Chapter 12

Can't Bring Herself to Refuse

"Eating well is a blessing, truly a blessing!" she praised with a laugh, only to notice Lin Nannan looking utterly confused, completely unaware of what she was saying, which only made her laugh harder.

This granddaughter-in-law was quite the surprise.

Initially, they'd been somewhat reluctant, but seeing how different Lin Nannan was from the rumors, they'd taken a liking to her—especially since she was strong enough to take care of A Hang. That meant everything.

"Have more if you're still hungry!" Zhang Xiaofeng, happy to see her daughter-in-law enjoying the meal, couldn't resist offering.

Lin Nannan waved her hand in polite refusal. "No, no more. I'm stuffed."

The truth was, in the few days since arriving here, she'd gone hungry at the Lin household. Yesterday, with so many people around, she hadn't had the chance to eat much either. So this morning, she'd let loose and ended up overeating.

When Lu Hang lay back down on the bed, he heard peals of laughter from outside. Before he could say anything, his father spoke up. "This wife of yours is a big improvement!"

"A Hang, I know you're upright and don't want to burden others, but think about your wife's situation. If she went to another family, who knows how she'd be treated? She's had it rough too. You wouldn't want her to suffer like before, would you?" Lu Fang paused, then continued when his son remained silent, knowing he agreed. "I promise you, in our home, she won't be mistreated. The family will treat her well. You need someone by your side, and she's strong enough to care for you. When your mother and I are gone, we can die in peace knowing you're looked after."

"Dad!" Lu Hang felt a pang in his heart at his father’s words.

He didn’t regret his condition, but he hated being a burden to his parents.

He couldn’t bear the thought of his parents outliving him…

"Lu Yuan and Lu Ming are kind-hearted. They’ll help out so your wife won’t have a hard life…" Lu Fang went on, making it impossible for Lu Hang to refuse.

He couldn’t bear to disappoint his parents, and Lin Nannan’s temperament, just as his father said, wasn’t suited for another family. So he didn’t object.

Thinking back to what Lin Nannan had said the night before, he felt both more confident and hopeful…

……

After eating her fill, Lin Nannan offered to help clean up, but remembering the dishes she'd broken at the Lin household, she hesitated.

Fortunately, no one in the Lu family expected her to work. They simply told her to stay with Lu Hang in the room and wait for Lu Yuan to take her to the fields later.

Not wanting to leave the impression that she was deliberately causing trouble, Lin Nannan quietly went back to the room.

As soon as she entered, she teased, "Have you eaten yet? The shredded pork with pickled vegetables this morning was delicious! I learned from A Yuan and had three servings." Feeling that wasn’t enough, she gestured with her hands, drawing an unexpected laugh from Lu Hang.

The man, normally so grim from his injuries, relaxed at the sound of his own laughter. His furrowed brows smoothed, and his eyes sparkled with amusement, leaving Lin Nannan momentarily stunned.

So this was what it looked like when someone smiled so beautifully.

Lu Hang, flustered by her intense stare—especially after nearly being stripped and "eaten" the night before—gave a pointed cough, hoping his wife would snap out of it…

Lin Nannan did, but her eyes gleamed with excitement as she declared with certainty, "Lu Hang, you look so much better when you smile! Stop frowning—it's ugly."

Completely forgetting how shocked she’d been upon first seeing him, Lin Nannan boldly proclaimed that a smiling Lu Hang was the best version of him.