Chapter 59 : Beauty after Bath

“It’s better to let Yanxing do what makes him happy, it won’t hinder him in any way.”

Fan Yajun, who had married a perfectly suited husband herself, wished for her brother to also find a girl he truly desired.

Growing up in the Fan family, with access to various high-quality resources, she understood from a young age that one must make corresponding sacrifices to enjoy these benefits, otherwise, how would the next generation continue to benefit? This was a principle Fan Yajun had grasped since she became aware, and it was a conclusion drawn from observing the experiences of friends and family.

She feared facing a difficult choice and was also afraid of leading a life completely different from her first half.

Therefore, from the very beginning, she had eliminated this possibility for herself. Throughout her twenty-plus years of schooling and work, she never befriended a boy who was not part of her “circle.”

Fan Yajun was very clear-headed and calm. She knew her abilities were insufficient to resist the heavy burdens on her shoulders and to pursue so-called love, so she chose her mate according to her family’s expectations.

The man she married was the most outstanding among her many excellent childhood friends—handsome, with a strong family background, and she liked him too…

The parents on both sides were in agreement, and they married smoothly, had children smoothly, with a loving relationship and harmonious feelings. Their life was blissful, and they had no regrets.

But such a situation was rare. Many around her had marriages of convenience where the couple lived separate lives, preferring to stay at work and avoid going home. A once lively house now felt cold and unwelcoming, with no warmth, and their later years seemed predictable.

However, a strong partnership meant at least a secure future and career advancement, which was far better than what most people had.

It wasn’t about good or bad, it was a personal choice and one couldn’t blame others.

Fan Yanxing’s situation was different. He was outstanding with strong abilities and his father once said that his future achievements might surpass his own, with a bright future ahead.

This also meant that he had a say in the family. If he didn’t want to marry, family pressure might backfire.

Fan Yajun said this because he was her only son. Until she fully understood the situation, she didn’t want to recklessly interfere and risk alarming him or creating unnecessary trouble.

Straining relations with her son would bring no benefit.

This matter needed careful consideration.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Qu Qingying glanced at Fan Yajun and sighed, “There’s no need to mention this to your father.”

Fan Yajun nodded vigorously, thinking to herself, If it weren’t for someone’s loose lips leaking this to you, I wouldn’t have made this special trip back. This matter would have quietly stayed with me!

“And also, if there’s any movement on Yanxing’s side, you must inform me immediately.”

It was a statement that could easily be laughed off! But at the same time, she felt reassured that the siblings had a good relationship, being close was much better than the estrangement some families experienced.

“Alright.” Fan Yajun smiled obediently, with a pleasant expression. She would certainly pass on the information, though what exactly she would communicate was another matter.

Qu Qingying rubbed her forehead. “I haven’t seen my two grandchildren for a long time. Let’s go downstairs.”

“Okay.”

Seeing that Qu Qingying had stopped pressing her about Fan Yanxing, Fan Yajun sighed in relief and cheerfully followed her out, the wooden carved door closing behind them and leaving the room bathed in sunlight.

—

As the sun set and the light gradually faded, they parted ways at the village entrance.

Fan Yanxing first carried the bags back to the Liang family’s house. Since Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong weren’t back yet, he hid the items in a corner of the yard, then ran to his uncle’s house to get the key. After returning and opening the door, Liang Qingqing quietly sneaked back home, quickly changing out of the beautiful dress into her usual modest attire.

Indeed, clothes make the person, and a horse is defined by its saddle. After removing the dress, she remained beautiful but lost some of the striking charm.

Liang Qingqing reluctantly touched the dress before hiding it and the box of snow flower cream in an inconspicuous place.

Fan Yanxing, who was standing by the door keeping watch, felt a vague, indescribable discomfort. He suddenly had a thought, he wanted to fill her wardrobe with beautiful dresses for her to choose from so she wouldn’t have to feel so wistful over a single dress in the future.

Knowing that speaking now would only make her more melancholic, Fan Yanxing decided to pretend he hadn’t seen and gently shifted the topic. “Would you like a peach? I’ll wash it for you.”

Liang Qingqing didn’t refuse, and then reminded him, “Make sure it’s something you bought!”

“Got it. You can trust me to take care of it,” Fan Yanxing said with a smile, turning to the kitchen to wash the peach.

Liang Qingqing was halfway through the peach when Ma Xiuzhi and the others finally arrived.

“Uncle, Aunt, you should try this peach too.” Fan Yanxing handed two washed peaches to Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong while taking a bite out of his own. “I bought these once when a friend visited me in the hospital, and they’re very sweet.”

“We don’t really like peaches. You should take them back and eat them yourself,” Ma Xiuzhi said. Although they hadn’t bought fruit from the supply and marketing cooperative, they weren’t blind or stupid and could tell that these glossy, beautiful peaches weren’t cheap. They felt awkward eating two right away!

But when they turned around, they saw their precious daughter sitting in the yard, munching on a peach she had already eaten halfway, her actions natural and unconcerned, showing no hint of embarrassment!

Upon closer inspection, there was a peach pit by her feet, indicating that the peach she was eating was the second one!

This, this, this Qingqing really should not be taking such good things from Fan Yanxing without any hesitation!

“It’s so hot that these will spoil in a couple of days. I bought so many, I won’t be able to finish them all, so it’ll just be a waste if I don’t eat them,” Fan Yanxing insisted, pushing the peaches back to Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong. “I have the money, so don’t be polite with me.”

Given that Fan Yanxing had insisted so firmly, they couldn’t refuse any longer. Seeing that he had prepared peaches for the rest of the family, they swallowed and took a bite. Instantly, their mouths were filled with the fragrant and sweet flesh of the peach. The taste was completely different from the bitter little peaches in the village, and this was the first time they had ever tasted such delicious peaches!

Indeed, there’s a reason why expensive things are better.

“Fan Yanxing also bought other delicious things. Mom, Dad, you should try them too. The watermelon is chilling in the well, we’ll eat it together with Big Brother when he comes back tomorrow,” Liang Qingqing finished her peach in a few bites, wiped her sticky hands, and naturally arranged for the things on the table.

Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong were taken aback, almost fainting from the shock. Yet, Fan Yanxing, who took this matter seriously, nodded in agreement and even added a few words in support.

Their expressions were extremely complicated. They didn’t know whether to say Liang Qingqing was carefree and lacked discretion or that Fan Yanxing was generous and good-natured!

That evening, with only the four of them at home, Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong went to wash up after chatting in the main room. They were early risers and went to bed early. After locking the yard door, they retired to their room to rest.

After Liang Qingqing finished washing and came out of the bathroom, the moonlight hung in the sky, mixed with the dim yellow light of the kerosene lamp, barely illuminating the path ahead. She wrapped her hair in a towel and carefully carried her dirty clothes toward the water tank.

She always washed her clothes herself, especially the intimate garments. Every night after bathing, she would wash them and hang them in the backyard. By the next morning, they would be dry, and Ma Xiuzhi would help put them away in the room.

As she walked a few steps forward, noticing someone not far away, she suddenly looked up, startled, her long eyelashes trembling. After squinting to see the person’s face clearly, she sighed with relief and said in a playful tone, “What are you doing sneaking around and scaring people at this hour?”

The woman’s long hair was wrapped in a white towel, revealing a fair, delicate face. On this cool summer day, she had taken advantage of the sparse household and, feeling the heat, wore only a white tank top and black shorts. Beads of water glistened on her smooth, white neck, sliding down her exquisite collarbone and disappearing into the full, undulating cleavage.

Her long legs were exposed, and her toes, startled, curled up but relaxed immediately upon recognizing him, as if to tell him that he was a symbol of security for her.

Her skin looked as if it were glowing in the darkness.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Fan Yanxing averted his gaze, swallowed hard, took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, and lifted the clean clothes he was holding. He took a couple of steps forward into the range of the kerosene lamp’s light and, in a low, somewhat aggrieved voice, said, “I figured you must be almost done, so I came over to wait.”

Waiting? How long had he been waiting here?

He wouldn’t have heard her softly humming a tune, would he? Recalling the song she sang earlier, which seemed to be off-key, she knew he probably wouldn’t notice if she was out of tune. However, her face still flushed involuntarily, and her tone rose slightly, giving it a somewhat pretentious edge.

“Eavesdropping on me while I’m bathing, how shameless!”

Fan Yanxing truly didn’t know what Liang Qingqing had been singing or whether she was off-key.

But it wasn’t because he hadn’t heard of the song; it was because his mind wasn’t on that at all!

He really hadn’t meant to overhear! The backyard was so quiet that every little sound was clear, and her noisy bathing made it hard not to hear.

When Liang Qingqing directly and lightly called out the truth, Fan Yanxing nearly lost his calm demeanor. His grip on the clothes tightened, and the veins on his hand stood out. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat to cover up his awkwardness, and then said, “Should I let you eavesdrop in return?”

“Pah, who wants to eavesdrop on you bathing! I’m not a pervert!” Liang Qingqing, eager to escape the embarrassment of her off-key singing being overheard, didn’t notice Fan Yanxing’s discomfort. She gave him an angry glare and walked briskly toward the water tank.

But soon, her own words slapped her in the face like a resounding blow.

At that moment, Liang Qingqing realized an important lesson sometimes, one shouldn’t speak such bold and shameless words casually.