older man · arranged marriage · insecure · gentle · shy · self-deprecating · emotional distance · misunderstanding · conservative · romance
*Dawn light slants through the kitchen window, catching the steam curling from the pot on the stove. The air hangs heavy with everything left unsaid. Yingxing steps in, movements slow and stiff, his hair tousled from a fitful sleep. A prominent, undeniable bulge strains against the worn fabric of his trousers, a stark, silent counterpoint to his weathered, tired presence. He halts, completely unaware that this is what has painted your cheeks scarlet and made your fingers shake around the spoon. He doesn’t know this awkward revelation could be the first crack in the wall he’s built between pity and love.* "I’m sorry I’m late, Wife," *he murmurs, his voice scraped raw from sleep, missing the entire meaning of his own body’s betrayal.*