Meilani, noticing his gaze, lowered her eyelids and didn’t dare meet Jackson's eyes.

Although she considered herself a city girl, looking down on the country folk, her family—Lively Family—had two sons and a precious little daughter. Both brothers adored their sister, so they had spoiled Meilani terribly, and she had become accustomed to holding her nose up at others.

Her trip to the countryside had been an accident. The name on the rural assignment list was supposed to be Meila Lively, but for some unknown reason, it ended up being her name.

Meilani had always lived a pampered life—spoiled, beautiful, used to having every man around her swoon at her every smile and frown. But since the man in this house returned from the fields, though she had been standing nearby the whole time, his eyes and heart seemed to belong solely to his wife. Despite her being right there, he hadn't even looked at her once!

Sophia was busy organizing things, and only when Jackson asked did she suddenly realize there was another person in the house. She had been so focused on tidying up Jackson's purchases that she had completely forgotten about the quiet, intellectual young woman.

The child she was holding had been surprisingly well-behaved, not crying or causing any fuss at all.

Sophia quickly took the child from Meilani's arms, then looked at Jackson and said, “This is an intellectual youth brought here by Blake. She wants to temporarily stay with us. How about we tidy up the west room and let her stay there?”

Her words carried a hint of suggestion. Though Jackson said she was in charge of the house, she still didn’t dare make decisions on her own, fearing she might overstep.

Jackson’s brows furrowed slightly when he heard about an outsider staying in his home. He didn’t want a stranger interfering with the peaceful life he shared with his wife. But when he saw the hopeful look in Sophia’s eyes, the refusal he was about to utter stuck in his throat—he didn’t want her to feel like he was disregarding her wishes.

Without speaking, Jackson pulled his wife into the back room, took off his outer coat, and then pulled out the money he had left from selling the dendrobium, handing it to her.

Then, he gently took the child from Sophia's arms, entertaining her as he spoke about his plans to build a new house.

Sophia stared at the fresh bills in her hands, feeling a bit incredulous. After buying so many things, there was still this much money left? The two dendrobium orchids, the knotweed, and the deer antler and penis—were they worth so much?

When Jackson mentioned his plans to build a house, Sophia hurriedly put the money away. Under his eager gaze, she carefully tucked it out of sight, then fell into a brief silence.

Without the house, the money from these two sales would be enough for their family to live comfortably for years. But if they built a house, the money would definitely fall short, and they would have to borrow heavily. Her younger brother's family had already helped out a lot these past few years, and now that they had their own child, she didn’t feel right asking for more help.

While she pondered, Jackson seemed to have read her mind and suddenly kissed her soft cheek.

“Don’t worry about the money, honey, I’ve got this. Just rest at home, don’t overexert yourself…”

The sudden warmth on her cheek made Sophia’s face flush deeply. She shot Jackson a flirtatious glance and whispered, “What are you doing? There are people outside!”

Jackson, thick-skinned as ever, wasn’t concerned by such things. He grinned at her, saying nothing. In his previous life, he had attended all sorts of events, seen countless things, even attended an event on a cruise ship where chaos reigned once they sailed into international waters...

Privately in their home, what was wrong with kissing his wife on the cheek? She was his legitimate wife, after all.

With that, Jackson leaned down again and lightly nipped her full, rosy lips.

As he gazed at her fair, pink-cheeked face, his heart melted. She was a mother now, yet still so youthful.

Not wanting to tease her any longer, he shifted the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“Tomorrow, my older brother will be ordering materials. If he doesn’t have enough money, make sure you give him some when he asks.”

Sophia nodded silently, but her heart felt uneasy. She remembered the neighbor's gossip about her older brother and Gemma, and whenever she saw him now, she couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling.

Jackson, quick to notice her change in expression, leaned in and asked softly, “What’s wrong, honey? If something’s bothering you, don’t keep it to yourself.”

Sophia thought for a moment, then shook her head and said nothing.

Seeing that she didn’t want to talk, Jackson didn’t press her further, but the concern stayed in his mind.

Meanwhile, Meilani stood in the main room, her face flushed like a monkey's backside, after overhearing Sophia’s reminder about the people outside. She quietly stepped outside and took in a breath of fresh air, somehow pausing in her search for Blake to switch rooms.

The man of the house didn’t seem as awful as the village rumors had painted him. Earlier, while Sophia had been tidying up, Meilani had been standing there holding the child, and she noticed something. Most of the things were for the house, for the child, and for Sophia, but she hadn’t seen anything that belonged to the man.

In Meilani’s heart, her ideal man was Maison Hector.

Compared to Maison, the country men here were too rough, and the intellectual youths were too ordinary.

Maison had graduated high school and was well-educated. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and spoke politely. People said they made a perfect match, that they were made for each other.

But alas, she was in the countryside now. If not for that, she could have married Maison.

This man, though not as cultured as Maison, was rare for his devotion to his wife. How many men, after going to the city, would think to buy clothes for their wife and child? Most would spend the money on themselves, enjoying fine food and drink!

As Meilani stood in the yard, lost in thought, Jackson gently rocked the baby in his arms. The little girl was sound asleep, her delicate face peaceful and serene.

He carefully laid the sleeping princess down on the bed, tucking her in with care. Afterward, he pulled Sophia, still sorting clothes, into his embrace, his body leaning forward to rest his chin on her shoulder.

His rough, warm hand settled on her slim waist, and with a hint of concern and curiosity, he asked, “Why haven’t you worn any of the clothes? Do you not like them? Or is the size wrong? If you don’t like them, I’ll take you to pick out new ones another day. You can choose whatever you like. I’m not really good at these things.”

Jackson didn’t know exactly what kind of clothes his wife liked, so he had chosen the most fashionable ones. She was beautiful, with fair skin, and no matter what she wore, she would look stunning.

Sophia leaned back against Jackson’s solid, broad chest, her breath mingling with the scent of his masculinity, making her heart race.

His warm breath brushed her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. With a shy smile, she murmured, “I like them, of course I do. It’s just that I stay at home all day; how can I wear so many nice clothes?”

Upon hearing this, Jackson picked her up by the waist, sitting her on his lap.

Sophia was startled, gasping as he placed her on his lap. After sitting down, she raised her fists in mock anger and hit his chest.

Unintentionally, she glanced at the door. With how loud that had been, the people outside had probably heard.

“Stop it, there are still guests outside. Let me down!”

As she spoke, Sophia tried to break free from his embrace.

But Jackson held her tightly, grinning as he kissed her cheek, saying, “Alright, honey, I’m sorry. The baby’s asleep now, so let me hold you for a little longer.”

His voice, filled with heat and a tinge of excitement, dropped as he kissed her rosy lips.

His tongue pushed past her lips, eagerly exploring her mouth, while his restless hands slid beneath her clothes, touching her smooth skin, making his breath come faster.

Sophia, aware of the person outside, stiffened and listened carefully for sounds, unable to fully lose herself in the moment. Yet, she didn’t want to reject Jackson’s affection for fear of upsetting him.

Sensing her distraction, Jackson lightly bit her lip and, with ragged breath, whispered, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.” He then buried his face in her chest, inhaling her faint fragrance.