The Jiefang 141 stopped inside Wang Changlin’s workplace compound. Xie Yucheng rode the motorcycle into the yard.
In the compound, Wang Changlin sat in the sun, his leg in a plaster cast propped up. He wore a flashy red dacron shirt. Next to him was a Sanyo tape recorder, and Cai Qin’s song “Your Gaze” drifted softly through the air.
Seeing them arrive, Wang Changlin hurriedly turned off the recorder, his curious eyes darting between the two of them.
Shiqing asked in surprise, “Brother Changlin, what happened to your leg?”
“Nothing, just fell down.”
At that moment, a stunning figure stepped out of the house. The girl wore a high-collared long dress and red chunky-heeled shoes, like a blazing rose.
“Qin Mei, what are you doing here?” Shiqing’s eyes widened in shock.
“Out of humanitarian concern, I came to visit the disabled.” Qin Mei’s voice was clear as she handed a cup of tea to Wang Changlin.
Since meeting at the dance hall last time, Wang Changlin had often visited her, and over time they had become familiar with each other.
Though slightly greasy in appearance, Wang Changlin was undeniably good-looking, with sharp features, tall stature, and a witty personality—not the type of man who would annoy Qin Mei like others.
Recently, Qin Mei had a fever at home, and Wang Changlin had fussed over her, bringing porridge and medicine.
Now that she heard he had injured his leg, Qin Mei felt she had to come visit, even as just a friend.
After sipping some tea, Wang Changlin chuckled and asked Shiqing, “So, you two siblings are…?”
“I’m riding with my brother.” The girl’s eyes curved into crescents, her smile nearly spilling over.
Wang Changlin let out a long “Oh~” and glanced at Xie Yucheng. “Take good care of your sister.”
Xie Yucheng shot him a sharp glance, then slipped his hands into his pockets and went to the dorm to grab the motorcycle keys.
Shiqing whispered to Wang Changlin, watching Xie Yucheng’s back, “Brother Changlin, I want to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Does my brother have a girlfriend?”
Wang Changlin grinned mischievously, shifting his stiff plastered leg. “Do you think he does?”
“I don’t know.”
“He doesn’t. The guy’s pure as jade every day.”
“Huh?” The girl froze, her mouth open, stunned for several seconds.
“Let’s go!” Xie Yucheng came out of the house and tossed the keys aside.
“Oh, okay. Brother Changlin, Qin Mei, I’ll go ahead then.” Shiqing waved and ran to catch up.
Wang Changlin lit a cigarette, quietly watching the pair walk away.
The Jiefang 141 was a tall, heavy vehicle. When Shiqing climbed up, she had to grab the handle beside the door for leverage. Xie Yucheng had already thrown their luggage onto the back sleeper.
He inserted the key, started the engine, and with a rumbling sound, the truck turned around and drove toward the road outside the compound.
The compound returned to silence. Qin Mei moved a small stool to sit nearby and asked, gossiping, “You said Shiqing’s brother is pure as jade? Pure for whom?”
Changlin curved his lips into a sly smile. “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”
Qin Mei glanced at him suspiciously, knitting her brows, but moved the stool closer anyway. Her fair skin glowed softly in the sunlight, the elegant lines of her slender swan-like neck flowing gracefully. Just beneath her collarbone, a small bit of lace from her bra peeked out.
Wang Changlin’s eyes darkened; his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. When she leaned in, he quickly kissed her on the side of the face.
“Wang Changlin, you pervert!” Qin Mei’s cheeks flushed red as she slapped him with hands and feet.
The man dodged, leaning backward. “Hey hey hey, my leg… you hit my leg…”
The first job for the new truck was through an introduction.
Previously, Xie Yucheng had picked up a pregnant woman with mobility difficulties while returning from a run. She happened to be from Ji City, and her husband ran a small factory producing screws and similar hardware.
Recently, the factory got a big order that required delivering a truckload of parts to a border-city regiment factory, and the pregnant woman recommended Xie Yucheng for the job, offering generous transportation fees.
The round trip was over 2,000 kilometers, taking at least ten days including rest.
Shiqing sat in the passenger seat, excitedly looking out the window, though her gaze kept drifting to the man’s muscular frame.
His profile was sharp, jawline taut under a black T-shirt that revealed defined muscles, honey-toned arms, veins visible on the hands gripping the steering wheel—strong and powerful, radiating an indescribable masculine aura.
Xie Yucheng drove in silence. He first headed to the factory to load the goods. Nearing the site, he told Shiqing,
“Take the cigarettes out of the bag in the back.”
She leaned over from between the two seats and handed them to him.
“Outer layer.”
“Got them.” She passed them to him.
Xie Yucheng tossed the cigarettes into his pocket. Two minutes later, the truck stopped at a small factory’s yard. As he opened the door to get out, he remembered Shiqing was still in the vehicle and said to her:
“I’m going to load the goods.”
“Oh, okay.”
He jumped down. A middle-aged man came out of the warehouse to shake his hand. The man handed him cigarettes first, and they chatted briefly.
Xie Yucheng then opened the back of the truck. Several workers carried boxes onto the vehicle, while he organized the cargo from the rear.
Soon, a heavily pregnant woman emerged from the warehouse, smiling as she wiped the middle-aged man’s sweat with a cloth. He hurried to move her to the shade.
Shiqing couldn’t hear much of their conversation but sensed the affectionate tension between them.
Seeing a fair-skinned, pretty girl in Xie Yucheng’s truck, the pregnant woman asked with a smile, “Yucheng, did you bring your wife to do the run?”
The voice carried through the open window, making Shiqing’s ears turn red immediately.
Xie Yucheng replied casually, “Sister Chen, that’s my sister.”
“Oh~” Sister Chen gave a meaningful smile, went inside, and returned with a large watermelon, placing it on a small table outside.
She waved to Shiqing in the truck. “Girl, come down and eat watermelon. Your brother will be busy a while, and it’s stuffy in there.”
Shiqing tucked her hair behind her ear and got out, walking over. Sister Chen cut the big round watermelon and handed her a piece.
“Eat.”
The workers were still moving cargo, and Xie Yucheng was busy. Shiqing hesitated. “I’ll eat with you later.”
“No, no, go ahead. They won’t mind.” Sister Chen took a big bite, gesturing for her to eat too.
The pink-fleshed watermelon was sweet and refreshing, its juice abundant. Shiqing tasted it, sweet both in her mouth and her heart.