When Lu Xiao came downstairs, Ares had already washed the cabbage and was carefully separating it leaf by leaf.
He had just learned this from looking up a dumpling tutorial online.
Seeing Lu Xiao approach, Ares tactfully stepped back, leaving the main workspace for her.
Lu Xiao was pleased by his thoughtfulness. "Why don't you go rest for a bit? I'll call you when it's time to wrap the dumplings."
These past few days, Lu Xiao had always sent him out of the kitchen while she cooked, so Ares no longer felt the same alarm and unease he had the first time.
"Alright. I'll be in the living room. You can call me anytime."
Lu Xiao gave him an "OK" sign and turned to get out the food processor, preparing to mince the cabbage and meat.
Ares having washed the cabbage and meat for her in advance had saved her a lot of trouble.
'A man who knows what to do without being told is really quite a catch.'
So far, Lu Xiao was very satisfied with Ares. He was thoughtful, considerate, ambitious, and most importantly, a man of few words. He was truly a great find.
The key to delicious dumplings is the filling, and Lu Xiao had her own special method for mixing it.
The secret to the flavor was all in the seasoned oil.
Lu Xiao often used this kind of seasoned oil in her cooking, so she had prepared a large batch in advance. All she had to do now was add it in.
While Lu Xiao was busy in the kitchen, Ares replied to his adjutant's message: "Something urgent has come up that I need to handle. Be ready. I'll come over tomorrow to take care of it first."
"Understood. Is your female treating you well?"
"She's very good."
The adjutant stared at the three words, his feelings complicated. After all, if you asked any married male how his female was, he would give you the same three-word answer.
However, just from the fact that she was willing to let Ares continue working, she seemed decent enough, regardless of her motives.
At the very least, an Ares who could work outside the home would have some breathing room.
"Gotta go. She's calling me to help."
The adjutant, who had thought the conversation was over, was taken by surprise when he suddenly received this message. 'What's going on?'
He couldn't help but feel that Major General Ares was... showing off?
'It has to be my imagination, right?'
After carefully sending the message, Ares turned off his terminal and waited for Lu Xiao to summon him.
He didn't know why he did it, but he just felt compelled to.
'I don't want Lu Xiao to be misunderstood.'
Though he was reluctant to admit it, his heart was already growing biased.
"Ares, you can come over now."
The moment he heard the call, Ares stood up. "I'm coming."
By then, Lu Xiao had finished kneading the dough. "Do you know how to roll the wrappers?"
"I just watched a video to learn. Can I try?"
"Of course." Lu Xiao handed him the rolling pin.
Ares took it, recalled the tutorial from the video, and, under Lu Xiao's watchful eye, rolled out a dumpling wrapper.
"Not bad! That's exactly how you do it. You roll, and I'll wrap. It's okay if you're a little slow. I'll roll a few first, and then you can take over."
With that, Lu Xiao quickly rolled out a dozen or so dumpling wrappers.
"You're amazing."
Lu Xiao chuckled. "Practice makes perfect. You'll get faster once you've rolled more. Your turn."
Lu Xiao went to one side to wrap the dumplings while Ares stayed to roll the wrappers. His speed was a little slow at first, but the man was no fool. For someone who could operate things like mechs and starships, rolling a few dumpling wrappers was hardly a difficult task. Gradually, he was able to keep up with Lu Xiao's demand.
Working together, the two of them finished wrapping the dumplings in no time.
They set a portion aside to freeze in the refrigerator for later, and boiled the rest.
They hadn't eaten much at the Earl Mansion earlier and were counting on this dinner.
When the steaming hot dumplings were served, they were accompanied by a dipping sauce of minced garlic and chili oil.
The aroma was incredible!
Ares had long known Lu Xiao was a good cook, but he was still amazed every time he ate her food.
"So? Isn't it better than what you've eaten elsewhere?"
Ares nodded. "Everything you make is always delicious."
"Of course! I might not be good at other things, but when it comes to cooking, I'm definitely second to none. Actually, back when I was looking for a job, if the Fifth Research Institute hadn't hired me, I was thinking about opening a restaurant. Do you think my cooking is good enough to open a restaurant?"
"Business would definitely be booming." Just the news that a female had opened a restaurant would attract countless patrons, not to mention the fact that her cooking was so good.
Lu Xiao beamed. "We can pan-fry the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Okay." Ares made a mental note. He would have them ready by the time Lu Xiao woke up tomorrow morning.
'This way, she can sleep in a little longer.'
Full and satisfied, Lu Xiao didn't feel like moving. She didn't even have to say anything about cleaning the kitchen; Ares would take the initiative.
'This feeling is really nice.'
"Ares, what time do you get off work tomorrow? Can we come home together?"
"Yes, I'll come pick you up."
"Won't it interfere with your work?"
"No."
"Okay then, I'll wait for you." Hearing this, Lu Xiao gave Ares a sweet smile and stood up. "I'm going back to my room first. I'm a bit tired today, so I'm going to take a bath. Come to my room after you're done cleaning up. We still haven't done today's Spiritual Soothing."
"If you're tired, you can rest. We don't have to do it every day..."
"It doesn't take that long. Just remember to come over, okay?"
"Okay." As Ares looked at Lu Xiao, his gaze held a softness he himself hadn't even noticed.
When Ares, having finished cleaning the kitchen and tidying himself up, arrived at Lu Xiao's room, he felt that his state of mind was completely different from the last time he'd been here.
The last time he had entered was on their wedding night. He had only forced himself to come in after extensive mental preparation.
Now, he was still a little nervous, but it was a nervousness tinged with joy and anticipation.
He didn't know when it started, but he had begun to look forward to hearing Lu Xiao say his name.
This change filled him with both delight and trepidation.
He didn't know what would happen if he let this feeling continue to develop, but a selfish part of him didn't want it to change.
'It feels like my willpower as a soldier is slowly crumbling away.'
After a comfortable, hot bath, Lu Xiao emerged from the bathroom. The moment she opened the door, she saw Ares standing in the room, his posture ramrod straight, as if at military attention.
It was handsome, but also a little funny. "What are you doing? Why don't you find a place to sit?"
"I'm not tired." Ares glanced quickly at Lu Xiao before averting his gaze, the tips of his ears turning red.
The young female, fresh from her bath, had skin that was fair and tinged with a delicate pink, looking especially delicious.
She smelled wonderful, like a freshly baked cake giving off an alluring fragrance.
"You might not be tired, but I'm getting dizzy just looking at you. Hurry up and sit down somewhere." Lu Xiao said while drying her hair. "Oh, right, where's your pillow? Go get your pillow. Otherwise, where are you going to lie down?"
Ares's body stiffened for a moment, then he answered, "Okay."
As Ares left Lu Xiao's room, his face flushed red.
'Bringing the pillow over... does that mean I can sleep here?'