RIRW – Chapter 84

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Zuo Dan’s biggest urge right now was to throw that “Iron Vest” onto Shen Yiming’s head and then point at his nose, asking, “Where’s your dignity? Do you even want it anymore?”

But she felt that, after all, she was just an innocent young girl and couldn’t do something so bold. So, she could only suppress the anger in her heart and glare fiercely at Shen Yiming. “Shen Yiming, you scoundrel! Why are you asking about this?”

She had never seen anyone with such an intense curiosity.

Shen Yiming put on an innocent face. “Ahem, this is the first time I’ve encountered something that stumps me, so I have to figure it out.”

It wasn’t easy for him to have his dreams come true, and now, unexpectedly, he was being stopped by some unknown thing…

What if it happened again next time? And he got stuck again? He had to be prepared in advance.

Zuo Dan: … That reasoning actually sounded quite righteous and logical, making it hard to refute.

“Shen Yiming, what do you want? Do you need me to take off my clothes and show you?” Zuo Dan’s face turned red as she blurted out angrily.

Shen Yiming looked up at the ceiling light. “I can feel it myself.” He figured if he carefully touched it, he should be able to figure out its shape. Yesterday, he had been too groggy to get a clear understanding.

Ha! Keep dreaming.

Zuo Dan grabbed him and pulled him to the door. “Come on, come on, our rooms are so close. Rolling yourself back over there won’t take any effort. Off you go!” Then she shoved Shen Yiming out and slammed the door shut.

Shen Yiming looked at the tightly closed door and let out a long sigh.

“Shameless scoundrel, shameless scoundrel!” Zuo Dan lay in bed, cursing a few times before she finally drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, she saw Shen Yiming circling around her, pestering her to let him see that… whatever it was. In a fit of rage, she directly threw it at his face. “Here! Look all you want! You can even wear it if you like!” The scene was simply too hilarious.

When she woke up, Zuo Dan rubbed her dark circles, unable to sleep any longer. As soon as she stepped out of her room, she saw Shen Yiming coming out as well—also sporting dark circles under his eyes.

At that moment, Zuo Dan felt a sense of balance in her heart. The curious little rascal hadn’t figured it out and ended up losing sleep over it.

During breakfast, Grandma looked at the two of them looking drained and asked, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“No, no, I slept very well,” Zuo Dan quickly replied. “The moonlight was too beautiful, I got mesmerized and went to bed a bit late.”

Grandma nodded and then looked at Shen Yiming. “Yiming, were you watching the moon too?”

Shen Yiming sighed. “I wanted to, but I couldn’t see it.”

Grandma understood immediately. “Oh, right. The window in Yiming’s room doesn’t face the moon. So what were you looking at?”

Shen Yiming glanced at Zuo Dan. “Thinking about the moon.”

Grandma sighed in admiration. “Ah, youth is so wonderful.”

After breakfast, Zuo Dan thought Shen Yiming would head off to work. But to her surprise, he had taken the day off. He pulled her outside and made her get on his bicycle.

Zuo Dan was reluctant. “Where are we going?”

“To look at houses. Didn’t you say you wanted to buy one? Let’s check some out first. If we find one that’s suitable, we’ll settle on it.” Shen Yiming said seriously.

Zuo Dan: “… You’re actually buying one? Wait, Shen Yiming, why are you in such a hurry to buy a house? There are still other things that need to be taken care of first.”

“By the end of the year, my salary will increase. I’ll have a fixed wage of 66 yuan, and with my manuscript fees and allowances, I’ll be making about 100 yuan a month.”

Zuo Dan was shocked. “Shen Yiming, your salary went up again so soon? What have you been doing all day? Don’t tell me you’ve just been figuring out ways to get a raise?”

She stared at Shen Yiming in disbelief. Other workers had been earning the same wage for decades without any changes. But Shen Yiming’s salary was rising like a rocket—this was unfair to the hardworking masses!

Shen Yiming replied, “You made a request, so of course, I had to give it my all to fulfill it.”

“And what about a car? You think you can buy a car too?” Zuo Dan asked anxiously. Cars were even harder to buy than houses at this time.

“That’s not urgent. We’ll buy the house first, and then when the opportunity comes, we’ll deal with the car.” Shen Yiming said confidently. He believed that there was nothing he couldn’t achieve—only things he hadn’t dared to imagine yet.

Seeing Zuo Dan’s silence, Shen Yiming looked at her and asked, “Comrade Zuo Dan, you’re not thinking of backing out, are you?”

Zuo Dan pouted. “Who said that? I keep my word!”

And so, they rode off to look at houses.

On the way, Zuo Dan tried to stop him. “Shen Yiming, if you buy a house, won’t Grandma be unhappy? She’s been living here comfortably; she probably won’t want to move.”

“Grandma is very supportive. She says that people should always strive for better things, and that applies to housing too.”

Grandma’s mindset is surprisingly modern. Zuo Dan sighed helplessly.

Before long, they arrived at the housing bureau. Shen Yiming parked his bicycle and went inside. Shortly after, he came out with a young man following him, calling out, “Brother Yiming, Brother Yiming!”

Seeing Zuo Dan, the young man grinned. “This must be sister-in-law!” He seemed quick-witted.

Shen Yiming introduced him, “This is Xu Xiaoqiang, an old friend of mine.”

Xu Xiaoqiang quickly added, “We’re brothers, the best of brothers!”

Shen Yiming smiled and pulled Zuo Dan closer. “This is my fiancée, Zuo Dan.”

“Nice to meet you, sister-in-law!” Xu Xiaoqiang greeted enthusiastically.

“Comrade Xiaoqiang, hello, hello!” Zuo Dan responded warmly. “Shen Yiming often talks about you, saying that you’re doing great at the housing bureau, very capable. He also mentioned that you’ve been friends for years.”

Xu Xiaoqiang scratched his nose. “Sister-in-law, I’m not actually part of the housing bureau. My aunt works here.”

“Exactly! Your aunt works here, so what’s the difference? You can still get things done.” Zuo Dan said this with a completely straight face.

Xu Xiaoqiang thought about it and found no flaw in her logic, so he grinned. “Sister-in-law, you’re making me blush.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about—I’m just stating the facts.” Zuo Dan affirmed. “Comrade Xiaoqiang, are you showing us houses today? Sorry for the trouble. If you’re busy, we can do this another day.”

“No way! How could we postpone? I already promised Brother Yiming, and I have to follow through!” Xu Xiaoqiang said with admiration in his eyes as he looked at Shen Yiming.

Shen Yiming chuckled. “Then we’ll trouble you today. Do you have any suitable houses?”

“Of course! It just depends on what kind of environment you’re looking for. I came early this morning to ask my aunt, and I even got the keys. Let’s go check them out now!” Xu Xiaoqiang was even more excited than Shen Yiming.

With no more room for debate, Zuo Dan sat on the back of Shen Yiming’s bicycle, and the three of them rode off to see the houses.

On the way, Xu Xiaoqiang asked, “Brother Yiming, I heard from my aunt that your mom left you a house?”

This was only the second time Zuo Dan had heard someone mention Shen Yiming’s mother. The first time was when Grandma brought her up, and even then, she didn’t say much—just looked heartbroken.

Shen Yiming replied, “That house belongs to the work unit. Since my mom is gone, I figured if the unit needs it, they can take it back. Might as well look for another place. If I get married and have kids in the future, that place won’t be big enough anyway.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiaoqiang didn’t say much. His aunt had told him that Shen Yiming’s mother had earned that house through her outstanding work performance. It was allocated to her for marriage, but she didn’t get to live there for long before she passed away. Over the years, the Wei family hadn’t moved in, and the house had remained empty. He had assumed it was reserved for Shen Yiming’s marriage.

Still, he didn’t want Shen Yiming to lose out. “Brother Yiming, even if you don’t plan on living there, don’t just give it back for nothing. You should at least get something in exchange. So many people need housing these days. A single house could solve a huge problem!”

“We’ll see how the unit decides to handle it,” Shen Yiming replied.

Xu Xiaoqiang insisted, “No, you can’t just accept a loss. I’ll keep an eye on it for you. Housing is a huge deal—you can’t afford to take a hit on this one.”

Sitting on the back of the bicycle, Zuo Dan listened to their conversation and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. This guy seemed smart, but how had he not figured out Shen Yiming’s nature yet? Did he really look like someone who would let himself suffer a loss?

At this time, private house sales were rare—almost nonexistent. Officially, housing transactions were tightly regulated, but under the table, some houses still changed hands, especially privately owned ones. Most people were wary of buying such properties, fearing legal issues. However, with Xu Xiaoqiang’s aunt working at the housing bureau, they had an advantage. As long as she helped complete the paperwork, everything would be legitimate. With so many houses in the city, it was impossible to keep an eye on every single one. The key issue was having the money to buy one—otherwise, these houses would have been snapped up long ago.

Everyone knew that Shen Yiming had money. His grandfather had saved up years’ worth of wages, and Grandma had done the same. Just their combined savings alone amounted to a considerable sum. On top of that, the Shen family had accumulated assets over the years, so buying a house wouldn’t be a problem.

Of course, that was just Xu Xiaoqiang’s assumption. Shen Yiming had never intended to use the elders’ money to buy a house. He had realized early on that making money was actually quite simple, so over the years, he had saved up a decent amount. Since he wasn’t materialistic, he had barely spent anything, which meant he now had enough for a house.

Before long, they arrived at a quiet part of the city. There were fewer people here, and there weren’t any bustling markets nearby. But as they passed through an alley, a row of houses came into view.

“These used to belong to wealthy families in the provincial capital—a whole row of them. The government took them over and allocated them to various residents. The original owners were allowed to keep one unit, but they’re worried it’ll be confiscated again, so they’ve asked the government to sell it for them and convert it into cash,” Xu Xiaoqiang explained as he unlocked the gate to one of the courtyards.

The house had white walls and black tiles, resembling the style of a Jiangnan water town. However, the wooden doors and windows were damaged.

Past the courtyard was the main hall, and beyond that were the rooms. When Zuo Dan stepped inside, she noticed that each room had windows. Behind the windows, to her surprise, was a lake.

A lake-view house!

She explored further and found a separate bathroom and even space for a bathtub. Of course, everything was in a state of disrepair, but that didn’t matter—it could easily be renovated. In an era when living in a communal apartment was considered a luxury, this place was practically a private villa. Even though it was a single-story house, it was spacious.

“If we fix this up, it’ll be really comfortable to live in. One room for the kids, one for Grandma, one for you two, and there’ll even be an extra room for a study,” Xu Xiaoqiang said excitedly.

“Brother Yiming, how is it? If this one doesn’t work, we can go check out another. But this is the best one in the area—I specifically picked it out. I didn’t even bother looking at the ones that weren’t as good.”

Shen Yiming could tell just by looking at Zuo Dan that she liked the house, but he didn’t say anything outright. “It looks pretty good, but we still need to discuss it. Xiaoqiang, thanks for your help today. I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

“No need to be so polite! Brother Yiming, you’ve helped me a lot before—it’s rare that I can finally do something for you.” Xu Xiaoqiang scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

As they walked out, Xu Xiaoqiang still wanted to take Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan to see more houses. Shen Yiming glanced at Zuo Dan, and seeing her still eyeing the house, he chuckled and said, “Thanks for your help today. We’ll just consider this one for now and discuss it before making a decision.”

“Alright, alright! Just let me know once you’ve decided. I’ll set the files for this house aside, so no one else will be able to look at it.” Xu Xiaoqiang grinned mischievously.

Since they weren’t going to check out other houses, Xu Xiaoqiang needed to head back to work—he had only slipped out on a break.

Once he was gone, Shen Yiming tugged on Zuo Dan’s braid. “You like it, don’t you?”

Zuo Dan said, “The location is nice, quiet. The house is spacious and bright. Are you sure it’s okay?” She still had some concerns—after all, that issue wouldn’t be fully resolved until next year.

“It’s fine. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t buy it.” Shen Yiming smiled.

That made sense. This guy had a nose sharper than anyone’s—if there really was a problem, he would’ve caught wind of it already.

Still, thinking about this house being their future marital home, about living there together, raising kids… She wasn’t even twenty yet…

Seeing her conflicted expression, Shen Yiming tapped her nose. “Alright, if you like it, we’ll buy it. I know you’re not ready to get married yet, and that’s okay. Even if we don’t move in right away, it’s good to have our own place. Grandma’s house belongs to her and Grandpa—it’s something they earned. I should have a place of my own too. We can just buy it now, and when we do get married, we’ll move in. Zuo Dan, don’t worry. Even if we buy a house, I won’t rush you into marriage. We’ll wait until you’re ready.”

Zuo Dan thought for a moment. “Alright, let’s buy it!” Either way, property here was bound to appreciate—it was a solid investment.

Suddenly realizing they had just picked out a marital home, Zuo Dan felt like she and Shen Yiming were one step closer to marriage. The thought was complicated—part anticipation, part nervousness about the unknown.

Riding on the back of his bicycle, she pinched his waist. “Shen Yiming, why are you in such a hurry to get married? Don’t you think we’re still young? You’re twenty, I’m eighteen—we’re in the prime of our youth!”

Shen Yiming freed one hand to hold hers, his voice gentle. “Zuo Dan, I want to marry you and build a home together.”

A home. The word made Zuo Dan’s heart tingle.

At lunchtime, they told Grandma about the house. She was delighted and immediately started planning what flowers and plants to grow in the courtyard.

With no objections from anyone, the house purchase was finalized. That afternoon, instead of going to work, Shen Yiming went straight to Xu Xiaoqiang to handle the paperwork. Zuo Dan didn’t go with him—since she was leaving tomorrow, she wanted to spend more time with Grandma.

Knowing that Zuo Dan was leaving, Grandma was reluctant to part with her and kept talking to her.

“Dandan, I’m so happy that Yiming is buying a house. He doesn’t have anyone to rely on, and he never wants to burden me or Grandpa. He makes everything look easy, but he’s endured a lot over the years. Our family has no power or influence—he’s had to do everything on his own.”

Grandma’s eyes turned red as she spoke. “These past few days, I can tell he’s been really happy. Sometimes when we’re just chatting, he sits nearby and smiles. He never used to do that before.”

Zuo Dan hugged Grandma’s shoulders. “Grandma, I understand him. Don’t worry—we’ll have a good life together.” Of course, she understood Shen Yiming’s feelings. He had grown up with Grandma, just like how she had grown up with her own grandmother. They had never lacked love, but they had never had a complete family either. That’s why Shen Yiming was so determined to get married and build a home.

Now that the house was settled, next would be his salary and a vehicle… No, no—she had to keep her word. A wedding wasn’t such a big deal, after all.

Zuo Dan realized she had completely fallen for Shen Yiming’s tricks. And the worst part? She didn’t even want to escape.

That afternoon, Shen Yiming returned home with the official property deed in hand.

The matter of their marital home was now completely settled.

That evening, Grandma insisted on cooking a celebratory meal. After days of feasting, Zuo Dan felt like she was gaining weight.

After dinner, as usual, Shen Yiming washed the dishes while Grandma took Zuo Dan outside for a walk to help with digestion.

Grandma’s health wasn’t great—she used to be even weaker, but ever since Shen Yiming had come back to take care of her, she had gotten much better.

After walking a bit, Grandma grew tired and went inside to rest. Shen Yiming emerged from the kitchen carrying a basin of hot water in one hand and tugging on Zuo Dan’s sleeve with the other. “Wait for me.”

Zuo Dan’s face heated up. “What for? It’s getting late.”

Shen Yiming’s voice was tinged with sadness. “You’re leaving tomorrow. I just want to spend more time with you. It’ll be months before we see each other again.”

Hearing that made Zuo Dan feel a little guilty. She pushed him lightly. “Hurry up, then.”

Shen Yiming smiled, quickly bringing the basin into Grandma’s room to wash her feet.

Zuo Dan sat in the courtyard, humming softly. The moon seemed even rounder than the night before. She closed her eyes and rocked gently in the chair, feeling warm and a little drowsy.

Suddenly, she felt a kiss land on her forehead. Her eyes flew open—Shen Yiming was leaning over her.

His dark eyes shone, even in the dim light. His gaze was so focused, so intense.

Zuo Dan realized that just looking into the eyes of someone you loved could be a pleasure in itself.

“Shen Yiming, let’s wait until I visit next time to renovate the house. We can design it together. I’ll pay for the renovations. Ahem, I have money.”

“…Alright.”

“Shen Yiming, for big decisions, we discuss together; for small matters, you listen to me. Deal?”

“Deal!”

“Let’s take it slow with the salary and car. No rush. Marriage should happen naturally.” At the very least, she wanted to wait until next year. She needed to sort out her own affairs first.

“…Alright.”

When the fox behaved, he was particularly endearing. Zuo Dan slowly lifted her head and kissed him. “Good boy.”

Shen Yiming smiled and lowered his head to kiss her lips again, gently trailing kisses along the corner of her mouth.

He closed his eyes, looking utterly focused.

Zuo Dan instinctively closed her eyes as well, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was leaving tomorrow… she felt reluctant to go.

Shen Yiming’s embrace grew tighter.

Then came the sound of coughing. Zuo Dan snapped back to reality. “Grandma…”

Shen Yiming pulled her up, and they both headed back inside. Zuo Dan thought they were returning to their own rooms, but instead, Shen Yiming tugged her into his room.

She had been in Shen Yiming’s room earlier during the day. It was neatly arranged with rows of bookshelves, a smooth blue bedsheet, and matching curtains without a single wrinkle.

Now, with the lights off, the room was pitch dark. She couldn’t see anything clearly, but the faint scent of ink lingered in the air—the same scent that always clung to Shen Yiming. It came from writing with ink for long hours.

Darkness had a way of making people want to do things they normally wouldn’t… like now, as Shen Yiming kissed her breathlessly. Zuo Dan kissed him back—this was the boy she liked.

Their hands grew restless, slipping under each other’s clothes, exploring.

Zuo Dan quickly reached her target. Her mischievous little hands moved about without restraint.

Having learned from last time, Shen Yiming found the “weak spot” of her defenses with ease. Approaching it from below didn’t work, but from the top… his mind went completely blank, heat rushing to his head.

It was too hot.

Both of them felt like they were burning up. Should they take off some clothes to cool down…?

Zuo Dan was still lost in the haze when Shen Yiming suddenly withdrew his hands from beneath her clothes and pulled her tightly into his arms, staying completely still.

Breathing heavily, Zuo Dan called out, “Shen Yiming…”

“…Don’t talk,” Shen Yiming took a deep breath. When he felt her hand still moving inside his shirt, he quickly pulled it out and held it firmly in his own.

“We have to wait until we’re married,” Shen Yiming said softly. It was as if he was reassuring her, but also trying to restrain himself.

Zuo Dan gradually calmed down. She leaned into his embrace and nodded gently. “Okay.”

The next day, Zuo Dan packed up and prepared to go home. On the way to the station, neither of them spoke much, savoring the quiet moments together.

When they arrived, the bus was about to depart. Shen Yiming tugged her braid. “Zuo Dan, when you have nothing to do, think of me more often.”

Zuo Dan shook her head. “Thinking of you but not being able to see you? That’d be torture. I’m not that dumb.”

Seeing Shen Yiming’s helpless expression, Zuo Dan covered her mouth and laughed. “Shen Yiming, you shouldn’t think of me too much either. Just focus on getting promoted and earning a raise. Otherwise, if we can’t get married next year, you can’t blame me.”

Shen Yiming’s eyes suddenly brightened at her words.

Zuo Dan grinned mischievously. Before he could react, she grabbed her backpack and ran onto the bus. Through the window, she waved at him.

By the time Shen Yiming snapped out of it, the bus had already started moving.

Zuo Dan watched as Shen Yiming jogged a short distance after the bus before stopping, standing there with a silly smile on his face.

Leaning against the seat, Zuo Dan started counting on her fingers—getting married at nineteen… that would definitely be considered an early marriage.