That face was already stunning, but now it couldn't hide its beauty anymore. Her long, narrow phoenix-shaped eyes looked both charming and cold. Her whole appearance was clear and cool. She stared at him in a daze for a moment, then snapped out of it and smiled, quickly stepping aside to let him tend the fire.
Right now, everything about Mier looked good—except his skin, which was pale and yellowish. But that was okay; she could take care of him and help him recover.
"Just keep an eye on the fire. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Mier looked regretful. He had taken too long inside, and by the time he came out, she was almost done cooking. Worried that Niley might be upset, he hesitated for a bit before speaking up, "I'll cook from now on."
He was already married now, so he had to learn how to take care of his wife. Letting his wife cook for him—how could he let that happen? If people found out, they'd gossip about him endlessly.
Besides, even if no one said anything, he still couldn't let her do all the work.
He was still thinking about things and afraid she'd be angry, so he spoke very softly.
Niley's hearing was excellent, so of course she heard him. She nodded slightly but then realized he might not have noticed, so while tending the fire, she added a quiet "Mm."
She had never been a hardworking person. During the apocalypse, when food was scarce, she could get by with whatever was available—survival came first. But now, in this matriarchal world, food and taste were suddenly very important.
Plus, she was now married. Seeing her delicate little husband like this, if she didn't let him cook, he'd probably cry.
Just imagining that cold and serious face crying in front of her made her heart itch. She wanted to see him cry—on the bed.
With that thought, she couldn't help staring directly at him. When he looked up innocently and caught her gaze, she suddenly felt embarrassed by herself. What a beast she was!
She quickly turned away and clumsily checked if the food was ready.
A moment later, breakfast was done.
Mier was still tending the fire. The steaming aroma from the pot made him swallow unconsciously.
It smelled just like the food he remembered at home. When Jiang Yu wouldn't let him eat, he would sit and sniff the smell of food from next door, breathing in deeply and pretending he was eating. After doing that a few times and swallowing more saliva, even if he was hungry, he could manage to get through it.
Grrrrr~
But this time, the smell was so good that his stomach let out a loud growl.
He really was starving. The past few days, all the food in the house had gone to Jiang Yu. He and his father had only been drinking leftover pot water, which didn't fill the stomach at all.
Now that his stomach was growling loudly, his face turned red with embarrassment. He kept pushing the firewood in with his hands, head lowered more and more, until a hand suddenly stopped him.
"Be careful or you'll burn yourself."
Niley touched the top of his head and then rubbed her own stomach. "I'm starving. Push the firewood in and let's eat already!"
Then she quickly washed the bowls and began serving the food. When she lifted the lid, the rich smell of food filled the air.
She served two big bowls of golden millet and pumpkin porridge, along with a plate of scallion pancakes, two corns, and two eggs—just right for both of them.
After what Niley said, Mier looked away in embarrassment, but out of the corner of his eye, he still caught sight of the thick, fragrant porridge. He swallowed again.
And when he saw the shiny scallion pancakes next to it, his stomach rumbled even more.
He quickly turned away, not daring to look anymore.
His little wife must have some kind of amazing background. Even breakfast was this rich and plentiful—enough to feed several people for a few days.
When he saw her carrying the bowl outside, he hurried to pick up the scallion pancakes and followed her.
Niley didn't want Mier to feel uncomfortable, so when they entered the room, she placed the porridge on the table and said, "It's warm in here. Let's eat here."
Mier paused for a second, then quickly placed the plate of scallion pancakes on the table and rushed back to get the rest.
When he saw the two eggs and corns in the kitchen, he couldn't believe it. He pinched his face to make sure.
"Ow—"
It hurt! Which meant this was real!
And Niley had just said "we," which meant he was included in the food!
But... he hadn't done anything. How could he deserve such a good meal?
And all of it was made by his wife... he felt so useless. Maybe the only thing he was good for now was...
He blinked, pushing that dark thought away.
Afraid she was waiting, he quickly brought the rest of the food back.
Seeing him standing carefully by the table, Niley walked over, pushed him into a chair, and divided the food. "This is your share. Make sure you finish it—I don't like leftovers."
Without waiting for his reaction, she sat down and started eating.
She was already hungry. If it weren't for going out earlier, she could've stayed in bed longer. But that short trip out had used up energy, and now, eating good food while looking at a handsome face made the meal taste even better.
She finished quickly and, without waiting for him, pushed her empty dishes toward him. "I cooked, you clean."
He was still quietly eating his scallion pancake. When he heard her, he looked up slightly and nodded without expression.
Niley didn't say anything else and went to the rattan chair to take a nap.
The room was warm, and the electric heater was humming. Everything was quiet.
If she hadn't known she was now married and there was someone else in the house, she would've thought it was just another boring day.
She opened her eyes and glanced at Mier. He was still sitting stiffly, eating very carefully. She frowned a little—this husband was definitely different from the rough survivors back at the base.
She wondered what was happening at the base now that she was gone. Luckily, she had singlehandedly stopped the zombie wave. Without her, Jiang Li should still be able to hold the base.
There was no need to worry too much—except maybe for her parents. They didn't know she had been transported to another world. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn't even left a message.
Now she was here, and there was no way back.
She looked at Mier again, who was still quietly eating, and called out, "Mier."
The moment she spoke, he immediately put down his food and turned to look at her. She waved him over. "Relax. I'm not going to eat you. Your father probably hasn't had breakfast either. I made plenty this morning, so let's bring some to him later."
She had heard some of the gossip this morning while checking out the crowd. Since she had married Mier, they were a family now (well, except for Jiang Yu).
She was going to live her life properly in this world—for now, at least. Who knew when, or if, she could go back?
"For Dad?"
Mier's long, narrow eyes widened in surprise. He looked completely shocked.
When Niley nodded, his face didn't change much, but inside, he was thrilled.