Trapped in the circle of Xiao Cheng’s arms, in that confined space, she only needed to tilt her head slightly to see the perfect line of his jaw. His skin, recently tanned from the sun, made him look even more masculine. His neck was long and elegant, and amid his hurried breathing, he was slowly calming himself down.
Clearly, he had conceded.
“We’ll have to buy the things tomorrow.” He said as he took two steps back. The bulge at his crotch was conspicuously noticeable. Lin Aiyun glanced at it briefly, then awkwardly looked away, wondering if all this pent-up frustration had any ill effects on him.
Right now, he definitely couldn’t let anyone see him like this.
“It’s not urgent anyway.” There was still half a bag of salt at home. Sending them out to buy salt was just an excuse Zhang Wenhua had made up to give them some alone time.
Lin Aiyun smoothed down her clothes, which Xiao Cheng had rumpled earlier, and darted another glance at him. Knowing that “Little Xiao Cheng” wouldn’t calm down anytime soon, she cleared her throat lightly, trying to find a topic to distract him. “By the way, my mother said you were drinking with my father and the others yesterday. What did you talk about?”
“I saw Zhou Jin’s face was completely red.”
Yesterday, the eldest uncle had returned from town with two jugs of wine, and happened to run into her father, who dragged them all into a drinking session. They didn’t break up until the moon was high in the sky. She had made a pot of hangover soup and brought it into the main hall, only to see Zhou Jin—usually so composed and restrained—with a flushed face, even his ears burning red.
She had wanted to ask then but never found the chance. Now that it came to mind, she just let it out.
Xiao Cheng, who had been taking deep breaths, paused at her words. Something seemed to cross his mind, and his eyes darkened as the corner of his mouth lifted. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Huh?” Lin Aiyun blinked in confusion, her beautiful, fair face full of innocence and bewilderment.
Xiao Cheng turned his head and cursed under his breath. Glancing at the increasingly conspicuous area, he simply strode over and planted his hands on either side of her again. Lin Aiyun’s body went rigid, and she even held her breath, not understanding what she had done to set him off again…
It wasn’t until Xiao Cheng leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words that she suddenly understood. Her face turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
“My father-in-law, considering that I grew up without parents, decided to give us young couple some pointers in advance. Otherwise, if I went in completely blind and didn’t know a thing, you’d be the one to suffer.” Xiao Cheng let out a low chuckle, a hint of teasing barely detectable in his tone.
Lin Aiyun opened her mouth but couldn’t find her voice for a long moment. She simply couldn’t imagine her ordinarily honest father giving Xiao Cheng a lecture on sexual relations and teaching him about the pleasures of married life.
Before she could recover from the shock, her soft hand was taken by his and pressed against that place. Even through the fabric of his pants, her fingertips felt scorched and she instinctively jerked back. No wonder he had reacted so strongly—this was the first time in this life that she had touched “Little Xiao Cheng.”
Its size was truly alarming, just as it had been in her previous life.
It was only after getting together with Xiao Cheng that Lin Aiyun learned that this particular part of a man also had its gradations of quality. And according to Xiao Cheng himself, his was top-tier.
Lin Aiyun didn’t know if he was blowing his own horn, but…
It was indeed quite impressive—at the very least, its size, appearance, and practicality were directly proportional.
She was left crying every night, yet at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel pleasure—it was contradictory. But for a woman in this life, when it came to men, you had to experience the best. So overall, she was more than satisfied.
“Are you scared?” When Lin Aiyun remained still for a long time, Xiao Cheng quickly released her hand, thinking she had been frightened by his sudden move. A hint of guilt crept into his voice: “I’m sorry. That was my fault.”
“The timing and place are wrong. Aiyun, please don’t ignore me.” He carefully pulled her into his arms.
Hearing this, Lin Aiyun snapped out of her thoughts. He was slightly bent over, so her face was pressed against his chest. She could hear his strong, steady heartbeat, as if it were pounding right against her eardrums—the increasingly rapid rhythm betraying his unsettled state.
“I’m not mad.” Lin Aiyun shook her head. Seeing that he still looked doubtful, she paused for two seconds, then thought back to that time in the car when Xiao Cheng had humbled himself to go down on her—the ecstasy still fresh as yesterday. Hesitantly, she ventured, “How about… I give you a rub?”
Returning the favor by going down on him right now was clearly unrealistic—she’d reek of it and wouldn’t be able to face Zhang Wenhua’s questions. But a simple rub over his pants was doable.
The moment the words left her mouth, Xiao Cheng’s breathing turned ragged. His restrained, suppressed voice came out slowly, as if he was enduring great difficulty. The veins on his neck stood out, and his tone carried a mixture of bewilderment and nervousness: “Are you sure?”
Lin Aiyun preferred to show her intentions through action. Her hand crept down slowly, first finding the cold zipper, then finally making contact. The moment she gently wrapped her fingers around it, she heard Xiao Cheng’s sharp intake of breath.
The surroundings were quiet. The distance between them was almost zero—close enough to hear each other’s breathing and the frantic pounding of their hearts. An unspoken, lingering tenderness enveloped them, spreading endlessly through the air.
·
Lin Aiyun had barely stepped through the gate when she was caught red-handed by Zhang Wenhua, who had been lying in wait for a while. The latter stood on tiptoe and peered outside the yard, but didn’t spot Xiao Cheng anywhere. Her brow furrowed deeply. “Where’s Xiao Cheng?”
He wouldn’t have run off, would he?
Reading Zhang Wenhua’s mind, Lin Aiyun guiltily tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “My hairpin fell on the road. He went to help me look for it. Let’s go inside and talk before he gets back.”
Hearing this, Zhang Wenhua nodded and let out a huge sigh of relief, following Lin Aiyun toward her room.
Before long, the sound of the gate closing came from outside—Xiao Cheng was back. She could vaguely hear him talking with Zhou Jin, and then it seemed he grabbed some clothes and headed straight to the bathhouse.
Lin Aiyun pricked up her ears and listened carefully. Only after confirming that no one else had noticed anything unusual did she let the stone in her throat drop back into her stomach.
“Did Xiao Cheng really say that?” Zhang Wenhua asked after Lin Aiyun finished recounting the whole conversation, nodding to herself.
“Really. He said not to get involved—he’ll take care of it himself.”
“But how is he going to fix it? He doesn’t even know which direction Fengyuan Village is in.” Zhang Wenhua sounded a bit anxious, but Lin Aiyun quickly soothed her, and she was willing to trust Xiao Cheng. At the same time, she figured this was a good opportunity to test whether he had the ability and determination to protect her daughter.
“Xiao Cheng is a sensible child. I’m really growing fonder of him as a son-in-law by the day. He’s good-looking, well-off, and works hard for our family without ever complaining.”
“Most importantly, he treats you like gold—I’ve seen it with my own eyes all these days. And he paid for the entire wedding banquet out of his own pocket. All your aunts are so jealous of me.”
Zhang Wenhua’s eyes sparkled with undisguised excitement, like little flames burning brightly.
Hearing her praise Xiao Cheng, Lin Aiyun couldn’t help but wear a hint of pride and joy on her own face.
“All the invitations have been sent out. We’ll go to the county town tomorrow to buy the meat and alcohol we need for the banquet. It’s about time we decorated the house with the double-happiness characters too. I’ll have your little brother stay home tomorrow to help us get everything ready.” Once Zhang Wenhua got started on this topic, it was like she couldn’t stop.
The mother and daughter chatted for quite a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late and there was still a busy day ahead tomorrow, Zhang Wenhua finally left.
With the weather so hot, going a day without a bath made one feel utterly miserable—sleep would be impossible. So after Zhang Wenhua left, Lin Aiyun grabbed her pajamas and toiletries and headed to the kitchen to heat water for the bathhouse.
But the moment she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Xiao Cheng. His hair was still damp, and his white tank top was clinging to his body, wet from steam, showing off his lean waist—enticingly so. He had clearly just finished washing not long ago.
Hearing the noise, Xiao Cheng turned around. His usually calm eyes suddenly lit up, a glow spreading through them as he gazed at her from afar with a knowing, ambiguous tenderness.
“Let me carry the water over for you.”
As if he had been waiting there just to help her with the hot water, Xiao Cheng began ladling the boiling water from the pot into a bucket as he spoke. Once it was full, he lifted it with one hand and walked out. That was one advantage of a sleeveless shirt—it clearly displayed the contours of his muscles, the veins on his arms standing out, sexy and captivating.
Lin Aiyun couldn’t help but think back to not long ago, when he had used those very hands to wrap around hers, guiding her up and down. Even through a layer of fabric, it had been scorching hot.
Her cheeks inexplicably burned. She turned to pick up the kerosene lamp and followed behind him toward the bathhouse.
The dim light barely illuminated the surroundings. The floor of the bathhouse was still wet and hadn’t dried yet, and the air carried the pleasant scent of soap. Lin Aiyun wanted to put her clothes on the rack where they usually kept dry clothes—but then she spotted his soiled clothes from earlier still lying there.
The edge of a pair of dark blue underwear peeked out from under his trousers, standing out conspicuously.
It seemed she could smell that thick, musky scent again. Lin Aiyun hurriedly looked away, only to suddenly choke on her own saliva, coughing violently. Xiao Cheng set down the bucket and gently patted her back. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing—cough—I’m fine.” Lin Aiyun waved her hand hastily.
Xiao Cheng paused for a moment, then slowly said, “Now that there’s hot water, how about…?”
At that, she coughed even harder, clutching her chest as her eyes reddened at the corners.
Xiao Cheng walked over and closed the bathhouse door. Lin Aiyun’s hand, raised to stop him, was just a beat too slow. By now, she had recovered a little, her back pressed against the wooden rack, her breathing unsteady.
“I have to get up early tomorrow to paste the window decorations. I need to go to bed early.” Lin Aiyun tried to refuse, but the excuse came out sounding so feeble.
He paid no heed to her words, lowering his voice instead: “Someone will come to help you tomorrow.”
“Huh?” Lin Aiyun’s questioning words were swallowed between her lips. He kissed her urgently, his fingers directly finding the waistband of her pants, and in no time, he had pushed them down to her thighs.
Along with the innermost layer of fabric as well.
A cold breeze brushed past, making Lin Aiyun shiver, and it felt as though her very heartstrings were suspended in midair along with it.
“I washed my hands—they’re clean.”
Hearing him say that, she noticed there were still droplets of water on his fingers. Her lashes fluttered. “You…”
“Mm, I can’t just think of myself and forget about you.” So this was his way of saying he had been waiting for her to come bathe?
In the moments that followed, Lin Aiyun had no time to think further. All she could do was cling tightly to Xiao Cheng’s neck and let herself sink into the moment.
The next day, Lin Aiyun still had to get up early. With dark circles under her eyes from a sleepless night, she joined an energetic Zhang Wenhua in pasting large red double-happiness characters around the house. Even a passing dog was adorned with a little red flower.
“Kangzi, paste it straight! I’ve told you three times already—are you even listening?”
Lin Wenkang was standing on a ladder pasting couplets on the front door when he heard the angry shout. His foot slipped and he nearly fell, but fortunately he steadied himself just in time. “Ah, I’m doing it carefully! Mom, don’t disturb me.”
“Then can you spare me a little peace of mind?” Zhang Wenhua shot him a glare and was about to scold him some more when, just then, the eldest aunt-in-law arrived with her two sons. She quickly went over to greet them.
“Sister-in-law, we’ve come to help.” Tian Guilan said, directing the two cousins to go help Lin Wenkang with the couplets.
“Thank you so much, sister-in-law! We’re exactly short-handed right now.” Zhang Wenhua’s smile stretched from ear to ear as she led Tian Guilan inside. Since early morning, the table in the main hall had been laid out with wedding candies, pastries, and tea, specially prepared for friends and family coming to help.
Zhang Wenhua ushered Tian Guilan in. “Here, have some tea first.”
The latter took a symbolic sip, then couldn’t sit still any longer. She got up and followed Zhang Wenhua to help with the work. Before long, other relatives arrived to help with cleaning and decorating. A pig butcher who had been booked in advance was slaughtering a pig in the backyard, drawing more than half the village children to gather and watch. The noise and bustle made for a wonderfully festive atmosphere.
Lin Aiyun, as the soon-to-be bride, naturally didn’t escape the teasing of the older generation, who pulled her aside for endless chatter.
Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin had gone into town early that morning, saying they wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. They had mysteriously mentioned having a surprise for her.
After a busy morning, when mealtime came, those who had come to help dispersed on their own. Everyone had their dignity—helping out and mooching a meal were two different things. Mutual assistance was an old tradition, and the Lin family had helped others plenty of times before—this was just returning the favor.
Grain was precious in those days, and no household had it easy. Eating a meal on the actual wedding day was how you shared in the blessings; coming around at other times just wasn’t proper.
Still, Zhang Wenhua gave each person a handful of melon seeds to munch on the way home, and everyone left beaming.
Shortly after lunch, Zhang Wenhua sent Lin Wenkang to the square to relieve Lin Jianzhi, who had been watching over the grain all morning and needed to come home to eat and rest.
The afternoon was another long stretch of busy work before Xiao Cheng and the others finally drove back—and with them came three more people.
Standing under the eaves, Lin Aiyun blinked, hardly daring to believe her eyes as she looked at the graceful figure in a plain white dress. She almost didn’t recognize her—until the other woman seemed to sense something and turned around, locking eyes with her directly. Only then did Lin Aiyun confirm that this was Xiao Cheng’s sister—her dear best friend from her previous life—Xiao Juan.
“You must be my sister-in-law, right?” Xiao Juan had been cheerful since childhood. She waved at Lin Aiyun proactively, her face bearing a three- or four-part resemblance to Xiao Cheng’s. Her peach-blossom eyes radiated friendliness, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, and her long lashes blinked with a fresh, lively charm.
Though dressed in white, it didn’t quite match her strikingly glamorous features. Lin Aiyun still felt that the beautiful, sexy dresses she had worn in their previous life suited her far better.
But in this era, wearing such things was absolutely out of the question.
“My name is Xiao Juan. Sister-in-law, you can call me A-Juan.” Xiao Juan trotted over in a few quick steps, her innocent eyes sparkling like they held the stars of the universe. Her tone was perhaps too familiar for a first meeting, yet it didn’t feel presumptuous in the slightest.
“A-Juan.” Lin Aiyun curved her lips into a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
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