“Qiuqiu, my neck feels a little itchy at the back. Can you check if there’s any hair that didn’t get cleaned off?”
Zhou Yinghuai’s words pulled Cheng Fangqiu back from her wandering thoughts. She quickly stopped her wild imagination and stepped forward, though a faint blush quietly climbed up the tips of her ears.
“Bend down a bit.” He was tall, and if both of them stood straight, she wouldn’t be able to see his neck at all.
Obediently, Zhou Yinghuai lowered his head, leaning toward her hand. Instinctively, she reached out and touched his furry head. Sure enough, it was prickly to the touch. Realizing this, her pupils dilated slightly, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
“What’s wrong?” He tilted his head slightly to look at her. With the light behind him, the shadows outlined his side profile, making his features even more defined. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly, softening the aloof sharpness he usually carried.
“Nothing.” Cheng Fangqiu cleared her throat, a guilty flicker flashing through her beautiful eyes. Even if someone were to beat her, she wouldn’t dare admit the absurdly inappropriate thoughts that had just flashed through her mind.
Hearing this, Zhou Yinghuai didn’t suspect anything and lowered his head again.
In this posture, he looked exactly like the golden retriever her friend had in her past life—obedient and adorable, making people want to ruffle his fur just for fun.
Cheng Fangqiu inwardly berated herself for her increasingly derailing thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she focused her attention and pulled open his collar, carefully searching. Sure enough, she spotted a few short hairs tucked beneath his clothes.
They were broken strands, tricky to remove. She rubbed her fingertips over them repeatedly, struggling for a while before managing to gather them all and tossing them into the trash bin in the shop.
She checked several more times to make sure there were no stray hairs left. Just as she was about to announce she was done, her peripheral vision caught sight of something unexpected—his entire neck had turned as red as a ripe apple. The flush spread in large patches from his nape to his ears, down his back…
Almost as if possessed, she reached out and touched his neck. The person under her fingertips gave an almost imperceptible shiver.
Then, his voice rang out, urging, “Are you done?”
His tone was steady, even a little cold.
“Y-yes, all done.”
Cheng Fangqiu lifted her gaze and saw Zhou Yinghuai calmly tidying up his collar. Then, as if nothing had happened, he picked up the items they had bought from the table and casually beckoned her to leave with him.
She blinked and followed after him, but her eyes couldn’t help but drift toward his ears. The crimson hue there was still striking, proving that she hadn’t imagined it.
For a brief moment, Cheng Fangqiu’s heartbeat suddenly quickened, and the corners of her lips curled upward.
So… she wasn’t the only one having some improper thoughts.
The sweltering midday heat had passed, and riding a bicycle with the wind blowing past was no longer too warm. Cheng Fangqiu had the leisure to take in the scenery along the way.
Rongzhou Machinery Factory was one of the top-tier industrial units in the country, occupying a vast area. The production zone and residential zone were distinctly separated, with no interference between them.
Every pathway was lined with lush greenery characteristic of the southern regions, mainly ginkgo and camphor trees. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting scattered circles of light on the ground.
The Chang family lived in a standalone Western-style house near an artificial lake—not too far, yet not too close, to the residential compound.
From the moment she entered this area, Cheng Fangqiu felt like her eyes weren’t enough to take in everything. She was practically jealous to the point of aching teeth.
She really wanted to live in a Western-style house too. Not only was the space bigger, but the privacy was better, the comfort level higher, and—most importantly—it allowed her to stay far away from bizarre and annoying neighbors, reducing unnecessary social interactions.
Even though she knew that once Zhou Yinghuai got transferred back to Beijing, she would get to live in an even better house, she couldn’t help but feel more and more tempted. Unable to hold back, she reached out and poked his lower back.
“Brother Huai, how can we move here?”
Zhou Yinghuai was momentarily stunned before replying, “Supervisors and above.”
“You’re already a senior technician, so isn’t that just one step away?” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes brightened, and she couldn’t help but bury her face against his back, her voice turning soft and coquettish. “Jia you, jia you! (You can do it!)”
“Okay.”
Cheng Fangqiu had expected Zhou Yinghuai to agree, but she hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward—without even the slightest hesitation. He didn’t say anything about how promotions weren’t easy, that positions were limited, or that it would take time…
She froze for a second, feeling a little embarrassed. “Actually, our current place is already pretty nice…”
Ever since he discovered that the neighbors next door were all rather unusual people, Zhou Yinghuai had already been considering moving. So, even if she hadn’t brought it up, he would have worked toward this goal anyway.
Thinking about how his research was nearing success, a look of determination flickered in his deep eyes.
“That’s true.” Cheng Fangqiu nodded in agreement and instinctively rubbed her cheek against his back.
The moment she did, Zhou Yinghuai’s body tensed up for an instant. Fortunately, they arrived at the Chang family’s house soon after, and he was able to park the bicycle, using the opportunity to subtly avoid the soft and distracting warmth behind him.
Cheng Fangqiu, however, didn’t notice his deliberate retreat. Her attention was completely captivated by the Western-style house before her.
The house had a slightly European design, with an intricately carved iron gate at the entrance. The courtyard was lush with greenery, full of vitality—except for one corner where a patch of withered roses drooped lifelessly, looking as if they might completely wilt at any moment.
She took another glance at the flowers before withdrawing her gaze.
A small balcony extended from the second floor, adorned with white lace curtains that swayed elegantly in the breeze, giving the place an almost dreamlike charm.
The windows on the first floor were open for ventilation, with the same lace curtains billowing slightly in the wind, partially obscuring the view inside. But even so, she could vaguely make out the interior.
One glance was enough for her to spot a graceful figure reclining on the sofa. It wasn’t that her eyesight was particularly sharp—it was just that today, Xu Qiqi happened to be wearing a bright red bula ji dress, a color so striking that it was impossible to miss.
Having the house’s owner at home was a good thing for them—it meant they hadn’t come for nothing.
Cheng Fangqiu knocked on the door, and the iron gate let out a sharp, grating sound. The person inside seemed to have heard the noise, sitting up from the sofa and looking toward the entrance. Their eyes met in midair for a brief moment before the woman inside set down whatever she had been holding and quickly ran out.
The door of the Western-style house swung open, and Xu Qiqi appeared at the entrance, her face lit up with a joyful smile.
“Comrade Xu.” Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yinghuai greeted her proactively.
Xu Qiqi responded with a nod, jogging over to open the gate while cheerfully calling out, “Comrade Zhou, Comrade Cheng.”
Then, turning her gaze to Cheng Fangqiu, she grinned. “I thought you two would be too busy after just getting your marriage certificate, so I planned to wait until Comrade Zhou went back to work before coming to visit. I didn’t expect you to come over first.”
“That’s exactly it—there’s a ton of things to handle every day.”
Cheng Fangqiu laughed, her eyes curving into crescents as she echoed the sentiment. Then, she got straight to the point.
“Just now, he and I were at home working on the invitation list, but we got stuck. I don’t know many people here, so I thought of you and your husband since you just had your wedding. I figured we’d come over to learn from your experience.”
“You’ve come to the right person for that!” Xu Qiqi winked at Cheng Fangqiu and took her hand, ushering them inside. “It’s scorching hot outside—don’t just stand there, come in and sit!”
The interior was noticeably cooler than outside. Cheng Fangqiu didn’t openly scrutinize the place, just took a few quick glances before following Xu Qiqi to the sofa. Zhou Yinghuai, meanwhile, set down the items they had bought from the supply store on the coffee table before sitting down as well.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” Xu Qiqi said, playfully rolling her eyes at Cheng Fangqiu.
Cheng Fangqiu waved her hand dismissively, recognizing it as mere courtesy, and smiled. “Just a small token of appreciation.”
Xu Qiqi didn’t dwell on the topic, simply mentioning it in passing before heading to the kitchen to pour each of them a glass of water.
Both women had lively, cheerful personalities—optimistic, open-hearted, and always mindful of their manners. In no time, they found themselves in a natural, easygoing conversation, as if they had known each other for years.
“Qiuqiu, once your Zhou Comrade goes back to work, I’ll take you to that tailor shop in the south of the city. There’s a seamstress there with amazing skills—she made both my wedding dress and that blue dress I wore the other day.”
Xu Qiqi’s excitement was evident as she clasped Cheng Fangqiu’s hands, the curve of her lips impossible to suppress.
“Oh, right! My wedding dress is upstairs—I’ll bring it down for you to see in a bit!”
“That sounds great!” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes brightened. “I was thinking about getting my wedding dress custom-made, but I had no idea where to find a good tailor.”
“Then we’d better hurry. Otherwise, there might not be enough time!”
Xu Qiqi proceeded to explain the general rules and pricing of the provincial capital’s tailoring shops.
First, customers had to bring their own fabric to the tailor and discuss the design with the seamstress. Afterward, they would place a deposit and receive a numbered ticket.
Once the garment was finished, customers would return with their ticket for a fitting. If they were dissatisfied, they could request modifications, but the tailor would only make free alterations twice—after that, additional adjustments would require extra payment.
Finally, the balance would be settled upon pickup—one hand delivering the money, the other receiving the dress.
Since it was the provincial capital, the rules were stricter than in smaller towns, and the prices were also higher. However, according to Xu Qiqi, the quality matched the price—every tailor had over a decade of experience, their craftsmanship was excellent, they worked quickly, and they could accommodate most customer requests.
“Then let’s go tomorrow.” Hearing that time might be tight, Cheng Fangqiu became a little anxious. It was only after she spoke that she realized she hadn’t even asked if Xu Qiqi was free the next day.
Fortunately, Xu Qiqi readily nodded. “Of course! I’ll come find you after breakfast.”
After finalizing the plan, Xu Qiqi suddenly leaned in toward Cheng Fangqiu, sniffed lightly, and asked with a delighted expression, “Qiuqiu, are you using the Friendship brand Snowflake cream?”
“You can smell that?” Cheng Fangqiu instinctively touched her face.
There weren’t many skincare products available in this era, and she didn’t dare use just anything. She had only bought Snowflake cream for basic moisturizing.
The scent of this brand’s cream wasn’t very strong, just a faint fragrance. She had applied it in the morning, so the smell should have long faded by now. How could Xu Qiqi still detect it—and even guess correctly?
“I used that brand for a long time, but later I found it didn’t suit me, so I switched.” Xu Qiqi smoothly scooted closer and sat next to Cheng Fangqiu. “Do you want to try the one I’m using now? I think it’s pretty good.”
Once women start talking about skincare, they just can’t stop.
Before they knew it, they were heading upstairs to check out Xu Qiqi’s collection of “beauty treasures,” completely oblivious to Zhou Yinghuai, who was sitting on a single-seater sofa nearby, his expression darkening with each passing second.