From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer, so I dropped my goofy tone and said, "Seriously, are you sure you want me to change it for you?"

Su Qing was still immersed in the scene she had just witnessed, and slowly asked, "What? You don't dare?"

"What wouldn't I dare to do? As long as you're not embarrassed, I'm the one who's embarrassed."

As soon as I said it, I reached out and touched her wet coat.

But for some reason, when I raised my hand, a strange sense of tension welled up inside me.

Su Qing seemed very relaxed, sitting quietly as if waiting for me to serve her.

I carefully took off her outer coat, revealing her close-fitting undershirt, and I couldn't help but pause for a moment.

Su Qing opened her eyes at the right moment and urged me softly, "Continue, why stop?"

I felt a little uneasy.

But then I thought about it again, and realized that there weren't that many barriers between us anymore.

So he gritted his teeth, reached out and pinched the two sides of her clothes at the waist, and gently lifted them up.

The fabric was lifted, and her fair and delicate skin came into my view.

When I looked down at her so close to her, my heart skipped a beat.

I quickly looked away and sped up my movements to take off the soaking wet undershirt.

Su Qing was probably shy, so she closed her eyes again, her chest heaving slightly, and her breathing was noticeably more rapid than before.

The incision has healed, its color fading to a light pinkish-white. It is about ten centimeters long, lying horizontally on the smooth skin, a mark left from the last surgery.

I stared at the scar, and stopped moving.

Su Qing waited a long time for me to make a sound, then slowly opened her eyes and followed my gaze to see my eyes fixed on her abdomen.

The playful laughter from before vanished from her face in an instant, and her voice turned somber, carrying a hint of barely concealed unease.

"Won't you find it unpleasant?"

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I snapped out of my daze, looked up at her, and said softly, "How could I dislike it? Looking at this scar only makes my heart ache."

She lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the faint mark on her lower abdomen, and sighed softly.

Her slender fingers unconsciously touched the scar through her skin, her tone tinged with a hint of self-consciousness:

"But I just can't get over it. My body was perfectly fine, and now this mark has appeared out of nowhere. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I feel awkward for a long time."

I took a deep breath, raised my hand and gently stroked her soft cheek, saying, "Silly girl, no one is completely without a scar. I specifically asked the attending physician before, and the wound is healing well. As time goes by, the color of this scar will gradually fade, and eventually it will be so light that it will be almost invisible."

Su Qing looked up at me, the gray unease in her eyes slowly dissipating, revealing a faint smile:

"I'm at ease as long as you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind," I said, looking at her earnestly.

After saying that, I didn't dare tease her anymore and turned around to rummage through the wardrobe.

Finally, I picked out a simple and loose-fitting cotton pajama set and carefully helped her put it on.

After I buttoned my shirt, Su Qing looked me up and down. The mischievousness she had just suppressed resurfaced, and she raised an eyebrow and smiled at me, mimicking the Empress's tone from before:

"Hey, Onoko, why are the tips of your ears all red?"

I subconsciously raised my hand to touch my cheek, and sure enough, it was burning hot.

What I just witnessed has finally unsettled me.

She didn't keep teasing me about it; instead, she reached out and touched my arm, pretending to take off my soaking wet shirt.

I was startled and instinctively shrank back, asking in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"What's there to be nervous about? You just changed it for me, so it's my turn to serve you now." She said it with a perfectly natural and open expression.

"No...no need, I can do it myself." I was a little overwhelmed.

She rolled her eyes at me, then reached out and tugged at my sleeve: "So boys are more shy than girls? Don't hide, play along."

I couldn't persuade her otherwise, so I could only stand there obediently and let her do as she pleased.

Her movements were very light; her fingertips touched the skin with a warm, soft touch, yet her movements were crisp and efficient.

In no time, they took off my soaking wet clothes, then rummaged through the closet and pulled out a loose gray sweatshirt, standing on tiptoe to help me put it on.

I couldn't help but marvel at how we could find so much fun in changing just two outfits.

But perhaps the days between couples are made up of these seemingly meaningless yet touching little things.

By the time I changed into dry clothes, the sky had completely darkened, and the twilight outside the window permeated the courtyard.

I turned around and went back to the kitchen to continue working on the dinner I hadn't finished making.

Su Qing was much more well-behaved this time, standing quietly by the door frame on the side of the kitchen, just watching me quietly, without causing me any more trouble.

I rinsed the crucian carp again briefly, drained the water, poured oil into the pot, and waited quietly for the oil temperature to rise slowly. Then, holding the fish by the tail, I gently slid the fish down into the pot along the edge.

"Sizzle—"

A violent sizzling sound erupted, and scalding hot oil gushed upwards, enveloped by a cloud of white steam.

Su Qing trembled with fright and quickly jumped back a big step, hiding behind me. She only peeked out half her head and timidly peered into the pot.

Her timid yet curious demeanor made me smile.

The sizzling sound of frying continued, and the delicate aroma of fish gradually filled the kitchen.

Once both sides were golden brown and set, I picked up the kettle, poured in boiling water, added ginger slices to remove any fishy smell, and then put the pieces of soft tofu in one by one.

The soup quickly began to boil, slowly turning a beautiful milky white, with tiny bubbles gently bubbling around the edge of the pot.

The fish soup was simmering on the stove, and I heated oil in another pot to prepare to stir-fry tomatoes and eggs, along with a plate of stir-fried Shanghai bok choy.

Su Qing didn't want to be idle either, so she picked up the scallions she had just washed, held a small fruit knife, and carefully chopped them into scallion flowers.

She had no method; the chopped scallions varied wildly in length, some were minced into tiny pieces, while others remained long and uneven, piled crookedly in the small white porcelain dish.

"Look at my finished product!"

She held the plate up to my face, like a child waiting for a teacher to grade her, hoping for praise.

I looked down at the plate of unevenly chopped scallions, suppressed a laugh, and nodded solemnly:

"Wow, it smells amazing. It'll be perfect to sprinkle it into the fish soup later to enhance the flavor."

Upon receiving affirmation, Su Qing instantly smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling and her lips curving upwards.

Before long, all three dishes were served on the small wooden dining table in the courtyard.

A pot of milky white, thick tofu and crucian carp soup, a plate of sweet and sour scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a plate of fresh, green stir-fried Shanghai bok choy.

These are all the most ordinary home-cooked dishes, yet their aroma wafts through the air, filling the small room.

We sat facing each other.

The courtyard was very quiet, with only the rustling sound of the evening breeze sweeping through the treetops along the river.

Occasionally, a car would drive by in the distance, producing a faint, distant rumble, but there was no other noise.

Su Qing picked up a small white porcelain spoon, ladled out a bowl of fish soup, blew on it for a long time, and then took a small sip.

The next second, his eyes widened suddenly, revealing a pained expression.

Seeing her expression, I immediately became nervous and asked, "What's wrong? Doesn't it taste good?"