"Housewife"

Gu Yue carried three huge stacks of deliveries and pushed open the front door, panting.

With a click, the door opened. Warm light spilled out from inside, illuminating the cardboard boxes piled in the entryway—and the all-too-familiar golden figure in the living room.

That person lounged lazily against the sofa, holding Gu Yue's thick cookbook. Her long golden hair was draped casually over her shoulders, several strands hanging over the pages and swaying softly as she turned them. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a faint halo around her. She was as beautiful as a painting, and... as infuriating as a goddess.

Just as Gu Yue was about to call out, the golden-haired figure raised her head and swept a cool gaze toward her.

Ye Xinglan.

The air froze for a second.

Gu Yue looked at the former comrade who had once fought beside her, her mind racing. She knew Ye Xinglan too well. When Xinglan's tongue got sharp, she could practically talk the dead back to life. If she got the chance, Gu Yue's life as a "housewife" would probably be criticized from every possible angle today.

No. Absolutely not!

Just as Ye Xinglan's red lips parted and she had not yet uttered a single syllable, Gu Yue beat her to it. Wearing a perfectly timed weary smile, she sighed. "My lower back has been hurting lately. I can't spar with you."

She said it firmly, with a hint of helplessness that brooked no argument.

Ye Xinglan froze mid-motion. Her beautiful golden eyes widened slightly, and for an instant, confusion and astonishment seemed to flash deep within them. The speech she had carefully prepared—"You've fallen," "Have you no shame before your martial soul?"—was all stuck in her throat.

She had expected Gu Yue to show off her newly bought ingredients. She had expected her to complain about Tang Wulin being a picky eater. She had even expected Gu Yue to drag her into discussing the latest recipes. But she had never expected Gu Yue to use such a plain, unremarkable excuse to retreat into her shell like a turtle.

For the first time, Ye Xinglan's usually composed face displayed the expression known as utter dumbfoundedness. Her mouth hung open for ages.

Watching her, Gu Yue secretly laughed. On the surface, though, she maintained that expression of being weak but strong. She even instinctively rubbed her lower back, though it was not as if it had really fully recovered.

Ye Xinglan finally snapped out of it. This was an insult to her abilities! How could she have failed to anticipate Gu Yue's tricks? This woman had to be plotting something again!

"You're faking it, aren't you?!" Ye Xinglan's competitive spirit flared. She sprang up from the sofa, strode over to Gu Yue in a few steps, pointed at her, and launched into a five-minute barrage. "Gu Yue, wake up! Look at yourself! Since you started living with Tang Wulin, have you even trained at all?"

Gu Yue set down the deliveries and looked at her innocently.

"Where did the Gu Yue who could stay in the training room for three days and nights just to break through a bottleneck go?" Ye Xinglan's voice grew more impassioned, filled with frustration at seeing someone fail to live up to expectations. "Now you're refusing to spar because your 'lower back hurts'! Have you forgotten that you even have a martial soul? Did you start treating all those harsh training sessions at Shrek Academy like child's play?"

Gu Yue raised a brow and said nothing, merely watching her perform at leisure.

Seeing this, Ye Xinglan became even more fired up, gesturing wildly. "The old you would collapse asleep right on the training grounds, and the first thing you'd say after waking up would still be, 'That angle was wrong just now.' Look at you now—so frail, so weak! You're out of breath after walking a few steps, and if you stand for a little too long, you start complaining about sore muscles and back pain!"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. Finally, she nearly gritted her teeth as she concluded, "All you do every day is study recipes and make food for Tang Wulin! Sweet-and-sour ribs today, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall tomorrow, and some fancy cuisine the day after that! Do you think you're a cook now? Where's your soul power? Where are your fighting instincts? Did you scrub them all away with a spatula?"

Every word struck at the heart, every sentence was barbed. Anyone else who heard it would probably have been ashamed enough to crawl into a crack in the ground.

Yet after hearing her out, Gu Yue did not get angry. Instead, she burst out laughing. Her shoulders shook, her eyes curved into crescents, and the delight rising from her heart made her look like a child who had just pulled off a prank.

"Hahaha... Xinglan, you really are... too amusing." Still laughing, Gu Yue set the heavy deliveries on the floor and dusted off her hands. "If Wulin heard you say all that, he'd probably get so proud of himself that he'd forget who he was."

Watching her laugh so happily, Ye Xinglan nearly choked on her breath. She realized she seemed to have kicked a soft yet thick marshmallow. No matter how hard she kicked, the other person not only did not hurt, but seemed to think she was playing with her.

"I don't believe you!" Ye Xinglan stiffened her neck, looking utterly despondent. "You're definitely just brushing me off. Gu Yue, don't think I don't know—your 'back pain' is obviously an excuse! You just don't want to fight me!"

"Fine, since you're so insistent on sparring," Gu Yue said, stopping her laughter and wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. A sly glint appeared in her gaze. "Go spar with Xie Xie instead."

Ye Xinglan was stunned. "...Huh?"

"Xie Xie," Gu Yue said as if it were only natural. "He's been bored out of his mind lately, wandering around outside my house all day claiming he wants to see Tang Wulin, when he's really just here to mooch meals. Go drag him over and give him some proper 'guidance.' It'll satisfy your urge to fight and get rid of a nuisance for the public at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone—why not?"

Ye Xinglan's face instantly fell.

Xie Xie... that guy who only knew how to show off, was terrible in actual combat, and was incredibly good at running away?

Spar with him? How was that any different from bullying a rabbit that had not even been weaned? And if Gu Yue was telling the truth, if Xie Xie really had nothing better to do, would she not be walking into a trap? She would probably be forced to listen to him brag about his Light Dragon Dagger, which had not seen use in ages.

No. Absolutely not! That would be a hundred times more painful than sparring with Gu Yue!

But if she did not go, would that not mean admitting she was inferior? Or rather, admitting that she could not find any reason to refute Gu Yue's whole "housewife theory"?

Ye Xinglan wrestled with herself for a full three seconds. In the end, her desire for battle overwhelmed her fear of Xie Xie. She gritted her teeth and said viciously, "Fine, I'll go! Who's afraid of who? Xie Xie can let me see whether he's improved at all lately!"

With that, she rushed out of Gu Yue's home like a gust of wind, her footsteps hurried and frantic, as though she feared that if she slowed down even a little, she would change her mind.

Listening to the footsteps fading beyond the door, Gu Yue's smile grew brighter and brighter. She turned toward the empty living room, made an exaggerated V-sign, then finally turned back in satisfaction to look at the mountain of deliveries.

"Done," she muttered, her voice full of triumphant delight.

At that moment, the bedroom door opened. Tang Wulin emerged carrying a cup of hot milk. He saw the deliveries scattered across the living room, then Gu Yue's smug expression of having accomplished a great feat. He shook his head helplessly, though the corners of his lips could not help lifting.

"Teasing Xinglan again?" He walked over, handed Gu Yue the milk, and casually smoothed the slightly messy hair over her forehead.

"Couldn't help it. She nags too much." Gu Yue accepted the milk and took a sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat, filling her with warmth. She wrapped an arm around Tang Wulin's waist and rested her head against his firm chest, feeling his steady, powerful heartbeat. "Still, she wasn't entirely wrong. It really has been a long time since I gave everything I had for a goal like I used to."

Tang Wulin's body stiffened slightly before relaxing. He gently patted her back. "It's different now. Back then, we had to stay tense every moment just to survive, grow stronger, and fight powerful enemies. Now... we have a home. A home is a place where you can rest and feel safe."

He paused, lowering his head to look at the girl in his arms. His eyes were so gentle they seemed ready to melt. "Gu Yue, you don't have to keep being that all-powerful 'goddess.' With me, you can be Gu Yue, and you can also be... my wife. You can be tired. You can be 'weak.' You can think only about making sweet-and-sour ribs for me. Because I'll protect you, and I'll support anything you want to do. Whether that means returning to the peak or becoming a happy little cook."

Gu Yue's heart felt as though it had been brushed by the softest feather, sending ripples through it. She raised her head and looked into Tang Wulin's deep eyes. They held nothing but trust and affection, without the slightest hint of doubt.

"Wulin..." she called softly, her voice carrying a faint, nearly imperceptible catch.

"Hmm?" Tang Wulin smiled and wiped away tears that might not even have existed at the corner of her eye with his thumb. "So, should we open the deliveries now? I'm guessing my new tea set—the one I've been talking about forever—is in there, along with that new hand cream you bought. Right?"

At the mention of the deliveries, Gu Yue immediately pulled herself out of her sentimental mood and returned to her usual calm, organized self. She patted Tang Wulin's arm and smiled. "Quit talking nonsense and come help. There's so much stuff that I can't unpack it all by myself."

The two exchanged a smile, then crouched down in perfect understanding and began sorting through the messy pile of boxes.

Gu Yue picked up a utility knife and neatly sliced through the tape. Tang Wulin was responsible for sorting and arranging the unpacked items.

The first box contained an exquisite celadon tea set decorated with elegant orchid patterns. Gu Yue's eyes lit up. This was exactly the style she had been eyeing for a long time.

"I knew you'd like it." Tang Wulin smiled and carefully lifted the tea set.

The second box held several beautifully packaged bottles of hand cream. They were all brands Gu Yue usually used, but in a new scent—fresh sea salt.

"You remember so well." Gu Yue was a little touched. She washed vegetables and cooked every day, so her hands were often in water. Hand cream was something she used quickly. She had casually mentioned once that she wanted to try a different scent, and he had remembered.

The next few boxes contained new items for Tang Wulin, houseplants for their home, several novels Gu Yue wanted to read, and a pile of miscellaneous little things. Each box they opened was accompanied by lighthearted conversation between them.

"This pillow pattern is so ugly." Tang Wulin frowned disdainfully at a pillow printed with a giant carrot.

"I think it's cute. It suits you perfectly." Gu Yue rolled her eyes and tossed the pillow onto the sofa.

"And this—why did you buy so many cleaning cloths? It's not like we're opening a cleaning company."

"It never hurts to have extras. Didn't you complain last time that you didn't have any good cloths for wiping the table?" Gu Yue replied with complete confidence.

"This is called preparing for a rainy day and staying vigilant in times of peace. Got it?" she declared righteously.

Tang Wulin smiled helplessly and did not argue further. He knew this was Gu Yue's way of expressing herself. She was no longer that distant, untouchable person, nor was she the girl who had only ever wanted to become stronger.

The sunlight gradually slanted westward, stretching their shadows long across the floor. The shadows intertwined, inseparable.

The living room echoed with the rustling of packaging being opened, occasionally mixed with a few playful arguments. It was warm and peaceful.

Then a hurried, chaotic set of footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a loud bang as the door shut.

Gu Yue and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance, both seeing amusement in the other's eyes.

There was no need to ask. Ye Xinglan had definitely returned from "sparring" with Xie Xie, and she had most likely come back in an exceptionally miserable state.

Gu Yue picked up her phone and sent Ye Xinglan a message: [So? Xie Xie didn't disappoint you, did he?]

Her phone vibrated almost immediately. Ye Xinglan's reply practically reeked of bloodshed, in text form: [Gu Yue! Just you wait! I'm keeping this score! And that bastard Xie Xie actually used flash grenades! Despicable! Shameless! Next time, I'm going to use a Fixed Soul Guidance Device to blow up his doghouse!]

Looking at the words rapidly appearing on the screen, Gu Yue could not help laughing. She tossed the phone to Tang Wulin and pointed at the screen. "Look, this is what normal teammates are like."

Tang Wulin laughed after reading it as well. He wrapped an arm around Gu Yue's shoulders and pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin atop her head.

"No matter what people outside say, no matter how anyone else sees you," he said softly, his voice gentle but firm, "as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Gu Yue closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his embrace. The faint scent of milk mingled at the tip of her nose with his uniquely reassuring scent. All the noise and judgment in the world became insignificant in that moment.

Perhaps being a happy "housewife," occasionally getting teased by Ye Xinglan, and cooking for the person she loved every day was not such a bad life. After all, was not the ultimate purpose of great strength to protect this hard-won ordinary happiness?