Chapter 008: I Absolutely Don’t Want Anything to Happen to My Daughter!

"Xiao Xuezheng... you... get out!"
Shi Runrun's cheeks were burning, and she kept pushing him away.
Xiao Xuezheng gazed at her, and amid her half-hearted resistance, he bent down and stole a kiss before obediently leaving.
Shi Runrun hurried to close the bathroom door and locked it securely.
Only then did she clutch the shirt tightly around her, eyes wide, standing there dazed and panting for breath...

...

When Shi Runrun finished her bath and came out, she did not see Xiao Xuezheng.
She couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of relief.
It was only after she had changed clothes that she realized she was wearing his white shirt.
He... he was so mischievous!
Wasn't this the legendary "uniform temptation"...?
So, while he wasn't around, she quickly dove into the bed.
Yet the thought of sharing a bed with him tonight still made her feel both shy and a little scared...

As soon as she got into bed, Shi Runrun discovered a gigantic Pikachu plushie had appeared on the bed.
It was soft and fluffy to the touch!
There hadn't been any sign of it when she napped here in the afternoon—could he have prepared this especially for her?
Hugging the Pikachu, Shi Runrun rubbed her cheek against it, sighing in comfort. It was so soft and cozy... Sleepiness overtook her before she knew it.

When Xiao Xuezheng returned from handling work in the study, Shi Runrun was already softly snoring.
He looked at her, arms and legs entwined around the Pikachu he'd prepared, drooling onto its fur, and couldn't help but frown.
He hadn't realized his little wife could sleep this... ungracefully...
It seemed she would need some training in the future.
Xiao Xuezheng undressed and got into bed, his large hand reaching out to gently grasp her small shoulder, pulling her petite body into his arms.
He instantly regretted preparing the Pikachu for her, for as he drew her into his embrace, Pikachu fell aside and she wrinkled her little face in protest.
But there was nothing to be done; with warmth and softness by his side, how could he ignore her?
Yet her sleeping habits were truly poor—she ground her teeth in the night, and who knows what dreams she had, but she smacked him several times without reason.
The man thought:
Even if the wife he married is a handful, he would just have to endure and cherish her...

An unsettled night passed, and by morning, when Shi Runrun woke, the man was already gone.
She groped at the space beside her—still warm, so he had only just risen.
After washing up in the bathroom, she went downstairs and, as expected, he was sitting at the dining table, elegantly sipping coffee and looking at his phone.
Standing on the stairs, Shi Runrun’s line of sight fell precisely on his sharply defined jawline. The way he held his coffee was graceful and noble.
She found herself momentarily entranced.
She suddenly felt that waking up to such a handsome sight every morning wasn't so bad after all...
Oh, she hoped she could stay longer in the Xiao household...

"Ah, young madam is up! Come have breakfast!"
Aunt Lin spotted her peeking from the stairs and waved her over.
He looked up too, fixing his dark eyes on her. Startled, Shi Runrun quickly averted her gaze and descended the stairs as if nothing had happened.
Seated at the table, Aunt Lin asked if she had slept well, and Shi Runrun smiled and nodded.
Who would have thought the man at the head of the table would smirk and tease, "She slept fine, but I suffered. Someone drooled on me and slapped me several times!"
Shi Runrun flushed scarlet.
Aunt Lin, standing by, stifled her laughter behind her hand.
Embarrassed, Shi Runrun protested, "That's not true... Xiao Xuezheng, don't slander me... I didn't hit you..."
She didn't deny drooling, but hitting him...
This infuriating man wouldn't let it go. He stood, grabbed her hand, and compared it to his cheek. "Look at this mark—doesn't it match your hand perfectly? There are more on my body. Should I take off my shirt to prove it?"
Shi Runrun hastily snatched her hand back, so mortified she wished she could disappear into the ground.
The servants nearby whispered to Aunt Lin, "Young master and young madam truly have a loving relationship!"
"Indeed... Since young madam arrived, young master has changed so much!"

After the teasing subsided, Shi Runrun sat at the table and Aunt Lin brought her a hearty breakfast, crafted specially for expectant mothers—shrimp and lean pork porridge accompanied by fresh soy milk.
At first, Shi Runrun ate with relish, but midway through, as she reached for the soy milk, she accidentally knocked over the cup.
Scalding soy milk, steaming hot, spilled across the back of her hand.

Shi Runrun cried out in pain, ignoring the upturned soy milk as the cup crashed to the floor and shattered.
Seeing this, Xiao Xuezheng immediately stood and rushed to her side, grabbing her scalded hand.
Aunt Lin, hearing the commotion, hurried out of the kitchen.
Flustered, Shi Runrun tried to apologize, wanting to bend down and clean up the broken glass, but the man stopped her at once.
He looked at her, his face darkening further. "Shi Runrun! Are you an idiot? How do you even manage to hurt yourself drinking soy milk?!"
Shi Runrun felt a pang of grievance, her nose stinging with suppressed tears.
Seeing her like this, the man's heart softened, and a wave of tenderness washed over him. He turned to Aunt Lin. "Fetch the burn ointment, and have someone clean up the mess."
Aunt Lin responded swiftly, soon returning with ointment and gauze.
Xiao Xuezheng pressed Shi Runrun into a chair at the table, knelt before her, and carefully applied the ointment to her burn.
At first, the ointment stung, and Shi Runrun couldn't help but hiss a little, but then he bent down and gently blew on the wound.
The pain faded instantly. Instead, as she lowered her eyes and saw this noble man bowing his head to tend to her, her heart was unexpectedly moved.
When he finished, Xiao Xuezheng wrapped her hand with gauze, then stood up and gave her a stern look. "Next time you hurt yourself, see how I deal with you!"
Naturally, his idea of dealing with her involved the bedroom.
Shi Runrun pouted; though he'd scolded her, her heart inexplicably felt sweet.

After the lively breakfast, Shi Runrun brought up her intention to return to her studies.
Though pregnant and now married to him, Shi Runrun had not forgotten she was still a university student.
She was determined to complete her education.
However, the moment she mentioned attending classes while pregnant, Xiao Xuezheng immediately objected.
She looked at the man lounging on the sofa, long legs crossed, and couldn't help but ask, "Why? Why won't you let me go to school?"
He glanced at her and replied indifferently, "You can't even eat breakfast without hurting yourself. How can I let you go to school while pregnant? I won't risk anything happening to my daughter!"
Shi Runrun was speechless.
Who said it had to be a daughter?
It could be a son!
Or maybe all fathers prefer daughters—or was he just biased toward having a girl?