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

As she approached, she saw Su Ming and Tian Jing standing together. Her smile remained unchanged. She walked confidently to Su Ming's motorcycle, lifted one leg and straddled the back seat. Then, she naturally stretched out her arms and put them around Su Ming's waist. The action was intimate and tacit, as if they had rehearsed it a hundred times.

She turned her head and smiled at Su Ming, "Let's go, take me home. I'll leave my motorcycle here for today." Then, as if just noticing Tian Jing, she looked up and smiled at her, "Sister Jing, you're here too!"

Tian Jing's face flushed instantly, a redder than the setting sun behind her. She winked awkwardly at Su Ming, then gave Yang Tian a warm but slightly stiff smile, tossing out, "Su Ming, I'm leaving now," before hurrying towards the factory gate as if her feet were greased, her military green satchel swaying at her waist, her steps almost a jog.

Yang Tian called out to her, "Sister Jing, aren't we going together?"

Without turning her head, Tian Jing waved her hand forcefully in the air and said, "No need, I have something to do. You guys go first!" Before she finished speaking, she had already slipped out of the factory gate and disappeared into the crowd of people leaving get off work.

Su Ming stared wide-eyed at Tian Jing's hasty retreating figure, his expression a mixture of helplessness and relief.

Yang Tian saw his expression, her lips curled slightly, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face against his back, and whispered, "I think... this woman likes you."

Su Ming laughed, turned to look at her, and teased her in a deliberately irritating tone, "There are plenty of women who like me."

Before he could finish speaking, he received a sharp pinch on the waist. Yang Tian angrily pinched the softest, most ticklish spot above his navel, her lips pouting and her eyes glaring at him like she'd thrown a dagger at his face: "You're not allowed to flirt with her! I don't like that woman. The way she looks at you, like you're some kind of treasure, makes me feel really uncomfortable."

Su Ming cried out "Ouch!" and quickly begged for forgiveness, turning to her with a smile and assuring her, "Don't worry, there's nothing between Jing-jie and me. That's just how she is; she likes to joke with everyone. You're focusing on the wrong thing."

Yang Tian pursed her lips, her face still bearing a "I'll trust you this once" expression. She snorted and said, "That's for the best." After saying that, she put her arm around Su Ming's waist again, pressed her face against his warm back, and softened her voice a little: "Let's go, let's go have dinner first."

Su Ming responded, started the motorcycle, and a puff of pale blue smoke came out of the exhaust pipe. The two rode through the streets of the industrial area as dusk fell, speeding towards the Bashu family home in the town.

Dinner was the same as always: a few spicy dishes that looked so appetizing that they made you sweat just by looking at them, boiled beef, spicy chicken cubes, and a pot of maocai (a type of Sichuan hot pot).

Su Ming is known for his tolerance of spicy food, but even he couldn't resist downing two bottles of ice-cold beer in front of this pot of spicy hot pot soaked in chili oil. Yang Tian, ​​on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying her meal, her lips glowing red from the spiciness, her eyes glistening with tears. She kept putting food on his plate while laughing and saying, "What's a grown man afraid of spicy food?" The two chatted and laughed as they devoured most of the dishes before finally emerging, patting their round bellies.

After dinner, they strolled around a nearby park. It was an old public park, with rows of aged camphor trees lining the paths, their fragrance carried on the early winter evening breeze. The dancing aunties had already left, leaving only a few young couples scattered under the trees and on the stone benches by the lake. Yang Tian's high heels clicked crisply on the cobblestone path. After a while, she slowed down, grabbed Su Ming's arm, leaning half her body against it, her steps growing smaller and smaller. Finally, she stopped, looked up at Su Ming, and whispered in an attempt to sound nonchalant, "Let's not walk anymore… let's find a place to stay."

Su Ming turned to look at her. He clearly saw that the tears in Yang Tian's eyes were already starting to well up, so he couldn't help but reach out and pinch her chin, then leaned down and kissed her lips, grinning like a weasel who had just stolen a chicken: "Looks like you've been thinking about this even more than I have! You must have been exhausted these past few days!"

Yang Tian's face flushed instantly, from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, like a ripe apple. She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and pushed him away: "Missing you, my foot! You're the one who's missing me! I'm just tired and want to go to sleep early."

Su Ming saw through her intentions but didn't say anything. He smiled, put his arm around her slender waist, and whispered in her ear, "Okay, then let's go to the hotel we booked last time as soon as possible."

Yang Tian's face turned bright red, her earlobes practically bleeding, and she responded in a barely audible voice, "Mmm!"

The two got on the motorcycle and drove through the town's brightly lit night market, arriving at the hotel where they had stayed last time. The hotel lobby was well-air-conditioned. The receptionist recognized them, smiling as she handed them room keys, her eyes carrying a knowing, unspoken understanding. Su Ming took the key, pulled the still blushing Yang Tian into the elevator, and pressed the button for their floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Yang Tian broke free from his hand, ran to the room door, swiped her key card, and slipped inside first.

As soon as she entered the room, Yang Tian tossed her bag onto the sofa, kicked off her high heels, and walked barefoot to the bathroom door. She glanced back at Su Ming and whispered, "I'm going to take a shower first."

After saying that, she slipped into the bathroom, and the sound of running water quickly filled the air.

Standing by the bed, listening to the faint sound of water coming from the bathroom and the white steam leaking from the crack in the glass door, Su Ming suddenly had a mischievous idea. He sat down on the edge of the bed, leaned back, kicked off his shoes, and lay down on the soft bed fully clothed, covering his face with his arms and pretending to be asleep.

Yang Tian took a while to come out of the shower. She was wrapped in a white bath towel, her hair was wet and draped over her shoulders, with fine water droplets still dripping from the ends. A few wisps of water clung to her collarbone, and her skin glowed a pale pink from the steam of the hot water. She tiptoed over, intending to let Su Ming take a shower, but saw him lying on his back on the bed, his arms draped over his face, breathing slowly and evenly, as if he were already fast asleep.

Yang Tian stood by the bed for two seconds, her expression shifting from anticipation and joy to hurt and disappointment. She had thought Su Ming would be like before, hugging and teasing her as soon as he walked in, or at least waiting for her to finish her shower. But this man had simply fallen asleep. All the pent-up frustration of the past few days, along with the pent-up emotions she'd been holding back all night, surged into her heart. Her nose stung, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She walked to the bedside, gently removed Su Ming's arm, looked at his face, and saw that his eyes were tightly closed, which made her feel even worse. She bit her lip, reached out and slapped the mattress next to Su Ming hard, and sobbed softly in reproach, "That bastard! He hasn't talked to me for days, and when we finally got together in a hotel, he just fell asleep..."