Gu Yue's Old Profession

The supermarket's automatic doors slowly slid open, carrying in the slightly chilly evening breeze and the distinctive mixed scent of the fresh food section.

The bright lights made every shelf plainly visible, illuminating Tang Wulin and Gu Yue's somewhat "careful budgeting" shopping trip as well.

Tang Wulin pushed the cart, its wheels making a soft rumbling sound. Gu Yue walked beside him with a simple shopping list in hand, her brows slightly furrowed as her gaze swept back and forth across the shelf labels like a commander carrying out a precision strike.

"Wulin, look. This brand of fresh milk is one and a half Federation Credits cheaper in the family pack than buying individual cartons." Gu Yue compared the expiration dates on two bottles, then decisively tossed the family pack into the cart.

"Alright, I'll listen to my wife." Tang Wulin went along readily, though his thoughts had clearly drifted far away. It wasn't until they passed the snack aisle and he saw the colorful packaging on the shelves that he recovered a little, reaching for his favorite bag of spicy fish slices.

"Put it down." Gu Yue's voice suddenly rang out, carrying unquestionable authority. "That's junk food. Too many additives, and the unit price is too high. It's not in the budget. We have seaweed at home. Make do with that."

Tang Wulin's hand froze in midair before he sheepishly withdrew it. "Can't we improve our meals once in a while..." he muttered, while inwardly bleeding as though he had lost one of life's greatest pleasures.

In the midst of this "arduous" shopping trip, Tang Wulin's gaze happened to sweep over a small model display case beside the appliance section. Several exquisite mecha models stood within, their lines sleek and brimming with power. In that instant, inspiration struck like the Golden Dragon King's source power, violently cleaving through the fog in his mind!

He suddenly slapped his forehead, nearly tipping the cart over, and cried out excitedly, "Oh! How did I forget about that?!"

Gu Yue was carefully examining the ingredient list on a discounted bag of frozen dumplings. Startled by him, she shot him an irritated glance. "What now? Did you spot another game console? I'm telling you, no."

"No, no!" Tang Wulin hurried closer and lowered his voice, his eyes sparkling with what he believed to be brilliance. "Honey, I remembered! Back when you were at the academy, didn't you major in mecha design? Well... aren't we short on money right now? With your skills, wouldn't drawing up some designs bring in cash fast?"

The more he spoke, the more brilliant he found the idea. He gestured animatedly as he continued, "Just like my forging. I can't do it full-time right now, but I can take on some side jobs once in a while, right? You're fast at drawing those things! I remember seeing some of your rough sketches before. They were incredible! A One-Character Battle Armor design blueprint can go for hundreds of thousands of Federation Credits! That's way faster than working as a security guard!"

Tang Wulin could practically see piles of Federation Credits waving at him. The security captain's epaulets no longer seemed appealing; those gleaming golden battle armor blueprints were the true path!

However, the surprise and agreement he had expected never came.

After hearing his "brilliant insight," Gu Yue froze for a second. Then, a storm powerful enough to freeze souls rapidly gathered in her purple eyes. She rolled her eyes with perfect, utter scorn, looking at him as though he were a hopeless idiot.

"Tang Wulin, are you trying to work me to death so you can inherit my Ant Huabei?" Gu Yue's voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed wrapped in ice shards as it struck Tang Wulin's chest.

Tang Wulin was dumbfounded by her sudden fury. "H-Honey? Wasn't I trying to ease your burden and find us a shortcut to getting rich..."

"A shortcut? Hmph!" Gu Yue snorted coldly and heavily set the frozen dumplings back on the shelf with a dull thud, drawing a sideways glance from an auntie nearby. "Do you know what it means to draw a complete One-Character Battle Armor design blueprint?"

She raised her slender fingers and began counting them off one by one.

"First, preliminary research! You need to review vast amounts of data on the latest Soul Guidance engine models, rare metal alloy ratios, and even study the latest battlefield environments and tactical requirements! How much time do you think that takes?"

"Second, core concepts! It's not called a design blueprint just because you sketch a few lines! The layout of energy circuits, stress analysis for joint structures! That requires incredibly intense mental labor, with more than ten or even dozens of hours of absolute concentration!"

"Third, detailed drafting! From concept sketches to 3D modeling, then engineering drawings, every detail has to be accurate down to the micron! Do you know how long you have to stare at a computer screen before your eyes go blind?"

The more Gu Yue spoke, the more agitated she became. Her chest rose and fell slightly, and her cheeks flushed from anger and memories. "Do you think I'm you? Swing a hammer a few times, shout 'I'm awesome,' and solve everything just because you're strong? This is precision design work! It burns brainpower!"

Tang Wulin shrank back from the scolding, but still weakly argued, "But... back when you were at the academy, didn't you draw quite a lot too..."

"That was before!" Gu Yue's voice abruptly rose, only for her to forcibly lower it again, carrying deep exhaustion and helplessness. "Tang Wulin, think carefully. Whenever I finished a complicated design blueprint before, what state was I in when I came back? Didn't I often have splitting headaches and lie on the couch clutching my head for ages? Weren't there times when I couldn't even eat?"

Tang Wulin froze and tried hard to remember. It seemed... that really had happened. Back then, he had only been busy admiring Gu Yue's talent, sometimes even teasing her for being a "bookworm," but he had rarely truly understood how drained she was after such intense mental work.

Seeing the dawning realization on his face, some of Gu Yue's anger faded, replaced by a sour sense of grievance. She sighed, her voice softening yet becoming heavier.

"And have you forgotten the most important point?" She lifted her head and looked directly into Tang Wulin's eyes. Her red lips parted, delivering a sentence that made Tang Wulin's scalp instantly tingle.

"With how energetic you are, needing to 'drain' me several times in bed every few nights, if I start staying up late and drawing at high intensity again like before, do you think I can still walk out of the study alive?"

Boom—!

Tang Wulin felt heat rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. His entire face instantly turned scarlet, even the tips of his ears flushing pink. He awkwardly looked around and found that no one nearby seemed to be paying attention, but his embarrassment had already maxed out.

"H-Honey! How can you say something like that... here!" he protested haltingly, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Why can't I?" Gu Yue, however, was no longer afraid. Instead, she seemed to have the reckless attitude of having already torn off all pretense. "Isn't that the truth? Tang Wulin, your greatest strength is displayed to the fullest in bed. How am I supposed to withstand your 'diligent research' and 'deep exploration'?"

She imitated the tone Tang Wulin used during certain moments, doing so with perfect accuracy and heavy mockery.

Tang Wulin had completely lost his temper. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into a shelf. At last, he realized that the "shortcut to getting rich" he had proposed was an enormous joke in the face of his wife's physical limits and his own excessive "needs."

Seeing his embarrassed state, Gu Yue was both annoyed and amused. In the end, she softened. She reached out and poked Tang Wulin's forehead, her tone easing.

"Enough. Stop thinking about such nonsense. In my current condition, staying up late to draw is completely unrealistic. If I stay up even a little, I get dizzy and my efficiency plummets. It would only make mistakes more likely. With that kind of precision blueprint, getting even one parameter wrong could cause huge losses. I can't bear that responsibility, and I don't have the energy for it anymore."

She pointed at the things in the cart. "So for now, I can only write and do desk work. The hours are flexible, the workload is manageable, and I can do it at home. I don't earn much, but at least it covers our basic living expenses and comes to about the same as your 'security guard' salary. We can save up slowly."

The truth was finally clear. Gu Yue had chosen clerical work not merely for financial reasons, but as a rational choice based on her physical condition and how she needed to allocate her energy.

Tang Wulin wilted completely, like a large dog that had done something wrong, his ears drooping as he pushed the cart and followed Gu Yue step by step.

"I'm sorry, honey..." he apologized quietly, sincerely this time. "I didn't know... I didn't take any of that into consideration. From now on... I'll be more careful, and try to... restrain myself..."

Gu Yue snorted and did not continue the awkward subject. She merely took a bottle of honey from the nearby shelf and placed it in the cart. "Good that you know. And from now on at night... forget it. We'll see how you behave. Buy this bottle of honey first. It's on sale lately."

"Buy it! Buy the best one!" Tang Wulin immediately declared, as though buying honey could somehow atone for his sins.

The rest of the shopping trip took on a somewhat subtle atmosphere. Tang Wulin no longer dared suggest any ideas about "making quick money" and obediently served as a mover and bag carrier.

When they reached the checkout, Tang Wulin watched the cashier scan item after item. The final total was lower than he had expected, yet it was still enough to make his heart ache. He watched Gu Yue skillfully pay with their joint account, the changing numbers silently speaking of the necessity of increasing income and cutting expenses.

Carrying two large bags of daily necessities out of the supermarket, they were met by the chilly evening breeze. Tang Wulin took all the bags from her, their weight pressing heavily in his hands...