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

The light streaming through the bathroom doorway outlined the contours of her body. Her long, wet hair cascaded over her shoulders, water droplets trickling down her ends, sliding over her collarbone, across her chest, and disappearing at the edge of the towel. Her skin shimmered under the light, like fine porcelain.

Su Ming felt a rush of heat to his head, his heart pounding as if it would burst out of his chest. He hurriedly closed his eyes, turned over, and faced away from the living room, pretending to be fast asleep.

The footsteps drew closer.

Qiu Tong walked to the sofa and stopped.

Su Ming held his breath, his muscles tense. He could feel her gaze on him, as if to confirm whether he was truly asleep.

A few seconds later, footsteps sounded again. She walked away.

Then came the sound of the hairdryer. The buzzing noise was particularly jarring in the quiet night. After about ten minutes, the sound stopped.

A little while later, the bedroom door was gently pushed open.

Su Ming quietly opened his eyes again.

Qiu Tong stood at the bedroom door and looked inside, probably to see if he was asleep. After confirming that he was "asleep," she went in and closed the door behind her.

Through the crack, Su Ming saw Qiu Tong walk to the bedside, turn her back to the door, and reach out to untie the bath towel.

The white bath towel slipped to the floor.

In the dim light, her body was fully exposed. The curve of her back, the hollow of her waist, the arc of her hips... everything was clearly visible.

Su Ming felt his mouth was dry and his throat tight. He desperately told himself not to look, but his eyes were like they were being drawn by a magnet, unable to look away.

Qiu Tong seemed completely unaware of the gaze from outside the door. She bent down to pick up a bath towel, casually draped it over the bedside table, then opened the wardrobe and, using the light from the streetlamp streaming in from the window, began rummaging through it.

The wardrobe door was half-open, blocking most of her body, but occasionally, when she turned to the side or raised her hand, certain parts of her body would still flash through the gap.

Su Ming's heart pounded wildly, like a train. He felt like a shameful voyeur, yet he couldn't control himself.

Finally, Qiu Tong took out a light purple slip dress from the closet, put it on, and fastened the straps.

She closed the wardrobe door, walked to the bedside, lifted the thin blanket, and lay down.

The bedroom fell silent.

Su Ming lay on the bamboo mat on the ground, unable to calm down for a long time. The scenes from just now were etched into his mind like a brand, impossible to erase.

My cousin's wife has a really great figure! It would feel amazing to hug her...

Oh my god, how could I think like that? I can't, I can't!

But as soon as the thought popped into his head, he pinched himself hard—what am I thinking! That's my cousin's wife!

He tossed and turned gently on the bamboo mat, which was soaked with sweat. He finally drifted off to sleep just before dawn.

The next morning, Su Ming was awakened by the chirping of birds outside his window.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 6:30. Summer days dawn early, and sunlight was already streaming in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a golden line on the floor.

He quietly got up, pushed open the door, and couldn't help but look back for a while.

Qiu Tong is still asleep.

She lay on her side, facing the window, a thin blanket covering only her waist. The strap of her slip dress had slipped to one side, revealing her rounded shoulder and a patch of snow-white back. Her long hair was spread out on the pillow, her sleeping face peaceful, her eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyelids.

Su Ming glanced at it for a few seconds, then gently closed the door.

After washing up, he changed into clean clothes—the shirt and trousers his cousin's wife had bought him yesterday. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he looked at himself: a crisp shirt, well-fitting trousers, and gleaming leather shoes.

He really does look a bit like a city dweller.

However, his eyes still held the naivety and confusion unique to teenagers.

He didn't wake Qiu Tong, but left a note on the dining table: "Sister-in-law, I went for a job interview. Breakfast is in the pot, remember to eat."

Then he tiptoed out the door.

The streets were already bustling with activity in the morning. Breakfast stalls were steaming, commuters were hurrying to work, and buses were packed to capacity. Su Ming bought two steamed buns from a roadside vendor and ate them as he walked towards the factory from yesterday.

When we arrived at the factory gate, there was already a long queue. A large crowd had gathered in front of the job posting, all craning their necks to see it.

Su Ming squeezed in and read the notice: "Warehouse clerk wanted. Requirements: high school graduate, height 172cm or taller, good health, hardworking." A smaller note followed: "Interviews today, best candidate selected."

He took a deep breath and joined the end of the line.

The line moved slowly. Each time, three to five people went in, some coming out dejected, others beaming. Listening to the conversations of those ahead of him, Su Ming realized just how fierce the competition was—there were at least twenty or thirty people interviewing today.

After waiting for about an hour, it was finally his turn.

The interview took place in a conference room at the factory. Several long tables were set up inside, and three interviewers, two men and one woman, sat opposite each other. A thick stack of resumes was piled on the table.

"Su Ming?" The middle-aged man with glasses in the middle glanced at the form in his hand.

"Yes." Su Ming nodded.

"CV."

Su Ming quickly took out the "high school graduation certificate" from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

The bespectacled man took it, examined it carefully, and then looked Su Ming up and down: "Eighteen years old? Just came from your hometown?"

"Yes."

"Have you worked as a warehouse manager before?"

"No. But I learn things quickly and I can endure hardship." Su Ming tried to appear more confident.

The bespectacled man didn't speak, but handed his diploma to the female interviewer next to him. The woman was probably in her early thirties, wearing a business suit and light makeup, and looked very capable. She took the diploma, looked at it, then looked up at Su Ming, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

Su Ming's heart leaped into his throat—had she figured out that the document was fake?

But the woman didn't say anything. She just put the graduation certificate aside and picked up a pen to write something on the form.

"Are you tall enough?" another bald man asked.

"That's enough, I'm 178cm." Su Ming straightened his back.

Can I do twenty push-ups?

"able."

"Do it now." The bald man pointed to the empty space next to him.

Su Ming didn't hesitate and immediately got down to work. One, two, three... He did it precisely and quickly, and by the time he had done twenty, his face wasn't red and he wasn't out of breath.

"That's fine." The bald man nodded.

Next was the written test. The bespectacled man handed over a test paper with several high school math problems and an English translation question. The math problems were simple algebraic operations, and the English questions were translations of several warehouse-related words—such as "inventory" and "shipment."

Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief; none of this was difficult for him. His high school grades were actually quite good. If his family hadn't been poor and couldn't afford to send him to university, he would have had a good chance of getting into a top-tier university, and getting into a second-tier university would have been a breeze.

He picked up his pen and started writing rapidly. Ten minutes later, he handed in his paper.

The three interviewers took turns looking at his paper and exchanged a few whispered words. Then the man with glasses looked up and said, "Wait outside for the results. They'll be announced in ten minutes."

Su Ming walked out of the conference room, his palms sweaty.

A dozen or so people were already standing in the corridor, all of them having just finished their interviews. Some were smoking, some were chatting, and some were pacing nervously. Su Ming found a corner to stand in, his eyes fixed on the conference room door.

Time passed by, second by second.

Finally, the door opened. The female interviewer came out, holding a list in her hand.

Everyone crowded around.

"Those whose names are called, stay. Those whose names aren't called, you can leave." The woman's voice was calm.

She began to pronounce names.

One, two, three... With each name read, some people breathed a sigh of relief, while others' faces grew even more somber.

Su Ming's heart was pounding like a drum.

"...Zhang Wei, Li Qiang, Wang Fang..." The woman read out seven or eight names, paused, and looked up at everyone. "And, Su Ming."

Su Ming let out a long sigh of relief.

Ten people remained. The woman led them into another small office, where a man in his forties who looked like a manager was sitting.

"Congratulations on passing the first round," the man said in a loud voice. "But we only need one warehouse clerk. Next is the final interview. I'll ask questions, and you'll answer them. Whoever answers well will advance."

The questions all relate to real-world warehouse management scenarios. For example, "What to do if the inventory quantity doesn't match the system's?", "How to handle urgent orders that haven't arrived yet?", and "How to prevent the wrong goods from being shipped?"

Although Su Ming lacked experience, he was quick-witted and, drawing on his experience helping out at a shop back home, answered logically and clearly. The others either stammered or gave irrelevant answers.

After one round of questions, the difference in ability became immediately apparent.

The supervisor finally called on Su Ming: "You, report for duty tomorrow. First, get a medical check-up; if you pass, you can start work. One-month probation period, salary 800 yuan, accommodation provided, meals not included. Any questions?"

"No!" Su Ming's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Okay, that's all."

As Su Ming walked out of the factory gate, he felt like his steps were floating. Eight hundred yuan a month! Accommodation included! This was much better than he had expected.

The sun shone warmly on him. He looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, and for the first time felt that perhaps this city truly had a place for him.

"Su Ming?"

A crisp sound came from the side.

Su Ming turned his head and saw Yang Tian, ​​the HR lady who had given him the idea yesterday. Today she was wearing a light yellow dress, her long hair tied in a ponytail, looking refreshing and lively.