「The next day.」

Wen Ci was woken by hunger. Last night, that damn man had shown no regard for her body, ravishing her again and again like a wolf starved for decades.

To be fair, Huo Jingyuan’s stamina was ridiculously good.

Wen Ci couldn’t help but sigh. ’You really shouldn’t get too cocky,’ she thought. After all, that dog of a man had taught her a harsh lesson last night.

She sat up, rubbing her sore waist, and pulled open the curtains. Spring sunlight streamed into the room, revealing blue skies and white clouds outside.

Wen Ci was wearing a silk nightgown. Her stomach was rumbling, and she was planning to make a bowl of instant noodles when she saw Huo Jingyuan walk to the bedroom doorway.

He was dressed in camouflage training fatigues with an apron tied around his waist. His abyss-black eyes held a sated smile. "I proved my stamina last night. I wasn’t exaggerating, was I?"

Huo Jingyuan’s voice was deep and rich, like a strong liquor.

A blush crept up Wen Ci’s face as she recalled how a certain someone had pestered her to call him "Ah Yuan" last night. She bit her lip and said in an aggrieved tone, "Huo. Jing. Yuan. I’m hungry."

Her voice was a little hoarse.

The family residence area was also nicknamed the "Conception Courtyard," as most who moved in did so hoping to have children. Because of this, the soundproofing had been specially upgraded.

Huo Jingyuan was the only one living in the surrounding three-bedroom courtyard homes.

Last night, Wen Ci’s voice had inevitably been a little loud.

"I made you some soup," Huo Jingyuan said slowly.

He had been a soldier in the Northwest for twelve years, and today was the first time he had ever requested leave. After waking up at dawn, he had gone out of his way to ask the mess hall cooks for their soup and cooking recipes.

The supplies delivered to the Northwest Military District Courtyard each week were procured according to standard regulations. To get his hands on the mess hall’s pork ribs, Huo Jingyuan had even promised to personally make a supply run to Sea City.

"What kind of soup?"

"Corn and pork rib soup."

Wen Ci’s throat was hoarse. Pear water would have been the best remedy, but pears were impossible to find in the Northwest this season. She would just have to settle for some pork rib soup to regain her strength.

"What else?" Wen Ci asked. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Shredded potatoes."

The dishes he’d learned about yesterday were all spicy, but today he wanted to make something milder for Wen Ci. Among vegetable dishes, shredded potatoes were the one that paired best with rice.

Satisfied, Wen Ci looked down at the silk nightgown she was wearing and asked curiously, "Who bought this?"

A smile reached his eyes. "I changed you into it."

Wen Ci: "..."

’She was asking who *bought* the nightgown, not who *put it on me*.’

Besides, as if she didn’t already know who’d changed her?

Suddenly, Wen Ci’s thoughts drifted back to the end of last night. He had worn her out completely, and feeling sticky all over, he had carried her into the bathroom for a shower.

In a hazy, exhausted state, he had taken her again right there in the bathroom.

Afterwards, Huo Jingyuan had dressed her as if she were a doll.

Wen Ci looked down at the marks on her collarbone and glared at him. "Huo Jingyuan, are you some kind of dog? An old dog who’s never tasted meat before?"

Instead of getting angry, Huo Jingyuan laughed.

Wen Ci’s words were like a fist punching cotton—completely ineffective.

Seeing that her barbs had no effect, Wen Ci decided to cut her losses. She needed to save her throat anyway. She walked to the doorway, deliberately bypassing him. "Go get my food."

Huo Jingyuan reached out and wrapped an arm around Wen Ci’s waist. He pressed himself against her back, following her toward the living room. The silk nightgown was thin and sheer.

Reminded of her softness, he gave her waist a light squeeze and leaned in, his lips brushing her ear. "Ah Ci, how about I apply some ointment for you after we eat?"

’Ointment?!’

Wen Ci instantly flushed.

It was inevitable for a man tasting meat for the first time to lose control. It had left parts of her body red and swollen. While she would heal on her own, ointment would speed up the process.

Face beet red, Wen Ci exclaimed, "You even went to the hospital to get medicine?!"