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

Su Ming lowered his head, not daring to look at her.

His mind was a complete mess. His cousin's wife was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and to be honest, he liked her from the bottom of his heart. He didn't mind that she was six or seven years older than him, nor did he mind her past...

Marrying his cousin's wife? How could that be? What would his uncle think? His mother would definitely object. Besides, Qiu Tong is his cousin's wife. Even though his cousin is gone, the relationship…

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qiu Tong's tears welled up again.

"I'm an unwanted woman," she murmured, her voice hoarse. "I'm destined to be a mistress for life, aren't I?"

The despair in that tone was like a knife, piercing Su Ming's heart.

He looked up at her. Looking at her tear-streaked face, at her eyes filled with expectation yet hiding despair, he felt a sharp pang in his heart.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sister-in-law..." he said earnestly, "You'll find someone. Actually, you're very outstanding."

Qiu Tong smiled, a smile that held a hint of hope and anticipation.

"Really?" she asked.

Su Ming nodded: "Really."

Qiu Tong stared at him for a few seconds, then asked, "If your cousin-in-law were to marry you, would you be willing to marry me?"

"This..." Su Ming's mind went blank.

He didn't know how to answer.

Marrying his cousin's wife? He had never really thought about it before. Even now, he didn't dare to think about it, but looking at her like this, he couldn't bear to refuse.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qiu Tong's smile slowly faded. She shook her head, and tears fell again.

Even you're disgusted with me now...

Su Ming panicked and quickly said, "No! I didn't look down on you!"

Qiu Tong looked up at him and asked aggressively, "Then will you marry me?"

Looking into her tearful eyes and her expectant face, Su Ming's heart softened, and he nodded as if possessed.

"Um!"

Qiu Tong was stunned.

She looked at Su Ming, at his earnest face, and suddenly smiled. That smile was as radiant as the spring sunshine, dispelling the gloom from her face.

She suddenly opened her arms, hugged his neck, and kissed him hard on the cheek.

"Okay!" she said, her voice full of joy. "I'll remember your words!"

After saying that, she let go of her hand, leaned back, lay on her back on the bed, and then closed her eyes with satisfaction, a smile still on her lips.

Su Ming sat there, completely dumbfounded.

He looked at his cousin's sleeping face, now peaceful, and at the satisfied smile on her lips, and felt a surge of confusion in his heart.

What... what's going on here?

Is my cousin's wife really going to marry me?

No, no, absolutely not. What will Uncle think if he finds out? Mom will definitely object. And all those other relatives, they could drown him with their spittle.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to tell her that what he had just said was just to make her happy.

But he swallowed the words back down his throat.

My cousin's wife is already asleep.

Her breathing was steady, her chest rising and falling gently, and her face still bore traces of tears. She looked as quiet as a defenseless child.

Su Ming looked at her, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

There was heartache, pity, confusion, and a little bit of...excitement that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

He sighed softly and lay down on the bamboo mat on the ground.

The bamboo mat was a little cool, but his cousin's passionate words from before warmed his heart. Could it be that his cousin also had feelings for him? That didn't make sense; she was six or seven years older than him. In her eyes, he should still be a child, right?

No, no, I've already graduated from high school, I'm not a child anymore. But Lin Shumei is about the same age as my cousin-in-law, and she still developed lustful thoughts towards me, didn't she?

You can't think like that. Lin Shumei and my cousin's wife are not the same type of woman. My cousin's wife wouldn't do something like that...

It was late at night. The occasional sound of cars could be heard from afar outside the window, and the streetlights below cast a dim, yellowish glow.

Su Ming stared at the ceiling with his eyes open, his mind a jumbled mess.

Yang Tian's tears, her cousin's tears, Yang Tian's questioning, her cousin's persistent questioning, and that sentence, "I'll remember your words"...

All the images were mixed together, making it impossible for him to sleep.

He turned his head and glanced at his cousin-in-law beside him.

She was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, with a faint smile on her face. That smile looked so content, so peaceful, like a child having a sweet dream.

Su Ming suddenly wondered whether his cousin-in-law's words were drunken ramblings or her true feelings.

She said, "No man is a good thing." Who hurt her? Was it Jiang Jian?

When she said, "We're destined to be lovers for life," was she referring to herself?

When she asked, "Will you marry me?", was she serious?

Oh no, is my cousin-in-law serious? What should I do?

After a long and agonizing ordeal, Su Ming finally fell asleep.

The next day, a piercing alarm clock rang in my ears.

Su Ming, however, did not wake up.

He turned over, pulled the blanket over his head, and continued to sleep.

The alarm was still ringing, the "ring-a-ling" sound like a drill drilling into his brain. But he was so sleepy, he felt like he was glued to the bed, unable to open his eyes at all.

The alarm clock woke Qiu Tong up.

She rolled over, reached out and fumbled around on the bedside table for a while, found the alarm clock, and turned it off. The bedroom fell silent, with only the faint sound of cars coming from outside the window.

Qiu Tong rubbed her eyes, sat up, and glanced at Su Ming on the ground. She saw him still curled up on the bamboo mat, wrapped in the quilt like a silkworm cocoon, with only his messy head showing.

She couldn't help but laugh, shook her head, and got out of bed.

Her bare feet felt cool on the floor. She walked over to Su Ming, squatted down, and nudged his shoulder.

"Su Ming, get up quickly, you're going to be late."

Su Ming mumbled a "hmm" in his sleep and didn't move.

Qiu Tong pushed him again, this time with more force: "Get up! You'll be late if you don't get up!"

Su Ming then slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view was his cousin's beautiful face—she had just woken up, her face still carrying a hint of languor, her long hair draped over her shoulders, and her bright eyes looking at him.

Su Ming was stunned for a moment, and then all the scenes from last night rushed into his mind.

He remembered her holding him and crying, her cupping his face in her hands and asking, "Will you marry me?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, saying, "I'll remember your words..."

His face turned red instantly, the redness spreading to the roots of his neck.

Su Ming felt a surge of panic. He sat up abruptly, took a step back, and created some distance between himself and his cousin-in-law. Then, head bowed, avoiding her gaze, he stammered, "Cousin-in-law, last night I..."

He wanted to explain.

Qiu Tong was stunned for a moment, looking at his nervous appearance, and then made a look of sudden realization.

"Last night?" She frowned, pretending to try to remember. "Was I drunk?"

Su Ming nodded, secretly relieved. It seemed his cousin-in-law didn't remember.

But before he could even catch his breath, Qiu Tong glanced at the bamboo mat on the ground and immediately felt a surge of tension.

She was surprised to find her bra still on the bamboo mat, and her worn stockings lying to the side.

What's going on here? Her bra and stockings were off, and she casually tossed them onto Su Ming's bamboo mat. Did she do something with this guy last night?

Qiu Tong paused for a moment, then looked up at Su Ming, asking with a surprised expression, "Su Ming, did your sister-in-law do anything to you last night?"