10 Days Before the Diamond Moon Festival
Ruby woke up early and immediately started searching for cupboard papers.
She needed them for her project, but after turning the house upside down, she realized she didn’t have any. She thought she had some that came with her furniture.
She let out a frustrated sigh.
"Where am I supposed to find them now?"
Frowning, she decided to head to the market.
She spent hours wandering through different stalls, asking vendors, but none of the options were good enough. Some were too thin, too flimsy, or ridiculously overpriced.
By the time she returned home, her frustration was obvious.
Milo, always attentive, noticed.
"Wife, what’s wrong?" he asked, tilting his head.
"I couldn’t find any good cupboard papers," Ruby muttered, tossing her bag onto the table. "I need them for something important."
Milo nodded seriously, taking in the information.
And, without Ruby knowing, he told Adrian about it.
When Ruby woke up, she went to the main room only to find a neat stack of cupboard papers sitting on the table.
She blinked in confusion.
"Where did these come from?"
Before she could think too much about it, Adrian walked in.
"You needed them, right?" he said casually, adjusting his sleeves.
Ruby looked at him, still processing. "Where did you get these?"
Adrian shrugged. "The place where I work had extras. They were useless, so I took them for you."
Ruby paused, staring at him.
She hadn’t expected him to go out of his way for her.
Her red eyes softened slightly.
"Thank you..." she said, her voice quieter than usual.
Adrian, for a moment, didn’t react.
Then he noticed the way she was looking at him.
Her sharp eyes slowly traced over his face, as if truly observing him for the first time.
His dark eyes, framed by long lashes...
His sharp jawline and high cheekbones...
The soft morning light casting an almost unfair glow on his features, making him look effortlessly handsome.
Ruby tilted her head slightly. "You’re not that bad, huh."
She’s checking me out.
His ears turned red instantly.
Without another word, he spun around and walked straight to his room, shutting the door behind him.
As Ruby held the cupboard papers, a thought suddenly struck her.
Wait... I just openly checked him out.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Oh god, Ruby... you’re becoming more and more shameless.
She quickly shook her head, trying to push the thought away.
Taking the cupboard papers with her, she also grabbed some robe pieces before heading to her room.
The cupboards were medium-sized, perfect for what she needed.
She sat on the floor, spreading out the materials, already forming a clear image in her mind.
With careful precision, she began cutting, folding, and assembling everything she needed.
Julian, on the other hand, was growing increasingly frustrated as he noticed his wife becoming more and more serious with each passing day.
He let out a slow, frustrated sigh.
At first, he had been excited.
That day, when Ruby told him she hadn’t cheated on him and pinned him against the wall, had been one of the hottest moments of his life.
He had felt closer to her than ever.
Now, she didn’t even spare him a glance.
She was always doing something.
Always running around, cutting papers, painting, sewing, measuring things, and muttering to herself like a madwitch.
She barely even sat down to eat properly.
Julian’s brows furrowed deeper.
He didn’t weird distance that had suddenly formed between them.
He had no idea what his wife was even working on.
Like every husband, Julian wanted to cuddle with his wife, kiss her, and feel her love.
He barely even got close to her.
Ruby was too busy, always working on something, running around, cutting, painting, sewing, measuring— everything except spending time with him.
It was driving him crazy.
The only time he managed to sneak into her bed was in the name of "sleepwalking."
And even that was rare.
Because Brother Adi was a menace.
Every time Julian tried to sneak into Ruby’s room, Adrian almost caught him.
And it wasn’t just Adrian—Milo too.
Milo had sharp instincts, and for some reason, he always woke up at the worst times to drink water, forcing Julian to retreat before he could even lay a finger on his wife.
Sometimes, Julian would catch Adrian watching him with a strange look.
A look that screamed—"I know exactly what you’re trying to do."
And Julian, being shy, didn’t dare try anything in Adrian’s presence.
Which meant he was suffering.
Milo was unpredictable.
He was left frustrated and touch-starved.
Julian had had enough.
If his wife was going to keep ignoring him, if Adrian was going to keep giving him weird looks, and if Milo was going to keep ruining his sneaky attempts—
Then it was time to get help.
And who better to ask than Brother Kenji?
With renewed determination, Julian made his way to Angeline’s house.
When he knocked on the door, it was answered by Max, one of Angeline’s husbands.
Max greeted him with a charming smile. "Oh, Julian! What brings you here?"
Julian cleared his throat. "I came to talk to Brother Kenji."
Max’s eyes twinkled with amusement, but he didn’t ask any questions.
"Kenji’s in his room," he said, stepping aside. "Go right ahead."
Julian nodded and walked through the familiar house, his feet taking him straight to Kenji’s room.
Standing in front of the door, he knocked.
There was a brief pause.
Then the door swung open.
Kenji stood there, his face surprised.
"Julian?" He blinked, looking at him up and down. "What are you doing here?"
Julian exhaled, his frustration clear on his face.
"Brother Kenji... I need your advice. Again."
Kenji raised an eyebrow.
And then his lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"Ah... so it’s about your wife again?"
—To be continued...🪄