Stay with me tonight.

Beiyang City, Northeast Huaxia! The Xiangguiyuan Villa Complex!

Much like the Hongyang Villa Complex, the Xiangguiyuan Villa Complex is one of the most prominent and renowned luxury residential areas in Beiyang City.

The fame of these two villa complexes stems not only from their exorbitant prices, which far surpass those of any other residential areas, nor is it solely due to their impeccably flawless property management services.

Most importantly, the residents living within these two enclaves are predominantly immensely wealthy and influential elites actively shaping various industries.

However, if one were compelled to rank the two in terms of prestige, Xiangguiyuan holds a slightly higher reputation. This is because Xiangguiyuan was established earlier than Hongyang, and its occupancy rate is notably larger.

At this very moment, inside Villa Number Eleven of the Xiangguiyuan Villa Complex, Xue Tian'ai felt compelled to apply for a full attendance bonus...

Yes, that is correct, a full attendance bonus... However, this particular bonus pertained solely to his culinary duties...

Xue Tian'ai could never have imagined that upon returning to Huaxia, he would genuinely be reduced to "Chef Xue"... Aside from the rare occasions they dined out, it seemed he was doing all the cooking himself!

Moreover, on those few occasions when he did dine out, he either encountered assassins disguised as robbers or arrogant young masters full of bloated self-importance... What was this, a protagonist's halo? If this truly was some sort of protagonist's halo, could it please arrange some pleasant events for him instead?

Although Xue Tian'ai's mind was wandering through all sorts of chaotic thoughts, his hands moved with swift, unbroken precision as he sliced the vegetables.

After all, today marked his very first visit to his father-in-law's home as the Qin family's son-in-law, and since he had been personally designated by his father-in-law to handle the cooking, he needed to put on a good performance to some degree...

"Knock, knock, knock!" At that exact moment, a soft tapping sound came from outside the kitchen door.

Hearing the knock, Xue Tian'ai halted his movements, walked over to the entrance, and pulled the door open. However, upon catching a clear sight of the person standing on the other side, he nearly sprayed a mouthful of nosebleeds.

"W-Wife...?!"

Yes, indeed. The person who had just knocked was none other than Xue Tian'ai's wife, Qin Mengxue.

By this time, however, Qin Mengxue had discarded the professional OL attire she had worn earlier. Instead, she had changed into a pure white, off-the-shoulder spaghetti-strap short sleeve, paired with nothing more than a pair of short pajama shorts on her lower body.

Xue Tian'ai swallowed softly, his gaze sweeping with a trace of greed over Qin Mengxue's long, slender, and fair bare legs, her delicate little feet, and her smooth, lotus-root-like arms...

*(Holy mother of—)* Xue Tian'ai screamed frantically in the depths of his mind. Why had Qin Mengxue never dressed like this back at the Hongyang Villa...?

It was not to say that Qin Mengxue's attire at the Hongyang Villa hadn't been attractive, but Xue Tian'ai felt that her current outfit here at the Xiangguiyuan Villa possessed an infinitely greater allure!

"Hey... Have you not stared enough yet...?" Qin Mengxue complained somewhat reproachfully, her delicate face flushing slightly.

Ordinarily, Qin Mengxue utterly despised men looking at her with such lustful, lewd gazes—though she still despised it now, to be fair... However, if that man happened to be Xue Tian'ai, not only would Qin Mengxue feel no aversion whatsoever, but she would even experience a faint flutter of joy.

"Ahem..." Reminded of himself, Xue Tian'ai offered a slightly awkward cough, dragged his gaze away with clear reluctance, and walked back toward the kitchen counter. He asked casually, "By the way, Wife, why did you come over? Don't you need to keep Mom and Dad company?"

"The two of them are upstairs tidying up their things, and An'an that little girl ran off to watch television..." Qin Mengxue replied as she drifted closer to Xue Tian'ai. "Besides, I was bored out of my mind, so I came to the kitchen to see if there's anything I can help with."

"Ah, I can manage alone. You should just go rest, Wife..." Xue Tian'ai hadn't expected Qin Mengxue to step in so close at that moment, so he pivoted sharply around. As a result, his arm brushed directly against Qin Mengxue's magnificent jade peaks...

"Ah!" Struck so suddenly in the chest, Qin Mengxue shuddered all over. The blush already staining her cheeks intensified tenfold, and she glared at Xue Tian'ai with a mix of coyness and indignation: "Tian'ai, you..."

"An accident! It was an accident! That was definitely an accident just now!" Xue Tian'ai hurriedly waved his hands in defense, though internally he was still savoring the lingering softness transmitted through his arm...

At the same time, Xue Tian'ai was filled with bitter regret and remorse: why on earth had he used his arm instead of his hand just now?!

"Hmph!" Qin Mengxue pouted her lips in a soft huff, stepped forward once again, and picked up the kitchen knife. "Since so many people are eating tonight, I'm still going to help you..."

"Wife, actually I can—"

"Even though I can't cook as well as you do, this young lady is perfectly capable of handling basic ingredient prep and cutting vegetables!" As if anticipating what Xue Tian'ai was about to say, Qin Mengxue shook her head, fixed her gaze on him, and spoke with resolute determination.

Upon hearing those words, Xue Tian'ai froze for a split second before a faint, gentle smile touched his lips: "Very well, then I must trouble my dear Wife to lend me a hand!"

Following that, the two of them busied themselves together in the kitchen. Qin Mengxue took charge of slicing vegetables and prepping ingredients, while Xue Tian'ai handled mixing sauces, stir-frying dishes, and simmering soups...

The cooking proceeded in an orderly fashion... Everything felt profoundly harmonious and warm.

Qin Mengxue was the first to finish her tasks, having completed the preparation of the ingredients for the very last dish, leaving only the actual cooking to Xue Tian'ai.

Watching Xue Tian'ai's side profile—dotted with faint beads of sweat as he cooked—Qin Mengxue found herself momentarily entranced, staring blankly. Then, as if recalling something, she snapped back to her senses.

However, upon recovering her composure, Qin Mengxue's delicate face flushed an even deeper shade of red. Her cherry lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something... yet she hesitated and closed her mouth back up...

Still, the urge to speak vied with a powerful wave of shyness that forcefully "compelled" her to remain silent. For a brief moment, the expression on Qin Mengxue's face twisted into something rather peculiar.

"Wife, what's wrong?" Turning his head at that moment, Xue Tian'ai was momentarily stunned by the rather strange expression on her face.

Prompted by his question, the crimson flush across Qin Mengxue's cheeks deepened further, and she slowly lowered her head. Yet, as if finally steeling her resolve, she murmured in a voice no louder than the buzzing of a mosquito:

"Tonight... you... you should stay in my room..."

Upon hearing this sentence, Xue Tian'ai froze visibly. Then, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief, filled with profound shock and utter astonishment as he stared at Qin Mengxue.

"Wife, I might not have heard clearly just now. What did you say...?" Xue Tian'ai had always been fiercely confident in his hearing—after all, his auditory senses had undergone absolute, professional specialized training—yet at this moment, he couldn't help but doubt his own ears!

"I... I said, tonight... you... you can stay in my room..." Qin Mengxue's head remained bowed, though the blush on her little face had clearly spread all the way to the tips of her ears...

Qin Mengxue's low murmur, sounding like the buzzing of an insect or a dreamlike whisper, carried a bashfulness unique to a young maiden...

Even though her voice had been exceptionally soft, Xue Tian'ai had heard every single word with crystal clarity... Yet having heard it clearly only left him all the more bewildered...

What, what, what, what... exactly was going on here?! Was his wife Qin Mengxue losing her mind, or was he, Xue Tian'ai, still fast asleep?

Why on earth would Qin Mengxue suddenly say something like that...???

Could it be that because of the recent series of events, his display of such dazzling coolness and overwhelming prowess had completely conquered Qin Mengxue's heart? And now she was willing to surrender her entire body to him as well?

Gazing at the expression of supreme shyness on Qin Mengxue's face, alongside her nervous, intertwined fingers, Xue Tian'ai's initial confusion finally transitioned into a burgeoning sense of intense excitement...

"W-Wife...? Are... are you really sure?" Xue Tian'ai decided he had better ask for confirmation just to be safe; doing so would surely make things much more secure.

"Mn... mn... I've thought it all through..." Qin Mengxue nodded softly... and then she caught sight of the wildly gleaming, wicked light in Xue Tian'ai's eyes...

Flustered, Qin Mengxue hurriedly backtracked and explained: "Y-You shouldn't let your imagination run wild... I'm not asking you to stay with me for *that* kind of reason..."

"Huh?" Abruptly hearing those words, Xue Tian'ai froze once again... Not *that* kind of reason?! Then what kind of reason was it?!

"We'll probably both be staying at the Xiangguiyuan Villa today. If my dad sees that the two of us aren't even sharing a room after getting married, given his personality, he'll probably get angry all over again. I'm just having you stay in my room to avoid making my dad mad!"

As if afraid her previous explanation lacked conviction, Qin Mengxue quickly reinforced her point with heavy emphasis: "That, and nothing more! As for any filthy thoughts, don't even think about them!!!"

*(Oh, come on!)* Xue Tian'ai cursed internally. What kind of roller coaster was this? What kind of bucket of cold water dousing all hope in an instant... Was the author playing with him or what...?

"Fine, fine, fine, I get it... As long as you don't pin me down and take me by force, I suppose..." Xue Tian'ai's enthusiasm deflated considerably as he spoke in a somewhat gloomy tone.

"Hmph, this young lady would never pin you down, you narcissist..." Qin Mengxue gave a haughty little huff, then reached out to clear away the unused kitchen knife...

"Ah..." Her index finger accidentally brushed against the sharp blade, and the keen edge instantly sliced a small cut into her skin, causing bright red blood to seep out immediately...

Seeing this, Xue Tian'ai shook his head helplessly. "Honestly, Wife, why are you so clumsy? How old are you, and you still managed to get hurt by a kitchen knife..."

"I am not..." Scolded for being clumsy, Qin Mengxue immediately grew indignant and opened her mouth to retort, but what happened the next second brought her words to an abrupt halt... Instead, the blush blanketing her face grew even more intense...

Having finished his remark, Xue Tian'ai gently picked up Qin Mengxue's small hand and softly slid her injured index finger directly into his mouth...