FDNL CH 05

Chapter 5 – Appearance

The man seemed to be searching for something.
He looked left, then right. When he couldn’t find it,
he turned and walked out of the room—
without even glancing at Su Lianyi once.

It was now certain—this man must be the so-called Dahu, her husband.

Feeling embarrassed and guilty, Lianyi dropped the broken stick in her hand.

“Dahu, I’m so sorry. It was too dark just now—I didn’t see it was you. Did I hurt you?”

She hurried after the tall figure, chasing him into the courtyard.

In the center of the yard, Dahu found what he had been looking for—his change of clothes.

Frowning under the dirt caked on his face,
he wondered why this lazy, gluttonous woman had thrown all the clothes into the yard.
Did she actually mean to throw them away?

“Dahu, those are too dirty. Don’t wear them yet,” Lianyi said quickly,
still feeling guilty for hitting him earlier.
“I’ll wash them tonight. They should be dry by morning.”

The man’s tall body stiffened.
Even someone as calm and expressionless as him looked briefly startled.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to glance at her from the corner of his eye.

Lianyi froze.
That look—his eyes were cold and sharp, carrying a chilling aura of killing intent.

Not the kind of threat that said he’d kill her now—
but the kind that came from someone who had already killed before.
A murderous aura carved deep into his very being.

She unconsciously took a small step back, frowning in alarm.
Uncle Ma had said that her father had found this man in the mountains,
brought him home to add a strong laborer to the household,
and forced her to marry him because no one else would take his lazy, overweight daughter.

Which meant—
this man’s true identity was completely unknown!

The two of them stared at each other.
The air grew tense and still.

Although Lianyi had learned martial arts and taekwondo in her previous life,
the brief clash earlier told her plainly—
she was no match for this man.

But then she reasoned:
he had lived with the original “Su Lianyi” all this time without harming her.
That meant she was in no real danger—
as long as he didn’t notice she was no longer the same person.
If she stayed cautious, they could coexist peacefully.

So, she decided on her new strategy:
“Mind your own business, and I’ll mind mine.”

“Dahu, you must be tired from working in the fields all day,” she said with a nervous smile.
“Go fetch some water and wash up. I’ll make dinner.”

And before he could reply—she bolted, disappearing into the kitchen like she was running for her life.

***

Dinner?

Dahu frowned.
He had always been the one to cook.
That lazy, spoiled woman had never so much as lifted a finger.
All she did was dream about the Li family’s handsome Second Young Master—
hoping to marry into wealth and become a noble lady.
Now suddenly she wanted to… cook?

Today’s “Su Lianyi” really was different.
Her appearance was still as plump and plain as ever,
but her eyes—those eyes were no longer dull and greedy.

They were clear, bright, like a moonlit spring.
For some reason, that calm clarity made people feel at ease.

Dahu didn’t understand what had changed her,
and he didn’t care to think too deeply about it.
People didn’t just change overnight.
He shrugged, picked up some clothes, and changed.

***

Meanwhile, in the kitchen,
Lianyi was thinking hard about what to make for dinner.
Soon she decided—flour dumpling soup.

There was no rice in the house, only some flour.
Steaming buns would take all night.
Mixing flour with vegetables into soup would be faster.

Her cooking skills weren’t great.
Back in the modern world, she’d been too busy as a doctor to cook often,
but because of her mild germophobia—and the questionable hygiene of takeout food—
she had learned a few quick and simple recipes.
Flour dumpling soup was one of them.

Her hands, once used to handling scalpels,
now moved just as deftly as she kneaded the dough.
Before long, the soup was ready,
and a delicious aroma filled the air.

***

Dahu, freshly changed, had just stepped into the room
when the smell hit him.
It was unlike anything he’d ever smelled before.

In this era, people never mixed flour and soup together like this.
Flour was flour, soup was soup—simple and separate.

He looked at the table.
There were two bowls of what, to him, looked like… pig slop.
His eyes filled with disdain again.
So, she hadn’t really changed after all.
Still hopeless.

Then Lianyi brought out another dish—
greens with sesame sauce.

She had decided to start dieting,
so she’d avoided making anything greasy.
Unfortunately for Dahu, that meant he’d be dieting too.

Seeing the mess of sesame paste drizzled unevenly over the vegetables,
his frown deepened.
He turned toward the kitchen again,
planning to cook his own meal.
After a whole day’s work, he was starving.

“Hey, Dahu, where are you going?” Lianyi asked quickly.

He froze. Even a man of few words couldn’t hold back his voice this time.

“To cook.”

“But I’ve already cooked!” she said, glancing back at the table.
“There’s enough for both of us. And the pantry’s empty—you can’t cook anything anyway.”

She looked at her dishes proudly.
The dumpling soup looked good—small dough pieces floating in a creamy broth
mixed with green vegetables and a drizzle of fragrant sesame oil.
The air smelled wonderful.

The sesame greens were seasoned with garlic, salt, and water.
No trace of bitterness—only a fresh, nutty sweetness.
Healthy, filling, and perfect for losing weight.

Normally, Dahu would rather starve than eat such “pig slop.”
But tonight… he was truly hungry.
He usually came home around mid-afternoon,
but today unexpected work had delayed him until late evening.

Lianyi was already eating, too hungry to wait.
She took a sip of the warm, fragrant broth.
The heat slid down her throat, spreading through her stomach—
turning the day’s exhaustion into a wave of comfort.
Then she bit into the soft dumplings,
crunching on a few sesame-dressed greens.

It was simple, but unbelievably satisfying.

Maybe it was psychological,
but the food here seemed to taste better than anything she remembered.
No chemicals, no pesticides—just clean, honest flavors.

Then—
grrrrumble!
Dahu’s stomach growled loudly.

He glared at her,
disgusted by the sight of that round, plump figure eating so happily—
yet the smell made his hunger unbearable.

Realizing there was no more food left in the kitchen,
he finally gave in,
walked over, and sat down across from her.
After a long hesitation, he cautiously took a sip.

The moment the soup touched his tongue,
his eyes widened in surprise.
It was… delicious.
Rich and fragrant, yet light—something he’d never tasted before.

He ate quietly, neatly.
Even though he was starving, he didn’t devour it like a beast.
There was a quiet grace in his movements—
but his appetite was enormous.
In just a few bites, the entire bowl was gone.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face.
That single bowl had only made him hungrier.
He wasn’t good at cooking,
and it had been so long since he’d eaten something that actually tasted good.
But how could he ask for more?

Before he could speak,
Lianyi, noticing his longing glance, chuckled softly.

“There’s plenty more in the kitchen. I’ll get you another bowl.”

She stood up—
and as she lifted her head, she caught a full look at his face.

She froze.

His face…

***

When Dahu saw the sudden shock in her eyes,
he quickly turned away, expression tightening.
His gaze went cold, but deep within that coldness
was a flicker of pain—raw and hidden.

His face had always been like this—
neither human nor ghostly,
twisted and frightening to look at.

He had thought that after years of being stared at with disgust,
he’d grown numb to it.
But seeing that same repulsed look again—
it still hurt.