Chapter 34: It Pays to Know How to Act

"Then... can my husband keep me company while I eat?" Chen Xingmiao pulled him back toward the table.

Xiao Ziyu shook his head, frowning as he looked at her.

"It has all gone cold. I will make you something else tomorrow."

Chen Xingmiao's mouth drooped instantly, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"But I'm so hungry right now," she muttered softly. "I just want to eat the food you make."

As she spoke, she tugged gently on his sleeve with her small hands, swaying slightly in a display of pure coquetry.

Watching her, Xiao Ziyu sighed helplessly. He reached out and patted her head. "I really can't do anything with you. Fine, I'll go heat it up."

With that, he turned and walked toward the kitchen.

Chen Xingmiao’s face lit up immediately, and she followed closely behind him.

"My husband is the best! I knew you wouldn't have the heart to let me go hungry."

In the kitchen, Xiao Ziyu skillfully poured the food into a pot and lit the fire. Chen Xingmiao stood by his side, watching him without blinking, occasionally leaning in to catch the aroma.

A flush crept across Xiao Ziyu's face. Subconsciously, he looked away from her, coughed twice, and spoke slowly.

"Wife, we will eat together from now on, won't we?"

"Of, of course." Chen Xingmiao smiled, feeling a bit guilty.

Who knew what the future held? She only wanted to earn points quickly and go home.

Xiao Ziyu served the reheated food, oblivious to her inner tension.

After dinner, the two went to bed early. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Xiao Ziyu’s thin, gaunt face.

Chen Xingmiao turned over and happened to see him.

Under the watery moonlight, his profile appeared even more refined, yet his hollow cheeks stirred a sense of pity in her heart.

She raised her hand and stroked his face.

Xiao Ziyu opened his eyes and instinctively nuzzled against her palm.

"Husband, in the future, I will make sure you live in wealth and comfort. It won't be like it was before."

Although the script didn't detail exactly what hardships he had suffered, she had seen enough dramas in her past life to know how these things went. If she could ensure Xiao Ziyu’s life was safe and prosperous before she returned home, she would have done a good deed.

A flash of shock crossed Xiao Ziyu’s eyes, and then he lowered his head and buried it in her embrace.

"I'm sleepy, wife."

His voice was very faint. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Chen Xingmiao felt he was imitating the tone she had used to act spoiled earlier.

It was the first time the little villain had relied on her so defenselessly.

So, what about the favorability points? "Little Six" was suspiciously quiet. If this didn't raise his favorability, there was truly no justice in the world.

Chen Xingmiao couldn't help but lament her tragic fate internally once again.

As she sighed, the breathing of the man in her arms gradually steadied.

She froze for a moment, then slowly raised her hand, her fingers gently brushing through his hair before she lightly patted his back.

Looking at him as he slept, he looked more like a child than the cold-blooded villain he was destined to be.

Perhaps... he wasn't that bad, right?

Chen Xingmiao didn't know who she was asking, so she simply rested her head against his.

The moonlight filtered through the mottled window lattice, casting pools of silver across the floor.

The two huddled together, gradually drifting into dreamland.

The next morning.

Chen Xingmiao woke up slowly to find Xiao Ziyu gone.

She got up and walked to the window. Expecting to see him reading in the courtyard as usual, she was surprised to see him emerging from the kitchen carrying breakfast.

"Chuntao, hurry and help the mistress wash up, then serve breakfast."

Xiao Ziyu placed the meal on the table. Chuntao responded and began helping Chen Xingmiao dress and wash.

Once ready, she sat at the table, eagerly picking up her chopsticks to grab a fried egg. She took a bite, and the sweet flavor blossomed on her tongue.

"This is delicious," she praised with a smile, though her eyes fell on Xiao Ziyu’s hands.

His hands were not the slender, elegant ones described in novels; instead, they were red from the cold, covered in old scars and small, chapped cracks.

"Your hands..." Chen Xingmiao pulled out some hand cream and grabbed his hand to apply it.

Xiao Ziyu pulled his hand away dismissively, laughing, "Wife, this is something for you women. A grown man like me..."

"What about men? Men and women are equal!"

Chen Xingmiao interrupted him, pulling his hand back to carefully apply the cream.

Xiao Ziyu looked down at her with curiosity.

Men and women are equal? This was the first time he had heard such a concept from the mouth of a young lady of status.

"Why does my wife have the idea that men and women are equal?" Xiao Ziyu narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with suspicion.

Chen Xingmiao paused, thinking to herself that she had made a mistake.

How could she have let a modern concept slip out? How was she supposed to explain this?

Her mind raced, but she remained composed on the surface.

"I... I just feel that men have their hardships, and women have their own difficulties, so... it’s all the same."

"Is that so?" Xiao Ziyu leaned closer.

His warm breath brushed against her face, making her increasingly restless.

As Xiao Ziyu pressed on, Chen Xingmiao’s heart began to race, and her back was already soaked with a cold sweat.

She forced herself to stay calm and looked him in the eye, though her gaze flickered involuntarily.

"I’ve noticed that my wife has changed quite a bit lately. This way of thinking... it’s as if you’ve become a different person." Xiao Ziyu’s tone was probing. He reached out to lift her chin, forcing her to look directly at him.

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Xingmiao. Her eyes instantly welled up with red, and she said indignantly, "Husband, we have been married for many days now. How can you still be so suspicious of me?"

As she spoke, tears began to pool in her eyes, giving her a pitiful, aggrieved appearance.

Xiao Ziyu blinked, his brow furrowing slightly.

This woman’s tears—why did they come so easily every time?

He opened his mouth to say something, but his throat felt constricted, as if he couldn't utter a single word.

"Don't cry, wife. It's my fault. I... I shouldn't be so suspicious." Xiao Ziyu released her chin, his tone softening involuntarily, tinged with a rare sense of panic and helplessness.

He reached out, wanting to wipe away the tears, but stopped mid-air, fearing he might be too forward.

Chen Xingmiao stole a glance at him and breathed a sigh of relief, though she continued to sob. "I was only worried about you because you work so hard, yet you are always suspicious of me. I feel so wronged."

As she spoke, she wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, looking so miserable that anyone would feel pity for her.

"I... I really didn't mean to. It's my fault. Please, don't cry." Xiao Ziyu was completely flustered, standing there at a loss, explaining himself incoherently.

Watching his frantic state, Chen Xingmiao felt a surge of secret joy, though she maintained her aggrieved expression.

*Oh my, being able to act really does come in handy.*