Chapter 50. Take good care of her.
The ninth day of the eighth lunar month is Zhong Yan's birthday.
This was the first time Jin Huan celebrated his birthday.
I learned a lot about baking from my aunt last time. Before my birthday, I happily bought baking supplies and got up early in the morning to make a cake in the kitchen.
Jin Huan was afraid of making a mistake, so she only planned to make a small cake. Before making it, she designed a simple pattern and decided to keep it simple.
Zhong Yan finished work early and when he got home, Jin Huan was busy in the kitchen.
She even put on an apron. Cake bases were baking in the oven, along with some other small snacks she had made. Considering that Zhong Yan didn't like sweets very much, and it was his sugar-free day, she significantly reduced the amount of sugar.
A very healthy cake.
Jin Huan tried her best to keep things organized while she was whipping the cream. When she looked up, she realized that Zhong Yan had been watching her quietly for quite some time.
“This isn’t very sweet.” Jin Huan put down the whisk and, while stirring, said to him, then suddenly had a thought, “Would you like a coffee-flavored cake?”
You could add some cold brew extract; I don't know how it would turn out, but it shouldn't be a disaster, because she'd seen coffee cakes in dessert shops before, and they smelled really good.
Zhong Yan had no objection if she wanted to try.
Judging from Jin Huan's fondness for the laboratory, it's clear she has a certain interest in research and development, so her research on cakes is no exception; perhaps a collision of ideas will spark something special.
Jin Huanxin happily embarked on his culinary research and development journey, and to prevent any mishaps, he specially divided it into two parts: one coffee flavor and one normal flavor.
The process went relatively smoothly. She smoothed the surface with cream and then used a piping tip to write "Elvis" stroke by stroke on it.
Zhong Yan's English name.
The company mostly calls him by his English name, which is a very nice-sounding name and sounds sexy, at least that's what Jin Huan thinks.
It seems they've practiced secretly many times; their letters are written beautifully and fluently.
Zhong Yan is turning thirty-four.
This number is close to the ten years of Da Jinhuan.
As she was calculating this number today, she suddenly realized that the past ten years had really been that long, at least half of her life so far.
As she was finishing up, Zhong Yan leaned over to kiss her, but she laughed and then dodged away.
"Wait a minute." Jin Huan's cheek was tickled by his lips, and she shrank back, her eyes crinkling as she said in a coquettish tone, "I'm not finished yet."
Zhong Yan responded softly. She realized that she had been thinking that she would give him a kiss as soon as she came home every day before, but today she was so focused on making the cake that she hadn't even glanced at him twice.
Zhong Yan herself found it laughable that she had argued with a child over a cake.
Zhong Yan then helped her from the side, occasionally passing her things.
His gaze lingered on the cake, which Jin Huan had meticulously decorated. It was her first time doing frosting, but the decorations were very well done, with attention to every detail.
Jin Huan proudly showed it to Zhong Yan.
Jin Huan had asked Zhong Yan before, and he said he didn't have the habit of celebrating his birthday, nor did he eat cake on that day. He hadn't done these things since he started college, and he didn't care about any special birthday rituals.
For him, it was no different from any other ordinary day. If there was any difference, it was that this day added another year to his age.
Yes, he's already so old.
Regarding his age.
After dinner, Jin Huan started lighting candles for him, singing "Happy Birthday," clapping happily as he made a wish and blew out the candles.
She enjoys living life to the fullest and cherishes these rituals.
Then the couple cut the cake, each eating half, which seemed just right. After tasting both, they found the flavors quite good, and Jin Huan excitedly asked Zhong Yan to unwrap the birthday gift she had given her.
She was so enthusiastic, it was like it was her birthday.
Jin Huan carried the gift on her back, still acting mysteriously. She had been racking her brains over the gift, wanting to find something meaningful and presentable while also considering its practical value.
Jin Huan cares a lot about the utilization rate of things when she buys them, which is the cost-effectiveness. This is probably something she learned from her aunt when she was young: buy good things rather than expensive things. As long as they can be used a lot, it doesn't matter what she buys.
"What did you buy?" Zhong Yan asked her with a smile, his eyes filled with curiosity, which successfully piqued the interest of the gift-giver.
Jin Huan then took it out and showed it to him.
"It's a dress." She saw a knitted sweater in a magazine and fell in love with it at first sight when she saw the model's runway photos. She felt that this was the dress that belonged to Zhong Yan, and that he would definitely look better in it than the model.
In the official photos, she is wearing gray suit pants. She wasn't sure about Zhong Yan's pants size, but she could guarantee that the clothes she bought would fit properly.
After all, she knew Zhong Yan's figure and build very well.
Autumn is coming soon, then I can wear it at home.
Zhong Yan's fingers rested on the clothes, feeling the soft and comfortable fabric. He smiled, nodded, and praised, "Hmm, very good, I like it very much."
"It was a great purchase," he said.
Jin Huan's cheeks flushed uncontrollably. She lowered her head shyly and whispered, "I just saw it and bought it."
“That means you have a good eye,” Zhong Yan continued to praise her gently. “Our little treasure always has a good eye.”
Although she felt embarrassed, her little tail was already wagging. She nodded: "I can wear it when the weather gets a bit cooler."
Zhong Yan looked at her at this moment, and his gaze slowly made Jin Huan understand something. Remembering that she had just dodged his kiss, she took the initiative to lean closer, as if to make amends, and said softly, "...It's creamy."
They had just eaten cake, and she was saying that the kiss tasted like cream.
The kiss was unusually long.
Zhong Yan lowered his head and put his arm around her waist, standing by the sofa. The kiss was quiet, his breath deep, like being enveloped by heavy sandalwood. This simple kiss allowed for complete immersion, at least for Jin Huan. If she was distracted even slightly, Zhong Yan would press her head down and call her softly, "Jin Huan."
When their lips parted, Jin Huan's face turned slightly red.
She can now adapt to Zhong Yan's rhythm and breathe well, but if it goes on for a little longer, she still can't breathe properly and feels suffocated.
My face turns red if I try to hold it in.
Jin Huan tiptoed and gently kissed his lips again: "Happy birthday."
She said it very softly.
But there was actually another birthday gift.
That night, Jin Huan secretly gave it to Zhong Yan. It was bought along with the clothes, and there was also a whole set of underwear. These were relatively private items, and Jin Huan only took them out to show Zhong Yan after taking a shower.
She said, "I think the size is just right, and the fabric is very soft and smooth. You should like it."
Zhong Yan always buys things from the same brands. As for underwear, the housekeeper used to be in charge, and buying things according to his fixed preferences would never go wrong.
Jin Huan knows this too.
But she really loved this fabric. When she saw it in the mall, the salesperson was very enthusiastic and asked if she was buying it for her husband. They strongly recommended it, saying that it had a great wrapping feel, wouldn't be tight, and that their brand had more size options than other brands, and that it was very popular in Europe and America.
When the salesperson recommended it to her, Jin Huan blushed as she listened, but she still carefully felt the fabric and analyzed the cut. She also thought it was very good, so she bought a set first.
“You might want to try on the size.” Although Jin Huan felt it fit, she was still not entirely sure.
"Don't you know my size?" Zhong Yan didn't expect her to buy this. His voice was deep. She knew his size better than anyone.
Jin Huan blurted out, "Ah, I don't know the specifics either."
She was referring to underwear sizes, which come in many sizes. Just like when she wears them herself, sometimes she feels they're too big in some places and too tight in others. You have to try them on yourself to know if they're good or not, or if they fit properly.
Jin Huan was thinking about this, about comfort.
This is the first time I've prepared these things for my husband as a wife. I feel nervous but also a sense of belonging. It's like there are some things that only she can do and only she can do. Preparing these things for each other is something that only couples do.
When he puts them on, he will think that she picked them out and she bought them, that they were all made by her, and he will feel a sense of intimacy as if the clothes on his body are being slowly caressed by her fingers.
If it's comfortable, I'll consider it again next time.
However, that night she lay in Zhong Yan's arms again. He held her with his arms, heavy yet gentle, and all her feelings and senses were stretched out for a long time. Zhong Yan asked her more specific, more detailed... things.
Our little one is so smart and perceptive, he can sense even if it's a little slow.
He asked questions while praising her, his voice like the mellow strains of an old record, his tone slow and deliberate. His voice was always very pleasant to hear, so pleasant that Huan was slow to realize why he would use such words to praise her at this moment. These descriptive words sounded like remarkable virtues coming from his mouth.
She lowered her head shyly, feeling overwhelmed by the praise.
"That's really great."
She didn't know whose birthday it was today, and in the end, it would be a matter of who would serve whom. But Zhong Yan was so much older than her, so he would always take better care of her, including at times like this.
It was his responsibility to take good care of her.
That's what Zhong Yan said.
Next month is Jin Huan's birthday. The two birthdays are actually very close together. When Zhong Yan was cleaning her, he asked her if she wanted any birthday presents.
Asking questions is one thing, preparing for them is another. Even if Jin Huan doesn't say anything, he will make everything perfect to her liking. Zhong Yan always thinks more and does more than she does. He will never let Jin Huan have any sad moments and will always steadily support her.
Jin Huan sat in the bathtub, looking down at all the things that had fallen. She kept staring at them with her eyes down until Zhong Yan turned her head around.
Water cascaded down her collarbone, splashing up tiny droplets. Her eyes were misty as she looked at Zhong Yan, then remembered his question and softly replied, "I'm fine, I like everything."
She made no demands, nor did she feel that she lacked anything; she would definitely like anything given to her by Zhong Yan.
A confident tone.
Their eyes met, and Jin Huan looked into his eyes. She didn't know when it started, but she often saw that kind of gaze called love in his eyes, a gaze that was tolerant and gentle, making her feel like she was drowning in it.
"Did you secretly take my hair tie?" Jin Huan fell asleep at the company that day and only remembered that her hair tie was missing two days later. She usually wore a low ponytail when doing experiments or working, and she often kept some different styles of hair ties in her bag.
I only realized this morning that one was missing.
"Yes, I took it." Zhong Yan admitted frankly, he never shied away from these things, and told her, "It's in my suit pocket."
"Mr. Zhong, you still do such childish things, putting my hair tie in your pocket..." Jin Huan laughed, "Do you think you'll take it out to look at it all the time?"
When asked to joke, Zhong Yan replied calmly, "I will when I miss you."
Jin Huan pressed further, "Do you often miss me now?"
Now we see each other every day. If she goes to the company, we can see each other all day long. They spend a lot of time together each day.
Zhong Yan stared at her quietly for two seconds, then said, "You know, this is the first time in my 30-plus years of life that I've felt this way."
Jin Huan listened attentively. She enjoyed hearing Zhong Yan talk about his innermost thoughts; driven by a curiosity, she wanted to know more about what she didn't understand.
Zhong Yan said, "He probably has separation anxiety."
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