Lu Yu's heart bloomed with joy upon hearing the answer. She also wanted to wear matching couple outfits with her little husband.
Lu Yu, having received a satisfactory reply, handed the little male cat in her arms to Shen Xuan.
"We have a servant in our manor who has raised cats before. He said this little cat is pregnant and about a month along," Lu Yu placed the little female cat on the ground. As if sensing something, the female cat ran to Shen Xuan's side and began to scratch at his shoes with its little paws.
Shen Xuan bent down and scooped the meowing female cat into his arms. The two little cats quickly became entangled.
Fearing she might not be able to hold the pregnant male cat securely and might drop it, Shen Xuan bent down again and gently placed both little cats on the ground.
"They have such good feelings for each other," Shen Xuan exclaimed sincerely, watching the two little cats nestled closely together.
"Our feelings for each other are even better," Lu Yu said softly, sitting beside Shen Xuan and wrapping her arms around his waist.
She then mumbled, "From now on, you're not allowed to hold it."
Shen Xuan followed Lu Yu's gaze to the little female cat, feeling a bit confused.
Seeing Shen Xuan's puzzled expression, Lu Yu spoke with an air of arrogance, enunciating each word, "Because I'm jealous."
Shen Xuan looked at Lu Yu in disbelief, unable to fathom that these words were coming from her.
Yet, Lu Yu showed no embarrassment, instead speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "It's a female cat, and your wife would be jealous."
"...Alright," Shen Xuan managed to squeeze out the word.
Lu Yu became even more triumphant upon hearing Shen Xuan's promise. See, this was her little husband, who would agree to all her unreasonable demands.
Little did she know Shen Xuan's true thoughts.
*How has my wife become so silly lately?*
During dinner that evening, the two little cats also ate in their bedroom. As if aware they had been adopted, they were well-behaved, squatting on the ground and not running around, only lowering their heads to eat.
After dinner, Shen Xuan played with the two little cats in the room. Lu Yu said she had some manuscripts to write and went to the study.
The two little cats, having eaten their fill, quickly became sleepy and voluntarily curled up in the makeshift nest Shen Xuan had prepared for them, falling asleep. The sounds of the little cats inside the room disappeared, making the sounds from outside even clearer. Besides the occasional rustling of the wind, many hushed whispers could be heard. Shen Xuan felt puzzled; the servants should have all returned to their rooms to sleep at this hour. Why were there still voices in the courtyard?
Shen Xuan walked to the door and slowly pushed it open, wanting to see what was happening outside.
The moment she opened the door, Shen Xuan froze in shock.
She saw Lu Yu squatting on the ground, busy with something. Candles were scattered on the ground, arranged in a heart shape, and Lu Yu was squatting in the center of the heart.
Lu Yu heard the door open and turned her head to see Shen Xuan standing at the doorway. She quickly stood up, tidied her clothes, and smiled at Shen Xuan.
The servants nearby, witnessing this scene, immediately quieted down, constantly observing the interaction between the two.
Shen Xuan understood then that this was her wife's third surprise for her. Overwhelmed with emotion, she slowly walked towards Lu Yu.
Looking at Lu Yu's smile, Shen Xuan also smiled. She only managed to softly call out "Wife" before her voice choked, and tears welled up in her eyes.
The sky had completely darkened. Illuminated by the candlelight, Shen Xuan could only see Lu Yu's gentle face through the mist in her eyes.
Lu Yu took out a red agate bracelet from her embrace and slowly put it on Shen Xuan's hand.
"Xuan'er, happy birthday," Lu Yu smiled and took Shen Xuan's hands. "I will always love you."
The servants nearby, hearing such explicit declarations of love, some blushed and lowered their heads, feigning modesty, while others cheered from the side.
This time, Shen Xuan did not feel shy. She stood there, gazing steadily at Lu Yu. For the first time, she felt that expressing love in front of everyone was such a blissful thing.
Her eyes could no longer hold back the ever-increasing tears. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks. With the obstruction of tears gone, she could clearly see Lu Yu's expression, looking at her with doting affection.
Gazing at the love in Lu Yu's eyes, Shen Xuan felt as if she were drowning in her gaze.
"Wife, I will always love you too," Shen Xuan said such explicit words for the first time, expressed her love in front of so many people for the first time, and for the first time, her words didn't falter due to shyness.
Everything felt so natural.
Lu Yu's actions were not only to give Shen Xuan a surprise but also to inform the servants in the manor who harbored ill intentions that Shen Xuan was her only love, her position forever unshakable, thus extinguishing certain people's selfish desires.
Afu, with great perceptiveness, dispersed the crowd of servants. In an instant, the inner courtyard became so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.
"It's cold outside, let's go inside," Lu Yu said, then took Shen Xuan's hand and led her back into the room.
Afu, who had been secretly watching from the shadows, rushed out to blow out and collect the candles on the ground as soon as the couple went inside.
"Wife, did you prepare a total of three surprises for me today?"
Lu Yu, unsure of what Shen Xuan was going to say, nodded.
"Then... could Wife give me another gift?" Shen Xuan asked, her face flushing slightly.
"What gift?" Lu Yu seemed a little slow to react.
"Please, Wife, give me a child," Shen Xuan lowered her head and whispered, her face red.
After saying this, she slowly took off her outer garment and sat in front of Lu Yu.
*If my little husband is this proactive, and I don't respond, then I'm not a woman.*
Lu Yu thought this, and then pounced on Shen Xuan like a hungry tiger. Hearing Shen Xuan's surprised cry, she curved her lips in satisfaction.
The next morning, when Lu Yu woke up, Shen Xuan was no longer in bed. Instead, she was kneeling on the ground, with her father's memorial tablet placed before her.
"Xuan'er, you..."
"Today is Father's death anniversary," Shen Xuan knew what Lu Yu wanted to ask. "Father gave birth to me at the end of the Hai hour, but passed away less than an hour later, so my birthday is not on the same day as my father's death anniversary."
Upon hearing that it was Shen Xuan's father's death anniversary, Lu Yu quickly put on her clothes, got out of bed, and paid respects with Shen Xuan.
"Father, Xuan'er has come to pay respects to you. This time, I'm not alone; I have my wife with me. She treats me very well, so please rest assured."
"Father, I am Xuan'er's wife. Please rest assured, I will definitely take good care of him, love him forever, and always treat him well."
"Xuan'er, do you think Father would like me as his daughter-in-law?"
After paying their respects, the two sat on stools. Lu Yu thought for a long time before asking.
"If my father were here, he would definitely like you, because I like you!" Shen Xuan smiled and turned her head.
Shen Xuan had noticed that Lu Yu had been very apprehensive since they finished paying respects to her father. It turned out she was worried about this very issue.