“Do you want another cup?” Cheng Fangqiu asked, noticing his condition. He shook his head and murmured, “It’s a bit too sweet.”
“Really? I just tasted it, and it didn’t seem sweet at all,” Cheng Fangqiu glanced at the empty cup, a hint of confusion in her eyes. But then she remembered that Zhou Yinghuai didn’t like sweet foods, so his opinion wasn’t reliable. Besides, he had already finished it—it wasn’t like he could spit it out now.
Zhou Yinghuai lazily lifted his eyelids to look at her, his eyes dark.
Their gazes met in mid-air, and for a moment, neither spoke. The atmosphere around them suddenly became intimate and charged.
Cheng Fangqiu recalled her earlier, censored thoughts and felt a wave of discomfort. Just as she was about to get up with the cup and let him continue sleeping, he hooked her pinky finger.
“Want to taste it?”
Those simple words, though softly spoken, exploded like fireworks in her ears.
She wasn’t sure who initiated it, but by the time she regained some clarity, she was already pressed tightly against his chest. He kissed her fiercely, domineeringly, starting shallow but quickly deepening, sucking on her tongue until it went numb.
The sweetness of the honey and the bitterness of the alcohol intertwined in her mouth, stimulating her brain and leaving no room for other thoughts. She could only drown in the sea of desire brought on by the intoxicating taste.
Her hand pressed against his chest, and she could clearly feel the firmness of his muscles rubbing against her palm. Even with her eyes closed, the scene played out vividly in her mind. Just imagining it was enough to drive her wild.
Just as his hand slipped under her skirt, a knock on the door shattered the absurdity in the room.
“Sis, Yingchen is awake. We’re heading back to the guesthouse.”
Almost as soon as the knock sounded, Cheng Fangqiu pushed Zhou Yinghuai away with force. He fell off the edge of the bed with a thud, the impact sobering him up significantly. He lay on the floor, looking thoroughly disheveled, gazing at her with a mix of grievance and pitifulness.
It was as if he was accusing her of being a heartless woman who used him and then threw him away.
Cheng Fangqiu had no time to deal with him. She hurriedly straightened her dress, wiped the moisture from her lips with the bedsheet, and then grabbed the cup, rushing toward the door. She quickly opened it and shut it again, not giving Cheng Xuejun any chance to peek inside.
What a joke! With such a chaotic bed and a half-dressed man lying there, how could she let anyone see that?
“Sis, what was that noise? Did brother-in-law fall off the bed?” Cheng Xuejun asked curiously, glancing at the tightly closed door.
Cheng Fangqiu hadn’t expected him to guess so accurately. She forced a smile and denied it, “Your brother-in-law is lying down just fine. You must have misheard.”
“Really?” Cheng Xuejun scratched the back of his head, unsure. Just then, Ding Ximei interrupted their conversation, “Qiuqiu, you don’t need to see us out. It’s late, you should rest.”
Seeing that they could manage on their own, Cheng Fangqiu didn’t insist. She only escorted them to the door before closing it and then guiltily ran back to the room. Zhou Yinghuai had already gotten up by himself, leaning on the bed for support. He had stripped down to just his shorts.
“What are you doing?” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes widened as soon as she entered the room, greeted by the sight of his bare physique. She asked dryly.
Zhou Yinghuai still remembered how she had pushed him off the bed earlier. He glanced at her lightly, his expression seemingly neutral, but Cheng Fangqiu could somehow detect a hint of resentment in his gaze.
“Sleeping in clothes is uncomfortable.”
Cheng Fangqiu, feeling guilty, walked over and hugged his waist from behind, swaying gently as she cooed in a soft, pleading voice, “It all happened so suddenly. It was just a reflex. I didn’t mean to kick you off the bed. Don’t be mad, okay?”
He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t push her away either, clearly still a little upset.
If it were any other time, Zhou Yinghuai would have taken the opportunity to make up. But after a few drinks, his courage had grown! He was being so hard to coax now!
Cheng Fangqiu secretly vowed to keep a closer eye on Zhou Yinghuai in the future and not let him drink too much. But there was something oddly appealing about him when he was drunk…
Such a dilemma! Why couldn’t things ever be perfect?
Cheng Fangqiu sighed deeply, poked his abs with her finger, and reluctantly made a promise, “When you’re feeling better, I’ll let you do whatever you want, okay?”
“…”
Zhou Yinghuai gritted his teeth silently. Why did her words sound both infuriating and endearing at the same time?
If he weren’t so drunk and unable to perform, he would have made this little vixen understand what “capable” really meant.
“Okay?” Cheng Fangqiu urged when he still didn’t respond. She had already made a big concession. If he still didn’t appreciate it, she wouldn’t hesitate to turn cold.
Zhou Yinghuai let out a soft “hmm,” his head starting to ache again. He frowned in discomfort, holding her as he lay back down on the bed. Cheng Fangqiu instinctively struggled for a moment.
“Be good. Stay with me for a while.”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu stopped moving and obediently nestled into his arms.
Soon, even breathing sounds came from behind her. Cheng Fangqiu got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. This drunkard might not care about hygiene, but she couldn’t stand it. On such a hot day, going to bed without a shower would be worse than death.
After freshening up and making herself smell nice, she brought a basin of warm water to the room and carefully wiped his body. She took off his underwear, cleaned it thoroughly, and then put it back in place. However, without support, it soon tilted to the other side.
This was the first time she had ever examined his “most important part” so closely. She couldn’t help but measure it with her hand. Even while asleep, it had such a presence. How did he even fit it in there?
The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became. She suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and fled to sit in front of the fan, blowing cold air on herself for a long time before finally calming down.
With her mind preoccupied, Cheng Fangqiu had a restless night. For the first time, she woke up earlier than Zhou Yinghuai. Seeing that it was almost time for him to leave for work and he still showed no signs of waking, she mercilessly slapped him.
He winced in pain, furrowing his brow, and burrowed into her arms.
Cheng Fangqiu looked down at the head nuzzling against her chest, took a deep breath, and finally couldn’t resist giving his ear a firm tug.
This time, Zhou Yinghuai truly woke up. Groggily opening his eyes, he was met with a pair of peach-blossom eyes filled with both shyness and anger. Instinctively, he called out, “Qiuqiu?”
“Are you sober yet? You’re going to be late for work,” Cheng Fangqiu said, rubbing her chest in annoyance as she got out of bed. For once, she played the role of a “dutiful wife,” fetching a clean set of clothes from the wardrobe for him.
“Hurry up and get dressed. I’m not going to work today. Let’s have breakfast together in the cafeteria, and then I’ll head to the guesthouse.”
Only then did Zhou Yinghuai realize he had been stripped naked at some point. He rubbed his face and quickly got up to change. Once dressed, he leaned in close to Cheng Fangqiu and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Thanks, wife. You’ve worked hard.”
He vaguely remembered bits of what had happened the night before, but his mind was still a mess. Thinking about it made his head hurt, so he decided to wait until he was fully sober to recall the details.
Cheng Fangqiu pushed his face away in mock disgust. “You smell like alcohol. Go brush your teeth and wash your face.”
Zhou Yinghuai chuckled softly and turned to stride into the bathroom.
Once both were ready, they headed out. Xu Qiqi and Zhao Zhigao’s bicycles were already gone, likely taken earlier in the morning.
With a busy day ahead, neither of them dawdled. After breakfast, they went their separate ways. Cheng Fangqiu first went to the guesthouse, then to the tailor’s shop to pick up the finished wedding dress. If it fit well, that would be ideal. If there were any issues with the sizing, it would have to be sent back for adjustments.
With the wedding banquet just a few days away, she also needed to make a final trip to the state-run restaurant to confirm the arrangements.
A pile of tasks awaited her, and it was overwhelming. Fortunately, she had company. If she had to handle it all alone, she might have gone mad.
At the guesthouse, the two who had been drunk were still asleep. Ding Ximei and Cheng Xuejun were already up, so they left a note and took the bus to the Golden Finger Tailor Shop.
After giving the staff their order number, they were led to Director Lin’s office. The office wasn’t large, but it was tidy and clean. As soon as they entered, Cheng Fangqiu noticed several outfits hanging on a rack, with the red dress being the most eye-catching.
The vibrant color shone like fire, exuding a strong sense of intrusion. It was impossible to look away after just one glance, especially with its unique design, which was utterly captivating.
“Comrade Cheng!” Director Lin’s eyes lit up when she saw Cheng Fangqiu. She strode over and, noticing Cheng Fangqiu’s gaze on the dress, asked nervously, “Do you like it?”
Cheng Fangqiu snapped out of her thoughts and met Director Lin’s expectant gaze. Smiling, she nodded. “I love it. Your embroidery skills are amazing! I never imagined it could look this beautiful.”
Director Lin waved her hand modestly. “It’s your design that’s good. Without it, even with my skills, I couldn’t have created such a perfect piece.”
Hearing Director Lin describe it as “perfect,” Cheng Fangqiu knew she was also very pleased with the result. A smile crept onto her lips.
“I’ve also finished the groom’s outfit. Take a look.”
The red dress was so stunning, and since it was for her, Cheng Fangqiu had almost forgotten about Zhou Yinghuai’s outfit. She chuckled awkwardly and followed Director Lin’s gesture to look at it. From the outside, it looked great too. She wasn’t worried about the sizing, given Director Lin’s expertise.
After their conversation, Director Lin finally noticed that Cheng Fangqiu hadn’t come alone. Curious, she asked and, upon learning that it was her mother and brother, showered them with compliments.
“If you hadn’t said so, I would’ve thought you were sisters. You look so young!”
“Oh, stop it,” Ding Ximei said, covering her face in embarrassment.
Director Lin laughed. “I’m not exaggerating. And your daughter is truly talented. This dress design is exceptional.”
Ding Ximei was unaware that her daughter had such a talent for designing clothes. She was surprised, but then she thought that girls who love beauty probably have some natural knack for this sort of thing. Back in the day, she herself would invite tailors to her home to create unique outfits, so she didn’t dwell on it too much.
However, Qiuqiu’s skills were truly impressive! In her opinion, the wedding dress was even more beautiful than the ready-made ones sold in the department store!
She wasn’t the only one who thought so. Director Lin shared the same sentiment. Recalling that the garment factory had shown no interest, she couldn’t help but ask, “Comrade Cheng, aren’t you interested in working with the garment factory?”
Cheng Fangqiu hadn’t expected Director Lin to still remember this matter. She answered honestly, “That’s right. I already have my own job.”
“Well, that’s a shame,” Director Lin said, though she understood there was nothing she could do. After all, she couldn’t force the issue.
Then, as if remembering something, Director Lin added, “By the way, there’s been a resolution to that incident from last time. Tailor Wu has been dismissed from our shop. As for Madam Huang…”