Looking at her slightly furrowed brows and regretful eyes, Shen Huaichuan felt a chill in his heart replaced by pity.

He sat down next to her, pulled her into his arms, and rubbed his chin against the top of her head.

"Don't bother with that. It's just a hair clip. Next time I go to the provincial capital for a meeting, I'll go to the Friendship Store and buy you a new one, a nicer one."

Zhou Qiqi immediately shook her head: "No! It's just a diamond that's fallen off, it would be such a waste to buy another one! Besides..."

She looked up at him, her eyes scrutinizing him.

"This hair clip must be expensive, right? Commander Shen, I remember you always hand over your salary on time and in full every month, not a penny less! Where did you get the money to buy this?"

She deliberately put on a stern face, pretending to be angry, "Tell me honestly, have you been secretly hiding money from others?"

Shen Huaichuan was amused by her "strict" little expression and pinched the tip of her nose.

"What are you thinking? I wouldn't dare hide any money from you. This money is the twenty yuan bonus the military region gave me for being a 'training pacesetter' during the last autumn training camp. I thought I'd give it to you as a surprise, so I kept it for myself."

He paused, looked at her, his eyes gentle yet carrying a hint of masculine pride.

"I'll try my best to get first place in this year-end competition and use the prize money to buy you an even bigger and prettier one! How about one with pearls?"

When Zhou Qiqi heard that he had risked his life to earn that little bit of bonus, she felt a pang of heartache.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face in his chest which smelled fresh, and said in a muffled voice.

"No! You always work so hard to get first place! It's not worth it for just twenty yuan. Your safety and health are more important than anything else."

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, "Besides, our family isn't short of money!"

She broke free from his embrace, climbed to the edge of the bed, opened another drawer in the bedside table, took out a bankbook, and presented it to him like a treasure, "Look!"

Shen Huaichuan took it with a puzzled look, opened it and saw that the latest deposit record was exactly two thousand yuan!

He was taken aback. "So much? Is it the dividends from the inventory restructuring of the First Garment Factory?"

"right!"

Zhou Qiqi nodded vigorously, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Selling even better than we expected! All the money has arrived! A full two thousand yuan! Also, the autumn/winter styles currently on the production line are already booked until next month, they're also incredibly popular! So, Chief Shen, you're doing great."

She leaned closer to him and winked.

"Your wife is quite wealthy now, I can support you! Don't work so hard to earn those little bonuses anymore, we're not short of money!"

As Shen Huaichuan looked at the numbers on the bankbook and listened to his wife's cheerful yet slightly proud words, his eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, and a trace of indescribable emotion flashed across his eyes.

He quickly composed himself, a genuine expression of admiration on his face, and ruffled her hair.

"My wife is amazing! She's much better than me."

His tone was proud, but Zhou Qiqi still caught the fleeting emotion in his voice.

"Huaichuan?"

Zhou Qiqi keenly sensed his sudden change in demeanor and thought that her words "I can support you" had hurt his pride. She quickly sat up straight, took his hand, and spoke with apology and caution.

"Are you... unhappy? I didn't mean anything by it, I just feel sorry for you being so tired..."

Looking at her nervous explanation, Shen Huaichuan's subtle emotions vanished instantly, replaced by a warm feeling.

He suddenly leaned closer, his forehead touching hers, a mischievous smile playing in his deep eyes, his low voice seductive.

Unhappy? A little.

"ah?"

Zhou Qiqi's heart tightened.

“I was thinking,”

Shen Huaichuan's fingertips gently brushed across her cheek, sliding down to her collarbone, his eyes deepening.

"My wife earns so much money, more in a month than I do in a year. Does that mean I'm just a gigolo living off her?"

Zhou Qiqi was taken aback.

Shen Huaichuan had always been very confident and rarely spoke of himself in this way.

She didn't know how to comfort him and was at a loss, but Shen Huaichuan had already lowered his head.

His warm breath sprayed onto her sensitive earlobe, his voice lowered, carrying a hint of hoarse laughter and an undeniable dominance.

"Since he's a gigolo, he needs to serve my 'Queen' even better... He has to keep the Queen happy to maintain his position, don't you think?"

The last few words, almost breathy, carried a burning heat as they drilled into her ears.

Zhou Qiqi's face flushed bright red instantly, and she realized that he was joking and that her previous low mood was just an act!

She was about to scold him when Shen Huaichuan's kiss landed on her lips before she could even speak.

It was more passionate and lingering than before at the bathroom door, carrying a domineering assertion of sovereignty and a long-suppressed desire.

His kissing skills were superb, sometimes gently sucking, sometimes forcefully plundering, his large hands roaming over her soft nightgown, precisely teasing every sensitive nerve.

Zhou Qiqi was quickly overwhelmed by the kisses, and her earlier worries and annoyances vanished into thin air, leaving only the raging fire of passion he had ignited.

She responded to him involuntarily, placing her hands on his broad, sturdy back, feeling his burgeoning strength and burning body temperature.

Shen Huaichuan proved his sincerity in "serving" through his actions.

He was extremely patient and skillful; every move he made was teasing and probing, yet at the crucial moment he delivered the strongest impact to her.

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