The voluptuous and beautiful nanny, Technician Shen fell for her.

Shen Family Compound.

As the sun began to set, the heat in the courtyard dissipated considerably.

Su Nianhe sat on a small stool with a large washbasin in front of her, washing the diapers that Shen Pingan had changed.

After a chaotic time in Shen Huai's room at noon, coupled with the shock, she only ate a few bites of rice for lunch.

By now, my stomach was growling with hunger.

She glanced at the living room discreetly.

Liu Huizhen took Shen Ping'an to visit Vice Mayor Li next door.

Wang Liping was sleeping inside the house.

Aunt Wang is preparing side dishes for dinner in the kitchen.

Su Nianhe dried her hands and sneaked into the kitchen.

There were two leftover white steamed buns from lunch in the bamboo basket on the stove.

She swallowed hard, grabbed a steamed bun, hid behind the water vat, and began to devour it.

There were no vegetables, no water, and the dry steamed buns were a bit hard to swallow.

But she has to eat.

She finished one steamed bun in a few bites and then picked up a second one.

Halfway through the meal, the clear sound of a bicycle bell came from outside the courtyard.

Su Nianhe felt guilty and was so frightened that she almost choked.

She quickly stuffed the remaining half of the steamed bun into her apron pocket, wiped her mouth haphazardly, picked up the water ladle and took a big gulp of cold water, swallowing the dry noodles in her mouth.

As soon as I stepped out of the kitchen, I saw Shen Huai pushing his bicycle into the yard.

He came home much earlier than usual today.

Sunlight shone on his light blue short-sleeved shirt, and his tall figure cast a long shadow in the yard.

Su Nianhe's heart skipped a beat.

The scene from the room at noon kept flooding back into my mind.

She kept her head down, nervously twisting the straps of her apron, her voice barely audible: "Shen... Technician Shen, you're off work."

Shen Huai propped his bicycle against the corner of the wall and turned to look at her.

He was a head taller than her, and his superior gaze completely enveloped her.

From his angle, he could just see the barely noticeable water stain around the loose neckline of her dress.

The sweet, fruity aroma in the air, though slightly fainter than at noon, was still clearly noticeable.

Shen Huai stepped forward.

The distance between the two people was reduced to less than half a meter.

Startled, Su Nianhe took a step back, her back pressed against the kitchen door frame.

"Have you eaten?" Shen Huai asked, his voice low and hoarse.

Su Nianhe's face paled, and she quickly shook her head: "No, no..."

Shen Huai raised his hand.

"I didn't mean to..." she pleaded in a low voice, her eyes reddening with anxiety. "I didn't eat enough at noon, so I secretly ate a steamed bun."

Seeing her pitiful appearance, on the verge of tears, Shen Huai's anger not only didn't subside, but burned even brighter.

He looked at her file this afternoon.

I knew she was a girl with nowhere to turn.

I know how terrified she was of being sent back to that poor, remote place.

"Come upstairs with me." Shen Huai said these four words and turned to walk into the building.

Su Nianhe stood frozen in place, her face filled with terror.

"Do I have to treat you again?" Shen Huai stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to look at her.

Su Nianhe bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

She dared not disobey, and could only follow him up to the second floor with heavy steps.

The second-floor corridor was quiet.

Shen Huai pushed open the door to his room and stood aside waiting for her to go in.

Su Nianhe shuffled in along the door frame, her whole body trembling.

With a "click," the door was locked again from the inside.

Su Nianhe's shoulders jerked as she heard the lock click shut.

Shen Huai walked to the desk, put down his briefcase, turned around and leaned against the edge of the desk.

"How much did you eat?"

"One...one and a half steamed buns." Su Nianhe lowered her head, her voice trembling.

The room was very quiet.

Shen Huai stood in front of her, his tall figure blocking most of the light.

His gaze drifted downwards, and he could just make out the faint water stains around the edge of her loose neckline.

The sweet, fruity aroma fermented in the enclosed room, stimulating one's reason.

Shen Huai's Adam's apple moved up and down.

He wanted to ask her, "What's wrong with your body?"

But the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back down.

How could a grown man possibly ask a young woman to confirm her most private matters?

If you were to actually ask her, this girl would probably be so ashamed and angry that she'd bang her head against the wall.

He didn't know why he was asking these questions. He called the person upstairs, locked the door, and then found himself unable to speak.

Su Nianhe gripped the apron straps tightly with both hands, barely daring to breathe. Having just eaten steamed buns, the fruity aroma intensified, making her feel as if her body was on fire again.

Her legs were so weak she could barely stand, her back pressed against the door, and she pleaded in a thick, nasal voice, "Technician Shen, I promise I won't steal food again, please don't send me away..."

Shen Huai took a deep breath, turned to the side, and placed his hand on the doorknob.

With a "click," the lock opened.

"Go ahead and get busy." His voice was a little hoarse, and he didn't say anything more.

Su Nianhe felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and she opened the door and ran out.

Shen Huai leaned against the desk, watching the figure disappear down the corridor. The sweet fruity scent in the air lingered for a long time.

He tugged at his shirt collar, walked to the window, and opened it to let in some fresh air.

Su Nianhe ran all the way back to the nanny's room on the first floor.

It's around five or six in the afternoon now, and we've already eaten.

Liu Huizhen hadn't returned yet after visiting other people's homes with Shen Ping'an, and Wang Liping was taking a nap inside.

Su Nianhe hung the washed diapers on the wire, and taking advantage of the free time, she greeted Aunt Wang and slipped out through the back door.

The two courtyards are separated by a narrow alley, and there is a large locust tree in the alley.

Li Lianhua was already waiting under the tree.

She was Li Cuihua's niece, a year older than Su Nianhe, and worked as a cook at the home of Vice Mayor Li next door.

The two grew up together in Liuhe Village and were very close. It was only after Li Lianhua took her to seek refuge with Li Cuihua that they were able to settle down.

"Nianhe, over here!" Li Lianhua, wearing a patched Dacron shirt, waved to her.

Su Nianhe walked over quickly and sat down on the stone bench under the locust tree.

"How are you doing at the Shen family? You haven't been mistreated, have you?" Li Lianhua held her hand and looked her up and down.

Seeing that although she was wearing loose, old clothes, her complexion was fair and rosy, even more radiant than when she was in the village, he was finally relieved.

Su Nianhe smiled, only reporting the good news: "It's all good. The Shen family pays well and provides food and lodging. Aunt Liu gave me a five-yuan raise because she saw how well I took care of Ping An. Aunt Wang is also a good person and taught me a lot of manners."

As for Wang Liping's harshness, Zhao Qiang's harassment, and Shen Huai's terrifying interrogations and unexpected events, she didn't mention a single word.

Li Lianhua sighed, pulled a handful of roasted melon seeds from her pocket and handed them to her: "I'm glad you're doing well. I've been through so much these past few days."

Su Nianhe took the sunflower seeds: "What's wrong? Does Vice Mayor Li's family have strict rules?"

"The strict rules are one thing," Li Lianhua complained in a low voice while cracking sunflower seeds, "but it's mainly the mayor's two eldest grandsons. They're twins, they sleep during the day, and at night they start crying at the top of their lungs. When they cry together, the sound can blow the roof off."

Su Nianhe was somewhat surprised: "Why are you crying so hard? Are you not full?"

"Who says otherwise?" Li Lianhua patted the sunflower seed shells off her hands. "Their mother's milk isn't enough for them. If we try to feed them formula, these two little devils won't say a word, but when they get really hungry, they'll just close their eyes and wail. I'm the cook, so I don't have to take care of the children. It's just that my aunt has to work so hard, holding and rocking them all night long. Taking care of these two little devils has turned her hair completely white."

As Su Nianhe listened, she subconsciously touched her loose collar.

She thought of Shen Ping'an.

Shen Ping'an used to refuse to drink milk powder no matter what, but after smelling the sweet fruit scent on her, he obediently drank milk powder every day and became chubby and healthy, and slept better than anyone else at night.

However, she had to sneak around and hide to deal with Shen Ping'an, so how could she dare to meddle in other people's business?

"Then you should help your aunt with the cooking so she can rest more during the day," Su Nianhe said softly.

"That's all we can do." Li Lianhua stood up, patted her trouser legs, and said, "Alright, I have to go back and cook dinner. Brother Li is coming home late today and wants braised carp, so I'll have to make something else."

After saying goodbye, Su Nianhe returned to the Shen family compound along the same route.

As soon as I entered through the back door, I heard the sound of water coming from the kitchen.

Shen Huai had come downstairs at some point and was standing by the sink washing his hands.

He changed into a white short-sleeved vest, and his strong arm muscles taut with each movement.

Su Nianhe stopped in her tracks, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Shen Huai turned off the tap, grabbed a towel to dry his hands, and turned to look at the person standing at the door.

She had just gone out, and there were tiny beads of sweat on the tip of her nose.

"Where did you go?" he asked casually.

"I went to the back door and spoke a few words with a fellow villager," Su Nianhe answered honestly, afraid that he would ask more about eating steamed buns.

Shen Huai draped the towel on the rack and took two steps closer.

Su Nianhe pressed herself against the door frame nervously.

"I didn't say you couldn't go." Shen Huai said this, brushed past her shoulder and walked out of the kitchen.

The clean scent of soap wafted over from the man, and Su Nianhe breathed a long sigh of relief.