“No need, I just came to bring you some watermelon.”
Cheng Fangqiu smiled as she shoved the watermelon into Xu Qiqi’s arms. “Work today wasn’t too bad, not very tiring. Let’s do it tomorrow, I’m free then.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange to meet her around noon, and I’ll come find you then,” Xu Qiqi said, holding the watermelon, her large eyes curving into crescent moons. “Qiuqiu, thank you for the watermelon.”
Cheng Fangqiu waved at her and rode off on her bicycle.
After returning home, Zhou Yingchen was cooking. Cheng Fangqiu brought the watermelon into the kitchen, planning to cut it after Zhou Yinghuai got back from work. Otherwise, in this weather without a refrigerator, the watermelon would spoil quickly if cut and left uneaten.
But Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t returned yet at this hour, probably working overtime again.
Sure enough, it wasn’t until after 8 p.m. that he finally came back. Zhou Yingchen hurried to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles and cut the watermelon, bringing it out.
The crisp red watermelon was neatly cut into small pieces and arranged on a fruit plate, with a few toothpicks stuck in. It looked refreshingly sweet and delicious. Cheng Fangqiu picked up a piece with a toothpick and handed it to Zhou Yinghuai, her eyes filled with concern. “Eat more.”
These past few days, Zhou Yinghuai had been so busy he barely had time to catch his breath. He left for the technical department before dawn and didn’t return until after dark. After washing up, he would collapse into bed with her and fall asleep immediately.
But there was no helping it. The department was critical, and if they didn’t restore it quickly, it would inevitably affect the entire machinery factory’s operations.
Zhou Yinghuai ate the watermelon from her hand, the sweet flavor slowly spreading in his mouth, softening the stern lines of his face. However, his eyes remained deep and troubled. He raised a hand to rub his temples, unable to suppress a sigh in his heart.
What worried him most wasn’t the damage to the technical department, which required a lot of effort to repair, but the fact that the document he had locked in his cabinet was missing. It was the result of much effort and research since he arrived in Rongzhou, and he had been on the verge of completing it. Now, at this critical moment, it was gone.
If it had simply disappeared, that would be one thing. After all, once things settled down, he, as the creator, could rewrite an identical document. But what he feared most was that someone with ill intentions might take advantage of the situation and use his work for their own gain.
Zhou Yinghuai narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold for a moment.
“I’m talking to you,” Cheng Fangqiu said, dissatisfied that her words had gone unanswered for so long. She nudged his arm and turned to see Zhou Yinghuai staring blankly at the watermelon on the table. He rarely zoned out like this, and she was surprised for a moment before curiosity took over. “What are you thinking about?”
Zhou Yinghuai snapped out of it and shook his head. “Work stuff.”
There was no conclusion yet, and telling her would only make her worry unnecessarily.
Then, a look of guilt flashed across his face. “Qiuqiu, I’m sorry. What did you say earlier?”
“I said I’m going shopping with Qiqi tomorrow,” Cheng Fangqiu repeated her plans with Xu Qiqi and then turned to comfort him. “Don’t think about work after you’re off the clock.”
“Alright,” Zhou Yinghuai said, looking at her seriously and nodding solemnly. His tone carried a faint tenderness that made her ears tingle and burn.
Cheng Fangqiu took a bite of watermelon and turned her face toward the electric fan, hoping to blow away the heat.
After washing up that night, they turned off the lights and got into bed. As soon as she lay down, a pair of warm hands rested on her abdomen, the heat seeping through the thin fabric of her clothes. Once he felt it was enough, he began massaging her waist.
He had been doing this for the past few days, and it had almost become a habit.
But today, Cheng Fangqiu felt a bit uneasy. In the darkness, her long, thick eyelashes fluttered incessantly. She opened her mouth, wanting to say that her period was almost over and that he didn’t need to keep helping her relieve the discomfort anymore.
However, his hands moved with just the right amount of pressure, each motion perfectly soothing. It felt so good that she couldn’t help but bite her lower lip, swallowing all her words.
The air was filled with a faint, sweet aroma of watermelon, a scent unique to summer.
She nestled in his arms, like a little kitten, constantly nuzzling her head to find the most comfortable position. But she didn’t realize that every movement she made was a tremendous challenge for the person beside her.
Strands of her long hair brushed against his skin, shifting positions and creating an intensely ticklish sensation. They swept over the two dormant seeds planted on his chest, soon catalyzing their awakening and transforming them into budding flowers.
Zhou Yinghuai’s breath hitched, his Adam’s apple bobbing twice. The hand resting on her waist unconsciously changed direction.
Sensing something was off, Cheng Fangqiu’s drowsiness faded, and her eyes widened as she reached out to grab his hand.
“Qiuqiu.”
The man’s deep, mellow voice, tinged with hoarseness, sounded in her ear. In the darkness, it was like ink jade striking her eardrums, shrouded in a misty haze, accompanied by uneven breaths.
A sense of ambiguity seeped into the air, and his call was incredibly bewitching.
Cheng Fangqiu was only stunned for two seconds before her chin was captured. The hands that had been massaging her waist now cupped her face, bringing her lips to his. The moment their tongues touched, both their heartbeats quickened.
The urgent, reckless collision made the sound of their teeth clashing particularly noticeable in the silent night.
Cheng Fangqiu didn’t know where to focus her attention—on the lingering, passionate kiss or the softness being bullied into constantly changing shapes. Soon, her head felt dizzy, and she lost track of where she was.
It wasn’t until her pajama bottoms were pulled down that she regained some clarity.
“N-no, we can’t.”
Her stuttered refusal rose sharply in volume when she felt the startling heat, but it was swallowed by him the next second. Only when she calmed down did he release her, then whispered against her lips, “Qiuqiu, I’ll just rub against it on the outside.”
At this point, Cheng Fangqiu didn’t understand the extent of a man’s “rubbing.” She thought it meant a simple, literal friction.
Considering how busy he had been with work lately, yet he never forgot to wash her clothes, even patiently scrubbing her blood-stained underwear clean, she blushed and softly hummed in agreement.
Almost as soon as she spoke, she was gently flipped over. He hugged her from behind, his thin lips pressing against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Cheng Fangqiu instinctively gripped the thin blanket in front of her.
In the darkness, all her senses were amplified to an extreme.
The hem of her clothes was lifted, and rough fingertips traced up her flat abdomen, easily hooking her soft spot and throwing her heartbeat into disarray. Soon, the sound of fabric rustling came from under the blanket, followed by something slipping between her legs…
Cheng Fangqiu held her breath, making the chaotic breaths behind her seem even closer.
“Qiuqiu, close your legs a little.”
There was a fire burning in her heart, a fire in her chest, but neither burned as fiercely as the fire between her legs.
In her daze, the scent of watermelon seemed to grow stronger.
“Is it done?”
“Almost.”
“…”
There’s a saying: when it comes to men’s words, just listen—don’t take them too seriously. After all, their mouths are like devils, full of lies.
—
Yesterday, she was still feeling a sense of loss about not being able to go to work today, but now that feeling had completely vanished. She even felt somewhat relieved that she didn’t have to get up early for work, otherwise she would definitely have been late.
She really didn’t know how Zhou Yinghuai managed to go to work so refreshed after doing such physically exhausting things.
Cheng Fangqiu lazed in bed for a while, but she couldn’t stand the soreness in her legs anymore. She slowly sat up, biting her lip as she glanced around the room.
Last night, when Zhou Yinghuai stopped, he had casually used her pajama pants to wipe away the wet stickiness. As a result, she had slept in just her underwear, and now she had no idea where Zhou Yinghuai had tossed her pajama pants. She looked around but couldn’t find them.
She guessed he had probably taken them to wash when he got up this morning.
Thinking this, she didn’t dwell on it further. Instead, she shyly glanced down at her legs. Her long, jade-like legs, usually a source of pride for her, were now covered in various red marks. There were even two clearly visible bite marks on her thighs.
The most embarrassing part was the area closest to her white underwear, which still bore a faint reddish hue.
Although Zhou Yinghuai had applied ointment last night, there was still a burning, stinging sensation that made her feel too embarrassed to speak of it.
Cheng Fangqiu angrily hit the bedsheet and cursed Zhou Yinghuai a few times before leaning over to check the time on her watch. It was almost 11 a.m. Remembering her plans with Xu Qiqi, she quickly found a set of clothes and changed.
When she stepped out of the bedroom, she realized the house was empty.
Zhou Yingchen had probably gone to the state-run restaurant to finalize the menu for the wedding banquet. He hadn’t been joking when he said he would help with the wedding preparations—he was serious. Especially since Zhou Yinghuai had been so busy with work lately, all the tasks that should have been handled by the groom’s side had fallen on Zhou Yingchen’s shoulders.
There was food prepared on the dining table. After washing up, she could just reheat it in the pot and eat.
She didn’t know how the Zhou family raised their children, but both Zhou Yinghuai and Zhou Yingchen were excellent cooks, especially when it came to northern cuisine. Even in the sweltering summer heat, their dishes could tempt her to eat two extra bowls of rice.
Cheng Fangqiu rubbed her stomach, feeling like she was being fed to the point of gaining weight.
Since she had stayed up late last night indulging Zhou Yinghuai’s antics, Cheng Fangqiu was feeling drowsy. She yawned and had just finished packing the things she might need for the day when Xu Qiqi arrived.
Xu Qiqi had come by bicycle, so Cheng Fangqiu had no choice but to ride her own bike as well. The discomfort of this was something only she could understand.
Fortunately, it was overcast today, with no blazing sun, otherwise it would have been double the torment.
The agreed meeting spot was the west gate of the department store, where there was a designated area for parking bicycles. After locking their bikes, they waited for Xu Qiqi’s middle school classmate.
The girl who arrived was clearly someone who loved fashion. Her long, slightly wavy hair cascaded down to her waist, and she wore a hat on her head, likely intended to frame her face. However, the hat was a bit too small, making her round face appear even rounder and larger.
She was wearing a trendy light yellow dress with a black belt around her waist.
She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but her smile was very endearing.
“Qiqi, it’s been so long! I’ve missed you so much. Oh, why did you cut your hair short?”
Xu Qiqi instinctively touched her hair, too embarrassed to tell the truth, and mumbled, “I just wanted to try a new hairstyle.”