17 Seventeen, the warmth in my heart is gradually reviving_1

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The little girl was, after all, only two years old, and not very skilled at eating, just knowing to stuff her mouth.

Her chin and little face were covered with grains of rice.

When she saw Gu Shen and Ji Pianran entering the room,

she was beside herself with joy.

"Mommy, the food is so yummy, Daddy's cooking is so yummy!"

Ji Pianran couldn't help but smile with her rosy little lips at her daughter's happiness.

Her smile was beautiful, devoid of a young girl's playfulness and cuteness.

It had an added sense of maturity and composure, and an indescribable charm.

Like summer ice floating, or a snow lotus just beginning to bloom.

It wasn't the kind of beauty that stunned everyone, but it was beautiful enough to make one's heart tremble.

She walked over to Tangtang, extended her fair and slender hands, and patiently began to clean the rice grains off her face.

"What a little glutton," she murmured.

Gu Shen sat down as well, picking up his chopsticks.

He placed a piece of beef into Ji Pianran's bowl.

"Come on, let's eat, or it'll really get cold."

After cleaning Tangtang's face of rice grains, Ji Pianran picked up her chopsticks.

Looking at the steaming beef in her bowl,

her long lashes fluttered, and she couldn't help but think of the moment earlier when Gu Shen had protected her.

In truth, she had long stopped caring about what others said about her.

But when she saw Gu Shen shielding her behind him,

her heart couldn't help but quiver again and again.

A wonderful feeling spread throughout her body.

So this is what it feels like to be protected.

For the first time, she felt she wasn't alone.

This feeling, it was so miraculous.

It was filled with warmth and a sense of security.

Her throat felt a bit sour.

She swallowed, and her voice couldn't help but tremble faintly.

"Thank you."

Gu Shen looked up at her, noticing her beautiful eyes were slightly red, and misty like a fog.

Yet they were dazzlingly bright and shockingly vivid.

He was startled and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

Ji Pianran shook her head.

She sniffled, and putting her hand up, she tucked the stray hairs at her forehead behind her ear.

Then she spoke softly.

"I'm just... very happy."

Gu Shen hadn't expected that her nearly crying expression would actually be one of happiness.

The woman before him seemed to have always been independent from the time they met.

No matter the issue, she never voiced any difficulties to him, nor did she act coy like other women.

She always quietly took care of everything that needed to be done.

Sometimes, Gu Shen would get angry and act deliberately cold,

waiting for her to come to him for help.

He would have helped her if she had shown any weakness.

But she simply never did.

In her past life, she had the same character.

Openly liking oneself,

boldly giving up one's person was always her.

What kind of person was she, really?

Gu Shen pursed his lips, "Hmm, I'm glad you're happy, and from now on, I won't let you be wronged again, by anyone at all!"

His wife, he would definitely protect her well.

Ji Pianran didn't speak, but the ice in her heart melted silently under the warm spring sunlight.

Little by little, it began to thaw.

She lowered her head and put the piece of beef Gu Shen had given her into her mouth.

The beef was delicious.

For the first time, Ji Pianran looked forward to the future.

Wouldn't life get better and better from now on?

Tangtang looked at Ji Pianran, then at Gu Shen, as if she understood something.

The little girl still had rice in her mouth,

but her expression was resolutely determined.

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"Tangtang won't let Mom be wronged!" After a moment of thought, she glanced at Gu Chen and added, "Nor will I let Dad be wronged!"

The innocent look on the little girl's face made both adults laugh.

Gu Chen served more food onto Ji Pianran's plate.

He wanted her to eat a bit more.

She was really too thin.

Ji Pian took a careful taste of the beef Gu Chen had made.

It was truly delicious.

No exaggeration, this was the most satisfying and tastiest meal she had had since marrying Gu Chen these past few years.

She turned to Gu Chen with a faint smile.

"You eat some too, you've had a long day," she said.

Her voice was very pleasant to the ear, clear and melodious like jade beads falling onto a plate.

Gu Chen's eyebrows twitched.

His heartbeat started to quicken in a rather unimpressive manner.

Was she actually caring about him?

This was the first time she had shown concern for him since he had been reborn.

He was very happy.

He grinned and said, "All right, let's eat together!"

...

After the meal, Gu Chen hurried to tidy up the table, taking the spotlessly clean dishes into the kitchen.

After washing the pots and pans and tidying up the kitchen, he finally found time to enter his space.

With a silent invocation,

when he opened his eyes again, he was already inside his space.

It was still warm, the weather bright, and, as usual, there was no sun.

He walked to the Spirit Field, eyeing the broccoli that had been left behind, which had indeed produced quite a few seeds.

Gu Chen first carefully gathered the broccoli seeds before beginning to dig holes, each a certain distance apart, to ensure that each one had ample space to grow.

In just a short while, the entire Spirit Field was fully planted.

He turned and walked to the edge of the Spiritual Spring, scooped up some clear water, and watered the Spirit Field with it.

The seeds sprouted roots and shoots the moment they contacted the Spirit Spring Water, growing to the size of a fist in less than a minute.

They were clearly thriving even more than the first broccoli he had harvested.

Gu Chen couldn't help but marvel.

"Not bad at all, system products truly are exquisite," he commented.

He watered the plants a second time, and just like before, the broccoli kept growing.

Looking at the dozens of vibrant green broccoli heads,

Gu Chen knew he could definitely get a good price for them tomorrow!

He left the space, contented.

By now it was already dark; children go to bed early, and judging by the time, Tangtang was most likely ready to sleep.

Thinking this, Gu Chen took out the formula he had bought that day from underneath the counter.

He carefully opened the packaging, then examined the instructions.

They clearly stated, "Use forty-degree water, one scoop of formula per fifty milliliters of water."

This left Gu Chen in a bind.

He wasn't a chemist, without a measuring cup, how would he know what fifty milliliters of water was?

No, it seemed like he would have to buy Tangtang a baby bottle tomorrow.

And what exactly was forty-degree water?

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, looking at the simple instructions and falling into thought.

After a moment, he shook his head.

Forget it, just mix it first and see.

Tomorrow he would buy a thermometer and a baby bottle!

That settled it!

Thinking it over, Gu Chen took out the cup Tangtang usually used and looked at it carefully.

This... could probably hold about two hundred fifty milliliters of water, right?

He used the scoop that came with the formula to measure out five scoops, then poured some water after that, spilling a bit onto his wrist.

He felt the temperature and it was okay, just a tiny bit warmer than his body temperature.

Probably around thirty-nine degrees, or maybe forty degrees.

Of course, forty-one or forty-two degrees was also possible.

After all, he wasn't a machine, was he?

One can't be too strict in their demands.

He consoled himself as he poured the water into the cup.

Watching the bubbles in the milk froth up, he began to worry again.