Mary collapsed onto the bed, face burning. She pounded the mattress lightly with her fists.
"How could I let him kiss me? I was on guard! I felt like I lost my strength when he..."
And yet—
The heat coursing through her body told a different story.
If Ryan hadn't stopped and continued to press further… would she really have pushed him away?
"No. Stop thinking!" she muttered, burying her face in the pillow. "That monster… forget it. Sleep."
Just pretend nothing happened.
Yes.
Sleep.
*
Two hours later, Ryan finally finished showering. He returned to the bedroom, exhausted, only to find his little wife already asleep.
After the cold shower, his body finally felt lighter—calmer—as if all the excess tension had been drained away.
He glanced at the clock.
Past eleven.
He quietly went to prepare breakfast for the next morning before climbing into bed.
As soon as he lay down, Mary shifted unconsciously.
She rolled toward him, finding something warm and solid, and naturally leaned into his embrace.
It was a sleeping habit of the original Mary that was inherited—she needed something to cling to.
Ryan stiffened.
His cold shower… was completely wasted.
Her body was soft, warm, and comfortable against him. Even her chubbiness felt perfect in his arms.
He sighed silently, wrapped his arms around her firmly, and held her still.
This night—
He would endure.
Again.
*
Morning;
Mary woke feeling warm.
Too warm.
When she opened her eyes, she realized she was still in Ryan's arms.
She tried to move carefully, afraid of waking him.
Almost free—
Suddenly, Ryan's eyes opened.
Their gazes met.
Mary sensed danger and tried to sit up, but in a blink, Ryan pressed her back onto the bed. They stared at each other, neither willing to retreat.
"Wife," he said lazily, "why are you rubbing against me so early? Are you blaming me for stopping last night?"
Her face flushed red. "You're talking nonsense! I was afraid of waking you. I didn't want to disturb you!"
Ryan smiled.
That smile was dangerously charming.
Why did he seem even more seductive than last night?
His skin looked slightly wheat-colored now, healthier somehow.
"Did you shower last night?" Mary asked cautiously.
"Yes," Ryan replied calmly. "For a long time. Were you waiting for me?"
His breath brushed her face.
Her eyes flickered.
He noticed—but didn't point it out.
Trust mattered.
Mary pushed him with all her strength. He staggered back, almost losing balance.
"Are you okay?" she asked quickly. "I'm going to make breakfast. Lie down for a bit."
She fled the room, cheeks burning.
Too dangerous.
She went straight to the kitchen, cooked porridge, fried peppers in oil, smashed cucumbers with sweet and sour seasoning, and sliced radishes with chili.
When everything was ready, she called out, "Time to eat."
Ryan came out quickly, helping carry the dishes.
The food was fragrant and simple. As he ate, he looked satisfied.
Mary watched him, then asked casually, "Are there animals in the nearby mountains?"
"Yes," Ryan replied. "When we have time, we can go hunting."
"Take me with you," she said quickly. "I can protect myself. I won't cause trouble."
After a moment's thought, Ryan nodded.
She beamed and added food to his bowl.
Later, she said, "Can you get some flour? I want to make dumplings tonight. I bought celery yesterday."
"How much?" Ryan asked.
"More than three catties, I think."
"Then make cabbage filling too. I'll invite two people over. I'll bring meat and flour back at noon."
Mary nodded.
There was a lot to prepare.
She would also need to plant the seeds in the space soon.
Everything required capital.
If only I'd known I'd be reborn, she thought with a sigh, I would've stored gold and diamonds instead of useless things.
In the apocalypse, even mountains of gold couldn't buy a packet of instant noodles.
*
After breakfast, Ryan took the initiative to wash the dishes. Once everything was cleaned, he reminded Mary that there was a morning meeting at the factory and left early for work.
After seeing him off, Mary locked the door and entered the space without hesitation.
"Cleo, come out."
The moment her voice fell, Cleo darted over excitedly.
"Master, you finally came! The fish yesterday was so delicious. When will you cook it again? I really want to eat more…"
Her foodie nature was exposed without restraint.
Mary chuckled helplessly. "Be good. There's a lot to do today. We'll cook next time. Right now, we need to plant the land. Time is tight, so don't disturb me."
Cleo drooped her ears pitifully. "Alright… Master can plant with her mind anyway. There's no need to do it by hand."
Mary followed her words and silently planted the corn. The seeds disappeared the moment they touched the soil, and the land automatically absorbed them.
Rice and vegetables were planted one after another. Thanks to the dense spiritual energy in the space, green sprouts emerged almost instantly.
Once again, Mary marveled at how heaven-defying the space was. Having it was truly a blessing.
"What if I don't have time to harvest?" she asked.
Cleo wagged her tail proudly. "Then it'll stay here. The space has a preservation function."
That reassured Mary.
Thinking of the dumpling filling for the evening, she recalled that the space had a blender. With a thought, the vegetables were processed neatly. Since she was entertaining guests, she deliberately avoided adding spirit spring water. Drawing attention would only cause trouble.
After leaving the space, Mary put the prepared filling away and began tidying the house, washing what needed to be washed.
Thanks to the precision of the space appliances, she only had to handle the final steps outside.
After finishing the chores, she checked the time. Ryan would be back soon. She wondered if he had eaten.
After a moment's thought, she prepared a portion of food for him.
Now, she knew what to eat, what to do, and unconsciously, her thoughts often drifted to Ryan. The feeling was subtle, like familiarity built over many years.
Was it possible?
Much later, Mary would realize that she had sensed the truth early on, but at the time, she simply didn't want to believe it.
She washed the cabbage and stir-fried it with meat, then steamed the rice. She thought that after buying some eggs, she could make scrambled eggs too.
When she heard the door open, she knew Ryan was back.
He entered, drenched in sweat, carrying a bag in his hand.
Mary took it from him naturally. "Have you eaten? I cooked rice for you."
Ryan smiled. "If I eat your food, the canteen food really feels like pig feed."
That sentence made her unexpectedly happy.
She served the dishes while Ryan set out the bowls and chopsticks. Their movements were smooth, unspoken, and perfectly in sync.
After eating, Ryan hurried back to work for the afternoon shift.
At around four o'clock, Mary began kneading the dough and preparing the fillings.
Close to six, Ryan returned with two young men. Both were tall and thin, around twenty years old, with the look of soldiers.
"The one on the left is Albert. The one on the right is William," Ryan introduced.
They nodded politely.
"This is your sister-in-law, Mary."
"Hello, sister-in-law!" they said in unison, voices loud and crisp from long training.
Mary pointed at the stools. "Sit down. I'll cook some eastern style dumplings. Dinner will be ready soon."
She turned and went into the kitchen, listening to their conversation as she worked.
"When the dumplings are done, eat more," Ryan said. "There's plenty."
Mary cooked batch after batch, mixing two large plates of side dishes.
Two hundred dumplings…
They really can eat, she complained inwardly.
When the two men finally left, rubbing their stomachs with satisfied expressions, the scene was almost comical.
Were the dumplings really that good?
After seeing them off, Ryan came back inside and took a long drink of water.
"They praised you the whole way back. They said our place is the best for hosting meals," he said, then added, "In the past, some families invited people over, but food was tight. It ended up causing arguments between couples."
Mary understood immediately.
In an era where food was scarce, feeding outsiders meant less food for one's own family. If wives and children went hungry, resentment was inevitable.
"What time do we go up the mountain tomorrow?" she asked.
"Before dawn," Ryan replied. "I'll wake you. As long as you can get up, you can come."
As he spoke, he thought silently, Tomorrow, we'll hunt more. I'll sell some and buy her proper clothes.
She had followed him to such a remote place and suffered quietly. He hadn't given her anything decent yet.
That thought filled him with guilt.
*
Mary carefully sorted everything she would need for the next day. Worried about possible accidents, she took out some external medicine from her space and placed it aside. Going up the mountain always carried risks, and it was better to be prepared.
Ryan lay on the bed, silently planning the route in his mind. The mountain couldn't be entered recklessly. Deep in the primitive forest, there were poisonous snakes and dangerous beasts.
Especially snakes.
There was no antivenom at the factory. In such a remote place, if someone was bitten, they might not even survive long enough to reach a hospital. That was precisely why the factory strictly forbade hunting in the mountains.
He had insisted only because the two of them had grown up around the mountains. At the very least, they knew how to deal with emergencies.
Mary came out of the bathroom and glanced at Ryan lying on the bed.
He had a flawless face. His brows, eyes, nose, and lips all fit together perfectly, giving him an extremely striking appearance.
It wasn't that Mary had never seen handsome men before. She had seen plenty, both on television and in real life. Yet somehow, none of them felt quite the same.
Her gaze drifted downward.
Because of the heat, Ryan's shirt was unbuttoned, revealing well-defined abdominal muscles honed by years of physical labor.
Just like that, completely exposed.
Mary hesitated for half a second… then reached out and touched him.
Ryan noticed her gaze the moment it lingered.
The sudden contact on his abdomen startled him.
Almost instinctively, Ryan reached out to pull her closer. But Mary dodged quickly.
She could dodge?
Ryan was surprised. He was fast, and very few people could avoid him so easily.
That alone proved she wasn't weak at all.
His eyes darkened slightly. He rose in one swift motion and reached for her.
Mary reacted instantly, slipping past his grasp and retreating toward the door. The house wasn't large, leaving little room to maneuver.
Ryan chased after her and grabbed her shoulder. Mary twisted, flashing sideways toward the table.
Cornered, she shouted, "Ryan, are you crazy? Are you trying to hit me?"
Ryan stopped, eyes glinting with amusement rather than anger.
"My wife touched me first," he said slowly, his tone low and dangerous. "My instinct was simply to hold her hand so she could touch properly. If you want to touch me, I can take my clothes off right now. No need to do it secretly."
Mary's face burned red.
Why did she even touch him!!!