Hearing Gu Fuqiao's words, Yan Zhen Guo furrowed his brow and walked straight up to Gu Fuqiao.
Gu Fuqiao felt a shadow looming overhead. She looked up at Yan Zhen Guo, seeing his expressionless face, having no clue what was going through his mind.
She simply waved the firewood in her hand, saying, "Bro, I'm cooking here. Could you step aside?"
"Cooking? I'm afraid you haven't even managed to light the firewood." Yan Zhen Guo's gaze shifted downward to the firewood tucked under Gu Fuqiao's arm.
Gu Fuqiao raised her brows, not sure why, but even without expression, she saw the blatant scorn in Yan Zhen Guo's face!
She may not have much else in this life, but she had pride!
"I was experimenting with which type of firewood would make the food smell better. Haven't you heard of this? It's like practicing calligraphy; using top-quality peach blossom paper makes the writing smoother than regular paper." After finishing, she pointed to the firewood under her arm, saying, "It's the same principle."
Yan Zhen Guo glanced at her, then smoothly pulled the firewood from her hands.
Seeing this, Gu Fuqiao hurriedly stood up.
Yan Zhen Guo turned and sat by the stove. After placing the firewood aside, he picked up an old newspaper.
He lit it with a match and placed it inside the stove, then added some soft pine needles and twigs, causing the fire to blaze instantly.
Only then did he add the firewood Gu Fuqiao had been holding.
Watching Yan Zhen Guo's fluid movements, Gu Fuqiao was stunned, standing petrified beside him.
She hadn't expected such a rugged man to understand even the simplest task like starting a fire so thoroughly—absolutely impressive!
Moreover, Yan Zhen Guo's serious demeanor made the simple task seem monumental! His resolute brows were incredibly attractive!
It was no wonder he was the novel's male lead!
Thinking of her novel's male lead being so MAN, Gu Fuqiao instantly felt delight, and when she looked at Yan Zhen Guo, her eyes sparkled with joy.
Yan Zhen Guo glanced at Gu Fuqiao nonchalantly.
The morning sunlight, gentle at past nine, filtered through the frosted glass onto Gu Fuqiao's face, making her fair skin seem as if covered with a soft fuzz.
Looking at her smiling eyes... it was hard not to feel a slight quickening of his throat.
But remembering how she winced in pain earlier that morning, he compelled himself to stand up, tossing the eggs and noodles Gu Fuqiao had prepared into the pot.
"Plop." The sound of noodles and eggs hitting the cold water echoed in Gu Fuqiao's ears.
Gu Fuqiao's eyes widened as she moved closer to Yan Zhen Guo, watching his actions in disbelief.
"Bro, what are you doing?" Gu Fuqiao watched in distress as the egg yolk spread in the cold water.
Yan Zhen Guo didn't reply to her.
Gu Fuqiao raised her head with genuine distress, "Don't you know the eggs should be fried first before adding them to the noodles? And the water hasn't even boiled yet; how can you add noodles?"
"As long as it's edible, who cares." Yan Zhen Guo took two large porcelain bowls from the cupboard and placed them on the stove.
Gu Fuqiao watched with pain as the noodles and eggs gradually cooked in the pot.
She sighed, looking mournfully at Yan Zhen Guo as he ladled the boiled egg noodles into the two porcelain bowls.
After adding some broth to each bowl, he handed one to Gu Fuqiao.
"These are things you should have known upon marrying me." Yan Zhen Guo said, holding the bowl of egg noodles. "The army isn't like your Gu Family. I won't make you do what you can't, but as my wife, you should know how to do the household chores."
Chores she should know? She could cook, just not with this type of stove, wait, Yan Zhen Guo said she should know how to wash clothes and cook... Did the former host not even know how to wash clothes?
Heavens, this pampered capitalist's daughter is too privileged.
Seeing Yan Zhen Guo's indifferent expression, Gu Fuqiao sighed inwardly, realizing that the former host's situation was evidently challenging.
She never expected to reach such an age and be scorned for not washing clothes or cooking.
But now, living under the same roof with the male lead, she decided it's best to make an effort to cook well.
Looking at the bowl in her hands, she thought, after all, she used to be a child who did everything herself!
She shouldn't take the blame for this without clarification, she must explain properly later.
Seeing Gu Fuqiao hanging her head in silence, he wondered if he'd frightened her with his usual stern tone, even though he'd softened it.
Before marrying into the family, Gu Fuqiao rarely spoke to Yan Zhen Guo, even avoiding running into him, and even when she did speak, it was cold and distant.
Yan Zhen Guo himself rarely spoke to women, having a way with his rough and tough army mates.
But when faced with such a delicate woman, he was indeed...
"You..." Yan Zhen Guo was about to speak when Gu Fuqiao suddenly raised her head to meet his dark eagle-like eyes.
She bit her lip and said, "I actually do know how to wash clothes and cook. We've only been married a couple of days, so I don't know much, plus the fire wouldn't light earlier because the matches were too short."
"The matches were too short?" Hearing Gu Fuqiao's words, Yan Zhen Guo pondered deeply, not knowing what he associated with them.
"Yes, exactly! The matches were too short." Gu Fuqiao thought Yan Zhen Guo believed her; she quickly gestured with her thumb and forefinger, "Just this short, I hadn't even gotten the firewood going when my hand got burned! Whoever invented matches was really dumb, they should make them longer."
While speaking, Gu Fuqiao sighed wistfully.
Putting down her noodles, she said, "But don't worry, although using matches was tricky at first, I will make an effort to get used to short matches and cook well in the future!"
After speaking, she gestured once more regarding the match's length and thickness.
Unbeknownst to her, the worldly man was reminded of something unspeakable.
To his eyes, her slender fingers were particularly attractive, especially as she demonstrated something indescribable.
Seeing Yan Zhen Guo's expression change, Gu Fuqiao realized something was off.
The way Yan Zhen Guo looked at her... was it the same way she looked at durian?
Gu Fuqiao swallowed nervously, thinking, did she say something wrong again, or is her beauty so irresistible that it roused desire in this lustful man?
But she hadn't done anything at all!
"Gu Fuqiao." Yan Zhen Guo suddenly strode forward, closing in on Gu Fuqiao in one step.
The move startled Gu Fuqiao, causing her to step back, her lower back hitting the stove.
Panicked, she raised her hands defensively in front of her chest, "I'm here! Just say whatever you need to!"