First, then, love.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the kitchen was bustling with activity as people prepared for the New Year's Eve dinner.

The Shu family's aunt went back to her hometown for the holidays, so Shu's mother was originally the head chef.

As a result, He Zheng washed his hands, went straight into the kitchen, and tied on a pink floral apron.

The art style is bizarre, yet strangely harmonious.

"Mom, you go outside and rest. I'll prepare the food," He Zheng said in a low voice, calling "Mom" naturally without any embarrassment.

Shu's mother was stunned for a moment, looking at his hands with a mixture of belief and doubt. "Xiao He, there's a lot of food for New Year's Eve dinner, don't tire yourself out."

"It's okay, I'm used to it."

He Zheng walked to the large central island platform.

I picked up the heavy kitchen knife and weighed it in my hand.

His eyes sharpened.

"Knock knock knock knock".

The blade moved swiftly up and down on the solid wood cutting board, producing a series of dense and rhythmic muffled sounds.

The potato shreds were cut as thin as cow hair, so evenly that they looked like they were pressed by a machine.

The ribs were chopped into uniform sizes with swift, precise cuts, leaving no piece of meat attached.

These are all divine knife skills that I honed day by day after marriage at home, forced by my wife, Shu Yao, who is such a troublemaker.

Showing it now is like a game-changer.

Shu's mother stood to the side, dumbfounded.

That knife skill, that deft and efficient technique, is even more professional than that of a head chef at a high-end restaurant.

The smile on Shu's mother's lips instantly stretched to her ears. The more she looked at this son-in-law, the more she felt that he was a rare treasure. He was handsome, good at fighting, protective of his own, rich and powerful, and could even cook. He was simply one in a million.

"Oh my, Xiao He, your cooking is amazing! Yao Yao is so lucky to have married you, she's had the best luck in her past lives."

Shu's mother praised it to the skies.

He Zheng didn't even look up, his hand still wielding the knife. "Mom, you've praised me too much. I'm the one who's been fortunate enough to be your friend."

Shu's mother felt extremely comforted upon hearing this and turned to leave the kitchen.

Upon entering the living room.

The smile on his face vanished instantly, and his eyebrows furrowed.

I spotted Shu Yao at a glance.

Wearing fluffy bunny pajamas, she lay sprawled on the sofa, completely unrefined.

While watching a funny variety show on TV, he stuffed caramel-flavored popcorn into his mouth, with crumbs falling onto his clothes on his chest.

"Snapped!"

Shu's mother walked over and slapped Shu Yao's calf without any mercy.

"Ouch!"

Shu Yao was startled and quickly pulled her leg back, almost spilling the popcorn in her hand all over the ground.

"Mom! Why did you hit me!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with grievance.

Shu's mother stood with her hands on her hips, pointing towards the kitchen with a look of exasperation.

"Look at you, sitting and standing so sloppily! Aren't you ashamed of yourself!"

Shu's mother lowered her voice and began to berate him like a machine gun.

"Xiao He is working up a sweat in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients, while you're just sprawled here eating like a boneless eel! You're so lazy and gluttonous! How did I give birth to such a tyrant!"

"They're already exhausted from catching bad guys outside, they finally get a day off, and you're making them work? Don't you have a conscience?! Hurry up and go in and help out, even just handing them a plate or washing some scallions would be fine!"

Shu Yao was completely bewildered by the scolding.

Her lips turned down, and a wave of grievance washed over her.

"Fine, let him go. Why are you being so fierce? He insisted on doing it himself."

She grumbled and reluctantly tossed the popcorn in her hand onto the coffee table.

She shuffled along in her pink slippers to the kitchen door.

Push open the glass sliding door.

A rich, deep-fried aroma, mixed with the numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns, wafts towards you.

The range hood was making a "buzzing" sound.

He Zheng stood in front of the stove with his back to the door.

He is frying crispy pork.

Golden batter coated marinated lean meat strips, which sizzled and bubbled violently in the boiling oil, releasing enticing white smoke.

He was wearing a black, tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

As he scooped up the meat, his arms bulged with muscle definition, exuding power.

Shu Yao walked behind him.

She stretched out her hands and wrapped them around his strong waist from behind.

She pressed her cheek against his broad, warm back, gently rubbing against him, feeling his firm back muscles.

"husband."

Her voice was soft and drawn out, carrying a clear sense of accusation and a pitiful tone.

"Mom scolded me."

He Zheng paused slightly in his hand holding the long chopsticks.

An uncontrollable smile curved upwards at the corners of his mouth.

He reached behind him, placed the back of his hand on his waist, and gently patted the back of her fair hand.

"What did I say to you?" he asked knowingly, his voice low and husky, with a hint of amusement.

"You say I'm lazy and good-for-nothing, that I treat you like a farmhand," Shu Yao huffed angrily, pinching the soft flesh on his waist.

I couldn't pinch it; it was all hard, stiff muscle.

He Zheng chuckled softly, the vibration of his chest clearly reaching her face.

"Mom is right to scold you, you've always been lazy." He mercilessly exposed your shortcomings and added insult to injury.

"Who are you on?!" Shu Yao was furious and tried to let go.

He Zheng, however, reacted quickly and grabbed her hand to prevent her from running away.

He used a long-handled strainer to scoop the golden-brown, crispy fried pork out of the oil, drained the hot oil, and placed it on a white porcelain plate that had been prepared nearby.

Turn the heat down.

He Zheng turned around.

His dark eyes stared at her cheeks, which were slightly puffed up from anger.

In the living room, the television was blasting loudly, and Mr. and Mrs. Shu were discussing a skit from the evening show. No one noticed the commotion in the kitchen.

The kitchen became their private little world.

He Zheng suddenly lowered his head.

He grabbed her small chin with his large hand, forcing her to raise her head, and pressed down on her lips, kissing her.

After a brief, intense struggle, they separated at the first touch.

Shu Yao was stunned, her peach blossom eyes widened slightly, and her cheeks instantly flushed red.

Before she could react...

He Zheng turned his head and used two slender fingers to pick up a piece of crispy fried pork from the plate.

He put it to his lips and gently blew on the scalding hot air.

Then, it was stuffed directly into her slightly open mouth.

"Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, freshly fried, have a taste," he said in a very low voice, as if he were bewitching someone.

Shu Yao took a bite without thinking.

The outer skin is crispy, the meat is juicy, and the numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorns explodes on the tongue, mixed with the lingering warmth of the kiss.

It was so delicious that she unconsciously squinted her eyes, like a lazy cat eating dried fish.

Looking at her satisfied expression, He Zheng's eyes softened terribly, almost drowning her in tenderness.

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

His warm breath sprayed onto her sensitive earlobe, sending a tingling sensation through her.

His voice was deep and husky, carrying a domineering yet extremely doting tone that only the two of them could understand.

"They don't care about you, but I do."

Shu Yao swallowed the crispy meat in her mouth.

She suddenly tightened her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, closed her eyes, and leaned in without hesitation.

As a reward, I gave him a big, loud kiss on the lips.

"That's more like it."