"It’s okay, we can eat something else if it’s burnt." Lu Hanmo gave an unconcerned smile, stepped forward, and took the pot from Luo Shu’s hands to deal with it.
Luo Shu gave Lu Hanmo a sidelong glance, walked to the side, and picked up the steak she had seasoned earlier to check on it, finding that it had marinated quite nicely. Since there was red wine, steak was definitely a must.
"Why did you take leave today?" Luo Shu asked, walking over with the steak.
"I wanted to celebrate your birthday with you. I was hoping to surprise you, but it turns out we had the same idea." Lu Hanmo dumped the burnt food into a plastic bin nearby, then washed the pot clean and put it back on the stove.
"It’s a good thing you weren’t on a mission this time; otherwise, I would’ve come for nothing. In the future, I’ll call you first before coming here," Luo Shu said as she poured some oil into the pot, waited for it to heat up a little, and then placed the marinated steak inside.
Soon, the delicious smell of food once again filled the room.
Having served the prepared dishes one by one, Luo Shu accepted the glass of red wine Lu Hanmo had poured for her and clinked glasses with him, smiling, "Brother Lu, happy birthday!"
"Thank you!" Lu Hanmo lifted his glass and took a small sip, "Shushu, you should call me by my name from now on." He always felt that calling him Brother Lu wasn’t quite intimate enough.
Luo Shu put down her glass, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Lu Hanmo, "Then what should I call you?"
"Hanmo, or Mo is fine," Lu Hanmo said, looking at Luo Shu with a doting smile in his deep eyes.
Luo Shu’s eyes twinkled as she pondered, "Then I’ll call you Hanmo." Calling him Mo seemed too mushy, and she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Lu Hanmo stepped forward, lowered his head to look at Luo Shu intensely, and spoke with a seductive tone, "Say it now, I want to hear it!"
Luo Shu, looking into Lu Hanmo’s expectant deep eyes, slowly lifted her lips into a radiant smile and lightly called out, "Hanmo!"
"Wife! I want to hear it again," Lu Hanmo’s heart fluttered, and he pulled Luo Shu into his embrace, filled with happiness.
"Hanmo!" Luo Shu smiled, obligingly repeating the name.
"I love hearing it! Wife, say it one more time."
Having taken out the cake she made the night before, Luo Shu smiled at Lu Hanmo, "Hanmo, happy birthday! It’s a pity there are no candles, or else we could make a wish."
"My only wish is to spend every birthday with you from now on," Lu Hanmo said as he took the cake with a smile, placed it on the table, went aside, and brought over flowers he had prepared earlier, presenting them to Luo Shu, "For you!" He wasn’t sure if she would like these.
Luo Shu looked at Lu Hanmo in disbelief, "You picked these flowers?" There were no florists in this era.
"Yes!" Lu Hanmo’s earlobes slowly warmed. He had picked these wildflowers from the mountain behind early that morning, having decided to give them to Shushu on his birthday. It was his first time doing such a thing, and he wondered if it was a bit silly?
Luo Shu sweetly accepted the flowers from Lu Hanmo, delight evident on her face, "I really love them! Truly love them!" Although these wildflowers weren’t as glamorous as roses or as fragrant as lilies, they were the best gift she had received in both her lives.
Lu Hanmo heaved a silent sigh of relief, "I’ll pick more for you in the future." As long as she liked them, anything he did was worthwhile.
After finishing the meal, they washed up the dishes together.
Lu Hanmo took Luo Shu’s hand and led her toward the outside, "Shushu, let’s take a walk on the mountain behind."
"Okay!" Luo Shu nodded with a smile.
As soon as the two had stepped out of the house, they immediately became the center of attention.
"Sister-in-Law, when are you going to marry our instructor? We’re all waiting to celebrate your wedding."
"Sister-in-Law and the instructor are truly a match made in heaven."
"Sister-in-Law, you’ve changed our instructor completely!"
"Yeah! Sister-in-Law’s charm really is great."
Luo Shu’s face flushed a bit. Although she wasn’t from this era, being teased by so many people still made her a little embarrassed.
Lu Hanmo’s sharp gaze swept over everyone, "Attention! Everyone, a ten-kilometer cross-country with a thirty-pound load!" They dared to tease his beloved woman, so they were asking for trouble, weren’t they?
There was a collective wail from the crowd. Sure enough, making a spectacle wasn’t always fun.
The scenery of the mountain behind was pleasant. Even though it was already winter, there were still flowers everywhere, and the grass was lush as if winter had never come.
"The Spiritual Energy here is so rich!" Luo Shu immediately felt the difference upon arrival. No wonder the plants were still so vibrant on such a cold day.
Lu Hanmo nodded, "I have been practicing cultivation here these days." Before he started cultivating, he only thought the air was fresh, but now he knew it was actually Spiritual Energy.
"I think there must be Spiritual Objects here," Luo Shu said thoughtfully. Without any Spiritual Objects, it would be impossible to have this abundance.