Lu Wanwan immediately took two steps back, putting distance between herself and Zhou Yushen, afraid that Chen Shu might misunderstand.
Zhou Yushen, however, remained calm, the intimidating aura from earlier completely gone. He gave Chen Shu a slight nod.
“Sister-in-law.”
Lu Wanwan was stunned for a moment when she heard that, then let out a sigh of relief. So he wasn’t Sister Chen’s husband—he must be the younger son of the Zhou family.
She had heard Aunt Zhang mention him before. He was the old madam of the Zhou family’s favorite, pampered since childhood, arrogant in temperament and not easy to get along with. She had been warned to be careful not to offend him. But just now, she had not only glared at him, she had almost…
“Yushen, why are you back at this hour?”
Chen Shu’s voice pulled Lu Wanwan back to her senses.
“I came back to get something. And this is?” His gaze fell on Lu Wanwan again as he asked.
Chen Shu said, “This is Lu Wanwan. I invited her to take care of Xiaobao. Wanwan, this is my brother-in-law, Zhou Yushen.”
“Comrade Zhou.” Lu Wanwan greeted him stiffly, her voice low. “I misunderstood you just now.”
“I was also in the wrong just now,” Zhou Yushen replied lightly. His eyes never left her, carrying a hint of scrutiny and an indescribable curiosity.
That strange sense of familiarity grew stronger, making Lu Wanwan’s cheeks flush faintly again. Only after Zhou Yushen went upstairs did she finally relax, though her back was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Seeing her nervousness, Chen Shu walked over and patted her shoulder. “Don’t mind it. Yushen is like this with everyone—it’s not directed at you. He’s actually not a bad person.”
“I understand, Sister Chen.” Lu Wanwan steadied herself and replied with a smile, pushing the matter to the back of her mind for now.
Chen Shu nodded in satisfaction and went over to the sofa to check on her son.
The little one had eaten his fill and was sleeping soundly, his small face rosy, a drop of milk still hanging at the corner of his mouth.
A satisfied expression appeared on her face as she gently wiped it away, then turned to Lu Wanwan. “Xiaobao seems to like you. If there’s no problem, move in tomorrow. It’ll be more convenient for you to take care of him closely.”
Lu Wanwan was overjoyed, but then hesitated as she thought of something. “Sister Chen, can I bring my two children with me? They’re only two years old and can’t be left alone.”
Afraid Chen Shu might think she was taking advantage, she quickly added, “I can pay rent, or you can deduct it from my wages…”
Chen Shu thought for a moment. “You can bring your children to live here, and I won’t charge you rent, but you can’t neglect taking care of Xiaobao.”
Lu Wanwan was delighted and repeatedly assured her, “Don’t worry, Sister Chen. Tuantuan and Yuanyuan are very well-behaved. They won’t be noisy. Once they’re a bit older, I’ll send them to the neighborhood nursery. It definitely won’t affect my work.”
Seeing her like this, Chen Shu felt even softer toward her. As a mother herself, she could understand that feeling.
She smiled and nodded. “Alright then. Bring them over tomorrow. There’s an empty room in the east wing—you three can stay there for now.”
“Thank you, Sister Chen! Thank you so much!” Lu Wanwan’s eyes grew slightly moist as she expressed her gratitude again and again.
“Go back and pack your things today. Come at eight tomorrow morning.”
After thanking her several more times, Lu Wanwan picked up her cloth bag and quietly left the living room.
As soon as she reached the gate of the Zhou residence, she had just let out a breath of relief when a military-green jeep stopped in front of her.
The car window rolled down halfway. Zhou Yushen rested one hand on the steering wheel and turned to look at her.
“Get in.”
Lu Wanwan paused and quickly waved her hand in refusal. “No need, Comrade Zhou. I can take the bus back.”
“I’m heading back to the city anyway. It’s on the way,” Zhou Yushen said, not giving her a chance to refuse. “I was at fault earlier for scaring you. Consider this an apology.”
Lu Wanwan hesitated, but then thought that taking his car would save her fifteen cents—money she could use to buy Yuanyuan a piece of egg cake to nourish her.
She bit her lip and finally opened the door, sitting in the passenger seat.
“Then I’ll trouble you, Comrade Zhou.”
The car started and slowly drove out of the compound.
It was quiet inside the car. Neither of them spoke. Lu Wanwan stared straight ahead at the worn-out street, with gray walls on both sides and a few scattered locust trees. Occasionally, bicycles passed by with a ringing bell.
Zhou Yushen looked at her through the rearview mirror.
Her profile was gentle, her eyelashes long, her eyes soft and moist. She sat upright, hands properly placed on her knees.
She looked obedient, yet he still remembered the stubborn glint in her eyes when she had glared at him earlier.
“What’s your name?” he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Lu Wanwan’s heart skipped a beat. Hadn’t she already been introduced? Still, she answered honestly, “Lu Wanwan.”
“Where are you from?”
“Jiang Province, from Hongqi Commune.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty.”
Zhou Yushen lightly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Twenty, and your children are already two?”
Lu Wanwan pressed her lips together. “People in the countryside marry early.”
“Then where is your husband?” Zhou Yushen asked bluntly. “Why would he let you come out alone to work with children?”
The air in the car seemed to freeze for a moment.
Looking at the scenery flashing past outside the window, Lu Wanwan answered calmly, “Dead.”
In truth, the original owner of this body didn’t have many memories of the children’s father. It seemed she had once saved an injured man, and over time they fell for each other. She used some means to turn things into a done deal.
Later, the man said he would return to the army to file a marriage report, but after he left, he never came back.
In Lu Wanwan’s eyes, that man was no different from being dead.
Her expression was calm as she said this, but Zhou Yushen felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. He frowned slightly and didn’t ask further.
After driving for a while, Lu Wanwan pointed to an alley ahead. “Comrade Zhou, you can stop here. I’ll walk in myself.”
The car came to a stop. Lu Wanwan unfastened her seatbelt. “Thank you today, Comrade Zhou.”
After speaking, she got out of the car and quickly walked toward the alley.
Zhou Yushen leaned back in the driver’s seat and lit a cigarette, but didn’t smoke it—just let it burn slowly between his fingers as his gaze followed that slender figure.
As Lu Wanwan walked into the alley, two identical little children ran out on their short legs, one on each side, hugging her legs.
“Mommy, Yuanyuan missed you so much!”
The little girl, wearing a patched shirt and two tiny pigtails, had a pale face but especially large eyes. She rubbed her cheek against Lu Wanwan’s leg.
The little boy, dressed in the same patched blue cotton jacket, looked much healthier. He tilted his head up and sniffed, “Tuantuan missed you too.”
Lu Wanwan’s heart melted. She bent down, picked up both children, and kissed each of their little faces.
Yuanyuan giggled, snuggling into her mother’s neck. Her big eyes suddenly looked past her.
“Huh? Mommy, there’s an uncle watching you.”