"How did I not behave?"

Shen Huaichuan chuckled softly. A rustling sound came from the receiver, as if he were moving his body on the other end. The sound of fabric rubbing together had a slight hissing sound of electricity, and it was exceptionally clear.

Zhou Qiqi recalled the last time at the hospital, when Shen Huaichuan was clearly so badly injured, but he insisted that it was nothing serious, only to turn around and break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

Suddenly, she pursed her lips angrily and twisted the telephone cord hard with her fingertips.

"You complain that I'm hiding things from you, but you yourself are the one keeping so many things to yourself!"

She became increasingly angry as she spoke, and her voice unconsciously rose in pitch.

"And they kept it from me for so—so long!"

The last two words were drawn out, carrying a hint of coquettish arrogance.

"That long?"

Shen Huaichuan paused, as if burned by those two words, and asked in a hoarse voice, "You saw Captain Li?"

Zhou Qiqi didn't react for a moment, "I was talking about Vice Mayor Zhai, how come Captain Li is involved here?"

After saying that, without waiting for Shen Huaichuan's reply, she slapped her forehead and remembered it herself.

"I understand. When I first came to the residential compound and set up my stall in front of the movie theater, those suddenly appearing patrol teams—were they arranged by Captain Li through you?"

The voice on the other end of the phone softened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible laughter.

"It wasn't really an arrangement. I just mentioned it to the bureau chief, saying that there are a lot of migrant workers now, and it's easy for accidents to happen in crowds. They already had this in mind, so it was just going along with it."

That's true. When Zhou Qiqi met Captain Li last time, he mentioned that because of the patrol team, G City had far fewer cases than its neighboring cities and had even received praise from the province.

Zhou Qiqi snorted.

"You could have told me first, otherwise I'd really start to suspect I'm the daughter of the police chief!"

She recalled the envious looks from those around her, and how some people gossiped behind her back, saying she had connections, which made her both laugh and cry.

"I just want you to be able to do business with peace of mind."

Shen Huaichuan's voice was tinged with helplessness, and Zhou Qiqi could even imagine him frowning—his right eyebrow furrowing slightly, the fine lines at the corner of his eye curving into a gentle arc.

Her heart skipped a beat, she quickly cleared her throat, and then, remembering the important matter, straightened her face.

"What about Vice Mayor Zhai's matter? You were so badly injured last time, and you still secretly ran away from the hospital! I'm going to settle the score with you when you get back!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a rustling sound of fabric rubbing together, as if the receiver had been tucked into clothing. The voice was low and husky, with a hint of laughter.

"Settle accounts? Okay. But you still owe me something by your bedside, remember to pay it back at the same time."

"Do I owe you?"

Zhou Qiqi was stunned. She twisted the telephone cord even tighter with her fingers, until her fingertips turned white.

"When did this happen? I don't remember."

"You really don't remember?"

Shen Huaichuan's voice lowered further, and the static in the receiver seemed to intensify as well. "Hmm?"

With just that one "hmm," Zhou Qiqi's mind went blank, and her ears instantly burned.

The smell of disinfectant, the snow-white sheets, and the warmth of his palm all rushed up to me at once.

That day he held her in his arms and kissed her until she was dizzy, but then suddenly let go and said breathlessly.

"This is punishment. As for thanking me... I'll owe you that for now."

"I...I didn't agree to accept the punishment, so it doesn't count!"

Zhou Qiqi stammered in rebuttal, her fingers twisting the telephone cord into a tight coil, causing her fingertips to ache.

There was a splinter on the floor of the telephone booth, and she kept rubbing it with her toes, wishing she could scrape it off.

Shen Huaichuan, however, refused to let her go. His voice dropped eight octaves, mixed with the crackling sound of electricity, like a towel soaked in warm water gently wiping his heart.

"It's okay, if you don't accept the punishment, I'll just get it myself. It'll be a good opportunity to finish what we didn't complete the other day..."

"What?! Stop talking!"

Zhou Qiqi's face turned bright red, and she suddenly curled up her toes, hurriedly interrupting him, glancing at the window opposite.

Xiao Li in the phone booth was sitting there eating sunflower seeds. Although it was far away, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Maybe someone with sharp ears could hear a tiny bit of it.

Shen Huaichuan chuckled softly twice, cleared his throat, and then became serious.

"Did you meet with Vice Mayor Zhai today? Was the deal on contracting the production line finalized?"

"Yes, it's settled."

Zhou Qiqi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly continued the conversation.

“Vice Mayor Zhai said he would fully support it and even offered to have a reporter interview me and publish the story in the newspaper, but I did not accept.”

She lived in a large compound, where there were many people and a lot of eyes and ears. Most of the military wives were unemployed and often gathered together to chat.

It's perfectly normal to resent those who have things and laugh at those who don't.

She is not afraid of being talked about, nor does she care about being talked about.

But the brand is only just beginning, so it's better to avoid trouble.

Besides, the Xu family is still in the military dependents' area. If they knew she had set up a production line and made money, wouldn't they swarm around her like flies?

The trouble it will bring her then will be far more than just a little.

Shen Huaichuan remained silent for a moment, his voice tinged with worry.

"You're right. I'm not home, so I shouldn't get involved with them."

"Okay, don't worry about it."

Zhou Qiqi sniffed and deliberately softened her voice.

Shen Huaichuan then asked about Zhouzhou.

"What about Zhouzhou? How is she? Did she go to art class today?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!