Sweet slice-of-life love story: Wife, Let's love again
Chapter 261 - 257: Time Always Passes

Chapter 261: Chapter 257: Time Always Passes

October 1st, the Golden Week of travel.

Last National Day, Qin Guanglin had his first visit to his father-in-law’s place and got teased quite a bit. Just thinking about it made him feel sentimental.

Fortunately, this year he didn’t have to go there, and he could take He Fang out for some fun with a full seven days to wander around.

On the night before leaving, however, He Fang changed her mind.

"Stay at home? It’s crowded everywhere outside. Are we there to see people or scenery?"

The thought of the dense crowds killed Qin Guanglin’s enthusiasm for going out.

"No way, I said I’d take you out, and I will." Qin Guanglin was adamant, having already missed an outing during the summer holidays, this time it had to happen.

Naked but for his skin, he sat in front of the computer searching for travel guides without turning his head back, saying, "Where do you want to go? Let’s make a preliminary plan. We have seven days, let’s enjoy the stroll."

He Fang lay lazily on the bed like a lazy fish, half-squinting her eyes, "I don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t like going out during the holidays. Too many people, it’s like paying to suffer."

"Then we’ll pick a less crowded spot. Stay away from the popular scenic areas."

"Where would that be without many people?"

"Wait, I’ll look it up." Qin Guanglin tapped away at his keyboard, his eyes gleaming intensely as he stared at the computer screen in search of good vacation spots.

It would indeed be fun if both of them stayed home for the entire holiday, but it might be a bit too much to handle.

When He Fang was drowsy and about to drift off to sleep, Qin Guanglin suddenly slapped his thigh, "Let’s go to the beach!"

He Fang was startled by his sudden outburst, coming back to her senses, she asked confusedly, "What?"

"To the beach; it doesn’t matter if there are many people there, and it won’t be crowded." Qin Guanglin was brimming with excitement as he unplugged the computer and ran back to bed with his laptop, "The weather is just right now, neither cold nor hot, and you don’t have to worry about getting tanned..."

"I’m not wearing a swimsuit," He Fang frowned.

"...If you don’t go into the water, you can wear a dress. It’s nice to stroll along the beach and catch the breeze, plus you can catch crabs too." Qin Guanglin was somewhat excited, "I’ve never been to the beach before. Have you?"

He Fang glanced at the computer screen and shook her head, "I’ve only been to the riverside."

"Then it’s perfect. Let’s see what the sea is like."

"Go take a look?"

"Let’s go!"

The next day.

At a little past eight, Qin Guanglin woke up energized, checked the time, and after cuddling with He Fang for a while, got up to wash his face and brush his teeth. After getting ready, he returned to the bedroom to wake her up.

Having decided on the destination the night before, he immediately booked a hotel room according to the guide’s hotline. Now, he just needed to pack some clothes and sundries, and once He Fang was ready with her small suitcase, they set off, backpack on his back, suitcase in tow, holding He Fang’s hand, and descended the stairs.

Green Island Beach stretched 20 kilometers long and 150 meters wide. Even during the Golden Week, it wouldn’t be swamped with people, a consideration that had led Qin Guanglin to choose this spot. The journey was quite long, and it was completely dark by the time they finally transferred and arrived at the booked hotel.

After an entire day of travel, He Fang was exhausted, but Qin Guanglin was still full of energy. His first time at the beach, he stood in the hotel room window looking out, appearing every inch the country bumpkin.

"How much did this room cost?" He Fang, leaning against the headboard, looked out at the night view, knowing without asking that the seaside room must be expensive.

"Not much, just enjoy yourself." Qin Guanglin listened to the distant sound of the waves, extremely satisfied, holding the hotel’s menu card close to He Fang, "Look at what you want to eat. They have great seafood here... how about lobsters?"

"Do you have an addiction to lobster?"

"No, I just want you to try it."

"Just a bowl of crab roe porridge is fine. I’m a bit tired from sitting in the car all day." He Fang glanced at the menu carelessly, ordered a bowl of porridge, then hugged a pillow, burying herself in bed, and muttered, "Help me find my pajamas in the suitcase."

"What do you need pajamas for? Just wrap yourself in a towel."

"...Fine, I’ll go take a shower then."

Watching He Fang walk into the bathroom, Qin Guanglin lay back on the bed in a spread-eagle position, pulled out his phone, and dialed the number from the menu card.

...

Luo City.

Just after dinner, Xiao Yu reclined on the sofa, chatting on the phone with his legs crossed, and a little flower cat lay on his chest, enjoying the petting from head to tail, its eyes squinting with pleasure.

"How many days will you stay at home?" he asked.

"Till the holiday is over... Why don’t you come over? My dad said he would like to have a drink with you," Zhou Nan said.

She had only been with Xiao Yu for a short half day before her family called her back home on the first day of the holiday, throwing all of their careful National Day plans into disarray. Now all they could do was talk on the phone.

"I...once I catch a big fish, I’ll take it to your dad as a drink snack," Xiao Yu could vaguely hear the sound of her punching a sandbag in the background.

"What if you don’t catch one?"

"If I don’t, I’ll keep fishing."

"Just say you don’t want to come!" Zhou Nan rolled her eyes at the phone, turned to look at her second brother sweating buckets at the punching bag, and after thinking for a moment, added, "My second brother misses you too. He says he wants to talk with you, discuss our dreams."

...

"And my big brother, he misses you too. He said he wants to teach you some self-defense moves."

"... The more you say that, the more scared I get. Never mind." Xiao Yu was timid, trying hard to remember what he had done wrong.

That shouldn’t be the case though. So far, they had only hugged each other, and nothing more had happened. Why would these two uncles think of him?

Zhou Nan bit her lip and punched the chair beside her, making a loud noise that startled Xiao Yu.

"What was that? What happened?"

"What are you afraid of! They’re not going to eat you!" Zhou Nan’s voice sounded rather fierce over the phone.

"I am actually scared." Xiao Yu scratched his chin and said, "Otherwise why would they think of me for no reason? Your dad misses me, your big brother misses me, your second brother misses me, it’s clearly a setup..."

"They don’t miss you, I miss you. I’m hanging up now!" Zhou Nan, her face red, hung up the phone and clutched it close to her chest, taking a deep breath.

"Beep... Beep... Beep..."

Xiao Yu, hearing the busy tone, was stunned for a moment. He mechanically glanced at the phone screen, then set it aside and carefully lifted the little tabby cat off his lap before springing up from the couch with a carp-flip jump.

"Ye!"

The cat was startled by his energetic movements, its tail went erect, and it quickly slid back to the room, keeping away from this nuisance.

’I miss you too. I’ll see if I can catch a big fish tomorrow. If not, I’ll buy one the day after tomorrow and bring it to your place.’ Xiao Yu clenched his fists a few times, excitedly picked up his phone, and sent the message to Zhou Nan via WeiXun.

They had been dating for so long, had met each other’s parents, but had only gotten as far as holding hands and hugging. At first, he thought Zhou Nan was just playing hard to get, but later he realized that although she was strong in combat, deep down she was still a conservative and shy girl.

Even saying ’I miss you’ or ’I love you’ was difficult for her, making him so anxious he wanted to pin her against the wall and kiss her, if only he could win in a fight.

After waiting for a while and not getting a reply from Zhou Nan, Xiao Yu turned and went back to his room to find his precious fishing rod.

He had to catch a big fish tomorrow; one bought from the market would never convey the same sincerity as one he caught himself.

...

Luo City Hotel.

Sun Wen lay on the bed, one hand behind his head, the other holding a cigarette, expressionlessly watching the smoke curl up, the sound of running water coming from the bathroom.

Inside was his old trainee, a woman more than a decade his senior.

After the first time with Xu Wei, the second and third times weren’t that hard.

Making money, well, it’s not dishonorable.

Some fifteen minutes later, a plump figure emerged from the bathroom. Sun Wen flicked away the stub of the cigarette and forced a smile at her.

Then the lesson began.

"Turn off the lights," said Sun Wen.

In the dark, it was easier to treat this as a physical job.

"No."

"Oh."

Bang!

In the middle of the lesson, a loud noise interrupted their movements, and Sun Wen, sweating profusely, turned to look. The door had been violently kicked open, and four or five men appeared before his eyes in a blink.

"What are you doing?!"

"To beat you up!"

"Get down here!"

The woman’s shrieks and the men’s roars, along with the sounds of punches and kicks, were interspersed with Sun Wen’s grunts.

A circle of men stood by the bed, beating and kicking Sun Wen, who was crouched on the floor with his arms covering his head. The space at the front of the bed was too small for all to fit, so one stood outside the circle.

"Stop it! Stop it!" The woman, holding the blanket, tried to wave them off, but no one paid her any attention.

The man standing on the outside looked disdainfully at her, and then back at the man on the ground. Seeing someone reach for a stool next to them, he finally stretched out a hand to stop it.

"The boss said not to beat him to death or cripple him."

They were to go in and hit only the man, just enough not to kill or maim him—that was the boss’s exact command.

If they used weapons, things might get out of hand.

Curled up on the floor, Sun Wen clenched his jaw and didn’t utter a sound.

Taking a beating for making money off someone’s woman was only fair.

No injustice there.

That’s what he thought.

Making money, well, it’s not dishonorable.