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

That night, Wu Yumin was like a powder keg, finding fault with everyone.

The "business" had just been ruined. Although Brother Fei Ma didn't say anything, Wu Yumin knew in his heart that his importance in the other party's eyes had dropped significantly. What angered him even more was that the new brat Su Ming actually dared to hide in the shadows and stalk him.

"Damn it, they're so ungrateful!"

Wu Yumin stubbed out his cigarette and picked up his phone to call Brother Fei Ma.

"Hey, Pegasus Bro, it's me, Lao Wu."

Loud music came from the other end of the phone, and Pegasus's lazy voice rang out: "Hey, Team Leader Wu, what's up?"

"I've identified the mole!" Wu Yumin lowered his voice. "I've found out that it's that new kid who's behind this. Brother Feima, you have to do me a favor."

"What kind of help?"

"Teach that kid a lesson and get him out of the Snake Hill Industrial Zone," Wu Yumin said through gritted teeth. "It would be best if he could spend a few days in the hospital to teach him a lesson."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Fei Ma's cold laugh: "Team Leader Wu, are you asking me to do your dirty work?"

"Brother Fei Ma, don't worry, you'll get your share of the benefits," Wu Yumin said quickly. "I'll give you another two percent discount on that batch of goods in the warehouse."

"Deal." Brother Pegasus laughed. "But Team Leader Wu, let me make this clear: if we're going to take action, we need to make sure that kid remembers this lesson for the rest of his life. Don't feel bad about it later."

"Feel sorry for him?" Wu Yumin sneered. "I'd rather he were dead!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yumin leaned back in his chair, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

Su Ming, Su Ming, you have a path to heaven but choose not to, and a path to hell but choose to come. Then don't blame me for being ruthless.

After getting off work, Su Ming returned to his rented apartment and was stunned as soon as he opened the door.

A faint aroma of ginger tea wafted through the living room. Qiu Tong hadn't gone to work; she was curled up on the sofa watching TV. She was wearing a light purple slip dress with a thin cardigan casually over it, her long hair loosely tied back, making her look languid and gentle.

"Sister-in-law? You didn't go to work today?" Su Ming asked, somewhat surprised as he changed his shoes and walked in.

Qiu Tong glanced at him and forced a smile: "I'm not going. My stomach hurts terribly, and my foot isn't fully healed yet. I'm too lazy to move."

As she spoke, she subconsciously covered her lower abdomen with her hand, her brows furrowing slightly.

Su Ming then noticed that her face was indeed paler than usual, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't slept well last night. Her beautiful eyes lacked their usual shrewdness and competence, and instead showed a rare vulnerability.

"So... have you eaten?" Su Ming walked over and stood by the sofa, unsure of what to say.

"I have no appetite." Qiu Tong shook her head and shrank further into the sofa. "You eat yours, don't worry about me."

Seeing her like this, Su Ming felt a pang of pain in his heart. He turned and went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and looked inside. There were eggs, tomatoes, and a small bunch of greens.

Twenty minutes later, he came out carrying a steaming bowl of tomato and egg noodles.

"Sister-in-law, eat something." He put the bowl on the coffee table, squatted down by the sofa, and said in a very soft voice, "You already have a stomachache, if you don't eat something, your body will suffer even more."

Qiu Tong looked at him, at the steaming bowl of noodles, and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

How long has it been? How long has it been since anyone cared about her like this?

Jiang Jian gave her money, material things, and a decent life, but never a bowl of steaming hot tomato and egg noodles like this.

"You..." She opened her mouth, her voice a little hoarse, "You can cook?"

"I know a little bit." Su Ming scratched his head sheepishly. "Back in my hometown, my mom was busy, so I learned to make it myself. It might not taste very good, but please bear with it."

Qiu Tong didn't say anything, but reached out, picked up the bowl, took out her chopsticks, and put a mouthful of noodles into her mouth.

The taste was just average; the tomatoes were a bit overcooked, and the eggs were slightly too hard. But the warm, cozy feeling spread from my mouth all the way to my stomach and then to my heart.

She lowered her head and ate bite by bite, tears almost falling from her eyes.

Su Ming squatted down beside her, quietly watching her. The light fell on her lowered profile, the shadow of her eyelashes trembling gently. The way she quietly ate her noodles stirred an inexplicable impulse in him—he wanted to hold her in his arms, to protect her, and to make her never show that vulnerable expression again.

After Qiu Tong finished eating her noodles, she put the bowl back on the coffee table, looked up, and met Su Ming's earnest eyes.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, her voice soft and lacking its usual sharpness.

"Sister-in-law," Su Ming suddenly said, "If you're feeling unwell in the future, just tell me. I'll take care of you."

That's a blunt, even a bit silly, statement.

But Qiu Tong's heart skipped a beat when she heard this.

Looking at the eighteen-year-old boy in front of her, at his clear and innocent eyes, she suddenly felt as if her long-numbed heart had been gently stirred by something.

"Su Ming," she said softly, reaching out and gently taking his wrist.

That hand was cold, and the fingertips were trembling slightly.

Before Su Ming could react, she pulled him down to sit on the sofa. Then, she took his hand and gently pressed it against her lower abdomen.

Through the thin nightgown, Su Ming could feel the temperature of that skin and its slightly undulating softness.

His heart started racing instantly.

"Just like that... don't move." Qiu Tong's voice was soft, with a hint of languor and weariness. "Your hands are warm, it's comfortable to leave them here."

Su Ming dared not move, as if he were frozen in place.

The living room was quiet. Occasionally, the sound of cars could be heard from afar outside the window, and the streetlights downstairs cast a dim yellow glow; everything seemed normal.

But in this small room, there was an ambiguous atmosphere that was hard to describe.

Qiu Tong leaned on his shoulder, her eyes closed, her breathing gradually becoming steady. Her hand was still gently resting on the back of his hand, not moving away.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Ming suddenly felt her hand move.

That slightly cool hand, holding his hand, slowly, little by little, slid down.

Just a tiny bit.

It slid down from the very center of the lower abdomen to a slightly lower position—that was already the very edge of the lower abdomen. It couldn't go any lower, or it would be heading into an irreversible abyss.

Su Ming's mind went blank with a "buzz".

He was stiff all over, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He could feel the skin beneath his hand, which seemed a little warmer; he could feel her breathing, which seemed to have become slightly more rapid.

But she did not continue.

She simply placed his hand there, then relaxed completely, leaning on his shoulder like a small boat that had finally found a safe harbor.

Su Ming dared not move, dared not speak, and dared not even breathe deeply.