The corners of the little one's lips just couldn't stay down.
Xavi happily ate her meal and kept sneaking glances at the pork ribs on the table, smiling like a fool.
Even though Xavi was still as busy as when he first opened the restaurant, running around all day, he never once felt ignored by Jewel. That was all thanks to her careful attention.
Because even when Jewel wasn't around, Xavi could still feel how much she cared about him.
Once he had eaten his fill, Xavi walked over to the chair where he had placed some fabric earlier. He carefully picked up the cloth he was using to make clothes for Jewel and joyfully ran into the inner room, fully focused on using his sewing skills.
He wanted to make clothes for Jewel with his own hands, so that everything she wore would carry his touch.
That night, Jewel came home with something on her mind.
Xavi had spent the whole afternoon working on the outfit. He had already finished cutting it; now only the edges and stitching were left.
As soon as Jewel walked in, she saw her husband under the warm candlelight, seriously sewing her clothes.
The flickering light danced across Xavi's delicate face, making him look even more gentle and sweet.
Watching someone beautiful under the lamp—no wonder people say it's the most charming sight.
Jewel thought that saying was absolutely true!
She stared at her precious husband from across the room for a while, then walked up and hugged him from behind.
Xavi had already put away his sewing when he heard her enter.
Jewel had once told him that sewing at night could hurt the eyes, so he always tried to sew during the day, or at least stop once she got home.
"My Xavi is so good-looking…"
Jewel rubbed her face against Xavi's cheek, feeling his soft earlobe brushing against her skin.
"Jewel~"
Hearing Xavi's soft voice made Jewel smile.
"Don't move, Xavi. Let me rest for a bit."
Jewel felt like her husband's arms had healing powers. Every time she hugged him, it was so comforting.
Xavi heard the tiredness in Jewel's voice and obediently sat still, letting her hold him.
Jewel buried herself in the warmth of her gentle husband and closed her eyes, enjoying it for quite a while.
After she felt rested, she let go of him and took his little hands in hers, playing with them.
Working with needles often led to small pricks, so she wanted to check if he had hurt his hands.
Xavi just felt his hands being turned and kissed over and over again, and his face turned red with embarrassment.
Seeing his reaction, Jewel took advantage and kissed him several more times.
After they played around for a bit, Jewel finally spoke seriously.
"Xavi, I saw Ansu this afternoon."
"Brother An? He came to town?"
Xavi still remembered that when they last parted, he and Brother An had promised to meet again if they got the chance.
But life often gets in the way, and Xavi had thought he would probably never see Ansu again.
He couldn't understand why Brother An had suddenly come to town.
With how strict Li San was, how could she let him show up in public?
"Yeah. The tea plantation is hiring, and he wants to work there. But he's not with Li San anymore—he's been through some tough times."
"Did Li San divorce Brother An?"
"No, they separated by mutual agreement. Ansu is back with the An family now. Li Nuo also changed her name to An Nuo and returned to the An family."
Xavi felt worried for Ansu, afraid he might be heartbroken over it.
But actually, he didn't need to worry.
After leaving the Li family, Ansu's life became free and easy.
And the Li family? Ansu didn't care about them anymore. He had no interest in thinking about them—whoever wanted them could have them.
Even though women in this society usually held the power and couldn't be challenged, Xavi still felt Li San had never deserved Brother An.
Now that they were apart, it was for the best—Brother An was finally free!
"Xavi, I was thinking of letting him work at the restaurant instead. Even though the tea plantation hires both men and women, most of the workers are still women. Ansu has a child with him, so it's not very convenient. If he works at the restaurant, it'll be easier for you two to talk and see each other."
Jewel knew her husband missed his old friend. After all, in town, Xavi hadn't really had the chance to make many friends yet.
She would never expect him to be like the traditional husbands here—never leaving the house or socializing.
Being social is part of being human. Everyone needs people around them.
If she kept him cooped up at home, he'd go crazy!
Her Xavi deserved to live freely and happily.
So, Ansu got a new job—he became a general support staff at Yanxi Restaurant.
In simple terms, he helped out wherever needed: sweeping, greeting male guests, chopping vegetables, washing dishes.
He earned the same wages as the chefs and assistant hostesses. The restaurant made good money, so Ansu's income was also quite decent.
Every month, he received ten silver taels right on time, which brought his lifestyle from barely getting by to a stable and comfortable level.
He could finally use the money he earned through hard work to do the things he wanted.
He knew the Xie family helped him intentionally, and maybe Xavi also spoke for him in front of Jewel.
The Xie family didn't look down on someone without a wife's family. Instead, they gave him a good job with good pay. He felt deeply grateful, so he worked hard every day and always tried to do better.
To do his job well, Ansu kept learning new things to improve himself.
Xavi had already learned how to write from his sister and studied math problems with Jewel. He had made great progress.
When they had free time, he and Ansu would get together, play with little An Nuo, and help each other study writing and math.
Sometimes they embroidered together, sometimes they practiced writing, and sometimes they read books.
Their simple little life was full of joy.
Even Jewel started to think maybe it was a mistake to pair her husband with such a competitive little partner…
Now it wasn't that she was ignoring her husband—it was that her husband just wanted to hang out with Ansu every day and almost forgot about her, the wife who worked hard to earn money for the family!
One day, Xavi was in the backyard of the restaurant with Ansu, helping with sewing in the room where Ansu and An Nuo stayed.
"Brother An, this cloth isn't enough. I'll go get more from the storage room."
Xavi walked to the storage room on the third floor. The door wasn't locked. When he opened it, he was stunned by what he saw:
The whole room was filled with bright red!
There were piles of red silk, red candles, red clothes, red… everything.
He didn't understand why there were so many… so many wedding items!