Chuntao’s heart trembled at his words, and the bowl in her hands nearly slipped to the floor.
She was both shy and flustered. Her cheeks felt hot enough to burn, and she lowered her head, afraid to meet Zhou Zhijun’s smoldering gaze. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz. “You… you’re always talking nonsense…”
She pretended to be angry, desperately suppressing the panic and anticipation churning inside her.
But her trembling voice and crimson ears had already betrayed her completely.
Looking at her unbearably endearing expression, Zhou Zhijun’s Adam’s apple bobbed lightly. He was just about to speak again when Jianshe, lying on the bed platform, seemed determined to cause trouble. The little boy slapped both hands against the board in front of him.
The two of them turned to look at the same time. The little fellow waved his hands and feet, his tiny mouth working as he stared fixedly at the bowl and cried, “Ah, ah!”
“Look at this boy—he’s got a sweet tooth!”
Zhou Zhijun brought the bowl over, picked up a noodle with his chopsticks, and was about to put it into Jianshe’s mouth.
Chuntao hurried to stop him. “He’s too young. Noodles will upset his stomach!”
“Boys aren’t that delicate!”
The noodle had already gone into Jianshe’s mouth. The little fellow pursed his lips and sucked it in.
Afraid he might choke, Chuntao reached out to pull it back, but the entire noodle had already disappeared into his mouth.
Zhou Zhijun gave her a reassuring look. “It’s fine. If he’s Zhou Zhijun’s son, he can’t even handle a noodle? How’s he going to build the country someday?”
Jianshe already had two baby teeth, and somehow he swallowed the noodle without a problem.
Once he got a taste of it, he reached out for more. Zhou Zhijun broke the noodles into smaller pieces and fed him quite a bit.
After they finished the soup and washed the bowls and chopsticks, Aunt Zhou and her husband carried Jianshe to the east room.
Zhou Zhijun heated a pot of warm water, ladled it into a basin, and carried it into the inner room of the north bedroom. “Wash up and get to sleep.”
Chuntao was holding Nuannuan and nursing her. She said shyly, “You go first.”
Zhou Zhijun carried the basin to the adjoining room and wiped himself clean. Then he brought over another basin of fresh water for Chuntao.
As if she knew that her parents had finally reunited after being apart for so long, little Nuannuan fell into a deep sleep after eating her fill. She slept especially soundly.
While Chuntao went to the next room to wash herself, Zhou Zhijun leaned against the head of the bed and gazed at Nuannuan’s tender, rosy little face. A gentle smile curved his lips, and his eyes were filled with warmth.
The corners of Nuannuan’s tiny mouth lifted as well, and she even let out a little laugh, as though she were having a sweet dream.
Chuntao had longed for Zhou Zhijun day and night. Now that he had truly returned, she was unexpectedly overwhelmed with shyness.
Her cheeks were flushed, and it felt as if two rabbits were trapped inside her chest, pounding against it without end.
Zhou Zhijun couldn’t wait any longer. He slipped quietly into the adjoining room.
Chuntao had just finished washing and was about to get dressed when he suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind.
His scorching chest pressed against her, making her whole body tremble. “Let go of me! I need to get dressed!”
“Why bother? You’ll only have to take it off again. Too much trouble.”
Without giving her a chance to argue, Zhou Zhijun bent down, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her straight into the inner room.
Absence had made their reunion all the sweeter.
That night, Zhou Zhijun seemed insatiable, taking her again and again. Chuntao was so exhausted that she fell asleep, but he still didn’t stop.
By the time she opened her eyes, the sky was already bright, and rain pattered softly outside.
Nuannuan slept soundly in the crook of her arm. Behind her, the warm chest that had held her was gone, leaving only a patch of empty coolness.
She gently pulled her arm from beneath Nuannuan’s neck and prepared to get up.
Chuntao had never been one to sleep late. But ever since she had married into the Zhou family, Aunt Zhou wouldn’t let her rise early. She always waited until breakfast was ready before waking her.
Chuntao was completely naked. She reached around on the bed for a while but couldn’t find her undershirt or underpants.
She carefully sat up and was about to search again when the man’s tall figure appeared in the doorway of the inner room. She hurriedly wrapped the sheet around herself.
“You’re awake!”
A sunny smile spread across Zhou Zhijun’s face, but his eyes remained fixed on the full curve of her breasts.
He took one step to the bedside and gently stroked her cheek.
“I lost control last night. Wore you out, didn’t I?” The corners of his eyes narrowed slightly, a tiny spark of mischief hidden within them.
Images of the previous night suddenly crashed into Chuntao’s mind. Her face instantly grew hot again, and her long lashes fluttered. Pressing her lips together, she said nothing.
Her gaze drifted toward Nuannuan, and her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. “You were like a donkey…”
Zhou Zhijun turned her face toward him and gave her a roguish grin. “So, are you reassured now? Getting a vasectomy didn’t affect me at all. I’ve still got strength to spare!”
She had worried about this for months, terrified that the procedure would weaken him.
Only now did she realize that all her concern had been unnecessary.
He wasn’t merely fine—he was even more vigorous than before, lasting so long that she had fallen completely asleep.
“Mm. As long as you’re all right… I was really afraid you…” She didn’t finish the sentence before Zhou Zhijun leaned closer and teased her in a hoarse voice. “Afraid of what?”
Chuntao’s face grew even redder, but she pretended not to understand. “Afraid you wouldn’t be able to work. The whole family depends on you.”
“My body’s sturdy. I can do more than work—I can handle you too. Don’t worry.”
As he spoke, he lowered his lips onto hers and drew her lower lip into his mouth. His rough stubble scratched lightly against her chin.
“Let go!” Chuntao pushed at him.
This time, Zhou Zhijun didn’t force the matter. He released her easily.
Chuntao wanted to lift the sheet and get dressed, but then remembered that she was naked beneath it. Her hand froze on the corner of the sheet.
“Where are my undershirt and underpants?” she asked softly, looking down.
Zhou Zhijun’s lips curved. He reached beneath the pillow and pulled out her pink underwear.
“I’ll put them on you.”
Before Chuntao could refuse, he had already lifted the sheet and begun dressing her.
“I can do it myself!” Chuntao tried to push him away.
“Be good.”
After helping her get dressed, Zhou Zhijun chuckled. “I’ve seen every inch of you, right down to every hair follicle. What are you still embarrassed about?”
“T-that’s different!” Chuntao argued, her face red.
Zhou Zhijun dressed her completely, inside and out, then crouched down and put her cloth shoes on her.
“The rain’s coming down hard. I’ll bring water from the kitchen so you can brush your teeth and wash your face.”
He stood, placed a folded fertilizer sack over his head to keep off the rain, and hurried into the kitchen.
Before long, he returned with water for washing and a cup for brushing her teeth. The water in the cup was warm, and he had even squeezed toothpaste onto the brush.
Chuntao stood in the doorway brushing her teeth while Zhou Zhijun held an umbrella over her to keep the rain from reaching her.
After she finished washing up, Zhou Zhijun went back to the kitchen and brought out breakfast.
There was a bowl of thin white-flour porridge sprinkled with bits of scrambled egg, a plate of cured meat, and some chilled water spinach on the side.
“Have a sip of something light to settle your stomach. I’ll go get you a steamed bun.”
He set the food on the square table and placed the chopsticks in her hand.
Zhou Zhijun brought over a large white steamed bun, sat down beside her, tore off half, and handed it to her. “Here. Eat it with the meat.”
“Why aren’t you eating?” Chuntao asked, looking at him.
“I don’t like this.” He waved the half bun in his hand. “I only like eating yours.”
“I’m asking you seriously. Stop talking nonsense.” Chuntao scolded him, a faint blush rising over her face again.
“Everything I say is the honest truth. How is that nonsense?” Zhou Zhijun said with complete seriousness.
Chuntao took small bites of the bun. “Your face is thicker than the corner of the city wall.”
“If I didn’t have thick skin, how would I get hot steamed buns? That’s how it is—the bold eat their fill, while the timid go hungry.”
His warm breath brushed across her face, making it grow even hotter and redder.
Chuntao pretended to be annoyed. “Stop talking! I don’t want to listen!”
“I won’t say it. Can’t I just do it instead? We’ll keep going tonight…”
Before he could finish, a bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the dense curtain of rain, followed by a deafening boom of thunder!
Chuntao jolted in fright, and Zhou Zhijun immediately stretched out his long arm and pulled her tightly into his embrace.
“Tao, don’t be afraid.”
He lowered his head to look at the startled woman in his arms. His voice was deep and gentle, but the heat he could barely suppress in his eyes was even more unsettling than the storm outside.
Chuntao leaned against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat as her face slowly flushed crimson.
She knew that as long as Zhou Zhijun was home, she could forget about having a moment’s peace!
