Prince charming, your persona has collapsed!
Chapter 806 - 332: The Taste of Home_2

Looking at Su Qing's delicate and pitiful expression.

Zhou Yuwen sighed and said, "Alright, let's go upstairs."

As soon as Zhou Yuwen said that, Su Qing's face immediately lit up with a radiant smile.

This girl is so easy to coax.

Actually, Zhou Yuwen genuinely thought that going upstairs or not made no difference.

But if they did go up and ran into a neighbor who noticed Su Qing bringing a man home, that wouldn't look too good.

However, since Su Qing insisted on going up.

Then, so be it.

Su Qing's home was on the fourth floor, part of an old residential building. Two of the voice-activated lights in the stairway were broken, making it rather inconvenient.

Zhou Yuwen had visited Su Qing's home before, but had long forgotten these small details.

Having grown accustomed to the bustling scenes of the big city, he suddenly felt a sense of disbelief, thinking, "People can actually live in places like this?"

She unlocked the door with a key.

And so, the two of them entered this cozy two-bedroom apartment.

Though the home was a bit old, with two women living here, it was undeniably warm and inviting.

They were greeted immediately by a fragrant aroma upon entering.

A pretty tablecloth covered the dining table.

Su Qing was delighted that Zhou Yuwen agreed to come upstairs with her. This time was different than before—this was done secretly, which added an inexplicable thrill to her heart.

Just earlier, while pulling Zhou Yuwen upstairs through the stairwell, Su Qing wore an uncharacteristically cautious look.

Even after closing the door behind them at home, Su Qing playfully smiled and whispered to Zhou Yuwen, "See? I told you my mom's working overtime and wouldn't be back, right?"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "It's getting late though, isn't it?"

"No way! She's managing a graduating class, she's got to stay until 10 PM," Su Qing said.

Zhou Yuwen simply said, "Alright then."

Seeing Zhou Yuwen's lack of enthusiasm, Su Qing wanted to share her happiness with him. So, she tiptoed and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, coquettishly saying, "Come on, don't be upset! It's our first time; it should be special, right?"

Zhou Yuwen said he wasn't upset.

"It's just... I'm afraid your mom might find out. After all, we're not married yet. If she does find out, she'd think I'm some kind of scoundrel."

Su Qing thought Zhou Yuwen cared about her mother's impression of him, as if he was planning for the future to marry her. This made her feel joyful. She asked, "Oh? You really care about that?"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Of course. Your mom used to treat me pretty well. I wouldn't want this ruining her opinion of me."

"Hmph! So, what you mean is, I don't treat you well?"

Just a moment ago, she was all smiles, but now her face stiffened again.

Zhou Yuwen sidestepped Su Qing and sat on the sofa, saying, "That I wouldn't know."

Su Qing glanced at him, grinding her teeth in irritation, and said, "Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going to take a shower. Want to join me?"

"Nah, you go ahead."

Su Qing didn't press Zhou Yuwen further. After all, she was definitely going to shower. Unlike last time, this time should be considered their actual "first time."

Su Qing wanted to treat it seriously.

And so, she headed into the bathroom.

Just as she turned away, Zhou Yuwen called out, "Hey."

"Hmm?" Su Qing asked curiously.

"Don't forget to put on the stockings after your shower—I haven't had my fill of touching them yet."

Su Qing's face broke into a sly smile. "You bad boy!"

And with that, she turned and headed into the bathroom.

Left alone in the living room, Zhou Yuwen spent some time observing. Su Qing's home was similar to many small middle-class homes, except it lacked a man's presence.

The living room was connected to the balcony, where all sorts of women's clothes were hung—both inner and outerwear.

Su Qing and her mother, Pan Min, had completely different styles. Zhou Yuwen could easily distinguish which clothes belonged to Pan Min, and which were Su Qing's.

The sizes were clearly different.

Ah, forget it. Better not look too much.

Leaving the balcony, Zhou Yuwen wandered into the kitchen, noticing there were quite a few instant noodle packets here. It seemed like his future mother-in-law wasn't big on cooking. Eating instant noodles often? That's unhealthy.

He opened the fridge and examined its contents: tomatoes, eggs, and broccoli.

Some bottles of cola.

Living alone really had its perks.

Earlier in the car, Su Qing had told Zhou Yuwen she was hungry. Reflecting on it, neither of them had eaten much since lunch. Zhou Yuwen quickly surveyed the kitchen and noticed there was leftover rice in the rice cooker—probably cooked by her mother alone earlier that day.

Sigh, honestly, Zhou Yuwen had been quite excited earlier in the car.

But Su Qing interrupting his flow seemed to dampen his mood now.

Well, since he was here, why not whip up some food?

After all, they still had two and a half hours before her mother returned—a perfect window for dinner and maybe even some exercise afterward.

With that in mind, he turned on the range hood.

Green onions hit the pan.

Zhou Yuwen immediately transformed into Chef Xiao Zhou, skillfully stirring and preparing the meal.

Given Su Qing's limited ingredients at home, he decided on fried rice with scrambled eggs and a side of tomato-egg stir-fry. That should suffice.

Girls tended to take their time in the shower, but Su Qing didn't want Zhou Yuwen to wait too long.

Thus, she quickly rinsed off and stepped out.

She tied her hair up, changed into a white shirt, and deliberately took out a pair of brand-new flesh-colored stockings from the cabinet.

These stockings were undoubtedly Pan Min's.

Su Qing, a college girl, wouldn't usually buy stockings to wear. The ones she wore earlier were also Pan Min's.

With that, she stood before the mirror to check herself out.

She unbuttoned two buttons on her shirt, folding the collar outward slightly.

At least she made some effort to look enticing, right?

She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling quite satisfied.

Then she turned and left the bathroom.

Wearing slippers, she walked into the living room, only to find Zhou Yuwen busy cooking.

This scene instantly reminded Su Qing of their life post-marriage.

Zhou Yuwen stood with a tall and upright posture. He wasn't wearing a jacket, just a black sweater paired with trousers, and an apron. One hand worked the pan, while the other held the spatula.

He only offered Su Qing a side profile view.

But just this single side profile was enough to move her heart.

Su Qing found herself reminiscing about their strong early days of marriage.

At that time, Su Qing had just started working, always overwhelmed by endless tasks.

No matter how late Su Qing worked, Zhou Yuwen would come pick her up.

At home, it'd be just like tonight—she'd shower, and he'd prepare food in the kitchen.

Maybe some noodles, or a bowl of fried rice, just like tonight.

After so much time had passed, Su Qing realized that the best things were those she had once had.

There Zhou Yuwen was, earnestly stir-frying the rice.

Suddenly, Su Qing hugged Zhou Yuwen tightly from behind.

Closing her eyes, she took a greedy sniff of Zhou Yuwen's back, saying, "Fried rice again!? It's been ages since I've had it."

Zhou Yuwen replied, "I haven't made it in ages either! But didn't you say you were hungry?"

The casual remark, though offhand, made Su Qing feel Zhou Yuwen's tenderness toward her. She hugged him tightly, rested her chin on his shoulder, and rubbed her face against his cheek, murmuring, "You really haven't changed, hubby~"

"Don't start. I've changed plenty."

The pan was emptied.

He poured the fried rice onto a plate.

"Move over."

"Mm-hmm!"

And just like that, a plate of fried rice was served.

Their dining area featured a pendant light, adding some romantic vibes.

Turning off the other lights, only the pendant light remained, illuminating just the space around the dining table.

Zhou Yuwen handed Su Qing a spoon.

"Try it."

Su Qing took a bite, puffing her cheeks as she said, "There's no shrimp in here~"

"Be thankful there's food at all! Stop being picky—it's not even my ingredients."

Su Qing giggled and said, "Then next time, you buy them."

Though the ingredients weren't perfect, the flavor hadn't changed.

The taste was nostalgic, reminiscent of those nights long ago after tiring overtime shifts, returning home to hug her husband's back and eagerly await a hot bowl of fried rice.

It tasted like home.

A flavor Su Qing hadn't experienced in ages.

Bite after bite, Su Qing lowered her head, suddenly silent for a long time.

Zhou Yuwen sat nearby, sipping cola while waiting for her to eat.

Partway through eating, Su Qing suddenly stopped.

Zhou Yuwen looked at her, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"