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

Seeing that he didn't move, Lin Shumei grabbed his hand and placed it on the buttons of her shirt. Her eyes were glazed, and her tone was reproachful: "You won't even help me with this little thing... How am I supposed to trust you in the future...?"

"Well... alright then!" Su Ming's last shred of reason crumbled instantly under the combined assault of alcohol and hormones. His hands trembled as he unbuttoned her clothes, one button at a time...

Unexpectedly, as soon as his shirt was unbuttoned, Lin Shumei suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, breathed sweetly into his ear, and said with a seductive smile, "You've unbuttoned mine, so I'll unbutton yours too..."

"what……"

"No, come on..."

At that moment, Su Ming was completely captivated. He could no longer control the beast within him, and with a low growl and a hint of drunkenness, he swept her up in his arms.

Luckily, he was trained; even drunk, carrying the beauty in his arms, he wasn't tired and could barely walk steadily. He carried her and slammed her heavily onto the soft bed. Her supple body bounced rhythmically on the bed, becoming even more alluring…

For a moment, the room was filled with the allure of spring, the sounds of panting and coquettish moans weaving into a wild symphony...

Half an hour later, Su Ming collapsed onto the bed, exhausted, like a lump of mud. Lin Shumei, on the other hand, curled up contentedly beside him like a lazy cat and soon fell into a deep sleep.

She slept for more than two hours.

When Su Ming opened his eyes again, the sunlight outside the window was no longer so glaring. He rubbed his still slightly throbbing head, feeling much more sober, and picked up his phone to check the time—3:30 PM!

"Oh no!" He was startled and was about to turn around to wake Lin Shumei when he found that she had already woken up and was lying on her side next to him, her affectionate peach blossom eyes staring at him intently.

"Awake?" Her voice was languid, with a hint of post-coital hoarseness.

"Manager...Manager!" Su Ming was startled and sat up abruptly. "It's 3:30! Aren't we supposed to go to the client's place?"

Lin Shumei wasn't in a hurry at all. She reached out her slender arm, hooked it around his neck, pulled him back onto the bed, kissed him on the cheek, and said with a charming smile, "What's the rush? Let's hurry over for dinner."

Su Ming was taken aback, his mind still a little blank.

Lin Shumei wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him again, and said softly, "Don't panic, right now... I just want to stay with you."

Su Ming shuddered violently, and the hazy, drunken fragments in his mind instantly became clear—he remembered that he had just had relations with this woman.

But... the feeling was too crazy and blurry. He couldn't even remember what it tasted like. He only knew that his whole body was numb, as if his soul had left his body.

A wave of intense confusion and guilt instantly overwhelmed him. He remembered Yang Tian's pure face, Tian Jing's gentle care, and even his cousin's sister-in-law's eyes filled with complex emotions... He felt like a sinner.

Seeing him lost in thought, Lin Shumei smiled and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Won't the client be upset if we go so late?" Su Ming made up an excuse to cover up his inner panic.

Lin Shumei smiled, a smile radiating an air of absolute confidence: "We're going to inspect suppliers; we're the client. Forget about being late; even if we make them wait until midnight, they'll still have to greet me with smiles. It's not us currying favor with them; it's them currying favor with me."

Su Ming nodded and didn't say anything more, but he was thinking to himself: What good deeds did this woman do in her past life? How could she find such an easy job with food and pay?

Lin Shumei gazed intently at him, making him lower his head in embarrassment. She reached out a finger, gently lifting his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes, and said with a charming smile, "Tell me the truth, is this... your first time?"

Su Ming's face flushed red instantly. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded shyly.

Lin Shumei's smile deepened, a look of delighted surprise and satisfaction, as if she had found a treasure. She rolled out of bed, pulled a thick wad of banknotes from her half-open zippered bag, and handed it to Su Ming.

"Take it."

Su Ming was stunned. He stared at the stack of brand-new, freshly printed hundred-yuan bills, which contained at least ten thousand yuan. He was completely dumbfounded.

This... this is money that his parents worked hard for one or two years to earn back in their hometown! And he just slept with a rich woman and got it so easily?

This money came way too easily! So easily that he could hardly believe it, and he didn't even dare to take it; his hands were trembling slightly.

Seeing that he hesitated to accept the money, Lin Shumei liked him even more. She forcefully stuffed the banknotes into Su Ming's hand and said softly, "Take it. I don't have any children, and I don't have many expectations for the future. As long as you... treat me well in the future, I won't mistreat you. If you want a car or a house, I can give you whatever you want."

Su Ming stammered, still embarrassed to accept it: "This... I can't take it..."

Lin Shumei laughed and pinched his cheek: "What's wrong? Unhappy? Not enough?"

"No, no!" Su Ming quickly waved his hands, "That's enough... I just feel that I haven't done anything... I can't take your money..."

Lin Shumei leaned down and kissed him deeply on the lips, smiling as she said, "You've brought me the greatest joy in this world, and that's enough. Okay, take the money, or I'll get upset. Or, I'll take you to deposit it later?"

Su Ming struggled internally, but in the end, thinking of his father's high surgery fees, he gritted his teeth and accepted the money.

"I'll go by myself."

What's done is done, so let's face it bravely. With this money, we should have enough for Dad's surgery. As for the future... let's just take it one step at a time.

A moment later, Su Ming went to the bank alone, deposited the 10,000 yuan into his account, and then made a nervous phone call home.

On the other end of the phone, his mother was startled when she heard he had sent back ten thousand yuan at once, and immediately questioned him about whether he had done anything illegal. His father was even more anxious; his frantic roar could be heard through the receiver: "Su Ming! Our family can be poor, but we can't be heartless! You absolutely mustn't do anything illegal!"

Hearing his parents' worries, Su Ming felt a pang of sadness. He had no choice but to lie and say that he had borrowed the money from his colleagues, combined with his own salary and a little from his cousin's wife, to make up the difference, and to reassure his parents.

The mother on the other end of the phone was moved to tears, praising him repeatedly for growing up and becoming sensible. The father also cried, choking back tears as he said that there was enough money for the surgery, and that he should save the money he earned from now on and not worry about the family anymore.

Hearing his parents' joyful tears on the other end of the phone, Su Ming could no longer hold back his own tears, which flowed silently down his face.

At that moment, he realized the importance of money more than ever before. Without money, his father's illness would only drag on, turning a minor ailment into a major one, ultimately leading to his death. With money, his father could receive timely treatment and recover his health.

He clenched his fists, silently vowing to himself: I must work hard to make money! As long as it's not illegal, he'll dare to do it. Once you're an adult, the only thing to do is make money! Money, money, money—it's all about survival!