As time passed, the morning sun slowly rose, casting its light through the glass windows into the bus, illuminating everyone’s faces. There was no exhaustion or numbness in their eyes, only a bright light filled with anticipation for life and the future—full of vitality.
The sleeping girl trembled her eyelashes slightly because of the sunlight. Instinctively, she shifted toward the shade, her delicate, upturned nose brushing against his neck, leaving behind an indescribable, tingling sensation.
Zhou Yinghuai’s Adam’s apple involuntarily rolled up and down, his body temperature gradually rising. His mind turned into a chaotic mess. He took a deep breath, afraid that she would notice his unusual reaction. He tried his best to control himself, remaining completely still.
Fortunately, after a short while, she seemed to find a more comfortable position and quietly continued sleeping.
While exhaling in relief, Zhou Yinghuai couldn’t help but turn his head to look at her. He saw her resting against him with steady breathing, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows, her nose bridge high and straight, her lips naturally red without any embellishment, and her skin as smooth as a peeled egg, radiating a soft, dewy glow under the sunlight.
He had always known how stunningly beautiful she was, how she could… make one’s heart race.
But today, with the two of them so close, that feeling became even stronger.
He was fully aware that they were overstepping boundaries, that this level of intimacy was inappropriate. But looking at her exhausted face, his heart softened inexplicably. He just wanted her to be comfortable. At least, that was the excuse he told himself.
What he refused to admit was that deep inside, a voice was screaming, desperately wanting to be even closer to her.
Such selfish thoughts were not something he could justify.
Zhou Yinghuai curled his fingers slightly, silently convincing himself that he had already checked carefully—aside from the two of them and her younger cousin, there were no familiar faces on this bus. No one knew them. Even if she was resting on his shoulder, even if their actions seemed somewhat intimate, it wouldn’t matter.
Once they arrived in town, he could put some distance between them.
The bus swayed as it traveled along the bumpy country road at a slow pace, yet he wished it would go even slower. But no matter how much he wished otherwise, this road inevitably led to a destination.
The station was now in sight. The bus was maneuvering to find a parking spot. At this moment, the noise inside the vehicle grew noticeably louder. People were jostling around, some bending down to look out the windows, while others rushed toward the door in a frenzy, eager to be the first to get off.
“Don’t push! I’m carrying a child!”
“My eggs! Who crushed my eggs?! Pay for them!”
With so many people packed together, arguments were bound to break out. The bickering and shouting stirred Cheng Fangqiu from her sleep. She instinctively tried to sit up, but as soon as she lifted her head, a sore, numb pain shot through her neck. The sensation was so intense that she nearly gasped out loud.
After staying in the same position for so long, her entire body felt stiff. Just as she managed to regain some composure, a voice came from beside her.
“Awake? We’ve arrived in the county.” Zhou Yinghuai’s voice was calm.
“Mm, thanks. How’s your shoulder?” Her own neck was practically broken; his shoulder must have suffered just as much. Thinking of this, Cheng Fangqiu quickly put on a concerned expression and looked at him.
As expected, Zhou Yinghuai seemed to enjoy her concern. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he even half-jokingly rubbed his shoulder.
“It says it’s fine.”
Cheng Fangqiu hadn’t expected Zhou Yinghuai to have such a humorous side. She let out a surprised chuckle. Just as she was about to say something else, a furious shout rang out from the front of the bus.
“Are you all rushing to be reincarnated?!”
The driver had a fiery temper. On top of that, government jobs like his were stable and secure—there was no ‘customer is king’ mindset here. He had no hesitation in scolding the passengers, showing them no leniency.
“If you keep pushing, I won’t open the door. You can all stay here!”
The moment those words fell, the bus fell into a temporary silence. Most of the passengers didn’t dare to offend someone in his position, fearing that they might not be allowed to ride next time. So, they reluctantly formed a line, getting off one by one in an orderly manner.
“So fierce.”
A low mutter came from beside her. Cheng Fangqiu turned her head to see that Cheng Xiaohua had somehow made her way over. Holding onto the seat for support, she stuck out her tongue playfully and made a funny face toward the driver.
The sight made Cheng Fangqiu laugh.
“Let’s wait a bit before getting off. No need to squeeze with them—safety first.”
“Alright.” Cheng Xiaohua had no objections. They weren’t in a hurry anyway, so waiting inside the bus for a while wouldn’t hurt. She agreed readily and then, as she shifted her gaze, she suddenly noticed Zhou Yinghuai sitting beside Cheng Fangqiu.
Her eyes widened in surprise as if she had just made an earth-shattering discovery. Pointing at him, she stammered for a long moment, seemingly unable to form a complete sentence.
Seeing this, Cheng Fangqiu took the initiative to introduce him.
“This is Technician Zhou, here to assist in our village. Comrade Zhou, don’t you recognize him, Xiaohua?”
“Yes, I know him. The team leader introduced him at the assembly.”
If it had been any other technician, she might not have remembered, but Technician Zhou? She remembered him clearly—there was no other reason than the fact that this male comrade was simply too handsome!
Cheng Xiaohua still vividly recalled the first time he appeared at the assembly for his self-introduction. Dressed in a white shirt, standing tall and straight, he was nothing like the rough men in the village. He was a type of man she had never encountered before.
It was at that moment she finally understood what the books meant by “a refined gentleman.” She thought, perhaps someone like Comrade Zhou fit that description.
If she didn’t already have her fiancé in her heart, she probably would have been just like the other village girls—completely captivated by him.
Yet, this man, whom she regarded as high and unattainable, was now right before her eyes. And if she wasn’t mistaken, hadn’t her cousin just spent the whole journey resting against his shoulder? From the way they interacted, they seemed quite familiar with each other. Before she came over, the two of them had even been chatting!
A thought crossed her mind, and Cheng Xiaohua’s gaze toward them suddenly changed. She had secretly courted someone before, so she could tell—the atmosphere between these two was different!
Of course, it made sense. With her cousin’s beauty, what kind of man wouldn’t be drawn to her? Even Comrade Zhou, for all his stature, was still a man. Liking her cousin was only natural.
If her cousin could marry Comrade Zhou, then…
Straightening her back immediately, Cheng Xiaohua reminded herself that, as her cousin’s family, she couldn’t let her down.
Cheng Fangqiu, however, was completely unaware of Cheng Xiaohua’s mental calculations. She continued speaking with a bright smile.
“That’s good. Comrade Zhou is heading to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things. Why don’t we go together since it’s on the way?”
As she spoke, Cheng Fangqiu wasn’t entirely confident. After all, Zhou Yinghuai was just an unfamiliar male comrade to Cheng Xiaohua. Adding an extra person to the trip might make things awkward.
But to her surprise, the moment she asked, Cheng Xiaohua immediately agreed, nodding like a pecking chick.
“Sure! I know the place well. I’ll lead the way!”
“Then we’ll have to trouble you.” Zhou Yinghuai smiled slightly.
“No trouble at all.” Cheng Xiaohua grinned broadly, waving a hand dismissively.
By now, there weren’t many people left in the bus. Cheng Fangqiu suggested that they could get off, and just as she was about to stand up, Cheng Xiaohua suddenly grabbed her arm and sped up her pace to be the first one off the bus.
Caught off guard, Cheng Fangqiu instinctively glanced back, only to see that Zhou Yinghuai was still in his seat, packing his bag.
Cheng Xiaohua wasn’t usually this impolite—she must have something to say to her privately. Realizing this, Cheng Fangqiu turned to her cousin, only to see her waggling her eyebrows at her meaningfully, pointing at Zhou Yinghuai with her chin, and whispering,
“Is he your man?”
“!?”
Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes widened in shock. Where had Cheng Xiaohua gotten that idea from?! She hadn’t even figured out how to respond when Cheng Xiaohua suddenly smacked her thigh in regret.
“Not yet? You need to step it up! Having a boyfriend from the provincial capital is such a big deal!”
Goodness.
Cheng Xiaohua was young, yet she already had such sharp eyes? She could see through everything?
Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes flickered with thought. Cheng Xiaohua might just be the perfect wingman. So, she nodded.
“I’m working on it.”
“I knew it!” Cheng Xiaohua beamed in triumph, only for her expression to suddenly drop as she remembered something.
“Then what’s the deal with all those rumors in the village about him and that Comrade Shen? Sister Qiuqiu, you can’t…”
“That’s not his girlfriend at all. He doesn’t like her.”
On this point, Cheng Fangqiu was absolutely certain—not only from what she had read in the book but also from her own observations over the past few days. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have continued making her move on Zhou Yinghuai.
She, Cheng Fangqiu, was not about to become a homewrecker that everyone cursed at!
“I knew it!” Cheng Xiaohua huffed. “But my mom keeps saying they’re a perfect match.”
After saying that, she suddenly realized her words might have hit Cheng Fangqiu’s sore spot. A trace of awkwardness flashed across her face, but she quickly followed up with a declaration of loyalty.
“Sister Qiuqiu, I’m rooting for you guys!”
Cheng Fangqiu didn’t mind at all. Whether two people ended up together wasn’t about how much support they had. If that were the case, wouldn’t all the celebrity couples from later generations have ended up married?
“I’ll find an excuse to leave you two alone later. Sister Qiuqiu, just go for it!”
Excitement shone in Cheng Xiaohua’s eyes, making her look even more eager than Cheng Fangqiu herself.
Cheng Fangqiu’s lips twitched, but she was more than happy with this development, so she nodded in agreement.
Just as they finished whispering, Zhou Yinghuai stepped off the bus with his bag. He seemed mildly curious about what they had been discussing, but since neither of them brought it up, he didn’t ask.
“The supply and marketing cooperative is this way.”
Cheng Xiaohua took the lead, rushing forward like a firecracker that had just been lit. In a flash, she darted ahead, leaving Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yinghuai trailing far behind.
Seeing this, Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead. Seriously? Did she have to create an opportunity for them this obviously?
For a moment, she wanted to take back what she had said about Cheng Xiaohua being a great wingman. She was a “divine” assist, just not in the way Cheng Fangqiu had imagined.
“Haha… Why is she walking so fast?” Cheng Fangqiu could only let out an awkward laugh to ease the tension. But saying that somehow made the atmosphere even stranger. Pressing her lips together, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
Even if Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t realized it at first, after observing their reactions, he gradually pieced things together. Watching Cheng Fangqiu looking like she wanted to dig a hole and hide in it, he curled his hand into a fist and placed it against his lips, discreetly covering the slight upward curve of his mouth. Then, he took the initiative to change the topic.
“Let’s go too.”
“Alright.” Cheng Fangqiu took a deep breath, forcing a smile.
They tried to catch up to Cheng Xiaohua, but somehow, whenever they sped up, she seemed to sense it and increased her pace as well. It was as if she had eyes on the back of her head. Before long, the two groups were left panting from the chase.