This time, it felt much better.

“I think if we hold hands more often, it won’t happen anymore.” Lu Qingyuan said.

Shu Beiqiu’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice as he replied in a slightly husky voice, “I’ll listen to you.”

Beyond the factory’s back entrance was a long, quiet path where they could walk for a while without encountering many people.

Lu Qingyuan and Shu Beiqiu thought it was the perfect spot for a date.

They took turns talking about what had happened in their lives while they were apart. Neither of them grew impatient. Through their conversations, they gradually learned each other’s routines and became familiar with each other’s worlds.

“I’ve already rented a house. By the first of next month, it’ll be ready to move in. Before we get married, I’ll set it up just the way you like.”

As they walked toward the factory’s main entrance, Shu Beiqiu smiled warmly.

Lu Qingyuan’s fair face slowly turned crimson. When she stopped and looked up at him with her bright eyes, Shu Beiqiu leaned down toward her.

Just like last time, their foreheads pressed together.

Lu Qingyuan held her breath, her cheeks flushing an enchanting shade of red, like the morning glow.

She felt a strange, swelling warmth throughout her body, her mind turning blank, unable to think of anything at all.

She dumbly stared into Shu Beiqiu’s eyes.

They were close enough to feel each other’s breath—an unfamiliar scent that wasn’t her own.

It was a distance that made her want to draw closer, yet it also felt overwhelmingly intimate.

“Wait for me, okay?”

Shu Beiqiu curled his lips into a faint smile, his voice low and gentle.

“Huh? Oh! Okay!”

Lu Qingyuan licked her slightly parted lips, and as her gaze drifted downward, she noticed his Adam’s apple moving.

Growing up with her brothers, she had never been this close to any boy before. She had once been curious when her brothers suddenly developed Adam’s apples, but she had never felt the urge to touch them.

Now, as she stared at the distinct bump on Shu Beiqiu’s throat, her hand moved faster than her thoughts.

By the time she realized it, she had already poked it.

Shu Beiqiu took a deep breath, grabbed her slender wrist, and pulled her into his embrace.

Their bodies pressed tightly together, their warmth blending as their temperatures rose.

It was the first time they had ever embraced so intimately.

Lu Qingyuan’s height was just right—when she leaned into Shu Beiqiu’s chest, she could hear the faint sound of his heartbeat.

Even though she was already flushed and nervous, she still followed her instincts, rising on tiptoe to listen more closely.

Huh, his heartbeat is so fast. It’s just like mine.

Noticing her small movement, Shu Beiqiu bent down even more, wrapping one arm around her waist.

The moment he held her, his brows furrowed.

She looked thin, but holding her confirmed it—she was even skinnier than she seemed.

She needed to be fed properly.

As Shu Beiqiu’s arm encircled her waist, a tingling sensation spread through Lu Qingyuan’s back.

She felt like she wasn’t getting enough air, her lips parting slightly in response.

Though it felt like a long embrace, it had only lasted for a minute.

By the time they reached the front entrance, Second Sister-in-law Lu was chatting away with the old gatekeeper, seemingly enjoying the conversation.

Since Lu Qingyuan had already told Shu Beiqiu that they needed to return home early, they decided to skip lunch together.

Shu Beiqiu still insisted on seeing them off at the station. This time, he bought red bean cakes and fruit candies for them to take back.

With Sister-in-law Lu around, the two were much more restrained, even though she walked ahead on her own without looking back.

When they arrived at the station, Sister-in-law Lu saw that the bus they were taking was already in position, about to depart, so she got on first.

Lu Qingyuan and Shu Beiqiu stood not far away.

“When you come back for your next leave, I want to officially visit your family,” Lu Qingyuan said, recalling her last visit to the Shu family with her second aunt. She felt it wasn’t formal enough, so she brought it up with him.

“Alright,” Shu Beiqiu looked at her with a gentle smile. “I’ll come to pick you up.”

“I don’t know the way myself?”

Lu Qingyuan clasped her hands behind her back. The braid tied with a pearl hairband swayed gently in front of her chest.

“Even if you know the way, it doesn’t change the fact that I want to go with you,” Shu Beiqiu said. On his wrist, he still wore the blue hair tie she had given him. Except for when he bathed, he had never taken it off.

Lu Qingyuan couldn’t help but laugh. Then she suddenly thought of her grandparents, so she told him about her last visit to them and what they had said.

Shu Beiqiu listened carefully and asked about her maternal grandmother’s side of the family, what kind of people they were, and what they liked.

The two were chatting happily when Second Sister-in-law Lu stuck her head out of the bus window. “Qingyuan, the bus is about to leave!”

Lu Qingyuan responded and looked at Shu Beiqiu with a hint of reluctance.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out two milk candies, and placed them in her hand. “The supply and marketing cooperative only had two left. I’m playing favorites and secretly giving them to my fiancée.”

Lu Qingyuan moved quickly. She unwrapped one in an instant, popped it into Shu Beiqiu’s mouth, then tossed the other into her own.

“I’m playing favorites too.”

With that, she ran toward the bus. Her braid swung lightly behind her, the pearl at the end catching the light. Before stepping onto the bus, she turned back to wave at him, then finally closed her umbrella and got on.

Shu Beiqiu savored the rich, creamy taste of the milk candy. The texture was smooth and soft. With just a light press of his tongue, his mouth was filled with sweetness.

He thought to himself that his favoritism still wasn’t enough. He wanted to give her more, much more.

By the time Lu Qingyuan sat down beside Second Sister-in-law Lu, her cheeks were burning.

As the bus passed by Shu Beiqiu, she couldn’t care about her flushed face anymore. She leaned over, resting her hands on Second Sister-in-law Lu’s shoulder, and poked her head out of the window to wave at him again.

Seeing her face flushed red, Shu Beiqiu’s heart stirred. Then he smiled and waved back. “Take care on the road!”

“Mm!”

Lu Qingyuan nodded enthusiastically.

Second Sister-in-law Lu caught the scent of milk candy in the air and narrowed her eyes playfully. “Oh? He bought those just for you?”

Lu Qingyuan, looking like a child who had just received a reward, nodded happily. “Mm, he’s playing favorites with me.”

“Aiya,” Second Sister-in-law Lu shivered. “I never realized before—why do you act like this when you’re in love?”

“Now you see?”

Lu Qingyuan raised a hand to touch her still-warm face. Her almond-shaped eyes were full of joy. “Second Sister-in-law, I really like him. I like him so much.”

Maybe she didn’t like him this much before, but today, her feelings had grown even stronger. Was it possible to fall deeper in love just from seeing each other once?

“Silly girl, that’s because he likes you too. When you feel his love, of course, you’ll only grow to love him more.”

Second Sister-in-law Lu poked her in the cheek. “So shy? Did you two kiss?”

“Kiss?”

Lu Qingyuan immediately covered her face and let out a small, startled squeak. “We didn’t!”

“Hmm, if you’re this embarrassed when you haven’t even kissed, what are you going to do when you actually kiss?”

“Second Sister-in-law!”

Just thinking about it made Lu Qingyuan’s whole body heat up. She didn’t even dare imagine it.

Seeing her little sister-in-law blushing down to her neck, Second Sister-in-law Lu covered her mouth and giggled. “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Don’t be shy.”

“Second Sister-in-law!”

Meanwhile, Shu Beiqiu returned quickly to the factory. When he got back to his dormitory, he opened the cloth bundle and took out a small box.

Inside were amber-colored honey-glazed walnuts. As soon as he opened the lid, the rich aroma of walnuts mixed with the sweet scent of honey filled the air.

He picked up one and tasted it. It was sweet and crunchy, just right.

After screwing the lid back on, he took out another box. When he opened it and saw what was inside, his eyes lit up with surprise.

Shu Beiqiu carefully set down the bamboo doll. He went to wash his hands and dried them thoroughly before picking it up again to take a closer look.

It looked just like his girl.

Compared to this finely crafted bamboo doll, the wooden one he had carved himself looked crude.

But he liked them both. He wanted more.

As he carefully examined the doll’s delicate features, the dormitory door suddenly swung open. A short man with dimples on his cheeks, Zhuo Bin, walked in.

“What happened to your hand?”

“Got distracted while working,” Zhuo Bin sighed. “I got a cut from the machine. The boss scolded me and told me to come back and clear my head.”

Shu Beiqiu frowned. “Is it serious?”

“Not really,” Zhuo Bin showed him his bandaged hand. “It’s already taken care of. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Hey, this doll looks great! Wait a minute… It looks familiar.”

“My fiancée made it for me. It’s her. Looks just like her, doesn’t it?”

Shu Beiqiu knew Lu Qingyuan could weave bamboo, but he hadn’t expected her craftsmanship to be this good. The moment Zhuo Bin noticed, he immediately started showing off.

Zhuo Bin had seen Lu Qingyuan before in the cafeteria. Now that Shu Beiqiu mentioned it, he quickly recognized the resemblance. “Yeah, it really does! She made this herself?”

“Mm, she’s amazing!”

Shu Beiqiu’s eyes sparkled.

Zhuo Bin blinked, then suddenly grabbed Shu Beiqiu’s arm with his uninjured hand and dramatically declared, “From today onward, you are my sworn father! Father, your godson is in trouble. You wouldn’t just stand by and watch, would you?”

“…You only injured your hand. Why do I feel like your brain got hurt too?”