Upon arriving at the department store, Huo Tingzhou led Jiang Si straight to the cosmetics counter.
Jiang Si didn’t think much of it. Over the ten years Huo Tingzhou had been in the military, though he rarely returned to Hu City to visit family, he would always send her local specialties or little trinkets girls liked whenever he was on a mission somewhere.
This time, Jiang Si figured the place he’d been sent to was too remote, so he hadn’t brought anything back for her. Now, he was making up for it on the spot.
Jiang Si didn’t hold back. Capital City had officially started its central heating, and while it was warm, she had grown up in the south and still hadn’t fully adjusted to the climate here.
In the first few days of heating, she woke up every morning with a dry, scratchy throat and bloody scabs in her nose.
This era didn’t have humidifiers, and she couldn’t stay in her space all day.
Left with no choice, Jiang Si had taken to placing two basins of water by her bedside every night before sleeping, which helped somewhat.
Her arms and legs were the same—without moisturizer, her skin felt unbearably dry.
After just over a month in Capital City, the stock of cold cream she’d brought with her was nearly gone.
Like Hu City, the selection here was quite extensive.
Jiang Si picked out a few jars of Wan Zi Qian Hong cold cream—a classic brand from Tianjin, rarely seen in the south.
She also grabbed several bottles of Gong Deng brand almond lotion, which had a texture similar to modern-day body lotion. It was rich and perfect for full-body application.
Finally, she chose two jars of Zi Luo Lan cold cream, a local brand.
Turning around, she noticed Huo Tingzhou staring intently at the clamshell oil in the display case.
Jiang Si took the initiative to buy him a few boxes and casually asked the salesclerk if there was any cold cream suitable for men.
“We do! Take a look at this one.”
The salesclerk smiled and pulled out a white porcelain jar from the glass counter.
“This ‘North Sea’ brand cold cream is another Capital City classic.”
“It’s excellent for preventing chapping and cracking, and the scent is very subtle—perfect for gentlemen.”
“The bottled version costs 1.20 yuan. We also sell it in bulk—just bring your own container when you run out. It’s the same product, but 40 cents cheaper.”
To demonstrate, the clerk scooped a bit of the bulk cream for Jiang Si to smell.
The fragrance was indeed faint, barely noticeable unless you paid attention.
“What do you think?” Jiang Si asked Huo Tingzhou.
Most men, especially someone like him, weren’t keen on applying such things to their faces.
To her surprise, he agreed—and rather quickly at that.
Jiang Si gave him a skeptical look but didn’t press further.
Since they were already here, she dragged him up to the third-floor clothing section.
The truth was, Huo Tingzhou had shockingly few clothes. Aside from his military uniforms, his civilian wardrobe consisted of at most two outfits.
When they had divided the family assets, Grandma Huo had slipped her a good amount of fabric ration coupons, and Jiang Si was hardly short on money.
So she picked out several complete sets for him, from underwear to outerwear, along with three pairs of everyday shoes.
As an art student, Jiang Si knew exactly what suited a man with Huo Tingzhou’s striking, chiseled features—deep, rich tones.
Thus, she stuck to charcoal black and navy blue, selecting fabrics with subtle textures to add depth without being monotonous.
After holding a few pieces against him to check the fit, Jiang Si nodded in satisfaction.
She had full confidence in her taste.
Huo Tingzhou, however, tugged at his shirt collar and asked, half-doubtful, half-resigned,
“Wife, won’t this make me look too old?”
There was already an eight-year age gap between them. Dressed like this, people might start mistaking him for her uncle.
Instead of answering directly, Jiang Si stepped closer.
Her slender fingers trailed along the line of his shoulders before settling on the top button of his collar.
Huo Tingzhou had a point—she had never been fond of brash, immature men in their early twenties.
Both before and after transmigrating into this novel, her preference had always been men like him: cool, composed, and carrying an air of quiet intensity.
Especially in well-tailored clothes like these, which made him look both restrained and refined—irresistibly tempting.
Like right now.
Under the guise of adjusting his collar, Jiang Si let her fingers brush lightly over his chest.
After a moment, she tilted her head up, her voice bright and teasing, soft enough for only him to hear:
“Old? Not at all. This is called sophistication.”
“What others think doesn’t matter. What matters is that I like it.”
Meeting his slightly stunned, deep-set gaze, she added,
“I love seeing you dressed like this. Wear it more often at home, okay?”
At her words, Huo Tingzhou’s breath hitched.
What happened afterward was a blur to him.
Even as the two of them got into the car, arms laden with shopping bags, he remained in a daze.
Jiang Si had no idea that her earlier words—barely even sweet nothings—could pack such a punch.
Seeing Huo Tingzhou still spaced out, she instinctively assumed he was just tired and took the car keys from him.
They arrived home a little past two in the afternoon.
At the door, Huo Tingzhou held it open for Jiang Si, letting her step inside first before carrying all the bags into the living room.
Grandma Huo’s face lit up at the sight of the young couple returning together, her smile deepening the wrinkles around her eyes.
"Have you two eaten lunch yet? If not, I can heat something up for you."
Before Jiang Si could decline, Huo Tingzhou had already rolled up his sleeves.
"I’ll handle the food. You and Grandma should sit and rest for a bit."
Jiang Si nodded, noticing only Grandma Huo was home.
"Grandma, where’s Old Master?"
Grandma Huo patted the sofa, motioning for her to sit before answering cheerfully,
"Oh, he got bored at home and went to the senior center to play chess with his old buddies."
Chess was just an excuse, though. In truth, Grandma Huo had given him a mission:
Within three days, the entire compound had to know—
Jiang Si was Third Son’s wife, and not just in name. They had the marriage certificate to prove it.
The Old Master had no choice but to comply. The moment lunch was over, he started making his rounds through the compound,
telling everyone he crossed paths with—even the guard dogs on duty.
"That fair-skinned, delicate-looking girl? She’s our Third Son’s wife—yes, the one with the ice-cold face."
"Next time you see her, no more barking at her, got it?"
