“Mrs. Han, what can I do for you?”

Fu Zhengzheng walks past Zhu Ting’s store. Seeing her in the store alone, Fu Zhengzheng walks in. But when she just opens her mouth, Zhu Ting responds in this way. She realizes immediately that something is wrong, so she smiles, “After I went home yesterday, I talked with my cousin about your store, she was interested. I just walk past it and see you, so I come to ask when it will open.”

“I’m preparing and planning to open it tomorrow.” While saying, Zhu Ting glances at the bathroom.

Fu Zhengzheng takes the hint and adds smilingly, “OK, I will come to join its opening tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Han.”

“Mr. Tang rescued Siqi. I haven’t shown my gratitude to both of you. Besides, Mr. Tang and Siqi are partners now. Siqi told me they would have a long-term cooperation, so please don’t mention it. I have something to do. See you.”

Zhu Ting sees Fu Zhengzheng off. After she walks far, Zhu Ting turns around and enters the store. Then she sees Xiao Jinchong standing in the middle of the store and looking at her as if deep in thought.

She is considering how to explain when another person rushes into the store. She looks back and sees Tang Feng.

Tang Feng glances at Zhu Ting but doesn’t talk with her. He goes forward quickly and gives a bag to Xiao Jinchong.

“Boss, your trousers.”

Zhu Ting sees a hint of worry in Tang Feng’s eyes, but it disappears quickly. She doesn’t say anything.

Without taking the trousers, Xiao Jinchong asks Zhu Ting, “Is she Han Siqi’s wife?”

Tang Feng asks in surprise, “Mrs. Han came here?”

Zhu Ting nods, “She just walked past the store, so she asked when it would open. I told her it was going to open tomorrow. She said she would come to join the opening.”

“Cool.” Tang Feng rubs his hands and explains to Xiao Jinchong smilingly, “Han Siqi is well-known for doting on his wife. So long as we can win the confidence of his wife, it will be easier to negotiate with him about any business.”

Xiao Jinchong raises his eyebrows at Zhu Ting, “Is his wife a police officer? Are you well acquainted?”

“Mrs. Han is a police officer responsible for household registration. I dealt with her when I was a lawyer. She didn’t have a good impression of me, but now she is more friendly because of Tang Feng.”

Tang Feng smiles, “She is pregnant, and your store sells products for moms and babies. You will have many chances to deal with her and improve your relationship.”

Zhu Ting “comes to understand suddenly”, “That’s why you ask me to open a store selling products for moms and babies, right?”

Tang Feng grins, “Of course. Though the store isn’t large, it costs much money to open it. Boss always tells us not to be blind to do anything and that we have to find the most suitable breach. Boss, how about my breach?”

“Great.” Xiao Jinchong nods. Without saying more, he takes the bag and enters the bathroom.

After the bathroom door is closed, Tang Feng turns around quickly to look at Zhu Ting with anxiety.

Zhu Ting sighs with relief secretly, shakes her head slightly, and turns around to tidy up things on the shelf, ignoring Tang Feng.

Suddenly she finds their cooperation perfect.

Tang Feng says nothing either. Soon Xiao Jinchong changes his trousers, comes out, and tells him slowly, “Ask Zhu Ting to wash my trousers and then take them to my room.”

Then he goes out. Tang Feng responds while following him.

Hearing that, Zhu Ting becomes nervous. It means she needs to take trousers to his hotel room after washing them?

She has a sense of foreboding. Apparently, he has an evil intention. Just now, he even dared to molest her in the store when the door was wide open. If she goes to his hotel room, she will place herself at the mercy of him, won’t she?

“Did my boss put you in a tough spot?” Tang Feng returns and asks.

When he received Xiao Jinchong’s call, saying he was in Zhu Ting’s store and asking Tang Feng to bring trousers, Tang Feng became extremely anxious. He was afraid his boss would do something bad to Zhu Ting, so he came here in a hurry. After arriving, he found it’s not so terrible as he imagined and thus became relieved slightly.

“Not exactly. But…”

“Wash and dry the trousers. I will take them there.”

“Will he agree?”

“I’ll tell him that you’re not well.”

Not knowing what to say, Zhu Ting doesn’t say more. She doesn’t look at Tang Feng and just lowers her head to tidy up things.

“Last night…” Tang Feng pauses. Perhaps he doesn’t know what to say.

When he woke up this morning, he found himself stark naked on the carpet and saw the bath towel with a bloodstain under his body. He knew everything, of course.

Zhu Ting still keeps silent.

“Ting…” Tang Feng moves close to her and murmurs, “Sorry.”

“Is it useful to say it now?”

“I’ll be responsible for you.”

Staring at him for quite a while, Zhu Ting says seriously, “Tang Feng, tell me, is Brotherhood a sinister gang?”

Tang Feng laughs, “Where can you find a sinister gang now? We are honest businessmen.”

“Really?”

“Yes. When did I lie to you?”

Zhu Ting glances at him and doesn’t say more.

Tang Feng flashes in front of her, but she snubs him. He whistles to her, “I will never lie to you. You sleep on the same bed with me.”

Zhu Ting grabs a piece of clothing to hit him on the face.

Tang Feng catches the clothing with sharp eyes and agile hands. He folds it neatly and puts it back, “We’ll often face each other in a state of nature. You don’t need to be shy.”

Zhu Ting looks at the neatly folded clothing in a daze.

“Ting? Ting?” Tang Feng holds her shoulder suddenly and gives her a quick kiss on her face.

Zhu Ting is startled and pushes him with force. Tang Feng staggers backward. But he still smacks his lips with a grin to show the endless aftertaste. It makes her furious.

Tang Feng moves close to her again and grins, “Ting, I won’t go home for dinner. Enjoy dinner by yourself.”

“What are you going to do?” Zhu Ting is regretful for her anxiety immediately after she asks the question. She tells herself not to be so hurried again, or he will see through her intention.

But Tang Feng doesn’t seem to doubt about it and feels happy instead, “I know my woman cares for me.”

Zhu Ting snorts coldly, “You must have been dead bored in the hospital, right? It’s time for you to enjoy the nightlife outside.”

“What are you jealous of? Can the nightlife outside be compared with the one at home? If not for the regular meeting of Brotherhood, I wouldn’t be bothered to go out.” Tang Feng stands with his back against the shelf. When glimpsing the person monitoring them in the opposite store go away, he sighs with relief.

“What do you do in the regular meeting?”

“Generally, the boss asks about the latest development of Brotherhood or the staff turnover inside it. It’s routine. But as one of the key Brotherhood members, I have to attend it.”

“You are a key member? Then why are you so scared of your boss?”

Tang Feng’s mouth corners twitch, “I’m not scared of my boss. I respect him. Without him, I wouldn’t be like this today. A person should be grateful. Don’t you think so?”

“If your boss bears an evil thought against me, what will you do?” Zhu Ting stimulates him deliberately.

But Tang Feng holds her smilingly, “You’re my woman. My boss has a principle – he’ll never touch his buddy’s woman.”

“But he just…”

“My boss has measured behaviors. He may want to test if you are my woman. Alas, you are so beautiful that even my boss can’t control his feeling.” Seeing Zhu Ting nervous, he comforts her smilingly, “Don’t worry. I’m here. I will protect you. Please believe your man’s ability.”

After looking at the time, he turns around and calls Xiaohu.

“Brother Feng.” Xiaohu comes in.

“Help Ting tidy here. If she is tired, you will have trouble.”

“I’ll do it right now.” Xiaohu hurries to tidy up things as Zhu Ting does.

“Take good care of Ting.”

“OK, Brother Feng.”

Then Tang Feng turns around and tells Zhu Ting softly, “Ting, I’ll go to the company. Go back home earlier. Don’t come out and hang around. Do you hear me?”

Zhu Ting nods. Then Tang Feng goes out.

Zhu Ting watches Tang Feng’s figure. Seeing that, Xiaohu praises sincerely, “Miss Zhu, Brother Feng is so nice to you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I have worked for Brother Feng for over one year. I’ve never seen him treat another woman so tenderly and nicely.”

“Did he have many women?”

Xiaohu realizes he had a slip of tongue, so he explains at once, “No. No. I mean Brother Feng leaves a cold and tough impression on us. Only in front of our boss and you will he speak so softly.”

Zhu Ting intends to know something from Xiaohu when her cellphone rings. The call is from Tang Feng.

“Ting, remember to wash and dry my boss’s trousers.”

“Got it.”

“Wash yourself and wait for me at home tonight.”

Hearing that, Zhu Ting hangs up the phone at once.

“Xiaohu, I’m hungry and will go out to buy something. Please keep on tidying.”

Xiaohu stops at once, “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”

“I don’t know. I want to choose by myself.”

“But Brother Feng demands me to…”

“I will go to the next-door store. It’s daytime, and there are so many people. Nothing will happen. I will be back soon.” Then Zhu Ting walks out fast, leaving Xiaohu there.

What happened last night was unexpected. She admits her “tragedy” was caused by her momentary soft heart. But what Tang Feng just said on the phone makes her nervous and she wants to flinch for the first time.

She buys something outside casually and then returns to the store.

If she leaves now, didn’t she sacrifice herself in vain last night?

She isn’t willing to give up halfway.

Just play to the score tactically.

Because the store will open tomorrow, she and Xiaohu keep working till past 8:00 p.m. They eat something and then go back to Tang Feng’s house. Xiaohu takes Xiao Jinchong’s trousers away to wash them. Zhu Ting goes back to her room.

Her cellphone rings immediately after she takes a bath. The call is from an unknown number. She answers it suspiciously.

“Have the trousers been washed?” A man says in a deep voice.

Xiao Jinchong!

Thinking that Tang Feng hasn’t come back, Zhu Ting explains immediately, “Boss, sorry, I came home late and haven’t washed the trousers.”

“It doesn’t matter. You can bring the trousers to the hotel and wash them there. I’ve asked someone to pick you up. He has arrived probably.”

Zhu Ting becomes panicky, “In the hotel, it’s inconvenient to wash…”

But she has been cut off. Meanwhile, a car horn is sounded in the yard.