"Husband...???"
"Did I hear that right??"
Xiu Yuan had never imagined that what he had said last night would cause such a drastic change in Shenhe's temperament. Her former coldness seemed to have vanished completely overnight.
He was utterly bewildered now, with no idea what to do.
He had never even considered becoming Shenhe's husband.
But given the current situation, rejecting her outright would only make things worse.
All things considered, he could only try to change things gradually...
When Xiu Yuan caught up with Shenhe, she was blushing as she held out some fruit to him.
"Husband, please have some..."
She spoke softly, overcome with shyness.
"Um... Shenhe, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
Xiu Yuan looked at her with a serious, earnest expression.
Shenhe looked puzzled, but she instinctively felt that whatever Xiu Yuan was about to say would not be good.
"All right, go ahead." Her tone changed completely, seemingly reverting to how she had been before.
"Uh... how should I put this? I feel like things are moving a little too fast, and I'm having trouble adjusting."
"You mean you don't like me and don't want to be my husband?"
"No, no, no. Marriage is a lifelong commitment. We can't take it lightly. Besides, we've known each other for less than three days. Deciding to spend our lives together after just three days seems a little inappropriate, wouldn't you say?"
Shenhe grew thoughtful at Xiu Yuan's explanation.
Yet Xiu Yuan seemed unwilling to give her too much time to think. Instead, he pressed on, trying even harder to persuade her:
"People are complicated. Everyone has their own outlook and values. Three days really isn't enough."
"Everyone has good and bad sides, too. You only like who I am right now. What if I change someday?"
"Or what if you discover a darker side of me that you can't accept?"
"That's why we need at least some time to get to know each other and learn how to get along before making a lifelong commitment."
At that moment.
Shenhe's brows were tightly furrowed.
Clearly, Xiu Yuan's words had taken effect.
All he could do now was wait.
Wait for Shenhe to think it through and come to an understanding.
After a long while, Shenhe finally raised her head slightly, looked into Xiu Yuan's eyes, and replied with a hint of disappointment, "All right..."
"It's not because of anything you've done. We just need time to get to know each other."
"Yes, I understand."
Over the next few days, they returned to interacting as friends, just as they had before.
Only occasionally would Shenhe stare into space with a silly smile, clearly thinking about something pleasant.
By the fifth day, they caught sight of Mondstadt.
"Want to take a look?" Xiu Yuan asked.
"If you want to go, I'll go with you."
"You've seen plenty of mountains, rivers, and moonlight. It's time you experienced everyday life among people."
Xiu Yuan made the suggestion with a faint smile.
"I rarely come down from the mountains, so I don't know much about dealing with people. Whenever a conflict arises, I always handle it my own way."
"But if you think I'm doing something inappropriate, please tell me. Even if I don't understand, I'll listen to you."
Xiu Yuan nodded at her words and said gently, "Let's go. I'll take you to try some food from the world below."
With that, the two entered Mondstadt.
As soon as they entered, they saw crowds walking along the streets. People and carts bustled to and fro, creating a lively scene.
Shenhe looked visibly uncomfortable at the sight.
"Don't worry. I'm here," Xiu Yuan reassured her.
"All right," Shenhe replied.
Then the two went into a restaurant.
Though they had seemed to be wandering aimlessly through remote forests, they had actually saved quite a few people and taken down two Bandit Groups.
As a result, they had a fair amount of Mora on hand.
Before long, all the dishes had arrived.
Xiu Yuan dug in with relish.
He had eaten in the forest, of course, but without seasonings, the food had been far too bland. The restaurant's cooking suited his tastes much better.
Shenhe, however, merely looked at the table full of delicious food without touching any of it.
Xiu Yuan was puzzled by her reaction.
"Is it not to your taste?"
"No. It just reminded me of something from the past."
"What was it?"
"My master once took me down from the mountains to try all sorts of delicious food, but I can no longer remember how any of it tasted. Yet there was a bowl of noodles I ate at home long ago that I still can't forget."
"I shouldn't remember it... I shouldn't remember it..."
She shook her head, as though trying to erase that painful memory.
Xiu Yuan slowly rose to his feet. Under Shenhe's puzzled gaze, he said, "Wait here for me. I'll be right back."
With that, Xiu Yuan left his seat and went into the restaurant's kitchen.
At that moment, Shenhe suddenly realized she had said the wrong thing.
What's wrong with me? Why would I say something like that?
I shouldn't have said those things... I ruined his meal...
He wouldn't just leave me here, would he...?
No, no, he wouldn't. He isn't that kind of person. I should trust him...
The more Shenhe thought about it, the more she felt she had made a terrible mistake. She clenched her fists in self-reproach, seemingly trying to think of a way to make it up to him.
As she waited anxiously, Xiu Yuan finally came back into view.
He approached with a large bowl of something in his hands.
"Try this. I made it myself. Tomato and egg noodles."
With a faint smile, Xiu Yuan set the steaming bowl of noodles in front of Shenhe.
Shenhe's eyes immediately widened. She stared at Xiu Yuan in disbelief, as though she could not believe what she was seeing.
She had never expected Xiu Yuan to make her a bowl of noodles himself.
"Go on, try it. The noodles will get soggy if you wait too long," Xiu Yuan urged with a faint smile.
Shenhe picked up her chopsticks, lifted some noodles, and gently blew on them before putting the silky, springy strands into her mouth.
After chewing, she froze briefly, and her eyes immediately reddened.
That taste.
It was exactly the same as the noodles she had eaten at home.
She lowered her head and began eating in large mouthfuls, tears sliding down the bridge of her nose and dripping into the bowl of tomato and egg noodles.
Watching Shenhe with a faint smile, Xiu Yuan gently reminded her, "Eat slowly. Don't choke."
At those words, Shenhe shuddered as though struck by electricity and went completely still.
A blurred face, gentle and loving, suddenly surfaced in her mind.
When Shenhe had been little, gulping down her noodles, that woman had spoken those same words in just as gentle a voice.
"Eat slowly. Don't choke. No one's going to take them from you. Anyone who didn't know better would think we couldn't afford noodles."
By now, tears were streaming down Shenhe's face. She bowed her head and began to sob quietly.
"Shenhe, what's wrong?"
"Please don't cry... Does it taste bad?"
Her reaction left Xiu Yuan at a loss, so he picked up his chopsticks and slurped a mouthful of noodles himself.
"They... don't seem that bad? Or are they still not to your taste?"
Shenhe threw herself into Xiu Yuan's arms and kept sobbing.
Before you continue