058 A Drunken Shrew Mistakenly Believes She Is Dreaming

The stockings in his pocket were torn. Li Zhiyan gently stroked Shen Hongmei's stockings.

In his mind, he recalled what had happened with Shen Hongmei that afternoon, as well as their deep, lingering kiss just minutes ago.

"It would be wonderful if Aunt Shen could remain in that drunken state all the time," Li Zhiyan thought to himself.

Glancing at the Maybach S480 parked by the roadside, Li Zhiyan returned to his rented room, retrieved the keys, and started the engine.

Lai Feifei had once mentioned that the longest distance her car had ever traveled was the few dozen kilometers from the dealership straight to her home. Therefore, the battery was slightly depleted compared to cars driven daily.

Unlocking the car and sitting inside the Maybach, surrounded by the immensely luxurious ambient lighting in the driver's seat, Li Zhiyan had the fleeting illusion that he was the actual owner of this luxury vehicle.

"Living in a villa and driving a Maybach—this kind of lifestyle is the true essence of Shanghai. Meanwhile, the life of an ordinary person is pure sweat and toil."

Looking at his savings of one hundred and fifty thousand yuan, Li Zhiyan felt an immense sense of security.

Shortly after, Li Zhiyan continued to cram his knowledge online. He finally understood what it meant when people said knowledge is power! Today, securing that thirty-thousand-yuan contract from the German client was entirely due to his frantic last-minute revision of German history and numerous commentaries on the subject.

Of course, he also knew the root cause was his golden finger—the ability to foresee future intelligence. With this cheat, his future possessed infinite possibilities.

Gazing at the three-pointed star hood ornament ahead, Li Zhiyan felt his heart swell with confidence for his future!

Just then, a passing gyaru-style young woman approached him to ask for his WeChat. This left Li Zhiyan somewhat amused and helpless; driving a car like this truly made people mistake him for a wealthy second-generation heir.

***

After returning home, Shen Hongmei went straight to take a shower. The weather was simply too hot.

Ever since her husband passed away, Xu Qianqian was rarely at home, usually spending her holidays hanging out with her "best friend." Shen Hongmei had always believed her daughter was an exceptionally well-behaved and good child, which was why she never really interfered with Xu Qianqian.

While showering, Shen Hongmei slowly sobered up. Deep regret welled up inside her; she had failed to control herself after drinking. She knew all too well that she had been lonely for too many years, living entirely by herself all this time. The sense of isolation originating from the depths of her heart was truly impossible to dispel.

The events that followed when parting ways with Li Zhiyan made her feel utterly mortified. Her relationship with Li Zhiyan had now become even more hopelessly entangled.

Among the three aunts of Shanghai, Shen Hongmei's mind was in utter turmoil.

Meanwhile, He Yanrong, lying in her office and enjoying the air conditioning, was equally incapable of finding peace. She was browsing German history online, her mind entirely consumed by the image of Li Zhiyan fluent in German and knowledgeable about German history that afternoon, not to mention his astonishing capacity for liquor. The boy was truly a man of all trades.

"Rongrong, are you feeling lonely?"

"After all these years, your heart must be unbearably lonely by now."

"I think you've developed feelings for that Li Zhiyan."

"Don't talk nonsense..." He Yanrong's alluring, pretty face flushed with embarrassment.

"I think if you take the initiative, you can definitely win Li Zhiyan over!"

"For a man to pursue a woman is like scaling a mountain, but for a woman to pursue a man, it's as thin as a layer of gauze."

"If you make a move, that kid will surely fall obediently at your feet!"

"Stop talking rubbish!" He Yanrong grew somewhat angry, genuinely lacking any such intentions. Seeing her displeasure, Liu Lili promptly changed the subject.

In contrast, the calmest among them was the inveterate drunkard Lai Feifei. Lying beneath her blanket with the air conditioner on, she sprawled out in a large "X" shape, muttering continuously in her sleep.

"Babe, I really am your biological mother..."

"If you don't believe me, I'll have Director Shen prove it to you..."

"She was the one who delivered you back then, and Mom even had a difficult labor giving birth to you..."

***

Time quickly passed to a little past nine o'clock.

Li Zhiyan set off for Zhao Shumin's company. Along the way, his mind wandered through numerous thoughts. He realized that the intelligence updates mostly involved people with whom he shared deep bonds. Furthermore, the information invariably appeared whenever the aunts were in danger.

"Perhaps the appearance of this intelligence is related to the deepest thoughts in my heart."

Li Zhiyan did not dwell too much on the matter.

At Zhao Shumin's company, the colleagues had already left for the day. The young woman who had argued with Zhao Shumin yesterday even came to apologize to her today. In this era, making a living was hard for everyone, and since they worked at the same company, nobody wanted to ruin relationships entirely. After all, seeing each other every day meant there were many constraints to consider.

Zhao Shumin understood this principle well and reconciled with her female coworker. Last night, Li Zhiyan's cake had genuinely comforted her soul.

As she picked up her patched canvas bag and prepared to leave, the boss, Liu Changsheng, walked out.

"Little Zhao."

"Stay behind for overtime."

Liu Changsheng was forty-five years old, older than Zhao Shumin, which was why he habitually addressed her as Little Zhao.

Zhao Shumin desperately wanted to leave, but she could not defy her boss's order. She knew very well that layoffs were happening everywhere. Many people could no longer afford their mortgage payments. Although suburban housing prices were steadily declining, there was a baseline; for an ordinary person, the down payment remained an absolute astronomical sum. She had to cherish this job.

In her heart, Zhao Shumin had constantly been worrying about helping her son buy an apartment so he could get married. Nowadays, if a young man had no partner and remained unmarried, returning to his hometown meant being pointed at and gossiped about like a monkey.

Zhao Shumin acknowledged quietly and stayed behind. Although there were no other employees left in the company, the office was equipped with surveillance cameras, which gave Zhao Shumin a significant sense of security. With the cameras present, Liu Changsheng should not dare to pull anything.

Watching Zhao Shumin stay behind, Liu Changsheng felt a surge of excitement. The woman had finally stayed; tonight, by hook or by crook, he was determined to win her over. However, fearing that other employees might return unexpectedly, Liu Changsheng retreated to his office first to await his opportunity.

"This woman is simply too extraordinary..."

With that, he rubbed his hands together like a fly, fantasizing about various scenarios. He found the contrast between women to be truly staggering. Despite being in their forties, his own wife had completely turned into a withered, yellow-faced woman! Despite using so much cosmetics, she remained sallow. Watching his wife apply makeup every day filled him with utter disgust.

Zhao Shumin, on the other hand, was completely different. Her skin remained tender, delicate, and fair; without any cosmetics, she was far fairer than his wife. Moreover, beneath that astonishing bust, her waist remained so slender. He had coveted her for a long time.

At that moment, Li Zhiyan had already entered the office building.

"Third floor."

The building was undeniably ancient, lacking even an elevator, with numerous cracks visible on the floorboards. Gazing at the central staircase, Li Zhiyan felt a strong sense of disgust.

Walking upstairs, he broke into a heavy sweat. The dog days of summer were truly like a giant steamer, and nobody could withstand such intense heat.

Upon reaching the third floor, Li Zhiyan walked straight into Zhao Shumin's company on the right. Touching the hidden camera on his chest, he prepared to secure evidence against Liu Changsheng.

Soon, he spotted the bald Liu Changsheng walking toward the common office. Without alerting the enemy, Li Zhiyan concealed himself and followed him inside.

At that moment, Liu Changsheng was blinded by lust and completely failed to notice Li Zhiyan. Approaching Zhao Shumin, he gave a light cough.

Instinctive vigilance flared in Zhao Shumin's heart. Turning her head, she spotted Li Zhiyan standing not far away. Li Zhiyan hurriedly gestured for silence, and Zhao Shumin caught on instantly, maintaining her composure as if Li Zhiyan did not exist at all.

"Boss, why are you still here? You should have gone home by now."

"Hey, what's the rush?" Liu Changsheng rubbed his hands together like a fly, completely unaware that all his actions were being meticulously recorded by Li Zhiyan.

"My old battle-ax went hiking in the mountains and won't be back for several days. It doesn't matter whether I go home tonight or not."

Liu Changsheng felt his opening remarks were brilliantly clever, believing Zhao Shumin must have understood the subtext.

"I think the boss's wife is still very pretty."

"Little Zhao, stop flattering her. She's just a faded, yellow-faced woman."

Sitting down and noticing Zhao Shumin's willingness to chat with him, Liu Changsheng rubbed his hands again, convinced that tonight was in the bag!

"Compared to you, her looks are worlds apart. She's just a tomboy with wrinkles all over her face. Unlike you, your whole face is fair and clean. You're as pretty as they come. And your figure—to use online slang, you're packing 'big thunder.' No, 'super-big thunder,' haha."

Chuckling at his own supposed wit, Liu Changsheng assumed Zhao Shumin appreciated him as well.

"Boss, you should go home. I need to work overtime." Zhao Shumin frowned, feeling deeply uncomfortable. Her boss keeping her behind for solo overtime indeed had ulterior motives. However, glancing at Li Zhiyan standing behind, she felt much more at ease. With Little Yan protecting her, he couldn't pull off anything.

"Go home? What's the rush?"

"Little Zhao, do you really have no feelings for me at all?"

"I really like you. Every night in my dreams, I see your shadow. I want to be with you."

Zhao Shumin clenched her fists tightly. "If you keep this up, I'm going to scream!"

"Scream? Save your breath for later tonight. After all, with your heavy load, the physical exertion will be immense."

As he spoke, the boss stepped forward to make a move. Prepared in advance, Zhao Shumin picked up a stool and blocked her front. This forced Liu Changsheng to exercise considerable caution. He knew very well that the woman before him was a thorough shrew; if driven to extremes, that stool might genuinely land him in the hospital.

His fantasy of embracing Zhao Shumin for a passionate kiss was dashed. Even if he wanted to force himself on her, he first had to trick the stool out of her hands.

"Put the stool down first, and I won't get close to you, alright?"

"If you come any closer, I'm calling the police! There are cameras everywhere here, don't break the law!"

Liu Changsheng lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, and blew out a ring of smoke. In reality, he had already turned off the cameras; even if he forced himself on Zhao Shumin, no evidence would remain.

"Little Zhao, you're actually very short on money, aren't you?"

Failing in his attempted assault, Liu Changsheng changed strategies.

"Your son is in his twenties and still unmarried; he probably can't afford an apartment."

"That has nothing to do with you!"

"Of course it has to do with me. Look at you—a divorced woman relying entirely on a fixed salary to save money. Although housing prices are dropping across most of the country and the suburbs of Shanghai are no exception, it's still a massive sum for you."

"How about this?"

"Be with me, become my mistress, and aside from your basic salary continuing as normal, I'll give you an extra six thousand yuan every month."

"Not only will you have money to spend, but you'll also get to ride in a Benz. I'll buy you LV bags and designer cosmetics, guaranteeing you the lifestyle of a wealthy Shanghai wife. However, you'll need to get an IUD; I don't like wearing protection."

At that moment, the shrew could no longer suppress her emotions.

"Get lost, you beast!"

Though she was indeed an ordinary person who could only save money through her meager salary, Zhao Shumin's soul was undeniably that of a woman conservative to the extreme. Being kept as a mistress was far worse than death to her.

Given how attractive Zhao Shumin was, coupled with her impressive figure, many men had coveted and pursued her over the years. However, having suffered domestic abuse since childhood, Zhao Shumin harbored a subconscious terror of men and had never once considered remarrying. Years ago, someone had even offered her twenty thousand yuan a month, and she hadn't agreed. How could she possibly say yes to Liu Changsheng? Even if he offered one hundred thousand yuan a month, she would never entertain the thought for a single second!

"Stinking bitch!"

"You refuse a Benz and refuse to appreciate kindness?"

When his ultimate "trump card" failed to elicit any positive reaction from Zhao Shumin, Liu Changsheng lost control. Violently tossing his cigarette butt to the floor, he lunged straight at Zhao Shumin, intending to force a passionate kiss on her. If kissing was combined with physical contact, he was certain it would ignite Zhao Shumin's suppressed desires! He refused to believe a woman in her forties, single for so many years, could suppress such inner tension!

Just as he closed the distance to Zhao Shumin, Li Zhiyan rushed forward. He leaped into the air and delivered a flying kick straight to Liu Changsheng's kidney!

A wave of excruciating pain surged through Liu Changsheng! Overwhelmed by pain and terror, he scrambled backward on the floor. He had assumed there were only him and Zhao Shumin in the company, never expecting a young man to appear out of nowhere and nail him right in the kidney with a flying kick.

"Who are you?!"

"Who I am doesn't matter. You can explain that to the police."

As he spoke, Li Zhiyan dialed the emergency number. A thrill of excitement rushed through him; the feeling of acting heroically for justice and punishing a scumbag was truly exhilarating. Besides, why did executing that flying kick feel so natural, as if he had kicked people like this countless times before?

***

Soon, the police arrived and escorted all three individuals back to the police station.

In the mediation room, the officers recognized Li Zhiyan and Zhao Shumin immediately.

"Didn't you two fight a few days ago? I even told you to find someone to escort you back then."

Li Zhiyan replied, "Yes, Officer, it's us."

"Tell me, what's going on this time? Why are you fighting again?"

Liu Changsheng attempted to counter-attack. "Officer, I was just chatting with my employee when this punk rushed into the company and assaulted me. My kidney still hurts like hell!"

"Is that true?"

Just as Zhao Shumin opened her mouth to speak, Li Zhiyan cut her off. "Officer, that's not how it happened at all. This man tried to assault my Aunt Zhao."

The police officer found it rather bizarre. Only days ago, this kid and this woman had fought so fiercely that their T-shirts were ripped to shreds—they looked like lifelong enemies. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they were on such good terms again. It baffled the mind.

"I have evidence. Video evidence."

The officer leaned in closer as Li Zhiyan played the recording he had just captured. He felt immense relief that he had known the information in advance and prepared accordingly. If he had simply stumbled upon the scene by chance and kicked the man without any surveillance cameras inside the other company's premises, it would have been nearly impossible to explain.

After watching the video evidence, the officer's expression turned stern.

"Well, well. To think you'd stoop to harassing and molesting a woman. Take him away for detention."

Law enforcement relied on evidence. Once Li Zhiyan presented the proof, Liu Changsheng was hauled away on the spot. He never dreamed in a million years that Li Zhiyan had been recording.

When the officer returned, he sat down to soothe Zhao Shumin's nerves.

"Madam, don't be afraid. He has been detained for seven days."

"Young man, you did a fantastic job acting courageously for a just cause. Let me commend you; this is a little police bear from the station."

The officer handed a small police mascot bear to Li Zhiyan. Their mediation encounter previously had turned them into acquaintances, much to the officer's quiet amusement.

***

At 11:30 PM, Li Zhiyan and Zhao Shumin left the police station.

"Little Yan, how did you even end up at the company?" Zhao Shumin asked, her silhouette swaying slightly as she walked beside him.

She felt a truly surreal sensation. Everything felt like a dream! At the very moment she was paralyzed by terror, Li Zhiyan had shown up.

"Aunt Zhao, I noticed you hadn't left yet, so I figured you were working overtime."

"Yeah, I was supposed to finish at ten, but when it was time to go, that beast made me stay behind for more overtime!"

Recalling the recent ordeal, Zhao Shumin still felt a surge of fury. That damned Liu Changsheng had tried to make a move on her tonight; if Little Yan hadn't been there, she might genuinely have suffered.

"I thought I'd go up and check, and unexpectedly overheard Liu Changsheng muttering about assaulting you, so I recorded it. Ever since that prospective daughter-in-law tried to frame me last time, I've made a habit of carrying this camera with me."

At the mention of that incident, Zhao Shumin felt a pang of embarrassment. Little Yan was genuinely an exceptionally good person. Yet, last time, she had torn his clothes without listening to any explanations, acting entirely unreasonably. Every time she recalled the truth, Zhao Shumin despised her own behavior. Though she prepared breakfast for Li Zhiyan every day, she always carried a sense of indebtedness toward him.

"Auntie owes you an apology."

"It's fine, Auntie, it's all in the past. Look how good our relationship is now, right? You cook for me, and Aunt Zhao, I like you the most. Besides, you didn't know the truth back then. If it were me, I probably would have defended my own family too."

"Mmm." Zhao Shumin still harbored deep guilt toward Li Zhiyan.

"So I followed you inside, and you know the rest."

At that moment, the pair passed a barbecue restaurant.

"Little Yan, must be starving. Let's go grab some late-night skewers."

Although Zhao Shumin was usually frugal, she was never stingy when it came to treating Li Zhiyan, especially since he had practically saved her from being assaulted tonight.

"Alright."

Entering the barbecue joint, Li Zhiyan ordered an assortment of skewers along with a few bottles of beer. Drinking chilled bottled beer in the summer was exceptionally refreshing.

"Auntie, with what happened today, you probably won't be able to keep your job, right?"

At the mention of this, Zhao Shumin sighed and nodded. "The boss has been criminally detained; there's no way I can stay at that job now. He must hate my guts."

"Aunt Zhao, don't worry about that. He deserves to be detained."

"I didn't want to stay there anyway. Although jobs are hard to find, he was always harassing me verbally. This time, quitting is for the best."

"Little Yan, thank you so much tonight. This meal is on me—consider it a token of my gratitude. Auntie owes you a huge favor."

Li Zhiyan asked with some concern, "Auntie, have you thought about what you're going to do next? Jobs are really hard to find these days. Several of my relatives are still sitting at home unemployed."

Li Zhiyan had heard online how easy it was to find a job back in 2013 or 2014, with salaries of seven or eight thousand yuan easily attainable. Yet he had submitted resumes for ages without a single response, not even a single interview notification. Ultimately, it was only through Shen Hongmei's help that he landed a job completely unrelated to his major, turning him into a weary corporate cog.

A hint of confusion flashed in Zhao Shumin's eyes. "I do have a few thoughts. I could open a clothing store; I know quite a few people among apparel suppliers, so I could source goods at low prices. But that's just an idea. If I can find a regular job, I should look for one."

Zhao Shumin was inherently conservative; she didn't dare dabble in business because the risks were simply too high.

"Mmm, Auntie, these days ambitious people are usually hundreds of thousands in debt. We should play it safe. If you really can't find a job, then we can consider opening a store."

As he spoke, Li Zhiyan caught sight of a piece of packaging protruding from Zhao Shumin's bag. He recognized it instantly at a glance: the bag contained stockings, flesh-colored ones.

Aunt Zhao actually bought stockings! Li Zhiyan found it unbelievable! The woman's wardrobe had always been utterly old-fashioned and conservative; she never touched feminine things like stockings, dresses, or high heels.

When Li Zhiyan casually pulled the stockings out, Zhao Shumin's face flushed crimson. To Zhao Shumin, such items represented "vulgarity and indecency," and she had always believed only flirtatious women liked wearing them. If anyone saw them, she would feel utterly mortified.

"Little Yan, put them away quickly." Zhao Shumin reached out, frantically trying to snatch the stockings back.

"It's fine, Auntie, you're being too sensitive. It's really no big deal, what era is this? Look around you."

Zhao Shumin glanced around; true to his word, everyone was immersed in their own circles, paying her no mind. That allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Little Yan, I feel embarrassed wearing stockings like this... I just thought you liked them... so I wanted to wear them for you. Auntie didn't want you to keep resorting to... stealing things."

"Aunt Zhao, I really never stole anything..." Li Zhiyan knew he would never be able to clear his name now.

"Still lying to Auntie? Aren't those things sticking out of your pocket stockings?"

Li Zhiyan: "..."

Great. He wouldn't be able to clear his name even in his next life; he simply wasn't that kind of person.

Fearing that Li Zhiyan would feel awkward, Zhao Shumin dropped the subject. Soon, the skewers and beer were served. Li Zhiyan opened a bottle and handed it to Zhao Shumin, but she looked hesitant.

"Auntie's never touched alcohol."

"Really...?"

"Really. My dad used to say alcohol was for men and I wasn't worthy of drinking it."

"Well, Auntie, you'll just have to taste it properly today."

"I won't get drunk, will I?"

"It's fine, Auntie! Beer has a very low alcohol content; it's basically just like drinking a beverage."

Reassured by his words, Zhao Shumin let go of her worries. Perhaps she really didn't need to overthink things so much.

"Alright, then Auntie will keep you company."

Taking a few sips of the beer, Zhao Shumin found the taste surprisingly pleasant.

"Auntie, how is it?"

"Quite good, not bad at all. Though it tastes a bit strange."

"That's normal, that's just what beer tastes like."

Picking up a skewer of roasted leeks, Li Zhiyan realized he was indeed starving; this was a genuine midnight snack session.

"Little Yan, is your job going smoothly?"

"Pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary. It's not too tiring, and the pay is decent."

"That's good. University graduates like you have it good—no physical labor required. When I lost my job today, I didn't even know if I'd find another one."

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Zhao Shumin's words grew somewhat melancholic.

"It's alright, Auntie, everything will get better. Besides, your tailoring skills are so good. Even if you can't find a job, you could open a custom women's clothing shop in the future—tailor-made to measure."

Li Zhiyan's words made Zhao Shumin's eyes light up. If she did that, the startup costs really would be much lower.

"Do you think that would work?"

"I think so. But let's look for a job first."

As the two chatted, the warmth between them steadily grew. The longer Zhao Shumin looked at Li Zhiyan, the more she fond of him he grew—the boy was sincere, kind, and possessed incredible emotional stability. Unlike her own son, who had almost resorted to domestic violence against her just for Liu丽's sake, acting precisely like his biological father.

If only Li Zhiyan were her own biological son, how happy would that be?

That was a feeling Zhao Shumin didn't even dare to imagine.

Meanwhile, Li Zhiyan gained a deeper understanding of the real Zhao Shumin. Just as Aunt Lai had said, Zhao Shumin's core nature was kind-hearted. She was merely a good woman who had been battered by too much domestic abuse, turning her into a shrew. From now on, he needed to treat Aunt Zhao much better.

At that moment, the mission reward finally arrived. Li Zhiyan now possessed another two-dollar store! Combined with his previous two mini-supermarkets, Li Zhiyan now owned three stores, though their profitability remained unknown. Still, a sense of foundation settled in his chest. The confidence unique to a man expanded significantly.

By midnight, the intelligence updates refreshed punctually.

[Go to the lottery shop and buy this stack of scratch cards to make a profit of 1000.]

The first piece of news filled Li Zhiyan with relief.

[The foreign beauty Catherine has already set off to visit her family in the US.]

[This afternoon, He Yanrong will practice for her Class II driving test at Minsheng Driving School.]

[Liu Changsheng's wife found out about his detention and is rushing back overnight to rip him apart.]

Today's wild scratch card yielded a thousand yuan, while the remaining intelligence lacked any major significance. Even so, Li Zhiyan was more than satisfied; one thousand yuan was a sizeable chunk of income, and building it up brick by brick mattered. Once his savings approached twenty thousand, and after he got his driver's license, he planned to buy a MINI to drive around, making commuting much more convenient.

Although riding an electric shared scooter was pleasant enough, the heat was simply unbearable. Commuting in air-conditioned comfort was the true luxury.

Though Aunt Lai's Maybach was parked right here, Li Zhiyan had never once considered driving it; he knew his place well enough. Even though Aunt Lai flirted constantly, she always maintained a strict physical boundary between them, treating him merely as a kid and using her teasing as a source of amusement in life. Unless he and Aunt Lai officially became a couple, driving her car was out of the question. Even Shen Hongmei and He Yanrong, despite their close friendship with Lai Feifei, would never drive her car unless absolutely necessary. After all, a car held immense significance to its owner.

At 12:30 AM, the two left the barbecue restaurant. Li Zhiyan had no idea when Zhao Shumin had secretly paid the bill.

Stepping outside, Li Zhiyan immediately noticed that Zhao Shumin had drunk too much. Unaccustomed to alcohol, her footing was unstable. Swaying unsteadily, she made it impossible for Li Zhiyan to tear his eyes away.

"Aunt Zhao, are you alright?"

"Auntie's fine... When we get home, Auntie will put on the stockings for you, see if you like them... Auntie really doesn't want you to go stealing things anymore."

Li Zhiyan: "..."

He truly felt that Zhao Shumin's intentions were entirely rooted in caring for him. Just how traditional the shrew's inner self was, he knew all too well; yet she was willing to wear stockings for his sake. If she hadn't mistakenly believed him to be that kind of person, she probably would never have worn stockings in her lifetime.

Gazing at the snow-white cleavage dropping into a bottomless abyss, Li Zhiyan swallowed hard. If Aunt Zhao wore stockings paired with a short skirt and high heels, what kind of scene would that be?

Just imagining it made Li Zhiyan's blood run hot.

"Okay..."

Supporting Zhao Shumin all the way home, Zhao Shumin followed Li Zhiyan straight into his bedroom.

"Little Yan... wait a minute, Auntie will put on the stockings for you."

Closing the bedroom door, Li Zhiyan realized a problem: Zhao Shumin was hammered. If Aunt Zhao hadn't been drinking, she would never have been this proactive.

Entering the room, Li Zhiyan watched as Zhao Shumin sat down softly, attempting to change into the stockings. However, she was utterly exhausted; the combination of a full day of overtime and staying up late made her yearn to lie down and rest. Once she reclined, she couldn't get back up.

"Auntie, forget about putting them on, just rest. I'll help you lie down properly on the pillow."

Watching Zhao Shumin lying there looking quite vulnerable, Li Zhiyan felt his hormones skyrocketing. The shrew truly lived up to her reputation. Gently lifting Zhao Shumin, Li Zhiyan moved her head onto his pillow. Then, he tucked the stockings from her grasp into his drawer—his collection had gained another piece.

Turning on the air conditioner, he looked at Zhao Shumin, who seemed already fast asleep on his bed, and knew one thing for certain: tonight, he would have to share a bed with Zhao Shumin. With such high thermal output nearby, could he possibly fall asleep? Li Zhiyan harbored profound doubts.

After a quick, cold shower in the bathroom, Li Zhiyan returned to his bed and lay down beside Zhao Shumin.

Listening to Zhao Shumin's steady breathing and illuminated by the faint light filtering through the window, Li Zhiyan admired her fair, pretty face and snowy cleavage.

"Aunt Zhao is so pretty..."

Li Zhiyan decided that in terms of facial features, Zhao Shumin was definitely on par with the three aunts of Shanghai; each of the four mature women possessed her own distinct charm. However, Aunt Zhao didn't know how to dress herself up like the others and looked rather rustic, yet she possessed breathtaking natural beauty.

Moreover, the natural fragrance emanating from Zhao Shumin gave Li Zhiyan the impression of pure body scent.

The pillow had been half-occupied by Aunt Zhao, leaving Li Zhiyan no choice but to lie close against her, instinctively wrapping his arms around the fragrant Aunt Zhao. Truth be told, he really didn't want to be this way! It was simply the pillow that restricted his posture. He was doing this purely out of necessity.

Holding Zhao Shumin in his arms, Li Zhiyan gradually drifted off to sleep.

Around 3:30 AM, noises from next door rang out, instantly jolting Li Zhiyan awake.

"Damn it, absolutely zero public etiquette, in the middle of the night," Li Zhiyan cursed under his breath.

Zhao Shumin was also awakened by the noise from next door.

A woman at thirty is like a wolf, at forty like a tiger—this saying was entirely accurate. Zhao Shumin's instincts were thoroughly triggered. Half-asleep, she felt as though she were being embraced by Li Zhiyan.

"Little Yan..."

Never having touched alcohol before, Zhao Shumin felt her entire body floating on air. She assumed she was dreaming; in reality, she couldn't possibly be doing this. In reality, she should be sleeping in her own room under a electric fan, otherwise why would it be so hot? In a dream, doing something with Little Yan didn't really matter anyway, right?

Convinced she was merely dreaming, Zhao Shumin threw all caution to the wind. Having suppressed her desires for so many years, she refused to hold back any longer.

Hearing Zhao Shumin murmur his name, Li Zhiyan assumed she wanted him to do something, but the next second, Zhao Shumin kissed him.

"Aunt Zhao..."

Li Zhiyan couldn't finish his words; he realized he had been passionately ambushed.

Shortly after, Zhao Shumin pinned him down.

"Little Yan, I miss you, I miss you so much..."

"In a dream, Auntie can finally pamper you properly... no need to be afraid of others finding out..."

Convinced she was dreaming, Zhao Shumin acted with reckless abandon. Li Zhiyan never expected to encounter such a situation twice in a single day. Instinctively wrapping his arms around Zhao Shumin, the two kissed passionately.

Li Zhiyan could no longer exercise any self-restraint; primal instinct overrode his consciousness. Zhao Shumin felt the same; over a decade of suppressed loneliness merged seamlessly with her hormones at that moment.

Everything that followed unfolded with absolute naturalness.

***

The next morning, when Li Zhiyan woke up, memories of the previous night washed over him like a tidal wave. He genuinely never imagined that he and Zhao Shumin would end up sharing such intimate ties.

The root of it all, once again, was alcohol. Zhao Shumin had been drunk, believing she was dreaming, and thus threw all caution to the wind.

That shrew!!

Sensing Zhao Shumin still resting in his embrace, Li Zhiyan didn't dare wake her up. He couldn't fathom what kind of scene it would be once Zhao Shumin woke up and realized she hadn't been dreaming at all, and that everything was brutally real.

However, Zhao Shumin would undoubtedly remember last night's events. Drinking beer shouldn't induce total memory blackouts.

Before long, Zhao Shumin slowly opened her eyes. Feeling the cool indoor temperature, she found it rather strange—why did the fan feel this comfortable?

Shortly after, she realized she was lying in a warm embrace.

Last night flashed back into her mind: Liu Changsheng keeping her behind for overtime, attempting to assault her, Little Yan appearing to rescue her, and them going to the police station.

Every single memory became vividly crystal clear.

Opening her eyes, she saw Li Zhiyan. Then, realizing her state of undress, fragments of the previous night flooded back. She had thought she was dreaming. As a result, she had kissed Little Yan, and then...

Oh god, how was she supposed to face anyone?!

She had actually done that kind of thing with Little Yan, and she had been the one to take the initiative. If anyone ever found out, they would surely curse her as shameless and utterly devoid of self-respect.

The consequences were too terrifying for Zhao Shumin to even contemplate. Facing Li Zhiyan, she had always harbored a deep sense of inferiority, feeling she was too old, uneducated, and so on. She had always viewed Li Zhiyan as a junior, yet yesterday...

A blush visible to the naked eye spread across Zhao Shumin's face. She scrambled up in a panic, pulling away from Li Zhiyan.

"Little Yan..."

Zhao Shumin felt that as the adult, she ought to have a proper conversation with Li Zhiyan. But not a single word came out; all traces of the shrew vanished, leaving her resembling an embarrassed, cornered young girl.

Not everyone possessed Shen Hongmei's aura and composure; Zhao Shumin was simply an ordinary woman.

Dressing herself hurriedly, Zhao Shumin bolted out of Li Zhiyan's bedroom, leaving Li Zhiyan, who wanted to talk things through, stranded.

"This is trouble. I have to talk things through properly with Aunt Zhao."

"She won't get pregnant, will she...?"

Anxiety gnawed at Li Zhiyan's heart.