A delicate beauty takes a place in a marriage, while a cold, rough man seduces her every night.

Ever since that incident with Zhang Laizi, Xiao Jingye has made sure to take her with him every time he goes into the city, as if he wants to keep her tied to his belt at all times.

Qingyan often helps out at the factory with whatever work she can, and sometimes she goes with him to deliver goods.

Before the Lunar New Year, the two of them selected some high-quality mountain products and assembled several high-end mountain product gift boxes.

First, I sent a portion to Uncle Xu at the state-run restaurant.

This was the first time Uncle Xu had met Qingyan. After a two-second pause, he said to Xiao Jingye:

"You little rascal, no wonder you keep talking about your wife, you really did marry a goddess."

Qingyan felt embarrassed, her face slightly flushed, and she gave Uncle Xu a shy smile, like a newly blooming rose, gentle and charming.

After saying goodbye to Uncle Xu, Xiao Jingye took her to the home of Deputy Director Zhang of the Education Bureau.

After the mountain produce was delivered, he sat on the living room sofa with Director Zhang and his wife, chatting and exchanging pleasantries.

Facing her direct superior, Qingyan couldn't help but feel a bit reserved and apprehensive. The disparity in their status and position made her subconsciously feel awe.

However, Xiao Jingye maintained a composed and dignified demeanor throughout.

When they first met, Qingyan thought he was just a straightforward, strong, and simple-minded rough man.

After getting to know him, she realized that he was actually insightful, articulate, and had an excellent sense of propriety in his interactions with others.

He is neither obsequious to superiors nor humble and polite to subordinates; every word he utters is just right, making people feel as if they are bathed in a spring breeze.

This composure must have come from shouldering the heavy burden of his family alone when he was young, and from the tempering he has accumulated over the years.

In the following days, the two visited many clients and friends in the city.

Throughout the entire process, Xiao Jingye held her hand firmly. He addressed her as "uncle" and "elder brother" with familiarity, and Qingyan obediently followed beside him, softly greeting him as a well-behaved and shy new bride.

After visiting all their relatives, friends, and clients, the two went to the post office to mail two boxes of high-quality, valuable mountain produce to Qiao Ni's family in Beijing.

After finishing all the chores and buying all the food and supplies needed for the New Year in the city, the two drove home.

The country dirt road winds its way forward, and the bread cart moves steadily ahead.

Xiao Jingye calmly held the steering wheel with one hand, his broad and tall figure filling the driver's seat. His forearm muscles were slightly taut, and his profile was sharply defined, exuding a calm and cold aura.

So handsome.

Qingyan stared at him for a while, then silently looked away.

Xiao Jingye had been busy for the past few months, and the two of them didn't have much time to spend together. They would only do it occasionally, or she would help him with his crafts.

Now that he's on vacation, the two of them are at home. Knowing his personality, he'll probably be acting like a hooligan every day.

However, with both of their careers on the rise, Qingyan doesn't want to have children yet.

Suddenly, I remembered what my aunt had said to me when she came to visit.

She gripped the seatbelt tightly, hesitated for a long time before finally stammering, "Please stop at the entrance of the health center up ahead."

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Xiao Jingye slowly applied the brakes and turned to look at her.

"No," she lied without batting an eye, "we've run out of eye drops at home, so I'm going to buy another bottle to keep on hand."

The van came to a smooth stop in front of the health center. Xiao Jingye turned off the engine and said, "I'll go with you."

"No need, you can wait here for me. We have so much stuff in the car, you can look after it."

Qingyan got out of the car and walked straight towards the family planning clinic of the township health center.

There were many people coming and going in the hospital. Afraid of running into acquaintances and feeling awkward, she pulled her scarf up to cover half of her face, leaving only her bright eyes showing.

When I arrived at the family planning clinic window, I found that the line was very long.

Are there really that many people receiving this thing?

Qingyan stood silently at the back of the line, anxiously looking ahead.

The two women in front of me were chatting animatedly, their topics straightforward, as if they were oblivious to everyone else.

"How long is considered normal?"

"Twenty or thirty minutes is the norm; anything shorter won't work."

"Can your partner last that long? Mine never lasts more than five minutes before going quiet and listless."

Qingyan didn't want to eavesdrop, but the conversation between the two drifted clearly into her ears, leaving her no way to avoid it.

Is 20 or 30 minutes considered normal?

Isn't Xiao Jingye very abnormal?

Each time it would take at least an hour or two, and sometimes she would even fall asleep from exhaustion, but he would still enjoy it all by himself.

The casual conversation in front of them continued.

We already have three children, and we really don't want to have any more, but he never likes wearing anything, saying it's uncomfortable and he doesn't feel fully relaxed with a layer on.

"It's not safe to not wear one. You'll need it in a pinch..."

Qingyan buried half her face in the soft scarf, her eyes drifting away in a seemingly indifferent direction, trying her best to pretend she hadn't heard anything, but her ears had already quietly turned red.

A while later, she came out of the health center.

Xiao Jingye asked, "Have you bought the eye drops?"

She gently curved her lips into a smile and patted her pocket: "Yes, all bought."

He leaned over, fastened her seatbelt, kissed her exquisitely beautiful cheek, and then started the car.

"go home."

-

Duoduo is always the happiest when her brother and sister-in-law come back.

The little guy is very smart. He has developed a habit of immediately putting down his toys and running to the gate of the yard to look around whenever he hears the sound of a car or motorcycle.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, a small figure was already jumping and skipping by the doorstep, her clear, sweet voice calling out, "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law!"

The little dog, Fu Bao, followed at her feet, wagging its fluffy tail happily. The joyful expressions of the person and the dog were strangely similar.

Seeing this, Qingyan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, smiled slightly.

She opened the car door, and Fu Bao and Duo Duo excitedly ran to her side, one hugging her waist and the other spinning around her feet.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law!"

Duoduo was wearing a thick, fluffy cotton coat and an adorable tiger hat. She was round and chubby, and when she smiled, she revealed a set of neat little white teeth, looking innocent and carefree.

Qingyan tried to bend down and hug her, but couldn't lift her up and gave up.

All I could do was gently rub her cheeks.

Xiao Jingye unloaded the various bags from the car, and Qingyan took Duoduo's hand as they entered the yard together.

"You're back!" Zeng Yumei said with a smile as she came out of the kitchen wearing an apron.

Qingyan said, "Mom, don't bother with that. We picked out a new outfit for you and Duoduo in the city. Try them on and see if they fit."

"Why buy clothes? I have so many clothes I can't even wear them all." Zeng Yumei kept saying it was a waste, but her hands moved quickly and efficiently as she took off her apron and followed the two into the house.

Qingyan bought her a cotton-padded coat that was fashionable for old ladies in the city, paired with a pair of thick, timeless cotton-padded trousers.

Zeng Yumei changed into her new clothes, touched the fabric, stretched the hem, and grinned from ear to ear: "What a waste of money! You can buy them yourself from now on."

Xiao Jingye sat leisurely on the stool, his expression languid and relaxed:

"It's a gift from your daughter-in-law. She specially picked out a nice style for you. Just accept it with a smile."

Zeng Yumei smiled and said, "Beautiful, so beautiful! Our Qingyan has excellent taste!"

Qingyan smiled, a shallow dimple appearing on her cheek: "Mom, I'm glad you like it."

-

The cold moon hangs on the bare treetops, and the north wind sweeps across the bare branches.

The dim light shone through the paper windows of every household, adding a touch of warmth to the cold night.

Qingyan spread the face cream evenly on the back of her hands, leaving them moisturized, fragrant, and slightly glossy.

It was too cold, so she took off her shoes, removed her hair tie, and quickly got onto the kang (heated brick bed).

Just then, Xiao Jingye was washing up when Duoduo, wearing only thermal underwear, ran into their bedroom and nimbly climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Sister-in-law, I want to sleep with you."

Qingyan pulled back the covers: "Come here quickly, don't get cold."

When Xiao Jingye finished washing up and entered the bedroom, he saw that Duoduo was already asleep, hugging Qingyan's arm.

The room was warm and filled with a pleasant fragrance.

Qingyan lay on her side, her hair falling softly over her shoulder, while Duoduo nestled close beside her, fast asleep. The scene looked serene and warm.

He walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), reached out to hug Duoduo, and Qingyan gently patted him: "What are you doing?"

"Take her to my mother's room."

"Let her sleep here."

"No." Xiao Jingye refused decisively, gently picked up his sleeping sister, and took her back to his mother's room.

When he returned, he still carried a faint chill from outside. He nimbly slipped into bed and reached out to pull the person beside him tightly into his arms.

With a warm and fragrant body in one's arms, a cozy and comfortable bed, a successful career, and a peaceful and happy family.

Xiao Jingye suddenly felt that all the hardships he had endured in the previous years were insignificant.

"Was Mom asleep when you took Duoduo back?" Qingyan asked softly.

"Asleep."

"I told you not to send it. What's the point of all this back and forth? You'll definitely wake Mom up."

"No," he said, his large hand tracing her smooth waistline upwards before he lowered his head to kiss her. "If she were here, how would we get things done?"

For months, the two were busy making a living and working, and they never had a proper chance to spend quality time together.

He was enjoying a rare and carefree holiday during the Lunar New Year, so how could he let her go so easily?

The scalding heat from her palm seeped through the thin fabric of her clothes, causing Qingyan to tremble slightly.

With a "click," the indoor lights were switched off, plunging the warm room into a hazy, ambiguous dim light and shadow.

His strong, broad body pressed down on her, kissing her delicately from her fair face to her neck, his breath becoming increasingly uncontrollable: "Are you done yet?"

Qingyan nestled in his arms, her voice soft and delicate: "Mmm...no."

Xiao Jingye didn't believe her, after all, she often used this trick to fool and evade.

Lowering her eyes, she tentatively reached out, and in the next instant—

He raised his hand and slapped her twice.

Without a second thought, she bit into the soft, white flesh with the tip of her teeth: "Little liar."