Chapter 67 : Punishment

“Comrade, please introduce yourself.”

“I, I’m Liang Qingqing…”

Liang Qingqing panted, stumbling over her words and stuttering. Her delicate white arms clung to the man’s shoulders as she felt lightheaded and her thoughts became fuzzy. Their proximity was intimate, his lips brushed against her earlobe, his teeth lightly grazing but never actually biting, which made her eyes redden with frustration.

“Mm, and?” His Mandarin was standard, and he knew she liked the distinctive Beijing accent, switching between formal and casual tones, creating a private auditory experience just for her.

“I’m 19 this year. Ah, please don’t bite me, I’m trying to answer properly.”

Liang Qingqing instinctively touched her earlobe where he had left bite marks, and tried to pull away. The sudden movement nearly caused her to fall off his lap, but Fan Yanxing swiftly caught her around the waist, pulling her back. They were now even closer, their noses touching, and their breaths mingling.

“If you don’t answer well, you will be punished. We agreed on this, right?” Fan Yanxing’s bony hands rested on her waist, carefully feeling the beauty of that tight grip. His fingertips lightly tapped on the exposed skin, and the next second he felt the person in his arms tremble.

He chuckled, successfully making Liang Qingqing blush. She grabbed his ear in anger and her soft voice became sharp, but considering his elder brother and others who were still at home, he did not dare to raise the volume much.

“I’m answering you nicely. Who told you to bite me? It’s all your fault.”

The two of them didn’t have the nerve to engage in such embarrassing activities in the open hall. So, after Ma Xiuzhi and the others left, they secretly slipped into Liang Qingqing’s room, where she was coaxed into reluctantly agreeing to his so-called “rules.”

“One thing at a time, I’m the interviewer so I set the rules,” Fan Yanxing said with a raised eyebrow, his rough, calloused fingertips tracing up along the edge of her clothing, each inch making her breathing heavier.

Liang Qingqing was too flustered to pay attention to his domineering tone. She could only nod repeatedly, her voice trembling as she resignedly said, “Then go ahead and punish me.”

As long as your fingers are nimble enough, you can unbutton your clothes silently.

Liang Qingqing, in a daze, thought as her top loosened and hung at her elbows. Her face and neck were flushed, her whole body seemed to be tinted with a pink glow, like the evening sunset. Step by step, he conquered her, and her mind was filled with vivid, alluring images.

“Continue, the self-introduction is just the first question.”

She whimpered, unable to utter a single word, biting her lower lip in fear that her embarrassing sounds might escape her throat. It seemed he wasn’t really interested in hearing her continue her self-introduction. Instead, he leisurely but firmly grasped one of her hands, pressing their intertwined fingers against the crumpled bed linens. Light, scattered kisses moved from her neck to her lips.

Her dark hair, flowing like water, framed her clean, fair skin, highlighting the contrast between the two.

A few tears at the corners of her eyes appeared particularly ambiguous.

As dusk approached, a light drizzle began outside, its sound muffling the seductive ambiance beneath the white mosquito net.

“This rain is really coming down hard,” Ma Xiuzhi said, bending down to pat the wet half of her pants leg. She stretched her neck to glance into the main room. As it got darker, the lighting inside became very dim, and without any lamps, it was hard to make out the scene inside.

“Why haven’t they turned on the lights?”

After mumbling softly, Ma Xiuzhi folded the umbrella she was holding and handed it to Liang Junqiang, asking him to return it. Each family had a limited number of umbrellas, and they had taken three from others. If Liang Xuefu needed an umbrella for any evening events or if the rain continued into the next morning, it would be very inconvenient.

Liang Junqiang nodded and glanced at the main room and then at Liang Shuqiang’s room. He could faintly hear some voices but couldn’t make out the words clearly.

It seemed that both his elder brother and younger sister were working hard for the broadcasting station job. During this period, he would do as many of the household chores as he could. With this resolve, Liang Junqiang focused his mind, took his own umbrella, and ventured back into the rain.

Liang Xueyong went to the kitchen to heat water for a bath, while Ma Xiuzhi headed towards the main room. She was quite curious about how they were practicing. As she got closer, her curiosity deepened—why was there no sound? Had the noises she heard earlier really come from Liang Shuqiang and Wang Xiaomei?

Ma Xiuzhi stepped over the high threshold, looked around, and didn’t see anyone. Her brow furrowed, and just as she was about to go into Liang Qingqing’s room to find them, she heard a call from not far away.

“Mom, you’re back?”

Following the sound, she saw two people sitting in the corner by the window. They were seated at an appropriate distance from each other, sitting up straight and looking quite proper.

“Why are you two sitting here?”

Ma Xiuzhi turned around, surprised, and asked, “What are you two doing here?”

Liang Qingqing put away the newspaper and smiled as she explained, “The light is better here, it’s a bit hard to see inside. Mr. Fan is teaching me how to pronounce this character.”

The last sentence indirectly explained the lack of noise.

“Oh, I see. Then you two should stop for now and rest. It’s getting dark outside. You can continue tomorrow, there’s no rush.”

Ma Xiuzhi reassured herself and said, “I’ll get you a glass of water so you don’t strain your voices.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” Fan Yanxing said with a slight smile, “But I’m not thirsty, I had some water earlier.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Yanxing felt a sharp pain on the top of his foot. He turned and met Liang Qingqing’s beautiful eyes, which were now not filled with the previous dreamy sparkle but with a fiery warning.

Truly heartless—once he got what he wanted, he didn’t recognize anyone.

“We’ve all had our fill Mom, you can go about your business. We’re fine. I’m just going to finish reading this last article and then get ready for bed.” Liang Qingqing quietly withdrew her foot from under the table, squinted her eyes, and gave a gentle smile, showing her neat teeth.

“Alright.” Ma Xiuzhi said, and since she needed to go to the kitchen to help Liang Xueyong with the fire, she didn’t linger in the main room for long and soon disappeared through the door.

Once Ma Xiuzhi was completely out of sight, Liang Qingqing leaned forward, pinched Fan Yanxing’s ear, and said irritably, “What nonsense were you talking just now?”

Fan Yanxing let out a small, pitiful sound, “I was speaking the truth. It’s actually you, Qingqing, who hasn’t had any. It’s all been me…”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing switched from pinching his ear to covering his mouth. The faint light coming through the window highlighted her flushed face, revealing her concealed spring-like glow and redness.

She stomped her foot in frustration, “If you keep talking nonsense, I won’t talk to you anymore.”

“Alright, I won’t say anything more.” His words were muffled by her hand, but he seemed to be smiling.

Liang Qingqing’s gaze wandered as she shot a glare at Fan Yanxing before withdrawing her hand. She silently resolved to keep her distance from Fan Yanxing during this period. She had no idea where he learned all these tricks, but she couldn’t handle them at all!

Thinking about what had happened earlier, she unconsciously tightened her legs and her gaze inadvertently flicked over Fan Yanxing’s reddened lips.

Actually, it seemed quite nice. If it happened again…

Liang Qingqing’s eyes widened in disbelief that she could even think such things. It was all Fan Yanxing’s fault. Yes, it was all his fault.

But for the next three days, despite Liang Qingqing’s wishes, she had no chance to act on her thoughts. Liang Shuqiang, energized and ambitious, insisted that they take turns helping him with mock interviews, wanting to experience the feeling of different interviewers.

Fortunately, the results were good. Liang Shuqiang was less nervous and was able to deliver his prepared interview answers clearly.

Time flew by, and the day of the official interview arrived. Since it was a day off, the entire Liang family was involved. Early in the morning, Ma Xiuzhi got up and cooked a bowl of noodles for each of them, and even made two fried eggs, which was rare.

The white noodles paired with golden, sunny-side-up eggs, sprinkled with a few scallions, looked and smelled great. Liang Qingqing ate most of her bowl, while Liang Shuqiang finished all of his.

The two of them changed into their most presentable outfits and were followed by a few small attendants. They headed toward the commune in a grand procession. Along the way, there were countless such groups; there were very few who were truly skilled at interviewing, with most being “accompanying candidates.”

Upon arriving at the commune, Liang Qingqing was surprised to see a few familiar faces.

“Sister Qin Zhen.”

Liang Qingqing took the initiative to greet her. Since she hadn’t been working, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Qin Zhen was surprised to see her here. “Qingqing, you’re also here for the announcer interview?”

“Yes, I wanted to give it a try.”

Liang Qingqing nodded and admitted it openly. She wasn’t surprised to see Qin Zhen here at all. After all, Qin Zhen was an experienced ‘old educated youth’ from the city, with good cultural and Mandarin skills. If she didn’t come to try, Liang Qingqing would have been surprised.

They exchanged pleasantries with each other’s families before catching up. However, their relationship wasn’t close enough to have endless topics to discuss. So, Qin Zhen quickly changed the subject. She tilted her chin, indicating Liang Qingqing to look toward the right front.

“Isn’t Xu Qiao a teacher at the primary school? Why is she here today as well?”

Following Qin Zhen’s gesture, Liang Qingqing saw Xu Qiao engaging in lively conversation among a group of young women. She was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, with her long black hair styled in two braids, giving her a very student-like appearance. Her attractive face drew the attention of nearby young men, who kept glancing over.

Qin Zhen’s comment was also something Liang Qingqing wondered about. According to the storyline in the book, Xu Qiao had never worked as an announcer and had been a primary school teacher for two years. If it weren’t for the resumption of college entrance exams, she would have either gone to a university in the capital or at least secured a vice principal position.

Before Liang Qingqing could speak, Qin Zhen answered her own question, “Could it be that she came with Su Jinchuan?”

“Su Jinchuan?” Liang Qingqing repeated instinctively and immediately felt a scorching, deathly glare from behind her. She didn’t even need to look back to know who it was.

Who else could it be but that jealous king, Fan Yanxing!

Perhaps reminded of Liang Qingqing and Su Jinchuan’s “past,” Qin Zhen cleared her throat and said cautiously, “You might not know, but Xu Qiao and Su Jinchuan have become a couple. I’ve heard they’re even discussing marriage now.”

“Really?” Liang Qingqing genuinely didn’t know about this.

It was hot in the summer and she was afraid of the sun and the heat. She wanted to stay at home all day long and making it impossible for her to catch such gossip.