Chapter 43.1

Fang Mingyang is a kind and honest person. His younger brother, Xiaowu, left an impression on him with his words, not because of Xu Yuan’s wealth and power, but because of Xu Yuan herself.

When he used to read ancient poetry, he imagined what the beauties described by poets were like. It was always an abstract concept until he saw Xu Yuan.

He could feel that Xu Yuan was a very kind person; otherwise, she wouldn’t have given him her meal card. No matter her reasons, she solved his immediate problem.

Fang Mingyang didn’t know what others thought, but in his heart, Xu Yuan was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

Adolescents admire beauty; it’s human nature.

Fang Mingyang never thought about having any romantic involvement with Xu Yuan. How could he have any improper thoughts about someone so far beyond his reach?

Even Fang Mingyang didn’t realize that such a person was called a goddess.

Knowing that Xu Yuan liked drinking white fungus soup, he would get a serving from the cafeteria every morning and leave it on her desk. He still kept a ledger of his expenses daily, quietly waiting for payday.

Meanwhile, his brother Xiaowu seemed to have found a way to get rich, and he would talk about it to Fang Mingyang every day.

At first, Fang Mingyang would scold him, but later he didn’t have the energy and let him ramble.

“Brother, look at this news about wealthy families. This man has a mistress, and his wife is also having an affair. It’s all exposed!”

Fang Mingyang glanced at the news and felt helpless. “What does this have to do with us?”

“How is it unrelated? Wealthy families are like this, appearing fine on the surface but actually having conflicts. Even your boss and his wife’s situation isn’t known to outsiders.”

Fang Mingyang rolled his eyes. “So, since we don’t know, we shouldn’t judge or get involved.”

“Brother, are you stupid? Your boss’s wife is young and beautiful. If you get involved with her, maybe she’ll divorce her husband and marry you. Then our whole family will have a good life.”

Fang Mingyang didn’t know how to respond to his brother. He was thinking too simply.

Setting aside the moral issues, Xu Yuan wouldn’t look at him that way. Most importantly, people said the boss and his wife had a great relationship. They were a perfect match.

He would be crazy to listen to his brother.

“Good days are earned by oneself, not by relying on others,” Fang Mingyang said, leaving the house.

He often quarreled with his brother about these matters, which bothered him a lot.

Despite the summer heat, Fang Mingyang felt like he was in the middle of a cold winter—both anxious and irritated. One reason was his father’s illness; the family had no money left for treatment. His parents constantly argued at home, one blaming the other for not buying health insurance earlier and causing the family’s downfall, the other saying who could have predicted such a change.

The family was in debt, and it was up to him to repay it. He could accept it calmly, but his brother’s daily talk made him heartbroken.

However, this was secondary. Most importantly, despite the oppressive life, Fang Mingyang felt happy every morning before leaving the house. He didn’t dare to pursue the reason for his happiness, preferring to keep it to himself.

His brother’s words made it hard for him to deceive himself.

Meanwhile, Meng Zhongrong and Xu Yuan had finished dinner and returned from a walk. They were in the study, each occupying a corner and working seriously.

Xu Yuan has been genuinely busy lately. Taking over the charity project department meant she didn’t have to visit impoverished areas as she did with Madam Wang, but managing multiple projects was still challenging, especially with the finance department responsibilities. Though it seemed she was just assisting, major decisions had to go through her and then to Sister Zhou. Fortunately, dealing with complex interpersonal relationships in her past life made these tasks manageable.

The hotter the weather, the more intense the inner fire.

Meng Zhengrong appeared focused on work but frequently glanced at her.

Such days seemed endless.

He wasn’t a scumbag or a beast, but he was a normal man. Having the person he liked lying beside him every night, kissing her before sleep, he felt proud of his restraint.

Endurance wasn’t the issue; the question was, how long could he endure?

Being a virtuous man in front of the one he loved daily was truly frustrating.

He decided to treat himself tonight.

And so, he happily made up his mind.

While handling two departments, Xu Yuan couldn’t stop thinking about Fang Mingyang.

Knowing he wasn’t her cousin was one thing, but treating him as an ordinary subordinate was another.

Her computer displayed Fang Mingyang’s detailed profile. He attended a good university and had an impressive resume. Normally, such a young man wouldn’t be in such dire straits. If he were extravagant, it might be understandable, but from her observations, he was very frugal. She even checked his meal card records; he always chose the cheapest dishes. What made his life so difficult?

Looking at his rural hometown, she felt something must have happened to him.

Xu Yuan was so absorbed in thought that she didn’t notice Meng Zhongrong approaching from behind.

Seeing her looking at her assistant’s profile, Meng Zhengrong frowned. “Why are you looking at this? Is there a problem with him?”

Xu Yuan was startled but didn’t show it. Turning her head, her lips brushed against Meng Zhengrong’s cheek.

Such intimate gestures were common between them, and they wouldn’t feel shy about it.

Xu Yuan didn’t want to reveal her true thoughts to Meng Zhengrong. He wouldn’t understand her hidden past, so her current concern for Fang Mingyang would only make him suspicious. She didn’t want to create trouble.

“Not really, just happened to see his profile. I’m organizing the department’s records to get to know them better.” Xu Yuan subtly hinted, “You know, they were hired by your uncle.”

Meng Zhengrong accepted her explanation, resting a hand on her shoulder and sticking close to her. “Don’t worry, my uncle can’t reach that far.”

“Okay,” Xu Yuan replied, instinctively avoiding Meng Zhengrong’s touch.

He was getting more brazen, and Xu Yuan knew he was testing her limits to see what she could accept.

Meng Zhengrong bit her ear lightly, watching it turn red. He laughed softly, his breath tickling her ear.

“Let’s shower together later,” Meng Zhengrong suggested seductively.

No matter how composed Xu Yuan had been, she had never faced such advances before.

In matters of emotions and physical contact, Xu Yuan was a novice. She could maintain a facade of calmness, but inside, she felt uneasy.

Before, she wanted to throw him off due to discomfort. Now, though the discomfort was gone, it still felt strange.

Although her parents didn’t get a chance to teach her about physical boundaries with men, and her cousin hadn’t considered it, her innate nature kept her away from men’s direct contact. Meng Zhengrong’s repeated “violations” challenged her principles, but even she didn’t realize her inner defenses were no longer as strong.

Despite dismissing the idea that “women fall in love through physical contact,” there was truth in the fact that the body recognizes touch. Just like newborns recognize their mother’s touch and scent, familiarity develops over time.

Perhaps due to this familiarity, Xu Yuan could now playfully pinch Meng Zhengrong’s waist.

When Meng Zhengrong hissed, she laughed along.

Although they didn’t shower together, once in bed, Meng Zhengrong didn’t hide his intentions.

His current approach was as Xu Yuan suspected—testing her limits, breaking down her defenses bit by bit.

Seeing Xu Yuan’s eyes gradually glaze over with desire, Meng Zhengrong felt a sense of achievement.

Initially, she resisted his kisses. Later, she simply closed her eyes without responding, as if giving up. Such an attitude hurt his pride.

Looking back, he realized it took courage to persist despite his wounded pride.

Now, like a novice, she was slowly learning to respond. But a novice was still a novice; her limit was slightly parting her lips.

Seeing her breathless, flushed, and dazed after his kisses, he felt a mix of affection and pity.

When an experienced person meets a novice, who really wins is hard to say.

Xu Yuan was no longer as rational. Meng Zhengrong absorbed her composure until her dress straps slipped off. Only then did she react.

She looked at him in horror.

It was an instinctive reaction. She had never experienced this before, but Meng Zhengrong didn’t give her a chance to push him away. He leaned in, breathing heavily, “I’ll just kiss and touch, nothing more.”

The words sounded familiar.

Though Meng Zhengrong was shameless at such times, he maintained some rationality, sticking to just kissing and touching.