Yixing's eyelids flutter open in response to the bright light streaming in through the crevices of the drawn curtains. The amber-brown orbs blink absently as the male draws himself into a sitting position, taking his sweet, delicious time in processing the unfamiliar surroundings. The pastel yellow wallpaper makes Yixing's eyebrows draw together, pulling towards the middle with slight bafflement; last time he checked, his bedroom walls were blue — at least that's how they were in the his shared apartment with Wufan. He twists his head back and forth in a puzzled manner, lips drawing downwards into a frown; he wonders if it's a joke, and he's about to dial Wufan's number when his glowing optics fall upon the figure slumbering soundly at his side. He blinks, and the silence becomes prominently deafening. Then amidst his pondering, realization strikes and a breathless chuckle falls effortlessly from his plump lips. Oh. Forgetful Yixing. This is his home — he doesn't live in an apartment anymore, forgetful Yixing. 

His eyelids flutter in a surreal manner, boyish grin curling at the corners of his lips as his fingers brush gingerly at the woman's cheek. He notices the slight flush tainting her cheek bones and his smile grows just a bit wider. Her lips are parted in heavenly embellishment, hair sprawling out behind her head like a black halo. She stirs lightly at his ginger touch, but does not awaken. Yixing chooses to watch her, propping an elbow up upon his pillow and resting his head firmly in his palm; his eyes are only on her, only for her. Irises dilate and they gleam as they adorn her with all meticulous adulation. 

Yixing is only broken out of his reverie when his phone vibrates shortly, in two staccato rhythms before falling silent once more. He hesitate, but proceeds to read the message sent:

"Don't forget. Four cups of love, two cups of loyalty, and a pinch of contentment.  The first major ingredients in creating the perfect marriage and the perfect spouse. Good luck to you, bro." — Wufan

Four cups— "You can measure love in cups?" Yixing whispers incredulously to himself. The brunette scoffs in disbelief at his best friend and tosses his phone back carelessly onto the nightstand, grumbling to himself; he indulges himself in the thought that he needs to act quick and find Wufan a decent girlfriend. "Measuring things like love and contentment into cups and pinches.. Wufan, stay off of the Lifetime channel, please—"

Once more, he is only broken out of his self-conscious state when a sweet voice meets his ears, "Talking to yourself again?" Her smile brightens as Yixing plants a loving kiss upon her forehead, his body crawling back under the sheets to pull her into his embrace. "Only murmuring to myself about how gorgeous you are, even when you sleep," he returns with a goofy grin. He brushes black strands of hair away from the picturesque visage gawking up at him with onyx eyes. Her admiration mimics Yixing and he wonders if he could ever meet her standards. "Can we just stay like this?" he whispers to her, after having not been replied to after a swallowing moment of silence.

"Don't you have work?" she coos back to him humorously. Yixing shrugs and informs her that he doesn't even have to be in the office till noon, bringing a shake to her head and a giggle from her lips. "What are you expecting us to do for another four hours in bed?" she questions innocently, drawing a line from Yixing's jaw to his chest with her finger. Yixing curls his hand around hers, kissing the single fingertip before showing off his handsome dimple, orbs gleaming with capricious glee, "Who cares? Cuddling for four hours can easily be added onto today's agenda." Does that count as four cups of love?

Their eyes locked ceremoniously, irises dilating with mixtures of elation and exhiliration; Yixing feels his stomach twist with a turbulence of butterflies. Four days into marriage, and he wonders if he'll be feeling like this into his next life — not complaining, of course. He presses his forehead to hers, lips twitching into a coy smirk. A grimace follows, however, when Yixing's phone vibrates the same staccato rhythm from previously. He apologizes with a weak chuckle, snatching his phone with twitching fingers; and Yixing swears that if it's Wufan, he will castrate that ma—

"It's a message from Wufan," Yixing drawls.

"Forgot to mention the step that goes with said ingredients. Take love and loyalty, and mix with contentment. I'm seriously getting these off of Tumblr, so I have no idea how else to help you. I'll be your resources, but if you need tips on execution, go ask Jongdae or Zitao. Best of luck to you." — Wufan

"Wufan being his silly self again? That boy," Yixing's newlywed wife hums to herself casually. She tousles her hair and sits up in bed, draping the comforters around her thighs as she crosses her legs. She steals a sideways glimpse at Yixing and tilts her head. "You still up for that cuddling, or can I go take my morning coffee now?" 

Yixing stretches the way a cat would and a guttural noise escapes the folds of his lips in a rather humorous manner. The black haired beauty watches her husband unfold himself from tense muscles and stiffness, eyes twinkling over the expanse of skin showing beneath his gray tank top. "We can always cuddle in the kitchen," Yixing beams, slithering out of bed and grasping her hand warmly. His loving smile radiates such comfort that the air around them can only absorb it, and fill her heart with something unimaginable, something surreal — something only Yixing can provide. He leads her effortlessly into the kitchen, allowing himself to take the time to bask in the glory of his new home. He prepares the coffee just how she likes it, just how he likes it; distributing the mugs with meticulous practice, he curls an arm around her waist as she leans against the counter. His chest nestles against her back, warmth emanating through his sheer top, heart beat conveying a deep message only meant for her soul to decipher. 

Yixing lets his eyes flutter shut, indulging silently in the cozy atmosphere and the aroma of her pleasant flowery scent. His chin rests atop her shoulder as his palms rub soothing circles against her clothed stomach, breath easing hot air into the shell of her ear as she sips nonchalantly on her simmering espresso. "I love you," he whispers; and in that moment, he forget about why he had asked Wufan for help. It's not like he needed it, right? Yixing smiles to himself, lifting his eyes to stare into his wife, eyes burning and locking with such intensity that it makes his skin crawl with electricity. 

"I love you, too."

She straightens his suit tie and clicks her tongue in a playful, scolding manner. "I seriously wonder what you would do without me," she jeers. "Would you still be asking your mother or Wufan to help you straighten out your suit?" Yixing releases sarcastic laughter, and it isn't another moment that genuine laughter begins to escape his luscious lips in breathy gasps. "Wufan doesn't even know how to tie his shoes, so why do you think he's always wearing slip-ons? And as for my mother," Yixing hums playfully, rolling his eyes to add to the charming effect, "who cares? I've got you now, so those two options aren't even options anymore." His dimples are prominent as he giggles boyishly. He kisses both her cheeks, her forehead, and then her lips. Four cups of love, yet? he wonders.

He rubs her cheek, "You're joining me for lunch, right?"
She nods, "I'll meet you at your office around lunch time. 1:30, right? Just let me wash up and get ready; I should be there in no time."

The first she notices as she stroll sin casually is the pretty female situated at Yixing's side; with her honey-le colored hair and wide hazel eyes, the stranger's smile seems to lighten the entire dullness of the office complex. Yixing is the first to notice his wife, shifting her weight from one foot to another, eye contact the least of her priorities. Yixing approaches her and tilts her head up so he has a better view of her face, dimples marking his cheeks she smiles shyly up at him. "You're early," he whispers, kissing her cheek softly. "Come, have a seat while I wrap things up."

"Oh, by the way," Yixing chortles heartily. He points to the unfamiliar female lingering at his desk, amiability shrouding over his young features as his smile broadens. "This is my secretary and right-hand woman, Jia Lin. Jia Lin, this is my wife." Yixing fails to miss the gleam flashing behind his wife's eyes, and shakes his head minimally at her childish insecurities. "I think I can take it from here, Jia Lin. Thank you for being of assistance." Said secretary bows her head gingerly before flushing and taking her leave in a hasty scurry.

Yixing a brow at his spouse before smirking in a teasing manner. "Jealous, already? I haven't even committed an offense yet, nor have you even misinterpreted any compromising scenes between her and me."
"She's pretty, is all," his wife simpers with a minute shadow of a smile curling at her lips. She stands and meets Yixing at his desk, leaning into him as her arms wind around his broad shoulders. Cocking her head, her eyes seem to glisten from the sunlight pouring in through the back window. "But I'm prettier, and I was only sympathizing her petty attempts at placing such high hopes in a married man," she whispers coyly.

Yixing cracks an obnoxious smile, "I couldn't have said it any better." 

After a long moment of silence, Yixing tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, drawing her immediate attention. "But you know, Lihua. No matter how pretty these girls come and go, I am still your husband. You are aware of that fact, right? I'm not the type of guy to leave someone so easily, or ever for that matter. And I trust you to do the same." Yixing eyes her carefully, an earnest shimmer sparkling his irises with contentment. Yixing cups her cheeks lovingly as she nods, watching her eyelids flutter shut. He watches adoringly at the way the ends of her eyelashes graze against the skin of her cheekbones; he indulges himself in the blush cascading across her features, and brings her closer to encompass her lips fully. Warmth spreads beneath his skin, seeping further and further throughout his body as his arms curl around her waist.

Yixing releases a dreamy sigh at the sensation of her fingertips dancing across the expanse of his broad chest, feeling his mind swivel with uncontrollably tides of emotions. "God, I love you," he breathes effortlessly. She releases a soft giggle before lacing their fingers together, perfect puzzle pieces finally meeting once more. "Let's go have that lunch, now."

"Lihua!"

She pokes her head from the kitchen, apron decorated her waistline as she bustles back to cooking after acknowleding Yixing's return. "How was work?" she inquires sweetly, distributing two bowls of rice onto the dining table. She's about to return to the stove to turn off the flames when she finds that Yixing has already beaten her to it, a sly smile playing at his pink lips. 

"It was great, but it got even better after our lunch," he returns cheerfully. He pulls at her hands and brings her to his chest. Yixing's lips elicit a breath of relief as he feels her lips touch his jaw. "But it's been a long day," he confesses, moving a hand to rub the nape of his neck. He cracks his neck once or twice before groaning with exasperation, the knots in his muscles straining as he sits himself at the dining table. Lihua stands behind him patiently, hands kneading at his sore shoulders, a look of worry shadowing across her visage. "Just eat," she tells him softly. "I can set up a bath for you if you want."

Yixing instantaneously shakes his head, reaching behind him to pull her towards him. Once accomplishing his task in setting Lihua in his lap, he smiles cheekily up at her, reciprocating her incredulous glance with a boyish jeer. "You don't have to go out of your way any more," he tells her sweetly, feeding her a bite. "After dinner, just let me take a quick shower, and we can sleep together."

Laughter fills his ears, and at the sound, he hears his heart resonate through his eardrums in heavy rhythms. Lihua lifts herself up from Yixing's lap – quite frankly much to Yixing's dismay – and seats herself in the chair beside him, preparing herself for her own plate of dinner. "You always seem to know what to say," she mumbles almost inaudibly. "You always seem to know how to make me feel like some lovestruck school girl, too."

"But you're happy, aren't you?" Yixing pokes at her with his chopsticks. "As long as you are, then who cares what I make you feel like? You could be a princess, a queen, a school girl, or a mermaid. Whatever you want to be, I'll assure you of it that you will be at least content with me," Yixing beams, kissing her temple. 

Lihua grins. "I mean I guess."

Level One review:

→ 4 cups of Love
→ 2 cups of Loyalty
→ a pinch of Contentment

→ take Love and Loyalty, and mix with Contentment