Later, Ruan Sixian went to the pottery studio again.

This time she had experience and was much more skilled than before.

“It was this shape last time,” the pottery teacher stood behind Ruan Sixian and said. “Would you like to try a different one?”

“No need.” Ruan Sixian raised her eyebrows, turning the wheel at a steady speed in her hands, with a half-smile saying, “He doesn’t deserve it.”

The pottery teacher was a girl in her early twenties. She sat down, resting her chin on her hands as she watched Ruan Sixian.

“When did you marry your husband?”

Ruan Sixian replied, “Last winter.”

“Do you have children yet?”

“Not yet.”

“I want to get married too. I always return to an empty dormitory.” The pottery teacher’s eyes curved into crescents when she smiled, full of aspiration. “Having a husband must be nice.”

The clay body was ready, the wheel stopped. Ruan Sixian took off the clay, saying casually, “What’s nice about it? It’s not nice at all. Always controlling this and that, so annoying.”

The wind chimes at the door jingled, bringing in a fleeting cold breeze.

Ruan Sixian glanced at the newcomer, immediately squeezed the clay in her hands, and turned to the pottery teacher saying, “My husband is here to pick me up. I have to go now. Could you help me dry this, please?”

The pottery teacher reluctantly agreed.

Wasn’t she just saying marriage wasn’t good? Yet seeing her husband, she runs faster than a dog.

The two walked out of the pottery studio as snowflakes fluttered down. Ruan Sixian stood by the roadside, her breath condensing into white mist.

The bustling street with its brightly decorated storefronts conveyed the atmosphere of the New Year everywhere.

“It’s snowing again.”

She didn’t rush to get in the car but walked ahead, arm in arm with Fu Mingyu, while the driver slowly followed behind them in the car.

“Hmm?”

Ruan Sixian lifted her head, facing the snow.

“I still remember when it snowed the year before last, it was New Year’s Eve. You came back from Singapore to spend the New Year with me. And when it snowed last year, it was Christmas. We watched movies at home all afternoon.”

She murmured, “We watched ‘Casablanca.’ Don’t you remember?”

Fu Mingyu thought for a moment, then nodded. “I remember.”

Ruan Sixian snorted lightly, “You don’t remember at all. You were sleeping like a pig.”

Fu Mingyu slowed his pace, the snow before his eyes making him dizzy.

“You’re not even thirty yet. Why have you been thinking about the past so much lately?”

“I don’t know.” Ruan Sixian lowered her head, tucking her chin into her scarf.

She wasn’t intentionally reminiscing. She just felt that time passed neither too fast nor too slow, but very clearly. Only when she brought things up did she realize that many events were deeply etched in her mind.

After a moment of silence, Ruan Sixian discerned something else from Fu Mingyu’s words.

“Ah,” she sighed. “You’re already thirty-one.”

“What?” Fu Mingyu raised his eyelids slightly. “Have you been watching those talent shows again lately?”

When over a hundred teenage boys stood together, singing and dancing, Ruan Sixian would sit on the sofa with a bucket of popcorn, staring intently, and repeatedly saying, “The younger brother is so handsome,” “The younger brother is so cute.”

Fu Mingyu didn’t want to watch, but with the TV at home being so large and clear, he could see several young faces with even a casual glance when passing by. Moreover, Ruan Sixian often used his phone to vote.

Strangely enough, he would sometimes stop to watch for a while and even remembered a few names.

“No, that’s not it.” Ruan Sixian tugged at his hand. “Tell me honestly, have your parents been pressuring you privately?”

“Pressuring me about what?”

“You know what.”

“Oh, no they haven’t.”

“Really?”

“They haven’t.” Fu Mingyu thought of something and suddenly smiled. “That’s the advantage of having an older brother. If he hasn’t had a child yet, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to jump ahead, right?”

Ruan Sixian pulled at the corner of her mouth. “Is that how you use your brother? But I saw that you got married before your brother, so you don’t seem very respectful of seniority.”

“Anyway, even if there’s pressure, he’s the one bearing it.”

“Oh.” Ruan Sixian unconsciously touched her abdomen. “What about you? Are you in a hurry?”

“To have a baby?” Fu Mingyu seemed to think very seriously, then said, “I quite enjoy the process, but as for the result—”

“Shut up.” Ruan Sixian interrupted him, quickening her pace to walk ahead.

But after a few steps, she turned back and asked, “I’m being serious.”

Fu Mingyu stopped walking, his expression finally turning serious.

“I’m not in a hurry. It’s all up to you.”

Ruan Sixian lowered her eyes, thinking. “We’ll see then.”

“Alright.”

She was already 28, at the most suitable age for childbearing, but she couldn’t make up her mind.

Unlike other professions, once she decided to get pregnant and have a child, she would have to stop working from the early stages.

After the ten months of pregnancy, there would be a long recovery period. After that, she would need to undergo physical examinations, theoretical tests, simulator training, and other training before returning to her position.

All the way, Ruan Sixian was pondering this matter and didn’t talk much.

Fu Mingyu was also silent.

It wasn’t until they got in the car that he suddenly said, “It’s not necessary.”

“Hmm?” Ruan Sixian didn’t understand what he was talking about. “What’s not necessary?”

“I mean, it’s not necessary to have children,” Fu Mingyu turned to look at her, very seriously saying, “If you don’t plan to.”

“No, no.” Ruan Sixian shook her head vigorously. “Are you crazy? I just said wait a while, not that I don’t want to.”

“Oh.” Fu Mingyu was amused by her nervous reaction. “Why are you so agitated? I was just mentioning it.”

“I advise you to drop that idea early.” Ruan Sixian pointed at his forehead. “Besides, your family has a throne to inherit.”

“Mm.”

Originally, Ruan Sixian had just been swept up in the moment and suddenly mentioned the topic of children.

But after hearing Fu Mingyu’s words, she moved this item up on her to-do list.

However, Fu Mingyu was right about one thing.

She indeed didn’t plan to have children.

—Previously.

The reason was as stated above, too much investment, with uncertain returns.

But at that time, she couldn’t predict who she would marry, so she could only assume in advance.

However, over the past year, sometimes when her period was delayed, she would think a lot, feeling nervous, uneasy, and expectant at the same time.

She was afraid of this “accident” happening, but after confirming it hadn’t happened, she would feel somewhat disappointed.

She thought, if it wasn’t for the fact that having a child was really too troublesome for her, she might already be an expectant mother by now.

They were nearly at the Zheng family home, so naturally, they didn’t continue this topic.

Today was the Minor New Year, and she and Fu Mingyu were going to the Zheng family for dinner. Yan An and Zheng You’an would naturally be there too.

During the meal, the atmosphere was somewhat subdued, not feeling like New Year.

The three men didn’t say much, and Ruan Sixian and Dong Xian weren’t the type to chat animatedly, so only Zheng You’an was responsible for livening up the atmosphere.

She had just returned from Europe, and her little mouth chattered non-stop from Romania to Bulgaria, then from Ireland to the Netherlands, with a tendency to continue toward Central Europe.

However, just as she mentioned Poland, her gaze swept across the table to see Fu Mingyu serving soup to Ruan Sixian. She reached under the table, pinched Yan An’s leg, and cleared her throat at the same time.

Yan An looked up and immediately understood, also pouring a glass of lemon water.

“Thirsty? Have some water.”

Zheng You’an: “…”

You might as well play dead.

It was only after speaking that Yan An realized his words might imply “complaining that his wife talks too much.” So he covered his embarrassment with a light cough and added:

“We’ve been shopping all afternoon today, and came straight here without rest.”

“Mm.” Ruan Sixian helped ease the awkwardness. “That is quite tiring. Yan CEO, you should drink more water too.”

Zheng You’an muttered under her breath, “What’s he tired about? He didn’t even help carry a single bag.”

This voice was only audible to Yan An. He turned to look at Zheng You’an, his eyes half-closed, and said in a low voice, “You bought six bags in one go. How was I supposed to carry them all?”

Zheng You’an drank her water without speaking.

As if he would help carry even if she only bought one bag.

Strangely enough, she had just returned to the country yesterday, and today Yan An, for some unknown reason, suggested accompanying her shopping.

But when they reached the shopping center, he only glanced at the window display when entering the first store, then sat on the sofa, sipping coffee served by the staff, firmly planted like a tree.

Even after two hours, just because the sofa in one store somewhat resembled the sofa in a store they had visited before, he raised a question: Haven’t we already been to this store?

Recognizing stores by their sofas has become a characteristic of contemporary married men.

When Zheng You’an no longer wanted to talk, the atmosphere at the dinner table completely cooled down.

“It’s getting late.”

After dinner, Ruan Sixian said while putting on her coat, “We should head home first.”

Yan An leisurely stood up and said, “We’ll head home too.”

“Wait a moment.”

Dong Xian turned and took two boxes from the cabinet. They were for her two sons-in-law. “Although you’re both still young, you’re very busy and don’t take care of yourselves. This is dried Rana oil, a friend gave it to me. It’s produced from the Da Su River of Changbai Mountain, very good for health, nourishes the kidneys, enhances vitality, boosts immunity, usually…”

As soon as Ruan Sixian heard the words “nourishes the kidneys,” her temple twitched, and she didn’t hear what Dong Xian said afterward. She just tightly squeezed Fu Mingyu’s hand, expressing her attitude with her eyes.

Don’t you dare accept it!!

You must not accept this gift!!

Are you listening to me?!!

Fu Mingyu, pull your hand back now!!

Can’t you buy it yourself?!

Put it back!!

Fu Mingyu completely missed Ruan Sixian’s eye signals, accepted it with peace of mind, and even thanked her very politely.

The other couple had no such issues. Their expressions remained unchanged as they accepted the gift, got in the car, and left.

In the car, Fu Mingyu took a call and only hung up when they arrived home.

When he got out of the car, one hand held the gift from Dong Xian, while the other reached back.

After waiting for a while, Ruan Sixian still didn’t take his hand.

“What’s wrong?”

Fu Mingyu turned around to see Ruan Sixian staring at the thing in his hand.

“You’re so young, why do you need supplements?” She tightened her scarf and walked toward the house with her head down.

Fu Mingyu looked at Ruan Sixian’s back, then lowered his head to look at the item in his hand.

He didn’t know where the problem was.

Aren’t snow frogs good?

After entering, Fu Mingyu casually placed the item on the table. While taking off his coat, he walked toward Ruan Sixian.

“I put it on the table.”

“Oh.” Ruan Sixian walked past him with a cup of water, without even glancing at it, muttering, “Accept food, and you’re soft; accept gifts, and you’re compromised. You’ve done both, so you’re both soft and compromised.”

Fu Mingyu: “…”

He grabbed Ruan Sixian’s wrist and pulled her back. “What did you say?”

“I said you…” Ruan Sixian looked up and saw Fu Mingyu’s gaze, then sheepishly shrunk her head. “I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Then what did you mean?”

He emphasized the word “what” heavily.

“Hey, husband, it’s getting late, almost ten. Let’s wash up and rest.”

After speaking, she tried to leave, but her wrist was still firmly held.

Fu Mingyu’s other hand began unbuttoning his shirt, the corner of his mouth curling up intentionally.

“Sure, let’s discuss this issue while we wash up, husband and wife.”

“…”

At this moment, Ruan Sixian wished she could slap herself twice for not controlling her mouth and not thinking before speaking.

That night, snow weighed down the branches, falling silently in the quiet night.

In the bathroom, water flowed down Ruan Sixian’s calves to the floor.

Her toes curled tightly as she held onto the shower door handle, her knuckles turning white.

“Make some sound.” Fu Mingyu held her chin, their necks pressed together. “Tell me who’s soft now, baby?”

“…”

Ruan Sixian was turned around, facing the mirror in the bathroom. Her hand reached up, tremblingly leaving a long palm print.

She kept her eyes tightly shut, too embarrassed to open them and see herself in the mirror.

“Mmm… no more… enough…”

“Enough? Didn’t you say I was short?”

“…”

Why are men so vindictive?

It was just a slip of the tongue!

Although this box of snow frog left Ruan Sixian with a deep psychological shadow, she didn’t take out her anger on it, and instead put it to good use.

Dong Xian was right about one thing, Fu Mingyu was very busy and didn’t take care of himself.

And his digestive system wasn’t particularly good, which is why Ruan Sixian usually didn’t allow him to drink alcohol.

But sometimes during business engagements, it wasn’t something that could be declined just by saying he had a bad stomach.

Sometimes when he came home late at night with an upset stomach, he needed to take medicine to sleep early.

This evening, Ruan Sixian had a periodic retest and also encountered Ren Xu during the simulator cabin session.

She was exhausted from dealing with the fault settings this time.

After returning home and taking a bath, it was almost eleven when she lay down in bed.

“Aren’t you coming home yet?”

When she called Fu Mingyu, her voice was already extremely tired.

“It’s not over yet. You go to sleep first.”

“Mm.”

After hanging up the phone, Ruan Sixian wanted to wait for him, especially since there was snow frog porridge still warming in the kitchen.

But as she lay in bed, drowsiness overwhelmed her like an avalanche.

When Fu Mingyu returned home, it was already one in the morning.

Seeing the light on in the master bedroom, he went upstairs and gently pushed open the door, only to find that Ruan Sixian was already asleep.

Ruan Sixian was not a deep sleeper; sometimes even his turning over at night would wake her up.

Thinking of this, Fu Mingyu turned off the light, closed the door, and walked out.

After taking a bath and taking some medicine, he went to sleep in the guest room.

When he woke up hazily in the morning, Fu Mingyu’s consciousness was still somewhat foggy, but he felt someone in his arms.

He opened his eyes and looked down at Ruan Sixian’s sleeping face.

After gazing at her for who knows how long, she finally showed signs of waking up.

However, after opening her eyes to check the weather outside the window, she closed them again and continued sleeping.

“When did you come over?”

Ruan Sixian nestled into a more comfortable position in Fu Mingyu’s arms but didn’t speak.

“I’m asking you.”

She extended her hand from under the blanket and “pat” — pressed it against Fu Mingyu’s mouth.

“Don’t know,” she said with her eyes closed, the corners of her mouth curving upward. “Sleepwalking, maybe.”