Fated Deception: How I Accidentally Married a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 34: Afternoon Contentment

Lu Yuan woke from his nap at 10:30, stretching languorously after two hours of rest. He carried a small table and chairs out to the courtyard, brewed a pot of tea, and set out an ashtray. These simple domestic tasks felt oddly unfamiliar now—after days of his wife’s attentive care, he’d grown accustomed to having everything prepared for him.

Settling into a chair, he crossed his legs comfortably, cigarette in one hand and book in the other. The factory workers, including his wife, wouldn’t return for lunch. The facility provided midday meals—simple fare of noodles and boiled cabbage without meat, but free food had its own appeal. More importantly, the arrangement allowed workers a short nap at their stations afterward. Even those with bicycles stayed at the factory during lunch break.

Having just awakened, Lu Yuan wasn’t particularly hungry. He could read for a while before visiting a restaurant later.

The book in his hands wasn’t civil service examination material as one might expect, but rather the “Craftsmanship” manual he’d received from the system yesterday. He’d initially assumed it would function like his enhanced physique—an automatic upgrade requiring no effort. To his disappointment, after entering the system space, he discovered it was actually a book requiring dedicated study.

This “great reward” hardly compared to the supreme gift of his wife. Still, the manual contained remarkable content—detailed disassembly instructions and tutorials for precision parts. With such comprehensive guidance, one could learn independently without apprenticing to a factory master.

Though Lu Yuan had no intention of returning to workshop labor, the system-provided knowledge seemed worth exploring. He sipped tea and turned pages, ignoring the disdainful glances from neighborhood women.

“Look at Zhu Bajie wearing glasses, pretending to be educated,” their expressions seemed to say. “You barely finished primary school—who are you trying to impress?”

As noon approached, the Innovation Factory’s morning shift ended. Women from the inspection team gathered in small groups, preparing to visit the cafeteria. They kindly invited Su Liyan to join them, recognizing she was new and unfamiliar with factory routines.

Su Liyan had integrated well that morning. The women harbored no hostility toward her—despite her exceptional beauty, she was married, posing no perceived threat to their own romantic prospects.

But as they prepared to collect their lunch boxes, they noticed Su Liyan had already packed her newly issued work clothes and shoes, clearly intending to leave.

“Li Yan? Come with us,” one woman called. “The factory provides lunch. You can take those things home after the evening shift. No one will steal them.”

Su Liyan turned with a gentle smile. “I’m going home to cook for my husband.”

Confusion crossed every face. Go home to cook? During work hours? When her husband was perfectly capable of feeding himself? The commute alone would take a full hour round-trip, leaving barely any time to prepare food, eat, and rest.

The women attempted to dissuade her, but Su Liyan remained resolute. After gathering her belongings, she bid them farewell and hurried home.

The office women exchanged bewildered glances before turning to Sister Ma, silently seeking her intervention. Wasn’t this excessive devotion? But Sister Ma’s expression remained impassive as she collected her lunch box.

It wasn’t her place to comment on others’ domestic arrangements. Besides, she understood Su Liyan’s motivation. If she had found a man who accepted her difficult background without judgment, she might show the same dedication.

Around 11:40, Su Liyan arrived home, slightly breathless from jogging. Her remarkable stamina—staying up until midnight with her husband, rising at six for a full morning’s work, yet maintaining her energy—would have exhausted an ordinary woman.

The aunties in the yard watched in confusion as she entered. Lu Yuan looked up from his book, equally perplexed.

“Why are you back? Did something happen?”

Su Liyan’s smile was radiant. “No. I came back to cook for you.”

Without pause, she headed inside, her breathing still quickened from her hurried return. “Brother, I’ll prepare lunch in a moment. Don’t worry.”

Lu Yuan set aside his book and followed, finding the situation both touching and unreasonable. Inside the house, Su Liyan had already entered the kitchen and begun preparations.

Rather than immediately questioning her decision, Lu Yuan asked, “How was your morning at the factory? Is the job good?”

While bustling around the kitchen, Su Liyan glanced back with bright eyes. “It’s wonderful! Not tiring at all, and I learned many new things. Everyone has been kind to me. I truly enjoy the work.”

Her expression held the innocent delight of a child discovering new pleasures. Relieved she hadn’t encountered workplace bullying, Lu Yuan addressed the situation gently.

“You shouldn’t come home at midday—it’s too exhausting. Eat at the factory and rest afterward. You need proper meals and rest during your workday.”

Su Liyan paused, lowering her head briefly in thought. When she looked up again, her eyes held a mixture of shyness and determination.

“I mainly wanted to have lunch with my brother,” she admitted, her voice soft but resolute.