A moment later, Su Ming's cousin finished washing the clothes and carried the basin to the balcony to hang them up. Su Ming stood in the living room, watching through the open balcony door as she tiptoed to hang the damp clothes one by one on the drying rod.

The afternoon sunlight slanted in, casting a golden edge on her figure. Her cotton nightdress lifted slightly as she raised her arms, revealing half of her fair calves; when she bent over, the fabric clung to the curves of her waist and hips, swaying gently with her movements.

Su Ming was somewhat entranced until Qiu Tong suddenly turned around.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

"What are you looking at?" Qiu Tong glared at him, her tone carrying a mix of three parts annoyance and seven parts teasing.

Su Ming was startled, his face turning red as he stammered, "I... I wasn't looking..."

"Still saying you weren't looking?" Qiu Tong laughed, hanging the hanger in her hand and stepping into the living room, "Your eyes were practically falling on me."

Caught red-handed, Su Ming's face turned even redder. He was at a loss for words and could only lower his head, pretending to study the patterns on the floor tiles.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Qiu Tong's smile deepened. She sat down on the edge of the sofa, suddenly raising her arm to reach behind her back, frowning slightly, "Come here for a moment."

"Cousin, what... what are you doing?" Su Ming's heart raced, and he stood still.

"Look at you, all nervous." Qiu Tong couldn't help but laugh, scratching her back with her other hand, "Come over and scratch my back for me, it's so itchy. My hands are wet!"

Only then did Su Ming understand her meaning, secretly letting out a sigh of relief, though feeling inexplicably disappointed. He hesitantly walked over, standing behind Qiu Tong.

She had her back to him, the neckline of her nightdress slightly loose. From this angle, he could see a large expanse of her fair back, her skin delicate and smooth, the outline of her shoulder blades clear and beautiful—and indeed, she wasn't wearing a bra.

Su Ming felt his throat dry up, his fingers trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and carefully extended his index finger, gently scratching her back through the thin cotton fabric.

"A little higher... yes, right there..." Qiu Tong sighed comfortably, tilting her head slightly, "A bit more to the left... mm..."

Her voice, with a lazy nasal tone, slipped into Su Ming's ears like a feather lightly tickling. He could smell the lingering jasmine scent of her shower gel mixed with the clean scent of sun-dried clothes.

Even more fatal, as she shifted, the neckline of her nightdress slipped further open. From Su Ming's angle, he could almost see the curve of her side.

He felt a tingling sensation all over, his fingers stiffening.

"Alright." Qiu Tong finally straightened up, turning back to give him a sweet smile, "Go change your clothes, I'll take you out for dinner later."

Su Ming felt as if he had been granted amnesty, hurriedly escaping back to his bedroom. Closing the door, he leaned against it, his heart still pounding. Those few minutes just now felt like a sweet yet torturous ordeal.

Damn it, don't think about it, don't think about it!

He changed into a clean T-shirt and long pants, waiting a while longer to calm down before leaving the room.

Qiu Tong had gone into her room and soon came out dressed.

Su Ming took one look and was stunned.

She wore a tight-fitting royal blue dress that hugged her hips, the hem short enough to only reach mid-thigh, accentuating the breathtaking curve of her hips. The top had a low-cut design, revealing her delicate collarbones and a large expanse of fair skin, with a thin necklace hanging just above the cleavage. On her feet were silver stiletto heels, making her legs look straight and long.

She had also put on exquisite makeup, her eyeliner slightly upturned, her lips a bright red, her long hair loosely tied at the back with a few strands falling by her neck. She carried a small sequined handbag on her shoulder, exuding a mature and sexy charm.

"Looking again?" Qiu Tong noticed Su Ming staring at her with wide eyes and rolled her eyes at him, "Haven't seen enough yet?"

Su Ming's face turned bright red, shaking his head vigorously, "No, no..."

"Haven't seen enough, or weren't looking?" Qiu Tong asked with a smile.

"Didn't... didn't peek!" Su Ming's face turned red to the roots of his neck.

Qiu Tong saw through his thoughts at a glance, walking up to him and spinning around, "Do you think I'm dressed too casually?"

"Uh-huh!" Su Ming swallowed, nodding honestly, "It is... a bit... sexy."

"That's because you're too old-fashioned." Qiu Tong chuckled, "In big cities, lots of girls dress like this at night." She paused, adding, "Besides, I'm not a little girl anymore, why should I care about what others think of what I wear?"

Su Ming blushed, lowering his head, not daring to speak.

Qiu Tong laughed, beckoning him, "Come on, I'll take you out for dinner. After that, I'll head to work, and you can stay home and play. I'll be back late." She winked at him, "You can take this chance to stroll around the night market, feast your eyes on long-legged, big-breasted girls."

Su Ming's face turned even redder, but he couldn't help being curious, "Cousin, you work night shifts too?"

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"If I don't work, will you support me?" Qiu Tong blurted out, then paused, smiling with a hint of bitterness in her voice, "Jiang Jian may have money and skills, but he never said he wanted to marry me... I still have to rely on myself!"

As she said this, the light in her eyes dimmed for a moment. Su Ming saw it and felt a surge of complex emotions—sympathy, injustice, and an indescribable bitterness.

Seeing him lost in thought, Qiu Tong gently pushed him with a smile, "Let's go! Don't worry, cousin's job isn't tiring." She paused, adding meaningfully, "At least... not physically."

"Uh-huh! That's good." Seeing his cousin's relaxed smile, Su Ming felt a bit more at ease.

The two of them went downstairs together. The evening breeze carried the warmth of the day, and the streetlights gradually lit up. Qiu Tong hailed a taxi at the intersection and told the driver a location.

The car stopped in the busiest part of the town center. Here, neon lights flashed, voices buzzed, and restaurants, malls, and entertainment venues lined the streets, the air filled with the aroma of various foods and the noise of music.

Qiu Tong led Su Ming into a decently decorated restaurant. She ordered a few dishes, eating little herself, mostly watching Su Ming eat and occasionally serving him food.

"Eat more, you're still growing." She said this with a gentle gaze, like a real sister.

"Thank you, cousin!" Su Ming felt a warm sense of comfort.

"Thank what? You're my only family in this city, if I'm not good to you, who will I be good to?" Qiu Tong gave him a sweet smile.

Su Ming only dared to sneak a glance at her before lowering his head again, not daring to look at her. His cousin was too gentle, too beautiful. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist stealing a few more glances.

After dinner, Qiu Tong said it was still early and took him for a stroll in the square. The two of them walked slowly along the pedestrian street, watching street performers, vendors hawking their goods, and couples walking hand in hand.

Unknowingly, they ended up near the overpass Su Ming had visited earlier in the day.

Su Ming's heart tightened, a sense of worry rising within him. He was afraid of running into the woman who had tricked him into the dark room and made him strip.

What you fear most often comes true. He instinctively looked up—and sure enough, in that familiar corner, he immediately spotted the seductive woman who had led him into the dark room.

This is bad, if this woman comes over and his cousin finds out, it would be hard to explain. His cousin would definitely think he was fooling around, looking for wild women outside.

Please don't let her see! Su Ming's heart pounded.