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

A moment later, my cousin-in-law finished washing the clothes and brought a basin to the balcony to dry them. Su Ming stood in the living room and watched through the open balcony door as she tiptoed and hung the wet clothes one by one on the clothesline.

The afternoon sun slanted in, gilding her with a golden hue. Her cotton nightgown rode up slightly as she raised her arms, revealing half of her fair calves; as she bent over, the fabric clung to the curves of her waist and hips, swaying gently with her movements.

Su Ming stared blankly until Qiu Tong suddenly turned around.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

"What are you looking at?" Qiu Tong glared at him, her tone carrying three parts anger and seven parts mockery.

Su Ming was startled, his face flushed red, and he stammered, "I...I didn't see it..."

"You still say you haven't looked?" Qiu Tong laughed, hung up the clothes hanger in her hand, and walked into the living room step by step. "Your eyes are practically popping out of my head."

Su Ming blushed even more when she exposed him, and was speechless for a moment. He could only lower his head and pretend to study the pattern of the floor tiles.

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Qiu Tong's smile deepened. She walked to the sofa and sat down, then suddenly raised her arm to reach behind her back, her brows furrowing slightly: "Come here for a moment."

"Sister-in-law, what... what are you doing?" Su Ming's heart was racing, and he stood still.

"Look how nervous you are." Qiu Tong couldn't help but laugh, then scratched her back a couple of times. "Come here, help me scratch my back, it's so itchy. My hands are wet!"

Su Ming finally understood what she meant, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt inexplicably disappointed. He walked over hesitantly and stood behind Qiu Tong.

She had her back to him, and the neckline of her nightgown was a little loose. From this angle, a large expanse of her white back was visible, her skin delicate and smooth, and the contours of her shoulder blades clear and beautiful—and she really wasn't wearing a bra.

Su Ming felt his throat go dry and his fingers trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, carefully extended his index finger, and gently scratched her back a few times through the thin cotton cloth.

"A little higher...yes, right there..." Qiu Tong sighed comfortably, tilting her head slightly. "A little to the left...hmm..."

Her voice, with its languid nasal tone, drifted into Su Ming's ears like a feather gently brushing against him. He could smell the lingering jasmine scent from her shower gel, mixed with the clean aroma of her freshly sun-dried skin.

Even worse, as she turned to the side, the neckline of her nightgown slipped even wider. From Su Ming's angle, he could almost see the curve of her profile.

He felt a tingling sensation all over his body, and his fingers stiffened.

"Okay." Qiu Tong finally straightened up, turned around and smiled sweetly at him. "Go change your clothes first, I'll take you out for dinner later."

Su Ming felt like he'd been granted a pardon and hurriedly fled back to his bedroom. He closed the door and leaned against it, his heart still pounding. Those few minutes had felt like a sweet yet agonizing torture.

Oh no, I can't think like that, I can't think like that!

He changed into a clean T-shirt and trousers, waited a while, and then calmed himself down before leaving the room.

Qiu Tong went into the room and quickly changed her clothes before coming out.

Su Ming was stunned after just one glance.

She wore a royal blue, form-fitting bodycon dress, the hem of which was so short it only reached mid-thigh, breathtakingly outlining the curves of her hips. The bodice had a low-cut design, revealing her delicate collarbones and a large expanse of snow-white skin, with a thin necklace hanging above her cleavage. On her feet were a pair of silver stilettos, which made her calves appear straight and long.

She also wore exquisite makeup, with upturned eyeliner, bright red lips, and her long hair loosely tied back, with a few strands falling beside her neck. A small sequined handbag was slung over her shoulder, and she exuded a mature and sexy charm.

"Looking again?" Qiu Tong rolled her eyes at Su Ming, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "Haven't you looked enough yet?"

Su Ming's face turned bright red, and he kept shaking his head, "No, no..."

"Haven't you seen enough, or haven't you seen enough?" Qiu Tong asked with a smile.

"No... I didn't peek!" Su Ming blushed to the roots of his neck.

Qiu Tong saw right through him, walked up to him, and twirled around him: "Do you think I'm dressed too casually?"

"Hmm!" Su Ming swallowed and nodded honestly, "Indeed... a little... sexy."

"That's because you're so unfashionable," Qiu Tong chuckled. "People in big cities dress like this at night." She paused, then added, "Besides, I'm not a little girl anymore. Why should I care what other people think of what I wear?"

Su Ming blushed and lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound.

Qiu Tong smiled and waved to him, "Come on, I'll take you to dinner. After dinner I'll go to work, you can stay home and play. I won't be back until quite late." She winked at him, "This is a good opportunity for you to stroll around the night market and see plenty of long-legged, big-breasted girls, I guarantee it'll be a feast for your eyes."

Su Ming blushed even more, but couldn't help asking curiously, "Sister-in-law, do you work the night shift?"

"If I don't work, how will you support me?" Qiu Tong blurted out, then paused for a moment before smiling wryly, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Jiang Jian may be rich and capable, but he hasn't said he'll marry me... I still have to rely on myself!"

As she spoke, the light in her eyes dimmed for a moment. Su Ming saw this and a complex emotion welled up in his heart—sympathy, indignation, and an indescribable bitterness.

Seeing him lost in thought, Qiu Tong smiled and gently nudged him. "Let's go! Don't worry, your work isn't tiring." She paused, then added meaningfully, "At least... it's not physically tiring."

"Okay! That's good." Seeing his cousin-in-law's relaxed smile, Su Ming felt a little relieved as well.

The two went downstairs together. The evening breeze carried the warmth of the day, and the streetlights gradually came on. Qiu Tong hailed a taxi at the intersection and told the driver the name of the place.

The car stopped in the most bustling part of the town center. Here, neon lights flashed, people clamored, restaurants, shopping malls, and entertainment venues lined the streets, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods and loud music.

Qiu Tong led Su Ming into a restaurant with decent decor. They ordered a few dishes, but she didn't eat much herself, spending most of the time watching Su Ming eat and occasionally putting food on his plate.

"Eat more, you're still growing." She said this with gentle eyes, like a real older sister.

"Thank you, cousin-in-law!" Su Ming felt very warm.

"Don't thank me. You're my only family in this city. If I'm not good to you, who else should I be good to?" Qiu Tong gave him a sweet smile.

Su Ming only stole a glance at her before lowering his head again, not daring to look at her any longer. His cousin-in-law was too gentle and too beautiful. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist looking at her a few more times.

After the meal, Qiu Tong said it was still early, so she took him for a stroll in the square. The two walked slowly along the pedestrian street, watching street performers, vendors hawking their wares, and couples walking hand in hand.

Before they knew it, they had arrived near the overpass where Su Ming had been the day before.

Su Ming's heart tightened, and he became worried. He feared he would run into the woman who had tricked him into taking off her clothes in the dark room during the day.

Just what I feared most came to pass. He subconsciously looked up—and sure enough, in that familiar corner, he immediately spotted the sexy woman who had led him into the dark room.

Oh no, if this woman comes looking for him and his wife finds out, things will get complicated. His wife will definitely think he's been having an affair and seeing other women.

Don't let her see this! Su Ming's heart was pounding.