Lin Xiaoxiao was choking from the smoke with tears in her eyes when she heard the door open. She turned around and saw a tall, straight figure standing in the doorway. With the backlight, she couldn't make out his face clearly.

But from the original owner's memory, she knew this was her husband, Zhou Huai'an.

His sudden appearance left her unsure how to greet him.

Zhou Huai'an quickly stepped inside, set down his lunchbox, and opened the door and windows to let the smoke out. He then checked the stove—the damp branches had been smothered by the coals, which had already gone out.

Knowing that Lin Xiaoxiao usually ignored him and never initiated conversation, he wordlessly picked up the fire poker and began rebuilding the fire.

Lin Xiaoxiao stood up and awkwardly moved aside. As the smoke cleared and the light brightened, she could see the man's features clearly.

He had sharp, cool eyebrows and eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips set in a serious line. His skin was a healthy wheat color.

Even with her discerning eye, Lin Xiaoxiao had to admit Zhou Huai'an's looks and demeanor were very much to her taste. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about romance after time-traveling—what mattered was improving her relationship with this man. After all, she would need his help to survive in this unfamiliar era.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice that Zhou Huai'an had already rebuilt the fire until faint flames flickered in the stove. He stood up and glanced at Lin Xiaoxiao, who was still standing nearby.

To his surprise, she hadn't slammed the door and retreated into the inner room after he arrived. Her usually fair face was now smudged with soot. He walked to the washstand by the door, rinsed his hands, then brought over a clean basin of water—even adding hot water from the thermos.

Then, with a calm expression, he turned to her and asked, "Would you like to wash up?"

Lin Xiaoxiao was taken aback but pleasantly surprised. Her eyes lit up as she nodded repeatedly. "Yes, thank you."

After all the mistreatment from the original owner, he was still willing to draw water for her to wash—his temperament was truly remarkable.

She beamed at Zhou Huai'an and hurried over to wash her hands and face.

Zhou Huai'an watched her quietly. It was the first time she had ever thanked him or smiled at him. He wondered what she was thinking.

He placed the lunchbox from the unit canteen on the stove to warm it, then rolled up his sleeves and brought over a cabbage.

After washing up, Lin Xiaoxiao noticed a small round mirror hanging on the wall above the washstand. Reflected in it was her soot-streaked face—no wonder Zhou Huai'an had suggested she wash. She really was a mess.

She quickly splashed water on her face. When she looked again, she saw a fair and pretty face in the mirror. Surprisingly, the original owner looked a bit like her—though Lin Xiaoxiao was nearly thirty, and years of fast-paced living had left her thinner and her skin less radiant than the original owner's.

because the original owner was often angry, there was a lingering hostility between her brows that made her whole demeanor seem somewhat distorted.

Lin Xiaoxiao gently rubbed the space between her own brows—frequent anger really did affect one's temper.

After washing, she noticed two towels hanging on the rack—one army green, the other white.

Assuming the white one belonged to the original owner, she used it to dry her face.

When she turned around, she saw Zhou Huai'an cutting cabbage. He had rolled up the sleeves of his army-green velour jacket, revealing firm, well-defined forearms. His movements were skilled and quick, and the shredded cabbage was uniformly cut.

Lin Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly: good-looking people really do look good doing anything.

But given the original owner's relationship with him, she wasn't sure how to start a conversation. After hesitating for a moment, she moved closer and asked, "Um... do you need any help?"

Zhou Huai'an paused and looked up at her. "What you mentioned yesterday is impossible."

Lin Xiaoxiao was confused for a second, then remembered—the original owner had argued with him the night before because she wanted to return to the city for work. Every year, Zhou Huai'an's unit assigned jobs to family members.

The openings in the city were especially limited. She had heard there were two positions available this year: one as a nurse at the city People's Hospital, and another as a teacher at Red Star Kindergarten in the city.

Assignments were based on ability, qualifications, and level of family hardship.

No matter how you looked at it, the original owner wasn't eligible. Besides, her motivation wasn't about working at all—she just wanted to return to the city to see her former lover.