The Jiefang 141 truck stopped inside the factory compound where Wang Changlin worked. Xie Yucheng rode his motorcycle into the compound.
In the courtyard, Wang Changlin was sitting in the sun with his leg in a cast, wearing a flashy red dacron shirt. Beside him was a Sanyo cassette player, playing Tsai Chin’s Your Eyes as the gentle melody drifted through the air.
When he saw them approaching, Wang Changlin quickly turned off the recorder, his gossip-loving eyes darting back and forth between the two.
Shiqing looked at him in surprise.
“Changlin-ge, what happened to your leg?”
“Nothing. I took a fall.”
Just then, a beautiful figure walked out of the building.
The girl wore a high-collared dress and red block-heeled shoes, looking like a fiery rose.
“Qin Mei, what are you doing here?”
Wen Shiqing stared at her in disbelief.
“Just showing some humanitarian concern for a disabled person.”
Qin Mei’s voice was bright and clear as she handed the tea in her hands to Wang Changlin.
Ever since they met at the dance hall last time, Wang Changlin had frequently gone looking for her, and after seeing each other a few times, the two had gradually become familiar.
Although Wang Changlin could be a little greasy, there was no denying that he was handsome. His features were well-defined, he was tall, and he had a good sense of humor. At least he wasn’t as irritating as other men Qin Mei had met.
Some time ago, Qin Mei had been running a fever at home. Wang Changlin had gone out of his way to bring her porridge and medicine.
Now that he had injured his leg, Qin Mei felt that even as an ordinary friend, she should come and check on him.
After taking a sip of tea, Wang Changlin chuckled and asked Shiqing, “So, what are you two siblings doing here?”
“I’m going on the road with my brother.”
The girl’s eyes curved into crescents, the smile in them almost overflowing.
Wang Changlin gave a long, drawn-out, “Ohhh~”
His eyes drifted toward Xie Yucheng.
“Take good care of your little sister.”
A sharp glare came flying at him.
Xie Yucheng had his hands in his pockets as he walked into Wang Changlin’s dormitory to get the truck keys.
Wen Shiqing watched his retreating back before lowering her voice to Wang Changlin.
“Changlin-ge, I want to ask you something.”
“What?”
“My brother… does he have a girlfriend?”
Wang Changlin’s face immediately broke into a mischievous grin. He shifted his stiff cast-covered leg.
“Do you think he does?”
“I don’t know.”
“Girlfriend, my ass. He guards himself like a saint every day.”
“Huh?”
The girl was stunned, her mouth falling open as she stood there for a long moment.
“Let’s go!”
Xie Yucheng came out of the building and tossed the keys in his hand.
“Oh, okay. Changlin-ge, Qin Mei, I’ll go first.”
Shiqing waved goodbye and hurried after him.
Wang Changlin lit a cigarette and quietly watched the two of them leave.
The Jiefang 141 was a tall vehicle, so Wen Shiqing had to grab the handrail beside the door to pull herself up. Their luggage had already been thrown into the sleeper compartment in the back by Xie Yucheng.
Xie Yucheng inserted the key and started the engine.
With a deep rumble, the truck turned around and headed toward the road outside the factory.
The compound fell quiet again.
Qin Mei dragged over a small stool and sat down beside Wang Changlin, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“You just said Shiqing’s brother guards himself like a saint? Who is he saving himself for?”
Changlin curled his lips into a wicked grin.
“Come closer. I’ll tell you.”
Qin Mei gave him a sidelong glance, her brows drawing together.
Still, she moved her stool a little closer.
Her fair face glowed softly beneath the sunlight. Her slender neck formed an elegant curve, and just beneath her collarbone, a tiny edge of lace underwear was faintly visible.
Wang Changlin’s eyes heated up.
His Adam’s apple moved slightly.
When she leaned closer, he quickly planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Wang Changlin, you shameless pervert!”
Qin Mei’s cheeks flushed red as she started smacking him with both hands.
The man dodged, leaning backward.
“Hey, hey, hey! My leg! You hit my leg…”
The first job for Xie Yucheng’s new truck had come through an acquaintance.
Once, while driving back from a delivery, Xie Yucheng had picked up a pregnant woman who had difficulty walking. Coincidentally, she was also from Jicheng.
Her husband manufactured small hardware parts such as screws and nails and owned a small factory.
Not long ago, the factory had received a large order and needed to send a truckload of spare parts to a military factory in a frontier city.
The pregnant woman recommended Xie Yucheng for the job, and the transportation fee was quite generous.
The journey was more than two thousand kilometers. Including rest stops, the round trip would take at least ten days.
Wen Shiqing sat in the passenger seat, excitedly taking in everything outside the window.
But every now and then, the corner of her eye would drift toward the man’s muscular upper body.
His side profile was striking, with a high nose bridge and a sharply defined jaw. Beneath his black T-shirt was a lean, powerful build. His sun-kissed arms were strong, and the veins on the back of the hand gripping the steering wheel stood out clearly.
His entire body radiated an indescribable masculine vitality.
Xie Yucheng hadn’t said much along the way.
He first drove to the factory to load the cargo.
When they were almost there, he said to Wen Shiqing,
“Take the cigarettes out of my bag in the back.”
Wen Shiqing twisted around between the two seats to reach for the cigarettes.
“It’s in the outermost pocket.”
“I found them.”
She handed them to him.
Xie Yucheng casually stuffed them into his pocket.
Two minutes later, the truck stopped in the open yard of a small factory.
He opened the door and was about to jump down when he suddenly remembered that someone else was still in the truck.
He turned his head toward her.
“I’m getting out to load the cargo.”
“Oh, okay.”
The man jumped down.
A middle-aged man came out of the warehouse and shook his hand. The other man immediately offered him a cigarette, and the two stood there chatting for a while.
Soon, Xie Yucheng opened the rear compartment of the truck.
Several workers carried box after box of goods onto the truck while Xie Yucheng stood in the back, arranging the cargo.
Before long, a heavily pregnant woman walked out of the warehouse as well.
Smiling, she took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from the middle-aged man’s forehead. The man quickly pulled her toward a shady spot.
Wen Shiqing couldn’t hear what they were saying very clearly.
She could only see the affection passing between their eyes and expressions.
The pregnant woman noticed the pretty, fair-skinned girl sitting in Xie Yucheng’s truck and asked with a smile,
“Yucheng, you brought your wife along on the delivery?”
Her voice was loud, and with the truck window open, Wen Shiqing heard every word.
Her ears immediately turned red.
Xie Yucheng answered casually,
“Sis Chen, she’s my little sister.”
“Oh~”
Sis Chen gave him a meaningful smile.
She went inside and came back carrying a huge watermelon, setting it down on a small square table outside.
She waved at Wen Shiqing.
“Girl, come down and have some watermelon. Your brother and the others will be busy for a while. It’s stuffy inside the truck. Come down and play.”
Wen Shiqing tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and climbed down.
Sis Chen cut open the large, round watermelon and handed her a slice.
“Eat.”
The workers nearby were still busy moving the cargo, and Xie Yucheng was working as well.
Wen Shiqing felt embarrassed about eating by herself.
“Let’s wait and eat together later.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’ll eat first. There’ll be plenty left for them.”
Sis Chen laughed, picked up a slice, and took a big bite, signaling for her to eat too.
The pink flesh of the watermelon was sweet and refreshing, bursting with juice.
Wen Shiqing savored it in her mouth, but somehow, the sweetness seemed to settle straight into her heart.