After getting into the car, Su Qiu spotted the Eight-Treasure Compass gold car ornament hanging from the rearview mirror at a glance.
Zhou Jingqian had actually put it to use—he hadn't just been humoring Grandmother to make her happy.
The car's interior was a black-and-gold two-tone design, and that touch of gold lent it an inexplicable air of cold, refined luxury.
Su Qiu reached out and gave the compass a little flick, smiling silently.
Carrying the smell of alcohol and various perfumes, Su Qiu wanted nothing more than to shower the moment she got home.
The two little bunnies hadn't seen their owner all day. At the sound of movement, they immediately scampered over.
But Su Qiu didn't pick them up, not wanting to transfer the scents onto them—otherwise, she'd end up inhaling them again when she buried her face in their fur.
"I'll play with them. You go shower."
Zhou Jingqian bent down and scooped one up in each hand, cradling the two fluffy bundles in his palms.
Truly a harmonious family of four—a perceptive father was indispensable.
Little Gray had already grown familiar with Zhou Jingqian's scent and nestled quietly in his hand. Little White also stayed put, but purely out of cowardice, too scared to move.
Zhou Jingqian carried the two little ones back to their dedicated room and refilled their rabbit food.
The two tiny creatures immediately buried their heads and started munching away.
Thinking that Su Qiu might continue their hug when she came out of the shower, Zhou Jingqian went to the guest bedroom to wash up as well.
By the time Su Qiu emerged from the master bedroom with a drying cap wrapped around her hair, Zhou Jingqian had already changed into his pajamas and was sitting on the sofa.
"Want me to dry your hair for you?"
His tone always carried a gentle, consultative quality—no hint of aggression whatsoever.
Su Qiu nodded without refusing.
Zhou Jingqian fetched the hairdryer and sat on the sofa to dry her hair. Su Qiu's hair was long, reaching her waist—never dyed or permed, fine and soft.
This was Zhou Jingqian's first time drying someone's hair. His long fingers threaded through her locks, movements careful, not tugging a single strand painfully.
His fingertips occasionally brushed against the nape of her neck before naturally moving away. Su Qiu squinted her eyes in contentment.
The two little rabbits hopped over again. Su Qiu scooped them into her lap and deliberately swept the ends of her hair across their faces, making them rub their cheeks with their paws.
Su Qiu couldn't help but laugh.
Zhou Jingqian turned his head to look at her.
She really seemed to be in a good mood now. The hug probably wasn't going to happen after all.
Once her hair was dry, Zhou Jingqian put away the hairdryer.
Su Qiu turned her head. "I still need to apply hair oil to the ends."
Zhou Jingqian stood up. "I'll get it."
Su Qiu reminded him, "It's the bottle with the yellow liquid."
There were countless bottles and jars on the vanity mirror.
Zhou Jingqian was somewhat puzzled—how could such a palm-sized face possibly need all these products?
He scanned the collection and picked out the small yellow bottle.
He also casually capped the few spray bottles that had been left open and straightened up the rest of the containers.
Su Qiu reached for the bottle, but Zhou Jingqian didn't hand it over. "Let me."
He had a habit of seeing things through to the end.
Su Qiu tilted her head. "You know how?"
Zhou Jingqian readily replied, "You teach me."
Su Qiu laughed and actually started teaching him. It was simple enough—pour a little oil into the palm, rub it in slightly, then apply it to the ends of the hair.
Zhou Jingqian followed every step with earnest care.
Su Qiu sat with her back to him, reminded of the only person who had ever taken such meticulous care of her hair—Grandmother.
Her biological father had dried her hair once, but he'd nearly gotten the ends tangled in the hairdryer.
Back then, Su Qiu had been lying on Grandmother's lap, and Grandmother had stroked her head while saying softly, "When I'm gone someday, who will dry our little Qiu's hair?"
Su Qiu had let a few tears fall back then, wiping them away secretly, then putting on a stern face and forbidding Grandmother from saying such things.
Now she wanted to tell Grandmother—look, there's Zhou Jingqian now.
"Done."
Zhou Jingqian capped the hair oil bottle.
Su Qiu lifted a strand of hair and sniffed it. A faint, pleasant fragrance.
The two of them were quiet for a moment, with only the two little rabbits hopping around on the sofa.
Zhou Jingqian got up, went to the kitchen island, and poured himself a glass of water. After drinking it, he filled another glass halfway with warm water and brought it over to Su Qiu.
Su Qiu took it and sipped slowly. The half glass was soon empty, and she licked her now-moistened lips.
Her gaze swept inadvertently past him.
Zhou Jingqian's arm rested naturally along the edge of the sofa, his palm relaxed, as if waiting for something.
Su Qiu found herself recalling tonight—how he'd appeared out of nowhere and dispelled her little cloud of gloom.
She was looking at his hand when Zhou Jingqian turned his face toward her.
Su Qiu spoke up immediately. "It's getting late. Should we sleep?"
Zhou Jingqian's voice was low. "Mm."
After settling the two little ones, the couple walked one after the other back to the master bedroom.
The lights were turned off. They lay down.
On the two-meter-wide bed, just like last night, there seemed to be an invisible line down the middle—a veritable Chasm of Chu and Han.
And yet, something seemed to be quietly loosening within that not-at-all-awkward silence.
Though Su Qiu was a night owl, she fell asleep quickly. Within less than half an hour, her breathing had evened out.
But this time, she didn't sleep deeply. She unconsciously rolled over while hugging the blanket, and when she felt her back press against Zhou Jingqian's arm, her eyes flew open.
After hesitating for three seconds, Su Qiu weighed her options—keep pressing against him and pretend to be asleep, or roll back to her side. She decided on the latter.
But the moment she moved, an arm came down steadily and precisely, wrapping around her waist and drawing her backward.
Su Qiu was pulled entirely into Zhou Jingqian's embrace.
He knew she was awake.
Su Qiu bit her lip. Before she could speak, a low, warm voice reached her ear: "Want to sleep with me holding you?"
It was that familiar, consultative tone, the same one he used when drying her hair.
But in the darkness, the arm wrapped around her waist carried a quiet, unyielding restraint.
The pressure wasn't heavy, but it didn't allow her to pull away either.
Su Qiu hummed in agreement, the sound as light as a feather landing.
The position wasn't very comfortable, though. Su Qiu shifted, her hair brushing against Zhou Jingqian's jaw as she turned in his arms until they were lying face to face.
Zhou Jingqian adjusted his position accordingly, his palm settling against the small of her back through the thin fabric of her pajamas.
Su Qiu's eyes were open, her warm breath falling in an uneven rhythm against the skin of his collarbone.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
Neither of them was asleep. They seemed perfectly awake, yet something deep inside kept heating, fermenting, until it finally spilled past the tipping point.
Zhou Jingqian turned over, bracing both arms on either side of Su Qiu, slowly caging her beneath him.
He deliberately held back his weight, careful not to press down on her.
Su Qiu didn't flinch. She looked up at him, her dark eyes clear and bright, showing no sign of resistance.
Neither of them spoke. Two people who had once been strangers reached an unspoken understanding in that moment.
Zhou Jingqian lowered himself slowly, first brushing the tip of his nose against hers, the distance shrinking inch by inch.
The first kiss landed gently.
Su Qiu felt the corner of her lips touched—soft and cool—and her body trembled involuntarily.
Zhou Jingqian didn't rush to deepen it. Instead, he traced his thumb along the side of her neck, where the skin was impossibly soft.
He'd wanted to touch her there when he was drying her hair earlier.
It tickled a little. Su Qiu shrugged her shoulders, and the next moment his lips descended again, capturing hers, parting her teeth.
His movements were slow, as if afraid of startling her, but the moment he met her soft tongue, he couldn't help but twine around it, gently sucking.
Su Qiu's breathing grew erratic, her lashes fluttering violently. She didn't know where to put her hands, finally settling them on Zhou Jingqian's shoulders.
Dry wood meets kindling—one spark and it blazes.
Neither of them had much experience, and once they clashed, the fire burned without any finesse.
But Su Qiu could hardly withstand such an onslaught. Her biggest problem was that she didn't know how to breathe properly.
The first time she turned her head to gasp for air, her hair swept across Zhou Jingqian's cheek. She'd barely separated half an inch from him when he chased after her, his tongue sweeping across the corner of her lips, sealing away the fresh breath she'd just stolen.
The second time Su Qiu turned away, Zhou Jingqian simply reached up and cupped the back of her neck, his thumb pressing against her jaw.
Beneath his refined exterior lay an unyielding force that brooked no refusal.
Su Qiu tilted her head back slightly, her nails digging in unconsciously, catching the taut line of his shoulder beneath his pajamas.
She must have been pinching hard enough to hurt, but Zhou Jingqian didn't make a sound, didn't pull back. Instead, he kissed her deeper.
When he chased after her a third time, Su Qiu finally pushed against his shoulder, gasping to interrupt: "Th… that's enough."
"Mm."
Zhou Jingqian swallowed, his voice hoarse to the extreme.
His kisses stopped immediately, as if he knew exactly when to yield, but his head remained buried in the curve of her neck.
His scorching breath hit her collarbone, sending waves of tingling across her skin.
"I want… some water."
Su Qiu spoke, her voice equally husky.
They'd kissed for too long.
All the moisture in her mouth had been sucked dry by Zhou Jingqian, even her tongue felt parched.
"Alright, I'll get you some."
Zhou Jingqian turned and got out of bed, leaving the master bedroom. At the bar, he first downed two glasses of ice water for himself.
The bedside lamp in the bedroom was still on, casting a warm amber glow over the bed. Su Qiu had sat up, the blanket pooled at her waist, revealing the slightly rumpled pajamas on her upper body.
Zhou Jingqian came back with the water. Su Qiu didn't look away; she met his gaze directly.
From the day they'd agreed to marry, they'd both understood that what lay ahead involved far more than this.
It was expected, but now that it was actually happening to her, Su Qiu realized just how scorching his warmth could be.
"Thanks…"
Su Qiu took the cup and sipped slowly. Zhou Jingqian stood by the bed, the light and shadow enveloping her entirely.
Su Qiu thought again of moments ago—how his hard, solid frame had pressed her in so completely.
"Enough?" Zhou Jingqian asked.
Su Qiu nodded, saying she'd had enough after only half a cup. Zhou Jingqian took the cup and set it on the table by the sofa.
He turned off the bedside lamp, and they both lay back down.
They lay perfectly straight, a half-arm's length between them, neither touching the other, as if afraid of sparking another flame.
Su Qiu waited quietly for a moment, then reached up in the darkness to touch her lips. They were indeed swollen, especially the lower one.
Just then, the mattress beside her dipped.
Zhou Jingqian lay down next to her, his arm circling her waist, his voice low and husky with a thread of calm: "Let's sleep with me holding you."
This time it wasn't a question. It was a statement.
Su Qiu's lips were still swollen, and she worried that if they got too close, their mouths would end up stuck together again.
She was never one to rush. Hot tofu had to be eaten bite by bite to avoid burning yourself.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Qiu asked in a small voice: "Can… you handle it?"
She was asking about his self-control.
However, when such words fell on a man's ears, they usually carried a different implication.
Zhou Jingqian let out a low chuckle, tightening his arm around her and pulling her closer into his embrace. "Of course."
It was unclear whether he was answering her question.
Reassured by his answer, Su Qiu stopped overthinking and nestled comfortably into Zhou Jingqian's arms.
She shifted slightly, found a comfortable position, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.