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

Before he could finish speaking, Su Ming suddenly sat up in bed, reached out and pulled Yang Tian into his arms. He lowered his head and kissed her hard on the back of her wet ear, while his other arm tightly wrapped around her waist, which was covered by a bath towel. With a hint of triumphant pleasure, he laughed and said, "Missed me, didn't you? Still wouldn't admit it... Now I've caught you red-handed."

Yang Tian was startled by his sudden movement and let out a soft "Ah!" before launching into a flurry of punches at his chest. She was both ashamed and angry, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, yet her lips were already uncontrollably curling upwards: "You're so bad! You were pretending to be asleep! You…"

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, until finally she buried her face in his chest and mumbled, "Go take a shower."

Su Ming chuckled, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and pulled her face from his embrace, feigning ignorance as he asked, "Why are you taking a bath?"

Yang Tian's face flushed instantly, all the way to the roots of her neck, even her shoulders turning a faint blush. She lowered her head, her voice so soft it sounded like it was coming from under the covers: "Do whatever you want. Tonight... I'm all yours anyway."

Su Ming smiled and leaned down to kiss her collarbone, where water droplets were still rolling. Yang Tian's body trembled slightly, but she immediately reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, responding to him with utmost passion and shyness.

Her fingers threaded through the hair at the back of his head, and she let out a soft, rapid breath near his ear. Su Ming suddenly released her, took a half-inch back, and chuckled as he brushed her hands away from his neck: "Alright, I'll go take a shower!"

Yang Tian had no choice but to let go, looking at him with misty, watery eyes, her face flushed crimson. Su Ming jumped off the bed, pulled his phone and cigarette case from his pocket and tossed them on the coffee table, then shuffled into the bathroom in his slippers and quickly took a hot shower. When he came out, Yang Tian was already under the covers, only her rosy cheeks and a head of black hair spread out on the snow-white pillow visible. When she saw him come out, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she had finally received the answer she had been waiting for.

Su Ming lifted the covers and slipped inside, and the two naturally embraced. He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her slightly parted lips, and Yang Tian tilted her head back to receive his kisses, her passion bordering on bravery. Then, Yang Tian suddenly broke free from his embrace, pulled the covers over her head, and mumbled, "Turn off the light... turn off the light."

Su Ming smiled and turned off the bedside lamp. In the darkness, the city's neon lights seeped in through the gaps in the slightly open curtains, like a layer of pale red gauze spread across the undulating outline of the blankets. Two young bodies embraced and intertwined passionately in the darkness once more, as if trying to make up for every bit of the intimacy they had missed during their separation. The night outside gradually deepened, but the air in the room grew warmer and warmer, lingering until midnight before the two finally fell asleep, exhausted, in each other's arms, like two fish weary from swimming in a secret river.

Su Ming and Yang Tian were fast asleep.

The air conditioner in the hotel room hummed softly, its cool air spreading evenly from the vents, making the whole room pleasantly cool. The curtains weren't fully drawn, and a faint sliver of nighttime light, tinged with the cold hues of the city's neon lights, pierced through the gaps, falling on two pairs of slippers kicked haphazardly by the bed. Yang Tian was curled up in Su Ming's arms, her head resting on his arm, her breathing soft and even, her loose hair draped over his shoulder. Su Ming was also fast asleep, one hand resting on her bare back, his dreams still lingering on the daytime factory and the sweltering heat of the night.

He didn't know how long he had slept when a sharp cell phone ring suddenly rang out, piercing the silence of the room like a knife cutting through the night. It was Yang Tian's phone. The phone, which was on the bedside table, lit up and vibrated, tugging Su Ming out of his sleep. He opened his eyes, glancing groggily towards the source of the sound. Yang Tian, ​​in his arms, was also awakened, frowning as she turned over. She stretched a pale arm out from under the covers, squinted, and fumbled around on the bedside table for a few moments before finally grabbing the phone.

She glanced at the caller ID, her sleepiness instantly vanishing. She hurriedly answered the phone, her voice still hoarse from just waking up: "Hello, sister-in-law?"

A woman's voice came from the other end of the phone, broken and intermittent, mixed with suppressed cries of pain and rapid breathing. Su Ming was close enough to vaguely hear a few words: "Sweetie... I... I've had an attack... It hurts so much... Yang Jing hasn't come back yet... Could you... could you come and take me to the hospital...?"

Yang Tian sat up abruptly, the blanket slipping off her shoulders, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin beneath the neckline of her pajamas. Her expression changed instantly, and while reassuring her over the phone, "Sister-in-law, don't be afraid, I'm coming right away," she had already thrown back the covers and gotten out of bed, barefoot on the floor looking for slippers.

Su Ming sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, and asked, "What's wrong?"

As Yang Tian reached for the clothes draped over the back of the chair, she spoke rapidly, "My sister-in-law is in labor. My brother isn't home yet, and she's all alone. I have to rush over and take her to the hospital."

She hurriedly pulled her jeans onto her legs, not even bothering to comb her hair, with a few strands sticking to her sweaty cheeks.

Without a word, Su Ming got up and started getting dressed. As he pulled his T-shirt on, he hooked his foot over his sneakers, his voice concise and decisive: "I'll go too. It'll be easier with an extra hand."

Yang Tian looked up at him, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but she quickly nodded, her voice urgent yet filled with barely suppressed emotion: "Okay, let's go."

The night was as deep as if it had been soaked in ink. The streets were deserted; even the busiest night market of the day had closed, leaving only a few lonely streetlights casting a dim, weary glow against the deep blue sky. Su Ming mounted his motorcycle, Yang Tian straddled the back, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, her face pressed against his back, urging him to go faster. Su Ming twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle roared off, the tires splashing through a small puddle on the road, sending up a spray of water. The night wind whistled past her ears, blowing Yang Tian's long hair, which she hadn't had time to tie up, into a disheveled mess.

When they arrived at Yang Tian's brother's building, the two rushed into the building. They pressed the elevator button, but nothing happened; it seemed broken.

Unable to wait any longer, the two took the stairs. The motion-activated lights flickered on and off, emitting an annoying buzzing sound. Yang Tian ran a few steps, then turned back and grabbed Su Ming's hand, and the two rushed upstairs together. Reaching the door, Yang Tian pulled out her phone to call her sister-in-law while pounding on the door. The door opened from the inside, revealing Yang Tian's sister-in-law, her body hunched over, one hand clutching her prominently pregnant belly, the other supporting herself on the doorframe. Her face was as white as a damp sheet of paper, and her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. Upon seeing Yang Tian, ​​her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but before she could utter a word, another contraction struck, causing her to collapse in pain, her legs trembling so badly she could barely stand.

Su Ming stepped forward, and Yang Tian quickly grabbed her sister-in-law's arm, her voice trembling with anxiety: "Sister-in-law! Can you walk? We need to get to the hospital right away! Can't we get through to my brother on the phone? Never mind, let's not wait for him, let's go first!"

She turned to Su Ming with a hint of helplessness in her eyes, "The elevator...yes, the elevator is over there!"

"The elevator is broken. I pressed the button for a long time when we came up, but nothing happened," Su Ming reminded him.