Chapter 28.2

Feeling her soft, boneless hands gently touching him, Zhou Yao felt a burning sensation wherever she touched, as if tiny flames were igniting, spreading from his shoulders to other parts of his body.

This wasn’t a massage, it was torture.

Zhou Yao felt both pain and pleasure, adjusting his posture subtly.

Wen Yue also felt a bit of pain.

Zhou Yao’s muscles were really rock-hard. Her hands were sore after just a short while. But since she had offered to give him a massage, giving up in less than two minutes would seem half-hearted!

Wen Yue didn’t want to seem insincere, so she gave up on the shoulders and moved to his neck.

“That’s enough.” Zhou Yao’s voice was hoarse as he coughed lightly to clear his throat, grabbing Wen Yue’s slender wrist and turning to look at her. “It’s quite late. I’ll go start the fire and cook the noodles.”

Wen Yue met Zhou Yao’s gaze, sensing the suppressed flames in his dark eyes, and felt a bit scorched.

She hesitated and then pulled her hand back. “Okay, you do it then.”

Zhou Yao responded with a low hum.

Wen Yue quickly left the kitchen, her breath slightly quickened. She went inside and closed the door, fanning her face with her hand.

Zhou Yao’s look just now was oddly intimidating, as if he wanted to devour her, though his expression remained calm.

Wen Yue felt her thoughts were a bit dirty.

But it wasn’t entirely her fault!

It was all because of those explicit books and short videos from her past life.

Wen Yue touched her cheeks. After cooling down and regaining her composure, she opened the door to leave, only to run into Lin Fang, who was smiling brightly.

“Wen Yue.” Lin Fang’s sharp voice was unusually gentle now, and she smiled warmly, holding a bowl of meat. “Second Aunt made some meat today and brought you some.”

Wen Yue was surprised and looked at Lin Fang, then instinctively glanced at the clouds overhead.

Could the sun be rising in the west today?

“Second Aunt, I appreciate your kindness,” Wen Yue said, retracting her gaze and smiling as she declined. “But we don’t need the meat. You can keep it for yourself.”

Lin Fang’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she persisted. “Don’t be polite. We’re family, after all. Take it and eat!” If Wen Yue didn’t accept, how could she bring up her request?

Wen Yue sighed softly and spoke gently, “Second Aunt, if you have something to say, just say it directly.”

Lin Fang’s face lit up with joy. “Can I speak, then?”

Wen Yue nodded. “Go ahead.”

“It’s like this,” Lin Fang retracted her hand quickly, smiling broadly. “I heard you’re hiring people for work at five yuan a day? Wen Yue, not to brag, but your second aunt is quick and meticulous. Why don’t you hire me? Even if it’s not five yuan, four or three will do.”

Wen Yue was stunned for a moment and looked at her with confusion. “Second Aunt, who told you that?”

“Just, you know, I heard it from someone,” Lin Fang stammered, her eyes darting around. “That’s not important. Just hire me, okay?”

Wen Yue pursed her lips and refused without hesitation, “Sorry, Second Aunt, but we already have enough people. Maybe next time.”

With that, she quickly walked into the kitchen.

Lin Fang called out, watching Wen Yue’s back, biting her lip and cursing softly, “Ungrateful brat… No way, I have to get that money somehow. If I can’t, I’ll cause trouble, and no one will have it easy!”

“Zhou Yao!”

Wen Yue stepped into the kitchen. “Second Aunt seems to know about it.”

Zhou Yao had just put a bundle of dry wood into the stove and turned his head, looking puzzled. “?”

Wen Yue briefly recounted what Lin Fang had said, frowning slightly. “How could she know? Did one of the people Li Nianqiu found accidentally spill the beans?”

“Probably not.” Zhou Yao remained calm, speaking in a steady tone. “I guess Lin Fang overheard our conversation this afternoon. She’s the type to do such things.”

Wen Yue frowned even more. “How could she? What should we do now?”

“Don’t worry about her. She can’t cause much trouble. If necessary, I’ll beat up Zhou Jianghai again.” Zhou Yao said it casually.

Wen Yue was silent for two seconds. “That’s a bit much… Let’s see what she does first. We’ll inform Li Nianqiu about it when we go to Grandma Fang’s house tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Zhou Yao saw her frown and spoke gently, “Don’t worry about it. If any problems arise, I’ll handle them. You just focus on making money happily.”

That sentence sounded familiar.

Wen Yue thought for a moment. Li Nianqiu had said something similar before.

Her eyes curved into small crescents as she smiled brightly. “You guys are the best.”

Zhou Yao raised his eyebrows. “You guys?”

“Yes, Li Nianqiu said something like that before too. The water is boiling, we can cook the noodles now.” Wen Yue said it casually, lifting the lid to check the pot. “She said I don’t need to worry about anything, just count the money~”

Zhou Yao: “…”

Fine, fine, it’s Li Nianqiu again! Is that girl planning to steal his future wife? Why is she everywhere?

Zhou Yao stood up and tossed the noodles into the boiling pot, staring intently at Wen Yue. “So, who do you think treats you better, me or her?”

“There’s no comparison; both of you are good to me.” Wen Yue hadn’t noticed Zhou Yao’s expression. She patted his wrist. “That’s enough, don’t put so much in. We’ll waste it if we can’t finish.”

“I can finish it.” Zhou Yao replied, pressing further, “Answer me first. Who treats you better, me or Li Nianqiu?”

Wen Yue finally noticed Zhou Yao’s dark, stubborn expression and gloomy eyes. She paused. Was he jealous? Jealous of Li Nianqiu?

But Li Nianqiu was a girl and had an official partner!

Feeling a bit amused, she gently patted Zhou Yao’s head. His hair was a bit long, and it felt good to touch. Like petting a dog, she gently stroked his hair and softly answered, “Of course, you treat me better. I don’t need to hesitate on that.”

“Don’t ask such silly questions next time.”

Zhou Yao: “Really?”

Wen Yue nodded. “Really, more real than pearls.”

Zhou Yao’s expression brightened, his tightly pressed lips curling slightly upward, very satisfied with the petting.

After dinner, Wen Yue returned to her room to organize the materials, planning to move them to Grandma Fang’s house the next day.

Halfway through, Zhou Yao came in after washing the dishes, holding a bulging cloth bundle. He handed it over, “Here.”

Wen Yue took it curiously, unwrapping the cloth while asking, “What’s this?”

Zhou Yao lifted his chin, speaking casually, “Didn’t you say you like counting money? This is the money I earned. It’s all for you. Go ahead and count.”

Wen Yue had just opened the cloth to reveal a pile of money in various denominations.