After asking, He Chen quickly glanced at her again. Seeing that she didn't speak, he hurriedly pulled out the flower he had been clutching in his arms and handed it to her.
His palms were sweaty, but the budding rose still looked very fresh, with tiny droplets on the red petals.
He was poor, couldn't afford gifts, but he wanted to make her happy. This rose was the best-looking one he had picked after climbing most of the mountain, resembling a legendary rose.
Although he had never seen a rose, it should be this beautiful.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault, I wronged you today."
"Shall I carry you back?"
He apologized repeatedly, yet his mind felt rusty and couldn't think of anything nice to say, just staring at her dryly.
Ye Manman, not very concerned, took the rose, huffed a bit, and agreed.
He Chen quickly and carefully squatted down, his arms nervously clenched into fists, not knowing where to place them.
"Be careful crawling up, don't be scared."
The clothes pulled tight on him, outlining a clear inverted triangular shape on his back, the muscles on his arm seemed ready to burst, his bent leg muscles smooth and full of strength, like a cheetah ready to pounce, yet his rough voice was cautious.
"He Chen."
The soft, tender voice, with a bit of grievance, made He Chen's heart skip a beat.
No one had ever called his name so gently.
"Squat down a bit more."
He Chen obediently complied, bending down a bit more.
Ye Manman, satisfied, happily climbed onto his back, casually putting the rose into the chest pocket of his jacket, as if he was wearing a boutonniere.
The first time she saw He Chen she could tell he was in good shape, but she didn't realize he'd be this impressive up close.
Watching his arm and shoulder muscles roll as he carried her, Ye Manman curiously pinched his arm with her fingers.
It was too hard, she couldn't make a dent.
She pouted, pulled back her hand, and continued to hold onto his shoulders, not noticing He Chen's entire back and his nerves were tense beyond belief.
In the past, he could quickly wheel a cart on these village paths, making several trips in no time.
Today, his legs felt like they were full of cotton, barely able to walk steadily.
With a broad and sturdy back, He Chen walked steadily, and the already yawning Ye Manman soon fell asleep, subconsciously wrapping her arm around his neck as she dreamed.
Seeing this, someone teased that He Chen was spoiling his wife, carrying her for such a short distance.
Others were full of envy, envious that after many years without marrying, he married the most beautiful girl in the village.
Some even said that He Chen had married a delicate ancestor, with Ye Manman's slender figure she didn't look like she'd be good at childbearing, and too delicate to work, claiming he'd brought home a parasite and sooner or later supporting two families would exhaust him.
People in the village loved small talk, He Chen never paid attention, and Ye Manman was soundly asleep, hearing nothing.
When they arrived at He Chen's house, Ye Manman was still asleep, and He Chen was at a loss, pondering how to let her down onto the bed, when an irritating voice came from inside the house.
"Oh~ whose new bride is this? Such a little distance and she needs carrying."
The person who came out from the house was He Chen's aunt, Li Hongmei, her usual loud voice directly waking Ye Manman up.
She frowned, opened her watery eyes, and unhappily whispered in He Chen's ear.
"Who is she?"
The soft nasal voice echoing in his ear, like a feather gently sliding across, once again tightened He Chen's nerves, his ears quickly turning red with warmth.
"She's my aunt."
"Oh, then why is she in our house?"
After asking, Ye Manman's head slowly cleared.
She remembered that He Chen had an unscrupulous relative who moved into his house under the guise of taking care of him after his parents died, actually to take over his house and land, acting like a parasite, consuming all of He Chen's income.
Hearing her confidently say "our house," He Chen was stunned, his face suddenly burning red, his heart pounding like a drum.
"Aunt's family moved in to take care of me when my parents were no longer around when I was a child," he lowered his head, feeling a sense of heaviness in his heart after he spoke.
Ye Manman casually acknowledged, then got off his back.
"So where do we live?"
He Chen led her towards the room, and Li Hongmei's sarcastic tone picked up again.
"Oh my, look at the wife he's taken, coming into the house without showing respect to the elders, can't even greet people."
Ye Manman rubbed her ear in dissatisfaction.
"Respect and honor to elders should be given to those who deserve respect. Some people being called elders is like a joke. Not afraid of being struck, dreaming of being called can only happen in dreams."
Li Hongmei thought she was easy to manipulate, but being rebuked like that raised her temper a few notches.
"This young wife sure has a sharp tongue, poor He Chen marrying into such bad luck."
Ye Manman turned her head, smiling at her.
"What you said is right. If it weren't for you, would He Chen have such bad luck?"
She was the one arranging things for the bride price, so who's to blame now, thinking everyone can be manipulated easily?
Ye Manman shot He Chen a playful glance, "He Chen, she's noisy in my ear."
She looked straight at him, eyes sparkling, those dark eyes seemed to speak, and He Chen's heart trembled, the irritation from Li Hongmei vanished instantly.
He led her to the door, his fingers nervously rubbing before opening it.
"Well... you go into the room first, I'll make something for you to eat."
He had been keeping track of time, knowing she surely didn't have breakfast seeing her sleepy look.
Ye Manman lightly hummed, entering the room as if inspecting a place.
But what she never expected was to see the room filled with fresh flowers, several different flowers hanging from the mosquito net, a pathway of flower petals leading straight to the bed.
The floor was spotlessly clean, the room well-ventilated, filled with only the faint fragrance of fresh flowers.
Ye Manman followed the petal path to the bed, where she found a bouquet of roses on the headboard, counting quickly, nine in total.
She picked up the flowers, smiling with satisfaction.
"Forever and ever?"
Her smiling eyes shining brilliantly, gently stirring He Chen's gaze, as well as churning up most of his rationality.
Blushing heavily, He Chen rubbed his hands again, shyly nodding, "Yes."
He had carefully chosen them, planning to personally give her the most beautiful rose when he brought her home, the remaining nine were a thought that came to him after racking his brain all night, symbolizing a lifelong togetherness.
He was thrilled that she understood at first glance, how smart his wife was.
He Chen's tall figure blocked most of the view at the door, leaving him only hearing the conversation without seeing inside.
Li Hongmei was very displeased, never had anyone dared to retort her so.
Her son obedient, her husband compliant, He Chen remained mostly silent, she had never encountered someone like Ye Manman before, naturally displeasing her.
She forcefully pushed He Chen's arm to barely see inside, and seeing the room's arrangement soured her instantly.
Alright, following in his late father's footsteps of being a hopeless romantic, explaining his absence in the early morning.
Recalling how her own sister was pampered by He Chen's dad, Li Hongmei's sarcastic tone resurfaced.
"Tch tch tch, with our family's conditions, still setting things up like this, not afraid of being the laughingstock, making the room look like a woman's place."