After shedding his shoes, Chu Xin, a cautious vigilance clinging to him, followed the woman into her house.
The decor was largely simple and immaculate, predominantly featuring shades of blue. Perhaps due to her solitary living, the rooms felt almost excessively pristine.
The living room on the first floor contained little more than a single table and a television. Its tatami-style wooden floor led to a large French window, offering a view of the garden outside. This setup was quite similar to Chu Xin’s own home, though his house didn’t feature tatami flooring.
However, the French window in the living room appeared to have its curtains perpetually drawn, casting a perpetual gloom over the interior.
As if sensing Chu Xin’s gaze, the woman turned, a cheerful smile gracing her lips. “Don’t mind it, Little Chu,” she said. “Auntie lives alone, so unless friends visit, I hardly ever use the living room.”
Chu Xin merely nodded, unsurprised. He had long heard tales of this woman from his own mother.
Her name was Quan Zhu Meng, an elegant name indeed. She wasn’t the female lead from the original story, which made Chu Xin quite wary of her. He simply couldn’t predict her next move.
According to his godmother, she was the quintessential “older single woman,” yet her appearance and figure were undeniably those of a married lady. While generally cheerful, she maintained a certain aloofness towards men who pursued her – or rather, she simply ignored them entirely. Curiously, she would sometimes inexplicably tease him.
Chu Xin suspected this might be a contributing factor to her single status. Yet, just as the thought crossed his mind, Quan Zhu Meng seemed to sense it. She glanced back, still smiling cheerfully, but a shiver nonetheless ran down Chu Xin’s spine.
He followed the woman upstairs. From his vantage point below, the curves accentuated by her form-fitting dress were entirely visible to Chu Xin. As she ascended, her long, fair, and slender thighs beneath the hem of her skirt became tantalizingly apparent.
Chu Xin froze, quickly averting his gaze. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was subtly off about Quan Zhu Meng. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact anomaly, but a sense of unease persisted.
Furthermore, her skin struck him as unusually fair and delicate, more akin to a young girl’s complexion, exuding a fatally alluring quality.
The woman’s eyes registered all of Chu Xin’s subtle reactions. Yet, she offered no verbal comment nor displayed any outward sign, merely pondering inwardly.
Quan Zhu Meng led Chu Xin to a room, which turned out to be her personal bedroom. While Chu Xin frequently visited her home for repairs, these tasks usually involved fixing pipes in the downstairs bathroom or kitchen.
Chu Xin furrowed his brow, asking with a hint of confusion, “Aunt Quan, is it the light in your bedroom that’s broken?”
Previously, it had always been the living room, bathroom, or kitchen that needed repairs, either individually or sometimes all at once.
If it weren’t for Quan Zhu Meng’s habit of complaining about the heat while simultaneously lamenting her solitary single life, he would have truly suspected her motives.
Chu Xin genuinely would have suspected she was simply using him as free labor.
Regardless, he needed to finish the repair swiftly and depart just as fast. Who knew what might transpire otherwise?
Quan Zhu Meng tapped her chin thoughtfully, then offered a small smile. “Yes, Little Xin,” she confirmed. “It’s been broken for days now.”
Chu Xin completely disregarded the subtle shift in how she addressed him, responding with a touch of astonishment, “It’s been broken for days, and you haven’t fixed it?”
Quan Zhu Meng immediately adopted an innocent demeanor. “Actually, you can’t blame me,” she said. “It’s all Little Chu’s fault for not wanting to visit Auntie’s house these past few days. Auntie was truly so lonely she thought she’d die. Thankfully, Little Chu paid attention to me today.”
Chu Xin found himself speechless, unable to conjure a suitable retort. With a sigh, he relented. “Fine, let’s go. I’ll fix it for you.”
Fortunately, in his previous life, Chu Xin had lived alone and possessed strong practical skills. Combined with the experience gained from previous repairs at her house, he anticipated a swift completion of the task.
Upon entering the bedroom, he was met with the familiar decor: a low table with a few cushions, and a simple bed. However, what truly captured Chu Xin’s attention was a large bookshelf, packed to the brim with books.
Observing Chu Xin’s expression, Quan Zhu Meng let out a soft chuckle. She spoke, subtly masking the sound of the door locking behind them. “Auntie doesn’t really have many hobbies normally. Besides work, it’s just reading. Oh… no, that’s not quite right. Now, I have another hobby: I enjoy watching you~”
Chu Xin stiffened, then said with a hint of exasperation, “Please don’t tease me, Aunt Quan.”
Quan Zhu Meng giggled, entirely lacking the composure of a mature woman. Her playful, girlish side shone through. “Everything I said is true, Little Chu. If you don’t believe me again, Auntie might get angry~”
Chu Xin nodded perfunctorily. “Yes, yes, yes,” he conceded, “Auntie is always right.”
Quan Zhu Meng held up her hand, forming a ‘V’ sign to declare her victory. “Little Chu, would you like anything to drink?”
Chu Xin shook his head, declining the offer. He then tested the room’s light, confirming it was indeed broken.
Quan Zhu Meng said nothing further. Instead, she retrieved a brand-new light bulb from her bedside table and handed it to Chu Xin.
Chu Xin wasted no time. He stepped onto the room’s only chair and began his work.
Given that both the bedroom and living room featured tatami flooring, the ceilings in this Japanese-style decor weren’t particularly high. Chu Xin, standing over 1.8 meters tall, found that with the added height of the chair, he had ample reach.
As he replaced the light bulb, Quan Zhu Meng sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching him. She made no playful gestures, unlike before.
Paradoxically, her sudden stillness made Chu Xin feel even more uneasy. The entire room was silent, save for the faint sounds of him replacing the bulb.
Once finished, Chu Xin breathed a sigh of relief. He flicked the switch to test the light, and satisfied that everything was in order, he prepared to take his leave.
Yet, the moment he instinctively reached for the door, a sense of unease washed over him. The door, he realized, had been locked from the inside at some point. As he fumbled with the lock, Quan Zhu Meng’s figure appeared behind him. She wrapped her arms around him, her voice a soft murmur. “Little Chu~ Won’t you stay and chat with Auntie a little longer? After all, living alone for so many years, one can’t help but feel lonely.”
With a soft puff of air directed at Chu Xin’s ear, she finished speaking. Feeling Quan Zhu Meng’s curvaceous body pressing against his back, he found himself inexplicably drifting back to the low table.
Chu Xin sat rigidly on the cushion, his body tense. No matter what Quan Zhu Meng said, he steadfastly refused to speak.
In the very next moment, Quan Zhu Meng abruptly untied her shawl, revealing a camisole dress underneath. “Little Chu,” she purred, “aren’t you hot? I’m so hot~”
Having said that, she made to continue undressing. Chu Xin desperately wanted to stop her. There was only one layer left; how much more could she possibly remove?!
Yet, his own body had begun to grow feverish with her words. His eyes became uncontrollably hazy, and his body, defying his will, yearned to lean into Quan Zhu Meng.
‘Could this be… a hypnotic ability similar to Su Jin’s?’
‘Damn it, I haven’t acquired that immunity yet!’
Quan Zhu Meng gazed at Chu Xin, her eyes unusually tender.
Her final words nearly shattered Chu Xin’s last vestiges of rationality.
“It’s perfectly fine, Little Chu. For you, Auntie can do anything~”