"Yang, did you miss me when you were in the hills?" Liu Duo asked, smiling.

She knew Ye Yang surely missed her. She just wanted him to admit it.

Ye Yang strode to his wife's side of the bed. He asked her back as he dried his hair, "Little Duo, what about you?"

Er...

Liu Duo was stunned. She did not expect him to question her.

Based on how much she understood Yang, he might not say short statements like 'I missed you' or 'You're always on my mind,' but at the very least he would mutter 'yes' or 'I did'!

Liu Duo concluded that Ye Yang, the man of few words, was not as straightforward as she thought. He also knew when to be rhetorical.

"Of course. That's a given!"

When she came to, she sat up on the bed, legs crossed, and grinned. "Yang, don't you know? While you were away, I missed you a lot, like the raging river that stretches endlessly, every single minute of every single day!"

He listened to his wife's exaggeration and wondered if she also missed him while she was sleeping or using the outhouse.

Pffft, Ye Yang chortled. Possibly his first ever official laugh in recorded history!

When he did so, Liu Duo was stunned again.

She did not know that he could actually laugh.

When he laughed, it was like all his coldness had shifted into gentle warmth. Even his eyes twinkled like starlight.

His laughter sounded just like Ye Ling`s. They gave off a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"Yang, you look nice when you laugh, just like Ling does." Liu Duo grinned happily. "So you really do know how to laugh. I like it. You should do that more often."

His laughter was not a flash in a pan. He could not hide it as he smiled. "I only laugh for you!"

In other words, his laugh was reserved only for her!

And he lovingly patted her on the head. Liu Duo could not be happier.

Ah...

Her heart thumped non-stop as Ye Yang flirted with her, unabashed.

"Yang, you haven't replied to me. Did you--"

Before she could finish, Ye Yang's wonderful voice exclaimed, "I missed you here. And here. All the time!" he said as he pointed once at his head and another time at his heart.

A blush gradually appeared on her cheeks as she pouted shyly.

She had the feeling that Yang was becoming more skilled at flirting.

So direct yet so sincere!

"Here, let me help you," Liu Duo said coyly as she took over his towel. She kneeled behind him and lightly dried his hair.

Ye Yang remained seated, unmoving, letting her do whatever she pleased.

It was a moment of perfect comfort and sweet happiness for the couple.

When Yang's hair was dry, Liu Duo took up a brush to comb it through. "Alright, all done. We can sleep now."

"Yes, let's sleep." Ye Yang retrieved the comb from her hand.

Liu Duo lay on the bed and playfully rolled over once.

"It's so soft. I think I'll fall asleep very soon. Yang, promise me you won't go hunting in the hills ever again. Do you hear me?"