After a moment of silence, Tang You couldn’t hold back the question that had been on her mind.

“Do you really like someone like Wei Kai’s mom?”

Zhou Qinyao looked at her.

Suddenly, his lips curved into a faint smile.

He leaned in closer, his eyes glinting with a hint of amusement, his expression teasing. “Do you mind?”

Their eyes met, and as Tang You gazed at the man’s handsome features, it felt like her heart spiraled out of control, pulling her deeper into a whirlpool.

She quickly averted her gaze, “What does it have to do with me?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the slightly burnt corn in her hand was taken away by Zhou Qinyao, who replaced it with a perfectly grilled, buttery bun.

He spoke in a calm tone, “Eat more, think less.”

“…”

Tang You wanted to say something more, but at that moment, Song Xiaoyang ran over, panting, and pulled them both up.

“Brother Yao, let’s play hide-and-seek. Bring sister along.”

Beihu Park has an air-raid shelter that the government renovated a few years ago, adding tables, chairs, ping-pong tables, and other small recreational facilities. It became a popular place for nearby residents to cool off in the summer.

The kids, after a few visits, especially loved playing hide-and-seek in there.

Song Xiaoyang was no exception, but since few kids his age were willing to play with him, it was usually Cheng Xuan and Zhou Qinyao who occasionally kept him company.

With Tang You here today, there was one more person, and Song Xiaoyang was even more excited.

Since Wei Kai and Cheng Xuan had just finished a round of kite-flying with him, this second round of hide-and-seek became Zhou Qinyao and Tang You’s turn.

It was hot today, and after spending some time by the grill, it got even hotter. Tang You took off her jacket and joined Zhou Qinyao in taking Song Xiaoyang to the air-raid shelter.

The game’s rules were simple: Xiaoyang would cover his eyes, and Zhou Qinyao and Tang You would have twenty seconds to find a hiding spot.

But today, Song Xiaoyang insisted that he wanted to be the one to hide.

After a pause, Zhou Qinyao turned his back. “Alright, you two hide, and I’ll come find you.”

Song Xiaoyang clapped his hands in excitement. “Okay, okay, okay.”

He then grabbed Tang You’s hand and ran inside.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qinyao started counting down.

Tang You, being an adult who hadn’t played such a childish game in years, suddenly found herself at a loss for where to hide.

She looked at Song Xiaoyang and saw that the little boy had hidden under the ping-pong table.

That’s way too easy to find…

Kids really find joy in the simplest things.

But Tang You wasn’t a kid, and she couldn’t hide in such an obvious place.

Scanning the area, she saw that all the spots were easily visible, except for one cabinet, likely used for storing recreational items and miscellaneous stuff.

It was barely big enough for a person to fit.

So, Tang You quickly ran over, opened the door, and squeezed inside.

Just as she closed the door, Zhou Qinyao finished counting.

The cabinet was small, and Tang You stood inside, holding her breath, listening carefully to the sounds outside.

Sure enough, within five seconds, Tang You heard Song Xiaoyang’s excited voice from outside—

“Brother Yao, how did you find me so quickly!”

After a moment, he added, “Now hurry and find Sister Tang!”

Tang You’s heart was pounding.

She knew that it wouldn’t take more than a few seconds for Zhou Qinyao to find her as well—this kind of game was no challenge for an adult.

She crouched down, quietly resting her chin in her hands, mentally preparing for Zhou Qinyao to open the cabinet door.

Just then, something crawled over her hand.

Through the light seeping in through the cabinet door, Tang You vaguely saw that it seemed like a cockroach-like insect had just scurried over her.

Given the dark and damp environment of the air-raid shelter, it wasn’t unusual for there to be bugs in the cabinet. However, Tang You was extremely afraid of insects, and now that one had crawled on her, her scalp tingled and she lost her composure.

With a sharp scream, her reflexes kicked in, and she bolted out of the cabinet without a second thought.

Zhou Qinyao had just stopped in front of the cabinet and was about to pull the door open when it suddenly burst outward.

The next thing he knew, someone rushed out and crashed right into him.

Staggering, Zhou Qinyao was pushed back several steps before he tripped over some clutter on the floor and lost his balance, falling backward.

Tang You, unable to stop herself, also tumbled forward, landing on top of him.

With a dull thud, Zhou Qinyao’s back hit the cold ground, and the girl who had charged out like a little lion cub landed on top of him.

He slightly raised his head, about to ask what had happened, when he realized that Tang You was sprawled across his legs, her hands bracing on the ground on either side of him, her body bent over him.

From his vantage point, he could see the snow-white skin beneath her neckline, the youthful curves laid bare.

Zhou Qinyao’s half-open lips froze, and a rush of heat surged through his veins.

He felt a certain part of his body react uncontrollably.

…

The atmosphere was silent for three seconds.

Tang You, still shaken, lifted her head and realized she had pinned Zhou Qinyao to the ground. Embarrassed, she was about to get up when she suddenly felt something strange pressing against her from where their bodies touched.

She hesitated, momentarily bewildered as she looked at Zhou Qinyao. When she glanced down and noticed that her chest had inadvertently been exposed, she slowly pieced it together. Her face instantly flushed a deep red.

“You…”

The flustered girl scrambled away from him as if she had been electrocuted and fled from the air-raid shelter.

A bewildered Song Xiaoyang, who had been watching, blinked in confusion. He walked over and squatted beside Zhou Qinyao.

“Brother Yao, why did Sister Tang run away? Are we still playing?”

Lying on the ground, Zhou Qinyao’s thoughts were a mess. He covered his face with both hands, and after several moments of trying to regain his composure, he cursed himself silently—

Damn, things have really gotten out of hand…