Yu Xia perched on the edge of her seat, enjoying afternoon warmth while eating fruit. Across from her, Xie Qingci folded a few clothes before starting to gather the bottles and jars from the dresser.

He was a bit unsure, chose a blue makeup bag, stood there looking over each bottle, and put in what he guessed she usually used. When he wasn’t sure, he even opened them for a sniff.

Like someone picking up goods from a second-hand platform.

In the end, he filled up two makeup bags with her things.

"Are these right?"

Yu Xia leaned over for a glance.

"Taking so much, planning to pickle me?"

"Pick out what’s unnecessary," he said, pinching the silicone mouth of a whitening serum dropper, raising and shaking it, "this bottle is so small, smaller than a baby bottle, bring it along?"

"... What are you choosing based on? Your personal quirks?" She snatched the whitening serum, placing it aside, not intending to bring it.

While sorting things out, she picked out unused skincare and makeup items, explaining to him why they weren’t needed.

"Just look, aren’t these three bottles for the same effect? One is enough."

"And this, it’s just for two or three days, who goes visiting with a cleansing mask, thinking it’s like their own home?"

"This hand cream has a pump nozzle, I removed the clip, you think traveling with it won’t make a mess everywhere?"

Xie Qingci just lay on her shoulder, listening absentmindedly, slowly mumbling "Mm."

After sorting, he again stuffed the whitening serum into the makeup bag with remaining space.

"Bring it, you haven’t saved anything with the same effect. Even if unused, it’s pleasing to look at."

"... makes you feel good, huh."

Having a boyfriend with peculiar quirks really is a headache.

She complained, but her hands didn’t throw it out. Xie Qingci lay on her laughing quietly, then kissed her neck.

After packing their things and being all sticky, Yu Xia thought of heading out to see if anything else was needed, just like he suggested, bringing some fruit along would be nice.

But Xie Qingci didn’t want to go out.

"It’s cold outside, I just finished shooting, really tired, want to stay home and sleep."

"Then I’ll go by myself."

As she spoke, she stood up but was pulled back by him.

"I want you to accompany me." His arm stretched out, easily pressing her down against the bed.

Yu Xia shot him a side glance: "Stay honest, eh."

He leaned closer, softly murmuring like an enticement, said: "Soon will be sleeping in separate rooms when we get back, been so long in the crew, couldn’t sleep well without you, can you bear it?"

"Why haven’t you dropped dead from chronic sleep deprivation?"

Xie Qingci: "..."

Depressed, he fell silent, laying to the side motionlessly.

Yu Xia got up looking at him, couldn’t resist laughing.

"Alright, get up, go buy some things then sleep."

He lazily asked: "Accompany me?"

"Accompany accompany accompany, I can even lull you to sleep, I know how to sing lullabies to coax little ones."

Claiming not to be a little one, but no little one is clingier than him.

Dragging him out for a trip, Yu Xia went on a shopping spree in the supermarket, also persistently asked if any other visiting guests, relatives might come over, upon knowing it wasn’t impossible, she bought a box full of children’s snacks.

Other families have parents chasing their kids saying enough is enough, while Xie Qingci was holding her hand saying stop buying.

"Too much stuff, the car can’t fit it all."

She waved her hand: "It’s fine, let’s drive my car tomorrow, I’ll drive."

"So you’re taking back a kept phoenix man to discuss joining the family, right?" He pushed the shopping cart away, dominantly wrapped his hand around her waist, "No more buying, my car can only fit these things."

"I..."

"If you really want a shopping spree, you could buy two boxes of contraceptives up front to keep at home."

He didn’t lower his voice, Yu Xia quickly went to cover his mouth.

"Shut up shut up."

Even though masks and hats were on, they couldn’t ensure anonymity. If overheard, they’d end up on evening news.

This time truly no need to linger longer in the supermarket, they returned home with a load.

Then Xie Qingci enjoyed the lull to sleep service as he wished.

Yu Xia suspected he could grow taller at this age, likely thanks to getting so much sleep.

Sometimes he could sleep over ten hours straight, from the afternoon to the next morning.

While others absorb essence from the sun and moon, he absorbed sleep essence, waking up refreshed.

For instance, the next morning, while she hadn’t awoken yet, he packed everything into his Maybach parked in the garage.

Directly eliminated her hope of driving her car back.

After that, he returned to the room for a shower, then back to the bed, with a chill kissed her awake, then brazenly teased her.

But for his handsome face, Yu Xia would’ve slapped him.

The consequence of reckless indulgence was Yu Xia ignored his presence from getting up to getting in the car; once in, she called her sister-in-law.

Understanding his fault, Xie Qingci touched his nose, obediently drove.

With the Maybach on the road, only the sound of Yu Xia talking to Yue Ling echoed in the quiet car.

Yue Ling said Yu Heng got up dazedly this morning, still at the dining table, hadn’t left for work, with ears perked listening to them talk. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Your brother’s like me sending Yue to kindergarten, restless. Want to say something to him?"

Yu Xia affectionately called out: "Dear brother—I’m going on a three-day trip abroad, anything local you want? I’ll bring some back for you."

Yu Heng snorted, turning to look at the cradle with the little one, intentionally ignoring her.

Seeing him depressed and unwilling to speak, Yue Ling didn’t insist, continued chatting:

"He’s like a kid, don’t mind him. Xiaxia, when visiting someone’s home, present gifts first, help out actively. If I recall, you visited with Xie Qingci before? Don’t act too familiar—"

"No worries," Xie Qingci looked at the front, spared a moment to speak, "Sister-in-law, my parents like her a lot, no need for strictness."

Upon hearing, Yue Ling tenderly said: "That’s good, but Xiaxia’s first official visit, still be mindful."

Her voice gentle as water, aligning with her intellectual elegance, no trace of the smiling threat warning earlier.

Though Yue Ling accepted being called sister-in-law well, compared to Yu Heng who wouldn’t accept being called brother, overcoming Yue Ling might still be harder.

Older sister-in-law like a mother, absent of the treatment often joked as "the more a mother-in-law looks at a son-in-law, the more she likes him," challenges ahead for further advancement can be anticipated.

Xie Qingci mused, coinciding with a red light, he stopped and used a free hand to rub Yu Xia’s lower back with moderate force.

Yu Xia glanced at him, comfortably leaned her lower back against his hand.