First, then, love.

Twenty minutes later.

After taking a shower, He Zheng returned to his room, still damp from the water.

The lights are off.

The room was plunged into darkness, with only a faint, dim yellow light filtering in from the distant streetlights outside the window.

He Zheng threw off the covers and lay on the bed, his body stiff.

The Simmons mattress in this old house is not only small, but also ridiculously soft.

As soon as he lay down, the mattress sank into a large dent, and the old springs made a faint creaking sound.

Wearing a velvet nightgown, Shu Yao slipped into bed like an eel and rolled directly into his arms along the sloping mattress.

The two were pressed tightly together, completely sealed, with no room to even turn over.

The bedding was filled with a sweet, soothing fragrance that permeated every nostril of He Zheng's nostrils.

The aftereffects of strong liquor ferment in the blood, burning the internal organs until they feel hot.

He Zheng's breathing began to become heavy.

He rolled over, supporting himself on one hand beside Shu Yao's head, his tall body pressing down on her, his strong muscles against her curves.

"Well……"

Shu Yao was about to say something to tease him.

He Zheng covered her mouth with his large hand.

"Don't make a sound."

He whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her skin.

"The soundproofing in this old house is terrible. I could hear Dad coughing next door just now."

Shu Yao's eyes widened instantly.

Poor sound insulation?

So what are they doing now...?

In the darkness, the man's kiss landed.

It came rushing in, hot and thick, with a strong, rich aroma of liquor.

There was no extra foreplay, and no ample space to maneuver.

Everything was compressed into this cramped little pink bed.

Shu Yao was pinned down on the soft mattress, unable to move.

The mattress behind him creaked softly and inevitably with the man's movements.

In the dead of night, the sound seemed amplified infinitely, sending chills down one's spine, as if it would penetrate the walls and reach the ears of one's parents next door at any moment.

He Zheng's movements were brought to a halt.

What was usually a bold and unrestrained clash has been transformed into a restrained and patient grinding.

Every breath had to be taken with care, and every deep dive carried a hint of tentative exploration.

The springs of the old Simmons mattress became a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads.

With each exertion, He Zheng gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, large beads of sweat gathering and cascading down his resolute jawline, hitting Shu Yao's collarbone and making her shudder.

"He Zheng..."

Shu Yao couldn't bear this slow, torturous torture; her eyes reddened, and she sobbed softly.

She wanted to beg for mercy, but was afraid of disturbing her parents next door.

She could only cover her mouth tightly, her breathing becoming intermittent, her hands gripping the muscles on his back, her nails digging into his firm flesh.

He Zheng lowered his head, took her earlobe into his mouth, and gently nibbled at it with his teeth.

His heavy breathing sprayed into her ear canal without reservation, carrying a deadly sensuality.

"Be good, just bear with it."

His voice was harsh, filled with suppressed anger on the verge of losing control. His thick arms gripped her waist tightly, as if he were melding her into his very bones.

This taboo of having to remain silent at all times is like the most potent aphrodisiac.

It stimulated every nerve in both of them.

You can't scream, you can't breathe loudly, and you have to consciously control your core strength to neutralize even the shaking of the bed.

All senses are magnified infinitely.

Shu Yao could clearly feel the tension in his muscles, his every restrained advance and retreat, his scalding sweat, and his heavy heartbeat.

Just a door away, my parents were sleeping in the next room.

This constant sense of danger, the feeling of being discovered at any moment, brought an unprecedented sense of dread and excitement, causing her body to react more sensitively than usual.

In the darkness, the only sounds in the room were heavy breathing and sticky water sounds.

The plush rabbit on the bedside table was knocked to the floor.

Pink waves rolled silently in the night, and heatwaves came one after another.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, seeping into the pink pillow. Shu Yao's fingers gripped the sheets tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She listened to the man's heavy, restrained breathing close to her ear, experiencing a forbidden thrill and excitement.

*

It was 8 a.m. on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

The wind was still biting, but the sun was shining brightly.

The trunk of the car was stuffed full of various local specialties from Nancheng by Shu's mother, and even the back seat was piled with two large gift boxes.

Shu's father and mother stood at the entrance of the villa, watching He Zheng stuff the last bag into the car.

"Drive slowly on the road. There's a lot of snow in the north, so be careful not to slip," Shu's mother instructed, holding Shu Yao's hand tightly, reluctant to let go.

"Mom, I know, we'll be back on the seventh day of the new year," Shu Yao hugged her mother.

He Zheng stood to the side, wearing a dark navy blue cashmere coat, tall and upright.

"Dad, Mom, it's cold outside, let's go back inside," he nodded, his voice steady.

The two got into the car.

The SUV emitted a deep roar as it drove out of the villa area and headed north.

*

The car got on the highway.

The journey is very long, taking more than ten hours by car.

He Zheng didn't let Shu Yao touch the steering wheel; he drove the whole way by himself. This was nothing to him; he used to drive for three days and three nights straight in the army, which was commonplace for him.

As the car continued northward, the scenery outside the window began to change.

The evergreen trees that were once somewhat green have gradually become bare branches.

The temperature dropped noticeably.

After crossing the Yellow River, all that remained outside the window was a vast expanse of white snow, so white it hurt the eyes.

Shu Yao sat in the passenger seat, covered with a thick cashmere blanket.

The heater in the SUV was already on full blast, blowing hot air out with a "whoosh".

But a thick layer of frost still formed on the car windows, and the cold air outside seemed to penetrate the steel body of the car, seeping into the very bones.

Shu Yao grew up in the south and had never experienced such severe cold as minus twenty degrees Celsius.

I used the restroom at the service area and haven't recovered since I came back.

She huddled in the large leather seat, frozen like a quail, the tip of her nose a pitiful red.

"cold?"

He Zheng gripped the steering wheel with one hand, glanced at her, and frowned.

He was only wearing a thin black turtleneck sweater, without even a coat, yet he acted as if nothing was wrong, displaying astonishing energy.

"It's not cold, it's just that it feels cold looking outside," Shu Yao sniffed, stubbornly insisting.

He Zheng didn't expose her.

Until another service area appears ahead.

He turned on his turn signal, and the SUV turned in and parked in the service area square.

"Stay in the car, don't get out."

He Zheng took out the car key and opened the car door.

A gust of wind carrying icy snowflakes suddenly rushed into the carriage, and Shu Yao sneezed loudly from the cold.

He Zheng slammed the car door shut behind him, shutting out the cold air.

He strode towards the supermarket in the service area.

He returned ten minutes later.

As he opened the car door, a rich, sweet, caramelized aroma followed him into the vehicle.

He was holding a freshly baked sweet potato in a paper bag, still steaming.

"Here, to warm your hands."

He shoved the scalding hot roasted sweet potato into Shu Yao's hands.

Then, he turned around, grabbed a coat that he always kept in the car from the back seat, and wrapped it around Shu Yao's head and face.

Shu Yao was so overwhelmed by the enormous coat that she could hardly breathe, and only her tiny face was visible.

"It's so heavy, like a mountain is pressing down on me," she complained, but her body honestly absorbed the remaining warmth of the man's body inside the coat.

He Zheng sat back in the driver's seat, and looking at her comical appearance, a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He reached out and took the scalding hot roasted sweet potato from her hand.

In a few quick movements, the charred skin is peeled away, revealing the golden, soft, and glutinous red flesh inside.

Steaming hot, with a wonderful aroma.

He held the peeled sweet potato to her lips.

"You won't feel cold once you're full."

Shu Yao took a bite from his hand, and it was so hot that she gasped for breath, but the sweetness warmed her heart.

"You eat some too." She pushed the sweet potato towards her.

He Zheng took a big bite off the part she had bitten, and swallowed it without even chewing it properly.

The car is back on the road.

With the roasted sweet potato and coat, Shu Yao finally stopped trembling and leaned back in her chair to fall into a deep sleep.