"Why are you back so late?"
As soon as Liu Nanfeng opened the door, Su Jinxiu walked up to him.
She was wearing a silk nightgown and had a towel wrapped around her head, making her look a bit like an Indian, albeit an exceptionally beautiful one.
Liu Nanfeng glanced inside. The lights were off, with only the television screen emitting a glow.
"Has Mom gone to sleep?"
"Yes, Huamei has also gone to rest. What took you so long? Go take a bath first." Su Jinxiu frowned slightly.
"I met with Xiao Liyu by the river," Liu Nanfeng replied.
"Oh, why did you call her out so late at night?" Su Jinxiu asked, sounding a little reproachful.
"It was a whim, and I only realized it afterwards."
Liu Nanfeng felt a bit embarrassed.
"Next time you miss her, just invite her over," Su Jinxiu said, patting his back lightly.
She continued, "Go take a bath first. I have something to tell you later."
"What is it?" Liu Nanfeng asked curiously.
"We'll talk after your bath." Su Jinxiu nudged him towards the bathroom from behind.
"I've got your towel and clothes ready."
Seeing this, Liu Nanfeng could only suppress his curiosity and quickly take a bath.
When he emerged from the bathroom, the TV in the living room was off, and only their bedroom emitted a faint light.
Liu Nanfeng pushed open the slightly ajar bedroom door and entered.
Su Jinxiu had already removed the towel from her head, her bosom partially exposed as she leaned against the headboard, engrossed in a book.
The hem of her silk nightgown had slipped down her fair legs, revealing the upper thighs. Her long, flawless legs were crossed, partially concealed, exuding a captivating allure.
Liu Nanfeng closed the door and lunged forward, his hands sliding beneath the smooth fabric of her nightgown.
"What's the rush? I have something to tell you," Su Jinxiu said, pushing him away slightly.
"I have something to tell you too," Liu Nanfeng replied.
"Oh? What is it?" Su Jinxiu asked, sounding surprised.
"This."
Liu Nanfeng sealed her lips with his own.
Then, with muffled sounds and embraces, they engaged in an intimate conversation.
By the time Liu Nanfeng, exhausted, lay beside her in a state of post-coital bliss, the night was deep and quiet.
"Now, what did you want to say?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
Su Jinxiu pulled his arm, stretched it out, and then snuggled into his embrace, her face still flushed with the afterglow of their passion.
"Your childhood friend is a bit strange. She seems friendly, but she's always cautious, as if she's guarding against something," Su Jinxiu voiced her suspicion.
Liu Nanfeng pondered for a moment and then seemed to understand.
He then shared his own speculations with her.
"So, Shen Wenhua knows Zhan Zhongxiao's identity?"
"It should be accurate."
"Does Zhan Zhongxiao himself know that his identity has been exposed?"
"He probably doesn't. I didn't ask. Anyway, let them handle their own affairs. Shen Wenhua is on guard because she's worried Zhan Zhongxiao might harm her. But is Zhan Zhongxiao that kind of person? So, let's not worry too much."
Liu Nanfeng embraced Su Jinxiu's shoulders and drifted into a deep sleep.
Su Jinxiu, however, remained awake. Bathed in the moonlight filtering through the window, she gazed at Liu Nanfeng's face, her fingers gently caressing his cheek as she lost herself in thought.
The next morning, Liu Nanfeng awoke feeling refreshed.
Su Jinxiu was no longer beside him. As he walked out of the bedroom, he saw Yu Huilan already awake, sitting on the sofa and playing with Moyu.
"Morning, Mom."
"Morning? The sun's already high in the sky. I wanted you to take me back early, but you slept in." Yu Huilan said with a hint of displeasure.
"Then why didn't you wake me?"
"It was your wife's idea. She wanted you to sleep in. You lazy bum, all you do is eat and sleep." Yu Huilan grumbled.
Liu Nanfeng, accustomed to his mother's nagging, pretended not to hear and headed straight for the washroom.
Upon entering the washroom, he found Su Huamei inside. Seeing him, she winked at him. Since Yu Huilan was present, she didn't behave too provocatively.
After breakfast, Liu Nanfeng loaded the gifts Su Jinxiu had bought for her parents into the car and drove Yu Huilan back.
"Mom, if you get carsick, just put a candy in your mouth and close your eyes to sleep," Liu Nanfeng instructed after they got into the car.
"I know. Drive carefully."
Without Su Jinxiu present, Yu Huilan's attitude towards Liu Nanfeng was much more amiable.
Yu Huilan was nice to Su Jinxiu not because she liked Su Jinxiu more than Liu Nanfeng, but because she wanted Su Jinxiu to be good to Liu Nanfeng.
Moreover, women are naturally prone to jealousy of other women, regardless of whether they are mothers or daughters. They always feel that after marriage, a husband should belong entirely to them, essentially a matter of possessiveness.
Therefore, intelligent mothers-in-law often maintain a "distant" relationship with their sons after marriage, primarily to show their daughters-in-law.
In reality, both women understood the situation, but this approach fostered greater harmony between them.
They arrived back in the village before ten o'clock.
Liu Zonghe was tidying up the vegetable patches in the courtyard, as he hadn't gone out.
Seeing Liu Nanfeng enter with large bags, he expressed his dissatisfaction, "We haven't finished the things you brought last time, so why buy so much more? It's a waste of money."
"It was all Jinxiu's purchase. I didn't know."
Liu Nanfeng promptly shifted the blame to Su Jinxiu, and Liu Zonghe stopped bothering him.
Instead, he turned to Yu Huilan, who had followed them in, saying, "You should also tell Jinxiu to stop buying so many things."
"I've already told you, Jinxiu is very stubborn, what can I do?" Yu Huilan replied.
Liu Nanfeng had been observing Liu Zonghe since entering the house. He noticed that while Liu Zonghe's appearance hadn't changed much since their last meeting, his overall demeanor had significantly improved.
It seemed that resolving his inner turmoil had lifted his mental burden, leading to a healthier complexion.
"Are you staying for lunch?" Liu Zonghe asked Liu Nanfeng, turning his head.
"No, it's still early. I can drive back and have lunch there."
Since they were practically family, Liu Zonghe didn't press him to stay.
Upon returning to the coffee shop, Su Jinxiu and Su Huamei were waiting for him to have lunch together.
However, during lunch, he received a call from Zhan Zhongxiao.
"Did you take Auntie home?"
"Yes, I took her back first thing this morning."
"So you're back now?"
"Yes, I'm back. Is something wrong?"
"I'm at the entrance of your complex."
"Oh, at the entrance? What's up?"
"Come and see." Zhan Zhongxiao hung up the phone abruptly.
Liu Nanfeng had no choice but to quickly finish his lunch and head over.
He then saw Zhan Zhongxiao parked under a tree at the complex entrance, riding an electric scooter.
"Try it out and see if it fits," Zhan Zhongxiao said as he dismounted upon seeing Liu Nanfeng.
"You actually bought me an electric scooter?" Liu Nanfeng was somewhat surprised.
"A man stands by his word."
"I'm buying an electric scooter mainly for food delivery. Any ordinary one will do. This 'Niutou' brand must have cost seven or eight thousand, right?"
"Don't worry about the price. It's yours now," Zhan Zhongxiao said dismissively, indicating he was quite well-off.
"You're really..." Liu Nanfeng didn't know what to say.
"Alright, I'm leaving now," Zhan Zhongxiao said, about to turn away.
"Have you had lunch yet?"
If he hadn't, Liu Nanfeng decided to treat him to a meal.
"No, but I'm going to see Wenhua now, and I'll probably eat with her."
"Oh, you two are progressing quite quickly?" Liu Nanfeng was happy for him.
"Wenhua has a cold, so I'm going to see her."
"A cold?"
"Yes, and her parents seem to have caught it too."
Liu Nanfeng understood with a sudden realization, attributing it to the 'noxious energy' from the previous day.
He then said, "Then hurry up and go. Message me on WeChat if anything comes up."
Zhan Zhongxiao nodded and hailed a taxi to leave.
Liu Nanfeng looked at the brand-new electric scooter in front of him and rode it to the delivery station.
To his surprise, many of the delivery riders were not out delivering orders but were gathered around, talking about something. This was particularly odd, as it was peak hours for orders.
As Liu Nanfeng approached, he realized they were surrounding a beautiful girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old. Judging by her attire, she must be a new delivery rider.
But, even a femme fatale is delivering food now? Is the competition this fierce for food delivery jobs?