Walking along the road outside the apartment for a while, the scenery gradually shifted from low walls to hardware and grocery stores.
The delivery post was one of them; perhaps it had been converted into one due to competitive pressure.
Further ahead lay the empty and oppressive factory district.
From this vantage point, the sunset was completely blocked by the tall factory buildings, leaving only a few rays of stubborn twilight scattered on the ground.
Su Xixia and I walked through the fading light, side by side.
The closer we got to the factory area, the closer she pressed against me.
A soft sensation gradually weighed on me, and a damp feeling seeped through our clothes.
‘Is she sweating in this cold weather? Is she afraid of going outside? But it wasn’t this obvious when we went out to eat beef earlier…’
“It’s just ahead. We’re almost there.”
“Mhm, mhm!”
“I didn’t expect a devil like you to have times when you’re afraid.”
“Who—who’s afraid?!”
As she pulled away, the breeze brushed against the spot where we had touched, bringing a chill that proved her nervousness.
I pointed toward her side, where her coat had darkened.
Unexpectedly, she slapped my hand away and pressed against me again, her pale face flushed with a crimson hue.
It hurt.
‘If you’re going to be shy, don’t try to act tough in the first place…’
“Don’t worry, there are no acquaintances around here besides Xiao Ji. Or… are you just not used to the city environment?”
“A little. Everything is so big, the roads are wide and dark, and there are those huge trucks I rarely see. They make so much noise. But I’m telling you, I’m not a coward!”
…Despite her words, she hadn’t strayed more than half a meter from me since we left the house.
Was this really the same she-devil who used to lead a pack of girls?
“Is it possible that… while I was at work, you never left the house? Have you been hiding at home the whole time?”
“Hiding!? Ha! Would I hide? Of course I’ve been out. I go out all the time! The money for the flour and beans was earned from my part-time jobs. Otherwise, what would you be eating?”
She puffed out her chest and stood with her hands on her hips, immediately drawing several gazes.
‘The contrast is too big. Who would believe that…’
“Miss Su, you said before that the money was for travel expenses given by your family.”
“Then… then it wasn’t enough! Fine, fine, stop talking…”
She shrunk back to avoid the staring eyes.
It was hard to believe the current her would go out to work a part-time job alone.
She had to be lying; the money she used before must have been the travel funds from her family.
I nearly forgot that she was a very good liar.
To this day, it was difficult for me to distinguish which of her words were true.
Or perhaps they were all lies.
Even the matter of her being pregnant with my child was hard to say…
“From now on, just use my salary. I’ll feel more at ease that way.”
“Are you going to keep me? I still want to find another part-time job!”
‘Again!?’
“Also, what do you mean by ‘at ease’? Are you worried something will happen to me if I go out alone? Hmm? Are you worried about me? Are you?”
No, absolutely not.
“I’m not worried. After all, your family is wealthy. But no matter how much money you have, you shouldn’t spend too much. I don’t want your family nagging at me too.”
I heard her family had been landowners long ago.
Later, when the land was redistributed, her relatives all moved to the city, leaving only her family in the village to open a small restaurant, which had now been turned into a farmhouse resort.
By the time I left home, their business was no longer what it used to be.
Thinking carefully, it was a bit strange that her family was willing to give her their heirloom and travel money to come to the city to find me.
My family was very poor and used to be looked down upon by the entire village…
“You’re still talking! I told you I earned it from part-time work, and you still dare to doubt me!”
She pinched the flesh on my waist.
“Yes, yes. From now on, please just stay home and let me support you, Miss Su.”
“Hmph…!”
This felt great.
It seemed that even if I was sarcastic toward her outside, she would restrain herself and not blow up.
As for after we got back… I’d deal with that then!
As we spoke, we arrived at the delivery post.
When I helped her carry the parcels out, they felt soft to the touch.
They were likely clothes.
‘As long as it’s nothing weird.’
When we left, she still had her head lowered, seemingly still nervous.
***
“Look! Does it look good?”
Su Xixia spun around in front of the bed.
I finally managed to pull my gaze away from her alluring body, only for it to land on the bed covered in various clothes before being sucked back to her again.
Following her dark hair downward, her fragrant shoulders were accented by two shoulder straps.
Looking further down, the highly elastic white fabric precariously wrapped around her upper body, and her cleavage had become a thick, dark line.
‘Why can she grow into such a beauty? She used to be such a bad woman, and she wasn’t this big back then…’
“Is that a sports bra? Right, you used to love running.”
I swallowed hard, trying to change the subject.
However, my gaze still followed the curve of her exposed midriff, landing on her slightly flat belly.
Her recessed navel was a deep shade of pink, giving one the urge to touch it.
“It’s been a long time since I ran! I wanted to find a place to run around here. But… we’re not talking about running right now! Don’t you think this outfit is very sexy? Compared to those smelly old school tracksuits…”
She stopped halfway.
Perhaps realizing those words might trigger me, she didn’t continue.
The atmosphere turned a bit awkward.
I quickly pushed aside the sad memories of the past and looked at the tight shorts on her lower body and the fleshy lines of her legs.
“It’s so cold now. Wearing this to go out for a run is a bit…”
“I know! I don’t want other people to see me, so I bought a jacket too! I even bought thick underwear… O-Of course, I also have some with thin lace! Do you want to see? Do you?”
“Uh…”
Men are truly complicated creatures.
Even though my brain held no interest in the woman who gave me painful memories, I couldn’t resist that body.
This feeling of being unable to like her, yet being unwilling to let go, formed a new kind of stimulation.
“Are you still trying to hold back? Let me tell you, I bought this outfit just for you. It’s new, and it smells good… I only bought it so you would touch me.”
Did she mean to use this new impression of athletic wear to overwrite my old memories?
To be honest, she failed.
The visual impact of her leaning toward me right now made it very difficult to think about the past…
Watching the fabric that was about to give way swaying before me, her hot breath brushed against my earlobe, followed by a whisper:
“Mingshan, I’m not wearing anything underneath~ Who told you to bully me outside earlier? Don’t even think about getting out of bed tonight~”
This voice instantly shattered my rationality.
As if seeking revenge against the her from the past, I hugged her roughly and dragged her into my arms —
***
It had been one month and three days since I joined the company.
On this morning, just after I finished processing the new manuscripts, I was called into the HR office.
The moment I pushed the door open, my vision was filled with a flurry of colors.
“Li Mingshan, congratulations on becoming a full-time employee!”
Yu Qian threw her hands upward, and flower petals drifted through the air, filling the room with fragrance.
“Thank you…”
I was momentarily at a loss, not expecting things to go so smoothly.
“Yu Qian, this was your idea. You’re responsible for cleaning up the petals on the floor.”
Another serious voice spoke up.
I looked behind the desk to see Mo You silently observing us, her long legs clad in black stockings crossed.
“Huh? No way~ Wahhh.”
Yu Qian immediately pulled a crying face, not intimidated in the least.
I, however, straightened up nervously and nodded in thanks.
“Sister Mo, thank you for helping me apply for an early permanent position.”
“I told you, just call me Mo You. Take this; fill it out and give it to Yu Qian.”
“Alright!… Mo You.”
Mo You walked forward in her high heels and handed me a permanent position application form.
She was dressed formally and spoke with a stern tone, as if she had more important matters to attend to.
Or, had I offended her somewhere?
That shouldn’t be the case…
“Congratulations. Keep up the hard work.”
She whispered her congratulations as she walked past me.
Was she deliberately avoiding something?
Regardless, the weight on my heart finally lifted.
Yu Qian brushed back her bangs, her fluffy curls covered in petals as she knelt on the ground to gather them.
“Sister Mo You has had some things on her mind lately. She’s definitely happy for you in her heart; it’s just hard for her to show it because she’s the boss!”
“I’ll help too!”
I bent down.
“Whatever it is, I hope she can resolve it soon.”
“Mhm. After all, Sister Mo You has to deal with other managers, and there’s the owner above them. I don’t think you need to be so nervous; it wasn’t caused by you.”
“Thank you for comforting me.”
I pushed some petals toward her.
My index finger accidentally brushed against the back of her hand, making her hands tremble as she giggled.
“I am in HR, after all. I’m responsible for handling these things too… If you have anything on your mind in the future, you can talk to me anytime.”
Watching her slightly forced smile, the unease in my heart began to dissipate.
Now my job was stable, and Su Xixia was at home to look after things.
I always felt I had bad luck, but thinking about it now, I was surrounded by many people willing to help me.
I should feel fortunate.
From this point on, my life would begin anew —