What a good match the two kids made; no wonder Chi Wu looked at him so proudly—a misunderstanding, that was all.

Naturally, the male teacher asked, "Aren't you brother and sister?"

Chi Wu raised an eyebrow. "An arranged engagement. It's hard to explain at school, so we just told outsiders that; we’re from the countryside."

The handsome teacher’s gaze was utterly stupefied. An arranged marriage?

Don't ask why the handsome teacher was so easily fooled; things like this had happened on campus before. It wasn't an isolated incident. There had even been instances of cross-marriages.

Cheng Ying thought, Can’t you try a little harder? You’re making such a scene!

She had completely defeated the handsome teacher with that face. After all, this was her own flesh and blood; he could always cover for her. Ah, that wasn't phrased nicely. But why was this alcohol so strong? She felt dizzy and unsteady.

She grabbed Chi Wu’s arm. "I’m dizzy, but you are the most handsome. I can confirm that. There’s no one in heaven or earth more handsome than you."

She spoke with complete sincerity; a parent always thinks their child is the best.

Chi Wu seemed a bit calmer, but his eyes never left the teacher.

The handsome teacher rubbed his nose and walked away. What was going on tonight? It was too embarrassing.

How could a homeroom teacher allow a student-teacher romance in his class? Even after graduation, it wouldn't do; it would set a bad precedent. He had been watching this situation closely.

He only approached after Teacher Qi left, and his words were even more genuine than Cheng Ying’s: "No wonder you two are such a good match. I can’t believe you kept it a secret for two or three years."

Chi Wu’s mouth curled up slightly, showing no hint of pleasure.

He wished he could shake Cheng Ying awake and give her a good scolding. What kind of taste do you have? What’s wrong with me? How am I inferior to that seductress? Why do you have to wink at her? She’s already married! This life is impossible; this woman needs to be managed.

This woman has too many problems. She should be tied up with a rope, or who knows what trouble she'll stir up. "Teacher, we should go now. Cheng Ying is drunk."

The teacher said, "It’s fine. You’re going to be university students now. Your grades are definitely not an issue. Romance is free, but today’s situation wasn’t Cheng Ying’s fault; it was because the girls in our class were too bold."

Was she stimulated? That could be understood; after all, they had an arranged engagement.

Cheng Ying desperately wanted to kiss Chi Wu’s cheek. She had made a fool of herself, and Chi Wu had cleaned up her mess— and in a way that earned him great respect, too, as even the homeroom teacher approved. How did this kid’s brain work? So quick-witted, and he completely defeated the handsome teacher.

As for the arranged engagement, Cheng Ying didn’t take it seriously at all; they were just saying it for fun.

After this incident, who would still care about that? The graduation party? They would all go their separate ways in the future anyway.

Seeing the handsome teacher rub his nose, Cheng Ying felt incredibly satisfied. Three years—she had finally kicked back once. This feeling was absolutely amazing.

When she looked at the girl in the white dress next, Cheng Ying’s gaze was utterly repulsive, purely retaliatory. She nudged Chi Wu’s arm and jabbed her chin at the other girl, scoffing, You’re only worthy of someone like her; I am the superior one. Perhaps she had drunk a little too much, but Cheng Ying’s comparison was unreasonable and childish, yet it brought a feeling of exhilaration.

It was the feeling of slapping the face of the woman who once threw a check at him years ago. After so many years, she finally got that breath out.

Cheng Ying felt she had been holding it in for too long; it had become an obsession. But there was a strange sense of temporal dislocation—Where exactly is this? Where am I? Who am I? Which ‘me’ am I? Cheng Ying’s head felt fuzzy.

Chi Wu’s eyes were dark as he led the drunken Cheng Ying all the way home.

Fatty Sun had taken the old lady to their place. His auntie was about to give birth, and Fatty Sun hated how noisy the carpenters next door were. For his wife’s quiet recovery, he had brought the old lady over.

Cheng family’s Old Madam was now serving as support for the impending delivery.

No one else was home; only Chi Wu and Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying, even drunk, had decent behavior; at least she wasn't acting wildly. Her speech was relatively coherent; at least she knew Chi Wu had helped her.

Chi Wu wiped Cheng Ying’s face; they were both sweaty in this weather. He noticed Cheng Ying’s shirt buttons were undone quite far.

Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying lying on the kang bed, feeling a sense that Cheng Ying had grown up, and her happiness was about to drift away from him.

Chi Wu’s head also hurt, but when this person was drunk, her mind was quite clear—unprecedentedly clear, in fact. He reviewed all the moments they had spent together since childhood. He organized everything Cheng Ying had ever taught him. Following Cheng Ying’s logic: if you’re going to act, act now; if you wait, you’ll get nothing, and you won’t even have a place to cry. Sometimes you have to take risks. Where there’s no sacrifice, there’s no reward. You can’t catch a wolf cub without letting go of the child—these were all things Cheng Ying had told him. Everything about handling people and affairs, Cheng Ying had taught him hand in hand.

Chi Wu’s hands trembled slightly, and another of Cheng Ying’s buttons fell off in his shaking grip.

Cheng Ying frowned uncomfortably and opened her eyes. "Wuzi, thank you so much today. If something like this happens again, you have to stay by my side."

These words ignited the last flicker of conscience Chi Wu had left. And there’s a 'next time'? Is she looking to die? If I let there be a next time, I’ll just smash my head against a wall.

Chi Wu, not doing things by halves, kept his eyes shut and stripped Cheng Ying naked, not daring to look even once. Then he stripped himself and crawled into the covers, pulling Cheng Ying close, pretending to "sleep."

Cheng Ying was too drunk; having someone take care of her was good enough. She closed her eyes and slept.

Chi Wu was quite nervous. He had always held a sense of reverence toward Cheng Ying. He wouldn't dare do this unless he was absolutely desperate. Even now, his arm was cautiously circled around Cheng Ying’s waist; he dared not touch anything more. Perhaps Chi Wu had left himself a retreat route in his mind: if Cheng Ying fiercely resisted, at least he would have a way out; he wasn't truly taking advantage—it was just for show.

Chi Wu thought he would be uneasy all night, but in reality, he was too drunk. He found a comfortable position and fell asleep quickly. As for youthful impulse, there was none; he was too drunk. Furthermore, what Chi Wu had done was too significant; he had no mental capacity for anything else. There was absolutely no physiological arousal; he didn't dare to think crooked thoughts. He had scared himself quite badly. This must be the courage alcohol provides to the timid.

When Chi Wu sobered up, he didn't recall anything specific, but for a youth transitioning from seventeen to eighteen, sleeping while embracing the woman he yearned for meant his subconscious couldn't be controlled by mental pressure.

When Chi Wu was awakened by the knocking sound outside, he jumped slightly in the midst of a splendid dream, then felt a dampness beneath him. This physiological reaction was purely physical. It had happened before since he became an adult.

Chi Wu felt something soft beside him, and his face flushed crimson. He remembered everything from yesterday. He hated himself for being impulsive, but thinking carefully, with Cheng Ying's personality, when would it ever end? In Cheng Ying’s eyes, Chi Wu might be the best, but he had never been part of her criteria for a mate.

At this moment, Chi Wu suddenly understood with absolute clarity. Was this some kind of hangover symptom? And Chi Wu clearly remembered that Cheng Ying had mentioned her future partner needed to be older—a sign of missing a father figure. He was even further from that standard. If he didn't do something, this 'wife' would definitely not be his.

Chi Wu didn't dare to move. Should he pretend nothing happened and get dressed, or wait for Cheng Ying to wake up and let their relationship develop naturally? This was something the current Chi Wu needed to consider. It was hard to decide.

Sometimes, certain things happen exactly when they are needed, making the decision for you. Chi Wu felt perhaps even fate couldn't stand by and was deciding to help him—how could someone come to the door at this precise moment?

Hearing the increasingly urgent knocking outside, Chi Wu felt the resolve of a hero cutting off his own wrist. The carpenter outside called out, "Oh, Old Madam, you’re back!"

Chi Wu’s heart gave another jolt. The Old Madam was back. Why did it have to be so timely? Chi Wu’s forehead broke out in a sweat, his hands and feet trembling.

Cheng Ying’s state next to him couldn't draw Chi Wu’s attention. People say when a great beauty is naked, you forget everything else. Chi Wu couldn't even see the beauty he longed for; his mind was entirely occupied with their future. At this moment, Chi Wu’s thoughts were focused entirely on serious matters.

He rubbed his face, threw off the quilt covering them both—his own state was quite disheveled. Normally, Chi Wu would have felt a pang of shyness.

Chi Wu couldn't afford to be shy now. The product of his recent physiological reaction made their situation even more awkward.

Chi Wu didn't register how Cheng Ying’s skin felt; his heart was pounding violently. He threw the quilt onto the floor, then pulled Cheng Ying close, exposing what needed to be exposed, and closed his eyes. So be it. Let the storm rage even harder.

Cheng Ying always said something like this whenever she did something dramatic. Inevitably, this phrase echoed in Chi Wu’s mind: I was taught by Yingzi. If it were Cheng Ying, she would surely do the same thing. This is understandable, right? Chi Wu comforted himself this way.

Then he heard the voices outside: "Didn’t you say you were staying to accompany your daughter-in-law during labor? Why are you back? Has the baby arrived?"

The Old Madam exclaimed, "Oh, yes! A big boy weighing seven catties! The two children are overjoyed. Why aren’t you coming in?"

The carpenter replied, "Congratulations, Madam. We were knocking, but the two children haven't made a sound for ages. We don't know what’s happening."

The Old Madam’s voice grew anxious. "Oh dear, I called several times last night and no one answered. This is frightening! Those two ungrateful things."

As the Old Madam sounded the door open, Chi Wu instinctively felt something was wrong; the footsteps entering weren't just one person. He couldn't let others take advantage. He glanced at Cheng Ying.

With a sudden jerk, he snatched the quilt from the floor, pulled Cheng Ying closer, and covered them. It was done in one smooth motion. But because he was so nervous, his movement when pulling Cheng Ying resulted in Cheng Ying being half-sprawled over Chi Wu.

Chi Wu had no time to change their positions. Closing his eyes, he held Cheng Ying, his hand moving somewhat roughly. He was tense.

The Old Madam and the several villagers entered and saw a scene that was quite shocking. The Old Madam nearly fainted, and the villagers quickly took a step back and left. But they had seen enough. The Cheng girl was too bold. How could she dare to do such a thing? Except for the vital areas, everything else was exposed. You could see the pale skin everywhere. Oh my, four little legs were intertwined like a braid.

And no matter how you looked at it, it seemed the Cheng girl was overpowering the boy. It was slightly confusing. Why? Because Chi Wu’s tension made his expression look unnatural, completely resigned.