Seeing that teasing look of Lu Chen, Xiu Mei suddenly felt the urge to wipe it off his face.

  She snorted before finally giving up on that thought. Forget it, she had her fun awhile ago. Let him have his fun right now. She’s very hungry.

  Xiu Mei took a step back and resumed cooking the cheese she was doing handmade. The three of them resumed doing their own chores. An hour later, dinner is now ready to serve.

  Xiu Mei garnished each of their plates beautifully before serving them on the dining table.

  Lu Chen didn’t have that many employees working in their home, and lately, most of them have been turning earlier for the night since Xiu Mei prefers to do her own cooking and cleaning at night and the other two people don’t really demand anything that much by that time.

  "How is it?" Xiu Mei asked Lu Qiang.

  The little kid nodded and boastfully said, "We’re so good, Mom!"

  He was very happy to eat all the food he made with his Mom.

  Xiu Mei patted his head as she enjoyed watching him enjoy his food. She turned to the big one and observed his expression as he ate. Lu Chen immediately noticed her stare.

  "It’s good."

  "Glad you like it."

  Lu Chen and Xiu Mei smiled at each other. The harmonious atmosphere didn’t subside even until after dinner.

  Since Xiu Mei did most of the cooking, the chore of cleaning the dishes fell on Lu Chen.

  "Here’s everything." Xiu Mei assisted Lu Chen in moving all the used plates to the sink. She was about to leave when she noticed that the apron he was wearing got untangled. Thinking that Lu Chen’s clothes might get dirty if it wasn’t fixed, her body reflexively moved forward and reached out to properly tie his apron.

  Lu Chen was surprised by the sudden movement as he paused to look at his left. With his height, he could see the top of Xiu Mue’s head as he watched her tying his apron so seriously.

  His lips curled up as he felt warm inside. From when they were cooking, while eating and now, Lu Chen couldn’t help but smile on the motherly gestures Xiu Mei was doing. She seemed to be doing it unconsciously ever since she started taking care of Lu Qiang.

  Even though he hadn’t caught this woman, just thinking that Xiu Mei is still willing to stay right here and showing concern for him, he was more than willing to persevere and work hard in chasing her.

  Then maybe one day, he can finally realize his true feelings as well.

  "What are you smiling about?"

  Xiu Mei just finished fixing his apron but when she looked up, she noticed Lu Chen smiling at her with such a warming smile. She froze for a second as her heart did a quick flip.

  Damn it, this man’s visuals are more deadly when he smiles.

  From being startled, she then grew suspicious as to why he was looking at her like that again. Is he planning something bad again?

  Even after realizing that he was staring at Xiu Mei too much, Lu Chen didn’t look away but instead, shamelessly smiled at her as he responded.

  "Admiring my wife."

  Xiu Mei blushed at the comment as she lightly slapped Lu Chen’s cheek to make him look away from her.

  "Shameless."

  "Only to you."

  "……"

  God, was Lu Chen drunk or something? It felt like he was getting weirder and weirder in each passing day.

  She was just about to walk away when he tugged her clothes, halting her movements.

  "What?"

  Does he still need something?

  When she turned to Lu Chen again, she met his aggrieved expression. He looked at her as if Xiu Mei had wronged him in some way.

  She stared with disbelief with Lu Chen’s ability to quickly change expressions in just a split second. And what’s with that look? If someone would see it, they would immediately think that she bullied him!

  What’s with this ice block? Why was he showing so many expressions these past few days!?

  "Wife, you’re mean." Lu Chen cried out.

  Xiu Mei held back her urge to hit her ’husband’ on the head. What the hell is he accusing her with now?!

  "Oh."

  "You won’t let me hug you."

  "Oh."

  "You won’t let me hold your hands."

  "Oh."

  "You won’t let me push you down."

  "……Oh."

  She almost fell speechless when his previous words. If she didn’t have the contract, was he planning to push her down every now and then?

  Xiu Mei’s colorful imagination quickly got to work as they created the image in her mind. Remembering that embarrassing scene, she quickly shook it off and removed it from her mind.

  My god, what the hell was she remembering now?!

  "Wife, how can I chase you like this?" Lu Chen complained at Xiu Mei’s sternness with this kind of thing. At this rate he’s going, he won’t have a wife to hug after one year.

  Xiu Mei finally understood why the guy was complaining right now. So did he felt wrong that he couldn’t have some skinship with her thus he was having difficulty chasing her?

  She crossed her arms as she stood in front of him. She eyed him as she remarked, "Isn’t that your problem?"

  "Wife……" The more Xiu Mei declined Lu Chen, the more he looked more aggrieved and upset. He was tugging her clothes like a child that was begging his parents to buy him candy because they won’t let him buy any.

  Xiu Mei:……

  Looking at him looking so poor right now made her slightly felt guilty. Looking at Lu Chen who was originally so cold and untouchable in the office now complaining like a child because of her, she almost thought she was a bad person bullying him……

  was she really being too strict?

  She originally set those terms to prevent Lu Chen in turning into a beast who’d suddenly attack her at night but looking at him being too pitiful right now, maybe she was actually thinking too much?

  Xiu Mei fell into contemplation as the wolf in puppy clothing acted pitiful in front of the wife.

  Since the flirting tactics didn’t work, he tried acting pitiful for her to see. He wasn’t really confident that Xiu Mei would fall for this but surprisingly, Xiu Mei seemed to be getting affected now.

  Right, he remembered. Xiu Mei at work and Xiu Mei at home are two different people. Xiu Mei at work was strict and professional though sometimes that persona would also fall from time to time.

  Then the Xiu Mei that he was living with at home was very different. She’s very soft and very intimate with Lu Qiang. She would also often disagree with him in contrast to her usual obedient self at the office.

  Maybe he should start taking advantage of her soft personality first? Then that’s when he’ll slowly sneak his way in and catch her?

  Hmmm. Lu Chen contemplated as well. That sounded like a good plan.

  "Wife?" He tugged her clothes again.

  "Fine. Holding hands and hugs are the only contacts allowed." Xiu Mei compromised, trying to give Lu Chen a chance to pursue her.

  "Wife!!!" Lu Chen was so delighted as that she could almost imagine flowers blooming in the background with how much lighter his expression changed into.

  Before Lu Chen could attack her with a hug, she put her hand in front of her stopping him from approaching her any more.

  "Finish washing the dishes first, then we’ll talk."

  "Then wife, you can’t take that back okay?"

  "I won’t."

  Xiu Mei slapped Lu Chen’s chest lightly before turning and walking away.

  Lu Chen watched Xiu Mei disappear from the kitchen as his smile slowly turned into a grin with cunningness behind it. A minute later, he turned to the sink and started cleaning.

  An hour later, Xiu Mei who just finished taking a shower was summoned to the Emperor��s study by message. She was still rubbing the towel in her hair as she read the message on her phone.

  Emperor Lu: Come to the study.

  She blinked curiously at the message. She quickly rubbed her hair for a few seconds before leaving the room.

  She was quite used to receiving this kind of message from Lu Chen. When he calls for her this late at night, it means that he needed something about work again.

  She knocked on the door the moment she arrived at the study.

  "Come in."

  She finally opened the door and saw Lu Chen sitting on the office chair wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He was sitting in front of his laptop, typing something in it.

  "What is it?" She asked.

  Lu Chen didn’t turn to her but instead gestured for her to come near him. Xiu Mei obediently complied and stopped beside him. The moment she reached his side, Lu Chen paused on whatever he was working on and stood up.

  Startled by the sudden movement, Xiu Mei almost took a step back but she was caught by Lu Chen’s arm that quickly sn.a.k.e.d her waist, pulling her to Lu Chen’s embrace.

  Xiu Mei:……?????