She stood quietly, not wanting to disturb. Zhou Yuanshen took the cigarette offered from the nearby pack, placed it between his lips, and as he flicked the lighter, his eyes caught sight of the familiar figure standing not far away. After a few seconds of contemplation, he lit the cigarette.

In a low voice, he said, "Come here."

This command caught Sinian off guard. She hadn't expected Zhou Yuanshen to be so busy even at noon. She had intended to wait until he was free before approaching.

The person standing opposite Zhou Yuanshen turned his head, seeming momentarily surprised, then exchanged a few words with Zhou Yuanshen before leaving the office. As he passed Sinian, he nodded in acknowledgment before departing.

Sinian then realized that the man wasn't from the livestock farm nor was he there to discuss cooperation with Zhou Yuanshen. He was the undercover police officer who had previously investigated the disappearance of the "three thousand yuan."

Surprised, Sinian walked into the office, intending to ask, but the door behind her was promptly closed by the man.

Her breath caught in her throat. Without turning around, she could feel the heat emanating from behind. The man stood close, too close. If she took a step back, she would collide with him.

After a night apart, despite no words being spoken, how could a couple in the midst of such passionate love resist each other's presence?

Of course, they couldn't.

Both Sinian and Zhou Yuanshen were feeling it.

Sinian felt her scalp tingling. Feigning composure, she opened the basket, took out a green bean cake, and turned around. Upon meeting the man's deep, smoldering gaze, she swallowed nervously. "I... I made some green bean cakes. Would you like to try?"

Zhou Yuanshen glanced at her.

Sinian held her breath.

The man looked at her for a few seconds, then without saying a word, he extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray on the desk. He then bent down and ate from her hand, his lips brushing against her fingertips.

Feeling a rush of heat, Sinian quickly turned around and opened the lunchbox, intending for him to eat first. But as she opened it, her arm was suddenly pulled, and she found herself being spun around by him.

Sinian was taken aback, raising her gaze to meet Zhou Yuanshen's as he pushed her against the desk, his large hand gripping her waist firmly. He lowered his head, his voice cold.

"Yesterday, I spent the whole night running errands with your brother. I'm familiar with the routes. I didn't intentionally stay out."

Sinian was bewildered. Was he explaining himself? She couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Did this man really think she was so petty? Of course, she knew he was busy and had good reasons for not coming home. Did he worry she would misunderstand?

Amused and touched at the same time, she let her fingers brush lightly over the furrowed brows of the man before sliding down his chiseled face, hooking onto his neck and planting a kiss on his thin lips.

Zhou Yuanshen's dark eyes narrowed, and he pressed her tightly against the desk.

Sinian's eyes trembled. Why was this man getting so close?

Seeing that he was about to kiss her, Sinian quickly stopped him. "Eat first."

Being affectionate in the office where others could see would surely lead to gossip. Sinian also worried about things getting out of hand. Besides, she was curious about why the police officer had come. Could it be related to the three thousand yuan incident again?

The man fell silent for a moment, lowering his head to her neck, his breath hot against her skin. After a while, he withdrew his hands, pulled out a chair, and gestured for her to sit down. Then he explained the reason for the other person's visit.

It turned out that it was the friend Liu Dongdong, mentioned by Lin Sisi, who had found him. However, the other party admitted that Lin Sisi had approached her about this matter. This puzzled the police because, upon investigation, Lin Sisi and Liu Dongdong didn't have much contact in normal circumstances, not even enough to be considered friends. Yet, this time, she admitted to the matter. There were only two possibilities: either Lin Sisi had informed her before the police found her, or there was some kind of transaction between them. In this era, without surveillance or physical evidence, it was difficult to convict someone, even if they were already suspected.

When Sini finished listening, her expression was surprisingly shocked. Because the name Liu Dongdong... she had actually come across it in a novel. In the novel, Liu Dongdong was a desperate country girl forced by her family to the end of her rope. The female lead sympathized with her plight and always helped her. But Liu Dongdong not only failed to appreciate it, but also took the opportunity to seduce Fu Yang... causing many misunderstandings between the male and female leads. As the male lead from the dominant perspective, he was already emotionally detached. Before being completely conquered by the female lead, he didn't actively refuse or accept, resulting in many romantic entanglements. With Liu Dongdong's pitiful background, there were even some ambiguous descriptions between them. But now, hearing this name from the police, Sini felt that the storyline seemed somewhat different from what she remembered...

Back in the city, Lin Sisi had just returned when she heard the guard call out, "Comrade Lin Sisi?" Lin Sisi was puzzled. After she had moved her household registration, her parents hadn't changed her name. After all, Lin Sisi had been her name for over a decade, so changing it now would feel awkward.

"If I have to use the surname 'Si', then I'll be called Sisi, which sounds very ominous. These days, I've been making noise about divorcing. I thought the Fu family would come to apologize to me. But unexpectedly, all this time has passed, and Fu Yang has never set foot at my door. Not only did he not come to apologize, but my parents also asked me to go to Fu Yang and reconcile! Although I'm worried that this might lead to an actual divorce, it's clearly Fu Yang's fault, yet now I have to lower my head. Lin Sisi feels particularly aggrieved. If it were the Lin family, they would definitely stand by my side. Lin Sisi, who has been pampered by her parents since childhood, always thought that the Si family would cherish her more. Although they compensated me financially, once it involved interests, I would surely be sacrificed. And what's more, they said that Sini never used to anger Fu Yang and often made soup for him! Asking me to learn from Sini! Does that mean I'm inferior to Sini? It's infuriating! Lin Sisi has been feeling terrible for a long time, but she still has to lower her head. She just went out to buy some things to make soup to apologize to the Fu family and Fu Yang, but unexpectedly, the security guard stopped her. Naturally, she's a bit puzzled. 'What's the matter?'"

The guard said, "There's a girl named Liu Dongdong who claims to be your classmate and came looking for you. She asked me to tell you to make sure to go to the Fifth Textile Factory to find her."

The Fifth Textile Factory was one of the largest branches of their city's main textile factory. Many young girls worked there. When Lin Sisi heard the name Liu Dongdong, her face turned pale. She had been so busy giving Fu Yang the cold shoulder these past few days that she had forgotten about this important matter. Now that Liu Dongdong was looking for her, could it mean that the police had already contacted her? The thought made Lin Sisi's face go white, and she almost dropped the bag in her hand. But soon, she relaxed. If Liu Dongdong had really informed the police, they would have come to her by now, considering that three thousand yuan was not a small sum. But since the police hadn't come and Liu Dongdong was seeking her out, she must have something to say. Although Lin Sisi and Liu Dongdong weren't close, why would she help her? Lin Sisi was puzzled but didn't have time to dwell on it. She hurried to the Fifth Textile Factory to find Liu Dongdong.

Soon, Liu Dongdong, covered in dust, emerged from the factory. Seeing her weary face, Lin Sisi couldn't help but feel sorry for her. This was the outcome of not studying hard in this era. Either you got married or you went to work to earn money. Earning twenty yuan a month and having to give it all to the family was exhausting. The last time Lin Sisi saw Liu Dongdong, she was full of hope for the textile factory, but now she looked like she had aged ten years. The assembly line was truly frightening.

The contrast between the two was stark. When Liu Dongdong saw Lin Sisi, her eyes lit up and she hurried over. But unexpectedly, Lin Sisi took two steps back, frowning. It wasn't that she looked down on her. But Liu Dongdong noticed her reaction, and her expression momentarily soured.