Career

The afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded, and the light in the living room became soft and hazy.

Gu Yue set down her phone, her fingertips unconsciously tapping against the sofa armrest. The sound was faint, yet it seemed to strike Tang Wulin's heart. Although her earlier suggestion about becoming "residential security staff" had carried a teasing, joking edge, the heavy feeling in the air—that it was time to do something serious—was all too real.

Tang Wulin scratched his head and looked at Gu Yue's thoughtful profile before cautiously speaking. "Honey... it's not like I have no direction at all. Back at the academy, my forging theory and practical scores were both excellent. I'm a level-seven forger. I may not be a Divine Craftsman, but I could take on private commissions or open a forging studio of my own, and..."

Before he could finish, Gu Yue cut him off.

"Forging?" Gu Yue turned to him, her brows knitting as reproach filled her eyes, as if she were saying, You're actually still thinking about that? "Tang Wulin, have you forgotten the last time you secretly took on a private job? You stayed up for three nights in a row, then collapsed onto the forging bench from exhaustion. I was the one who dragged you back to the room, fed you medicine, and wiped your sweat. You ran a high fever for three days and nearly coughed your lungs out! And you still want to forge?"

Her voice rose several degrees, carrying obvious heartache and lingering fear. Forging—especially forging in pursuit of high quality—was incredibly draining on both mental and physical strength. It required immense focus and endurance.

Tang Wulin truly had talent, but it came at the cost of his health. Gu Yue could accept him doing it casually once in a while, but she would never agree to him making it his profession—especially now, when their life had reached the point where every expense had to be carefully calculated.

"I... I'm fine, aren't I?" Tang Wulin protested quietly, his gaze drifting. "Besides, forging pays well. One commission might be worth several months of a security guard's salary..."

"It pays well, but are you going to trade your life for it?" Gu Yue shot him an annoyed glare. Then her tone softened again, carrying a trace of barely perceptible exhaustion. "Wulin, I know you like forging. It's what you're good at. But now... our situation is different."

She paused, seeming to organize her thoughts. Then she reached beneath the coffee table, pulled out a thin folder, and opened it. Inside were two bank deposit statements.

"Look." Gu Yue pointed at the numbers. Her voice was calm, but Tang Wulin's heart sank slightly. "This is our joint account. Including your and my personal spending cards, the total balance we have left is less than fifty thousand Federation Credits."

Fifty thousand. For a household accustomed to Shrek City's cost of living—especially a young married couple who had once been full of hope for the future and somewhat carefree with money—the number was coldly glaring. In the past, Tang Wulin had taken forging commissions, Gu Yue had earned some royalties, and Tang Wulin's parents had provided financial support to varying degrees. They had never worried about money. But without realizing it, over the past few years, there had only been expenses and no stable income. No matter how solid their savings had once been, they could not withstand money flowing away like water.

Tang Wulin stared at the string of numbers in silence.

"Security work may not have a high starting salary—five thousand two hundred—but it's stable. It comes with social insurance, housing benefits, and decent welfare. Most importantly, the hours are relatively regular. It won't grind you to death like forging does."

Gu Yue's tone returned to its calm, practical planning. "Once you've settled in there and performed well, maybe there'll be better opportunities for internal advancement. Even if there aren't, at least we'll have a fixed monthly income and won't be living off our savings."

She looked at Tang Wulin, her gaze blazing. "As for me, I can't keep living off my old royalties and savings either. Once I finish the projects I have on hand, I need to go out and find a proper job too. An editor at a publishing house, or a planner at a cultural company—I'll find something suitable eventually. The two of us can't have only one person earning money."

Tang Wulin completely wilted. He had originally hoped that the highly skilled nature of "forging" would win Gu Yue's approval, only to be beaten back by the more realistic issues of "health" and "savings." Looking into Gu Yue's serious eyes, he knew she was neither joking nor threatening him. She was simply stating a reality they had to face.

"I understand," Tang Wulin said quietly, putting away all his joking manner. "Forging really is... too draining, and it's hard to make much from it in the short term. Security work... I'll do security work."

He raised his head and looked at Gu Yue, a little light rekindling in his eyes. "But, honey, I have one condition."

"What condition?" Gu Yue watched him warily, afraid he was about to come up with another terrible idea.

"Even if I become a security guard, I need weekends and holidays off! And when I get home from work, you have to let me into the kitchen. Leave me some room to show what I can do—you can't deprive me of my right to cook!" Tang Wulin made his sole request, wearing a somewhat pitiful but determined smile.

"Fine, that's reasonable." Gu Yue nodded, approving it. "But you can cook without blowing up the kitchen. And if you're scheduled to work on a weekend, don't even think about slacking off."

"Mission guaranteed!" Tang Wulin immediately stood at attention and saluted, his face lighting up again. "Does Madam Wife have any other instructions?"

"Instructions?" Gu Yue stood up and stretched, her curves on full display. "Your instruction now is to wash the dishes, then... come with me to the supermarket downstairs to buy some household supplies. While we're at it, I'll let you experience just how carefully five thousand has to be budgeted in Shrek City."

"Yes, ma'am!" Tang Wulin scampered off to the kitchen, his back looking much lighter than before. Becoming a security guard was not his first choice, but at least it was a clear direction he could start working toward. Besides, the thought of coming home from work in the future, going grocery shopping with his wife, and discussing the everyday necessities of life gave him a grounded sort of happiness.

As for forging... Tang Wulin looked back at the small forging bench in the corner of the study and silently said, Goodbye for now. Perhaps when they were better off financially, when he had more time and energy, he could pick up his hammer again.