Zhou Yinghuai cupped her face, and though his lips seemed to approach hers slowly and deliberately, only Cheng Fangqiu knew just how fierce and desperate his kiss truly was. He captured her lips roughly, nearly devouring them, entangling them in his own.
The sudden intensity of the kiss made Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes widen. She stared at Zhou Yinghuai in disbelief, but he had his eyes shut, lost in the moment, completely unaware of her gaze.
Or maybe… he was aware, but at this point, he was too embarrassed to acknowledge it.
Because even though it was just a kiss, within mere seconds, his entire body had flushed red—like a freshly boiled shrimp—from the tips of his ears down to his neck. He was clearly born with an elegant, celestial-like appearance, yet when it came to love, he was just a mere mortal, completely at its mercy.
A clueless newbie—why was he pretending to be calm?
But before Cheng Fangqiu could finish laughing at him, she soon found herself unable to mock him anymore.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying her best to steady her breathing and avoid making a fool of herself.
How could she forget?
This was the same man who had dared to hold her hand in front of an entire crowd! Even if he was a novice, he still had his own unique brand of wild, unrestrained passion.
And besides—there was something exhilarating about kissing outdoors. A thrill that Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t quite explain. Slowly, she closed her eyes and, instead of pulling away, reciprocated with her own fiery passion, even boldly flicking the tip of her tongue against his.
Zhou Yinghuai froze for a moment, but then—he quickly took the lead.
The scent of alcohol mingled between them, spreading through their mouths. Soon, Cheng Fangqiu felt herself starting to lose control. Zhou Yinghuai must have noticed as well, because just when she was about to run out of breath, he softened the kiss—his lips brushing gently against the corner of hers, light and tender.
And then—neither of them knew who made the first move—but by the time Cheng Fangqiu snapped back to reality, her legs had already wrapped around his lean waist, her hands cupping his face as she kissed him feverishly.
To call it passionate would be misleading—this was more like two inexperienced people clumsily fumbling their way through a mess of biting and nipping.
Realizing the situation, Cheng Fangqiu felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She quickly tried to adjust herself into a more normal position, but before she could, the man beneath her suddenly lifted his large hands to support her from below, hoisting her up even further—at the same time deepening the kiss.
Clearly, Zhou Yinghuai really liked this position.
And with his tall, well-built frame, holding her up like this was effortless.
If there was one thing Cheng Fangqiu found slightly dissatisfying, it was the pressure beneath her—a hard sensation pressing against her from below, making itself all too noticeable.
At first, she thought it was just his belt pressing into her…
But soon enough, she realized—it wasn’t.
Upon realizing what it was, Cheng Fangqiu’s eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably.
The summer night breeze carried a faint coolness, yet it did nothing to dispel the overwhelming heat of the intimate atmosphere in the small grove.
Under the moonlight, two figures walked along the narrow path, one leading while the other followed. The taller figure’s long legs brushed aside the weeds along the roadside, ensuring they wouldn’t touch the person behind him—a thoughtful and gentle gesture.
Cheng Fangqiu walked quietly with her head lowered, trailing behind him. Yet her gaze kept drifting toward his lips. Even in the dim light, she could faintly see the small, fresh bite mark on them.
Such beautiful lips—now marred by a tiny flaw. What a pity.
But she absolutely didn’t regret it. This guy kissed people like a rabid wild dog, impossible to push away. If she hadn’t thought quickly and bitten him, he’d probably still be clinging to her in the woods, gnawing away!
“If anyone asks, just say you accidentally bit yourself.”
Even though she had already warned him before, Cheng Fangqiu still wasn’t reassured and reiterated her instructions. “Did you hear me?”
Her index finger lightly scratched his palm as she spoke. Zhou Yinghuai obviously felt it—his grip on her hand subtly tightened, shifting from simply holding hands to interlocking their fingers. He turned back to glance at her, eyes dark and unreadable, but obediently responded, “I heard you.”
For some reason, the way he looked at her reminded her of the big yellow dog her uncle’s family kept at home. The thought amused her, and she couldn’t help but curve her lips into a small smile.
The two continued walking under the night sky, slowly making their way back. It wasn’t until they reached the entrance of the Cheng family’s house that Zhou Yinghuai finally stopped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief.
“Oh, Qiuqiu, this is for you.”
Cheng Fangqiu reached out to take it, and upon closer inspection, she noticed that this handkerchief looked very similar to the one she had given him before to wrap his wound, though not exactly the same. Curiously, she asked, “Where’s mine?”
“That one…” Zhou Yinghuai’s gaze flickered. He was too embarrassed to admit that he had secretly tucked it under his pillow like some sort of thief, so he quickly changed the subject. “It got stained with blood and wouldn’t wash out, so I bought a new one for you instead.”
Cheng Fangqiu nodded, not thinking too much of it at first. But then, noticing how guilty he looked, her curiosity was piqued. She narrowed her eyes at him and stared for a moment before a sudden realization hit her.
“You didn’t… go into town today just to buy me a handkerchief, did you?”
Zhou Yinghuai let out a quiet sigh of relief when he realized she was no longer pressing him about the old one. Now that they were officially together, there was no point in hiding things like this—besides, it might even earn him some bonus points in her heart. So, he nodded honestly.
“Mm. I even asked the shop assistant for some recommendations.”
“You’re so thoughtful.”
Her mood visibly brightened, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
Seeing her happy, Zhou Yinghuai secretly made a mental note—giving her gifts makes her smile.
Speaking of the handkerchief, another thought crossed his mind.
“Oh, Qiuqiu, earlier today, I didn’t have time to properly prepare gifts when I visited your home. Everything I brought was chosen in a hurry. Next time, I’ll prepare more carefully.”
“The gifts aren’t important—it’s the person giving them that matters.”
Cheng Fangqiu cast a shy, sidelong glance at Zhou Yinghuai, and upon seeing his ears turn red from embarrassment, her smile deepened.
She wasn’t just saying that to sound polite—she truly didn’t care. After all, this was the countryside, where shopping wasn’t convenient, and most families barely had extra ration tickets to spare, let alone money for fancy gifts.
Most of the time, if someone invited a guest over for a meal, the guest might bring some grain or rice if they were thoughtful. Zhou Yinghuai, on the other hand, had not only brought alcohol and cigarettes but had also done so before they even officially confirmed their relationship. That was already far beyond what most people would do.
Zhou Yinghuai coughed lightly, adjusting his emotions before speaking again.
“Oh, right—the shop assistant also recommended a few other things that girls might like. I put them all in the bag too. When you get home, take a look and see if you like them. If not, we can go pick something else next time.”
The mere thought of going shopping with Cheng Fangqiu openly and confidently made the corners of Zhou Yinghuai’s lips curve upward uncontrollably.
“Wait—those things were for me?”
Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes widened in surprise. If that was the case, then…
Hadn’t she almost completely misunderstood him earlier?
Good thing she hadn’t let her jealousy get the better of her.
Jealousy?
She froze for a second.
Why had she even used that word?
“Mm, who else would I buy them for?” Zhou Yinghuai replied matter-of-factly, his face completely sincere.
Cheng Fangqiu touched the tip of her nose and decided to turn the tables. “Hmph, who knows who you’d buy them for? Maybe someone like Xiao Lian or Xiao He.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Zhou Yinghuai immediately understood what she was insinuating. Without hesitation, he rubbed the palm of her hand gently and explained, “Qiuqiu, I have nothing to do with Shen Xilian. Not in the past, not now, and never in the future.”
“But she obviously likes you and is actively pursuing you.” Cheng Fangqiu refused to let him off so easily. Before, she hadn’t had a proper reason to interfere, but now? Now, she was his official girlfriend. That meant it was time to deal with this pesky rotten peach blossom Zhou Yinghuai had attracted.
“Let me tell you something—a man should uphold proper male virtue. Whether or not someone else likes you is their business, but you need to set clear boundaries. You can’t give them any false hope. If you dare to be two-faced about this, I’ll leave you.”
“Qiuqiu, I will only have you. I will only love you.” Zhou Yinghuai immediately swore his loyalty, his brows furrowing slightly as he added, “I’ve already rejected her very clearly, multiple times. But it hasn’t worked.”
“I believe you.”
On this point, Cheng Fangqiu was completely at ease. After all, even in the original storyline, no matter how unreasonable the original host had been, Zhou Yinghuai never cheated. If he were second to anyone in terms of self-discipline, no one would dare claim first place.
As for Shen Xilian…
“Now that you have me, if she still refuses to back off, just tell her about us directly.”
In the book, Zhou Yinghuai had been forced into marriage with the original host, which made Shen Xilian believe their marriage was a mistake. So she had convinced herself that she needed to save Zhou Yinghuai, which led to the infamous love triangle battle.
But things were different now. The plot had already changed.
If after knowing about their relationship, Shen Xilian still refused to give up and continued chasing Zhou Yinghuai around, then Cheng Fangqiu wouldn’t just sit back and watch.
No one was going to steal her “long-term meal ticket” from her!
“Mm, okay.”
Zhou Yinghuai’s eyes softened, the smile in them deepening at her words—”Now that you have me.”
“Alright, I’m heading back now. See you tomorrow.”
Cheng Fangqiu gave Zhou Yinghuai a quick glance, completely unaware of what he was so happy about. Without giving it much thought, she said her piece and turned to leave.
Maybe it was the effects of the alcohol she drank earlier, but she felt a little lightheaded, and all she wanted now was to wash up and go to bed.
“See you tomorrow.”
Zhou Yinghuai stood still, intending to watch her enter the house. But just as she was about to disappear inside, something crossed his mind, and he took two quick steps forward.
“Qiuqiu, goodnight.”
Cheng Fangqiu paused mid-step, turned her head, and flashed him a bright, sweet smile.
“Goodnight. Be careful on your way back.”
“Alright.”
Zhou Yinghuai watched as her silhouette disappeared behind the door, a strange but undeniable sense of fulfillment welling up inside him.
After tonight, she had him. And he had her.