A mature woman in her early forties, at an age practically humming with passion. A woman of exceptional appearance, beauty, and temperant, who has remained single for years, sohow managing to live so quietly in this motley night market. It must be that this woman, Lin iqing, is far from being as simple as she seems on the surface. Besides, isn’t she a little *too* concerned about , Shen Fanyun? At the end of the day, I’m just Lin Jia’s colleague. An ordinary one at that. So why does she have Lin Jia invite over for dinner so often? Could it be? Has this beautiful lady, who has kept to herself for so many years, finally succumbed to loneliness and fallen for at first sight?
Surely not? Shen Fanyun rubbed his face. He’d be the first to admit he was handso, but was he so attractive that he could effortlessly charm a gorgeous woman like Lin iqing?
Good heavens! What a sinful thought! Shen Fanyun silently muttered a prayer. He patted his head, chiding himself for his despicable train of thought, even as his eyes darted to size up Lin iqing.
She wore a purple dress, which happened to be his favorite color. Her white canvas shoes were a practical, simple choice; given that her work involved physical labor, she certainly couldn’t wear high heels. Her skin was as pale and smooth as jade. Her eyes were deep and expressive, crinkling into crescent moons when she smiled. It was as if more than forty years of life had failed to strip away the spirited and carefree air of her youth.
They say true beauty is in the bones, not just the skin. This woman didn’t just have a unique bone structure; her external appearance was the kind you would rember for a long, long ti—perhaps for a lifeti—after a single glance. In comparison, the young beauty Lin Jia was no match for Lin iqing at all. Lin iqing had the figure, the looks, and the allure... A young girl like Lin Jia couldn’t even begin to comprehend what true feminine charm was!
"Sorry to keep you waiting. You must be starving," Lin iqing said, serving Shen Fanyun a few ho-cooked dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured at, and a seaweed soup. The ingredients were simple, but the flavor was endlessly satisfying. Lin iqing carried a faint scent of perfu, one that wasn’t cloying or overly sweet. It was more like a fragrant, aged wine, slowly and subtly unfolding.
"Your taste is incredible, Auntie," Shen Fanyun blurted out as he ate with abandon.
The next second, the atmosphere froze. As the aning of his words dawned on him, Shen Fanyun felt a wave of embarrassnt. What did I an by ’Your taste is incredible, Auntie’? Anyone who didn’t know better would think I was talking about sothing else entirely! The statent was far too ambiguous.
Lin iqing, however, remained unfazed. She simply wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and turned back to her work. It had to be said, compared to Shen Fanyun’s flustered reaction, Lin iqing was a true veteran of the world—unflustered and undisturbed.
While Shen Fanyun continued to feast, Lin iqing finished cleaning up and took a brief rest on a small chair by the door. The evening breeze was gentle. As she sat there, she looked like a painting—her curves perfect, her figure tall. The world is full of wonderful won, but none of them compare to a mature woman who can simply say, "I understand you."
Suddenly, Lin Jia received a call. After a few brief words, her brow furrowed, and she didn’t even have ti to finish her al. "Mom, I think the bathroom pipe at ho is leaking. The landlord just called and told to go check on it now."
Lin iqing looked surprised. She quickly stood up and started untying her apron, but just then, a custor walked in. It was clear she wouldn’t have ti to go back and handle it. Her only option was to ask Lin Jia. "How about you head ho for a bit?"
Normally, they would have gone together. If a pipe had burst, they would need to call a professional for repairs. Lin Jia was a girl—a very beautiful one at that—and there were risks to her being ho alone. Ultimately, it was a matter of being better safe than sorry.
Shen Fanyun saw the worry on Lin iqing’s face. "I’ll go with Jiajia. It’s not safe for her to go back alone this late at night."
Lin iqing looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh, then... I’m sorry to trouble you."
"As the resident freeloader, I have to find a way to make it up to you, Auntie," Shen Fanyun joked, but regretted the words the mont they left his mouth.
What is wrong with tonight? What did I an by ’make it up to you, Auntie’? Have I been cursed or sothing? Why is every exchange with Lin iqing so rife with innuendo?
As he expected, Lin iqing’s beautiful eyes glanced over, and she gave him a pointed look, the corner of her lips twitching into a barely perceptible smirk. Right then, Shen Fanyun had only one thought: escape. This was just too awkward.
"Let’s go," Shen Fanyun said, nudging Lin Jia.
Lin Jia nodded, her tone sincere. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Director. Thank you."
"We’re colleagues. No need for thanks," Shen Fanyun said, patting her on the head.
Lin Jia added, "We just live in a nearby residential complex. Um... our place isn’t very big. I hope you don’t mind."
Though Shen Fanyun often acted irreverently, it didn’t an he lacked manners. He had agreed to go with Lin Jia, but only to ensure her safety; he had no intention of actually going inside. At most, he’d wait at the door until she was done. It was, after all, the private ho of a mother and her daughter. As a man, he would feel far too awkward stepping inside.
Lin Jia and Lin iqing lived in an old complex of standard six-story buildings. There were no elevators, only stairs, and their apartnt was on the top floor. Lin Jia bounced up the stairs, her stamina frighteningly good. She reached the sixth floor without her face flushing or even becoming winded, then unlocked the door and imdiately switched on the light.
Shen Fanyun stayed in the doorway. "You go handle it. I’ll wait out here."
"Ah?" Lin Jia was taken aback, but then a thought seed to strike her. Our Director’s emotional intelligence is so high! She giggled and nodded. "Okay, I’ll take care of it right now." In one smooth motion, she slipped off her shoes, took off her jacket, and went inside.
Shen Fanyun stood in the hallway and lit a cigarette, figuring Lin Jia would have the problem sorted out quickly. But he had barely taken two puffs when a sharp cry ca from inside the apartnt. His expression shifted. "What’s wrong?"
"Director, my house is flooded! No, wait, I take that back! This is a huge flood! The water pipe must have burst!" Lin Jia had obviously never encountered such a situation.
By the ti she ca running out of the bathroom in a helpless panic, she was completely drenched. Water droplets clung to her eyelashes, her forehead, and the tips of her hair. It was a warm spring evening, with sumr not yet arrived, and the temperature was comfortable. Clad in red hot pants and a white round-neck T-shirt, the frantic and flustered Lin Jia was a sight that was instantly imprinted in Shen Fanyun’s mind.
He had never imagined Lin Jia was so well-endowed. Those proportions... they were absolutely staggering! What’s more, with the wet T-shirt clinging to her skin, two prominent semicircles looked like they were about to burst free at any second!
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