As night slowly fell, a cool, light rain followed, pattering against the plane leaves with a soft, rhythmic sound.
“The water’s cold. Let me carry you out.”
The moment the words left his mouth, her soft arms hooked around his neck. Xiao Cheng’s lips curved slightly as he lifted her up and stepped out of the tub. She nestled obediently in his arms, her long lashes casting a shadow beneath her eyes, looking utterly harmless.
He pushed aside the curtain again, turned right past a folding screen embroidered with a map of the capital, and revealed a large bed with gray sheets. To the left stood a wardrobe against the wall; to the right, a small window and a desk. Simple and unadorned—nothing more.
Lin Aiyun lifted her eyelids and took a careful look around. Before she could fully register her surroundings, he had pressed her down onto the soft sheets, soaking a large patch of the bedding with water from their hair and bodies.
“Hold on.”
Xiao Cheng was completely naked, that proud, bold curve bobbing with each step he took—visually striking. She glanced at it briefly and couldn’t bring herself to look again, shifting her gaze upward to his neatly arranged eight-pack abs and the tantalizing V-line that disappeared below, faint yet provocative.
As he turned, the view of his firm backside and narrow waist—who could resist that!
Xiao Cheng strode around the room with complete ease, searched for a towel but didn’t find one, so he went back to the bathhouse to grab one. When he returned, he noticed her staring and raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile. “What’s the fun in just looking? Want to touch?”
“Then come here.” Lin Aiyun suppressed her racing heart, crossed her slender white legs, and crooked her finger at him. Her face still carried the flush of pleasure from earlier, her eyes brimming with a seductive allure—she looked every bit the fox spirit incarnate.
But when he actually came over, she lost her nerve. Flustered, she swatted away his wandering hands, her voice trembling: “Um, let’s dry our hair first. Otherwise it won’t dry in time and we won’t be able to sleep.”
“Who said we’re sleeping tonight?” Xiao Cheng squinted, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he uttered those words. He pulled her close, stopping her from shrinking back into the bed, and set her upright, chuckling softly: “Wife, why so timid? You don’t even dare to touch?”
That said, he didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he picked up the towel and began drying her hair, first absorbing the water from the ends, then working his way down from the top with painstaking patience.
“Fine, I’ll touch.” Since he put it that way, how could she play the coward? Her hand first covered his face, tracing his features slowly. With each new spot she touched, the breathing above her grew heavier.
Lin Aiyun gave an honest compliment: “Feels great.”
Hearing that, Xiao Cheng laughed. He draped the towel over her head, cupped her face in both hands, and squeezed gently, pushing her cheeks together and making her lips pucker. He gave her a loud smooch that echoed through the empty room, making her ears burn.
“That’s my wife—great taste. Now, dry me off, and then we’ll get down to business.”
With that, he took the towel off her head and tossed it into her lap. He leaned back on his hands, exposing his solid chest, droplets of water sliding down from his short hair and leaving vague trails across his tan skin.
Having just been so comfortably attended to by Xiao Cheng, Lin Aiyun willingly picked up the towel and began drying his hair. His hair was short—much less trouble than long hair—and it dried quickly.
But what “business” could there be at this hour? She asked him as much.
“You? Me? Either works.” Xiao Cheng said with perfect seriousness, but the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed a barely perceptible slyness.
Lin Aiyun instantly understood what kind of “business” he meant. She gave his ear a helpless twist. “Xiao Cheng, you’ve been full of nonsense lately. Can you stop teasing me all the time?”
“Alright, alright—whatever my wife says.” Seeing her flustered and feigning anger, Xiao Cheng found her utterly endearing, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons as he quickly begged for mercy.
Then, seizing the moment, he pulled her close, gently grasping the back of her slender neck with one hand, his thumb tracing circles on her skin. He dipped his head and captured her lips, silencing her scolding words.
At first, the kiss was impossibly gentle, yet laced with an exploratory intensity. Only after receiving her response did it deepen, their tongues joining in the chase.
Xiao Cheng loved Lin Aiyun’s habit of saying one thing while meaning another—the back-and-forth between them was endlessly amusing.
Late at night, Lin Aiyun was utterly exhausted. She kicked Xiao Cheng, and only then did he hurry to finish. After changing the bedsheets, he pulled her close and they continued sleeping.
Early the next morning, Lin Aiyun woke up to find Xiao Cheng nowhere to be seen. She called out for him several times but got no answer. She figured he had gone out to the courtyard and didn’t think much of it—until she spotted a small note on the bedside table after getting dressed.
“Good morning, wife. I went overboard last night—please forgive me. I wanted to have breakfast with you, but I’ve been away for so long that there’s a lot to deal with, so I couldn’t wait. I’ll be back late today—don’t wait for me to eat. You’re in charge of the household. If anything comes up, talk to Uncle Jiang or A-Juan first. If that doesn’t work, wait for me to come back and back you up. Your loving husband.”
After reading it, Lin Aiyun couldn’t help the corners of her mouth curving upward. She muttered softly, “Hmph, all talk.”
She tucked the note away carefully before leaving the courtyard. She went next door to find Xiao Juan, knocked on her door—the girl was still asleep, saying she was too tired to eat breakfast and would join for lunch instead. So Lin Aiyun turned and headed to find Zhang Wenhua and the others.
“Aiyun!”
The moment she stepped into the small courtyard, she spotted Zhang Wenhua and Lin Jianzhi admiring a crape myrtle bush. Clusters of pinkish-purple blossoms were in full bloom, quite charming.
“Father, Mother.” Lin Aiyun walked over. “Let’s go—let’s call Kangzi and have breakfast together.”
“What about Xiao Cheng and A-Juan?” Zhang Wenhua asked, noticing no one behind Lin Aiyun.
“Xiao Cheng went out on business. Since he’s been away so long, there’s a pile of things waiting for him. He said not to worry about him. A-Juan wants to sleep a little longer and will eat at lunch.” Lin Aiyun answered truthfully.
“Oh, I see. Alright then.”
The three of them called Lin Wenkang, waited for him to wash up, and then walked toward the dining area, chatting as they went.
“This place is huge! I don’t even dare step outside the courtyard gate—I’m afraid I won’t find my way back,” Zhang Wenhua marveled, looking around with wide eyes, clicking her tongue in amazement.
She knew her son-in-law was well-off, but this wealthy? This must be the kind of house reserved for royalty and nobles, surely?
“You’ll get used to it after walking around more.” Lin Aiyun had grown accustomed to it in her previous life, so she didn’t react much.
“Sis, this is the first time I’ve slept alone in such a big room. I couldn’t even fall asleep last night.” Lin Wenkang rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly.
All three of them laughed at his exaggerated gestures. But just then, a jarring snicker came from nearby. The thick Beijing accent carried unmistakable mockery and malice.
“Country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world—this is how embarrassing country folk are.”
“Keep your voice down. Stop it.”
It seemed someone else was trying to hold the speaker back, but couldn’t stop that loose mouth. “What, can’t I speak the truth? I really don’t know what’s gotten into the master, bringing a whole family of outsiders back to freeload.”
Following the sound, they stepped around the rockery and saw two middle-aged women holding brooms. One, somewhat plump, wore a face full of contempt. Even face to face with Lin Aiyun, she showed no restraint—instead, she looked her up and down.
“No wonder—with that kind of vixen look.”
“Sister Chunxia, we haven’t swept over there yet. Let’s go.”
The other woman, smaller and thinner, dropped her gaze when she met Lin Aiyun’s eyes and tugged at Zhao Chunxia’s sleeve.
“Stop right there!” Lin Aiyun’s sharp voice halted them in their tracks. They couldn’t very well keep walking. The one called Zhao Chunxia rolled her eyes subtly, clearly not taking her seriously.
The other, named Yu Li, gripped her broom nervously, looking frightened.
Recalling what Xiao Cheng had told her yesterday afternoon, these two were likely the housekeeping staff.
“Apologize.” Lin Aiyun stepped forward, standing directly in front of Zhao Chunxia. Her gaze was cold, her tone icy.
At this, Zhao Chunxia pointed at herself in disbelief. “You—a little girl—want me to apologize? Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t care who you are. Apologize, or don’t bother coming in tomorrow.”
Seeing Lin Aiyun’s firm stance, Zhao Chunxia belatedly realized this wasn’t someone to be easily pushed around. She regretted her words somewhat, but she was in too deep now—and with Yu Li standing right there, if she showed weakness, how would she ever hold her head up around here? Would she have any dignity left?
“I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“Fine. Then shall I repeat everything you just said to the ‘master’ you mentioned?” The moment Lin Aiyun finished speaking, Zhao Chunxia’s expression changed dramatically. She quickly said, “No—don’t!”
“You dare say it but don’t dare own up to it? You said such ugly things—why didn’t you think about the consequences then?”
By this point, Zhang Wenhua had also stepped forward, her face cold. “We’re outsiders. We haven’t seen much of the world. But what’s that to you? So what if you’re from the capital? What’s so great about that?”
“This is our first meeting. We haven’t done a thing to offend you, yet you’ve opened your mouth and nothing but unpleasantness came out.” Lin Jianzhi shook his head.
“Exactly! You insulted us, and on top of that, you called my sister a vixen and said my brother-in-law had lost his mind.” Lin Wenkang planted his hands on his hips, his cheeks puffed up with anger.
“I don’t know where your sense of superiority comes from. You’re paid to do a job, yet you have the nerve to badmouth the boss’s wife and family.”
The words were her own, but hearing them repeated back through someone else’s mouth made Zhao Chunxia’s face cycle through shades of green, red, and black—like a palette.
“When Xiao Cheng gets back tonight, Auntie, I hope you’ll bear witness for us.” Ignoring how awful Zhao Chunxia’s expression was, Lin Aiyun smiled warmly and took Yu Li’s hand, speaking affectionately.
Looking at the fair, gentle face before her and the soft gaze, Yu Li nodded almost instinctively.
“Yu Li!” Zhao Chunxia was furious, watching helplessly as Yu Li defected. In an instant, she slammed her broom to the ground with a sharp crack.
“I’ve been at the Xiao household for over a decade. Do you really think Mr. Xiao will fire me?” Many others had been let go before, but she hadn’t—so Zhao Chunxia still had some confidence. Besides, that wasn’t the only card she had.
“Oh? Let’s try it then. You’ve insulted Xiao Cheng himself. If he still keeps you on, then maybe he really has lost his mind.” Lin Aiyun gave a cold smile, mimicking Zhao Chunxia’s tone as she repeated the words.
Given Xiao Cheng’s temperament, matters of hiring and firing were likely handled by Jiang Guojun.
And recalling that Xiao Cheng had mentioned Uncle Jiang could be stubborn about certain things, it wasn’t hard to guess that Zhao Chunxia was the type who curried favor with those above and trampled on those below—someone who said one thing to your face and another behind your back. That was probably exactly why she had lasted so long at the Xiao household.
Otherwise, she would have been dismissed long ago.
And anyway, Zhao Chunxia had been the one to hurl insults and mockery first—Lin Aiyun was only defending herself appropriately.
“Come on, let’s go eat. Don’t waste any more time on her.” Lin Aiyun hooked her arm through Zhang Wenhua’s.
“Hey, wait! I’ll apologize, alright?” Zhao Chunxia’s reluctant shout came from behind. Lin Aiyun didn’t even turn her head, continuing forward as if she hadn’t heard.
Keeping someone like that in the house would truly be “paying for trouble.” Given the way she looked down on others, who knew what kind of trouble she might stir up behind their backs later? If she brought disaster upon the Xiao family, it would be a real loss.
Lin Aiyun had already decided that when she saw Jiang Guojun, she would speak to him about letting this person go.
“What a mess.” Zhang Wenhua sighed. Though they had encountered similar condescension before when buying goods in town, this time was different—it was happening in her son-in-law’s home, and right after fully grasping the vast gap in material conditions between their families.
That woman had been right about one thing: they were indeed freeloading at the Xiao household.
The helplessness of being unable to refute that made her feel especially awful.
Even though Xiao Cheng and Xiao Juan were good people and the family wasn’t short on money, the reality of living off others was undeniable. In such circumstances, it was hard to hold one’s head high.
Back in Nangou Village, when they had agreed to come to the capital, they hadn’t known the Xiao family was so well-off. They were separated by several social strata. The shock of such a cognitive gap inevitably made them rethink their initial decision.
Lin Aiyun frowned, put her arm around Zhang Wenhua’s shoulder, and was about to say something when Lin Jianzhi spoke up.
“Daughter, after we attend your wedding banquet with Xiao Cheng, let’s go back home. Staying here—the burden outweighs the companionship.”
“I agree, Sis. We all have hands and feet. We live just fine back home.”
Seeing them waver again about returning, Lin Aiyun grew anxious. But she couldn’t argue—she knew they were right. A person had to rely on their own skills to stand tall and dignified.
But in the future, it would all be communal meals, everyone earning work points. It didn’t matter whether you worked hard or not—everyone got the same. Life in the countryside wouldn’t be as comfortable as in the city.
“Father, Mother, Kangzi—we don’t know when things back home will be liberated. Going back now would be unsafe, and we don’t know if the roads might be blocked. How about this: we use our own money to rent a place and find jobs to get stable first. After a year or so, once the situation settles down, we can think about going back.”
“No matter where we are, the most important thing is that our family stays together, isn’t it?”
The other three exchanged glances. Unable to come up with a better solution, they nodded.
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