The water temperature in the bathtub was getting higher and higher.
Steaming heat crawled all over the tiles, gathering into small streams that meandered downward.
Song Xinya gripped the edge of the bathtub tightly. Because he was thrusting so forcefully, her hands exerted matching force, her slender knuckles turning a translucent white.
Crystal clear droplets trickled down her cheeks.
A small portion was condensation, but most were tears born of extreme pleasure.
Ripples on the water's surface spread out fiercely, ring after ring, crashing against the sides of the tub, persisting for a long time...
...
Meanwhile, in the first-floor living room.
Song Tingye and Qin Yuyan looked up at the second floor, their eyes filled with longing.
A longing for steamed cornbread.
It was already eleven in the morning. Why hadn't their brother-in-law (brother) and sister (sister-in-law) come down yet?
If those two didn't come down, Song Tingye and Qin Yuyan wouldn't have any steamed cornbread to eat.
Without Qin Yuhe's permission, no one dared to give them a single bite of food.
Yesterday, the two of them were so hungry they couldn't stand it, so they drank a bellyful of water before going to sleep.
Water wasn't filling; it had long since turned into urine and been pissed away.
Qin Yuyan used to constantly clamor about losing weight, but she could never control her mouth.
She would shout her weight-loss slogans loudly, only to step on the scale seven days later and find she had gained eight pounds.
Now, after eating only steamed cornbread for four days straight, she had lost ten pounds.
The weight she could never lose before was now gone.
How could this not be considered a dream come true?
The delicate little princess had been starved until she was sallow and emaciated.
Song Tingye wasn't faring any better. His legs were shaking, and he was weak from hunger.
The two of them were now in a more miserable state than beggars.
Qin Yuyan was crying from hunger. Wiping her tears, she sobbed, "Let's go upstairs and find my brother and sister-in-law. I want to eat steamed cornbread, boohoo... I've been craving a bite of steamed cornbread all night, boohoo."
Song Tingye hurriedly comforted her, "Don't cry, don't cry. I'll go with you to the second floor right now and ask my sister and brother-in-law for some steamed cornbread for you to eat."
The two stood at the door of Qin Yuhe and Song Xinya's bedroom and knocked.
No one answered.
Song Tingye strained his voice and performed an impromptu rap: "Open the door, open the door, don't hide inside and stay silent. I know you're home. If you have the guts to starve us, then have the guts to open the door."
Qin Yuyan said, "...We're both about to starve to death, and you still have the mood to joke around."
Song Tingye replied, "Just finding joy in sorrow."
He turned to look at her and saw that she had stopped crying.
So this joke was actually quite effective.
He used the pads of his fingers to gently wipe away her tears, cleaning the mottled tear stains from her cheeks. "You've cried so much you look like a little dirty cat."
Qin Yuyan looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "I must look really ugly right now."
Song Tingye said, "You are the prettiest little cat."
The young girl's eyelashes fluttered, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a radiant smile.
Song Tingye's fingertips traced from the corner of her eye to her temple. "The little princess looks much better when she smiles."
Qin Yuyan sighed, "Ah, if I were full, I would definitely smile for you every day, it's just, sigh—"
She clutched her stomach and pouted, "I'm so hungry right now that I can't even smile."
Song Tingye raised his fist high. "I will keep pounding on the door! I'll get you that steamed cornbread!"
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—
After pounding on the door six times, Song Tingye felt his legs go soft, like he was about to fall to his knees.
He couldn't help it; he was too weak.
His current frail physique wasn't suited for school or work; it was only suited for enjoying a life of leisure.
His voice was weak as a thread: "Brother-in-law, open the door, door, door, door~"
Qin Yuyan followed suit, thumping on the door. "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, my dear sister-in-law, I want to eat steamed cornbread."
The bedroom's soundproofing was excellent. With the doors and windows tightly shut, the two people inside couldn't hear the sounds outside.
But right now, the doors and windows were not tightly shut.
Song Xinya was pressed against the bathtub by Qin Yuhe. Her heart was already beating fast, and she was struggling to breathe. Coupled with the steamy environment and thin air in the bathroom, she felt like she could pass out at any moment.
"Open... open the window."
Qin Yuhe pulled out halfway, stood up straight, and opened the window.
This window faced the hallway.
Song Tingye and Qin Yuyan were standing in the hallway.
The two were just fretting over not being able to see what was going on inside the room.
Song Tingye was tall; as long as he stood on his tiptoes, he could lean on the window and see inside the bathroom.
Qin Yuyan said, "That window opened!"
Song Tingye said, "I'll lean up and take a look!"
The two kids stood below the window, looking up at it, and asked very politely and loudly, "Hello, hello, is anyone inside?"
Bang—the window slammed shut.
Click—the window was locked from the inside.
Song Tingye: "..."
Qin Yuyan: "..."
Song Tingye asked, "Why are they hiding from us?"
Qin Yuyan replied, "Nonsense. When you go to the bathroom bare-bottomed, do you want others to see you?"
Song Tingye rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Makes sense."
Qin Yuyan said, "While there's someone inside, Xiaoye, quickly knock on the window a few times."
Song Tingye stood on his tiptoes and pounded his fist three times, bang, bang, bang.
Qin Yuyan asked, "Will my brother open the door for us?"
Song Tingye said, "If he doesn't open it, I'll smash the window and climb in."
A soft click reached their ears as the bedroom door opened.
Qin Yuhe stood in the doorway, a bathrobe loosely wrapped around his body. The hair on his forehead was damp with sweat, a thin layer of moisture coated the lines of his neck, and a vigorous, scorching heat radiated from him.
Song Tingye understood this state in men very well, because he was often like this too.
"Brother-in-law, you must have just finished exercising."
Qin Yuhe asked, "Why do you know so well?"
Song Tingye replied, "I'm like this every time I finish playing basketball."
Qin Yuhe said, "You came here to harass me, don't tell me you want me to play basketball with you."
Song Tingye replied, "No."
Song Tingye and Qin Yuyan looked at Qin Yuhe and said in unison, "I want to eat steamed cornbread."
The two kids had been so thoroughly disciplined by President Qin that they didn't even dare to dream of meat anymore; they just honestly wanted to eat steamed cornbread.
Qin Yuhe picked up the phone, called a servant over, handed each of them a piece of steamed cornbread, and sent them away.
He returned to the bathroom. Song Xinya had already fallen asleep leaning against the bathtub.
Their session in the water had only made it halfway.
Qin Yuhe scooped Song Xinya out of the water and held her in his arms.
She was like a mermaid who had just surfaced from the sea, completely naked. Her snow-white skin was smooth and delicate, dripping wet.
The clothes on Qin Yuhe's body were soaked through.
The bedsheets were a wrinkled mess, covered in various marks and the aftermath of their frantic lovemaking.
Qin Yuhe placed Song Xinya on a relatively clean side of the bed.
He picked up a towel to wipe her body.
When his fingers touched her, she thought he was going to start again and twisted her body in a struggle.
"Don't move," Qin Yuhe grasped her shoulder with one hand to hold her still. "I have to wipe you clean before you can sleep."
She struggled even harder, her waist twisting alluringly.
Qin Yuhe said, "Look at you, you're so wet you've soaked the bedsheets."
