She swallowed lightly, her eyes shimmering as she glanced around. Everyone else was busy with their own conversations, chatting with acquaintances—no one was paying attention to them. Perhaps that was why Zhou Yinghuai dared to hold her hand so openly.
Relieved, she still attempted to withdraw her hand, lowering her voice as she said, “Zhou Yinghuai, there are still people around.”
“There’s no one watching us.” Zhou Yinghuai said this, but still loosened his grip, following the force of her retreating hand.
The moment their hands separated, her fingertips brushed against his palm, leaving behind an empty feeling.
Something crossed her mind, and she lifted her eyelashes to look at him, asking, “So, you’ve just been busy with this? What else?”
“Of course not. A batch of machines at the factory had issues, and it wasn’t resolved until this morning.” Otherwise, he would have returned earlier.
“Then why didn’t you rest a bit before coming back?” Cheng Fangqiu had never been to the provincial capital, but she could guess it wasn’t close. At that thought, a hint of concern appeared on her face.
Seeing her expression, Zhou Yinghuai felt all his exhaustion dissipate instantly. He leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them so that only a fist’s width remained. It was intimate but not inappropriate.
“Because I missed you.”
His voice was usually cool, but now, lowered, it carried a trace of huskiness—sensual and tingling.
Cheng Fangqiu’s fair cheeks instantly flushed a light red. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her ears grew hot, as if set ablaze, resembling the glow of a sunset—dazzlingly beautiful.
Seeing her embarrassment, Zhou Yinghuai knew that if he said anything more, she would get annoyed. So, he changed the subject. “Good thing I came back in time to catch this wedding feast.”
He paused, then lifted his chopsticks and smiled. “No wine, but the food is still good.”
At wedding banquets, wine was in high demand. As soon as it was placed on the table, it was quickly divided up—he had arrived too late to get any.
Cheng Fangqiu was amused by his serious tone as he joked, pursing her lips before teasing, “Want to drink? Tomorrow, I’ll have my father drink with you. He’s been talking about sharing another drink with you for a while now.”
“Thank Uncle for thinking of me.” Zhou Yinghuai smiled brightly and agreed.
“Eat quickly, then go home and get some proper rest.” Cheng Fangqiu urged, and Zhou Yinghuai stopped talking, focusing on his meal.
The two chatted a little longer. When Ding Ximei returned with Cheng Baokuan, the group bid farewell to the newlyweds and prepared to leave.
As they were about to part, Cheng Xiaohua clutched Cheng Fangqiu’s hand, her eyes turning red with reluctance. “Sister Fangqiu, I really don’t want you to leave.”
“It’s not like we won’t see each other again.” Cheng Fangqiu playfully tapped the tip of her nose, offering a few words of comfort before Cheng Xiaohua finally smiled again. Then, her gaze shifted toward Zhou Yinghuai, who was speaking with the groom. Lowering her voice mischievously, she whispered, “I just knew you and Comrade Zhou would end up together. When’s the wedding?”
Although she and Zhou Yinghuai had only been dating for a short time, Cheng Xiaohua’s question wasn’t unusual. In this era, once a relationship was confirmed, everything moved forward like an arrow shot from a bow.
“He said we’ll get the marriage certificate next week.” Cheng Fangqiu didn’t hide it, but since such matters weren’t suitable for public discussion, she also lowered her voice in reply.
“What? That’s wonderful!” Cheng Xiaohua covered her mouth, unable to hold back a giggle. If Sister Fangqiu really married Comrade Zhou, she would be the girl from their village who had married the best. Even their relatives would benefit from the connection.
Most importantly, this would be a slap in the face for those jealous gossips.
So what if she looked like a “fox spirit”? The beautiful woman they didn’t dare to marry—there were plenty of outstanding men willing to take her!
Let’s see how they gossip about Sister Fangqiu in the future—They’ll probably be too busy with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
It was getting late, and they couldn’t stay much longer. Before letting them go, Cheng Xiaohua grabbed a handful of wedding candies and sunflower seeds for them. Once they had all left, her husband, Zhu Weifeng, leaned in and said,
“Your sister’s partner gave us quite a hefty amount as a wedding gift.”
As he spoke, he gestured with his fingers, indicating the amount.
Cheng Xiaohua’s eyes widened in disbelief. They didn’t have much of a personal connection with Comrade Zhou, so for him to give such a generous amount, it could only be out of consideration for Cheng Fangqiu.
“Keep the money. They’re getting married soon too, so we’ll have to return the favor then.” Cheng Xiaohua had a clear head about such matters, and so did Zhu Weifeng. Besides, maintaining a good relationship with them was all benefit and no harm—the value of that connection was far greater than just a monetary gift.
“Let’s not talk about this for now. The kitchen’s heating water—shall we go wash up?” Zhu Weifeng’s gaze lingered on Cheng Xiaohua’s delicate features, a hint of something dark flickering in his eyes. With his young wife in his arms, how could he not be restless?
Hearing this, Cheng Xiaohua immediately thought of the things her mother had secretly told her about men and women before she got married. Her face flushed bright red, and for a long moment, she was too embarrassed to say anything. Finally, she gave a half-hearted nod in shy acquiescence.
A night of spring is worth a thousand gold—a wedding night should, of course, be spent passionately.
—
On the way back to the village, the atmosphere was cheerful and harmonious.
Watching how smoothly Zhou Yinghuai interacted with her parents, Cheng Fangqiu felt a heavy weight lift from her heart.
Ever since they learned that Zhou Yinghuai and Cheng Fangqiu were officially together, her parents’ attitude toward him had subtly shifted. No longer was it just the appreciation of an elder for a promising young man—it had turned into the scrutiny of a future son-in-law.
Fortunately, Zhou Yinghuai handled Cheng Baokuan’s nitpicking with ease. His attitude remained humble and respectful, and without even realizing it, he had completely won over his future father-in-law.
As for Ding Ximei, there was no need to say much. A mother-in-law tends to grow fonder of her son-in-law, as long as he’s worthy.
And as for Cheng Xuejun… there was nothing to say about him. Zhou Yinghuai had already won him over with a bag of White Rabbit milk candies. Cheng Fangqiu had even overheard the little rascal secretly calling him “Brother-in-Law” behind their backs!
He was a total opportunist, swaying with the wind—wherever Zhou Yinghuai directed the breeze, he would follow.
When the four of them arrived at the village, Zhou Yinghuai first escorted them home before heading back to the Educated Youth’s dorm. The long journey had been exhausting, and to say he wasn’t tired would be a lie. But the moment he thought of his Fangqiu, warmth filled his body, and his spirits were instantly revived.
“Brother Huai, you’re back?” Zhao Zhigao greeted him as soon as he arrived. “I put away the things you brought back earlier.”
“Thanks. Your mom asked me to bring you some cured meat. Let me get it for you.” Zhou Yinghuai patted Zhao Zhigao’s shoulder in gratitude.
“I’ll be going home in a couple of days anyway—she really didn’t need to go through the trouble.” He said this, but his feet were already following closely behind Zhou Yinghuai, practically skipping into the room, his face full of joy.
When he got the package, Zhao Zhigao noticed there was also a box of snacks inside. It was from a well-known pastry brand in the provincial capital—definitely not something his mother would have splurged on.
“BrotherbHuai, this…”
“I bought an extra box when I got one for Fangqiu. Just take it.” Zhou Yinghuai glanced at him briefly, then went about gathering his clothes and toiletries, preparing to wash up.
Zhao Zhigao looked at the pastries in his hands, immediately understanding that this was just an excuse. Given Brother Huai’s meticulous nature, accidentally buying extra would be as likely as the sun rising in the west.
Besides, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. He was already used to it, so he quickly caught on to what was really going on.
Hurriedly setting his things down, he eagerly said, “Brother Huai, I’ll fetch water for you!”
“No need.”
“I insist! Don’t be polite with me.”
The other educated youths in the room watched this unfold and secretly cursed him as a bootlicker. But then their gazes drifted toward the pastry box in his hands, and silently, they amended their thoughts:
—They also really wanted to be bootlickers. Wuwuwu.
Unfortunately, Zhou Yinghuai was cold-natured and only had a handful of close friends. Most people were simply treated with polite courtesy. Even if they wanted to ingratiate themselves, they wouldn’t have the chance.
—
The first rays of dawn shone through the clouds, casting a golden glow over the land. The morning mist intertwined with the rising smoke from kitchen stoves, signaling the start of a fresh day.
The Cheng family started busy preparations early in the morning.
The night before, Cheng Fangqiu had already informed them that Zhou Yinghuai would be visiting today, even hinting that he might formally propose marriage.
This was a major event in their daughter’s life, so Cheng Baokuan and Ding Ximei treated it as if they were preparing for battle. As soon as they got up, they split up—one went to the brigade leader to request leave, while the other headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy items for hosting the guest.
“Do you think this outfit makes me look dignified?” Ding Ximei stood in front of a small round mirror, scrutinizing her reflection anxiously. She turned to ask Cheng Fangqiu, who was sitting at the edge of the bed, lazily yawning.
Cheng Fangqiu sleepily studied her for a moment before nodding. “Looks good.”
“You, this girl…” Ding Ximei could tell at a glance that she wasn’t being serious. Since she couldn’t rely on her daughter, she could only count on her husband, so she hurriedly stepped out the door to seek his opinion.
But in truth, Cheng Fangqiu wasn’t being perfunctory—she was telling the truth. Ding Ximei was naturally beautiful, with striking features. Even on normal days when she didn’t dress up, she looked elegant and refined. Now that she had taken extra care in her appearance, she was even more radiant.
With a face like hers, anything she wore looked good.
Seeing her mother leave, Cheng Fangqiu immediately sprawled back onto the bed, intending to seize this rare moment of peace to catch up on some sleep.
Compared to the chaos outside, her room was exceptionally quiet. It wasn’t that she didn’t care—she simply didn’t have the energy to care. She had barely slept the night before, her mind running wild with thoughts, and now all she wanted to do was lie down.
But just as she had barely closed her eyes, a burst of noise erupted from outside. Moments later, Cheng Xuejun slipped into the room and reached out to shake her arm.
“Sister, Sister! Brother-in-law is here. Get up!”
Hearing the word brother-in-law, Cheng Fangqiu almost didn’t register it at first. Once she sat up, however, she immediately smacked the back of Cheng Xuejun’s head.
“Call him properly! If someone hears you, they’ll laugh at you to death.”
She hadn’t hit him hard, so Cheng Xuejun only rubbed his head twice before grinning cheekily. “Got it. Mom told me to hurry you up.”
Cheng Fangqiu didn’t delay any longer. She tidied her hair in front of the small mirror, patted her cheeks to wake herself up, and quickly stepped out.
The moment she entered the main hall, her gaze fell on Zhou Yinghuai, who was dressed in formal attire, and the neatly arranged gifts on the table.
It was clear how seriously he took this visit.
Hearing movement, Zhou Yinghuai turned his head, and at that moment, a ray of sunlight streamed through the doorway, casting a golden glow over his sharply defined face.
The light traced his chiseled features, emphasizing his star-like eyes and sword-like brows. His facial structure was flawless, and his noble, aloof temperament made him seem even more distinguished.
Their eyes met, and in an instant, a twinkle of warmth flickered in his usually cold gaze, like scattered stars lighting up his expression.