After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice deep, "They... all look good."

Sinan asked, "Which one looks the best?"

That question stumped him.

A pause.

The sales assistant on the side chuckled, covering her mouth, "Sir seems to be having trouble choosing. After all, Miss, everything you're wearing looks beautiful."

Sinan frowned, "But I can't possibly buy them all."

"Okay," Zhou Yueshen agreed without hesitation.

Sinan looked puzzled, "?"

The sales assistant laughed even harder, "What a generous man!"

Sinan quickly said, "No, no, just one is enough. I can't possibly buy everything."

Oops.

Did Zhou Yueshen think she was hinting that she liked everything?

She quickly took off the gold and jade bracelets and looked at Zhou Yueshen with eager eyes, "I'll just take this necklace."

The necklace was over two thousand, within her affordable range. But considering that in this era, two thousand was almost her entire savings!

Zhou Yueshen's brows furrowed deeply, "No, I insist on buying."

He had seen Lin Sisi earlier, flaunting her gold and silver, showing off in front of Sinan.

Did Zhou Yueshen really not get it?

Back in the countryside, Sinan had started dressing more casually, without any accessories to adorn her. He thought the gold bracelet would suit her perfectly, looking fabulous on her wrist.

Zhou Yueshen had noticed the price tag. For families like theirs, it was indeed expensive. But money could be earned again, while marriage was a lifetime commitment. He didn't want to compromise on her happiness. At the very least, she should have gold.

Pointing at the gold bracelet and necklace, he said, "We'll take these."

Though Sinan found them pricey, she knew these items would only appreciate in value over time, and what woman didn't love such things? She had been worried that he might find it burdensome to spend so much, but it seemed he didn't think that way at all. A man who willingly spends on his woman is truly charming.

People around couldn't help but cast envious glances at Sinan.

After some bargaining, the final price was a little over thirteen thousand yuan. Such a sum would only be affordable for city folks. Sinan felt her palms sweat as she held the bag, but her eyes were shining brightly.

Looking into her eyes, Zhou Yueshen felt she resembled a child, much like the way their second child had looked when he got a new school bag—filled with innocent excitement.

Halfway through their journey, Sinan's attention was suddenly captured by some green onions growing by the roadside. She tapped Zhou Yueshen on the back.

Zhou Yueshen stopped the car and turned to her, "What's up?"

"Look, there are so many green onions!" Sinan pointed to the lush green onion sprouts by the roadside. Green onions added a special fragrance and flavor to clear soup noodles and were delicious when stir-fried with eggs. Most importantly, the bulbs at the bottom were perfect when soaked in soy sauce—a great accompaniment to meals.

Next to fernbrake, green onions were one of Sinan's favorite foods that went well with rice. She couldn't handle spicy or strong-smelling foods, especially in the heat. So, she loved sour radishes, pickled fernbrake, and garlic bulbs—perfect side dishes to whet her appetite. While regular garlic was too pungent and spicy, green garlic was just right. Green onions were also great for making noodle soups.

Back in the village, these were available in people's gardens, but it wasn't polite to just dig them up. But wild foods were abundant when in season, and a single batch could last a long time. Being in such a remote area now, Sinan didn't have to worry about that.

Zhou Yueshen noticed that some villagers also consumed these green onions, using them to stir-fry cured meat, which was delicious. Sinan loved cooking, so it was only natural for her to take a liking to such ingredients. They decided to stop the car, and Zhou Yueshen quickly dug out a bunch with a wooden stake.

Sinan couldn't stop herself once she started digging; she found it incredibly therapeutic. She would have continued if raindrops hadn't suddenly started falling.

She filled a bag with the green onions, which looked like a lot but wasn't that much when pickled. They hurriedly got on their motorcycle.

However, the rain came pouring down out of nowhere, turning into a downpour in no time.

Zhou Yueshen draped his coat over Sinan, leaving himself drenched like a drowned rat. Rainwater trickled down his sharp brows, but his gaze remained unchanged, unwavering. He safely sped back home with Sinan.

Upon seeing the two drenched figures, Mrs. Lin hurried over to help carry their things. While Sinan's pants were wet, her upper body was fine. Zhou Yueshen, on the other hand, was much worse off.

Feeling embarrassed, Sinan touched her nose. If they hadn't stopped to pick the green onions, they could've avoided this rain altogether. But it was too late to change that now.

Mrs. Lin handed Zhou Yueshen some of her eldest son's clothes, telling them to change in their room. Luckily, Sinan had brought spare clothes, which made things easier. It was the same room they had been in before...

As they stepped into the room, they exchanged awkward glances. Zhou Yueshen was about to leave, saying, "You go ahead and change, I'll go to another room."

But just as he took a couple of steps, his hand was grabbed—cold to the touch. Frowning, he lowered his gaze to see Sinan leaning against the doorframe, her face red from the cold, wet strands of hair sticking to her face, giving her a delicate appearance.

"Change here, I won't look," she said, her voice soft.

Zhou Yueshen looked puzzled, "?"

Who was protecting whom?

For a moment, he felt as if their roles had been reversed.

Sinan turned away, starting to undress. They were about to get married, so what was there to pretend about? Could she not tell what kind of person he was?

Rolling her eyes, she changed into her dress. Turning around, she saw Zhou Yueshen in grey trousers, shirtless. Water droplets trickled down his neck, sliding into the grooves of his spine...

Zhou Yueshen casually wiped himself dry with a towel, blocking Sinan's view. He then put on the less-than-stylish clothes belonging to her eldest brother, which seemed a bit tight on him. But judging from the size, her eldest brother must be quite tall.

In an instant, Zhou Yueshen transformed from a tough guy into a rustic man. However, his deep, indifferent gaze was something unique, an aura not many could possess.

Feeling uncomfortable under her stare, Zhou Yueshen cleared his throat and spoke first, "I'll step out for a bit." He turned and left the room.

Sinan felt something odd about this man, who always seemed to avoid her gaze. If he hadn't been wearing that stern expression, she would've thought he was shy.

After drying her hair and letting her body warm up a bit, Sinan left the room. Inside, a few children were sitting neatly, diligently doing their homework. Only Zhou Yuedong and Lin Feng seemed focused. Lin Yu and Zhou Yuehan, however, were absent-mindedly biting their pen tips, their eyes glancing towards the kitchen. Sinan could tell they were probably daydreaming about food.

Mrs. Lin and Zhou SuiSui were busy in the kitchen, while YaoYao had already gone to sleep. Zhou Yueshen was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling puzzled by his earlier behavior, Sinan asked, "Mom, where's Zhou Yueshen?"

Mrs. Lin replied casually, "Xiao Zhou? Didn't you see him just now? Didn't he go out?"

Sinan was puzzled. With such heavy rain, he couldn't have gone out, could he? She walked around the house, her steps pausing suddenly. Under the back door's eaves, leaning against the wall and smoking, was a tall man. Who else could it be but Zhou Yueshen?

Outside, the rain tapped rhythmically. Zhou Yueshen, illuminated by the dim light, had a cigarette dangling from his slightly parted lips. The occasional wisp of smoke highlighted his sharp and handsome face, adding a hazy allure.

Sinan rarely saw Zhou Yueshen smoke, and she didn't even like men who smoked. But for the first time, she thought that men could look so cool while smoking. She felt a sudden craving, even though she had never smoked before. That cigarette must be really good, she thought.

Before she realized it, Sinan had walked up to him, her eyes fixed on his lips. Zhou Yueshen straightened up and looked down.

Standing still for a moment, Sinan finally asked in a slow voice, "Is it good?"

A hint of a mysterious smile flashed across Zhou Yueshen's dark eyes. His voice was low, "Want to try?"

Sinan looked at him, her eyes unexpectedly filled with anticipation. With a soft chuckle, Zhou Yueshen took another drag from the cigarette, gripped her waist firmly, and pulled her towards him. Then he leaned down and kissed her.

—

Intimacy is so hard to write! Are you trying to torture me since I don't have anyone to share it with?