A smile curved his lips as he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with her.

Xu Xinchen was woken up by the cold in the middle of the night. The summer weather suddenly picked up and the wind picked up. She opened her eyes groggily and found herself somehow being held in Chen Ningsheng's arms, completely enveloped in his embrace.

Startled, she immediately slipped out of his arms. A gentle breeze blew, and the treetops rustled softly.

Half of her calves were exposed, and the chill seeped into her skin. She looked at the sky, which was still pitch black, and wondered how much longer it would be before dawn.

She could only wait quietly. It was too cold, so she curled up into a ball and buried her head in her knees.

Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that Chen Ningsheng had woken up at some point and was taking off his suit jacket to put on her.

He wasn't wearing much either; he had taken off his coat and was only wearing a thin white shirt, which didn't look like it would block the wind at all.

She raised her hand, about to take off her coat and return it to him.

Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder. He saw through her intention and gently pressed his hand on her shoulder with a force that was not to be underestimated, yet she could not resist.

“You’re wearing it,” he said.

Xu Xinchen heard the undeniable conviction in his words, and she suddenly realized that Chen Ningsheng really was a bit of a chauvinist, with that kind of northern manly air about him.

Generous and forthright.

She didn't argue with him anymore.

Chen Ningsheng sat down next to her.

After hesitating for a while, she turned her head and asked, "You..."

She had barely uttered a word when it got stuck in her throat. For some reason, Chen Ningsheng leaned closer to her at the very moment she opened her mouth.

The two froze at the same time, barely inches apart. Xu Xinchen looked at Chen Ningsheng, who was so close to her, and almost stopped breathing. Her gaze slowly slid down from his sharp eyebrows to his unfathomable dark eyes, high nose, and thin lips.

She then realized that his skin was unbelievably good; even at such close range, she couldn't see the slightest flaw. She was probably even more impressed than him, and wondered what the smooth texture would feel like to touch.

As she thought this, she unconsciously raised her hand and touched his cheek. He was slightly taken aback and then grabbed her hand tightly.

An astonishingly hot sensation came from my wrist.

She finally came to her senses and realized what she had done. She was already filled with remorse, but her face remained calm.

She tried to pull her hand away, but the grip was too strong, and she couldn't budge it.

Gradually, the breathing around her grew heavier, and she met his gaze, which was filled with dark undercurrents. She saw danger in it, but she did not move.

The breathing grew closer, the heavy panting amplified in her ears, making her heart pound as if it would leap out of her chest.

The next moment, his lips touched hers softly as he pressed against hers.

Xu Xinchen closed her eyes and felt his whole body press against hers, his hand gently supporting the back of her head, binding her tightly.

Both of them were breathing erratically. Xu Xinchen's mind was completely blank. She opened her mouth slightly, trying to breathe, but was instantly invaded by someone.

She had to tilt her head back completely and endure it.

The suit jacket fell off the shoulder onto the grass, but no one paid any attention. The jacket was slowly pressed down, becoming wrinkled and damp.

The groans in the air gradually subsided, leaving only rapid panting.

Xu Xinchen was too sleepy to open her eyes. Her whole body was enveloped as if surrounded by a huge furnace. She felt a coolness on her forehead and a kiss landed on it. Her lips curved into a smile as she drifted off into a sweet dream.

The next day, as the first rays of dawn shone upon the earth, Chen Ningsheng woke up and opened his eyes.

She had been sleeping with her head on his arm, her back to him, but perhaps because she was a restless sleeper, she was now facing him, her serene face slightly furrowed, her breath brushing against his Adam's apple.

His throat tightened, knowing he couldn't stay any longer. He took one last greedy look at her, gently kissed her cheek, draped his suit jacket over her, and got up to leave.

He walked around the lawn in front of him, up the slope, and to the bridgehead. He stood quietly for a while, breathing in the fresh morning air, and his body gradually calmed down.

Suddenly, he heard his own name coming from afar.

He turned around and saw Xu Yujie and Shi Chu running towards him from the other side of the bridge.

The two approached him, and Shi Chuying scolded, "Asheng, where have you been? We've been looking for you all night."

Chen Ningsheng scratched his head guiltily and gave a vague answer, "I drank too much last night, rested next to the rock for a while, and accidentally fell asleep."

He then changed the subject with a grin, saying, "So you guys were worried about me? We didn't realize!"

The two didn't laugh at his joke. Shi Chuying spoke seriously, "Asheng, news came last night that your father had an accident."

Xu Xinchen woke up shortly after Chen Ningsheng left. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, holding the now-cold suit in her arms. Memories of yesterday slowly returned to her mind, and those scenes that made her blush and her heart race flashed by one by one.

She looked around with a mix of sweetness and helplessness, but didn't see a single person.

So she sat there motionless for a long, long time, until the sun was high in the sky and the sounds of people and cars came from the bridge. Only then did she stretch her legs and slowly stand up.

She walked to the riverbank, scooped up some water to wash her face, and then stared blankly at the beautiful reflection on the water's surface. A small pebble slowly sank from her feet, just like her heart, gradually sinking to the bottom of the lake.

When she left the riverbank, she found a watch. She picked it up and saw the logo on the back. It was an expensive foreign brand. It must have been left there by Chen Ningsheng yesterday.

She looked at it for a while, then put it in her pocket.

Xu Xinchen encountered several enthusiastic villagers along the way. Although they greeted her as usual, there was a hint of strangeness in their eyes.

As soon as she arrived at her doorstep, she heard a loud commotion inside. It was Zhao Lanzhi's voice: "Find that bitch for me! She deliberately ruined my daughter's wedding and made me, Zhao Lanzhi, look bad in front of so many people. From now on, this house is either me or her!"

Lu Zhenjun retorted, "Watch your mouth. Min Shi is also my daughter. It's not necessarily her doing this. Why would she change Shuangshuang's dowry...?"

"You're still defending her! Lu Zhenjun, remember this: you don't just have one daughter, you also have Shuangshuang. Isn't Shuangshuang your daughter? Can you bear to see her suffer such humiliation?"

Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a bang.

Xu Xinchen walked in and looked at the two people standing there dumbfounded in the courtyard. "I changed the dowry."

After Zhao Lanzhi realized what she had said, she rushed towards her as if she wanted to fight her to the death, but was caught by Lu Zhenhua around the waist.

As she struggled violently, she spat and cursed, "You little bitch, you're just jealous of Shuangshuang, aren't you? You're resentful that Shuangshuang stole your sweetheart, aren't you? You'll get your comeuppance for ruining Shuangshuang's happiness like this."

Xu Xinchen approached her calmly, smiling indifferently. "I'm just taking back what belongs to me. Why should I be punished? The one who should be punished is the one who stole from others, the one who wanted to take what didn't belong to them!"

Zhao Lanzhi opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.