Having a big name in the art world as a close mentor meant that even a single day of delay for Qingyu would waste her talent.

However, being too eager also seemed inappropriate and appeared utilitarian. Ji Meng thought for a moment and said,

“Well then, let’s prepare the apprenticeship gifts in the next few days.”

“Sure, I know what to prepare for the apprenticeship gifts. I’ll handle that. And I’ll prepare one for Qiuqiu too. Qingyu said she wanted to attend classes with her sister, so Teacher Liao said the two sisters can learn together first,” Ji Qinghe replied.

“Then Qiuqiu will benefit from Qingyu this time.” Ji Meng smiled, feeling no displeasure about Qiuqiu being an extra, having a big name to guide her for a few days would be good for her.

Moreover, she sensed that rather than becoming a great painter, the active little girl might prefer being a dancer or, like in the books, a big star.

But no one could predict the future, what she needed to do now was earn money quickly. If her daughter really wanted to enter the entertainment industry in the future, she had to support her and ensure ^[1]“She wasn’t swept away” means ensuring that the daughter wouldn’t lose herself or be influenced negatively by the pressures and challenges of the entertainment industry. she wasn’t swept away by it.

Thinking this way, Ji Meng felt that the collective earnings were still too little, and progress was slow.

“What are you thinking about? Let’s eat first, the food is getting cold.” Seeing Ji Meng lost in thought while smiling, Su Cheng picked up a piece of pork and said.

She was thinking about making money and her daughter’s future, but it wasn’t convenient to discuss those things right now. She gave Su Cheng a half-smile and said, “I was thinking about the sunflower seeds you peeled this afternoon, I ate too many, and now I feel a bit dry-mouthed and can’t eat much.”

After saying that, she felt quite happy, probably because those sunflower seeds had really satisfied her appetite at the time. She surprisingly wasn’t even angry about him being late after making a decision without consulting her first.

The curve of Ji Meng’s smile was evident, and Su Cheng had been paying attention to her, so he naturally didn’t miss it. He could feel she was no longer angry, she just seemed a bit awkward. He smirked slightly and added a piece of mapo tofu to her plate, saying, “Then eat more vegetables. I cooked tonight, and it’s all from the ingredients you picked for me these past few days.”

When they spoke on the phone earlier, Ji Meng would always suggest a dish, and Su Cheng remembered each one.

Ji Meng noticed this too, so she was in a good mood and elongated her response with an “Oh.”

Ji Qinghe watched the couple being affectionate but didn’t say anything, instead eating faster.

After dinner, it wasn’t too late, so Ji Qinghe went to take a shower while Ji Meng took the two little ones to check on their homework from the past few days and also taught them some painting.

By the time Ji Qinghe finished his shower, the two little ones had almost finished their drawings. Ji Meng then gave the two girls a bath.

Kids start to become shy around the age of five. Earlier, Ji Meng hadn’t been able to supervise them, so the sisters had washed each other. They didn’t get very clean, and Ji Meng ended up scrubbing away a lot of dirt from them this time.

After finishing with them, she tidied herself up and went back to her room to dry her hair and wash her face. Just as she finished drying her neck while looking up, Su Cheng came in after his shower.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt today, just a white tank top. His shoulders were straight, and his arms had solid muscles, his chest muscles were even more pronounced. He had washed his hair, and the dark strands were dripping with water, trickling down his neck and into the collar of his tank top. After getting wet, it was possible to see the well-defined muscles of his chest and abs.

Ji Meng stood in front of the vanity, her body turned to the side, her fingers tracing her slender neck. She didn’t move, just stared at him.

Since she didn’t move, Su Cheng couldn’t stay still either. He turned around to close the door, walked over, and gently pulled a strand of her hair. Her hair was dry but messy and uncombed, which made her fair face appear even more exquisite and alluring.

In that moment, Su Cheng reached for a comb and gently ran it through her hair. He didn’t turn sideways, just stood right in front of her. Though it was a bit awkward to comb her hair from behind, he almost enveloped her in his arms.

Ji Meng let him do it without saying a word, merely tilting her head slightly to look at him.

She had put some thought into her outfit today, wearing a camisole dress underneath and a silk top on the outside, in a super bright rose red. She wasn’t wearing a bra, so if Su Cheng looked down, he could see everything.

Ji Meng clearly saw that at the moment the man lowered his gaze, his eyes momentarily froze, and she noticed the prominent movement of his sexy Adam’s apple.

The corners of Ji Meng’s mouth curled up slightly as she pressed her lips to hold back a laugh and looked away. Remembering the matter at hand, she asked him, “Where did the money for the refrigerator and TV come from?”

At this moment, Su Cheng could smell her fragrance, and his mind was still lingering on the fleeting glimpse of her curves. Even though he tried hard not to let his gaze drop, focusing solely on her hair, the image of her body was hard to shake off.

Hearing her question brought him back to reality just a little. He replied in a hoarse voice, “I didn’t ask for money.”

“No money? What did you do?”

Although she knew this man wouldn’t engage in any illegal activities, Ji Meng was still taken aback by his response.

Su Cheng lowered his gaze to look at her. Seeing her obvious unease, he put down the comb, walked over to the side cabinet, and retrieved his duffel bag, pulling out two stacks of cash from inside.

“I told you I was going to Shenzhen with a friend, right? He runs an electrical appliance business and encountered some issues there. I went over to help him sort it out, and while I was at it, I fixed up a scrapped car for him and brought back a truckload of appliances. This is his reward for me—besides the TV and refrigerator, there are also two fans and a rice cooker. I left those behind for now and will go pick them up in a couple of days.”

The refrigerator and television were already quite eye-catching, and he didn’t bring back the other items.

“So much?”

Ji Meng didn’t take the money from Su Cheng’s hand, but she estimated that there had to be three or four thousand here, plus the appliances he gave as a bonus, which would amount to at least seven or eight thousand.

“Not too much. He didn’t have enough money this time, so I helped him out a bit, this is considered a share of the profits.”

To ease Ji Meng’s worries, Su Cheng explained in more detail.

“This time he got into trouble in Shenzhen and almost lost both himself and his goods. I went over to pull him out and helped him get a car, so he didn’t suffer a loss.”

Hearing this, Ji Meng was frightened. What kind of people did he get involved with to be in such a situation? She couldn’t help but grab Su Cheng’s arm and asked, “Were you hurt?”

He had just started to recover when he left, and the bruises hadn’t completely faded.

“I wasn’t hurt.” Feeling cared for, Su Cheng felt reassured. He lifted his hand to gently stroke her smooth hair and smiled as he replied.

“One of those guys has a brother I happen to know, we had some connections in the past, so it’s a case of ‘^[2]“no fight, no acquaintance” (不打不相识) is a Chinese idiom that means “through conflict, friendship is formed.” It suggests that sometimes a clash or confrontation leads … Continue readingno fight, no acquaintance.'”

“They’re not the kind of people you might think, they didn’t do anything illegal. It was just a dispute over goods, and resolving it over a meal was all it took.”

After listening, Ji Meng understood. He probably encountered some local tough guys who didn’t follow the rules and got held up while picking up goods.

In Shenzhen, some of the appliance factories are joint ventures between Hong Kong bosses and local people. They tend to be a bit tougher, if you go to pick up goods and don’t understand the rules, trying to cut a big deal or press down the price too much can easily provoke them.

“But isn’t importing appliances from Shenzhen considered reselling? Won’t the industrial and commercial authorities check on that?”

Although individual businesses are now allowed and private factories can operate, isn’t there still some level of regulation over appliances?

Ji Meng wasn’t very familiar with it, at her current stage, she couldn’t afford to run an appliance business.

“It’s legal. My friend has some connections at the department store, he’s registered as a seller of appliances and pays taxes.”

She smelled so good that he couldn’t help but lean down to kiss the top of her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything illegal.”

He was a soldier, and even though he had transitioned to a civilian job, he always kept in mind that he wouldn’t engage in any shady activities.

“I know, I’m just worried…” worried that he might not understand the complexities involved.

Ji Meng wanted to say this, but then she thought that he might actually know more than she did, after all, he had managed to fix a scrapped car.

That wasn’t just an ordinary broken-down vehicle, it was one that had been completely written off.

This man was much more impressive than she had thought.

Ji Meng suddenly felt an unexpected sense of fortune.

“So how did your transfer to civilian life go? Where are you assigned to work?”

“I was just about to tell you about that.”

Su Cheng had been thinking about discussing this with Ji Meng, which was why he had been restraining his wandering thoughts and behaving himself up until now. Hearing her question, he immediately replied:

“I’ve been transferred to the machinery factory here, and I’ll report there the day after tomorrow.”

“There’s something else I want to discuss with you.”

At this point, Su Cheng hesitated for a moment: “The machinery factory can allocate a house for me, do you think we should move there?”

“A house allocation?”

Ji Meng was taken aback for a moment. “You can get a house so soon after your transfer? What position do you hold?”

Ji Meng wasn’t very familiar with the transfer arrangements in the military, so even though she knew Su Cheng held a relatively high position, she didn’t expect him to get any significant placement.

The machinery factory was the largest in the area, with over five thousand employees, just becoming the head of security would be quite an achievement, wouldn’t it?

“I just transferred to civilian life and need to adapt to the environment. I’m currently the deputy factory director. I’ll officially be promoted after three months when the old factory director retires.”

Su Cheng was very satisfied with this transfer, it was right here in the provincial city, close to home. Most importantly, his position also involved management, which would give them more common topics to discuss.

However, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious inside, worrying that she might look down on such a position.

He feared she might be like his comrade’s partner, wanting to be the wife of a higher-ranking official instead.

In this transfer, he and the commander of the 27th Regiment were transferring together. Originally, he was supposed to come here while the commander returned to their county to become the deputy chief of the police station. He would also be promoted in about three months, with connections on the leadership side that could help him.

But he wasn’t very satisfied with that arrangement, he didn’t want to be separated from her. So when the commander of the 27th Regiment came to find him, he felt it was a suitable option and agreed.

“What do you think?” He felt a bit regretful for not calling to ask her opinion at the time, but it really wasn’t convenient to discuss it over the phone.

Ji Meng was taken aback and couldn’t close her mouth in surprise.

This man had become the factory director, and it was the largest factory in the area! He would definitely be promoted in his position!

It was many times larger than her collective.

She felt a mix of envy and jealousy…

“That’s great!”

Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Ji Meng nodded affirmatively and looked at him playfully. “Should I start calling you Director Su from now on?”

Their room wasn’t big, and a 25-watt light bulb hung overhead at an angle. Ji Meng looked up at Su Cheng, the warm yellow light illuminating her. Her eyes sparkled brightly, full of a playful smile that seemed to hook him in.

“You can call me whatever you want, even Xiao Su…”

Su Cheng replied in a husky voice, raising his hand to press on the back of her neck as he lowered his head and kissed her lips fiercely.

In that moment, the longing he had felt for her, both in dreams and reality, surged out like a wild beast released from its cage. He couldn’t hold back and deepened the kiss.

He sucked and claimed her passionately.

Ji Meng’s waist was tightly held, and her whole body pressed against him.

His body was warm, just like the night she was familiar with.

She felt a delicious tingle all over as she slowly lifted her hands to wrap around his waist, tilting her head back in response to him.

“Let’s talk business—are we moving?”

After a passionate kiss, Su Cheng finally remembered that they hadn’t finished discussing the important matters. He restrained himself, loosening his grip on her slightly, kissing the corner of her eye as he asked.

Ji Meng was kissed into a daze, her breath uneven and her body soft and weak, only able to cling to his arm as he held her. After a while, she thought about it and replied:

“I don’t think so. If we move, Dad and Qingyu will be very lonely. Qiuqiu will definitely miss Qingyu, and besides, I like a lively atmosphere.”

“I think we can bring Mom over. Now that you’re working here, what’s she doing back home?”

“Previously, she felt it wasn’t appropriate to stay with her in-laws, but now there’s a ready-made reason for her to come over and help us look after the house. Then we can live on both sides. What do you think?”

“You want to bring Mom over?” Su Cheng looked at Ji Meng in surprise.

“Why wouldn’t I want to? I mentioned before that I wanted to bring Mom over,” Ji Meng replied, looking at Su Cheng curiously, and then glared at him.

“What do you think I am? A wicked daughter-in-law who can’t tolerate her mother-in-law?”

“No, I just got the wrong idea, I thought of it wrong!” Su Cheng hurriedly said.

He had indeed misunderstood, he only thought that most daughters-in-law dislike living with their mothers-in-law, forgetting that she clearly did not treat her father-in-law as anything less than her own father, and even treated him better than others, which showed her kindness and warmth.

“Sorry, I misunderstood and got muddled. Don’t be angry, okay?”

Su Cheng lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips softly to soothe her. Not satisfied, he used his large hand to grip her slim waist and lifted her onto the vanity, holding her face as he kissed the corners of her lips, her eyes, and her ears… then asked her, “Have you missed me these days?”

Ji Meng was still annoyed and didn’t want to pay attention to him, just glancing at him sideways.

Little did she know, her long, thick lashes were damp, and her eyes were filled with allure, making her incredibly captivating.

Her gentle glance seemed to hook the heart, leaving Su Cheng’s chest burning and pounding. He swallowed hard, holding her face and murmuring, “I’ve thought about it, I really miss you these days…”

He thought about her every day—whenever he had a free moment during the day, and even in his dreams at night. The restless heat could not be suppressed, forcing him to get up before five every morning to practice until he was exhausted.

“Have I mentioned that your dress today is beautiful, and the color is especially nice?”

Su Cheng loosened his grip on her slightly, lifting the thin layer she wore that was nearly transparent. His long fingers lightly tugged at the delicate strap, staring at Ji Meng with a hoarse voice.

His dark eyes burned with desire.

Ji Meng felt uneasy under his gaze, her cheeks flushing, and her heart raced even more at his words.

She wasn’t quite satisfied, she had intended to tease him, but why did it feel like she was being teased instead?

She wanted to regain control.

Biting her lip, she looked at him for a moment, then, not knowing what came over her, she leaned closer to his ear, her lips brushing against his earlobe, and in a sultry voice, she said, “I don’t know if I’ve thought about it, but I’ve prepared quite a bit. I’m ready, how about you, Xiao Su…”

With a sudden “clang” in his mind, it felt as if something shattered.

He glanced at her eyes, which were blooming with spring-like warmth, his gaze darkening. In the next moment, he moved his large hand to the back of her neck and kissed her deeply.

In the deep of night, the vibrant red camellias outside were adorned with dewdrops, looking as if they were about to drip with beauty.

Inside the room, a comb had fallen to the floor, and various skincare bottles were haphazardly scattered.

The air was filled with a dreamy haze.

By the edge of the bunk bed, a tall man held the delicate figure in his arms. However, at the last moment, he suddenly paused.

It was only when the person in his embrace playfully pinched him and couldn’t help but let out a soft whimper that he leaned down to kiss the corner of her lips gently, murmuring, “Mengmeng…”

In the next moment, he gritted his teeth and charged forward.