A Pig Brain at the Wrong Time

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, lazily spilling across the living room floor and coating everything in a languid golden glow.

A faint, fresh scent of detergent hung in the air, mingling with the subtle aroma of food drifting from the kitchen. The atmosphere was almost excessively peaceful.

Tang Wulin sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding a cup of warm tea as he tried to focus on an obscure book on Soul Master theory. Yet the corner of his eye kept drifting uncontrollably toward the kitchen.

Gu Yue was busy in the kitchen.

She wore a simple T-shirt for lounging at home, her long black hair casually pinned up, with several loose strands falling beside her neck. Her usual violet eyes, cool as an icy pool, were focused intently on the tomatoes on the cutting board. The small knife in her hand rose and fell swiftly, her movements as precise as though she were practicing a soul skill.

Tang Wulin swallowed, closed his book, and set it on his knees. He knew the situation all too well. Since the last Feather Duster Family Law incident, his "rules for survival" around Gu Yue had been upgraded to the highest level: absolute obedience, no causing trouble, and especially strict vigilance against any "high-risk individuals" who might stir her emotions.

And today, the thing he feared most had happened after all.

"Ding-dong—"

The doorbell rang crisply, shattering the silence in the house.

Tang Wulin's heart skipped a beat. Before he could even rise, Gu Yue's slightly puzzled voice came from the kitchen. "The door's unlocked. Come in yourself."

Before her words had even faded, a boisterous figure swept inside like a gust of wind.

"Boss! Open up! I'm starving!"

The newcomer was none other than Xie Xie. He had just returned from Yuanen's home, and the moment he entered, he got straight to the point. He tossed his bag onto the sofa and flopped down after it, limbs sprawled out in the shameless manner of someone declaring, "I came to your house, so you're responsible for feeding me."

Tang Wulin forced out a smile uglier than a crying face and hurried over. "Xie Xie, you... why are you here? You didn't even say anything in advance."

"Eh, I was passing by, so I thought I'd drop in and see you." Xie Xie waved dismissively, already eyeing the kitchen. "Whoa, what's that smell? It's so good! Gu Yue's here too? You two are... joining forces to improve my meals?" As he spoke, he started sneaking toward the dining table, preparing to claim a favorable position ahead of time.

At that moment, a soft click came from the kitchen, like some precision instrument shutting down. Immediately afterward, a biting chill, accompanied by Gu Yue's distinctive silent footsteps, spread from the kitchen through the entire living room.

Xie Xie abruptly froze mid-step, the grin on his face stiffening. He keenly sensed that the temperature around him had dropped by more than ten degrees. He turned his head rigidly and saw Gu Yue standing at the kitchen entrance, arms folded across her chest. Her cool eyes looked down at him as though he were a piece of large garbage.

There was no killing intent in her gaze, no anger—only pure, undisguised disgust. It was as if he were not a person at all, but a stale, expired loaf of bread that needed to be thrown out immediately.

Xie Xie's Adam's apple bobbed as he gave a dry laugh. "Hehe... Sister Gu Yue, you... you're here too. Um... I'm just here to mooch a meal. I'll leave as soon as I'm done, and I definitely won't cause any trouble."

Gu Yue said nothing. She merely tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over his sprawled body on the sofa before returning to his face. That look was like she was judging whether a slab of pork had an acceptable balance of fat and lean meat.

Tang Wulin's scalp went numb. He quickly stepped forward, blocking Xie Xie from view as he smiled apologetically. "Gu Yue, don't misunderstand. Xie Xie is just... just hungry. He promises he won't delay you... won't delay anything you need to do!" As he spoke, he frantically signaled Xie Xie with his eyes: Apologize, now!

Xie Xie received the signal and realized things were going badly. He sat up awkwardly, sprang off the sofa, and gave Gu Yue a sheepish grin. "Right, right, right. I won't make you angry!"

"Whew..." Tang Wulin turned around, only to find that Gu Yue had not returned to the kitchen. She was still standing there, her expression dark enough to drip water.

"Gu Yue..." Tang Wulin called cautiously.

"Cooking." Gu Yue spat out two cold words, then walked back into the kitchen and slammed the door shut behind her.

Tang Wulin followed in confusion and poked his head inside, immediately drawing a sharp breath.

The sight before him made even a man like him feel a pang of heartache.

The entire kitchen was so clean it looked as though no one had ever used it. The stovetop gleamed like a mirror, and there was not even a single drop of water on the counter. The ingredients were neatly sorted and arranged, as though she were not preparing a meal but setting up a sterile laboratory. Gu Yue stood before the stove with her back slightly bent, one hand bracing her waist and the other holding a spatula. Her movements remained precise, but her usual composure had been replaced by obvious stiffness.

Only then did Tang Wulin remember that she had finished cleaning the house only that morning. Before she had even had time to rest, she had been interrupted by his and Xie Xie's farce, and now she had to immediately throw herself into another battle. For a woman who had just expended a great deal of soul power cleaning the house, this was undoubtedly a challenge that would drain her physical strength.

"Gu Yue, how about... we eat out?" Tang Wulin asked tentatively.

"No." Gu Yue did not turn around, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Takeout isn't healthy. You two have picky tastes. The food outside won't suit you."

Thus began a cooking session destined to be arduous.

Tang Wulin wanted to help, but Gu Yue stopped him with a single look. "Stand there. You're in the way," she said.

So he could only retreat to the kitchen doorway, watching his goddess busy herself for him and that "walking disaster" of a friend like a schoolchild who had done something wrong.

Washing vegetables, chopping ingredients, lighting the stove, stir-frying... Gu Yue handled every step with meticulous care.

But the frequency with which she supported her waist increased, and her chopping rhythm gradually slowed. Once, when she tried to put shredded potatoes into the wok, her arm wavered from a slight loss of balance. A few drops of soup splashed out of the pot and landed on the stovetop.

At that instant, Tang Wulin saw her press her lips tightly together as a fine layer of sweat formed at her temples. She did not complain. She merely turned off the heat, carefully wiped away the few droplets of soup with a clean cloth, then reignited the stove and continued.

That thin little cloth and her faintly trembling wrist formed the most heartbreaking image in Tang Wulin's eyes.

He watched anxiously, yet did not dare go forward and interrupt her. He knew that making her admit she was tired was harder than making her defeat ten Soul Emperors.

At last, three dishes and a soup were served. Their colors were vivid, their aromas enticing, and every dish was plated as exquisitely as a work of art. But after Tang Wulin took a bite, despite the flavor being flawless, it felt like chewing wax. That was because he saw Gu Yue quietly sit at the farthest corner of the dining table, one hand braced against the tabletop while the other gently pressed her lower back. Her face was so pale that not a trace of color remained.

The meal was unusually quiet. The brief commotion Xie Xie had brought with him had long since vanished, leaving only the soft clinks of bowls and chopsticks.

After the meal, Xie Xie had already found an excuse to slip away. Before leaving, he gave Tang Wulin a look that said, "Take care of yourself." Once Tang Wulin had cleaned up the dishes, he looked at Gu Yue. She was leaning against the sofa with her eyes closed, her breathing slightly uneven. The hand pressing against her waist had turned white at the knuckles from exertion.

"Gu Yue," he called softly.

Gu Yue slowly opened her eyes. Those cool eyes were now filled with exhaustion. She waved a hand, signaling that she was fine.

"Stop forcing yourself." For the first time, Tang Wulin's voice carried a hint of firmness that allowed no refusal. He turned and strode quickly toward the bedroom, digging a roll of blood-circulating pain relief patches from the drawer of the bedside table. He had prepared them after accidentally spraining his ankle before.

He returned with the patches, crouched beside Gu Yue, and said gently, "You hurt your waist. Don't move. I'll put one on for you."

Gu Yue opened her eyes and looked at the patch in his hand. After several seconds of silence, she finally nodded.

Tang Wulin tore open the packaging, releasing a strong herbal scent.

He took a deep breath and carefully lifted the hem of Gu Yue's T-shirt, revealing her beautifully contoured waist. The muscles there were faintly spasming from overexertion, and even through her thin skin, he could feel the stiffness.

When his fingertips lightly touched her skin, Gu Yue's body visibly tensed, but she did not pull away.

Tang Wulin peeled off the backing, aligned the patch, and gently pressed it into place. The cool patch against her warm skin brought a soothing sensation.

"Gasp..." Gu Yue could not help letting out a very soft intake of breath.

Tang Wulin's heart leaped into his throat. "Did I hurt you?" he asked hurriedly, his fingers hovering in midair as he did not dare make another move.

"...I'm fine." Gu Yue's voice was a little tense.

Tang Wulin assumed it was merely psychological and thought he should finish applying it quickly so she could rest. So he steadied himself and smoothed the patch down bit by bit with the pads of his fingers, pressing it firmly to ensure it adhered perfectly to her skin and could have the greatest medicinal effect.

To press it down, he used just a little force.

That tiny bit of force became the fuse that lit the powder keg.

"Argh—!"

A cry of pain burst uncontrollably from Gu Yue's mouth. Her whole body sprang up from the sofa as if electrocuted, and her soul power instantly scattered out of control. The temperature in the living room plunged to freezing point, and the water glass on the coffee table was immediately encased in a thick shell of ice.

"Tang Wulin!!!"

The eyes that were always so cool now blazed with raging fury. Clutching her waist, Gu Yue's brows stood on end as she pointed at Tang Wulin, who was still crouched on the floor. She was so angry that she could barely speak clearly. "You... are you trying to murder your own wife?! Huh?! You're such a grown man, and you can't even put on a pain patch?! Do you have a pig brain?!"

The barrage of questions came like machine-gun fire, fast and vicious.

Tang Wulin stood there, stunned by the scolding. Seeing the corners of Gu Yue's eyes redden from pain and her grimacing expression, he felt both heartache and grievance. What aggrieved him was that he had clearly meant well, wanting to ease her pain. How had that turned into "murdering his own wife"?

"I... I didn't do it on purpose!" He hurriedly stood up and explained in a fluster. "I wanted to make sure it stuck properly so you'd get better faster! I... I'll be gentler, okay? Don't be angry. If you get worked up, your waist will hurt even more!"

"You're still talking! If I'm not angry, then I'm in so much pain I can barely speak! And you think you're in the right?!" Gu Yue's chest rose and fell sharply as she clutched her waist and paced in place twice, apparently unable to find a comfortable position.

Seeing her pitiful state, angry and hurting with nowhere to vent it, Tang Wulin's heart instantly melted into water. All his petty thoughts and fears were thrown far beyond the clouds. He stepped forward, gently supported her arm, lowered himself, and began a long, sincere campaign to soothe his wife.

"My fault. It's all my fault." Like a child who had done something wrong, he humbly admitted his mistake. "Gu Yue, please be magnanimous and forgive me this once, okay? I promise that for highly technical work like applying pain patches, I'll practice on myself a hundred times first. I'll practice until I can do it perfectly with my eyes closed before I ever use one on you again. I swear I'll never let you feel even the slightest bit of pain again."

Gu Yue glared at him, her chest still heaving, but his pitiful appearance seemed to dampen some of her anger.

Seeing that there was hope, Tang Wulin pressed on. He helped Gu Yue slowly sit back down on the sofa, then half-knelt before her and looked up with clear, sincere eyes. "And you worked so hard cooking just now, and you even had to put up with that bastard Xie Xie. I already felt terrible about it. Now I've made you hurt because of my clumsiness. I really... really feel awful. If you're still angry, hit me a few times and vent. As long as it helps you calm down, I'll do anything."

His tone was too sincere, and his eyes too innocent. Looking at him, Gu Yue suddenly found that nameless anger unable to rise any further. She knew herself that she had overreacted just now. Tang Wulin truly had not meant to hurt her, and though his movements while applying the patch had been clumsy, his care and concern had been genuine.

Still, apologizing was easy, but the frustration in her heart had not fully eased, and her expression remained cold.

"Hmph." She gave a soft snort through her nose and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Tang Wulin knew this was both the calm before the storm and a signal of reconciliation. He did not dare relax. Reaching out, he gently rubbed the spot he had just pressed too hard, his movements as tender as if he were handling a priceless treasure.

"Gu Yue, actually... you looked really cool while you were cooking just now," he suddenly blurted out.

Gu Yue paused as he rubbed her waist, then turned to look at him suspiciously. "...Are you sick?"

"Really!" Tang Wulin looked utterly serious. "I mean it! Look at you—you cleaned the house, cooked, handled everything by yourself, and did it all so perfectly. That plate of beef strips with green peppers was cooked to absolute perfection! I never knew you had that skill. In my eyes, you're practically capable of anything."

As Gu Yue listened to his praise, the frost on her face began to melt at a visible rate. Though she still kept a stern expression, the faint, nearly invisible curve at the corner of her lips betrayed her mood.

"Stop... stop flattering me," she muttered quietly, most of the chill already gone from her voice.

"This isn't flattery. I'm stating facts." Tang Wulin took advantage of the momentum and continued his sugar-coated assault. "And I've realized that only when I'm beside you do I feel like a real man.

I don't have to worry about anything. I only need to wait for the food to be ready. It makes me feel a little useless, but... it really is quite blissful."

Gu Yue finally could not hold it in any longer. She let out a soft laugh. It was clear and pleasant, like the sound of the first drop of spring water flowing over bluestone after snow and ice began to melt.

Her smile carried both helplessness and indulgence.

He continued rubbing her waist, his movements growing even gentler. The lingering sunset light streamed through the window, stretching their shadows long and overlapping them together, warm and peaceful.