First, then, love.

The old iron-framed bed creaked under its own weight.

Suppressed, restrained, yet insanely crazy.

The wind and snow raged outside the window for half the night, and the radiators inside the house were burning hot.

It wasn't until late at night that everything calmed down, leaving only the sound of heavy, even breathing.

The next day was the third day of the Lunar New Year.

The dry, cold sunlight from the north pierced through the windowpane, striking the floor directly with a blinding, bright light.

Shu Yao turned over, feeling as if all her bones had been disassembled and reassembled, and she was in excruciating pain.

The bed was too small, so she practically slept on He Zheng's body all night.

The man had been awake for a while, leaning against the headboard, wearing only a black short-sleeved shirt, flipping through a yellowed military magazine.

Hearing the noise, he turned around and casually ruffled her hair with his large hand.

"Awake? Get up, come downstairs for breakfast."

His voice still carried the hoarseness of early morning, and a hint of satiated languor.

Shu Yao lingered in bed, not wanting to move, and shrank further under the covers.

"Cold," she muttered.

He Zheng sneered, "It's 28 degrees Celsius inside, and you're telling me it's cold?"

Without saying a word, he yanked off the army green blanket, pulled her out of bed, and grabbed a turtleneck sweater from the side, putting it over her head.

The movements were rough, yet cleverly avoided her slightly sore arms.

Downstairs, the aroma of food wafted through the air.

Shen Minghua came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly fried poached eggs.

He's father and He Feng sat on the sofa, watching the morning military news. The two sat in the same posture, their backs straight, like two telephone poles stuck in the ground. When they heard the noise, they turned their heads at the same time.

"Yaoyao's up? Come and have breakfast. Noodles are good for your stomach, eat them while they're hot," Shen Minghua greeted warmly.

Shu Yao was pressed down into a chair next to the dining table by He Zheng.

He Feng walked over, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down.

Today he wore a dark gray turtleneck sweater and frameless glasses perched on his nose, obscuring the sharp, cold light in his eyes and giving him a more refined yet roguish air.

"Sister-in-law, did you sleep well last night?" He Feng asked, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

"That's fine, thank you, big brother," Shu Yao replied obediently.

He Zheng sat next to her with a cold face, took a white steamed bun, broke it in half, put a large piece of fried egg inside, and held it to Shu Yao's mouth.

"Eat, and after you finish, I'll take you out for a walk."

I ate so much I was stuffed.

Shu Yao had a small appetite; she could only eat one steamed bun before she couldn't eat any more. He Zheng took the remaining half and stuffed it into his mouth in two bites, swallowing it down.

Watching the interaction between the two, Mr. He picked up his bowl of porridge, took a sip, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

After finishing their meal, the two returned to their bedroom on the second floor.

Although the snow outside had stopped, the snow was still very thick, and the wind felt like knives cutting into her face. Shu Yao looked at the snow-covered landscape outside the window and completely gave up the idea of ​​going out.

He Zheng sat on a wooden chair, holding a dry cloth in his hand, head down, intently wiping his high-top boots.

Shu Yao lay on the bed, swinging her legs, which were clad in cashmere socks, while scrolling through her phone screen.

After browsing her WeChat Moments for a while, she suddenly sighed.

"What's wrong? Why are you sighing again?" He Zheng didn't even look up, his hands still moving.

"I miss the God of War, and I miss the princess too."

Shu Yao turned over and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"I wonder if Qiaoqiao opened the can of food for the princess on time, and if the God of War has wrecked the house."

He Zheng scoffed and threw his gleaming military boots on the ground with a dull thud.

"That stupid dog won't even eat more than a few bites without me, let alone destroy the house. It doesn't have the guts."

Shu Yao was unconvinced and got out of bed.

"I don't believe it, I have to see them."

She took out her phone, opened WeChat, found Qiaoqiao's profile picture, and made a video call directly to her.

"Beep—beep—"

The phone rang for a long time, and just as Shu Yao thought Qiao Qiao hadn't gotten up yet and was about to hang up,...

The video call connected.

The screen flickered, revealing a face that looked utterly dejected.

Qiao Qiao had huge dark circles under her eyes, her hair was a mess like a bird's nest, her eyes were unfocused, and she looked as if all her energy had been drained.

The background is the living room of the Jinxiu Huating penthouse.

"Why are you looking like this during the New Year? Did you get your yin energy drained?" Shu Yao was startled and joked.

"How dare you ask!"

Qiaoqiao gritted her teeth, her voice coming from the phone speaker, filled with resentment and despair.

"Those two devils of yours are trying to drive me crazy!"

Qiaoqiao suddenly flipped the camera.

The scene on the screen changed.

The massive black body of the God of War appeared.

It lay in the luxurious doghouse in front of the French windows, its chin resting limply on its two front paws, its eyes filled with resentment, staring straight out the window like a gazing stone.

In the stainless steel dog bowl in front of me was imported dog food, topped with a thick layer of freeze-dried crumbs.

I didn't touch a single bite.

"See that? Your Captain He's precious dog has been on a hunger strike for four days, and it's only licked a few mouthfuls of water."

Qiaoqiao was ranting and raving off-camera, her voice almost splitting into two.

"I tried everything—coaxing and cajoling—and yesterday I even cooked chicken breast and egg yolk for it myself, but it wouldn't even sniff it. It looked at me with such suspicion, like I was some kind of dog trafficker, as if it was afraid I'd poison it!"

Shu Yao felt heartbroken and quickly moved closer to the screen.

"War God, good dog, why aren't you eating?" she called softly to the screen.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, the God of War's two pointed ears suddenly perked up.

The huge dog's head suddenly lifted up, its pair of black eyes fixed on the phone screen.

"Woof! Woof..."

It let out a cry, its voice weak, and slapped its tail hard on the ground twice, making a "slap slap" sound. Then it lay back down pitifully, letting out a whimper.

It's like someone who has suffered a great injustice is complaining.

"He Zheng! Come and see your son!" Shu Yao cried out anxiously, turning to shout at the man who was washing his hands.

He Zheng grabbed a tissue to dry his hands and strode over.

His tall figure squeezed into the frame, blocking most of the light.

He stared at the war god pretending to be dead on the screen, his cold face showing no pity whatsoever.

"Virtue".

He cursed coldly, his voice deep and authoritative.

"Go hungry? If you've got the guts, don't eat. Starve to death, fine. I'll skin you alive and make soup when I get back."

Upon hearing its master's voice, the God of War's black fur trembled violently.

Its ears drooped even lower, practically touching its head, and its massive body shrank deeper into the doghouse, the whimpering in its throat choking back in fear.

"Don't yell at it!"

Shu Yao was so angry that she pinched He Zheng's strong arm, but couldn't move it.

"It misses us. It followed you in the army, and now you've abandoned it for so many days. It must feel insecure."

"Spoiling bad habits," He Zheng sneered, but his eyes softened for a moment.

"What about the princess?" Shu Yao asked.

The camera suddenly shifted, and there was a violent shaking.

Qiaoqiao held her phone and pointed it at the sofa in the middle of the living room.

A brightly colored calico cat is sprawled out in the most comfortable spot on the sofa.

Sunlight streamed through the French windows and fell on it. It rolled over contentedly, revealing its soft, white belly, and made a purring sound in its throat.

She looked just like a lady on vacation.

"While the God of War is fasting, this princess seems to have a hearty appetite."

Qiaoqiao's voice was trembling, clearly indicating that she had suffered a great shock.

"Last night, I had just opened a can of tuna when it flew down from its cat tree, its claws snagging on my clothes and almost scratching my hand."

Qiaoqiao zoomed in, and the princess lazily opened her eyes, glanced at the camera, and then haughtily closed them again.

"It eats, then sleeps, then poops, and then I have to clean it right away. If I'm even a second late, it's sitting right next to the litter box, giving me that cold look it thinks I'm an idiot. What do I owe it?!"

Shu Yao looked at the princess on the screen, who was noticeably fatter and had a shiny, oily complexion, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"The princess has always had a bad temper and is picky, so just go along with her a little. I'll treat you to a big meal when we get back."

"Shouldn't I go along with it? I'd practically worship it and burn incense for it morning and night!"

"A few days ago, I was worried it would be bored, so I specially brought my dog, Prince, over to play with it."

Qiaoqiao was about to cry, frantically rubbing her hair.

"Captain He, Yao Yao, please come back quickly! I can hardly take care of these two anymore! And your War God is being very unfriendly to my Crown Prince~"