So, You’re the Henpecked One? 12

Chapter 12

Mao Xiaoyun stared dumbfounded as Lin Zhao ran off. She touched her head and finally pouted.

After getting married, the boss really didn’t have time to play with her anymore!

Right now, Lin Zhao couldn’t be bothered with Mao Xiaoyun’s grievances. She ran back home and saw that the house had been tidied up to be almost spotless. The red paper cuttings on the doors and windows hadn’t been taken down yet, still showing traces of the wedding.

Lin Zhao didn’t have time to carefully observe the changes in the house. As soon as she entered, she started shouting, “Xihuan! Xihuan!”

She shouted so urgently, as if something terrible had happened.

The door to the east room opened, and Chu Xihuan came out. Seeing Lin Zhao’s panicked expression, she couldn’t help but frown. “What, did something happen?”

It couldn’t be that this person had gotten into trouble on her first day of looking for work, could it?

Chu Xihuan carefully looked Lin Zhao over and felt a little relieved. Even if something had happened, it didn’t look like she had gotten the short end of the stick.

Seeing Chu Xihuan appear safe and sound, Lin Zhao’s eyes lit up. “Are you hungry? Shall I make you something to eat?”

Chu Xihuan was speechless.

So this person had rushed back in a panic just to ask if she was hungry?

Chu Xihuan found it a little amusing, and at the same time, she was touched and her heart softened. “Are you hungry? Simeng said you went out early in the morning.”

Lin Zhao nodded, then shook her head. “I was a little hungry, but then Xiaoyun found me and brought me an egg,” she said honestly.

Chu Xihuan was silent for a moment, then said with a hint of amusement, “Does Xiaoyun often bring you food?”

If she wasn’t specifically bringing food for Lin Zhao, what normal person would carry an egg around with them?

“Mm,” Lin Zhao nodded. “Sometimes when her family has good food, she’ll sneak some out for me.”

Chu Xihuan’s expression was a little complicated. Looking at Lin Zhao’s oblivious face, she inexplicably wanted to laugh.

For some reason, she was reminded of Lin Zhao as a stray dog that Mao Xiaoyun was secretly feeding.

“Simeng and the others made breakfast and pastries before they left this morning, so I’m not hungry.” Chu Xihuan’s voice softened slightly. Her appetite wasn’t very big anyway, and she had had a couple of pastries at noon to tide her over, so she wasn’t hungry.

Hearing that she wasn’t hungry, Lin Zhao was a little relieved, but she also understood that today was a special case. In the future, there would be no maids to cook for Chu Xihuan.

“I won’t forget next time,” Lin Zhao said solemnly.

“Hmm?” Chu Xihuan looked at her in surprise.

“I’ll come back on time to cook for you in the future!” Lin Zhao said seriously again, her clear eyes filled with determination and even a hint of guilt.

Guilt for not having done it right on the very first day.

Chu Xihuan was silent for a moment, then smiled. She was surprised that Lin Zhao could be so considerate, and at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty herself.

Her act of forcing her into marriage without regard for her refusal now made her feel a faint sense of regret for the first time.

This person was too sincere. She was afraid she would end up hurting her.

Sighing softly in her heart, Chu Xihuan looked at her and said warmly, “You don’t have to go to so much trouble. Just teach me how to do it.”

If it hadn’t been for the fact that Lin Zhao hadn’t returned by lunchtime, she would have never considered the problem of how she would eat without a maid.

If she had known, she should have started learning during the month of wedding preparations.

Lin Zhao’s eyes scanned Chu Xihuan from top to bottom. She was dressed in a water-blue dress that made her look elegant and graceful, and she held a book in her fair hands. She didn’t look like someone who could cook at all.

Lin Zhao shook her head. “You don’t have to learn. I’ll cook for you.”

She had married her, and she had nothing to offer. The only thing she could do was be as good to her as possible. She couldn’t fail at even that one thing, could she?

Chu Xihuan just smiled and didn’t press the matter further. “How did the job search go?” she asked instead.

At her words, Lin Zhao’s face stiffened. She wanted to say it went well, to impress Chu Xihuan, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to her. Besides, she didn’t have the ability to pretend in front of Chu Xihuan without giving herself away. And after working, she would have to bring back wages. Since she couldn’t go to the casino, where would she get the money to pretend it was her wages?

Lin Zhao’s heart ached. She felt that she was overthinking things and making them too complicated, but when facing Chu Xihuan, she always wanted to be a little better.

She shook her head dejectedly. “I’m sorry, I haven’t found anything yet,” she said in a muffled voice.

Seeing her like this, she looked even more like a pitiful little puppy.

Chu Xihuan sighed and beckoned for Lin Zhao to come over.

Lin Zhao pressed her lips together. Hearing her soft sigh, she thought she was disappointed in her. She walked over to Chu Xihuan dejectedly, her nose stinging even more.

Don’t cry. If you cry, Chu Xihuan will look down on you even more.

However, Lin Zhao soon froze in place.

A hand gently ruffled her head, and Chu Xihuan’s soft, gentle voice sounded in her ear. “Why be so sad and dejected? How could finding a job be so easy? Even I would have a hard time finding a suitable job right away.”

So gentle. It was the first time she had heard Chu Xihuan speak to her in such a tone.

Lin Zhao forgot about her stinging nose. She bit her lip and looked up at Chu Xihuan, a hint of shame in her eyes, mixed with a joy she didn’t even realize was there. “So this is normal?”

“Naturally.” Chu Xihuan withdrew her hand and looked at her clothes, her brow furrowing slightly again.

This person had lived alone before and didn’t have the means or the skill to mend her own clothes, which was understandable. But now that they were married, if Lin Zhao continued to dress so shabbily, wouldn’t it be a disgrace to her as well?

Lin Zhao was very sensitive to emotions. The joy she had been feeling slowly faded, and she looked at Chu Xihuan’s face nervously, biting her lip and stammering, “W-what’s wrong?”

Chu Xihuan came back to her senses and looked at Lin Zhao’s cautious expression. Her emotions froze for a moment, and she sighed softly. “Lin Zhao, you don’t have to be so careful.”

Many times, Lin Zhao even gave her the feeling that she was trying to please her.

Lin Zhao looked at her blankly, a little confused.

Seeing that she still didn’t understand, Chu Xihuan impatiently ruffled her hair, messing it up.

“Be bolder. This is your house. Why do you act like you’re living under someone else’s roof?”

Sensing her slight impatience and the way she had messed up her hair, although it didn’t hurt and even made her scalp tingle, Lin Zhao still looked at her with a bit of grievance.

Tying her hair was so troublesome. It had taken her a long time to get it right.

Seeing her like this, Chu Xihuan understood that it would be difficult to change her overnight. After all, this was only their second day together. She figured that once they got to know each other better, she wouldn’t be like this anymore.

“Since you have nothing to do this afternoon, go out and buy some vegetables and some rice, flour, and oil.” Chu Xihuan handed a money pouch to Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao had been out since early this morning and had only eaten one egg. How could that be enough? But now there was only some rice left in the house, and she couldn’t just let her drink plain porridge.

Lin Zhao stared blankly at the money pouch in her hand, not reacting to the sudden change of topic.

“What are you standing there in a daze for?” Chu Xihuan glanced at her.

Lin Zhao snapped back to her senses. “I’ll go right now!”

Her brain hadn’t even caught up, but the words were already out, and her legs were moving at lightning speed.

**

Author’s Note:

Luan Luan: [Eating Melon][Eating Melon]