Night had fallen. The sky, as dark as ink and smooth as jade, was studded with twinkling stars. The moon had climbed to the treetops, and a gentle breeze stirred, causing the ginkgo leaves to sway, disrupting the orderly patterns of light and shadow on the ground.
Zhou Yinghuai stepped out of the bathroom, already fully dressed. As he walked, he used a towel to rub his damp, short hair.
After just two seconds of rubbing, he felt the room was too quiet. He paused his movements, lifted his gaze toward the dining table, and saw that the person who had been lively and noisy not long ago was now lying there fast asleep.
She was sleeping soundly, her eyes shut tight, long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her fair face. Because of the warm weather, her cheeks were flushed. The neatly tied, fluffy braid from the day had loosened a little, and a few strands of hair clung to her lips, the dark strands making that spot appear even redder and more full.
She must have been truly exhausted today.
Zhou Yinghuai’s gaze softened considerably. Seeing her sleep so soundly, he didn’t disturb her and instead lightened his movements as he stepped out the door.
—
Almost all the leadership would be attending this commendation conference, and no one dared to be late, so they had arrived early. When Zhou Yinghuai arrived, quite a few people were already seated. He glanced around, found his designated seat, and walked toward it.
Before he could reach it, a hand suddenly draped over his shoulder from behind. He didn’t even need to look—he already knew who it was. Sure enough, the next second, Zhao Zhigao’s cheerful voice rang out from behind.
“Brother Huai, you just got here too?”
Zhao Zhigao had gone for a haircut yesterday. Under the indoor lighting, the stubble of his buzz cut reflected a faint sheen.
“Mm.” Zhou Yinghuai nodded, giving Zhao Zhigao an extra glance. He was already contemplating whether he should get a haircut himself. Having been so busy in the countryside that his feet barely touched the ground, he hadn’t had time for one. Now, his hair had grown quite a bit longer.
“You and sister-in-law went furniture shopping today? After work in the afternoon, I took my mom to the supply and marketing cooperative, so I wasn’t at the factory. Otherwise, I’d definitely have come to help.”
A hint of regret flashed across Zhao Zhigao’s face—Brother Huai rarely needed help with anything, yet when he finally did, he hadn’t been there!
Zhou Yinghuai didn’t take it to heart and waved it off. “It’s fine, we got it done early.”
“Then when you hold the banquet, I’ll come and help.” Zhao Zhigao was eager, his eyes shining brightly. He wasn’t married yet, so he was at the prime age for being a dedicated helper—no, wait, being a best man!
The only question was whether Brother Huai would invite him.
Seeing his expectant look, a trace of helplessness flickered in Zhou Yinghuai’s eyes. He patted Zhao Zhigao’s shoulder and said slowly, “That day, I might need to trouble you to be the best man…”
Before he could even finish speaking, Zhao Zhigao was already nodding repeatedly. “Leave it to me!”
His excitement made it seem like Zhou Yinghuai had promised him some huge reward.
Their conversation didn’t last long. Since the meeting was about to begin and their seats weren’t together, they soon went their separate ways. Zhou Yinghuai sat down, lost in thought, seeming somewhat distracted. From time to time, he would raise his wrist to glance at his watch.
His unusual behavior attracted quite a bit of attention. After all, he was usually the most attentive one at these meetings. As expected, married men really were different—clearly, he was eager to go home and accompany his wife!
Finally, after the long-winded speeches from the leadership, the conference reached the key award ceremony. As expected, he received an award. After going on stage to give an acceptance speech, he collected his certificate and prize before stepping down.
By this time, the meeting was nearing its end. Suddenly remembering something, Zhou Yinghuai turned his gaze to the man delivering the closing remarks at the front. As soon as the meeting ended, he immediately walked over.
—
Cheng Fangqiu slept so soundly that if not for the protest from her numb arm, she might have continued sleeping indefinitely.
“Hiss—” She rubbed her tingling, aching arm and legs, slowly opening her eyes. There was still a trace of grogginess in her gaze from just waking up. Her surroundings were dim, and she sat in place for a while to regain her senses before fumbling toward the door in the moonlight and turning on the light.
The warm, yellow glow illuminated the room. Looking at the newly refurbished home, Cheng Fangqiu suddenly felt that today’s exhaustion wasn’t so bad after all.
She stretched lazily and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. At this hour, Zhou Yinghuai’s meeting was likely still ongoing, so she decided to take a bath first and then tidy up the bedroom.
But halfway through, she suddenly remembered—Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t eaten dinner yet.
She, on the other hand, had eaten a bowl of plain noodle soup at the state-run restaurant earlier, then nibbled on some snacks afterward, so she wasn’t too hungry.
But what about him?
He had been busy all day, doing nothing but physical labor. Aside from the food he had at noon, he didn’t seem to have eaten anything else.
Cheng Fangqiu bit her lip, changed direction, and went into the kitchen.
The groceries they had bought at the supply and marketing cooperative that afternoon were still haphazardly piled on the counter. No one had had the time to put them away. She sorted them into the cabinets first, then took out a few ingredients she needed. Only after making the kitchen look somewhat presentable did she start figuring out how to use the stove.
This stove was different from the rural clay stoves and unlike the modern gas stoves she was familiar with from the future. It took her a while to figure it out.
Since it was already late, cooking rice would be too troublesome. Cheng Fangqiu decided to make a bowl of tomato sour soup noodles for him—it was quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious. Back when she lived abroad, she often made this whenever she got hungry at night.
She washed and chopped the vegetables, cleaned the pots, bowls, and utensils, and prepared everything so it would be ready to cook. But since Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t returned yet, and leaving the noodles sitting for too long would ruin their taste, she hesitated and ultimately decided to wait for him to come back before cooking.
After waiting for five more minutes without seeing him return, Cheng Fangqiu decided to go take a shower and wash her hair first.
There was no air conditioning in the house, no showerhead—taking a bath and washing her hair felt like a full-on battle. By the time she was finally done, she realized with horror that she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. She closed her eyes, feeling utterly defeated by her own stupidity.
The worst part was—she had reminded Zhou Yinghuai about this very thing when he was about to take a shower earlier!
Taking a deep breath to console herself, she reassured herself that since Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t returned yet, she was still the only person in the house. She could just run out quickly, grab her clothes, and get dressed—no big deal.
Still, standing there completely naked felt a little too embarrassing. So, she unfolded the towel and wrapped it in front of her chest, sneaking out of the bathroom like a thief. The house was still silent. She dashed toward the corner where their clothes were stored, found one of Zhou Yinghuai’s oversized shirts, and let go of the towel, just about to pull the shirt over her head when—
A faint sound came from the door—the lock turning.
“!”
Just as Cheng Fangqiu was about to grab her clothes and dash into the bedroom, it was already too late. The door swung open, and Zhou Yinghuai appeared at the entrance, carrying an armful of pink and purple roses. His tall, upright figure was clad in a deep blue work uniform, his brows and eyes as refined as a painting, laced with a subtle gentleness.
The balcony door was ajar, allowing a breeze to sweep in, causing the delicate roses to sway gracefully. Against this backdrop, his features became even more mesmerizing—like a celestial god of flowers from the heavenly realm, unparalleled in beauty, his jade-like face exuding an irresistible charm.
Everything about the moment was romantic—if one ignored the fact that she was standing there, gripping the hem of her clothes to shield her bare body in a flustered panic.
Their gazes collided in midair. Zhou Yinghuai’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, clearly not expecting to be met with such an exquisite and vivid sight upon opening the door. He froze for a moment, but quickly recovered, his reflexes swift as he reached behind him and shut the door, leaving only a faint gap in his wake.
Due to the sudden movement, a few petals from the roses in his hands trembled loose, drifting silently to the floor and brushing against his trouser leg before settling.
Cheng Fangqiu snapped out of her daze, her face turning an alarming shade of red. Her legs trembled as she bolted toward the bedroom.
Bang!
The bedroom door slammed shut behind her, sealing away the awkward yet tantalizing atmosphere lingering in the air.
Zhou Yinghuai remained standing where he was, staring at the door for a long time. But his mind was still fixated on the expression of panic on her face, and, of course, that stark expanse of delicate whiteness.
His Adam’s apple bobbed twice, and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his breathing, which had unknowingly grown heavier. Then, he strode toward the dining table and placed the flowers down.
The meeting had ended long ago—he had been late because he had gone to a colleague’s house to dig up these rose bushes for her. But he never expected to return home to… this.
Under the warm, orange light, the cold sharpness in his features softened slightly. His fingers curled briefly before he abruptly turned around and entered the bathroom. He washed off the dirt from his fingers, quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, and, remembering how much she valued cleanliness, even removed his clothes and used the leftover warm water to wipe himself clean in certain places.
By the time he finished all of this, the bedroom door still hadn’t opened. Without hesitation, he strode toward it. Just as his hand touched the doorknob—
The door was pulled open from the inside.
The two of them nearly crashed into each other.
Cheng Fangqiu’s face was still flushed, and her long eyelashes quivered as she suddenly came face-to-face with Zhou Yinghuai. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then murmured, “I forgot to bring clothes, so…”
Before she could finish—
A startled cry filled the air.
The world spun, and the next thing she knew, she was slung over his shoulder.
She had opted for his white shirt, thinking its length would reach her knees, so she had only worn a pair of panties underneath. Now, her long, pale legs kicked in midair, leaving a flurry of afterimages.
Due to her struggling, the oversized shirt kept riding up, revealing a corner of the delicate floral fabric beneath.
Zhou Yinghuai’s eyes darkened slightly. He swiftly placed her down on the bed before leaning over her, his long fingers moving unhurriedly as he undid the buttons of his work uniform—as though he were meticulously sculpting a work of art.
The bedroom lights were bright, illuminating every one of his movements before her eyes.
Cheng Fangqiu instinctively tried to shrink backward, but he was kneeling loosely over her waist, applying no pressure yet still rendering her unable to escape. Watching his deliberate actions, she unconsciously swallowed.
He was backlit, yet his narrow eyes gleamed sharply, his sculpted features carrying a seductive undertone of dangerous allure. One careless move, and she would fall right into his grasp.
His striking looks, paired with his gradually exposed, godlike physique, made Cheng Fangqiu admit—she could feel an uncontrollable heat surging within her, an ember threatening to ignite into an uncontrollable wildfire.
Just as she was staring at him in a daze, Zhou Yinghuai paused mid-motion while taking off his shirt and suddenly chuckled.
“Qiuqiu, help me with my belt.”
“Ah?” Cheng Fangqiu snapped out of her daze, her fingers instinctively tightening around the bedsheet beneath her.
He smirked helplessly. “It’ll be faster this way.”
Her face turned a deep shade of red.
What did he mean by that?! He made it sound like she was the one who was eager! Wasn’t it him who suddenly launched an attack?!
If he was in such a hurry, why didn’t he just hurry up and undo those damn buttons himself?!
Slow and deliberate—who was he trying to seduce?!
Though she silently cursed him in her heart, her fingers still trembled as they reached forward.