Finally, the wedding was over, and the two returned to City A.
Chen Shuangshuang persistently continued to send out resumes and look for jobs, while Zhang Dai carried on with his usual work.
Due to her prolonged gap in employment and her current pregnancy, she had to lower her standards when searching for a new company. However, this proved ineffective. Holding onto a glimmer of hope, she went through numerous interviews, but whenever HR asked about her marital and maternity status during the salary negotiations, she had to answer truthfully, and the offer would fall through.
In the end, she temporarily gave up on finding a full-time job and, at Zhang Dai’s recommendation, joined a remote project team, becoming a freelancer.
The salary for remote work wasn’t high. Not to mention, there was a baby on the way, plus their newly bought house was still under renovation and wouldn’t be ready for at least six months. They were both renting separate apartments, essentially paying someone else’s mortgage, which felt wasteful!
Following the traditional Chinese virtue of saving money wherever possible, she decided to move out of her rented apartment and move in with Zhang Dai.
She packed her things in advance, filling eight large boxes, and waited for Zhang Dai to help her move on Saturday.
Chen Shuangshuang: [Picture of boxes] [Picture of boxes] “Young Master Zhang, it’s time to show your strength! Thank you in advance for your hard work tomorrow!”
Zhang Dai: “OK, it won’t be a problem at all!”
On Saturday morning, Zhang Dai rang the doorbell on time, greeting her with a smile: “Morning, Shuangshuang, are you ready?”
Chen Shuangshuang pointed to the several large boxes piled up in the room and smiled mischievously: “Go ahead! Move everything downstairs, and I’ll call the moving service.”
“Alright then!” Zhang Dai didn’t move a muscle but then stepped aside to reveal two professional movers behind him.
Chen Shuangshuang’s plan to save money was thwarted by paid movers instead of free labor. She inwardly cursed: “Spendthrift husband, not doing the work himself and paying others instead!”
The movers loaded the boxes onto a dolly, then huffed and puffed down the stairs, clearing everything out in four trips. They then rode with the truck to Zhang Dai’s rented apartment, and the movers efficiently carried everything upstairs via the elevator.
All the couple had to do was watch others work, making it a hassle-free experience!
While helping organize the items, Zhang Dai proudly said, “See, professional work should be done by professionals! If we did it ourselves, we’d be exhausted! Plus, you’re not in a condition to lift things; getting hurt isn’t worth it!”
“Alright, you’re the clever one!” Chen Shuangshuang didn’t argue this time. Indeed, hiring help was efficient and easy, proving that sometimes you shouldn’t skimp on necessary expenses.
Zhang Dai’s rented apartment was a one-bedroom unit. Near the window in the living room stood an old redwood sofa and a coffee table, with a computer desk and cabinets towards the inner side. There was a balcony, a bathroom and a kitchen, with good ventilation and lighting. For a bachelor, this kind of layout and size were quite luxurious.
Chen Shuangshuang looked at the bed in the room, which was big enough for two people, but she didn’t want to share it with him, as it would be awkward given the differences between men and women.
“Can the landlord take away the redwood sofa and coffee table? Then we can buy a bed for the living room, and I’ll sleep there!”
“Oh, I’ll ask!” Zhang Dai pretended to type on his phone, and after a while, he feigned regret, saying, “The landlord said no, he has no place to store the furniture, so it has to stay here.”
She reluctantly accepted the reality: “Alright then!”
What she didn’t know was that he hadn’t messaged the landlord at all; he had sent a message to his file transfer assistant!
In the evening, after a busy day, Chen Shuangshuang finally had time to relax and got engrossed in her video game.
Suddenly, Zhang Dai’s anxious voice came from the bathroom: “Shuangshuang! Shuangshuang, can you get the clothes from the bed? I forgot to bring them!”
She was in the middle of an intense game, about to win, and couldn’t afford any mistakes, so she suggested, “Don’t you have a towel? Wrap yourself in it and get them yourself!”
After some hesitation, Zhang Dai decided to go for it.
Chen Shuangshuang won her game, pumping her fist and shouting, “Yes!”
She looked up and her gaze landed on a bare-chested male figure.
His hair was wet, and crystal-clear water droplets flowed down his slender neck, past his beautifully shaped collarbones, tracing a path down his white chest and abs, disappearing into the depths of his towel. Damn, he was sexy!
They locked eyes for a moment, both blushing, and quickly looked away.
Zhang Dai rushed into the room in a few quick steps, closed the door, and took deep breaths to calm himself.
Chen Shuangshuang stared blankly at her phone screen, her mind filled with the recent steamy scene, swallowing hard. Wow! Was that really necessary? How could he have such a great body! Walking out in just a towel, blatantly teasing her!
She lightly patted her face to clear her mind.
Zhang Dai, now dressed, opened the door and, trying to act calm, stood at the door, gently knocking with his slender fingers, kindly reminding her: “Shuangshuang, it’s late, go take a shower!”
Chen Shuangshuang obediently got up from the redwood sofa and walked towards the bathroom. The doorway was narrow, and Zhang Dai was blocking it. She stopped in front of him, looking up with a resentful expression that seemed to ask, “What do you mean?”
Zhang Dai slightly curled his lips into a smile, and leaned against the door frame, making room for her.
As Chen Shuangshuang passed by him, she turned slightly, their chests almost touching. They were so close that she could smell the fresh scent of his body wash. He looked down at her with a gentle smile, causing her cheeks to blush again. She quickly stepped away to avoid revealing her strange reaction.
Zhang Dai turned and watched her slender back as she searched for clothes, his eyes filled with a triumphant smile.
That night, they awkwardly remained silent, covered themselves with blankets, and turned off the lights to sleep.
Chen Shuangshuang lay on the inner side of the bed, perhaps not used to the new bed, tossing and turning without any sleepiness. She quietly sat up, groped for her phone at the corner of the bed, and sneakily opened a game, planning to play a few rounds to induce sleep.
Before she could start, a large hand suddenly appeared, snatching her phone away and placing it on the far side of the bed, out of her reach.
Zhang Dai’s sleepy, lazy voice came through: “Go to sleep early! Even if you don’t want to sleep, the one in your belly still needs to sleep!”
As a heavy phone addict, Chen Shuangshuang felt insecure without her phone nearby and got a bit annoyed, angrily demanding: “Give it back!”
Zhang Dai turned his back to her, lazily responding: “No! No staying up late playing on your phone!”
If you want something to be done well, you should do it by yourself, she thought. Guided by the faint moonlight, she knelt and bent forward, one hand propped on the blanket beside him, straddling his body, the other hand reaching for the phone.
However, her arm wasn’t long enough, so she had to stretch a bit more. Her delicate body hovered over him, almost touching him. His drowsiness was gradually replaced by her fragrant scent, and the light fabric of her nightgown brushed against his cheek, tickling him. It was almost a deliberate tease, causing his rationality and desire to clash.
Just as she was about to reach her phone, he couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. He suddenly turned over, slid his arms under her armpits, and pulled her into his embrace, firmly commanding, “Close your eyes and sleep!”
Chen Shuangshuang’s plan to retrieve her phone was abruptly interrupted, making her furious. On top of that, he was hugging her, taking advantage of the situation, which only added fuel to the fire!
In his arms, she squirmed, rubbing her face against his chest, kicking and pinching him. But this only made her delicate body press against him more, allowing him to feel her curves clearly.
His body and mind grew increasingly heated, and he subconsciously tightened his grip, wanting more, even wanting to meld her into his body. But mindful of her pregnancy, he restrained himself.
“Let go! Let go! Let go!”
Zhang Dai held her tighter, pretending to be asleep. She struggled in vain and eventually gave up, staying still in his arms. Gradually, sleepiness overcame her, and she closed her eyes.
When he heard her gentle breathing, he loosened his grip slightly, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead, softly saying, “Good night, Shuangshuang.”
Diary entry:
Ahhh! Zhang Dai is getting more and more annoying! If I don’t hit him for a day, he’ll become uncontrollable!
— Chen Shuangshuang
