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

Qiu Tong smiled, a smile tinged with satisfaction. She sat back down on the sofa, reached under her skirt, and pulled off the flesh-colored stockings she had just put on.

It takes a while to put it on, and even longer to take it off.

The stockings slid down her thighs, revealing her fair skin underneath. She pinched the top of the stockings with her fingers, slowly pulling them down past her knees, over her calves, and finally down to her toes.

The whole process, which took only a dozen seconds, felt like an eternity. Su Ming felt as if his heart had stopped beating.

He stood there, eyes wide open, forgetting to breathe, his whole body like a statue.

Qiu Tong tossed the loose stockings aside, picked up the black pair, and started putting them on.

The same movements, the same rhythm, the same scenery...

After she finished dressing, she stood up again and twirled around in front of Su Ming.

"And now? Do I look good in black stockings?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

Su Ming blushed and nodded again, this time in a hoarse voice: "Black looks good too."

Qiu Tong gave him a reproachful look, her tone tinged with helplessness: "I'm really fed up with you. There has to be a comparison, right?"

Su Ming exclaimed "Ah!" and said with a bitter face, "Sister-in-law, they really are all beautiful."

He was sincere. Qiu Tong's figure and temperament made her look good in anything. Nude stockings gave her a gentle and graceful look, like a friendly older sister next door; black stockings made her look sexy and alluring, like a nightclub queen. Each had its own beauty, and he really couldn't decide which was better. It was like asking him whether he preferred braised pork belly or sweet and sour pork ribs—both were delicious, so how could he choose?

Qiu Tong couldn't help but laugh when she saw his troubled expression.

She shook her head, her tone tinged with indulgence: "Never mind, asking you is pointless. I'll just wear this out."

As she spoke, she swayed her slender waist, picked up her bag from the sofa, and walked towards the door. Her gait was graceful and elegant, like that of a mermaid.

Su Ming stood there, watching her back, and breathed a long sigh of relief, but also felt inexplicably lost.

But just as Qiu Tong reached the door, she suddenly stopped.

She turned around and looked at him, as if she had remembered something important.

"Oh, right," she said, "could you wash the stockings in the tub and the underwear hanging on the wall for me? Remember to wash the underwear first, then the stockings, and don't wash them together."

Su Ming was stunned.

Wash...wash your underwear?

He stared at Qiu Tong, his eyes wide, but he didn't utter a sound.

Seeing his reaction, Qiu Tong raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? You don't want to? Your sister-in-law is getting up a little late today. If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll take a shower when I get back at midnight."

Su Ming snapped out of his daze and hurriedly waved his hand, his movements so fast they were almost frantic: "I'm willing! I'm willing to wash!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt something was off. Why did those words sound so strange? It was as if he were saying, "Thank you for the reward."

Qiu Tong laughed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her gaze swept over him, finally settling on his lower abdomen, where she lingered for a few seconds.

Su Ming was stunned for a moment, then looked down following her gaze...

His face instantly turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp.

Damn it!

I never expected that just a few words from her could stir up such strong emotions in me. Her self-control over her body is just too poor.

He awkwardly shifted to the side, trying to cover it up, his voice strained: "Alright, sister-in-law, you can go to work now."

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Qiu Tong giggled, laughing so hard she almost fell over. She walked over and gently patted his shoulder.

"You little rascal!" she said, her tone carrying a hint of meaning, "You've really grown up now."

After saying that, she smiled knowingly, turned around, opened the door, and disappeared outside in her high heels.

The door slammed shut.

Su Ming stood there, the blush on his face still lingering. He looked down at himself and gave a wry smile.

Yes, he's grown up.

But the price of growing up is too heavy. As heavy as carrying a mountain on your back.

He took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the bathroom.

My cousin's underwear and stockings were soaking in the bucket, and the faint scent of laundry detergent wafted into my nose.

He squatted down and put his hand into the water.

The texture was smooth and soft, just like when my cousin-in-law put on her stockings.

Those images resurfaced in his mind, reminding him of his cousin's wife's stunning figure.

Those long, gleaming white legs, that deep V-neck, that alluring view...

He shook his head, forcing himself not to think about it.

But the more I try not to think about it, the clearer those images become, like watching a movie frame by frame.

The bathroom was quiet, with only the dripping sound of a tap that wasn't turned off completely.

Su Ming squatted there, washing his cousin's underwear, his mind a complete mess.

Three thousand ICs, two hundred and eighty-five thousand, Yang Jing's perfunctory attitude, Yang Tian's tears, Lin Shumei's charm, and my cousin's sister-in-law's meaningful words just now, "You've really grown up now"...

As he washed, he couldn't help but think: If his childhood friends back home knew that he was squatting in the bathroom washing a woman's underwear, they would probably laugh their heads off.

But he couldn't help but think of his cousin's wife's devilish figure.

As soon as the thought popped into his head, he slapped himself again.

Su Ming, Su Ming, can't you be a little more sensible?

But ambition doesn't seem to work very well in front of my cousin's wife. Oh well, let her think about it. Isn't it normal to think about women at this age?

Su Ming had finally finished washing and drying his cousin's underwear and stockings, and had just collapsed onto the sofa when his phone rang.

It was Bao Yazhong who called.

"Hey, Ming-ge! Where are you?" Bao Ya-zhong's enthusiastic voice came from the other end of the phone. The background noise was noisy, with music, the sound of drinking games, and women's laughter.

Su Ming replied listlessly, "I'm at home."

"What are you doing at home? Come out and party!" Bao Yazhong's voice rose eight octaves. "I'll treat you to late-night snacks and karaoke. I've got two hot girls on the way, I guarantee they'll open your eyes!"

Su Ming was feeling down. The matter of the three thousand ICs was suffocating him, Yang Tian's tears were still fresh in his mind, and the lingering effects of Lin Shumei's body draining him of his strength were still present. Now that someone was offering him drinks, he could finally drown his sorrows.

He readily agreed: "Okay, send me the address."

After hanging up the phone, he changed his clothes, went out, hailed a motorcycle taxi, and headed straight for the "Golden Splendor" KTV in town.

Pushing open the door to the private room, a whiff of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and cheap perfume hit you. The room was dimly lit, with colorful orbs spinning on the ceiling, making the whole room look like a nightclub.

Bao Yazhong was sitting on the sofa with two girls in his arms. When he came in, he immediately stood up and opened his arms to greet him.

"Ming-ge! Come, come, sit down!" He grabbed Su Ming and pushed him onto the sofa, then beckoned to a girl with dyed red hair next to him, "Xiao Hong, come here and serve my brother well!"