The room was not large, and the two of them were by the window at the moment. Light seeped through the cracks, spilling onto their bodies, bringing a lazy warmth.
She had applied snowflake cream in the morning, and the faint scent of jasmine still lingered on her palm. As she covered his lips, the fragrance, along with her body warmth, slowly seeped into the depths of his heart.
“Zhou Yinghuai! Are you crazy? Don’t talk nonsense, there are people outside.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s cheeks gradually turned red, her delicate brows furrowed into a knot. She anxiously glanced through the window crack, afraid that others might hear such wild words.
But he seemed completely unfazed by the noise outside, even boldly moving closer to her. His large hand grasped her slender wrist, and he buried half his face into her palm, gently nuzzling it.
His handsome face, with red lips and white teeth, was now within close reach. His thick black lashes lightly brushed against her skin, causing her to instinctively shrink back. But as soon as she moved half an inch away, he quickly closed the distance again.
“Wife.”
The rising tone at the end fully conveyed his current enjoyment. As the words fell, he opened his previously closed eyes, staring at her unblinkingly. His deep gaze was like an ocean, surging with waves, luring her into the abyss.
“I didn’t mean to, I won’t say it anymore.”
Though he said this, his eyes carried a hint of barely concealed grievance, as if accusing her of suddenly lowering her voice to scold him, even though he was sincerely apologizing.
Cheng Fangqiu’s anger subsided for a moment. Looking at his face pressed against her palm, she suddenly felt that there was no need to fuss over such a top-tier handsome man. After all, she had already scolded him, and now it was time to calmly reason with him.
So she moved her fingers, her fingertips brushing over his well-defined cheek. The texture was unexpectedly good, smooth and soft. She couldn’t resist touching it a few more times before saying, “Apologize properly, don’t make it so…”
She paused for two seconds before finding the right word: “Detailed.”
“But didn’t you say before that couples should say whatever is on their minds, solve problems promptly, and not keep things buried in their hearts?” Zhou Yinghuai seemed confused, a trace of bewilderment flashing across his face. At the same time, he adjusted the angle of his face slightly, allowing her to touch him more comfortably.
If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging in the air right now…
Realizing what she was thinking, Cheng Fangqiu nearly choked on her own saliva. Faced with Zhou Yinghuai’s logical retort, she was at a complete loss for words. After stammering for a while, she finally replied, “These kinds of things can only be said quietly between the two of us. There can’t be any chance of others overhearing, or it would be so embarrassing!”
As she spoke, she suddenly felt as though she were teaching a primary school student.
But Zhou Yinghuai was so smart—how could he not understand such a simple concept?
A flash of insight crossed her mind. Just as she was about to speak, the man who had been obediently nuzzling her palm suddenly leaned in closer. Her lower back pressed against the table, bending backward. A strand of hair escaped from its clip and fell across her cheek, causing a tingling sensation.
“Is that so, wife?”
A voice that only the two of them could hear followed, the last two words seemingly deliberately softened and then slowly exhaled, exceptionally seductive and magnetic, stirring her heartstrings.
Her mind went blank for a moment. As if under a spell, she nodded. Before she could react, Zhou Yinghuai suddenly pulled away. The next second, the slightly ajar door was pushed open from the outside, and Cheng Xuejun poked his head in. “Brother-in-law, Brother Yingchen asked if the chicken should be chopped into pieces after plucking or cooked whole?”
“I’ll be right there,” Zhou Yinghuai replied, tucking the money into his pocket as he headed toward the door.
Cheng Xuejun’s eyes darted around, landing on Cheng Fangqiu’s face. He exclaimed, “Sis, why is your face so red?”
“It’s too hot,” she blurted out, quick and urgent, but it only made her seem more guilty, as if trying to cover something up.
Cheng Fangqiu closed her eyes in frustration. When she lifted her head, she immediately met Zhou Yinghuai’s gaze, which carried a faint smile, as if he had seen through everything. Her fingertips involuntarily scratched at her palm, but she quickly remembered that this was the hand that had just touched his face. In an instant, she released it as if she had been shocked by electricity.
“Then don’t just stay in the room, it’s even hotter in there.” Cheng Xuejun, without suspecting anything unusual, enthusiastically suggested, “Go to the main hall, it’s cooler there.”
“Alright.” After tidying up the messy items on the table, Cheng Fangqiu followed along and walked out. In her heart, she secretly criticized herself, thinking her “resistance” was getting weaker and weaker. It seemed that as long as Zhou Yinghuai, this male demon, hooked his finger, she would take the bait.
At noon, Ding Ximei and Zhou Yinghuai were the ones in charge of cooking, while the others helped out in the kitchen. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.
Everyone ate the meal to their heart’s content, especially Cheng Xuejun, the little foodie, who was so happy that tears nearly rolled down his face. He kept exclaiming that the dishes were even more lavish than during the New Year.
Seeing him eat so heartily, everyone ended up eating an extra bowl of rice compared to usual.
Cheng Fangqiu thought that if this were in modern times, Cheng Xuejun could casually start a live-streaming channel as a mukbang host and surely achieve financial freedom!
After the meal, Zhou Yinghuai and Zhou Yingchen left the house, saying they were going to the commune’s supply and marketing cooperative to see if there were any electric fans for sale. Ding Ximei initially wanted to stop them, but before she could, Cheng Fangqiu had already acted first, pulling her back into the main hall.
“Qiuqiu, you’ve already spent so much money coming back this time. Your father and I don’t need you to buy anything else for us.” Ding Ximei frowned, still wanting to go after Zhou Yinghuai and the others to call them back.
Even Cheng Baokuan, who rarely spoke up, also tried to persuade her. “That’s right, the things Yinghuai bought last time are still sitting unused in the house. Now you’ve bought so much again, there’s hardly any space left to store them. In the countryside, it’s only hot during the day, but the nights are still quite cool. It’s already August—by the time you buy the fan, it won’t be used for long. Don’t waste the money.”
Seeing this, Cheng Fangqiu firmly blocked the doorway and shook her head.
“Aiya, money is meant to be spent. Enjoying it in time is the right way to go. Even if we don’t use the fan, letting it gather dust in a corner is fine. Dad, Mom, why are you two so strange? Other families worry that their daughters will stop showing filial piety after getting married, but in our family, it’s like you’re pushing my filial piety away!”
Ding Ximei and Cheng Baokuan exchanged glances and sighed. “That’s not what we mean. We’re just worried that you and your husband might have conflicts because of this. If the money were earned by you, of course, we wouldn’t refuse, but all this money comes from Yinghuai. If you keep spending like this on us, over time, he might…”
“You don’t have to worry. He has no objections! He was the one who suggested buying the fan in the first place.”
Cheng Fangqiu understood their concerns. Parents always thought more thoroughly and long-term than their children, afraid of becoming a burden that would affect their children’s lives.
But love was mutual. Since they treated her so well, of course, she had to reciprocate.
“Mom, Dad, you haven’t forgotten what Zhou Yinghuai said when he first came to our house, right?”
Of course, they hadn’t forgotten. They would never forget it, even until their dying day, because those very words had shown them Zhou Yinghuai’s sincerity. That was why they had agreed to entrust their beloved daughter to him.
“He said he would treat me well for a lifetime. Those weren’t just empty words. As soon as we got our marriage certificate, he handed over all his assets to me. I can manage them however I want, and he lets me do as I please. He has taken care of all the household chores these past days and hasn’t let me lift a finger.”
“His family also respects and likes me very much. They’ve given me many things—this watch was a gift from my mother-in-law. And those specialty goods, they were all personally brought from the capital by Zhou Yingchen.”
“We’re married now. A husband and wife are supposed to be one. His parents are now my parents, and my parents are his. What’s wrong with using his money to show filial piety to our parents?”
“So don’t push away our goodwill. Accept it happily, and we’ll be happy too. Besides, it’s not like I don’t earn money. Right now, my monthly salary isn’t any less than Zhou Yinghuai’s.”
It was just that since she had only recently started working, she hadn’t received any salary yet.
However, the clothing design business she had started with Xu Qiqi had already brought in some money. Not much, but at least equivalent to an ordinary apprentice worker’s monthly wages.
Cheng Fangqiu said all this in one breath, and Ding Ximei and Cheng Baokuan listened intently, their eyes growing slightly misty. To say they weren’t moved would be a lie. Their daughter was so filial, and their son-in-law treated her so well…
What else could they be dissatisfied with?
Wait, did Qiuqiu just say she started earning money?
Ding Ximei couldn’t help but ask, “Is it the spousal benefits that Yinghuai mentioned last time? Are you working at the machinery factory now?”
“No, working at the factory is too boring. I’m working at a photo studio now.”
Only then did Cheng Fangqiu realize that she had forgotten to tell them she had already started working. She couldn’t help but slap her forehead in frustration. “Look at my memory, I was just too happy to see you all.”
“Sis, how did you end up working at a photo studio?” Cheng Xuejun leaned in. Just now, while the adults were having a serious conversation, as a little kid, he couldn’t find a place to chime in, so he had stayed quietly by the side like always. Only now did he dare to ask.
“My father-in-law and mother-in-law wanted to see a photo of me and your brother-in-law, so we went to the photo studio to take one. The people there saw that I had good qualities and offered me a job.” Cheng Fangqiu brushed over it with just a few words before quickly changing the topic. “This time, when we go to the provincial capital, I’ll take you all to see my workplace. We can also take a family photo while we’re there!”
Back then, the family’s financial situation wasn’t great, so they would only spend money on taking photos at the county’s photo studio once every few years. But things were different now—she could take as many pictures as she wanted. Plus, she was now an employee at the photo studio, which meant she could get employee discounts. She planned to take several photos for her family.
Especially her mother, Ding Ximei—she was so beautiful and elegant, with a temperament that carried an indescribable sense of story. She was simply born for the camera. When the time came, she would personally style her mother, and the final effect would definitely be stunning!
Just thinking about it made her excited. It was the kind of excitement that photographers feel when they encounter the perfect model.
“Sis, you’re amazing! You got a formal job so quickly!”
“Your father and I are proud of you.”
Ding Ximei and the others simply thought Cheng Fangqiu was just a regular employee at the photo studio and didn’t think too much about it. Their faces were full of unconcealed smiles—they were genuinely happy.
Seeing them so happy, Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t help but smile as well.
Oh, right, speaking of photos, the things she and Zhou Yinghuai had sent out should have arrived by now, right? When she got back to Rongzhou, she would have to call and check to make sure nothing had gone wrong during the delivery.