Shen Chengdong turned his head just then and saw her staring blankly at him. In a low voice, he asked, “What are you looking at?”
Jiang Rou snapped out of her daze, her ears tinged with red. “I was just thinking; not looking at you.”
Flustered, she quickly lowered her head, eyes falling back onto the book. Shen Chengdong leaned closer and asked again, “What book are you reading?”
Jiang Rou nervously picked at the cover, realizing she had no idea which book she was holding. Her mind went blank, and she hurriedly changed the subject: “It’s already dark outside. Do you want to wash up?”
The words slipped out, and both of them froze.
The next moment, she wished she could sink into the floor. Before she could figure out how to recover, his voice came from above, calm and steady: “Then I’ll wash my face. You keep reading.”
The shadow at her side lifted, and the pressure eased. She let out a long breath, burying her face in the book, silently berating herself—beauty really was a dangerous distraction.
Soon, the sound of water splashing drifted in from outside. With it came unbidden images in her mind: his broad chest, the taut lines of his abdomen, and those captivating peach-blossom eyes. She felt like a shameless wolf.
When Shen Chengdong returned from washing, he saw a lump under the quilt—Jiang Rou curled up, motionless. He stepped lightly to her side, not pulling the covers away, and asked softly, “It’s stuffy under there. Did you fall asleep?”
“No. I just felt a little drowsy, so I closed my eyes for a bit,” came her muffled reply.
“Then rest. I still need to wash up.”
“Mm.”
He slipped off his cloth shoes and lay down beside her. Unlike the wide kang bed, this narrow mattress meant they would always be sleeping side by side from now on.
After he settled in, silence stretched until his breathing grew slow and even. Gathering her courage, Jiang Rou peeked out from under the quilt. Seeing his eyes closed, she exhaled in relief and tiptoed off to wash.
When she returned, he was still fast asleep. She climbed back under the covers, only to notice he had no blanket over him—just a sleeveless vest against the chill. Quietly, she tugged the quilt to cover him, then turned her back, ready to sleep.
At that moment, his arm swept around her, pulling her firmly into his embrace. She collided with a wall of solid muscle. Heat radiated from behind her, his breath warm against her ear, and Jiang Rou’s heart thudded wildly. Only then did she realize—though he wore just a vest, his body was warm, not cold at all. Her nerves tightened, and she whispered, “So you weren’t asleep?”
“Mm. I was waiting for you.” His voice was husky, carrying a teasing undertone in the darkness.
Soon, warm lips brushed the back of her ear—gentle, lingering.
Jiang Rou felt herself burning, her almond-shaped eyes growing hazy.
By dawn, she was awakened by the scratching of a puppy at the door. Blinking sleepily, she found herself face-to-face with the man’s throat, his Adam’s apple rising and falling. Remembering last night’s imbalance, her muddled mind flared with indignation—she bit him. He gave a low grunt and opened his eyes.
Their gazes locked. Jiang Rou instinctively tried to retreat, forgetting she was still in his arms, with nowhere to go.
“Why are you biting me?” Shen Chengdong’s voice was nasal, his Adam’s apple rolling, the red mark glaringly obvious.
Jiang Rou snapped fully awake, her face blazing. She scrambled for an excuse: “I was dreaming I was eating chicken necks.”
“….” Shen Chengdong let out a breathless laugh, then bent down to capture her lips.
Just as sparks were about to ignite again, the puppy outside lost patience and began barking.
Jiang Rou gently pushed him, signaling for him to open the door. Interrupted, Shen Chengdong’s expression soured. He released her, dressed, and went to open it. The moment the door cracked, Shandian darted inside. It wagged its tail eagerly at Jiang Rou by the bed.
She sat up clutching the quilt, her pale shoulder exposed. Shen Chengdong quickly draped a shirt over her—he wouldn’t even let a puppy glimpse his wife’s beauty.
The clock on the cabinet had just passed six-thirty. Remembering Chen Ailan’s instructions, Jiang Rou said hurriedly, “It probably needs to go out. Take it for a walk in the park.”
“Alright. Sleep a little longer—I’ll bring back soy milk and fried dough sticks.” With that, he slipped on a coat and left with Shandian.
After a restless night, Jiang Rou was exhausted. Within five minutes, she was asleep again. This time, she didn’t wake until the sun was high.
The house was quiet. Dressed, she stepped out of the bedroom. Shandian was sprawled outside, basking in the sun. Seeing her awake, it bounded over, tail wagging in delight.
Jiang Rou scratched Shandian’s chin and asked softly, “Have you eaten yet?”
The little puppy barked twice, cheerful and lively—it clearly wasn’t hungry.
By this time, Shen Chengdong should have already gone to work. She took the breakfast he had left warming in the pot, sipped the soy milk, and felt warmth spread through her whole body.
After eating, Jiang Rou brought Shandian to her parents’ house, wanting it to get familiar with the surroundings while taking it for a walk.
Since she had moved out, Chen Aihe had barely slept the night before. The uproar from the Meng household next door had made rest impossible.
As soon as Jiang Rou stepped into the inner room, she saw her mother sitting listlessly on the edge of the kang, faint shadows under her eyes.
“Mom, I’m back. What’s wrong?”
Chen Aihe couldn’t bring herself to admit she’d lost sleep from missing her daughter, so she lifted her chin toward the courtyard and whispered, “The Mengs were quarreling all night again. No one could sleep.”
Perhaps daytime wasn’t the right moment to gossip—just as her words fell, a knock sounded at the door.
Jiang Rou turned to open it. Meng Wen stood outside, pale-faced, forcing a weak smile. “Xiao Rou, can I ask you for a favor?”
She looked unwell. Jiang Rou nodded at once. “Tell me what it is. If I can help, I will.”
“Thank you…” Meng Wen’s heart stirred with gratitude. She pressed her lips together before continuing: “Could you go to the factory and ask for three days’ leave on my behalf? I really don’t want to see Zhao Qi again.”
Zhao Qi—the ungrateful son-in-law of the Meng family—worked at the same machine factory. His job had originally been arranged by Meng Shuge, but now that he had climbed to the position of section chief, he treated the Mengs with disdain.
“Alright, I’ll go right away.”
Jiang Rou’s second cousin worked in the factory canteen, so she was familiar with the place. She went to Workshop One, asked around, and finally found Meng Wen’s supervisor. Handing over the leave slip she had prepared, she explained.
The supervisor wasn’t surprised Meng Wen wanted time off. But remembering Zhao Qi’s instructions, he scowled. “This is a state-owned factory. Three days off at once? Does she think this is child’s play?”
“Elder Sister Meng Wen has always been a model worker. This time she’s asking leave only because she’s ill. Please, could you make an exception?” Jiang Rou could sense Meng Wen’s difficulties here, and her sympathy deepened.
Faced with an outsider, the supervisor didn’t press further. Instead, he sent a message through Jiang Rou: “Tell her this—no more leave after this. If she doesn’t want to work, she should give up her post altogether.”
Seeing the petty look on his face, Jiang Rou shot back coldly: “Everyone gets sick sometimes. Who are you so eager to clear a spot for—your own relatives?”
“You—you’re talking nonsense!”
“Whether it’s nonsense, you know in your heart. As the saying goes, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Following Zhao Qi won’t end well!” With that, Jiang Rou turned on her heel and left. She looked cool and composed, though inside she was trembling. It was her first time talking back like that—she’d only done it because she was furious.
As she passed through the workshop, several people gathered curiously: “What’s going on with Meng Wen? Is she divorcing Director Zhao?”
“Probably. My cousin lives in that alley too—he said it’s gotten ugly.”
“Miss, tell us! If Director Zhao dares bully her, we’ll stand up for her!”
The chatter made Jiang Rou frown. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe such promises. Stepping back to put some distance between them, she replied politely, “I only helped her request leave. I don’t know much else.”
Seeing she wouldn’t say more, the crowd quickly dispersed.
Back at the courtyard, Jiang Rou repeated the factory leader’s words to Meng Wen, then added awkwardly, “Sister Wen, I spoke a bit impulsively. Do you think he’ll cause trouble for you because of it?”
Noticing her nervousness, Meng Wen actually laughed. “Even if you hadn’t talked back, he’d still make trouble for me. Xiao Rou, thank you for standing up for me.”
Jiang Rou blushed, smiling shyly. She thought that next time, she could be even fiercer. Leaving the Meng household, she spotted Tang Xin in the yard, washing clothes. Her thin frame swayed as if she might topple into the big basin at any moment.
Jiang Rou walked over. “Who are you washing clothes for?”
Tang Xin looked up with a bitter smile. “For my mom. She said the weather’s good today, so I should wash all the winter coats and padded pants.”
The Tang family lived in the middle courtyard. Jiang Rou and Tang Xin were close friends—both had hated studying since childhood, always failing exams, earning the nickname “the dumb duo of the courtyard.” Perhaps because of that bond, their friendship only grew stronger. Even though their mothers were enemies, nothing could break it.
Seeing her friend so pitiful, Jiang Rou crouched down and secretly slipped her a White Rabbit candy. “Has it been decided yet—you’re going to the countryside?”
Tang Xin wiped her wet hands on her clothes, peeled the wrapper, and popped the candy into her mouth. With muffled words, she said, “Probably after New Year. I really envy you—you can get married and avoid being sent down.”
Unfortunately, the matchmaker had only introduced her to crooked melons and cracked dates—none worth marrying. At this point, going to the countryside seemed better than staying here, washing clothes for a whole family.
As if struck by a thought, Tang Xin leaned closer and whispered, “Do you know how to make money? I want to save some before I leave.” She was the third of four children, the least favored.
Jiang Rou raised her brows and replied, “Funny—you’re in luck. I was just thinking of finding some odd jobs myself.”
Tang Xin’s eyes lit up. She leaned in further. “What kind of work? Can you take me along?”
“I haven’t thought of anything yet. Do you have ideas?”
“No…”
Realizing this wasn’t the best place to talk, Tang Xin glanced toward her doorway, then said, “I’ll come to your new house tomorrow morning. We’ll discuss it then.”
“Alright. Don’t be late.”
“Mm. Don’t be late!”
After saying goodbye, Jiang Rou stayed with her parents a while longer before heading home with Lightning. She wanted to draft a plan for the future—listing possible odd jobs to discuss with Tang Xin tomorrow. But before tackling serious matters, she went to the kitchen to simmer a pot of tonic soup. After all, he had been so vigorous last night, and she’d felt sore all day. She really ought to replenish herself.