“Huh? How could I possibly accept that?” Xu Qiqi blinked her large, bright eyes, feigning shyness.
Cheng Fangqiu found her antics amusing and pulled her toward her home.
On the balcony, the flowers were in full bloom. The moment Xu Qiqi entered, she noticed them and walked straight over, exclaiming, “Qiuqiu, your flowers are thriving!”
“They’re all taken care of by Zhou Yinghuai. I just water them occasionally,” Cheng Fangqiu said, following Xu Qiqi’s gaze with a smile. “If you like them, have your husband come over and take a pot home.”
At this, both of them simultaneously thought of how Cheng Fangqiu had once wanted a rosebush, leading Zhou Yinghuai to dig up flowers from the Chang family’s garden.
Now, their roles had completely reversed.
“Sure!” Xu Qiqi agreed readily, no longer showing the awkward expression she used to have whenever Chang Yan’an’s ex-wife was mentioned.
Sensing something, Cheng Fangqiu probed, “So… during this Mid-Autumn holiday, you two…”
Hearing this, Xu Qiqi cleared her throat, a hint of embarrassment flashing in her eyes. “Nothing escapes your eyes, Qiuqiu.”
After listening to the complicated love story between Xu Qiqi and Chang Yanan, Cheng Fangqiu found it both amusing and exasperating, finally laughing out loud. “See? A simple misunderstanding wasted so much time. I wonder if you two will still act like stubborn clams in the future?”
“No, no, never again,” Xu Qiqi said playfully, sticking out her tongue.
Cheng Fangqiu chuckled and shook her head, then rummaged through a cabinet, pulling out a bag and filling it with homemade goods—mountain mushrooms, fermented tofu, free-range eggs, wild yams…
All of them were pure, natural, and additive-free, carefully prepared by Ding Ximei and Cheng Baokuan in the countryside.
“Uncle and Auntie are so thoughtful,” Xu Qiqi said as she returned from the balcony and stood beside Cheng Fangqiu to help. “That’s enough. We can’t eat this much. Keep these soybeans, yams, and pumpkins for yourselves—they’re great for boosting vitality, strengthening eggs, and promoting fertility.”
“Huh?” This was the first time Cheng Fangqiu had heard such a claim, and she looked momentarily stunned.
Since it was just the two of them in the room, Xu Qiqi showed no embarrassment and continued casually, “That’s what my mother-in-law said. I don’t know if it’s true, but eating well and drinking well can’t hurt.”
She paused for a moment before adding, “Also, when you and Zhou Yinghuai… you know, at night, remember to put a pillow under your waist, and don’t rush to wash up afterward.”
Cheng Fangqiu nearly choked on her own saliva, her ears instantly tinged with a faint red hue.
Now that she thought about it, it had been quite a few days since she and Zhou Yinghuai had…
Ever since she fell ill, they had only been sleeping under the same covers, doing nothing else. And with Zhou Yinghuai being busy these past few days, frequently staying up late in the living room working on his research, both of them had lacked the energy for anything more.
Tonight, though… it might be a good opportunity…
Realizing what she was thinking about, Cheng Fangqiu shook her head, brushing away those messy thoughts before saying, “We’re going with the flow when it comes to having children. There’s no rush.”
“Your in-laws don’t pressure you?”
Xu Qiqi was a little surprised by her response.
Cheng Fangqiu shook her head.
“I’m so envious. My mother-in-law doesn’t pressure me openly, but she constantly hints at it,” Xu Qiqi pouted. “But honestly, I do want a baby myself… It’s just that my stomach hasn’t shown any signs yet.”
“Having a child isn’t something you can rush.”
Cheng Fangqiu handed her the bag of homemade goods, and Xu Qiqi reached out to take it with a smile. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe the timing just hasn’t come yet.”
They chatted for a little while longer before Cheng Fangqiu lent her bicycle to Xu Qiqi and watched her ride away. Only after she had disappeared from view did she close the door and return inside.
Although she wasn’t in a hurry to have a child, she still…
Thinking about it, Cheng Fangqiu swallowed, glanced at her watch, and saw that it was still early. Should she prepare something?
After all, there were always certain days when a woman particularly craved…
A man.
And she still had a gift she hadn’t given Zhou Yinghuai yet—this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
—
As dusk gradually faded, a group of men in work uniforms finally emerged from the factory building.
“Supervisor Zhou, you’ve worked hard.”
“You all have worked hard, too.”
After exchanging greetings, they each rode off on their bicycles. Passing by the cafeteria, Zhou Yinghuai thought that since she had likely already eaten with Xu Qiqi outside, he might as well go in for a bowl of noodles before heading home.
After eating his fill, he finally returned.
As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed something unusual.
The surroundings were quiet. The living room lights were off, with only faint warm yellow light seeping out from the gaps in the bathroom and bedroom doors.
Normally, if she were home, she would either be curled up on the sofa under a blanket reading a book or working on design sketches.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yinghuai quickened the pace of changing his shoes and tentatively called out, “Qiuqiu?”
After switching into his indoor slippers, he headed toward the bedroom. Before he had taken more than two steps, he heard her slightly flustered voice.
“I left hot water and clothes for you in the bathroom. Go wash up first.”
Zhou Yinghuai’s dark eyes flickered with a hint of doubt. He paused and asked, “Qiuqiu, what are you doing?”
“I just finished bathing and am changing. Don’t come in.” This time, her voice had regained a trace of calm.
Hearing that, Zhou Yinghuai’s confusion faded slightly. He glanced down at his work uniform, stained with unavoidable traces of machine oil, and eventually turned towards the bathroom instead.
The floor was still damp, and a faint scent of soap lingered in the air.
Just as she had said—she had just finished bathing.
The last bit of uncertainty in his heart completely dissipated. Zhou Yinghuai casually shut the door and began undressing.
Halfway through his shower, his peripheral vision unintentionally caught sight of a piece of clothing draped over the nearby rack, and his gaze sharpened in an instant.
A light mint-green color.
Two delicate, thin straps.
His mind involuntarily imagined how it would look against her fair, porcelain-like skin.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he took a deep breath and tightly shut his eyes, trying to suppress his thoughts.
But after days of restraint, his body still betrayed him, slowly rising to attention.
His long eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing the fleeting moment of helplessness in his eyes. Zhou Yinghuai quickly rinsed the soap off his body and reached for the shorts she had prepared for him. Just as he was about to put on a sleep shirt, he glanced around but didn’t see one.
She had probably forgotten.
He then planned to return to his room to put on his pajamas before coming back to wash the dirty clothes.
Thinking of this, he grabbed a towel and draped it over his head. While wiping his soaked short hair, he walked towards his room. Standing at the door, he noticed that the light that had been shining through the crack earlier was now off. He guessed she had already gone to bed, so he didn’t knock and directly turned the doorknob.
He had only taken two steps inside when he keenly noticed that there was no raised curve on the bed. His dark eyes narrowed, and just as he was about to call out, a figure quickly approached from behind. Sensing a familiar presence, he didn’t try to stop it. Soon after, a pair of small hands covered his face.
The soft palms rubbed his face for a while before finding his eyes. Then, a piece of fabric replaced her hands, completely blocking his vision.
The loss of sight instantly made him feel insecure, but it heightened his other senses.
Zhou Yinghuai could clearly perceive every movement as she stood on tiptoe, tying a bow behind his head. As she got closer, a sweet fragrance unique to her wafted over, gradually seeping into his nose, making his breathing heavier.
“Qiuqiu.”
He didn’t know what she was planning, but if this continued, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself and would ruin her plan.
“Shh.” A warning whisper sounded in his ear, and Zhou Yinghuai immediately closed his mouth.
Next, the thin edge of his underwear was hooked by her fingers. His entire body stiffened, and before his brain could react, his feet had already moved forward under her guidance. He was then pushed down onto the edge of the bed.
She let go of her hand and slowly moved up his abs, finally resting on his Adam’s apple.
“Be good, don’t move.”
Zhou Yinghuai lay on the slightly cool bedding, feeling something soft and wet against his skin. He didn’t know what it was and was just guessing when his thoughts were completely diverted by her next move.
Several loops of fabric wrapped around his wrists and ankles—she had tied him up.
The usual calm and indifferent expression on Zhou Yinghuai’s face was gone, replaced by an obscure look. He tentatively moved, but as soon as he did, she noticed and dissatisfiedly slapped his chest.
Just once, and he didn’t dare move again.
In complete darkness, he couldn’t see anything and could only rely on physical sensations and the faint rustling sounds around him to determine her position.
The longer it went on, the more disorder his breathing became. Just as he couldn’t help but part his thin lips to speak again, the fabric covering his eyes suddenly disappeared.
The first thing that came into view was a delicate and vibrant rose, its petals full, pink and tender with a glossy sheen. As he adjusted to the unobstructed view, the rose was moved aside, revealing a graceful figure bathed in lilac light.
The woman wore scant clothing, with crimson lines barely covering her soft curves. White lace fringe danced below her abdomen, making everything seem half-hidden.
When he saw clearly, a faint red tint appeared at the corners of Zhou Yinghuai’s eyes. The rationality in his mind burned out. He wanted to touch, to kiss, but he forgot his current predicament.
“Qiuqiu, untie me, okay?”
At some point, his voice had become so hoarse and deep, adding a touch of ridiculous charm to his noble features.
Cheng Fangqiu knelt on either side of him. Hearing his words, she instinctively shook her head. She had carefully prepared this surprise; how could it end just because of his words?
She wanted to proceed to the next step, but since it was her first time cutting fabric to make clothes, the dimension and stitching weren’t perfect, and now it was inevitably a bit tight, causing discomfort with every movement.
She couldn’t help but adjust the fabric in front of her chest, but the next second, one of them slipped out from the fabric, exposed under the eyes of two people. Cheng Fangqiu gasped and quickly covered it, her skin turning red from embarrassment.
“Qiuqiu…”
This time, Zhou Yinghuai’s voice carried a hint of plea, clearly nearing the edge of patience.
In fact, even without him speaking, Cheng Fangqiu already knew, because what was pressed against her leg was simply too overwhelming in its presence.
Zhou Yinghuai’s wrist twitched, and it seemed that the force was strong enough to break free from the restraint she had imposed. In a moment of desperation, Cheng Fangqiu slapped the flower in her hand onto his face.
“No, don’t move.”
The soft petals brushed against his cheek, making that outrageously handsome face appear even more bewitching.
The man raised his eyes, and the turbulent emotions contained within his pupils seemed deeper than the night outside the window.
It was hard to tell whether she was deliberately seducing him or if he was seducing her.
Seeing that he had finally stopped moving, Cheng Fangqiu then reached under the pillow next to his head and pulled out a delicate little box.
“What’s this?”
“Mid-Autumn Festival gift,” Cheng Fangqiu opened the box. “I originally wanted to give it to you on Mid-Autumn Festival, but I forgot. I asked Qiqi’s friend to buy it at the Friendship Store. See if you like it?”
Zhou Yinghuai followed her gaze and saw what was inside the box.