The continuous, dense rain was still falling, and the temperature had dropped considerably.
Zhou Yinghuai had only set the fan to the lowest setting. A gentle, cool breeze blew over, lifting Cheng Fangqiu’s long hair in front of her chest, revealing her small face still flushed with a lingering blush. Her stunningly beautiful features became lively and animated because of the breeze.
She happily waved at him, “Zhou Yinghuai, come over here and feel this.”
At this moment, an indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up in Zhou Yinghuai’s heart. He gave a soft, light laugh, walked over, and sat down beside her. The cool breeze brushed against his face, dispelling the summer heat.
Cheng Fangqiu lazily leaned on his shoulder. Now that she had some free time, she finally had the energy to vent to Zhou Yinghuai about the annoyances she had encountered that day. “Guess who I ran into at the tailor’s shop today.”
Hearing the irritation and disdain in her voice, Zhou Yinghuai’s fingers, which had been playing with her hair, paused slightly. His sharp eyebrows furrowed, “Who?”
“That girl who was with Zhao Yanchen’s mom last time,” Cheng Fangqiu knew Zhou Yinghuai had a good memory and surely hadn’t forgotten.
Sure enough, after hearing her words, Zhou Yinghuai picked up where she left off: “I remember. Did she give you trouble?”
As soon as he asked this, Cheng Fangqiu immediately nodded exaggeratedly, tattling, “She came with her mom to get clothes made, right behind us in line. Then she started calling me a fox spirit right off the bat. It made me so mad! And later…”
The more he listened, the tighter Zhou Yinghuai’s brows furrowed. By the end, his eyes were dark, almost ink-like, filled with barely concealed rage and fierceness. He took a deep breath, rubbed the top of her head, and tried to soften his tone as much as possible: “People like this will be exposed as soon as they’re investigated. Qiuqiu, don’t worry, the higher-ups definitely won’t shield them.”
“Mm-hmm.” Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes flickered, and she understood. Seeing his gloomy expression, she hooked her arms around his neck, pecked his lips twice, and blinked innocently like a kitten, softening her voice as she said, “Don’t be upset.”
A sweet fragrance emanated from her body, drifting straight into his nose. Zhou Yinghuai, smelling the familiar scent, felt his anger subside a bit. He held her waist, “Don’t endure it if you’re bullied outside. I’m here.”
After a pause, he added, “If you can’t fight back or argue, just run back and tattle to your husband. Your husband will teach them a lesson for you.”
His unrestrained favoritism gave her all the confidence she needed.
Cheng Fangqiu’s long eyelashes fluttered, and a touch of emotion brushed her heart. She tightened her arms around his neck, her lips curving into a charming smile as she softly said, “What if even you can’t fight back or argue?”
“Qiuqiu, I will always stand in front of you.”
Zhou Yinghuai said this without the slightest hesitation, his words striking her heart fiercely. It made her think of that domineering CEO line:
“If you want to touch her, you’ll have to step over my dead body.”
It was almost the same idea, with a similar meaning.
Cheng Fangqiu burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying his sweet, promise-filled words. She clung to him, refusing to let go, “Husband, you’re so good. I like you so much.”
Her peach-blossom eyes were exceptionally bright, gazing at him with tender affection. Her delicate body swayed against him, and no man could resist such temptation—Zhou Yinghuai was no exception.
The Adam’s apple on his slender neck bobbed. He pressed his thin lips together, raised his hand to hold the back of her head, and then leaned down to kiss her.
This kiss was different from the earlier boldness, filled with utmost tenderness and lingering affection.
—
Zhou Yinghuai’s vacation came to an end after the heavy rain stopped. It was time for him to return to work.
“I made porridge. Remember to eat it when you wake up.”
After changing his clothes, Zhou Yinghuai noticed Cheng Fangqiu blinking her drowsy, wide eyes as she stared at him. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly, bent down to ruffle her hair, and then reminded her, “I’ll bring lunch back at noon, so don’t cook for yourself.”
“Mm-hmm.” Cheng Fangqiu, still half-asleep, nodded blankly and then drifted back to sleep.
The temperature had dropped after the rain. Zhou Yinghuai tucked her in properly and then left the house.
The technical department of the machinery factory was quite far from the residential compound. It took over ten minutes to get there by bicycle. Not long after he arrived, he ran into Zhao Zhigao, whom he hadn’t seen in days.
“Brother Huai,” Zhao Zhigao greeted enthusiastically as he approached. When he got closer, he sniffed the air and asked in surprise, “Why do you smell like medicine? Are you sick?”
Zhou Yinghuai instinctively touched his shoulder, then smiled and shook his head, “No, I just scraped my skin a little, and your sister-in-law insisted on applying medicine to it.”
“Sister-in-law is so thoughtful. Married life really changes a person.”
Zhao Zhigao, who was still unmarried, couldn’t help but look at Zhou Yinghuai with envy. Zhou Yinghuai seemed to be in high spirits, even walking with more energy than usual. How could anyone compete? Brother Huai was already handsome, but now he seemed even more radiant and dashing.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Zhigao noticed something and asked curiously, “What’s this…?”
Zhou Yinghuai followed Zhao Zhigao’s gaze and saw the blue sachet hanging from his waist. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Your sister-in-law gave it to me.”
He then added, “She made it herself. She said there are a lot of mosquitoes in the summer, and carrying this will keep them away.”
Hearing this, Zhao Zhigao suddenly felt a pang of envy. Why had he asked such a question? It was like asking for trouble.
Zhou Yinghuai leisurely walked ahead, carrying his briefcase, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. Zhao Zhigao didn’t notice it. After standing there for a moment, questioning his life choices, he quickly caught up. “Brother Huai, I take back what I said before. A man really should settle down before focusing on his career.”
Just look at Brother Huai! It’s clear how important it is to have a thoughtful and caring partner by your side.
“Then go meet the blind date your mom introduced you to. Stop using me as an excuse every time.” After so many times, even Zhao’s mother had started giving him strange looks. Before he left for the rural aid program, she even mentioned introducing him to a girl.
It was as if solving her son’s boss’s relationship issues would solve her son’s issues too.
Hearing Zhou Yinghuai’s words, Zhao Zhigao laughed awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty. “I had no choice. There are only a few unmarried people in our department, and I’m closest to you…”
“Now there’s one less. You should hurry up too.”
By this time, the two had reached the office area. Many people had already arrived, and when they saw Zhou Yinghuai enter, they all stood up from their chairs to greet him. “Good morning, Brother Huai!”
“Good morning. At the end of the month, your sister-in-law and I are hosting a banquet. If you’re free, come over for a drink.” Zhou Yinghuai took out a stack of invitations and wedding candies from his bag, handing them out to everyone.
“We’ll definitely come!”
“Congratulations on your marriage, Brother Huai!”
The somewhat dull office immediately became lively. After Zhou Yinghuai entered his private office, everyone dared to gather and gossip in hushed tones. “Don’t you think Brother Huai seems like a completely different person now?”
“Of course! Even a big iceberg melts when it meets a great beauty.”
“Did you see the thing hanging from Brother Huai’s waist? Xiao Zhao said Sister Cheng made it herself. Tsk tsk, not only is Sister Cheng beautiful, but she’s also so skilled. I’m so jealous.”
Amid the praise, an inappropriate scoff was heard. “He just married some country girl. What’s there to show off about? Look at how impressed you all are. Such narrow horizons.”
Everyone turned to see a burly man standing at the door. He was eating a meat bun in his hand while scanning the room with his eyes. Seeing everyone lower their heads, he strode into his own office.
“Did Hu Pingsheng eat gunpowder this morning?” someone muttered disdainfully, though they kept their voice very low.
Another person, who seemed to know a bit more, whispered, “Haven’t you heard? After Brother Huai received that award the other day, Hu Pingsheng threw a huge tantrum at home, saying the higher-ups were unfair.”
“Ha! He’s just not as capable as Brother Huai, and now he’s blaming the higher-ups for being unfair. What a joke.”
“Stop talking. If Hu Pingsheng hears, he might make things difficult for you.”
Though everyone was indignant, they didn’t dare say anything more.
Although Hu Pingsheng’s character was lacking, his abilities and background were among the best in the technical department. He was one of the few senior technicians in the factory, and his parents and relatives were also key personnel in the factory.
It could be said that before Zhou Yinghuai arrived, Hu Pingsheng was the unruly little tyrant of the machinery factory.
But there’s always someone better, and everything pales in the face of absolute strength.
Zhou Yinghuai was Hu Pingsheng’s most hated nemesis. So, when the factory was assigning tasks, Hu Pingsheng, disregarding his pride, used his connections to snatch a major assignment in another county. He thought this would be his chance to turn things around and outshine Zhou Yinghuai. However, after going to the countryside, he made a critical mistake due to poor decision-making. Instead of shining, he was scolded harshly by the factory director over the phone.
This embarrassing incident had already spread far and wide, yet Hu Pingsheng still acted as if nothing had happened, strutting around the department like a peacock.
He only dared to bully small fry like them. In front of Brother Huai, he didn’t even dare to make a sound, only venting his frustrations after Zhou Yinghuai had left.
Zhao Zhigao gritted his teeth and stormed into Zhou Yinghuai’s office, vividly imitating the whole incident.
“Brother Huai, did you hear how arrogant Hu Pingsheng is? If you don’t deal with him soon, he’s going to climb over your head and take a dump!”
Zhou Yinghuai was tinkering with a machine in the corner. Hearing this, he didn’t even lift his eyelids. It wasn’t until Zhao Zhigao mentioned the word “country girl” that he finally stood up, his expression cold and fierce. “I know.”
“Know what? You should beat him up good and proper, so he’ll never dare to spout nonsense again.” Zhao Zhigao was so angry that his chest heaved violently, and as he spoke, he even swung his fist in the air a couple of times.
Zhao Zhigao wasn’t exaggerating. He had seen Zhou Yinghuai’s skills firsthand.
Not only could Zhou Yinghuai teach Hu Pingsheng a lesson, but he could also handle ten Hu Pingshengs with ease.
“Beat him up? And then end up in jail eating prison food?” Zhou Yinghuai took off his oil-stained gloves and casually placed them on the shelf, his tone ambiguous.
Zhao Zhigao belatedly realized that his suggestion was like killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of his own. He chuckled awkwardly, “That’s not what I meant. I just want to see him humiliated.”
“What’s the rush?” Zhou Yinghuai opened a locked cabinet, took out a document, flipped through a couple of pages, and then handed it to Zhao Zhigao. “Take a look at this.”
“Huh?” Zhao Zhigao glanced at Zhou Yinghuai in confusion, then took the document. After just a quick scan, his eyes instantly lit up.