Whew!
Boss Niu's driver dropped Xu Bin off at the store. Watching the car disappear into the distance, Xu Bin exhaled deeply. But even with the matter seemingly resolved, a nail of unease was still lodged in his heart. Boss Niu's righteous support wasn't likely born of pure admiration for his talent. Maybe it was admiration—but that kind of admiration always came with a desire to possess.
For now, this is fine, Xu Bin thought. I don't mind earning less, as long as I don't offend the wrong people. You can treat me like a pawn—I'll tolerate any hardship. But one day, when the system makes me a rich and powerful man, all these threats will unravel on their own.
"How did it go?" Zhong Yu rushed out anxiously. When she got a positive response, she too let out a breath of relief.
If you wanted to run a small business and survive in society, you couldn't avoid all kinds of people. No one wanted to offend those from the underworld, but you'd find them everywhere. In the end, there were only two choices: compromise or surrender. Avoiding this kind of trouble altogether was the best outcome she could hope for.
"They delivered the washing machine," Zhong Yu said. "I already paid for it. And the money you left? I didn't even use all of it. It's in the drawer."
"Come on, let's go celebrate with a meal."
Zhong Yu nodded. It was a day worth celebrating. But when she looked at the man beside her—his head and hands wrapped like a mummy for the second time in two weeks—she couldn't help but laugh. Does this guy not feel pain, or is he faking it? Beaten to a pulp yesterday, hustling all day today, and still has the energy to eat out at night. Truly bizarre.
And the oddities didn't stop there. After dinner, they went grocery shopping. Xu Bin had a strong craving for high-calorie snacks, and no matter how Zhong Yu tried to talk him out of it, he just grinned and bought them anyway. Though they weren't yet at the point of sharing finances, Zhong Yu didn't push the issue.
Back at the store, for the first time, lowering the security gate didn't feel like separating two people—it felt more like the sealing of a shared space. The absence of the partition wall was like the removal of an emotional barrier, as if Zhong Yu was silently telling Xu Bin: I'm no longer guarded with you.
"Stop! Look at you. What do you think you're doing in your condition?"
She could hardly breathe under his eager embrace, half annoyed and half amused. But her words only fueled the fire. Xu Bin's inner beast was fully awakened.
There's one thing you never tell a man: that he can't.
And so, it happened naturally. On Zhong Yu's sweet-smelling, soft single bed, in an atmosphere filled with warmth and ambiguity, the two of them crossed a threshold—experiencing the deepest form of intimacy. There was no blood, but Xu Bin could sense this was her first time—or at the very least, she hadn't done this often. Finding a "pure" twenty-something girl in today's world was rare enough that Xu Bin never even dared expect it. And for the record, it had already been over twenty days since their relationship had shifted—by modern standards, taking this long before becoming intimate already made them an outlier.
Zhong Yu, sensitive as she was, rolled on top of Xu Bin and pinched his nose hard: "What are you thinking about, huh? I did ballet when I was little. Got stretched a few times."
Xu Bin laughed, any romantic notions instantly dissolved. "So what? Nobody said anything. Why are you explaining?"
Zhong Yu's eyes widened. "Hmph! You men—I know exactly what you're thinking. Always pushing your luck!"
Their bare-skin contact, fueled by youth and hormones, made it impossible to stop. Lacking experience, they hadn't controlled themselves well the first time. So when round two came knocking, Xu Bin threw a blanket over both of them and grinned: "Then let me push my luck one more time."
"Ah! You jerk!"
A dancer's body might break earlier, but it also gained extraordinary flexibility and endurance. As Xu Bin "pushed his luck," Zhong Yu didn't seem to feel any discomfort at all.
That night's sleep was the deepest Xu Bin had had in nearly two years since leaving home. With a warm beauty in his arms and a heart full of satisfaction, the idea of "sleep" itself was transformed. It was no longer just for rest—it was for joy. When the phone alarm woke them both the next morning, there was no awkwardness. After all, when you've seen each other completely naked, you pretty much know each other's "weight class."
It was the first time Xu Bin had seen Zhong Yu without makeup.
Things had been wild the night before—no one had time to wash up. In the morning, she sat at her small vanity to cleanse and reapply light makeup. Watching her from bed, Xu Bin smacked his lips and said, "You know, I think you look better with light makeup than heavy."
Without makeup, Zhong Yu was far from unattractive—unlike many girls who looked unrecognizable. Her smooth, fair skin was her best asset.
Xu Bin, still naked, crept up behind her and hugged her in her lace nightgown. For the past few weeks, she had worn pajamas to bed—practical and modest. Now, with nothing to hide, she brought out the comfy, lacy sleepwear. Naturally, this triggered someone's morning excitement. Once the barrier is broken, everything becomes a habit. The more often it happens, the less guarded they became—exposing their worst habits and most unfiltered selves.
Eventually, you stop caring whether they're watching you change clothes or seeing your messy hair. That's what familiarity looks like: acting the same whether they're around or not.
They opened late that day. Xu Bin, still riding his high, had left the shop early in the morning. When he returned an hour later, Zhong Yu was red as an apple. The neighbors' cheeky, knowing smiles made her furious.
She grabbed Xu Bin by the arm and pinched him over and over. "Who told you to go buy that? Tonight, you're sleeping in your room. This is so embarrassing!"
As it turned out, Xu Bin had gone to the furniture mall and bought a double bed and a full brand-name bedding set. The delivery crew brought it right into the shop—in full view of the neighbors. Of course they laughed.
Xu Bin didn't care. He seized the opportunity—this was a tactic from the school of street survival. After a night like that, what kind of idiot would want to sleep alone in a cold, narrow bed again? His room, half used for storage and repair work, didn't even have space to stand. Meanwhile, this room was warm, inviting, and fragrant—with a beautiful woman waiting. If he didn't move in now, when would he?
With their relationship now intimate, even the smallest details began to shift. They shared the same towel, same toothbrush holder. At meals, Zhong Yu casually pushed her leftovers into Xu Bin's bowl. When she went shopping, she brought home socks and underwear—for two.
That afternoon, the new store sign was delivered and installed. The shop officially became Shuangquan Appliances. Standing outside and staring at the large sign, Xu Bin felt like success was within reach. The psychological boost was massive. One shop now, but one day I'll own a place of my own. Work hard. Work harder.
Zhong Yu didn't quite understand why he suddenly dashed into the back room like he was on a mission. But soon, bag after bag of old parts were being tossed out. All the used washing machines were completely refurbished. She once tried to sneak a peek at his process, but he always made excuses to turn her away.
"It's simple," he said. "I can only work in an isolated space. If someone's watching me, I lose focus. And if I lose focus, the quality drops. Plus, I have to eat while I work. Ever since I watched Chow Yun-fat's God of Gamblers as a kid, I developed this weird habit—can't do anything unless I've got chocolate or something sweet."
"Congratulations, Host. You've completed the weekly mission. You've earned one spin of the Attribute Reward Wheel."
"New Weekly Mission: Refurbish five old phones…"
Xu Bin was now used to this. He went straight into the spin interface and gave the wheel a spin. He didn't even bother checking the reward options anymore—too frustrating if he saw something good and didn't win. The wheel stopped spinning. He looked at the prize and grinned.
Exactly what I needed.
To many men, if you had to choose between becoming tall and rich… or this, you'd probably choose this.
Damn, this one's too good. Every man dreams of it.
"+1 cm… to a certain body part." 😏