The "Messenger" of Romance

Hearing Auntie Er's words, Zhao Wanrou was both surprised and embarrassed. It turned out that Cai Lenghan's feelings for her were so obvious that even a part-time helper like Auntie Er knew about them. While lost in thought, Zhao Wanrou kept spooning porridge into her mouth. Before long, she finished the bowl. Auntie Er quickly cleared the dirty dishes. As she worked, she continued to praise her young master's virtues to prove the validity of her information:
"You must believe me. A few years ago—no, just a few months ago—the young master was always away from home. I mean, he was rarely home. He might look put-together, but he was very careless about eating and sleeping. But ever since you agreed to marry him, the young master has come home every single day. Do you know what he came home to do?"

Auntie Er stopped washing the dishes and turned to look at Zhao Wanrou. She lowered her voice to make the story sound more dramatic. As a professional writer, Zhao Wanrou could only pretend to be curious and play along so Auntie Er would continue:
"What did he come home to do, Auntie?"

Auntie Er quickly washed the remaining dirty dish, wiped her hands, sat down opposite Zhao Wanrou, and began to recount:
"To decorate the house, what else? Especially the bridal chamber. The young master spent months carefully decorating and arranging that room. From the paint color to the furniture, the bed, every wall tile, and even every curtain... the young master selected and arranged everything with his own hands."

Zhao Wanrou was stunned. She truly hadn't known about this. Seeing Zhao Wanrou's expression, Auntie Er realized that her young master's devotion had gone completely unnoticed. She felt both pity and frustration in her heart. This young master of hers was good in every way, except for his habit of keeping his feelings to himself—a flaw he could never seem to fix. If he were her son, he would have bragged and told his wife everything to make her feel touched and love him more. Instead, her young master did everything in quiet silence. Auntie Er clicked her tongue. Fine, since the young master refused to speak, she would act as his loudspeaker and voice the hidden sincerity of his heart for him. Thus, Auntie Er continued:
"It's not just that. In my hometown, after a room is painted, things are a mess, and the smell of paint takes a month to clear before anyone can move in. Even then, it takes another month for the room to feel lived-in. Look at you, when you moved into that room, did you find it neat, clean, and cozy? The young master slept in that room every night until a week before you moved in. He said it was to give the room some warmth so it wouldn't feel cold, because he knew you disliked the cold."

Zhao Wanrou blinked, deeply moved. It turned out Cai Lenghan had researched her preferences so meticulously. No wonder whenever she stayed in that upstairs room, whether in her past life or this one, she always felt quite comfortable, never feeling out of place. Seeing Zhao Wanrou remain silent, Auntie Er delivered her final trump card:
"Looking at you, the young master definitely didn't say a word about this to you, did he?"

"Yes, he didn't say anything. I only found out today thanks to you, Auntie."

Zhao Wanrou sniffled and admitted, making Auntie Er feel incredibly proud. It seemed she could indeed become the "messenger" who helped warm up the couple's relationship. Auntie Er clicked her tongue and spoke with a solemn, philosophical air:
"The young master has always been a man of few words. But believe me, I've lived a long life, and I've seen that quiet men usually do the most and are far more reliable. A man like the young master can be a very solid pillar of support."

Zhao Wanrou smiled and nodded in agreement. She looked at Auntie Er, who was doing her best to speak on her master's behalf, and felt deeply touched. Just looking at how the people around Cai Lenghan treated him was enough to confirm that the nature of this foolish ice block was truly worthy of appreciation. It was just that she couldn't understand why, deep down, Cai Lenghan was always so insecure and self-deprecating. Zhao Wanrou finished her glass of oat milk, making a silent decision in her heart. It seemed she needed to look deeper into Cai Lenghan's past to find out why a man who was clearly a big, easily aggrieved puppy had turned into a "mad dog," and then into the freezing block of ice he was today.