Not wanting to disturb his work, she turned and went inside to fetch the vegetable seeds.
The soil was too dry, so she sprinkled water first, waiting for it to moisten.
Zhou Yueshen occasionally glanced up at her.
Soon, the plot of land Si Nian thought would take her days to dig was finished by the man in just an hour.
A neat, square patch of tilled earth now lay by the courtyard entrance.
Si Nian sighed in admiration and brought him a bowl of cool water.
After spending time together, she had learned that Zhou Yueshen didn’t like sweets.
So, compared to mung bean soup, he preferred plain water.
Zhou Yueshen reached out to take it, tilting his head back to drink it all in one go. Si Nian paused slightly.
She looked up at him.
From her angle, she could only see his sharp jawline and the movement of his Adam’s apple.
Zhou Yueshen noticed her gaze and glanced down.
Si Nian’s eyes flickered, but she pretended to be composed as she averted her gaze.
"I’ll be heading back to the pig farm later. If there’s anything you need, come find me there or wait till I return, alright?"
Si Nian nodded obediently. "Understood."
Yaoyao stood beside Si Nian’s feet, mimicking her posture.
Zhou Yueshen looked at the two of them, his usually cold expression softening. He reached out to pat his daughter’s head, then glanced at Si Nian.
The wind was strong.
It tousled Si Nian’s fine hair, and she brushed it aside, watching him cradle the child with tender affection.
"Let me heat up lunch for you. Eat before you go."
Zhou Yueshen’s lips curved slightly. "Mm. I’ll go change upstairs."
He carried Yaoyao inside, and after a moment, Si Nian followed, heading to the kitchen to prepare the meal.
To save effort, Si Nian usually cooked extra portions.
At noon, she could simply reheat the leftovers.
After warming the soup and dishes, she noticed Zhou Yueshen hadn’t come downstairs yet.
She knocked on the door, and it swung open. A cool breeze rushed in through the window, brushing against her face. Zhou Yueshen’s tall figure stood in the doorway, watching her.
Having worked in the kitchen, she felt warm. A few buttons of her blouse had come undone, revealing a glimpse of her alluring décolletage.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, with only a few loose strands framing her fair, delicate face. When she looked up, her gaze was nothing but gentle.
Zhou Yueshen studied her for a moment before gripping her waist and pulling her inside.
Bang.
The door shut behind them.
Pinned against the door, Si Nian let out a soft gasp. Tilting her head up, she murmured, "Wait… lunch is ready."
"No rush." With that, he lowered his head and captured her lips.
His large hand pressed against her waist, pulling her flush against him as their mouths tangled fiercely.
Si Nian felt her feet leave the ground as he lifted her effortlessly. Her slender arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.
She was wearing a skirt.
The motion caused the hem to ride up, bunching around her thighs.
His rough palm gripped her smooth, pale legs.
The heat of his touch seared into her skin, sending shivers down her spine.
He carried her to the bed, and soon Si Nian sank into the soft sheets.
He kissed her deeply, his chest pressed against her soft curves.
His hand slid upward, deftly undoing the buttons of her blouse before dipping lower.
Outside, the breeze whispered through the window, but it did nothing to cool the burning heat within the room.
An hour later, Zhou Yueshen came downstairs.
The food on the table had long gone cold. Yaoyao sat on the sofa watching TV, completely unaware of what had happened.
Hearing footsteps, she turned and, seeing her father, immediately jumped down and ran over in her little sandals, arms outstretched for a hug.
"Mama~"
Zhou Yueshen chuckled lowly. Had this woman only taught the little one to call for her?
He bent down to pick up his daughter, pressing a kiss to her cheek before murmuring in a deep voice, "Say ‘Daddy.’"
"Mama~" Yaoyao clung to his neck, eyes crinkling with a smile.
Zhou Yueshen pinched her cheek lightly but didn’t insist.
Holding his daughter with one arm, he carried the dishes to the kitchen to reheat them.
After feeding Yaoyao and letting her eat on her own, he quickly finished his own meal.
Full and sleepy, Yaoyao’s head kept nodding as she ate.
Zhou Yueshen carried her upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door.
On the bed, a slender figure lay buried in the blankets, fast asleep.
Exhausted, Si Nian didn’t stir at all as he entered.
Only when Zhou Yueshen placed Yaoyao beside her did she blink drowsily. Seeing the child, she shifted to make space, her voice soft as she asked Zhou Yueshen, "Aren’t you going back to work?"
Zhou Yueshen gazed down at her sleepy face.
Before he could answer, she had already drifted off again.
He pulled the blanket over them both, brushing aside a few strands of her hair before pressing a light kiss to Si Nian’s cheek. Then, he quietly left.
In the city, the Fu and Si families were discussing wedding arrangements.
Last time, when Lin Sisi went to take care of Fu Yang, he had gotten drunk. No one knew what happened between them, but Lin Sisi had fled the Fu residence in tears, her clothes disheveled.
The incident had spread throughout the compound.
Rumors swirled that Fu Yang, intoxicated, had forced himself on Lin Sisi.
Since the two were engaged, such matters might not have been a big deal in private.
But the military compound upheld strict morals, and given Lin Sisi’s distressed state, people couldn’t help but speculate.
The Fu family found themselves at the center of the storm.
What should have been a joyous occasion had turned into a scandal, leaving them humiliated.
Given that their son had been at fault—after all, he was drunk, and Lin Sisi, as a woman, had suffered the most—they took the initiative to visit the Si family.
The Si family, of course, was overjoyed.
After their last visit to the Zhou residence, where they discovered that Zhou Yueshen—whom they had always looked down on—was far from ordinary, Si’s Father had been frantically gathering information about him.
But the results left him bitterly disappointed!
He had assumed Zhou Yueshen’s connections with Director Li and Chief Zhang, along with his military attire, meant he held significant influence.
Yet upon investigation, he learned that while Zhou Yueshen had indeed served in the military, he had been discharged years ago!
Director Li and the others had only visited because they had once been in the same division.
The revelation crushed his expectations.
Thinking of the hefty sum he had handed over during that visit, Si’s Father spent nights fuming, his hair graying from frustration.
At least his biological daughter’s marriage was finally settled, giving him some relief.
Though his adopted daughter’s situation was disappointing, the Zhou family’s lavish home suggested they weren’t lacking in wealth. Plus, their ties to Director Li and Chief Zhang meant they could still be useful in the future. This thought eased his resentment somewhat.
Lin Sisi sat demurely to the side, blushing shyly. Because of the incident, the wedding date was set urgently.
However, since Fu Yang was soon leaving for military duty, there was no time for a ceremony. The Fu family decided the two would register their marriage first, holding the wedding celebration after Fu Yang’s return.
Lin Sisi couldn’t help but compare it to Si Nian’s grand wedding. Though dissatisfied, she kept her complaints to herself.
After all, once they were officially married, she would be a member of the Fu family.
