Chapter 67: The Kiss Beneath the Blanket  

Curious after seeing Zhou Chongshan drying Zhou Xiaochuan’s hair, Zhou Xiaohua had toddled over to his side.  

She bent forward, her little backside sticking out slightly, then lifted her small head to look up—  

And saw Zhou Xiaochuan’s slightly reddened eyes as he struggled to hold something back.  

[Brother, are you about to cry?]  

Zhou Xiaohua blinked in confusion.  

Zhou Xiaochuan gently shook his head, touched Zhou Xiaohua’s cheek, then raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

This was a secret.  

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That evening, with Zhou Chongshan’s help, Jiang Rou prepared dinner much faster and more smoothly.  

She made quick and simple dishes.  

A bowl of egg and pea shoot soup.

The method was similar to making wakame egg soup, except that pea shoots were tender and required no boiling at all.  

She simply placed the washed pea shoots in a large white bowl and then poured the steaming egg soup directly from the iron pot over them.  

The heat of the soup was enough to blanch the pea shoots until they were just right.  

The golden egg and vibrant green pea shoots made the dish look especially appetizing.  

A plate of stir-fried water celery.

The water celery was cut diagonally into short sections and seasoned with minced garlic, salt, and a dash of soy sauce.  

Simple and convenient.  

If not for the two children at home, she would have added some chili peppers to enhance the flavor.  

The most complicated dish was stir-fried bracken with pork.

After being thoroughly washed, the bracken had to be blanched first, then cooled in cold water before being drained and cut into small sections.  

The rest of the cooking process was similar to a regular stir-fry with meat.  

However, Jiang Rou had her own tricks.  

She first sliced off the fatty layer of the pork belly, skin included, and rendered it in the pan over high heat, allowing the fat to cook out.  

Only then did she add the lean meat and bracken.  

With this layer of pork fat coating the ingredients, the stir-fried dish became even more fragrant.  

The family of four enjoyed a hearty and satisfying meal.

Not a single leaf of the vegetables remained; they had nearly licked the plates clean.  

Thinking about how these wild vegetables had been handpicked personally made them taste even better.  

During the meal, Jiang Rou picked up a piece of vibrant green pea shoots with her chopsticks and placed it into Zhou Chongshan’s bowl.  

Little did she know—  

This was the first time in Zhou Chongshan’s life that he had ever eaten tender pea shoots. He had no idea what they tasted like.  

But after today—  

He had grown to like them.  

After finishing the meal, Zhou Chongshan took it upon himself to clear the table and wash the dishes, sparing Jiang Rou from the trouble.  

Though rough in appearance, the old man could be considerate at times.  

Jiang Rou carried Zhou Xiaohua to the bathroom for a bath. The little girl had rolled around in the mountains earlier, getting herself extremely dirty. She needed to be scrubbed thoroughly.  

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Night fell.  

A dim yellow electric light illuminated the room.  

Jiang Rou took out the bottle of “Yumeijing Fresh milk lotion” she had bought from “Tao Duoduo Mall” for just one yuan.  

The pale pink cream carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.  

She scooped out a generous amount, rubbed it between her palms to warm and emulsify it, then cupped Zhou Xiaohua’s little face with her hands.  

“Xiaohua, close your eyes.”  

Zhou Xiaohua obediently shut her eyes. Her lowered eyelids framed long, delicate eyelashes.  

Jiang Rou gently rubbed the little girl’s soft cheeks with her warm palms, spreading the cream evenly over her skin.  

After finishing her face, she applied it to her hands as well.  

Her entire body smelled fragrant.  

It was Zhou Xiaohua’s first time having her face wiped like this, and she found it fascinating.

She lifted her small hands to sniff—so fragrant!  

Even more fragrant than when she used soap.  

She beamed at Jiang Rou, revealing her tiny white teeth in a joyful smile.  

Who wouldn’t love such an adorable, soft, and sweet-smelling little girl?  

Jiang Rou couldn’t resist for a moment. She cupped Zhou Xiaohua’s smooth little cheeks and planted a firm kiss on them.  

So soft!  

So plump!  

“Xiaohua, this is a goodnight kiss~ Time to sleep.”  

Jiang Rou tucked Zhou Xiaohua into the blanket, effectively passing her over to Zhou Xiaochuan as well.  

After doing so, she looked up and suddenly realized that the two men in the bedroom were both staring at her.  

Zhou Chongshan and Zhou Xiaochuan shared similar features—the same deep, dark eyes.

She had no idea what was going through their minds, but they just stood there, wide-eyed, staring at her.  

It was just a simple “goodnight kiss.” What was there to make such a big deal about?  

Jiang Rou didn’t think anything of it, but being watched like that by the two of them made her feel oddly uncomfortable.  

She spoke up.  

“Chongshan, it’s time to turn off the lights.”  

The lights went out.  

Sleep.  

Once the four of them lay down, there were still faint rustling sounds coming from the children’s side.  

Zhou Xiaohua was probably holding up her little hand again, letting Zhou Xiaochuan smell the fragrance.  

But Zhou Xiaochuan, who had washed twice with soap today, also carried a fresh, clean scent.  

The two children sniffed at each other—you smell me, I smell you.  

Before long, everything quieted down.  

The children had followed Jiang Rou over so many mountain trails today, running up and down the slopes. They were truly exhausted.  

They fell asleep almost instantly.  

But while the children slept soundly, someone else lay awake.  

In the darkness, Zhou Chongshan opened his eyes.  

With every breath he took, the faint fragrance from Jiang Rou lingered in the air, drifting toward him in an endless stream.  

His mind kept replaying the moment when Jiang Rou had cupped Zhou Xiaohua’s little face and pressed a firm kiss onto her soft cheeks.  

Her pink lips, naturally upturned.  

It made Zhou Chongshan unconsciously recall the sweetness of the kiss he had once stolen.  

That time, when Jiang Rou had been fast asleep, she had been like sticky rice candy—soft, sweet, completely at his mercy.  

And now—  

Jiang Rou was lying right beside him.  

So close.  

This was his wife…  

Since she was his wife, what was there that he couldn’t do?  

Zhou Chongshan’s gaze darkened.  

“Wife…”  

His low, husky voice broke the silence.  

Jiang Rou, though keeping her eyes closed, was still awake.  

She had been running around all day and was exhausted. At this moment, she was already in a dazed, half-asleep state.  

“En?”  

She murmured drowsily, her body instinctively snuggling closer to Zhou Chongshan’s warmth.  

And right then—  

A scorching, searing kiss landed firmly on her lips.  

Zhou Chongshan had planned this “crime” well in advance.  

In the darkness, he used a sniper’s instinct to aim at Jiang Rou’s lips.  

At the same time, as he leaned down, he pulled up the thin blanket covering them both.  

In an instant—  

The moonlight streaming in from the window disappeared.  

When Jiang Rou opened her eyes in panic, everything before her was pitch black.  

Also concealed—  

Was the sound of their lips and tongues entwining, sticky and intimate.  

For a long, long time—  

Finally, the blanket was pulled down.  

Huff… huff…  

For a moment—  

The quiet room was filled with Jiang Rou’s gasping breaths.  

She… she… she… was nearly suffocated.  

Her mouth had been sealed so tightly that even her nose couldn’t draw in fresh air.  

In the small space beneath the blanket, Zhou Chongshan held the back of her head, adjusting the angle several times, just to kiss her more deeply.  

Not only was the air thin—  

But it was also hot.  

A layer of damp stickiness formed on Jiang Rou’s fair face from the stifling heat.  

Only when she finally felt the touch of the cool air did she feel as if she had come back to life.  

However—  

Jiang Rou furrowed her brows.

What kind of strange habit did this man have?  

They were a legitimate married couple, yet every time he kissed her, it was either while she was asleep or hidden beneath a blanket.  

How bizarre! Truly bizarre!  

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Egg and Pea shoot soup