“Xiao Chuan!”
Uncle Wang hurried in, his tone half-scolding as he broke the awkward tension hanging in the bathroom.
Su Pu’s vision went white for a moment. When he refocused, Li Jichuan was already wrapped tightly in a bath towel from shoulders to knees.
“Mr. Su just moved in. The servants were busy unpacking his things and didn’t realize you were already done showering,” Uncle Wang explained.
He kept patting the towel over Li Jichuan, wiping away the droplets clinging to his skin, while muttering a few instructions into the intercom.
Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside. Two more people entered the room and immediately began tending to Li Jichuan.
Only then did Uncle Wang have a moment to breathe. He helped the still-collapsed Su Pu up from the floor and led him out of the room.
“Your clothes got wet too, didn’t they? Must’ve been the water on the floor,” he said.
But Su Pu was still stunned. Every second of what had just happened hit him like a tidal wave—massive, overwhelming, leaving him breathless.
Seeing the state he was in, Uncle Wang gave him a reassuring pat on the back.
“Don’t be scared. Mr. Li just looks fierce. He was teasing you.”
Su Pu was so painfully thin that his shoulder blades were sharp under the palm—paired with a timid personality, it made Uncle Wang’s heart clench. They hadn’t known each other long, yet he couldn’t help but worry about the boy.
“Go change into some pajamas. I’ll ask the kitchen to make you a bowl of noodles. People say dumplings when you set out, noodles when you arrive—since you’re married in now, this is your home. Even if you don’t want noodles, you have to eat something warm.”
Slowly coming back to himself, Su Pu realized Uncle Wang meant well. He hurriedly tapped out a message on his phone: 【Thank you.】
“What’s there to thank? You’re our young madam now. I’ve been taking care of Mr. Li since the day he was born. Seeing him finally have a partner makes me happy.”
Uncle Wang left with a smile. Su Pu sat dazed at the foot of the bed.
He pressed his lips together. In his heart he thought—That might not be true.
He had arrived, yes, but that didn’t mean Li Jichuan would accept him. He might never become anyone’s “madam” or “partner.”
It was entirely possible he would be abandoned again, ignored again, become someone disposable—a burden.
“Everything’s your fault. I ended up like this all because of you—”
“And you still have the nerve to cry? Why don’t you just die! I should’ve strangled you back then and dumped you at that bastard’s doorstep!”
A woman’s shrill voice echoed in his ears.
Su Pu instinctively shut his eyes and clamped his hands over them.
Disappear. All of it disappear. Disappear, disappear…
The ringing in his ears grew sharper. His world spun violently. Strength drained from his limbs.
Darkness washed over him, swallowing everything.
—
When he woke again, he was already lying in bed, tucked under a fluffy comforter with the air-conditioning set to a comfortable cool.
Startled, he sat upright and grabbed his phone. By his calculation, he had only slept fifteen minutes.
Yet those fifteen minutes felt like a full night of deep rest—his whole body felt loose and light.
Remembering Uncle Wang had gone to prepare supper, he didn’t dare delay. Clutching his phone, he hurried out of the bedroom, not even realizing when he’d changed into fresh pajamas.
It wasn’t until he stepped into the dining area and was caught under the bright lights that he froze in embarrassment.
Uncle Wang chuckled kindly. “The nurse changed you. I bought the pajamas this afternoon—are they a bit loose?”
Su Pu looked down, studied them for a few seconds, then looked up and smiled.
【They fit well. Thank you.】
“Good, good. I knew you were thin, but I had no idea how thin…”
Uncle Wang set down a balanced, nourishing meal and slid it toward him. “Just now I thought—whose little monkey is this?”
Su Pu blinked in surprise, then broke into a soft smile.
Uncle Wang really was a very gentle man.
“Eat up. After that you can wash up and go to bed. Mr. Li went to work and I’m not sure when he’ll get back.”
Being cared for like this was a first for Su Pu. He felt stiff with unease, unsure what he was supposed to do.
Shouldn’t he say hello to his husband properly?
But Uncle Wang said he was busy.
Then shouldn’t he help prepare dinner?
But Uncle Wang said there was a professional nutritionist.
Then… what could he do?
He couldn’t just do nothing. People without value get thrown away…
Suddenly, a warm weight settled on his head—a steady, comforting heat radiating from Uncle Wang’s palm.
“What are you thinking about?”
Su Pu looked up and met Uncle Wang’s searching gaze.
“Does it not suit your taste? I can have them remake it.”
Su Pu quickly shook his head. His eyes warmed as he scooped up a big spoonful of porridge and stuffed it into his mouth—so hot it made his brows pinch tight.
“Careful, it’s hot…”
It was hot. His tongue stung sharply.
But the porridge was delicious.
And his heart felt warm too.
A soft sense of fullness spread through him, as if something inside him finally clicked into place. The emptiness he’d carried for so long… quietly faded.
So this is what a home feels like.
—
After he’d eaten his fill, Uncle Wang escorted him back to the bedroom.
Worried he might be tired, Uncle Wang told him to wash up and rest, and not to wait up for Mr. Li.
After repeating his instructions, he bowed slightly and closed the door behind him.
The room became completely silent.
Left alone, Su Pu got up and wandered around. The bedroom was huge—bigger than his entire shared rental apartment by at least three times.
Even the bathing area was divided in two—one for showering, one with a bathtub and sauna.
He found two clean bath towels tucked in a cabinet under the sink and carried them into the shower room.
It was right here that he had walked in on a completely naked Li Jichuan earlier. But in just half an hour, everything had been cleaned to perfection—the floor bone-dry, the tiled walls gleaming like new.
Su Pu sized up the room. Handrails lined all four walls, and the non-slip mats on the floor were laid out according to Li Jichuan’s bathing route.
It seemed Li Jichuan wasn’t used to being waited on by others; he preferred to handle whatever he could on his own.
Still… just now, Su Pu had barged in so recklessly—it must have been quite a shock for Li Jichuan.
Closing his eyes, Su Pu thought of what he had just seen: the long, winding scars on Li Jichuan’s legs, sharp and alarming to behold…
They looked really severe.
He wondered if they could ever be removed. He’d heard that modern medical treatments were quite advanced.
Because Uncle Wang had said Li Jichuan didn’t like people touching his things, Su Pu carefully avoided the non-slip mats on the floor and washed up in a very awkward position.
The water was slightly hot, and Su Pu’s skin felt like a plump, dewy peach, steaming with heat as he finished.
He was alone in the room. Drying his hair and changing into pajamas, he obediently sat on the edge of the bed, waiting.
After all, it was his first day at his husband’s house. Collapsing into bed immediately would have been impolite—and besides, he owed Li Jichuan an apology. He shouldn’t have been so reckless just now, nor should he have shown such surprise.
Su Pu had never been good at speaking since he was a child, so he deeply understood the bitterness of being treated as an outsider.
He wanted to tell Li Jichuan that his fear wasn’t because of his disabled leg, nor because Li Jichuan was naked.
His surprise was just that—surprise. It came from his own inner panic, the constant feeling that he had done something wrong again, that he would be disliked, that sense of insecurity.
He could accept if Li Jichuan disliked him or ignored him, even if Li Jichuan was harsh with him—but he didn’t want Li Jichuan to dislike himself or question himself because of him.
He thought Li Jichuan was wonderful—handsome, the most handsome person he had ever seen.
His voice was pleasant too, like perfectly round, translucent pearls dropping onto a jade plate, tapping softly against Su Pu’s heart.
And… and, that part of him was… quite… large…
Thinking of this, Su Pu’s face flushed.
The first night after the wedding… would they be consummating it?
He just didn’t know what Li Jichuan’s physical condition was like… he didn’t mind going up there.
Ah…
His face burning red, Su Pu fell backward, sinking into the soft quilt.
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