Chapter 479: Admiration

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Shen entered the room cradling his daughter in his arms. The noise stirred Gu Zi from her slumber. Sitting up in bed, she extended her arms towards her daughter, “Little Lele, have you been playing with water? Come here, let your father fetch your clothes.”

Lele, too, spread her tiny arms wide, her legs kicking joyfully as she nestled into her mother’s embrace. Su Shen watched the exchange, understanding why his daughter preferred her mother’s hold. The woman was soft and fragrant, her voice soothing. Of course, Lele would favor her.

He turned to fetch Lele’s clothes, “Rest here for a while. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

Gu Zi had already changed out of her nightgown, now wearing a white round-necked long-sleeved shirt adorned with simple line patterns.

Below her full chest was a slender waist, a waist so delicate he could encircle it with just one hand. And he had done just that, holding her by the waist as he took her.

Su Shen’s tongue grazed his upper palate, a strong desire suppressed in his gaze. But it was invisible to others, even Gu Zi couldn’t discern it.

Hearing his voice, Gu Zi’s heart skipped a beat. Their previous intimacy had brought them so close that even now, separated, they seemed to be tightly bound together.

Just like before, his voice seemed lower than usual, a raspy sound that seemed to traverse the air, grazing her skin and causing goosebumps to rise on her arms.

She feigned calmness, “You go ahead, I can take care of Lele alone, don’t worry.”

Su Shen didn’t expose her nervousness. Seeing her babble illogically in her anxiety, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of fond exasperation. How could he not trust her with Lele? This silly girl, she left him with no choice but to adore her.

At dinner time, the table was laden with an abundance of food, albeit fewer varieties than usual. Two plates of dumplings, one boiled and one fried, two large bowls of scrambled eggs with carrots, and a large pot of stewed mutton were served. The brothers recognized that Su Shen’s culinary philosophy was simple but filling.

Su Shen ladled a bowl of steaming mutton soup for Gu Zi. The soup was a milky white, containing two large pieces of mutton leg. A few sprigs of coriander floated on the surface, their aroma intensified by the fact that they were homegrown.

Gu Zi took her first sip of the soup. The distinctive flavor of mutton, accompanied by a faint hint of gaminess, was soft and smooth on her palate. The taste was excellent, albeit a bit more robust than the mutton soup she made herself.

She set down her bowl and picked up a piece of mutton with her chopsticks. The meat was cooked to perfection; with a gentle tug, it separated from the bone. She placed a piece of pure leg meat into her mouth. The taste was fresh, tender, and rich, yet not greasy. It was the ultimate indulgence on a winter solstice night.

Su Shen also had some mutton soup and then served her a fried dumpling. “Try soaking the fried dumpling in the mutton soup for a while. It’s delicious, want to try?”

While asking her to try, he had already soaked his fried dumpling in his own mutton soup. If he had to wait for his wife’s approval for everything, what was the point of him being a husband?

Gu Zi didn’t find this behavior offensive. She didn’t want her man to be someone who always waited for her approval before taking the next step. Occasional dominance was a reflection of one’s personality charm, a privilege that both men and women could possess. As his wife, she was willing to accept his occasional dominance.

Gu Zi picked up the soup-soaked fried dumpling and took a bite. Fortunately, her eating manners were gentle enough to prevent the soup from splattering. Only a drop of soup trickled down the corner of her mouth, creating a particularly adorable aesthetic.

Su Shen picked up a napkin and gently wiped it away, a tender gesture.

Gu Zi asked, “Did you discover this way of eating when you were in the army? It’s really good!”

Gu Zi had always thought that fried food should not be put into soup. The mixing of flavors was somewhat hard for her to accept, and she didn’t think it would taste good. But Su Shen’s suggestion made her try a flavor she had previously been unwilling to try, and it was not bad.

Su Shen didn’t expect her to associate his past military life with a way of eating. After some thought, he said, “That’s right, we ate like this in the army. Especially during a mission when we were short of food, this way of eating gave me and my men a greater sense of fullness. But we were also short of oil, so we toasted the dumplings over a fire and soaked them in wild vegetable soup to eat…”

The military life might seem simple to some, perhaps even imbued with an indescribable sense of freedom and excitement. But the reality was rather dull and brutal. Soldiers’ lives were never as simple as people imagined, especially on the battlefield, where they put aside their personal lives and shouldered the responsibility of their families and country.

From the bottom of her heart, Gu Zi admired soldiers, and she admired her man. Meeting him was indeed a stroke of luck for her.

Gu Zi was well aware of Su Shen’s strengths. For instance, he possessed a self-confidence that many men lacked. Most men were arrogant, not confident.

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