“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Her words abruptly cut off when she met a pair of familiar, sharp eyes.
Her red lips parted slightly in disbelief. Of all places, of all people—how did they end up running into each other like this?!
She had been waiting for days for a chance to be alone with him, and now, all of a sudden, the opportunity had literally fallen into her lap.
But before she could even feel happy about it, she caught sight of something in her peripheral vision—his hand subtly moving back from a certain position.
And in that moment, realization struck.
Just now, the second time she had landed on him…
If she wasn’t mistaken…
A lightning bolt shot through her mind.
Cheng Fangqiu pursed her lips, eyes filled with guilt, and glanced at Zhou Yinghuai with a look of sympathy.
Lowering her voice, she carefully asked, “Are you okay?”
Zhou Yinghuai, his face pale, tried his best to ignore the sharp pain coming from a certain area.
Taking a deep breath, he shook his head.
Then, noticing the large red mark on her forehead, his brows furrowed as he pointed at her injury. “What about you? Are you okay?”
Subconsciously, Cheng Fangqiu reached up to rub her forehead, then shook her head as well.
She hadn’t expected that even in this situation, he would set aside his own pain to check on her.
For some reason, a strange warmth surged in her heart.
Just as she was about to say something, a hand suddenly patted her shoulder.
“Qiuqiu, do you want some pumpkin cakes? My mom made them this morning!”
Cheng Xiaohua, completely oblivious to what had just happened, grinned cheerfully as she stuffed two pieces of pumpkin cake wrapped in oiled paper into Cheng Fangqiu’s hands.
Still caught up in her emotions, Cheng Fangqiu blinked blankly as Cheng Xiaohua continued talking.
“Good thing I reacted fast! If I hadn’t, we would’ve had to stand the whole way—what a nightmare that would’ve been!”
Holding the pumpkin cakes, Cheng Fangqiu followed her words and glanced around the bus.
At a glance, the entire bus was packed full of people.
Overcrowding regulations barely existed in this era—as long as people could fit, they crammed in. There were even villagers bringing chickens and ducks to town, making the entire bus noisy and chaotic.
If Cheng Xiaohua hadn’t squeezed them in, they really might have had to stand the entire way.
Compared to that, their hard-won seats were incredibly precious.
Cheng Fangqiu nodded in agreement. But then, realizing Cheng Xiaohua couldn’t see her, she turned her head and raised her voice.
“Xiaohua, you’re amazing! My mom packed some food for us too—here, have one!”
As she spoke, she carefully took something out of her pocket and quickly slipped it to Cheng Xiaohua.
Cheng Xiaohua, intrigued by her mysterious behavior, curiously felt the item in her palm.
The moment she recognized the round shape, her pupils dilated.
Just like Cheng Fangqiu, she hurriedly tucked it away in her bag.
A boiled egg!
Aunt Ding Ximei and Qiuqiu were really generous!
In this era, even though her mother loved her dearly, she rarely gave her eggs to eat—those were usually saved to trade at the supply and marketing cooperative. Only during New Year’s or special occasions could she have a tiny taste.
Just thinking about the rich flavor made her mouth water.
But she didn’t dare take it out to eat. Petty theft was common, and if someone saw them with eggs, they might get targeted.
If something happened, it would be too late for regrets.
Besides, she wasn’t that hungry.
She could save it for later, after they got off the bus.
Thinking of this, Cheng Xiaohua suddenly wished the bus could drive faster.
“Qiuqiu, thank you and Auntie! It’s not convenient to talk now, but I’ll call you when we get off the bus!”
Even if it wasn’t just for the egg, as her childhood best friend, she had to look after Sister Qiuqiu properly!
Thinking of this, Cheng Xiaohua reminded her again, “Remember, don’t get off at the wrong stop!”
“Got it.”
Seeing her nod, Cheng Xiaohua finally felt reassured and withdrew her gaze.
—
Meanwhile, Cheng Fangqiu was completely unaware that in just a short span of time, Cheng Xiaohua’s mind had already gone through several rounds of inner turmoil.
Her attention returned to Zhou Yinghuai’s face—he seemed to have recovered by now. His complexion had returned to normal, but the awkwardness lingering on his face was still undeniable.
And not just him—she also felt uncomfortable.
After all, what had just happened was… well, a sensitive situation.
Not wanting the atmosphere to turn too silent and tense, she hesitated for two seconds before taking the initiative to change the subject.
“Comrade Zhou, are you going into town alone?”
“Mm.”
Zhou Yinghuai immediately understood that she was trying to ease the awkwardness, so he played along and continued, “Just going to buy a few things.”
As he spoke, he subconsciously touched the military-green satchel at his side. There wasn’t much inside, so as soon as his fingers brushed over it, he immediately felt the fabric of the handkerchief stained with blood.
He wanted to say something about it, but after a brief pause, he chose to stay silent.
No need to tell her that he was making this trip specifically to buy a new handkerchief to replace the one she had used to bandage his wound.
If she found out, she would definitely refuse.
Instead of wasting words, he might as well just buy it first and hand it to her directly—then she wouldn’t be able to turn it down.
Actions speak louder than words.
“Oh, I’m accompanying my cousin to buy things for her wedding. She’s getting married soon!”
Before Zhou Yinghuai could even ask, Cheng Fangqiu spoke up on her own, her voice naturally carrying an upbeat tone. Her happiness was infectious, making it hard for others not to smile along.
Being around her was always so easy and lighthearted.
Zhou Yinghuai’s lips curved slightly upward.
Lifting his gaze, he looked into her bright brown eyes—they were filled with joy, making it clear that she was genuinely happy for her cousin.
“Comrade Zhou, have you ever wandered around our county town?”
“I haven’t been there in a long time. I wonder if anything has changed.”
Her words carried a hint of nostalgia and longing.
Zhou Yinghuai nodded and replied, “I’ve walked around once, but just briefly.”
“Then do you want to join us later?”
Before he even finished speaking, she had already blurted out the invitation.
As if realizing her words sounded too sudden and abrupt, she cleared her throat and quickly added,
“I’m worried you might not find the way to the supply and marketing cooperative. Since we’re heading there too, we might as well go together.”
Realistically, even if he didn’t know the way, he could just ask someone for directions—there was no real reason to tag along.
But when he glanced at her hands, he noticed that her slender fingers were lightly intertwined, as if she was nervous and expectant at the same time.
His gaze flickered with amusement.
For some reason, he found himself nodding. “Then I’ll trouble you both.”
“Not trouble at all! Not trouble at all!”
As if trying to prove her sincerity, Cheng Fangqiu quickly repeated herself twice.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she lifted the pumpkin cake and egg in her hands and enthusiastically offered,
“Comrade Zhou, have you had breakfast yet? Do you want one?”
“No need. I already ate.”
Though slightly disappointed at his refusal, she didn’t dwell on it.
“Alright then.”
She unwrapped the oiled paper, revealing a golden-brown pumpkin cake, its sweet scent mixing with the aroma of wheat flour and rapeseed oil.
It was the kind of smell that could awaken deep cravings hidden inside a person.
Rural households were often frugal with oil, but Aunt Chunlan had clearly put in extra effort when making these.
Normally, Cheng Fangqiu had little appetite in the morning and had only taken a few hurried bites before leaving the house. She hadn’t eaten enough.
Now, smelling the fragrant cake in her hands, she swallowed involuntarily.
But remembering that Zhou Yinghuai was sitting beside her, she restrained herself from taking a big bite.
Instead, she cupped the pumpkin cake in both hands and took small, delicate bites.
Zhou Yinghuai knew it was impolite to stare while someone was eating…
But he still couldn’t help but steal a few glances.
She was so beautiful that everything she did was pleasing to the eye.
And not just him—several other people on the bus were secretly watching her too.
A strange sense of displeasure suddenly surged in his heart.
His gaze darkened slightly as he swept his eyes around the bus, noticing a few men openly staring at her.
His expression immediately turned cold.
There was an invisible pressure hidden in his demeanor, something deeply ingrained in his bones.
Even without speaking a word, his mere presence was enough to intimidate.
The moment his sharp gaze swept over them, the men who had been eyeing her suddenly felt a chill.
Feeling the unspoken warning, they hurriedly looked away, not daring to stare anymore.
Beautiful women weren’t unheard of in the countryside.
But someone this stunning?
This was the first time they had seen one.
A few men had even been itching to ask around and learn more about her.
However, when they caught sight of Zhou Yinghuai sitting beside her, they immediately gave up the idea.
After all, the two of them had been chatting so comfortably and naturally the entire time.
Anyone could tell that they were already quite familiar with each other.
Zhou Yinghuai had an outstanding appearance and temperament—why would they humiliate themselves by competing against him?
Feeling the annoying gazes finally disappear, Zhou Yinghuai was satisfied and retracted his gaze, turning back to the woman beside him.
She had unknowingly finished the pumpkin cake, her beautiful eyes half-closed, and her small head bobbed forward little by little.
At this rate, she was about to slam straight into the seat in front of her.
Zhou Yinghuai swiftly reached out to stop her.
The redness on her forehead had only just faded—if she hit it again, it would probably bruise badly.
“Hmm?”
Cheng Fangqiu blinked in confusion, sleepily looking up at him.
She yawned, her voice carrying a hint of embarrassment as she said, “I didn’t sleep well last night… I’m so tired. Thank you.”
As she spoke, her gaze slowly drifted down—to his large hand that was still resting against her forehead.
His palm was broad, his fingers long and slender, but his fingertips bore slight calluses, left behind from years of handling machinery.
The moment he noticed her staring, Zhou Yinghuai jerked his hand away like he had been electrocuted, suddenly feeling awkward.
“You’re welcome,” he said, somewhat stiffly.
Last night, she had been too excited about going to town.
She had tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and just as she had finally dozed off, it was time to wake up and catch the bus.
Now, with a full belly and the gentle swaying of the vehicle, staying awake was nearly impossible.
Cheng Fangqiu pressed her lips together, forcing herself to stay alert.
She wanted to seize this rare moment alone with Zhou Yinghuai and talk to him, build their connection.
But before long, her eyelids started to droop again.
And then… she began bobbing forward like a pecking chick.
She looked pitiful like this—anyone who saw her would feel bad.
Zhou Yinghuai furrowed his brows, watching her struggle against sleep.
He really couldn’t stand it anymore.
After hesitating for a moment, he spoke, his voice uncertain.
“If you don’t mind… you can lean on my shoulder and sleep for a while.”
Her drowsiness instantly vanished halfway.
Her eyes lit up with surprise.
She hadn’t expected him to offer this himself!
Shock quickly turned into barely concealed delight.
Feigning hesitation, she paused for two seconds before asking, “Really?”
The moment she asked, Zhou Yinghuai already regretted it.
He didn’t know how to respond.
But before he could find a way out, she had already tilted her head slightly and leaned against his shoulder.
Her head wasn’t heavy, yet he felt like he was being crushed by a thousand pounds.
Even his breathing became careful, afraid to disturb her.
At the same time, her soft breaths tickled his neck, whispering against his skin and veins like a feather, making it impossible to ignore.
Her strands of hair occasionally brushed against his hand, which was neatly placed on his knee, sending waves of tingling heat through his skin.
And then, as if to push him further into torment, her rosy lips softly mumbled:
“So comfortable…”
Her sleepy murmur drifted into his ears like a breeze, yet it slammed straight into his chest like a sledgehammer.
A place in his chest felt like it was about to explode.
His heartbeat raced wildly, pounding like war drums, crashing against his ribs.
In an instant, his rationality crumbled.
A trace of red crept up his ears.
Before long, his entire ear was burning.