Dai Lijun lay semi-reclined on the sofa after eating and drinking his fill, patting his small stomach. "Qiqi, didn't you buy some fruit? Slice some up for me." He was genuinely curious why Han Tao hadn't mentioned the art photoshoot to Qiqi yet.

Han Tao, having been busy for so long, finally saw a small conclusion to his efforts. He casually grabbed the remote and started watching TV. Hearing Dai Lijun bossing his wife around, he was displeased. "You took a nap this afternoon, didn't you? If you want something to eat, go get it yourself." Truly, if it wasn't his own wife, he wouldn't know to cherish her; didn't he see that Qiqi was tired too?

Dai Lijun sighed, acting pitifully. "I am just a blade of grass that no one notices." As miserable as one could be. "The [Chairman] was right after all; people still have to rely on themselves. Self-reliance brings abundant food and clothing."

"I bought the supplies too," Wang Qiqi said, having finished washing the dishes and now wiping down the cabinets. Hearing someone's complaint, she was also annoyed. "Wash some grapes while you’re at it." She instructed the dolt; Wang Qiqi felt she was under no pressure whatsoever.

"There are grapes too? I want some!" Han Tao immediately pulled his legs up, taking up the entire three-seater sofa, which made Dai Lijun intensely jealous.

Dai Lijun took the grapes from the fridge, washing them while sighing mournfully. "Why did I stay here just to watch the drama? I really should have gone back earlier." He could have at least taken some fruit downstairs, instead of having to watch a pair flaunting their affection, especially since he was now washing fruit for them—it was infuriatingly detestable.

"You should have left already," Wang Qiqi bluntly retorted. "You have absolutely no perceptiveness. If it were me, I would have vanished long ago."

Dai Lijun felt a pang in his heart. "I'll leave right now. Wasn't I worried that if you two started arguing, there’d be no one nearby to mediate?" Dai Lijun considered himself a man of great virtue, yet Qiqi never understood his good intentions.

"You were hoping to watch the fun," Han Tao scoffed without restraint. "And hurry up and wash the fruit to bring over. Also, I remind you, your bedroom still has some dust. Aren't you going back to clean it?" Hmph, even if his mood wasn't great, he certainly wouldn't embarrass his own wife in front of her. Some things needed to be settled privately.

"You were hoping to fan the flames on the side," Wang Qiqi said. She understood Dai Lijun too well. She knew she had given him a hard time too many times before, and this guy had been looking for a chance to reclaim some ground. Would he really pass up such a good opportunity?

Dai Lijun whimpered a few times. Finding no one to comfort him, he could only speed up his actions. "Alright, Han Tao, here is your share. I’m heading down now." The irritated Dai Lijun unceremoniously grabbed half the fruit and prepared to bolt. His soul had suffered such a great trauma; he felt if he didn't take enough fruit to compensate, how could he manage?

Wang Qiqi watched Dai Lijun snatch away so much fruit like a bandit, leaving her speechless. "Dummy, you can run to work by yourself tomorrow." He had eaten so much already; didn't he consider if he could even handle it? Don't worry about missing work tomorrow; first, request sick leave.

"Don't worry, I will definitely wake up early to wait for Han Tao," Dai Lijun said, grinning wickedly. Turning at the front door, he added, "I know absence makes the heart grow fonder. You two should take it easy; don't make me have to knock on the door to remind you it's time for work." That possibility wasn't out of the question.

Dai Lijun closed the door instantly after saying that, and immediately heard a thump-thump sound from behind the door. He knew he was lucky to have bolted so quickly, otherwise, something would definitely have been aimed squarely at his head.

Wang Qiqi looked at the scant remaining fruit, took some more out of the fridge, and asked, "What do you think about what Dai Lijun mentioned?" Wang Qiqi figured she had to face this issue sooner or later, so she might as well ask directly to stop worrying herself sick.

Han Tao looked at his wife’s tense expression. Although he wasn't entirely repulsed by Qiqi’s idea, he worried that if he conceded too easily this time, his wife might get any more ambitious ideas later on. He understood Qiqi quite well in this regard. While the thought was startling when he first heard it, on the way back, Han Tao thought that if his wife really took these pictures, she definitely wouldn't share them around. At most, she’d only show Shi Man and Zhu Lina. As for men, only he would ever see them, and seeing his wife's graceful figure, Han Tao thought this might even count as a perk for him.

Han Tao worked hard to control his thoughts and expression. Some things couldn't start with him yielding the advantage, or it would be hard to ever turn the tables. In response, he ignored Wang Qiqi’s words entirely, or simply acted oblivious, just keeping his mouth wide open, but his hands remained still.

Wang Qiqi eagerly awaited her man's answer. She thought that whether he agreed or disagreed, at least giving her a reply would suffice. But she hadn't expected her old man to stay silent, just lying there with his mouth open. Wang Qiqi understood he wanted her to feed him, but she wondered why he was so proactive when she hadn't received an answer yet. What if after all her effort, the answer was NO? Wouldn't that be wasted labor? Wang Qiqi felt she couldn't allow that.

Wang Qiqi wanted to hold her ground and ignore Han Tao, putting on an air that unless he gave her an answer, or a satisfactory one, she wouldn't give him any more fruit. But Han Tao was calmer than her, just lying on the sofa, mouth open, staring at the TV.

Wang Qiqi thought this guy was truly set on a standoff with her today. Although she could decide to ignore Han Tao’s feelings, doing so would only sour the relationship between the loving couple. Even if Han Tao gave her the cold shoulder for a few days afterward, the issue could pass. But this entire situation was predicated on one fact: Han Tao loved Wang Qiqi. If he ever stopped loving her, this incident would certainly be one of the triggers.

Helplessly, Wang Qiqi picked up a grape and fed it into Han Tao’s mouth, one by one. "Han Tao, eat this good grape."

"Han Tao, I know you’re unhappy, but I promise I absolutely will not show it to anyone other than you, Manman, and Nana." Although Wang Qiqi knew her man hoped only he would see the photos, for something this good, Wang Qiqi could guarantee that if Shi Man and the other two found out she was taking these pictures, they would certainly pester her into showing them.

Han Tao continued eating the grapes without offering any reply. In his view, everything Qiqi said was a kindergarten-level response.

Wang Qiqi was surprised that even after she had gone this far, the proud man was still so composed. She kept complaining internally: What a sly man. What exactly do you need me to promise? Just say it out loud so I can analyze which conditions I can meet and which I cannot. However, before the other party gave an answer, Wang Qiqi had to save herself first.

"I just want to keep a souvenir of my youth," Wang Qiqi explained her reasoning. She talked at length, but none of it seemed to reach Han Tao's heart. Instead, his eyes slowly closed, which made Wang Qiqi quite irritated. Damn it, I’m here digging out melon for you and feeding you grapes. I even wiped juice dripping from the corner of your mouth with a tissue. This nanny role I’m playing is definitely qualified.

By the time Wang Qiqi finished speaking, her mouth was quite dry, so she popped a few grapes into her own mouth. Unexpectedly, during that brief pause, Han Tao’s eyes snapped open. Wang Qiqi happened to be pushing a grape into her own mouth, and Han Tao caught her in the act of sneaking a bite. How could Wang Qiqi still feel like eating it herself? She could only push the last few grapes into Han Tao’s mouth. "I must owe you," she thought, but Wang Qiqi only dared to say this in her heart. "When the time comes, I’ll definitely find a female photographer; otherwise, I’ll be too embarrassed to take them." Although some people said photos taken by male photographers looked better, Wang Qiqi felt that if it were a stranger, she would be too shy to even take off her clothes, let alone strike various poses. Moreover, Wang Qiqi felt that if a man took pictures of her, Han Tao would surely make things difficult for her afterward.

The moment this was said, Han Tao’s mouth curved into a smile. Instantly, Wang Qiqi felt the temperature around her slowly rising again. Looking at the smile on his face, Wang Qiqi could confirm one thing with certainty: "You agree to me taking them?" Otherwise, why would Han Tao be wearing such a wide smile? Overjoyed, Wang Qiqi immediately threw herself onto Han Tao, kissing his face repeatedly to show how much she loved him.

Han Tao was delighted by Wang Qiqi's enthusiasm, but he hoped for something else. "Your enthusiasm could be directed toward other areas; I truly wouldn't mind." Han Tao's flirtatious words, paired with his serious expression, made Wang Qiqi's face slowly redden again.

Seeing his little woman blush made Han Tao feel quite satisfied. This was his woman; although she had her own ideas, she would still consider his feelings. "However, I have a suggestion. You should hear my idea before making a decision."

Before Han Tao could even articulate his suggestion, Wang Qiqi blurted out, "Whatever the suggestion is, I agree." After finally getting her man to concede, why would she let the chance slip? And if she missed this opportunity, Wang Qiqi suspected it wouldn't be easy to get his consent again.

Noticing Wang Qiqi's eagerness, Han Tao covered her mouth. "My suggestion is: shall we shoot a set of art photos together?" Han Tao wondered how Wang Qiqi would respond to this proposal.

What? Han Tao wanted to shoot art photos too, and with her? Fine, it was an alternative kind of photoshoot, a bit avant-garde, not bad really. It would surely be the best memory when they were old. But the problem was, why did Wang Qiqi feel a bit strange? This was her man; how could he be shown to other women besides her, even if she was just enjoying the view with her eyes... (To be continued)