In the telephone room, there was only a small lamp, its pale yellow light casting a dim glow, making Zhou Yinghuai’s face appear even more jade-like. His eyes were covered, but he didn’t seem to mind at all, even slowly curling the corners of his lips.
His eyelashes were long and thick, brushing against her palm as they fluttered, leaving behind a tingling sensation.
Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t help but curl her fingers slightly, her gaze falling on his face. From her angle, she could see his tall and straight nose, his pale pink thin lips, and his perfect jawline.
Zhou Yinghuai’s figure was tall and upright, and the work clothes he wore fit him as if they were tailor-made, further accentuating his broad shoulders, narrow waist, firm buttocks, and long legs
.
With such male beauty before her eyes, it was truly a challenge.
“Alright, he specializes in northern dishes. If you find them unpalatable, just have him learn more of your local specialties. He’s quite clever; he’ll pick it up quickly.”
“Okay, I’ll teach him when I have time.”
Cheng Fangqiu forced herself to calm down and respond to the voice on the other end of the phone.
However, so that both of them could hear the voice on the phone, they were standing very close to each other, close enough to smell the identical scent of soap on each other’s bodies. The fresh and elegant fragrance spread through the air, still making one’s heartbeat quicken involuntarily.
“Qiuqiu, if Yinghuai dares to treat you poorly, just call and let us know. Your parents will stand up for you.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s attention was drawn away by Liu Suhe’s endless chatter, temporarily forgetting about Zhou Yinghuai, this male enchantress. She chatted seriously with her mother-in-law, but after a while, her arm began to ache, so she simply pushed his head aside with a slight force and then tilted her own head to avoid his pitiful gaze.
Before she could open her mouth to respond, Zhou Yinghuai, who was beside her, leaned in close to her ear and called out helplessly, “Mom!”
His sudden closeness made Cheng Fangqiu’s body stiffen instantly, even her breath held. Her ears turned slightly hot, her eyelashes fluttered, and as she turned her head, she met his slender neck, faint veins visible, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he spoke.
In the cramped space, he enveloped her completely, almost swallowing her up.
“Don’t stir up trouble between your son and your daughter-in-law, okay? We’re doing just fine.” Zhou Yinghuai’s tone rose at the end, clear and warm, seemingly joking, but if one listened carefully, there was a strong sense of protectiveness in his words.
It was hard to tell whether he was speaking specifically for Liu Suhe to hear or deliberately for Cheng Fangqiu to hear.
But in any case, both women were coaxed into smiling.
“Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore. It’s getting late, let’s chat again next time when you’re free. You two should hurry back and rest.” Liu Suhe could clearly hear the doting tone in her son’s voice. As long as she knew that the young couple was doing well, she was reassured.
“Okay, you and Dad should rest early too. Goodnight.”
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Fangqiu could no longer stand the scorching heat radiating from his body and took half a step back, her face red as she asked the attendant how much it cost.
The attendant had worked here for a long time and had seen all kinds of phone calls, but he still couldn’t help but chuckle. Moreover, he knew Zhou Yinghuai, the famous technician at the factory, and couldn’t resist teasing, “Comrade Zhou, happy newlywed life. You two seem really close.”
“Thank you. Come have a drink at our wedding at the end of the month.” Zhou Yinghuai also smiled, generously pulling out an invitation from his pocket and handing it to the attendant, who was flattered and quickly agreed, “Alright, I’ll definitely come.”
Cheng Fangqiu was somewhat impressed by Zhou Yinghuai’s thick skin and couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.
After chatting briefly with the attendant and paying the fee, the two of them strode out of the telephone room.
On the way back, Cheng Fangqiu glanced toward the corner by the big tree and didn’t see anyone. The little girl must have already gone back. Thinking of this, she let out a slight sigh of relief.
Zhou Yinghuai noticed her staring at something and followed her gaze, but didn’t see anything unusual, so he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Fangqiu briefly recounted what had happened earlier and sighed, “It’s quite pitiful.”
“Such things are all too common.”
Both of them fell silent, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive. Cheng Fangqiu sighed, then felt her fingertips being enveloped by a pair of warm hands. She looked up and met his starry eyes.
“Let’s go, home.”
“Mm, let’s go home.”
That night, the two of them slept soundly and honestly, a rare occurrence. The next morning, they even got up together and went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy groceries.
“Oh, Comrade Zhou, Comrade Cheng, you’re here to buy groceries too?”
“Your wife is so beautiful. When will you come visit our house?”
“Sure, we’ll definitely come to your wedding banquet.”
As they wandered around, they handed out quite a few invitations and got to know many neighbors from the residential building, making it a fruitful trip.
“Are you really going to teach me how to cook?” Zhou Yinghuai looked at Cheng Fangqiu, who was wearing an apron and ready to get to work, his eyebrows slightly raised. His deep, magnetic voice carried a hint of surprise.
Cheng Fangqiu was tying up her hair, her nimble fingers gathering her black locks into a full, fluffy bun atop her head. The morning light streamed through the kitchen window, falling on her fair and pretty face, making her glow and impossible to look away from.
She shot him a coquettish glance, her red lips pouting slightly as she hummed, “So someone won’t tease me about it later.”
She still remembered the teasing look in his eyes from last night.
Zhou Yinghuai coughed lightly, touched the tip of his nose, and took out another apron from home, putting it on. When it came time to tie the strings, he paused, then walked over to her and turned around. “I can’t reach, help me tie it.”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu looked at the two long strings hanging down to his calves and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
“Qiuqiu?” He even urged her with a calm expression.
Was this man’s face getting thicker by the day?
Cheng Fangqiu sighed helplessly, bent down, picked up the two strings, and tied a neat bow behind his back. In the process, her fingertips inevitably brushed against his waist, and she almost immediately noticed his entire body tense up.
Tsk, asking for trouble.
She silently curled her lips, and after tying the bow, she deliberately slapped his firm buttocks, “Done.”
The dull sound of the slap echoed in the quiet kitchen. Cheng Fangqiu looked up and saw his reddened ears, but she pretended not to notice, turning away to grab ingredients and avoiding his gaze, secretly laughing and cursing him for deserving it.
After who knows how long, he finally moved closer to her again, “I’ll do the cutting.”
The pork was greasy and would get oil all over her hands. She had originally planned to have him do the cutting, so now that he offered, she naturally agreed readily and ran off to wash the vegetables.
Since she still had to go to the tailor shop with Xu Qiqi later and didn’t know when she would come looking for her, Cheng Fangqiu decided to just make a simple breakfast.
Minced pork with tofu, tomato and egg rice noodles, and a stir-fried seasonal vegetable dish.
It was simple to make and wouldn’t leave her smelling heavily of oil.
This time, Cheng Fangqiu took charge of the cooking from start to finish, only letting Zhou Yinghuai assist on the side. He obediently stood by and watched her cook, though his eyes never left her.
“Alright, take it out.”
Cooking in the summer was exhausting and laborious. In those days, kitchens didn’t have range hoods or air conditioning, relying solely on a window to vent heat and oil. She was already drenched in sweat by the time the last dish was done, and she quickly ran out of the kitchen. As she wiped her face with a towel, she suddenly regretted volunteering to make breakfast that day.
Soon after, Zhou Yinghuai brought out all the dishes. Seeing how hot she was, he even went to the bedroom to get a fan and sat beside her, fanning her. “Your face is all red from the heat. I’ll do the cooking from now on.”
“Really?” Cheng Fangqiu treasured her face the most and hurried to the bathroom to check in the mirror. Seeing that it wasn’t too bad, she relaxed. Now, she didn’t bother pretending to be the dutiful wife anymore and clung to Zhou Yinghuai’s arm, cooing, “I knew my husband was the best.”
Zhou Yinghuai smiled faintly, his eyes flickering as he patted the back of her hand, “We still need to buy an electric fan from the supply and marketing cooperative.”
“But don’t we lack the coupons for it?”
In those days, buying most things required providing coupons. Even if you had enough money, without the coupons, the sales clerks at the supply and marketing cooperative would rather let the items gather dust in the warehouse than sell them to you.
“I’ll go ask my colleagues to exchange for some later,” Zhou Yinghuai said. He had originally planned to ask his colleagues after the holiday, but now it seemed he couldn’t wait any longer. Without an electric fan at home, the hot weather was unbearable. He didn’t mind it much, but she couldn’t handle it.
“You’re not coming with us to the tailor shop?” Cheng Fangqiu blinked her eyes.
“You two girls go together. If I tag along, you’ll both feel awkward. Besides, I can take this opportunity to hand out the invitations.”
Cheng Fangqiu was surprised that Zhou Yinghuai could say something so “considerate.” Her beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she realized belatedly that it was because of what she had said to him yesterday. She leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek, her smile as bright as a flower, sweetly calling out, “Thank you, Brother Huai.”
Feeling the wetness on his cheek, his gaze swept over her delighted face, and the corners of his lips curved upward.
Not long after the two finished eating, Xu Qiqi arrived. She was wearing a white floral blouse with a collar, blue straight-leg pants, and a blue silk scarf tied around her neck, looking stylish and beautiful.
“Your outfit looks really nice,” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes lit up, but she couldn’t help worrying, “Qiqi, aren’t you hot?”
“N-no, I’m not hot,” Xu Qiqi’s face flashed with discomfort, and she instinctively reached up to adjust her scarf. “Let’s go, we’ll take the bus today.”
“We’re not biking?”
Cheng Fangqiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had originally planned to suggest taking the bus and was worried that Xu Qiqi would insist on riding bicycles. She had been trying to think of a reason to refuse.
Although she had taken medicine, she still felt some soreness down there. Riding a bicycle under the scorching sun for so long would have been an indescribable torture.
“Yeah,” Xu Qiqi nodded, as if afraid Cheng Fangqiu would press further, she quickly added, “The weather’s too hot, and we’ll be carrying fabric. Taking the bus will be more convenient.”
Cheng Fangqiu quickly agreed, “Exactly, it hasn’t rained for many days in a row. It’s so hot it’s almost unbearable.”
After saying that, she invited Xu Qiqi to sit for a while as she went to grab her bag and the fabric she had bought earlier.
Zhou Yinghuai poured a glass of water for Xu Qiqi. The two of them weren’t very familiar, so they only exchanged a few polite words. When Cheng Fangqiu came out, the two women left, and he saw them off downstairs before returning home.