Aunt Chen was chopping vegetables with her head down. Shen’s mom had started stir-frying. Their voices mixed with the sizzling sound from the wok.
—Aunt Chen looked at Shen’s mom and said with a smile: “Madam, I thought you were going to give Zuizui a hard time.”
After all, a few days ago when Shen’s mom came home, her face looked awful. She even complained to the commander that Shen Nan’s wife was clearly still around, yet she didn’t even know when Shen Nan got injured… and from there she went on about other things. Overall, she wasn’t very satisfied with Zhou Zuizui.
Shen’s mom looked at the dish in the wok, lowered her eyes and gave a hum: “I wanted to, but that protective son of mine wouldn’t let me.”
Before the two of them came back, Shen Nan had specially called Shen’s mom and said a few things.
Aunt Chen gave a soft laugh and looked at her: “What did Ah Nan say?”
Shen’s mom gave a cold hum: “That stinky boy told me to be nicer to his wife. Said Zuizui never felt warmth at home, so she can’t come to our family and still get bullied.” Talking about it made her angry again: “Am I some evil mother-in-law? Do I look like someone who would bully Zuizui?!”
Aunt Chen listened and burst out laughing: “Of course not. Madam is the kindest.” She thought for a second and added: “The young master is just worried about Zuizui. Even though Zuizui isn’t perfect, deep down she’s actually a very kind-hearted girl.”
She had met Zhou Zuizui twice, and she often heard Grandpa Shen talk about her. So she probably understood her even better than Shen’s mom did.
Shen’s mom gave a humph-laugh: “One after another, never coming home for years — none of them act properly.”
After saying that, she let out a long sigh: “Honestly, even though I’m not completely satisfied with Zuizui, I don’t hate her that much either. If she wants to go live in the old town, fine. Our health is still good — we don’t need our son and daughter-in-law waiting on us every day. But when Shen Nan got injured… and she was out shopping and having fun? That part… I just…”
Parents always feel the most heartache for their own children.
……
Hearing up to here, Zhou Zuizui quietly backed away.
She lowered her eyelids and tiptoed out of the living room.
She didn’t know exactly how Shen Nan convinced his mom. But it seemed like — whether back when they got married or now — Shen Nan always had the ability to make the elders listen to him completely. If she hadn’t accidentally overheard today, she figured Shen Nan would probably never tell her about this in his whole life.
Thinking about it, Zhou Zuizui looked up at the evening sunset. The sun was setting, and the sky was unbelievably beautiful.
Actually… this place was pretty beautiful too. She just never noticed it before.
She gave a soft laugh, lowered her head and walked to the side.
After wandering around for a bit, Zhou Zuizui decided to head back. Just as she turned around, she saw the man standing not far away. He had his back to the sunset, hands in his pockets, standing under a tree, staring straight at her with burning eyes.
She paused, then lifted her head and walked over.
“Why did you come out?”
Shen Nan glanced at her: “Feeling stuffy inside?”
“Not really.”
Zhou Zuizui asked: “Ready to eat?”
“Almost.”
The two of them turned and headed back inside. Later that evening, Shen’s dad also came home. He was always a man of few words. When he saw them, he just smiled and said one thing: “Looks good.”
After that, the whole family sat together happily eating dinner. But Zhou Zuizui had things weighing on her mind, so she didn’t eat much.
After the meal, they sat with the family for a while. Then Shen Nan said it was time to head back.
Shen’s mom looked at them in surprise: “You’re not staying the night at home?”
Shen Nan nodded: “Probably not tonight. We didn’t prepare anything.”
Shen’s mom pressed her lips together and frowned: “I already made the bed for you two.”
Everyone went quiet for a moment. Suddenly, Zhou Zuizui looked at Shen’s mom: “Mom, I’ll stay here tonight.”
The others: “????”
They all stared at her in shock, finding it hard to believe. Even Shen Nan gave her a sideways glance: “What did you say?”
Zhou Zuizui stayed sitting on the sofa without moving. She leaned closer to Shen’s mom and asked quietly: “Mom, is it okay if I sleep here tonight?”
Shen’s mom looked pleasantly surprised and quickly said: “Of course! Your room has been empty for so long. I just washed and sun-dried the bedding a few days ago and tidied it up. Perfect timing if you want to stay.”
Zhou Zuizui curved her lips into a big smile, looking really happy: “Great, thank you, Mom.”
Shen’s mom glanced at Shen Nan. Shen Nan helplessly sat back down.
Shen’s dad gave him a look: “Shen Nan, come to the study with me.”
“…………”
When Shen Nan came out of the study, he ran right into Shen’s mom.
“Where is she?”
Shen’s mom glared at him: “Stinky boy.”
Shen Nan laughed helplessly, rubbed his nose and called out: “Mom.”
“She’s in your room.”
“Okay.” Shen Nan said: “Thanks, Mom.”
Shen’s mom knew what he was thanking her for. She thought for a moment, then said seriously: “Since you’re husband and wife now, treat it properly. Don’t be like before. Live well together — that’s what matters.”
“Mm.”
Shen Nan went upstairs to his room. When he opened the door and went in, Zhou Zuizui wasn’t there. The next second, he heard the sound of water running from the bathroom.
She was taking a shower.
Shen Nan paused. Thinking about the person in the bathroom, his throat bobbed. He lowered his head, coughed once, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag to calm himself down.
He stood on the balcony with one hand in his pocket. When Zhou Zuizui came out wrapped in a bath towel and saw him, she clearly froze for a second.
“When did you come in?”
Shen Nan didn’t answer. He lowered his head and looked at the woman in front of him.
Zhou Zuizui was only wrapped in a bath towel, standing straight in front of him like that. Her collarbone looked fair and tempting. There were still water droplets on her head, sliding down along her smooth skin, trailing lower until they disappeared under the white bath towel, sinking into the hidden beautiful view beneath.
Shen Nan’s eyes darkened. His Adam’s apple moved up and down: “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”
Zhou Zuizui looked down at herself, raised an eyebrow: “I don’t have any clothes here at your house.”
Shen Nan glanced sideways, walked over to the wardrobe on the side: “Wear mine for now. Mind?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Shen Nan had just opened the wardrobe when Zhou Zuizui followed him over, a naughty grin on her face: “Captain Shen.”
“Speak.” Shen Nan’s voice was very low, like he was deliberately holding something back.
Zhou Zuizui directly closed the wardrobe door, squeezed in front of it, stood right in front of Shen Nan, and looked up at him: “Are you scared of me looking like this?”
Shen Nan didn’t say anything. He slightly lowered his eyelids, staring at the woman he had her trapped against the wardrobe. His two hands were braced on either side of her, making it feel like he had her completely surrounded.
Zhou Zuizui studied his expression. Her eyes flowed with mischief as she raised an eyebrow: “Just admit it.”
Zhou Zuizui didn’t sense any danger at all. She kept provoking him: “Admit it… you’re scared of me wearing like this.”
Shen Nan glanced at the bit of skin showing, gave a cold hum: “Is that so.”
“Isn’t it?”
Shen Nan couldn’t take it anymore. He directly lifted her away, grabbed a shirt and pants from the wardrobe and tossed them to her: “Go change!”
Zhou Zuizui: “……”
She looked at Shen Nan, who still hadn’t lost control, shrugged, took the clothes, and went back into the bathroom. After changing, Zhou Zuizui looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.
She came out, leaned against the doorframe, looked at Shen Nan, hooked her lips into a smile and asked: “Shen Nan, are you doing this on purpose?”
Hearing that, Shen Nan looked up. The moment he saw… Shen Nan instinctively cursed under his breath.
Zhou Zuizui hadn’t put on the pants he gave her. She was only wearing the T-shirt. The shirt wasn’t too long or too short — it just barely covered the top of her thighs.
He looked at her, his eyebrow twitching: “Where are the pants?”
“Can’t wear them.” Zhou Zuizui said: “You know how skinny I am.”
Shen Nan: “……”
This was exactly what it meant to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot.
Zhou Zuizui didn’t care about him anymore. After teasing him, she walked straight to the bed, found the hairdryer and started drying her hair. The buzzing noise filled the room, disturbing Shen Nan’s mind. He tsked, grabbed some clothes from the side, and went into the bathroom.
Once he left, the sly look in Zhou Zuizui’s eyes became very clear.
She had figured some things out. So now she was going to mess with him hard.
……
Not long after, Shen Nan came out. His hair was roughly towel-dried. By now Zhou Zuizui was already lying on the bed playing with her phone.
Shen Nan gave her a deep look, lifted the blanket, and got in from the other side.
Neither of them spoke. After a while, Zhou Zuizui quietly scooted her body closer to Shen Nan’s side. She used her foot to nudge his calf. When he looked over, Zhou Zuizui showed zero fear. She blinked and asked: “Captain Shen, you still haven’t answered my question from earlier.”
“What question?” He played dumb.
Zhou Zuizui laughed. In one smooth move, she flipped over and sat on top of him, raising an eyebrow with clear meaning: “What do you think.”
Her eyes were full of naughty laughter, full of little schemes. She bent down close to Shen Nan’s face: “You’re scared of me wearing like that just now… because you’re afraid you won’t be able to hold back.”
Shen Nan stared at her with burning eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. There was a hint of giving up in his voice: “So what?”
Zhou Zuizui gave a smug smile: “Nothing.” As she spoke, she started to climb off him, moving while saying: “Just feeling a bit proud. Didn’t expect my body to still have some effect. Didn’t expect Captain Shen to also… ah…”
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly let out a sharp scream. Caught completely off guard, Zhou Zuizui was pressed under him again.
She froze, looking up at the man in front of her in shock: “You…”
Shen Nan’s eyes were very deep — bottomless deep. When he looked at Zhou Zuizui like this, for some reason it made her feel a sudden wave of panic.
Maybe she had teased him a little too far.
“What are you going to do?”
“Hm?” Shen Nan tilted his head, looking at her with dark, heavy eyes. In that gaze there was possession, there was aggression. He asked calmly: “What do you think.”