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

"Zhou Jianguo, come out here."

As soon as the shout at the door ended, Zhou Jianguo's chopsticks, which were picking up peanuts, stopped halfway. The smell of alcohol on his face hadn't dissipated yet, and he already felt half a head shorter.

Li Tiejun turned his head and saw a young woman in a floral shirt standing at the entrance of the small restaurant, leaning against the door frame. She was already showing her pregnant belly, her hair was casually tied back, and she was wearing cloth shoes. Her face was even more somber than the iron pot by the stove.

Zhou Jianguo quickly pushed his wine glass towards Li Tiejun: "Wife, what brings you here?"

The woman walked to the table, reached out and pinched his ear: "If I hadn't come, were you planning to drink here until dawn?"

Zhou Jianguo's neck twisted in pain, but he didn't dare to cry out, "Be gentle, be gentle, Lao Shen and Tie Jun are here, give me some face."

"You still have any shame?" The woman pulled him up from the chair, her other hand on her stomach, her chest heaving with anger. "I was hungry, so I told you to go home and make me a bowl of noodles, but instead, you ran out drinking."

Li Tiejun suppressed a laugh and quickly stood up to smooth things over: "Sister-in-law, Jianguo only had two drinks tonight, he really didn't drink much."

The woman looked at him and said, "Li Tiejun, stop defending him. None of you men at this table are easy to deal with."

Li Tiejun immediately shut up and gave Zhou Jianguo a "good luck" look.

Zhou Jianguo was being dragged out the door by his wife, who pulled him by the ear. As they reached the door, she turned back and called out, "Old Shen, Tie Jun, the bill's on me. I'll treat you next time."

The proprietress laughed out loud from behind the counter: "Zhou Jianguo, you should figure out how to make your own late-night snacks before inviting guests."

The woman pulled him outside: "Go home and make noodles. Don't expect me to starve the children while I wait for you."

Zhou Jianguo said with a pained expression, "I'll roll it out, I'll roll it out, and I'll chop the scallions into smaller pieces for you too."

The couple went out one after the other. Zhou Jianguo was pulled so hard that he staggered and mumbled something to coax her. The woman cursed, but she slowed down when she crossed the threshold, waiting for him to help her.

With the bamboo curtain drawn, Zhou Jianguo's bitter face was no longer visible in the small restaurant, and the lively atmosphere on the table was also gone.

Li Tiejun sat back down, picked up his wine glass and stared at it for a long time, then suddenly sighed: "Old Shen, I think being single is pretty good now."

Shen Huai finished the rest of the wine in his glass without saying a word.

Li Tiejun picked up a piece of braised tofu, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "A wife, kids, and a warm bed sound nice, but if you actually end up with that kind of life, you won't even be able to catch your breath when you get home. You can't just look at the conditions when you get married."

Shen Huai took the wine bottle and poured himself a small half-glass.

Li Tiejun pressed down on the bottle opening: "That's about enough. You're not usually a big drinker, who are you trying to pick a fight with tonight?"

Shen Huai hung his head, his wine glass swirling halfway around the table: "I don't know."

"For Xiao Su?"

The rim of the cup in Shen Huai's hand tapped against the corner of the table, making a soft sound.

Li Tiejun understood, but didn't press him further. He simply pushed the chopsticks in front of him, saying, "Eat something. Drinking on an empty stomach will give you a headache tomorrow."

Shen Huai raised his glass, pausing for a moment before the wine touched his lips: "She wants to stay in the city."

"That's not surprising." Li Tiejun pushed the braised dried tofu in front of him: "A country girl who comes out to make a living, who wouldn't want to settle down in a stable place?"

"She said that as long as he is honest, doesn't hit people, and doesn't mind that she comes from the countryside, that's enough."

After hearing this, Li Tiejun's joke faded a bit: "That sounds rather unpleasant."

Shen Huai raised a hand and rubbed his temples: "Is Lu Yi suitable?"

Li Tiejun realized what was going on and almost choked on his drink: "You're asking me?"

Shen Huai did not answer.

"That's right." Li Tiejun glanced at him and moved the peanuts to the center of the plate. "She's a country girl, without a registered residence or relatives here. Everyone can understand her wanting to find a stable path. Lu Yi isn't a bad person, and his family's circumstances are what they are. But whether it's suitable or not isn't up to me or Wang Liping."

Shen Huai held the wine glass, pressing his fingertips along the inside of the glass.

Li Tiejun noticed his awkwardness and leaned back in his chair: "But if you're not willing, don't try to convince yourself by saying Lu Yi is well-off. It sounds so sour."

Shen Huai looked up: "Why would I be unwilling?"

"When you stormed onto the dance floor tonight, you didn't seem like anything was wrong." Li Tiejun tapped the table with his chopsticks. "Old Shen, we've known each other for so many years. If you really treated her like a maid, why did you make me investigate her hometown, and why did you ride your bike to pick her up in the middle of the night?"

Shen Huai was silent for a moment before saying, "She shouldn't have been forced into marriage."

"That's true." Li Tiejun poured himself some wine and clinked his empty glass together. "But just saying it's wrong isn't enough. You need to think clearly about your feelings for her and what you can offer her."

Shen Huai didn't say anything more, took the wine bottle and poured some more.

This time, Li Tiejun didn't stop him; he just took a sip along with him.

Shen Huai put the wine in his glass into his mouth, the spicy taste burning down from the back of his tongue, but he only felt the unease in his chest growing heavier and heavier.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him otherwise, Li Tiejun simply drank two cups with him. By the time the proprietress came to urge them to close, the Jiangcheng Daqu liquor on the table was already empty.

"Let's go, ancestor." Li Tiejun put the money under the plate, stood up and helped Shen Huai up: "Don't scare Aunt Liu when you get back looking like this."

Shen Huai pushed his hand away: "I'm not drunk."

Li Tiejun: "Okay, you're not drunk, you just can't seem to communicate with the ground properly when you walk."

The streets were empty at night. Shen Huai walked slowly, his white shirt collar undone, the smell of alcohol mixed with soap fumes, and he was less composed than he was during the day.

Li Tiejun escorted him to the back gate of the Shen family's house. Seeing that all the lights in the courtyard were off, he parked his bicycle against the wall and said, "I'll take you inside."

"No need." Shen Huai leaned against the doorpost, his brows furrowed deeply. "Go back."

Li Tiejun asked worriedly, "Can you go upstairs?"

Shen Huai raised his hand and pushed the door open: "Yes."

Li Tiejun stood outside the gate until he saw him enter the courtyard and walk along the path towards the main building. Only then did he mutter "stubborn" and turn to head towards the factory area.

The Shen family has quieted down.

The living room lights were off, with only a small lamp left on in the hallway. There were still bowls and dishes left to clean in the kitchen. Su Nianhe had just finished washing Shen Ping'an's clothes and was carrying an enamel basin out of the first-floor water room when she discovered that the faucet was leaking again.

She dared not wake Aunt Wang, nor did she dare to light the main lamp, so she took out a kerosene lamp from the storage cabinet, and carried the basin to the small water room on the second floor.

Aunt Wang takes care of the children during the day, so she takes on all the chores, such as washing clothes, mopping the floor, and cleaning the kitchen, so that Wang Liping won't accuse her of slacking off even though she got a raise.

The second-floor washroom was narrow, with a kerosene lamp placed on the windowsill, casting a flickering light. Su Nianhe, with her back to the door, took a cold shower to cool down.

After she finished washing, she suddenly heard unsteady footsteps outside the door.

The door was pushed open.

Shen Huai stood outside, leaning against the door frame, his white shirt open, his hair disheveled by the night wind, and he smelled of alcohol.

Startled, Su Nianhe's hand slipped the button from her clothes and she quickly pulled it back together: "Technician Shen? There's someone here."

The lights were dim, her wet hair clung to her neck, and her fair skin appeared soft and supple in the lamplight.

Shen Huai stood at the door, the alcohol slowing his reactions. He couldn't see people clearly, but he could smell the familiar sweet fruit scent mixed with soap odor, and his feet moved forward uncontrollably.

When Su Nianhe recognized him, her face flushed, and she hurriedly buttoned up her clothes: "Technician Shen, I'll go out right away."

Shen Huai steadied himself against the washbasin.

Su Nianhe picked up the basin, then, worried he might drop it, quickly put it back on the shelf: "Have you been drinking?"

Shen Huai didn't answer, but leaned to the side slightly.

Su Nianhe disregarded her shyness and reached out to support his arm, saying, "Be careful, I'll take you back to your room."

Shen Huai lowered his head, his breath falling on the top of her head, and asked indistinctly, "Who?"

"I'm Nianhe." She spoke softly, afraid of disturbing the people downstairs, "You've had too much to drink, please don't make a sound."

Shen Huai read it aloud: "Nianhe".

The two words rolled out of his lips, tinged with the hoarseness of alcohol. Su Nianhe's ears burned, and she almost let go of his hand.

"Why are you here again?"

These words came out of nowhere, and Su Nianhe couldn't understand them. She assumed he was drunk and couldn't recognize the place, so she coaxed him softly, "I'll help you back. Don't wander around. The stairwell is over there."

Shen Huai's weight fell on her shoulder, making her steps weak, but she still gritted her teeth and helped him to his door. She used her shoulder to push the door open and then led him to the bedside.

"Please sit down."

Shen Huai sat on the edge of the bed. Just as Su Nianhe let go, he leaned back, pulling her down onto the bed with him.

Before she could dodge, she fell into the blankets, and Shen Huai pressed down on her, burying his face in her chest.

His warm breath burned against her through the thin fabric, and Su Nianhe's mind went blank for a moment. She placed her hand on his shoulder, but couldn't exert any force.

"Technician Shen, please get up."

Shen Huai didn't get up. Instead, he turned his face slightly, his nose brushing against the front of her shirt, and murmured, "Smells good."

Su Nianhe's body went limp, and she couldn't even utter a steady sound.

"You're drunk, you can't do that."

Shen Huai propped himself up, his hair falling down his forehead, his breath reeking of alcohol. He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face beneath him, unable to tell if it was tonight or a dream.

He raised his hand and touched the side of her face, his movements clumsy, revealing a bewilderment he had never shown in front of others: "You always come to me in my dreams."

Su Nianhe's heart was pounding wildly: "You've mistaken me for someone else, this isn't a dream."

"It's keeping me awake," Shen Huai said softly, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "It's noisy during the day and noisy at night."

The next moment, he kissed her.

Su Nianhe remained frozen in the bedding, her lips enveloped in the smell of alcohol and heat. She should have pushed him away, she knew it was against the rules, but when Shen Huai's arm was around her back, she didn't feel the fear she used to feel when someone forced their way in.

She was just panicking, not even knowing where to put her fingertips.

Shen Huai's kisses were haphazard, driven by drunken recklessness. He first hurt her lips, then, as if afraid she would pull away, he drew her even closer to him.

Su Nianhe was forced to tilt her head back and gasped for breath.

Hearing this noise, Shen Huai paused for a moment, but his lips remained on hers, as if he had finally found the answer to the torment that had plagued him all night.

Su Nianhe's hand slid from his shoulder to his chest, grasping the fabric of his vest, her fingertips curled, but she did not push him away.

She wouldn't respond, only awkwardly endure it, occasionally letting out low whimpers as he sucked on her until it hurt.

The sound made Shen Huai hug him even tighter.

The sweet fruity scent was even stronger than in the bathroom, lingering in Shen Huai's breath and causing his remaining rationality to sink even deeper.

Shen Huai's lips moved from her lips to the side of her face, and then back to her lips. The intoxication made him less restrained than usual. He placed his palm on her lower back and pulled her into his arms through the fabric.

Su Nianhe's eyes welled up with tears from the kiss, and she was too shy to make a sound. Yet, her heart was both chaotic and hot, and she could feel his erratic heartbeat as she pressed her palm against his chest.

She realized that she wasn't afraid when he held her like that.

When the thought popped into her head, she panicked.

"Shen Huai..."

For the first time, she didn't call him Technician Shen; her voice was so soft it trembled.

Shen Huai stopped moving, his forehead pressed against hers, his breathing erratic: "Say it again."

Su Nianhe's face burned to her ears, her fingers gripping the fabric of his chest as she whispered, "Wake up."

Shen Huai chuckled softly, as if he hadn't heard, and then lowered his head to find her lips.

Outside the door, a soft creaking sound came from the stairwell as the wooden planks were being stressed.

Su Nianhe froze in fright, about to push him away, but Shen Huai pulled her into his arms and said hoarsely, "Don't go."

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

Liu Huizhen's voice came through the door: "Xiao Huai, why are you back so late?"