The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Yao Yao was surprised that she could say those words so calmly.

She tilted her head.

"It's different."

"No matter how meticulous the cook's work is, that's to be expected. But the snacks outside the school are specially provided. The sentiment is all in that hottest piece of glutinous rice cake you ask for when you lift the lid of the steamer."

Ning Suchan frowned, thinking that no one had taught her how to be a wife and a mother.

I want to say, what kind of twisted logic is this?

Yao Yao: "Actually, it's not that I'm really short of food."

She told Ning Suchan.

“Even when my classmates picked up a pastry to eat and exclaimed that it was brought to me by my mother, Prince Wei could also pull out a pastry wrapped in oil paper from his sleeve and say that he had one too.”

Ning Suchan was slightly taken aback.

After the clothes were delivered, Yao Yao followed the maid to change. She showed no intention of leaving and went to sit down next to Ning Su Chan.

"lady."

She asked politely, "There was a lamp in the room where I was changing clothes. Could you take out the gemstone from the lamp and give it to me?"

Ning Suchan?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Wei Fengxing returned, Ning Suchan was still sitting in the courtyard.

My posture isn't as good as before; it's become stiffer.

Yao Yao, being the clingy little rice cake, was sleeping soundly, nestled softly on her arm. Her warm breath seeped through her sleeve, making her feel uneasy.

But Ning Suchan was really afraid of waking people up.

When I woke up, another thing came up that could kill me.

"I was careless."

She heard footsteps, looked up, and met Wei Fengxing's gaze.

Seeing him reminded me of last night, time and time again, until finally the bedding on the bed was... a complete mess.

Both of them seemed a little awkward.

Wei Fengxing coughed lightly.

There's no need to investigate; it's obvious the problem lies with that medicine.

But the one who was given the medicine was Guizhi.

"Isn't this Fu Ju's daughter? What's she doing here?"

Ning Suchan: "I don't know."

They still can't drive them away.

"Why is she sleeping here with the madam?"

Ning Suchan: "I don't know either."

While sunbathing, he leaned against her.

Wei Fengxing: "She is quite close to you."

Ning Suchan: ...

It is also close to the lamp in the side room.

Seeing that she remained silent, Wei Fengxing asked, "Did I hurt you yesterday...?"

Ning Suqian's body went limp. She looked away and whispered, "Don't mention it."

The last time Wei Fengxing saw her acting awkwardly was when the two of them had just gotten married.

When Yao Yao woke up, Wei Fengxing was helping Ning Suchan look at the account books.

As soon as she made a sound, Ning Suchan looked over.

"Now that you're awake, then..."

Leave.

Not finished yet.

Yao Yao: "It's time to eat."

She saw Wei Fengxing, stood up abruptly, and scrutinized him closely.

I just feel... Wei Fengxing is in good health, there's nothing wrong with him.

It's clear there's nothing wrong with it.

She was completely at ease.

It must have been hard for her to come over so early and have been busy all morning.

They've all worked so hard...

Yao Yao touched her stomach and asked in confusion, "Isn't Madam going to leave some food for me?"

Meeting her pleading eyes, Ning Suchan swallowed her words of refusal.

But soon, she regretted it.

She always believed in not speaking while eating or sleeping.

But Yao Yao talks a lot.

However, what she said was quite outrageous.

Yao Yao believed that she had spent the morning with Ning Suchan and that they had a good relationship.

She tugged at Ning Suchan's sleeve and said softly, "You married well."

Ning Suchan: ?

Upon hearing the sound, Wei Fengxing: ?
Yao Yao: "I saw it all. The Duke was looking at the account books with you just now."

“My father said that men should shoulder the burdens outside, but they shouldn’t leave all the household chores to their wives. Sharing the burdens with their wives is the way to show they care.”

That's what Yu Jingcheng said.

Ning Suchan paused, her fingertips pausing: "Eat."

Yao Yao: "I understand."

Wei Fengxing had always heard that the Grand Tutor's daughter was clever and mischievous, and couldn't help but laugh: "What do you know?"

Yao Yao was very direct: "Your wife is embarrassed."

Ning Suchan: ...

Wei Fengxing: ...

Yao Yao: "Isn't the Duke going to try to appease him?"

Ning Suqian interrupted calmly: "Didn't the Grand Tutor teach you the rules of dining?"

What are the rules for dining?

"The sage said..."

Yao Yao: "Where is the saint that Madam is talking about? Let him tell me."

"He has passed away."

Yao Yao wondered, "Even the most powerful saint can't escape the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. So how can he manage others when he can't even manage himself?"

Ning Suchan: ?
"Besides, rules are meant to be broken."

Yao Yao told her, "The Gu family used to have a lot of rules, but I've already broken most of them."

Everyone knows how much the Gu family dotes on their daughter who was lost and found again.

Can……

Ning Suqian said coldly, "This is the Wei family."

"Oh."

Yao Yao pursed her lips and lowered her head to eat a mouthful of rice.

Seeing that she had finally behaved herself, Ning Suchan was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Yao Yao looked up again, her face serious and earnest.

"Madam, can't you just give in to me?"

Ning Suchan: ? ? ? ?
Yao Yao: "Rules are for outward expression, for outsiders to see." She is still young and cannot yet express herself clearly.

— Etiquette and rules are merely outward appearances, meant only for show. As for home life, one should simply seek comfort and ease; why confine oneself to rigid rules and restrict one's physical form?

Therefore, she said.

"Just put on an act in front of others, but behind closed doors, it's all about your own comfort. Otherwise, it's exhausting. You'll exhaust yourself, and the people around you will too."

She nodded after she finished speaking.

The teachers at the Imperial Academy always talked about rules and regulations, which really exhausted her.

Wei Fengxing never expected her to say such a thing; she was remarkably insightful.

Wei Zhao arrived at this time.

He felt ashamed to face his father and mother. But he couldn't pretend to be dead. However, upon entering the main courtyard, he learned from the servants that Yao Yao had arrived.

They arrived very early this morning.

No, how could she possibly come so often?
Wei Zhao gets a headache just thinking about her now.

He walked to the door and knocked a few times.

The three people eating inside looked over.

Wei Zhao said calmly, "Come out."

It was obviously said to Yao Yao.

Ning Suchan heard the voice and suddenly looked up.

Thinking about what Yao Yao had said before, she felt very uncomfortable.

She is indeed an incompetent mother.

Yao Yao jumped off the stool and walked out with a clattering sound.

"Is something wrong?"

Wei Zhao led her to stand to the side.

"Why are you here?"

Yao Yao was definitely feeling guilty.

He was especially shocked when he saw Wei Zhao at the pavilion yesterday.

"I……"

She, right?

I don't want to bring up the past.

Although the Duke of Wei appeared to be unharmed, she feared that Wei Zhao might have leverage over her.

His round eyes darted around.

"I miss you..."

She's good at coaxing people.

Wei Zhao frowned and interrupted, "This is only the third time we've met today."

rhetoric.

Yao Yao added slowly, "It's your cat."

Wei Zhao:......

His face was a little dark.

Yao Yao thought she had hurt him.

That's true, men care a lot about their image.

Yao Yao was very kind: "I also miss the young master. Although we are not familiar with each other, I always feel that I feel like we are old friends."

Wei Zhao smirked: "Thinking about me? You came to my mother's place?"

Yao Yao: "Is this a conflict?"

"Although I miss you, I am afraid of bothering you, which shows that I am a very sensible person."

And, of course, she didn't forget to praise herself.

Yao Yao went back and sat down.

"Lord Duke, why aren't you serving food to your wife?"

Wei Zhao? ? ?

Why is he even instructing his father on how to do things?
Wei Zhao did not rush inside. He stood at the door and saw his father readily scoop up a spoonful of Longjing shrimp.

The mother was probably about to stand up and thank him.

Because Ning Suchan was too particular about etiquette, the two of them did not get along like husband and wife, but rather like ruler and subject.

The father tried to break the ice many times, but the mother remained...

Sure enough, Wei Zhao saw Ning Suchan about to get up.

It is precisely at this critical juncture.

Yao Yao grabbed her hand.

Yao Yao was puzzled: "What's wrong, Madam? The Duke treats you well, just accept it. You..."

Just you wait, you're going to get yelled at.

Wei Zhao looked on indifferently.

However, in the next instant...

He saw that his mother had a headache and seemed helpless, so he used his chopsticks to pick up a spring roll and stuff it into her mouth.

"All right."

Ning Suchan: "Give your mouth a rest."

Seeing her like this, Wei Fengxing's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he took the opportunity to ladle another bowl of soup for Ning Suchan.

"Why bother gagging her? I think the girl is right."

"She's being unreasonable, and her husband is being unreasonable too?"

Wei Zhao narrowed his eyes: ?
No.

What happened to the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping?

He found it absurd.

But looking at the scene before me, it felt incredibly unreal.

It's like an ordinary family's home.

It's so unreal that I wouldn't even dare to dream about it.

He stared blankly at the scene before him.

The crisp sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking together, the gentle whispers between parents, and even the rising steam of soup seemed alive.

This was the vibrant, human world he had longed for since childhood but had never seen.

Wei Zhao suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

So this is what home can be like.

He stared at the scene with almost greedy intensity, as if trying to etch it into his very bones.

“Return to it.”

Ning Suqian's voice was a little hoarse: "Why are you still standing there like an idiot?"

Wei Fengxing said gently, "Hurry up and go sit down next to your mother."

The tone of his voice carried a relaxed quality that Wei Zhao had never heard before.

The person who stirred up the spring water was completely unaware, busy rummaging through the rice in their bowl with their cheeks puffed out.

Wei Zhao paused for a moment, then chuckled softly. He stepped into the warm light, the wind from his sleeves startling the candlelight.

In the flickering light and shadow, he saw the rules and shackles he had strictly adhered to for more than ten years peeling away piece by piece into dust.

————————The End———

(End of this chapter)