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

Su Mingqing cleared his throat and forced a smile as he explained, "Look, my cousin has been gone for years, and you and my uncle's family haven't been in touch at all. Now you're suddenly lending money to my mom... isn't that a bit illogical?"

Qiu Tong was stunned.

She looked at Su Ming, the embarrassment and annoyance in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by unexpected admiration. This kid seems to have a point! She suddenly reached out and patted Su Ming's head, her tone softening: "I didn't realize you were so clever for your age! You've thought of so many things!"

The instant she raised her wrist, Su Ming's gaze involuntarily followed her arm upwards.

From his angle, he could see the view inside through her slightly open collar.

That fleeting glimpse made Su Ming's mind go blank, and he froze completely.

It was only for a moment, but it was enough for him to see that expanse of white, enough to make his heart skip a beat.

Qiu Tong seemed to realize something. She looked down at her collar and then at Su Ming's evasive eyes. The smile on her face gradually disappeared.

"What are you doing?" Her voice turned cold.

Su Ming's face instantly turned bright red, and he stammered, unable to speak: "Sister-in-law, I...I..."

His mind went blank; he had absolutely no idea what to say. Caught red-handed, any explanation seemed futile.

Qiu Tong looked at his embarrassed appearance, but the coldness on her face did not dissipate. She stared at him, her eyes filled with scrutiny, questioning, and a complex mix of emotions that were hard to define.

The air seemed to freeze.

A few seconds later, Su Ming finally managed to say, "Sister-in-law, I'm thinking... let's put off borrowing money for now."

He kept his head down, avoiding her gaze, and said rapidly, "Actually, my dad's surgery isn't coming soon. The doctor said that his cholesterol needs to be lowered, so we can probably only consider surgery in about three months. I'm thinking of trying to earn 15,000 yuan in three months, and if that doesn't work, I'll borrow it from you!"

This is the truth, but it also shows his guilty conscience. After all, Su Ming really did peek.

After hearing this, Qiu Tong paused for a moment, then chuckled.

She shook her head, the coldness in her tone melting away considerably: "Earn 15,000 in three months? Difficult. Almost impossible. You might as well just borrow it."

Su Ming noticed the change in her tone and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked up, forcing a smile: "I'll give it a try!"

Qiu Tong looked at him, a slow smile curving her lips: "Fine, I'll give you three months."

She paused, then turned and walked towards the balcony, saying as she went, "Okay, go take a shower now. I'll get you a towel and a basin."

"Huh?" Su Ming was stunned again. "Sister-in-law, it's not convenient for me... and I don't use a basin to shower!"

Qiu Tong glanced back at him and said matter-of-factly, "Who told you to wash it yourself? I'll help you wash it."

"Ah..." Su Ming's eyes widened like saucers. "Is...is this appropriate?"

Qiu Tong was amused by his overreaction and rolled her eyes: "What's inappropriate about it? It's not like I haven't seen you wearing open-crotch pants before."

Su Ming blushed and muttered under his breath, "No way... You're only six years older than me, how could you possibly have seen me wearing open-crotch pants..."

Qiu Tong walked over, crossed her arms, looked down at him, and said with a mischievous smile, "Don't forget, my maternal grandmother and your mother's family are from the same place. You used to go to your maternal grandmother's house when you were little, and I used to go to mine when I grew up. I saw you running around in your open-crotch pants all the time."

"This..." Su Ming was speechless.

He recalled his embarrassing childhood memories of running around naked, which his cousin's wife had witnessed, and he was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear into the ground.

Seeing his face turn as red as a boiled shrimp, Qiu Tong finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. She reached out and flicked his forehead, scolding him playfully, "Alright, stop dawdling. Go, take off your outer pants, I'll go to the balcony to get you your underwear and towel."

Su Ming hesitated, remaining motionless.

Qiu Tong's face darkened, and she snapped, "Hurry up! It's not like I'm asking you to take everything off, what are you so nervous about, honestly!"

Startled by her shout, Su Ming reflexively stood up and obediently took off his trousers. "Let her see," he thought, "I'll just pretend I'm wearing swim trunks on the beach! Besides, it's not a loss to let my cousin-in-law see!"

Qiu Tong couldn't help but laugh when she saw him standing there in his boxer shorts, looking so silly. She turned and walked towards the balcony, leaving behind a swaying silhouette.

Su Ming stood in the living room, looked down at his upper body wrapped in bandages, and then at his lower body, which was only covered by underwear. A million grass mud horses galloped through his mind.

What the hell is going on?! Being seen is one thing, but my cousin-in-law even gave me that mysterious smile—what's that all about? Is she mocking me for not being muscular enough?! No way, I'm a farm worker by trade, I'm pretty strong!

A moment later, Qiu Tong came in carrying a clean pair of underwear and a towel.

She walked up to Su Ming, looked him up and down, and nodded: "Not bad, you're a bit thinner than when you were a kid, but much more muscular."

Su Ming: "This..."

Qiu Tong put her things on the sofa, turned around, and went into the bathroom. Soon, she heard the sound of running water from the faucet.

"Come in," her voice came from the bathroom.

Su Ming took a deep breath and braced himself as he went inside.

The bathroom was steamy, and Qiu Tong was bending over, adding water to a basin. She stood up, tested the water temperature, then picked up a towel, soaked it, and wrung it out until it was half dry.

"Turn around," she said.

Su Ming obediently turned around, his back to her.

A warm towel was placed on his back, gently wiping the uninjured areas. Her movements were very light and gentle, as if she were afraid of hurting him.

The restroom was quiet, with only the occasional sound of running water.

Su Ming stood still, feeling the warm touch moving across his back. She avoided all the wounds, only wiping the clean skin; that meticulous care warmed his heart.

"Sister-in-law," he suddenly said.

"Um?"

"Thank you."

Qiu Tong paused for a moment, then continued wiping.

"What are you thanking me for?" Her voice was soft. "You're my cousin. If I don't take care of you, who will?"

Su Ming didn't speak, but he knew in his heart that this was more than just a "cousin".

The towel was removed from his back, soaked in water, and wrung out.

"Turn around," Qiu Tong said.

Su Ming turned around and faced her directly.

They were very close, close enough that he could see the moisture on her eyelashes and smell her faint fragrance. Her gaze swept over him, carefully wiping his chest, abdomen, and the gaps between the bandages.

Su Ming lowered his head, not daring to look at her, but the warm scent mixed with shower gel and the fragrance of a woman kept wafting into his nose.

What's worse, when she bent over to wipe, her collar was slightly open, and that snow-white scenery would occasionally flash before his eyes.

Su Ming felt his mouth was dry, his heart was racing, and all the blood in his body was rushing to one place.

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

He desperately tried to distract himself, starting to count the tiles on the ceiling. One, two, three…

"Okay." Qiu Tong straightened up and put the towel into the basin. "You've finished wiping the front, now you can wipe the rest yourself."

She paused, glanced at him, and said with a mischievous smile, "I don't care about that place."

After saying that, she handed him the towel, turned around and left the bathroom, leaving Su Ming standing there alone.

The moment the door closed, Su Ming let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked at himself in the mirror, his face flushed and covered in sweat, as if he had just run 10,000 meters.

Taking a bath was more tiring than fighting!

He looked down at the towel in his hand, then at the parts of his body that hadn't been wiped, and gave a wry smile.

Cousin, are you helping me or taking my life?!

Just as Su Ming was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a gentle voice calling from inside the room.

"Su Ming, could you come here for a second? Hurry up!"