WHCTIL - 71

Chapter 71: Epilogue – Jiang Chuan and Qin Tang (2)

Old man Lu walked over.

Qin Tang glanced up at Jiang Chuan. Jiang Chuan squeezed her hand and smiled, lowering his head, “Don’t worry, my dad likes you.”

Qin Tang was a bit nervous. Jiang Chuan’s father was tall and thin, with dark skin from years of labor, deep-set eyes, and looked rather stern in his sixties. He was not like the simple and kind rural elder she had imagined.

Jiang Chuan squeezed her hand again and looked at the old man, “Dad, this is Qin Tang.”

Qin Tang smiled, “Hello, Uncle.”

Old man Lu looked her up and down, then glanced at Jiang Chuan. His expression was unreadable, making Qin Tang even more nervous.

After a while, he finally showed a faint smile, “Ah, it’s cold outside. Come in and sit down. You didn’t inform us in advance, so we didn’t prepare much food.”

Qin Tang relaxed and smiled, “It’s okay, anything will do.”

Jiang Chuan smiled.

What was he smiling at? Qin Tang looked up at him.

Jiang Chuan’s smile didn’t fade, and Qin Tang ignored him.

At the dinner table, the old man didn’t ask her endless questions like other parents would. He only urged her to eat more, asked what she liked to eat, and how long she planned to stay. Qin Tang answered each question. After the meal, he said to Jiang Chuan, “Let the girl sleep in that room, you tidy up another room and sleep there.”

Qin Tang pursed her lips and lowered her head.

Jiang Chuan looked at the old man and said, “Dad, Qin Tang will sleep with me. She’s afraid of the cold.”

Qin Tang: “…”

Wasn’t he embarrassed?

The old man’s thoughts were rather traditional. Since they weren’t married and the groom’s side hadn’t met the bride’s parents yet, according to etiquette, they shouldn’t sleep together. But seeing that Qin Tang didn’t object, he didn’t say anything either. He patted his knee and stood up, “Go heat up the brick bed.”

Jiang Chuan smiled, “No rush, it’s still early. If you’re tired, go to bed early. Don’t worry about her.”

The old man harrumphed and turned to leave.

Only Jiang Chuan and Qin Tang remained in the living room. Qin Tang finally looked up at him with some reproach, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Jiang Chuan was obviously in a good mood, “On purpose? What?”

Qin Tang gave him a glare and pressed, “What were you laughing at earlier?”

Jiang Chuan looked at her for a moment and chuckled, “My dad thinks you’re beautiful and that I don’t deserve you.”

The old man hadn’t said it outright, but Jiang Chuan knew him well. That look earlier probably meant he thought Jiang Chuan was lucky to find such a good girl—beautiful, poised, and seemingly from a good family.

It wasn’t that he didn’t deserve her.

Purely that he thought he got incredibly lucky.

Qin Tang knew he wasn’t telling the whole truth and didn’t press further. She stood up, looked around, and pointed to the room on the right, “Is that your room?”

Jiang Chuan nodded, “The luggage is still in the car. Go inside first.”

He went out to fetch the luggage.

Jiang Chuan had mentioned that the village was quite poor when he was young, but conditions had improved significantly in recent years. His family’s house had been renovated, the walls whitewashed, the floor tiled, and the furniture new.

On the left side of the courtyard was the sheep pen, and old man Lu lived in the house on the left.

Qin Tang entered the room and stared at the large heated brick bed, wider than a king-size bed, stunned for a few seconds. Jiang Chuan pushed the door open, placed the luggage aside, put his hand on her shoulder, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, “How’s that?”

Qin Tang pretended to be calm, “What do you mean ‘how’s that’?”

Jiang Chuan lowered his head and smirked at her, “Didn’t you say you’ve never slept on a brick bed? Tonight, I’ll let you try it.”

Qin Tang pushed his hand away and bent down to open her suitcase. She hadn’t brought many clothes; the suitcase was filled with gifts for Jiang Chuan’s father—a massager and health supplements.

Jiang Chuan squatted beside her, picked up the massager, examined it, and glanced at her, “When did you buy this?”

“I had my younger brother bring it back from abroad.”

“He might not know how to use it.”

Qin Tang thought for a moment, “I’ll teach him tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Chuan looked at her and asked, “Do your parents know you’re here?”

Qin Tang: “Yes.”

She had received a call during her layover. Her father was angry, her mother placated him, and her younger brother got beaten up. Qin Tang didn’t hide anything and told Jiang Chuan everything.

Jiang Chuan pursed his lips and licked his front teeth, “So your brother took that beating for me?”

Qin Tang thought for a moment, “I guess so.”

Jiang Chuan frowned.

Qin Tang took out her clothes, closed the suitcase, stood up, and looked down at him, “It’s fine. My dad has always doted on me. He’s just a little upset. Our family has always believed in free love.”

She just wanted to tell him that although her family was well-off and her father didn’t particularly like him, it wasn’t because of his financial situation. 

After a disastrous arranged marriage in the Qin family years ago, the family had stopped interfering in the younger generation’s romantic relationships—unless there were issues with the person’s character. 

Her parents were fully aware of Jiang Chuan’s background. 

Qin Tang could tell that her father actually admired Jiang Chuan’s stubbornness and resilience. 

Jiang Chuan stood up, pulling her waist close, and kissed her ear, “Do you want to take a bath? I’ll heat some water for you.” 

Qin Tang bit her lip, trembling slightly, “Yes.” 

Jiang Chuan kissed her again, about to say something, when Lü An called out from outside. 

Qin Tang pushed him away, and Jiang Chuan smiled, “Shall we go see?” 

Qin Tang: “Mm.” 

Lü An stood in the courtyard, a cigarette between his fingers, grinning at them, “Uncle Lu just said that tomorrow we’ll slaughter a sheep.” 

Jiang Chuan looked at him, “Tomorrow’s business—why are you rushing now?” 

“It’s just a heads-up,” Lü An replied. 

“Anything else?” 

Lü An continued, “Nope. Tomorrow our families will eat together. Just a reminder—don’t mention Xiao Bai’s situation. She’s still in school. We’ll wait until she graduates.” 

Jiang Chuan chuckled, “That’s all?” 

“That’s all.” 

“Alright, got it.” 

Jiang Chuan went to the kitchen to heat water. The courtyard was chilly, and Qin Tang hadn’t worn her scarf, so her neck felt cold from the wind. Lü An teased, “Sis-in-law, are you getting used to being here?” 

Qin Tang replied, “It’s good.” 

With Jiang Chuan around, anywhere felt good. 

“Well then, I’ll head back,” Lü An said. 

“Okay.” 

Qin Tang returned to the room. After Jiang Chuan heated the water, she took a bath. By the time she finished, Jiang Chuan had already warmed up the brick bed. He quickly washed up with the leftover hot water and came back into the room. 

Old man Lu slept early, so he was likely already sound asleep by now. 

Qin Tang stood by the table, flipping through Jiang Chuan’s high school textbooks and notebooks. His name, Lu Ye, was written neatly inside. His handwriting was strong and elegant, as if the strokes could pierce through the paper. 

Jiang Chuan walked in, lifted her over his shoulder, and almost made her scream—but she held it back. 

He tossed her onto the brick bed and pressed down on her. Qin Tang squirmed, trying to struggle, but she dared not make a sound, fearing she’d wake his father in the next room. 

Jiang Chuan pinned her legs down and leaned close to her ear, “What are you struggling for?” 

Qin Tang said, “I haven’t finished looking.” 

“What’s there to look at?” 

“There’s nothing special—it’s just... I wanted to see.” 

Jiang Chuan chuckled, gripping her chin and tilting it up. He leaned down to kiss her, “Did you miss me?” 

Qin Tang let out a vague “Mm,” and his tongue slipped into her mouth. 

She closed her eyes, then opened them again. 

His kisses grew fiercer, his hand slipping under her pajamas, touching soft skin. His whole body relaxed, except for one part that hardened. 

The brick bed beneath them was warm, but his body burned even hotter. 

Caught between the heat of the bed and his body, Qin Tang grew feverish and limp, biting her lip to stay silent. 

After a while… 

Jiang Chuan slightly lifted himself, and Qin Tang tugged at him. Her entire body flushed pink as she whispered softly, “Do you have a condom?” 

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow, sensing she had more to say. 

Qin Tang pursed her lips, pointing to her suitcase, “There’s one inside.” 

Jiang Chuan stared at her, “You bought it?” 

Qin Tang felt a little embarrassed but lifted her chin defiantly, “Yeah. Is that a problem?” 

“No problem,” he laughed, leaning down to kiss her fiercely. His hand reached under her pillow and pulled something out. When Qin Tang saw it, she turned her face away. 

She should’ve known—he wouldn’t come unprepared. 

They hadn’t been together for a long time. Qin Tang bit her lip, suppressing her moans, breathing heavily as her body curled under him, trembling uncontrollably. 

Jiang Chuan gripped her cheek, applying pressure, and her sultry voice escaped. 

His gaze darkened as he thrust harder, his breath hot against her ear, “Tang Tang, call out…” 

“Mmm…” She slapped his hand lightly. 

“The walls are soundproof, and the rooms are far apart. No one will hear,” he chuckled. 

--- 

Afterward, Qin Tang lay limp, her breath faint. 

Jiang Chuan pulled her closer, noticing the red marks dotting her pale skin. He covered her with the blanket, his fingers brushing her cheek, “Is the brick bed comfortable?” 

Qin Tang turned her face away, unwilling to speak. 

Jiang Chuan chuckled. Qin Tang rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. After a while, she seemed to recover a bit and murmured softly, “Mm.” 

It was thrilling, a new experience. 

Jiang Chuan rolled over, “Shall we try again?” 

The brick bed was over two meters wide, and the night was still long.