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

Just as Su Ming put the towel into the basin and was about to finish the rest of the "work" himself, he heard Qiu Tong's shout from outside.

"Hey, Su Ming, are you done yet? What are you doing taking so long to shower?"

The voice carried a hint of impatience and questioning, which made Su Ming's heart skip a beat.

"Okay, okay! I'll be right there!" He hurriedly replied, quickly wiping himself down without paying attention to how carefully he did it. He put on his clean underwear, and with his legs bare, he rushed out of the bathroom with his clothes in his arms.

He had intended to go to the living room to put on his trousers first, but in a moment of impulsiveness, he pushed open the bedroom door—

Then, he froze.

Only the small bedside lamp was on in the bedroom, its dim yellow light like a thin veil gently enveloping the entire room. The cool air from the air conditioner blew in slowly, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance.

Qiu Tong lay on her side on the bed, propping her head up with one hand, looking at him.

She wore a blue slip dress—the kind with thin straps, a deep V-neck, and a hem that only reached mid-thigh. The silk fabric was soft and clung to her body, outlining every curve of her figure. Her legs were crossed, and in the dim light, her fair skin glowed with a luminous sheen.

She lay there like Sleeping Beauty, a faint smile playing on her lips, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.

Su Ming stood there, still holding a dirty piece of clothing he had changed out of, looking as if he had been paralyzed by acupuncture.

His gaze slid from her face to her delicate collarbone, then to the barely visible cleavage, and further down to her cinched waist, her rounded hips, and her long, straight, beautiful legs crossed...

He swallowed hard, feeling a slight heat in his nose.

Oh no, I hope my nose doesn't actually bleed!

Seeing his dazed expression, Qiu Tong chuckled. She reached out and patted the edge of the bed beside her, her voice soft: "What are you looking at me for? Come sit down!"

Su Ming finally snapped out of his daze, his face instantly turning bright red. He stood frozen in place, stammering, "Sister-in-law, I... I haven't put on long pants yet..."

Qiu Tong rolled her eyes dramatically, her smile widening. "You have the nerve to say that? You came in without any clothes on, were you intentionally showing off your muscles to me?"

"No, no!" Su Ming waved his hands repeatedly, his face turning even redder. "Absolutely not! You just told me to take off my trousers, and I forgot to bring my change... My trousers are in the room!"

He wasn't lying. All his clothes were in that old suitcase, which was in the corner of the bedroom.

Seeing his nervous expression, Qiu Tong's smile deepened. She patted the edge of the bed again, her tone carrying an air of unyielding authority: "Alright, sit down. Help me press my stomach."

Su Ming was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Huh?" Qiu Tong tilted her head and looked at him. "Didn't you learn some kung fu and know massage? Give me a massage."

As she spoke, she clutched her lower abdomen with her hand, her brows furrowed slightly, and a look of pain appeared on her face.

Looking at her, Su Ming's heart softened, but he still hesitated and said, "Sister-in-law, I... I'd better put on my trousers first."

As he spoke, he started to walk toward the suitcase in the corner.

"What's the rush?" Qiu Tong suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Her hand was slightly cool, yet it felt like an electric current, coursing through Su Ming's body from his wrist.

"Please rub your cousin's stomach first." Her voice softened, with a hint of coquettishness. "It hurts!"

Su Ming looked down at the hand she was pressing on his wrist, then at her pitiful appearance, and felt incredibly conflicted.

If he weren't wearing trousers, his little thoughts about being alone with a woman would be easily seen through—young people, after all, sometimes can't control their reactions.

No, he absolutely has to wear these trousers. Otherwise, his sister-in-law will definitely know he's up to no good when she sees them.

With that thought in mind, he said firmly, "I'll be done in a minute!"

He pulled away from Qiu Tong's hand, strode to the corner, opened the old suitcase, rummaged through it for a while, and finally found a pair of loose beach shorts. He picked up the shorts, turned around, and found Qiu Tong staring at him with a half-smile on her face.

Su Ming blushed and quickly hid in the corner next to the wardrobe, turning his back to her, and pulled on his pants in a few quick movements.

Seeing his guilty look, Qiu Tong couldn't help but giggle.

"Are you done yet?" she asked, drawing out her voice.

"Alright, alright." Su Ming fastened his belt, walked back to the bedside, and sat down next to her.

He sat on the edge of the bed, about half a meter away from her, unsure where to look. His nose was filled with her faint fragrance—a mixture of shower gel, perfume, and her own unique, pleasant scent.

Qiu Tong looked at him and patted the seat next to her: "Why are you sitting so far away? Come closer."

Su Ming had no choice but to move closer to her.

"Come a little closer."

He moved again.

Now there were less than twenty centimeters between them. He could clearly feel the temperature of her body and see the faint rise and fall of her breasts beneath the neckline of her nightgown.

Qiu Tong nodded in satisfaction, then naturally took his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen.

Through the thin silk nightgown, Su Ming could feel the warmth of that skin and its slight rise and fall. His palms instantly began to sweat, and his heart pounded as if it would jump out of his chest.

"What are you standing there for?" Qiu Tong glanced at him. "Knead it."

Su Ming took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He began to gently massage, his palm against her lower abdomen, making clockwise circles.

Qiu Tong sighed comfortably and closed her eyes.

The bedroom was quiet. The air conditioner was blowing gently, and the light from the lampshade softly bathed the two of them. Occasionally, the sound of a car passing by could be heard in the distance, but those sounds were very, very far away.

Su Ming dared not look at her, and could only lower his head, focusing intently on his hands. But the fragrance that entered his nostrils, the warmth and softness from her palms, and the rustling sound of the fabric rubbing against each other when she gently twisted her body, all made him restless.

After massaging for about five minutes, Su Ming suddenly spoke, his voice a little strained: "Sister-in-law..."

"Um?"

"Um..." He paused, then said, "Isn't this a bit unfair to... Mr. Jiang?"

As soon as he said that, he could feel Qiu Tong's body stiffen slightly.

He was actually conflicted. He had just been rescued by Jiang Jian's men that day, and if Liu Sheng hadn't arrived in time, he might have really lost a leg to Fei Ma. He would remember this favor.

But now, he's sitting here, so close to Jiang Jian's woman.

Although it was just rubbing her stomach, the scene and the atmosphere were undeniably suggestive; it would be a lie to say there wasn't a hint of ambiguity.

Qiu Tong suddenly opened her eyes.

She turned her head to look at Su Ming, a complex emotion flashing in her beautiful eyes. Then, she suddenly sat up.

Su Ming was startled, and before he could retract his hand, she grabbed it.

"Oh, you little rascal!" Qiu Tong pinched his thigh lightly, a hint of reproach in her voice. "So you've been eyeing your cousin's wife all along? You're even thinking about sleeping with me?"

Su Ming's face instantly turned bright red, and he shook his head repeatedly, "No, no! I didn't have that thought!"

"Really not?" Qiu Tong straightened her face and stared into his eyes. Her breathing seemed to quicken slightly.