Gu Xingyi was carefully picking vegetables when a pair of fair hands suddenly snatched the leaves from his fingers. Xia Xiyao had silently walked in without a word.

She earnestly started picking the vegetables, squeezing in right beside Gu Xingyi, without even glancing at him.

As he smelled the familiar, refreshing scent from Xia Xiyao and looked at her flushed cheeks, Gu Xingyi smiled and shifted slightly to the side so they could stand more comfortably together.

“Hu… husband, um, have you gotten any inspiration for the song?”

Gu Xingyi’s hand trembled as he was slicing vegetables, almost cutting his own finger.

He perked up his ears in disbelief, then turned his head to look at Xia Xiyao, whose pretty face was now so red it looked like it might start bleeding.

“You… what did you just call me?”

Hearing that, Xia Xiyao grew so embarrassed she nearly buried her face in the vegetable bowl. Her hands, which were picking vegetables, turned clumsy, tearing the leaves into all sorts of irregular shapes.

She suddenly thought Gu Xingyi was such a meanie. He clearly heard her, yet still made her say it again.

“Husband.”

Xia Xiyao pinched the vegetable leaves in her hands, as if they were Gu Xingyi himself, but she still made the effort to say it once more.

That one word, husband, sounded like the most beautiful music to Gu Xingyi’s ears, making him feel like his entire body went soft in an instant.

A bright smile bloomed across Gu Xingyi’s face, and even his voice sounded like it was floating.

“My dear wife, what made you suddenly ask about the song?”

“I was just asking.”

“Hmm~ let me think…”

Gu Xingyi looked at the vegetable leaves in the bowl that Xia Xiyao had torn into a mess. After a moment of reflection, he suddenly understood why she was acting this way.

Once he figured it out, Gu Xingyi’s eyes flickered, and his expression became a little complicated.

He was, of course, thrilled that Xia Xiyao would call him husband. Just like back in the hotel that time, he always looked forward to these little surprises.

But this time was different. Even if it was her own choice again, the reason behind it wasn’t the same.

She was trying to please him again.

Gu Xingyi suddenly felt like crying. This silly girl—why did she always express her love in this way?

So careful, like a stray kitten taken in from the streets. It made Gu Xingyi's heart ache, yet he still didn’t know what to do.

Xia Xiyao waited for a moment but didn’t hear a response from Gu Xingyi. Her heart grew uneasy. She wanted to look up at him but didn’t quite have the courage to do so.

A few seconds passed.

Xia Xiyao felt Gu Xingyi move beside her. The next second, her whole body was pulled into his warm embrace, and his gentle voice whispered into her ear.

“I’ve thought of a song. After we finish eating, I’ll write it down and show you, okay?”

Gu Xingyi’s warm breath tickled her ear. Xia Xiyao’s body stiffened for a moment, then melted. That intimate gesture made her legs go a little weak.

“Mm, okay~”

By that point, she’d already completely forgotten what she originally wanted to say.

Gu Xingyi only held her for a moment before letting go. The main reason was because this soft and sweet Xia Xiyao was just too tempting—he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from teasing her.

That lunch ended up taking a whole hour to make.

At the dining table, Xia Xiyao was a little sulky. She ate in small bites, cheeks puffed like a hamster.

She still had so many things she wanted to say in the kitchen earlier, but Gu Xingyi’s sudden hug had thrown her completely off track.

That stupid Gu Daizi was still smiling at her from across the table!

After the meal, Xia Xiyao took the initiative to clean up, while Gu Xingyi headed into the study.

It seemed he had already figured out what he needed to do.

Even if it meant Xia Xiyao would have to feel a bit wronged, he believed that afterward, she would call him husband naturally—rather than under these kinds of circumstances.

After washing the dishes, Xia Xiyao curled up on the sofa.

She stared blankly in the direction of the study, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and hesitation. In the end, she pressed her lips together, leaving only a look of deep affection and tenderness in her gaze.

She waited a long time—until past four in the afternoon.

Only then did Gu Xingyi come out of the study holding two sheets of paper.

Seeing the sudden brightness in Xia Xiyao’s eyes, he unconsciously tightened his grip on the sheet music. Her cautious love made his heart ache and feel helpless at the same time.

Gu Xingyi forced a smile and sat down beside her.

“Take a look. It’s a love song duet! I’m good at those!”

Xia Xiyao took the sheet music from Gu Xingyi. She was no longer surprised by his talent—she was used to it by now.

She only skimmed through the lyrics and melody briefly to know it was another excellent song.

When it came to songwriting and composing, Gu Xingyi had never disappointed. His works always had a way of drawing people in completely.

But Xia Xiyao didn’t have the mind to focus on that right now. She glanced at the lyrics of this love song that matched the theme perfectly—then her eyes locked onto Gu Xingyi and couldn’t look away.

The anticipation in her gaze was crystal clear.

But Gu Xingyi acted as if he didn’t notice. He stretched lazily, his eyes distant.

Xia Xiyao bit her lip. Her hopeful expression faded into disappointment. She lowered her head again to look at the lyrics and felt a pang of grievance.

She wanted to sing this song together with that Gu Daizi.

“They’re inviting guest performers for the finals,” Xia Xiyao said softly, holding the sheet music. “Husband, I don’t have a guest singer.”

Gu Xingyi trembled slightly. His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her soft husband, especially when it carried such a faint trace of hurt.

He tilted his head back, avoiding her gaze. He was afraid that if he looked at her, he’d fall right into that gentleness.

“No worries. A company like Yin Hai Entertainment will definitely sort that kind of thing out.”

Gu Xingyi stretched again to hide his expression and replied in a deliberately casual tone.

Xia Xiyao bit her lip even harder. She bowed her head, not letting Gu Xingyi see the mist forming in her eyes.

The room suddenly fell silent. Neither of them spoke again.

Gu Xingyi kept waiting, hoping Xia Xiyao would say something. But no matter how long he waited, she remained quiet.

“I’ll go pick up Nainai now.”

Gu Xingyi took a deep breath and glanced at the time. Still avoiding Xia Xiyao’s gaze, he stood up and headed straight for the door.

Xia Xiyao just sat there quietly, watching Gu Xingyi’s figure disappear through the door. Then it closed behind him.

She sat there in silence, just like Nainai had once sat in the classroom—her lips pouted as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

A child who never cries never gets candy.

That phrase suddenly echoed in Gu Xingyi’s mind. He leaned against the doorframe, a hint of sadness flickering in his dark eyes.

When he arrived at Jianghua Kindergarten, he didn’t have to wait long before the dismissal bell rang from inside.

Rows of little children came out happily with their teachers to the pickup area. As expected, Gu Xingyi picked up Nainai smoothly.

Compared to the morning, Nainai’s mood had clearly improved. Her little face was glowing with a bright smile—it was obvious Su Ling and Liu Dan had cheered her up. These preschool teachers really knew how to handle kids!

As soon as Nainai saw her daddy, she dashed toward him on her little legs.

Gu Xingyi scooped her up and planted a kiss on her chubby cheek.

Nainai looked around curiously, then blinked her big eyes and asked her daddy in confusion:

“Daddy~ why didn’t Mama come pick up Nainai?”

Gu Xingyi was instantly speechless. How could he possibly tell her that Mama had been bullied into crying by Daddy and was still at home?