◎ That position from last night—put on your bunny ears again, and let’s do it one more time tonight. ◎

She curved her lips mischievously. That sly smile of hers was exactly like a little fox who had just gotten away with something. There was no need to guess—she was definitely the culprit.

Chen Fang glanced down. His slippers were nowhere in sight under the table. He didn’t bother looking. Instead, he simply used his foot to shove aside a tiny floral cotton slipper that was bouncing smugly. Then, without hesitation, he slipped his foot into it and walked into the kitchen.

Of course, the slipper was too small. His foot barely fit halfway inside, with the other half sticking out.

Tao Xiaoxi was too busy laughing at Chen Fang to guard against him acting like a bandit and snatching her slipper with his foot. Her fair little foot wavered helplessly in the air, and she had a feeling that he wouldn’t be returning her slipper anytime soon.

The old lady had no idea about the storm brewing under the table in less than a minute. She was holding Tao Xiaoxi’s hand and talking about Chuntao and A Jian, hoping her granddaughter-in-law could help her analyze whether there was a chance of them becoming a couple.

Elderly people often loved matchmaking. If the two they introduced ended up together, it would be a great merit. A few years ago, the old lady didn’t have the energy for such things because her own grandson was still single. She had been so worried about it that she could barely focus on anything else, let alone matchmaking for others. But now that her grandson was married, and the young couple was living happily together, she spent her days playing mahjong, dancing in the square, and cooking. Seeing young men and women who seemed like a good match naturally stirred up her desire to pair them up.

For the past two months, Tao Xiaoxi had frequently seen Chuntao’s grandmother but had never met Chuntao herself. Chuntao worked out of town and only came back for the New Year. So, she had no idea if Chuntao and A Jian were a good match. However, she didn’t want to dampen the old lady’s enthusiasm, so she simply nodded along to whatever the old lady said.

Chen Fang returned with a bowl of soup, placed it in front of Tao Xiaoxi, and told the old lady, “I’ll talk to A Jian when I see him and ask what he thinks.”

The old lady was satisfied and started to eat happily.

Tao Xiaoxi, however, could not eat happily. Her foot had nowhere to rest, so she had to awkwardly place it on top of her other foot.

Even at home, she usually wore thick cotton socks—not because the house was cold, but because she was naturally afraid of the cold. Wrapping her feet in warm, soft socks during winter gave her a small but undeniable sense of comfort.

But today, she had worked up a sweat while doing chores, so she took off her socks. Now, without the warmth of socks or the protection of her slipper, her bare foot felt a bit chilly. She reached out with her foot, trying to snatch her slipper back, but it was clear that her foot was no match for his. Not only did she fail to retrieve it, but her foot was also caught.

His large feet sandwiched hers between them. His feet were warm—hot, even—while hers were always cold. The contrast of heat wrapping around her cool skin sent tingles up her spine. Worse yet, he wasn’t just holding her foot still; he would press, rub, and nudge it from time to time.

Tao Xiaoxi had never realized her feet were so sensitive before. She struggled but couldn’t escape, leaving her completely at his mercy under the old lady’s watchful eyes.

She could hardly endure such teasing. Her face was burning so much that she felt like it might melt. This meal was shaving at least ten years off her life.

The old lady quickly noticed something was off. “Xiaoxi, why is your face so red?” Her cheeks were flushed, and a sheen of sweat glistened on the tip of her nose. She looked so endearing it was hard not to dote on her.

Chen Fang asked considerately, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Tao Xiaoxi ignored him and forced a smile to reassure the old lady. “Maybe it’s because of the soup. It’s warming me up from the inside out—it feels really comforting.”

As she spoke, she suddenly stomped her free foot down on his, hoping to catch him off guard. But with her lack of strength, all she did was add more amusement to his little game beneath the table. Chen Fang easily subdued her resistance, trapping both of her feet within his grasp.

He picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of pork rib into her bowl. “Soup is good, but you need to eat meat too. It’ll give you more strength.”

Tao Xiaoxi angrily bit into the rib, crunching down on the cartilage with exaggerated force. Chen Fang, hearing the crisp sound, knew she was imagining it was him she was biting. Amused, he picked up another piece of cartilage-filled rib and placed it in her bowl, as if encouraging her to keep at it.

He liked it when she bit him—no matter where, he just wished she’d do it harder.

The meal dragged on longer than usual. The old lady got impatient and left to play mahjong before they had even finished eating. As soon as the door closed behind her, Tao Xiaoxi grabbed a tissue box and threw it at Chen Fang. “Let me go!”

Chen Fang caught the tissue box easily and placed it back on the table. “You were the one who stuck your foot under mine first. You can attack, but I can’t fight back? That’s hardly fair.”

He was actually talking to her about fairness? Tao Xiaoxi grabbed the tissue box again and hurled it at him. “Give me back my slipper!”

Chen Fang caught it once more and this time placed it somewhere beyond her reach.

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? Return my slipper first, and then I’ll return yours.”

Tao Xiaoxi had no way to return his slipper. She had merely nudged it away with her foot earlier, wanting to push it out of his reach. But after glancing around just now, she realized she didn’t see it anywhere. It must have rolled under one of the cabinets.

“That’s not my problem,” she argued. “Now give me back my slipper!”

“Sorry, can’t do that.” Chen Fang got up and started clearing the dishes.

Tao Xiaoxi fumed. “Go to the entrance and get another pair of slippers. There are plenty!”

“Those are for guests.”

“You’re going to stretch out my slippers with your big feet!”

He gave her a look filled with hidden meaning. “I won’t. These slippers are well-made—soft and elastic. No matter how big my feet are, they won’t stretch out.”

Tao Xiaoxi: …

Why did it feel like there was something suggestive in his words and the way he looked at her?

Forget it. She couldn’t outmatch a shameless rogue.

In the end, as Chen Fang washed the dishes in the kitchen, Tao Xiaoxi crouched down and searched under the cabinets for his missing slipper. She felt like she was living proof of the phrase: You reap what you sow.

When Chen Fang turned around, he saw the curve of her waist and the roundness of her hips as she bent over. His gaze darkened.

Winter nights were long and cold. The thick curtains blocked out the stars and moonlight, along with the heavy breathing and muffled whimpers inside the room.

It was already close to one in the morning, yet the bed remained untouched—pillows undisturbed, blankets left untouched.

The shadow cast by the floor lamp was reflected on the wall. Chen Fang was standing, while Tao Xiaoxi was suspended in mid-air. There was no support behind or beside her, so she could only cling tightly to the man’s neck. Her pale feet struggled in the air, curling and then straightening. In the dizziness of being rocked back and forth, she silently swore never to climb a ladder again. Why did she have to be the queen, so high and mighty? She should have had him carry her down the ladder. Right now, she was the one up there, and yet, she felt like she was dying.

She had a feeling that she might not see the sun tomorrow.

Chen Fang’s routine was very fixed. Unless something unusual happened, he would always wake up at six a.m. without needing an alarm, as his body clock was automatic.

When he opened his eyes this morning, he immediately realized he had overslept. In winter, the sky got bright late, but it was already daylight outside. The space beside him was empty—Tao Xiaoxi had gotten up, which meant he was really late. Chen Fang got out of bed and was about to go downstairs. He had a meeting to attend in the morning.

Halfway down, he stopped, his gaze fixing on his fingernails. The bright red color was even more vivid than the red “double happiness” character on the wall. All ten fingers were painted, and he didn’t miss a single one. Still, he hadn’t quite recovered from the shock when he noticed his toenails. He squinted, unsure whether to thank her for not painting this green onto his fingers, or to compliment her on the daring red-and-green combination.

There was no one in the house, and no one downstairs. He called her and the old lady, but neither picked up. By this time, the old lady should have been in the park, and he wondered if Tao Xiaoxi was with her.

He sent her a text message: “You can hide all you want. When I come back tonight, we’ll settle the score.”

Of course, the message went unanswered.

Tao Xiaoxi was too busy enjoying watching the old lady dance in the square to reply to him. She had no intention of settling scores anyway, so his threat made little difference to her.

She calculated the time and figured he must have left by now. She told the old lady and then started heading home. She still had work to do.

However, just as she was about to turn into their building, she saw him walking out of the hallway. Tao Xiaoxi quickly stepped into the corner of the wall, making sure he wouldn’t see her.

The red nail polish on his fingers was very noticeable. Tao Xiaoxi felt a little guilty. Maybe she had gone too far. A grown man with red nails wasn’t exactly a great look, and he probably wasn’t thrilled to be teased about it.

A neighbor named Jian Cheng walked past them and immediately noticed the red nails. He teased, “Hey, Chen Fang, those nails look great on you. You heading to a beauty pageant?”

Hiding in the corner, Tao Xiaoxi blushed upon hearing this. She realized maybe she had indeed overdone it. A grown man wearing red nails was odd, and he probably didn’t like being teased about it.

Chen Fang didn’t try to hide it. He confidently extended his hand for Jian Cheng to see. “I think they look pretty good too. My wife did them. She’s planning to open a nail salon, so she practiced on me first. When she opens, we’ll have to invite your wife to support her.”

When Jian Cheng heard this, he stopped teasing him. “Your wife’s opening a shop? I’ll definitely go. I’m not much for nails, but she seems really into these things.”

Chen Fang responded, half-seriously and half-jokingly, “I’ll thank you and your wife in advance. When it opens, Xiaoxi will give your wife a VIP card for a special service.”

Jian Cheng laughed. “That’s a great idea! My wife loves anything VIP.”

Tao Xiaoxi’s heart fluttered. He always spoke so casually, like he could joke around anywhere with that calmness and ease. She found herself enjoying his expression and tone when he spoke—so open and genuine, with a hint of affection, and a touch of pride, as if her opening a nail salon was an impressive thing.

Meng Qing didn’t approve of her opening the shop. He thought it was a waste of time, and even her supportive father, Tao Wenyong, seemed more neutral this time. However, Chen Fang had always been supportive since he learned of her plan. Though he teased her sometimes and even poked fun at her here and there, he had never discouraged her about the shop. She had thought he might just be humoring her, not really believing she could succeed. After all, sometimes she didn’t feel confident either.

Tao Xiaoxi felt a pang of guilt. She stopped hiding and stepped out from the corner. As Jian Cheng went inside the building, Chen Fang saw her.

She walked toward him with a mix of hesitation and apology. Without waiting for him to speak, she took his arm, looked up at him, and softly apologized. “I’m sorry, I was just messing around. Let’s go home, I’ll remove the nail polish for you. I put the remover on the sink, so you can see it clearly. You can’t blame me for not showing it to you.”

With so many bottles around, he wouldn’t know which one was the nail polish remover. Even if he saw it, he wouldn’t know how to use it. Chen Fang flicked her forehead. “I told you, we’ll settle this tonight. I need to go now, I have a meeting. They’re already waiting.”

Tao Xiaoxi pulled him into the hallway. “Since you have a meeting, it’s even more reason to fix it quickly. It won’t take long.”

“You didn’t think like that when you were painting my nails,” Chen Fang checked his watch. His meeting was with the elders, and he couldn’t be late. He tugged at her high ponytail, making sure she understood. “There’s no time. We’ll do it tonight. Tao Xiaoxi, you’d better think carefully about how you’ll compensate me. A grown man walking around with bright red nails, I’m sure I’ll be the laughingstock.”

Hearing this, Tao Xiaoxi felt even guiltier.

“I’ll cook you a big meal, okay? Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it for you tonight.”

Chen Fang gave her a cold look. “You think a big meal will make up for this? This is a matter of my dignity.”

“Then what do you want?”

At last, Chen Fang heard the words he’d been waiting for. He leaned closer to her ear, speaking in a soft voice, “The position from last night, put on your bunny ears, and let’s do it again tonight.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi forcefully shook off his arm, not even glancing back as she entered the building. She shouldn’t feel guilty; she should’ve just painted his nails green too.

He hated green, right? Next time, she’d paint them with that disgusting “turtle” green.