Chapter 1
The first rays of morning light peeked into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains. Outside the window, birds chirped their morning songs on the branches, their clear sounds waking the person in bed.
Hanyu Momozawa lazily stretched out his hands, his arms arching upwards, his waist arching, and a few soft, sweet hums escaped his throat, hoarse from just waking up, like a kitten stretching.
She slowly opened her eyes, her sleepy gaze sweeping over the spot beside her, which was now empty and almost completely warm.
"Getting up so early, huh? It really is an essential skill for a sunny and cheerful sporty young man." She muttered to herself, turned over, and then slowly threw off the covers, shuffling into the bathroom in her slippers.
As soon as I finished washing up and started walking downstairs, a rich fragrance wafted towards me.
At the kitchen doorway, a figure dressed in a white tracksuit was busy at work, her iris-purple hair gleaming softly in the morning light, her movements incredibly nimble.
Hearing the noise, the person turned around, their eyebrows curved, their smile like warm sunshine, and their voice clear and gentle: "Good morning, Momozawa."
On the table sat golden-brown toast, steaming milk, and soft-boiled eggs—simple yet exquisite. Yuzuru picked up his fork and ate in small bites, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the boy opposite him.
Yukimura Seiichi was elegantly slicing toast, his profile was smooth, and even the way he ate was quite beautiful. She had something on her mind, and after glancing at him several times, she still hesitated to speak.
As if sensing her unusual behavior, Yukimura's eyes flickered, and he looked up at her with a questioning look in his eyes: "What's wrong, Momozawa?"
Yuzuru tightened his grip on the fork, hesitated for a long time, and then whispered, "Um... could we not tell anyone about our marriage for now?"
Yukimura paused, clearly surprised. He raised an eyebrow: "Why? You can convince me."
“Because…” Yuzuru’s cheeks flushed slightly, her tone tinged with guilt, but her eyes were earnest. “Yukimura-kun, you’re so dazzling. Whether at school or in the tennis club, you attract a lot of attention. I don’t want to receive too much attention because of this. Please, can you help me?” As she spoke, she pouted slightly, her eyes glistening with a sudden hint of coquettishness.
This unexpected reaction caught Yukimura off guard. A faint blush crept up his ears, and he coughed lightly, his tone softening: "Okay. But I need to inform a few core members of the tennis club, since we're in frequent contact and it's impossible to keep it a secret."
"Okay! Thank you, Yukimura-kun!" Yuzuru's face instantly lit up, his eyes shining like stars, and all the worry on his face vanished.
Looking at her bright smile, Yukimura's lips curved into a deeper smile as he teased her, "Aren't you going to change how you address me now?"
Yuzuru's cheeks flushed, and after hesitating for a moment, he whispered, "Yukimura."
"Hmm." Yukimura responded with satisfaction, then added, "I'm going to tennis practice in a little while. Do you want to stay home, or come with me?"
"Ah, I'd better stay home." Yuzuru quickly waved his hand. "My picture book is due soon, I need to hurry up and catch up."
"Okay, I'll be back soon." Yukimura instructed, "Don't always eat snacks instead of meals at home. Make something to eat if you get hungry, and call me anytime if anything happens."
"Okay..." Yuzuru mumbled a reply, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After seeing Yukimura off as he left with his tennis bag, Yuzuru finished tidying up the kitchen, then turned around and plopped down on the sofa, limbs outstretched like a liberated animal, joyfully shouting, "I'm free!"
In the studio, sunlight streamed through the blinds onto the drawing paper. Yuzuru sat at his desk, picked up his brush, and instantly switched to focused mode.
She is currently illustrating her third children's picture book, "The Story of Pancakes." Having been a children's picture book illustrator in her previous life, she didn't abandon this skill after transmigrating. She enrolled in art classes in elementary school, trying to rekindle her passion, and was fortunate enough to be selected for her first magazine submission. Now, her two picture books, "The Friendship of Rabbits" and "The Runaway Sushi," have been published and received positive feedback.
The allowance given by Momozawa's family was already plentiful, and with the royalties from picture book manuscripts, Yuzuru's little wallet was always bulging. However, because he was young, his right to manage money was "confiscated" by his mother, Ryoko, and managed in a unified manner.
A few days ago, her mother solemnly handed her a credit card, saying that she was married and an adult now. Remembering her parents' tenderness, Yuzuru felt a lump in her throat, rubbed her eyes, and casually opened a bag of snacks beside her, taking large bites as if trying to fill the soft spot in her heart with the treats.
Time always flies when you're focused on something. Before she knew it, it was noon. Too lazy to cook, Yuzuru ate snacks instead, revising her drawings as she ate. By the time she put down her brush, the sun outside the window was already setting, casting a warm, orange glow.
She got up and went to the kitchen to keep her promise from that morning—to make steamed buns. The winter temperature was low, and the dough she had kneaded yesterday had fermented perfectly.
Yuzuru rolled up her sleeves, took out the dough, and kneaded it repeatedly with great force, trying to make the dumpling skin more chewy. After the dough had rested for an hour, she began to prepare the filling. She mixed the chopped meat with minced scallions and ginger, added seasonings, and stirred it well. The aroma instantly filled the air.
She kneaded the dough again, rolled it into a uniform long strip, then pinched off small balls, flattened them with her palm, and the rolling pin nimbly rotated in her hands, shaping the dumpling wrappers of just the right thickness.
"Wow, the filling smells so good! I haven't had this in ages! Look at my round little buns, shining brightly!" she said as she deftly started wrapping the buns. With nimble fingers, one round little bun after another lined up on the cutting board. In a great mood, she couldn't help but hum a tuneless little tune.
The steamer was ready, and the little buns nestled obediently inside. Flames ignited, and steam gradually rose. Yuzuru turned to tidy up the kitchen, and as he was washing a small basin, a warm hand suddenly reached out and gently grasped her wrist. "Let me tidy up, you rest for a bit," a familiar, gentle voice sounded in her ear.
Yuzuru froze, instinctively pulling her hand back. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked up somewhat embarrassedly. "You're back? We can eat steamed buns in a little while." Yukimura stood in front of her, a gentle smile on his face, looking at her tenderly.
She turned around hastily and practically fled the kitchen, her heart pounding. She thought to herself, "He smells so good; he must have washed up after training before coming back..."
The moment the steamer lid was lifted, a rich aroma of meat wafted out, filling the entire kitchen. The plump, round buns were bulging, with glistening moisture still clinging to their folds. One bite, and the succulent broth burst on the tongue, while the soft outer layer offered just the right amount of chewiness.
"Momozawa, it's delicious." Yukimura Seiichi slowly swallowed his third large steamed bun, his purple eyes filled with genuine smiles. He gently wiped the corner of his lips with his fingertips, his tone filled with undisguised praise.
Upon hearing this, Yuzuru immediately straightened his small frame, his face beaming with pride, like a kitten receiving a compliment: "Thank you for the compliment! I told you my skills were pretty good~"
She turned around and packed the remaining buns on the cutting board into plastic bags one by one, casually asking as she did so, "By the way, shouldn't we invite some friends over for a housewarming party? After all, it's our new home."
“Okay.” Yukimura followed behind her, looking down at her busy figure, his voice gentle. “How about the day after tomorrow? The tennis club is off the day after tomorrow, so everyone should be free.”
"Okay!" Yuzuru readily agreed, closed the freezer door, and turned to speak, but suddenly bumped into a warm shadow.
Yukimura had somehow gotten very close, his gentle and handsome face almost touching hers, his iris-purple eyes gleaming like starlight, staring straight into her eyes.
Yuzuru's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back, his back slamming against the cold refrigerator door with a thud, freezing instantly.
Yukimura took another small step forward, bringing the two of them even closer together. His cool aura, mixed with a faint aroma of food, enveloped Yuzuru.
He looked down at her flustered appearance, his voice deepening, carrying a hint of barely perceptible inquiry: "Taozawa, are you still not familiar with me?"
As he finished speaking, he raised his hand, his fingertips gently stroking the top of Yuzuru's head, slowly sliding down her hair, across her smooth forehead, and finally stopping on her chubby cheek.
The touch under his fingertips was soft and delicate, even better than he had imagined, which made him want to play a prank—to take a bite.
Yuzuru froze, staring blankly at his movements, his cheeks burning as if on fire, his mind a complete blank.
It wasn't until the warm touch lingered on her face for a few seconds that she suddenly realized what was happening. She pushed Yukimura away with both hands, her voice trembling with panic: "Ah, I have something to do!" Then, like a startled rabbit, she turned and ran towards the bedroom, her steps faltering.
Back in his bedroom, Yuzuru buried himself in the covers and rolled around like a caterpillar several times, but the heat in his cheeks didn't subside at all.
She covered her face, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest, her mind filled with the image of Yukimura's approach just moments before. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, her eyes lighting up—oh no! She'd completely forgotten to tell Miyamoto Mina about such a big event as their marriage!
She hurriedly picked up her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed her friend's number. After a few rings, Mina Miyamoto's cheerful, slightly teasing voice came through the receiver: "My dear Yuzuru~ Have you been missing me terribly? Hahahaha!"
Yuzuru took a deep breath and said quickly, "Mina, I'm married."
Silence fell instantly on the other end of the phone, followed by a thunderous gasp: "!!! What did you say?!"
"I married Yukimura Seiichi," Yuzuru repeated, his voice carrying a hint of bewilderment he himself was unaware of.
"!!!!!!!!!!" Mina Miyamoto's voice suddenly rose, "Are you kidding me? Yuzuru, have you been kidnapped? If you've been kidnapped, just say so!"
"Ah, it's true!" Yu Sheng explained helplessly, "It's the arranged marriage that Mom mentioned before. We registered our marriage in a daze after meeting... We're having our housewarming party the day after tomorrow. You'll see when you come. Are you coming or not?" She briefly explained the whole story, listened to her friend's series of shocks and questions on the other end of the phone, chatted for a while, and then hung up.
Yuzuru lay sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling, still feeling a sense of unreality. Just like that… she was married? She turned to look at the night view outside the window, a complex smile unconsciously playing on her lips.
Night deepened, and the bedroom was quiet. Yuzuru curled up in bed, sleepiness creeping in. In her hazy state, she suddenly felt something soft gently nibbling her cheek, a warm touch. She groggily raised her hand and snapped it away, rolled over, tilted her head, and instantly fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware of the barely concealed smile in the boy's eyes and the lingering blush on his cheek.
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