My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Qiu Tong bent down slightly and took out a light-colored lace bra from the bedside table drawer. She skillfully fastened the back clasp, adjusted the shoulder straps, picked up the nightgown and casually draped it over the back of the chair, then picked up a pale yellow short-sleeved T-shirt and put it on.

The whole process took only a minute or two, but Su Ming saw it all clearly in the mirror. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he quickly lowered his eyes, inwardly cursing himself for peeking. But the fleeting image was already etched into his mind, impossible to forget.

My cousin's wife has such a great figure... so sexy and charming!

"Alright, turn around!" Qiu Tong straightened her clothes, her tone relaxed.

Su Ming turned around, not daring to look her in the eye, and said in a low voice, "Then let's go."

The two went downstairs. The neighborhood was much quieter at night than during the day, with dim streetlights and swaying tree shadows. Qiu Tong led Su Ming deeper into the neighborhood, past a few buildings, until they saw a small pond. Weeds grew rampant along the pond's edge, and a few sparse landscape lights shone, barely illuminating the path beneath their feet.

"Purslane grows best in places like this." Su Ming squatted down, carefully examining the grass using his phone's flashlight. "It likes dampness, so it usually grows near water..."

Qiu Tong followed his example, bending down and shining her phone light on the ground. A night breeze blew by, carrying the unique, damp smell of the pond and ruffling her long, loose hair. The neckline of her T-shirt was slightly open, revealing a patch of snow-white skin as she bent over.

Su Ming quickly looked away and focused on finding herbs.

As the two were slowly searching along the edge of the pond, the roar of motorcycles grew louder as they approached. Three modified motorcycles roared into the open space beside the pond and came to an abrupt stop.

Three young men jumped out of the car, all wearing flashy shirts and with brightly colored hair. The one in the lead, a blond-haired man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, swaggered over.

"Hey, beautiful, what are you doing here so late at night?" The blond-haired guy squinted at Qiu Tong, his gaze sweeping over her body, making no attempt to hide his lewdness. "Want to go grab some late-night snacks with us? I know a place with really good grilled skewers."

"Yeah, beautiful lady, want to come along?"

"Let's go, squeeze in, there's still room on our motorcycles."

Qiu Tong straightened up and coldly glanced at the three of them: "I don't know you. Please leave!"

"We can get to know each other even if we don't!" The blond-haired man grinned and took another step closer, reaching out to touch Qiu Tong's face. "Such a beautiful girl must be lonely all by herself, let me keep you company..."

"Snapped!"

Qiu Tong slapped his hand away and delivered a resounding slap across the face of the blond-haired man.

"Are you blind?!" she shouted sharply, her eyes icy cold, completely devoid of her usual gentle demeanor.

The blond-haired man was stunned for a moment after being hit, then flew into a rage: "Damn it! You bitch, you dare hit me?" He covered his face, his eyes flashing with ferocity, "Fine, you're tough enough! Tonight I'm going to pin you down and do your thing!"

Two other thugs also surrounded them, eager to fight.

Su Ming's heart tightened, and almost instinctively he stepped forward to shield Qiu Tong. He clenched his fists, his back ramrod straight despite his uncertainty: "Don't do anything rash!"

However, Qiu Tong gently pushed him away.

She took a half step forward, coldly surveying the three thugs. Raising her chin, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of intimidation, she said, "If you dare touch me, I guarantee that within three days, each of you will have at least one hand or one leg broken. If you don't believe me, feel free to try."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night. The certainty and chill in her tone stunned the three thugs.

The three exchanged glances, their eyes seemingly filled with apprehension. The anger on the blond-haired man's face gradually faded, replaced by suspicion and uncertainty. He looked Qiu Tong up and down, as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words.

A few seconds later, the blond-haired man snorted coldly, pointed at Qiu Tong with his finger, and said in a tone that was no longer as arrogant as before: "Fine, you're ruthless! I have things to do tonight, so I don't want to bother with you."

With a wave of his hand, he turned and hopped on his motorcycle with his two companions. The engine roared to life, and the three of them quickly disappeared into the night, leaving behind only the smell of exhaust fumes.

Su Ming stood there, stunned, for a long time before he came to his senses. He turned his head and stared blankly at Qiu Tong, his heart churning with turmoil.

That scene just now was too unreal. My cousin's wife... she actually intimidated three thugs with just a few words and a glance? Where did she get her confidence? Where did she get that kind of aura?

A thought involuntarily popped into her head: that man named Jiang Jian from the evening, driving an Audi A6, with a personal chauffeur, and exuding an air of importance… could he be a mafia boss? Otherwise, how could her cousin-in-law be so calm when facing thugs…

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. His feelings for Qiu Tong became more complex—a mixture of regret for her "fall from grace," a strange sense of awe, and even... a hint of inexplicable affection. It turned out his cousin-in-law wasn't just gentle and charming; she could also be so capable and decisive.

Seeing Su Ming staring blankly at her, Qiu Tong couldn't help but chuckle. She gently nudged his shoulder: "What are you looking at? Do I have words written on my face?"

Su Ming snapped out of his daze, his cheeks flushed slightly, and forced a smile: "Sister-in-law, I didn't expect you to be so amazing."

"What's so impressive about that!" Qiu Tong's smile faded. She raised her hand to her chest and let out a long sigh. "I was terrified just now. If they had really pinned me to the ground..." She paused, her voice lowering, "I thought I might as well have just died."

These words, though spoken softly, sent a jolt through Su Ming's heart. Looking at her slightly pale face, he realized that her composure just now was probably mostly an act.

A protective instinct welled up within him. Su Ming straightened his back and said firmly, "Impossible. With me here, I will never let that happen."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tong looked up at him with some surprise: "You mean, you'll step forward to protect me?"

"Yes." Su Ming nodded emphatically. "I will definitely not let them bully you in front of me."

In the darkness, the boy's eyes shone with an astonishing light, holding an almost stubborn sincerity. Qiu Tong gazed at him, paused for a moment, and then a genuine, gentle smile gradually bloomed on her face.

She reached out and patted Su Ming's shoulder, her voice as soft as an evening breeze: "It's true that your sister-in-law didn't spoil you for nothing. Alright, I understand your feelings."

She paused, then turned to look at the pond: "Let's go, let's keep looking for purslane. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can get back. This place... is really not safe."

"Okay." Su Ming replied, following beside her, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The two searched along the pond for a while longer. The pond wasn't large; after circling half of it, they finally found a large clump of purslane on a damp, muddy bank. The leaves were thick and succulent, gleaming a healthy green in the light of their phone flashlights.

"Found them!" Su Ming happily squatted down and reached out to touch the nearest few plants.

The mud by the pond was slippery and covered with moss. Su Ming carefully leaned out, and just as his fingers touched a leaf, his foot suddenly slipped.

"Watch out!" Qiu Tong exclaimed.

It was too late. Su Ming lost his balance and tumbled into the pond. In his panic, he tried to grab onto the weeds beside him, but missed. His head slammed into a tree about the size of a bowl, and he blacked out instantly, falling halfway into the knee-deep water.