorrow. Tao Xiaoxi quickly walked into the hallway and knocked on the door of the first-floor apartment.

“Grandma, why did you come back today? I was supposed to pick you up the day after tomorrow!” Tao Xiaoxi said as she hugged Yan Qiufang.

Yan Qiufang patted her shoulder affectionately, smiling. “Her son happened to drive to the city, so I came back with him to save you the trouble.”

The old lady noticed the bag in Tao Xiaoxi’s hand. “What did you buy? Fish?”

“Yes, fish. I wanted—” Tao Xiaoxi paused and corrected herself, “Chen Fang wanted to eat fish, so I bought two.”

“Perfect timing. I was just wondering what to cook tonight,” Yan Qiufang said as she took the bag. “Go wash your hands. I brought back a lot of treats for you.”

It wasn’t just “a lot.” The coffee table was nearly covered with snacks—fried peanuts, walnuts, frozen pears, golden persimmon cakes, and a bright red box of fresh strawberries.

Tao Xiaoxi picked up a persimmon cake and took a bite, the sweetness warming her heart.

“Grandma, you’re amazing. How much did you bring back?”

Yan Qiufang placed freshly washed strawberries on the coffee table. “These are all homegrown, no pesticides or anything like that. The strawberries were picked fresh this morning from the greenhouse. I know you love them, so I brought plenty.”

Tao Xiaoxi handed a big strawberry to the old lady’s mouth, “Grandma, you are so kind to me.”

Yan Qiufang ate the strawberry and lovingly patted her granddaughter-in-law’s head. “Silly child, if I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well? You and Chen Fang are the most important people to me in this world. In my eyes, you’re number one, and he’s number two. If he dares to bully you, tell me, and I’ll deal with him.”

Tao Xiaoxi fed her another strawberry and said with mock grievance, “Grandma, while you were away, he kept bullying me. He calls me ‘shorty’ and pats my head just because he’s taller. When he gets home, you have to help me teach him a lesson.”

Yan Qiufang’s expression turned serious. “That brat! Just wait until he gets home. I’ll smack him with a shoe. Calling you ‘shorty’ with your height? What does that make me in his eyes, a stubby old woman?”

The old lady was half a head shorter than Tao Xiaoxi. Tao Xiaoxi stuck out her tongue playfully, realizing she hadn’t meant to imply anything about her grandmother’s height. She was just looking for an excuse to complain about Chen Fang.

When Chen Fang arrived at the door, he saw the lights on in the first-floor apartment and assumed that Tao Xiaoxi was so upset she didn’t want to share a room with him tonight. As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, before he could even change his shoes, the old lady came out of the kitchen wielding a feather duster. She smacked him on the back a few times.

“Just because you’re tall, you think you’re so great? Like a tree stump! If you dare to call Xiaoxi ‘shorty’ or pat her head again, see how I’ll deal with you!”

Chen Fang was initially confused about what had happened. When had he ever called her “shorty”? It wasn’t until his eyes met Tao Xiaoxi’s gaze that he realized.

She stood a short distance away, tossing a strawberry into her mouth. She chewed slowly, swallowed, and then smiled at him with squinting eyes. Her crescent-shaped gaze seemed to say just two words: Serves you right.

Finally, he understood where the slap came from.

Chen Fang hadn’t finished coaxing his wife and had now managed to upset the old lady as well. Normally, a few sweet words from him could bring a smile to the old lady’s face, but today, even at the dinner table, he didn’t get so much as a pleasant glance from her.

The old lady didn’t eat seafood, but she was excellent at cooking it. After all, she had a grandson who loved seafood. However, tonight, the fish was not meant for the grandson.

The old lady picked up two pieces of crescent-shaped fish meat and placed them in Tao Xiaoxi’s bowl. “This part is the best.”

Uh-oh… Now it was Tao Xiaoxi’s turn to suffer from her earlier words. Why did she have to say during the day that the fish was meant for… dogs?

Chen Fang, unfazed, picked up a piece of leafy green vegetable and slowly chewed it before speaking, “Grandma, Tao Xiaoxi loves your fish the most. She even said last time she didn’t get enough. I think tonight, even this entire fish won’t satisfy her.”

The old lady ignored Chen Fang and spoke only to Tao Xiaoxi, “Don’t worry, eat as much as you want. This whole fish is yours, not even a single bite for him. Let him reflect on how he bullies others. If it’s not enough, I’ll make more tomorrow. There’s still another fish.”

Under the old lady’s earnest gaze, Tao Xiaoxi picked up a piece of crescent-shaped fish meat and put it into her mouth. The taste was, of course, delicious, but swallowing it was a struggle. It felt as if she was consuming a spell that would turn her into another species—a spell of her own making, no less.

A low chuckle came from the side, clearly gloating.

Without hesitation, Tao Xiaoxi picked up another piece of crescent-shaped fish meat and stuffed it into his mouth. She turned to the old lady and said, “Grandma, I won’t argue with him. The fish is too good to eat alone.” Then she looked at Chen Fang with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and said, “Tasty, isn’t it?”

Feeling the murderous intent in her gaze, Chen Fang smiled and nodded. “Of course, Grandma’s cooking is naturally delicious.”

In the end, the couple shared the entire fish. As husband and wife, they couldn’t let one person enjoy the good stuff alone. If a transformation were to happen, they figured they’d go through it together.

Tao Xiaoxi rubbed her round belly and went upstairs first. She needed to finish at least half of her work tonight. Chen Fang finished washing the dishes before heading upstairs. He made plenty of noise entering the room, but someone didn’t even lift an eyelid.

Chen Fang sat beside her and cleared his throat. “Tao Xiaoxi, you said you wouldn’t hold a grudge against me anymore.”

Without looking up, Tao Xiaoxi replied, “Did I say that? I don’t remember.”

“When did your memory get so bad?”

Tao Xiaoxi glanced at him. “Do you really want me to have a good memory? Should I remind you of how your bid went yesterday? Or where you stayed the night before?”

…

Chen Fang cupped her face and rubbed it hard. “What will it take for you to stop being mad at me?”

Tao Xiaoxi answered him with a tongue twister, “If I knew how to stop being mad, I wouldn’t be mad in the first place. Don’t disturb my work tonight. I have so much to do. If I can’t finish, I’ll be even angrier.”

Chen Fang initially planned to tempt her into some detox time together, thinking it might help vent her anger. However, seeing how focused she was on her work, he decided to stay quiet and not disturb her.

Tao Xiaoxi quickly immersed herself in her work. When she finally looked up again, it was almost eleven o’clock. The room was quiet, and she thought he had already gone to sleep. She stretched her neck side to side while walking toward the bedroom.

The door to the bedroom was half open. She pushed it fully open, her head tilted to the left, and stopped in her tracks. Her gaze landed on the bed.

The room was dimly lit by a single night lamp.

Under the warm yellow glow, he sat leaning against the headboard. On his head was a pink bunny ear headband, and around his waist was a white apron. His dark eyes locked onto hers.

It was the same look he had given her earlier in the day when they were drinking milk tea.