Qu Yunxuan

Noon.

11:40.

Mom was busy washing vegetables and cooking in the kitchen. After helping her pick through two stalks of celery, Dong Xuebin had nothing else to do, so he idly went to the Outer Room and stared at the TV. More than anything, he hoped today would pass quickly so he could test tomorrow whether his time-rewinding ability still worked. If it did not, then all his excitement would have been for nothing.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

Someone rang the doorbell.

Dong Xuebin went over and turned the handle. A gentle fragrance of perfume greeted him. Through the security door, he saw a breathtakingly beautiful face—it was Qu Yunxuan from next door, apartment 302. Her soft eyes, long lashes, and fair little face were utterly captivating. Today, Qu Yunxuan wore a light-colored office outfit. Her voluptuous hips curved against her skirt, her long legs were wrapped in Nylon Stockings, and she wore white high heels, giving her the unmistakable allure of a mature woman.

"Uh, come in." Dong Xuebin did not dare look at her too much and hurriedly opened the door for her.

"Hehe, I came to visit." Qu Yunxuan's two alluring, full legs stepped inside. Tap, tap—the sound of her heels touching the floor was soft and pleasant.

Mom came out of the kitchen. "Yunxuan, you're here? You have the day off?"

Qu Yunxuan glanced toward the kitchen and nodded with a warm smile. "I'm off today. Sister Luan, you're cooking, right? Don't bother. You and Xiao Bin can come eat at my place later."

Mom paused. "No, no, the vegetables are already cut."

Qu Yunxuan lowered her eyes thoughtfully. "Then... I just bought some groceries. I'll bring them here and cook a few dishes. We can all eat together." Before Dong Xuebin and his mother could say anything, Qu Yunxuan turned and went home. She returned with several bags of meat and vegetables, then took out a white shirt from another bag. Holding it against Dong Xuebin to compare, she revealed a dimpled smile. "Aunt Xuan bought you some clothes. I don't know whether they'll fit. Mm, mm, not bad, not bad. Hurry, try it on. If it doesn't fit, Aunt Xuan will go exchange it."

Dong Xuebin said awkwardly, "How can I let you buy me clothes? I really don't need them."

Qu Yunxuan blinked her lashes, smiling as she reached out and lightly scraped his nose. "Hurry. Up. Change."

In the past, Qu Yunxuan would at most sit with Dong Xuebin and chat. She would never have made such an intimate gesture. Dong Xuebin blushed, but thinking that he could one day be this close to the goddess of his dreams, he could not help feeling secretly excited. Unable to withstand Qu Yunxuan's urging, he awkwardly took off his T-shirt and put on the casual white shirt.

Qu Yunxuan smiled as she buttoned it up for him, one button at a time. "Mm, mm, it fits quite well."

Virtuous, considerate, gentle—those were all synonymous with Qu Yunxuan.

Although he called her Aunt Xuan, Qu Yunxuan was actually only a few years older than him. She was unmarried; she merely had a mature temperament. The year his father died, his mother left the Capital City to teach in the countryside, leaving Dong Xuebin alone here. During the hardest period of his life, Qu Yunxuan's smile had brought light into his world. Aunt Xuan would occasionally bring him stewed meat, chat with him, counsel him, and encourage him. Dong Xuebin had always been grateful for this, and gradually developed feelings for her. But he knew his own worth. He knew his circumstances were too poor for him to be worthy of the celestial beauty that was Aunt Xuan, so he could only hide his admiration in his heart and tell no one.

Seeing Qu Yunxuan dress her son, Mom was rather baffled. She knew that while she was away from the Capital City, Qu Yunxuan sometimes brought food over for her son. But weren't neighbors supposed to do things like that? Bringing things over and chatting casually—that was what neighbors did.

But Yunxuan's current enthusiasm was beyond Luan Xiaoping's understanding.

Could Yunxuan have feelings for her son? Impossible. The two of them were completely mismatched. Even as Dong Xuebin's own mother, Luan Xiaoping had to admit that her son was indeed not worthy of Qu Yunxuan. Besides, Qu Yunxuan could not possibly have taken a liking to her son for no reason. Luan Xiaoping had that much self-awareness. Thinking this, Mom blinked suspiciously. "Yunxuan, you brought food and bought clothes too. This is...?"

"Xiao Bin, you didn't tell Sister Luan?" Qu Yunxuan twisted her voluptuous figure toward Dong Xuebin.

"Mm." Dong Xuebin had not told Mom about the car accident because he was afraid she would worry.

Mom froze. "What happened?"

Qu Yunxuan sighed, and her eyes became slightly moist. "The day before yesterday, at the intersection downstairs, an old man and I were almost hit by a truck. Xiao Bin was the one who stepped forward and saved both of us. You didn't see what it was like then—it was incredibly dangerous. It was just this close..." Two tears fell from her eyes, and she could not continue. At the instant of the accident, her mind had gone blank. Her legs had seemed encased in plaster, unable to take even one step. She had thought she was going to die just like that, but Qu Yunxuan had never expected that Dong Xuebin, who was usually so meek and unremarkable, would rush over without a second thought to save her at such a dangerous moment. That scene had truly shaken her.

Mom was startled. "That happened?"

Qu Yunxuan wiped her eyes and touched the back of Dong Xuebin's head. Her red lips pressed together lightly. "Xiao Bin, Aunt Xuan won't thank you anymore. From now on, you're my real little brother. Sister Luan, don't treat me like an outsider either. If there's ever anything you need help with at home, just tell Xiao Bin or me."

Dong Xuebin smacked his lips. "Oh, don't be so formal."

"What?" Qu Yunxuan looked at him. "You dislike having me as your big sister?"

Dong Xuebin hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, that's not what I meant." Why a big sister instead of a wife? Dong Xuebin thought shamelessly.

Only then did Mom understand. After asking a few questions about what had happened, she patted Qu Yunxuan's hand. "Whew, that really was dangerous. Thankfully, you were both all right. Yunxuan, Xiao Bin has relied on your care these past few years. We never considered you an outsider either. There are fewer and fewer kind girls like you nowadays. Xiao Bin is lucky to have a sister like you." Mom liked Qu Yunxuan, a woman gentle to her very bones, and naturally wanted to get along well with her. Besides, she would be returning to the countryside next month. Only with someone else looking after Dong Xuebin could she rest easy.

Qu Yunxuan shifted her lovely hips slightly to the right, moving closer to Dong Xuebin. She stroked his head and beamed. "Please don't say that. I'm the lucky one." Her soft, fleshy thigh faintly pressed against Dong Xuebin's knee. The silky touch of her Nylon Stockings was unbelievably enticing.

Dong Xuebin's heart immediately began to itch. To hide his awkwardness, he ducked his head and rolled his eyes helplessly. "Aunt Xuan, I remember you're only a few years older than me, right? Seriously, can you stop touching my head all the time?" In truth, Dong Xuebin felt sweet inside. Aunt Xuan's fingers and thighs were so soft. Ah, ah, I can't take this anymore.

Mom and Qu Yunxuan both chuckled.

After a while, Qu Yunxuan and Mom linked arms and went happily into the kitchen to cook.

After tasting Aunt Xuan's peerless cooking, the virtuous Qu Yunxuan stubbornly insisted on washing all the dishes and chopsticks herself.

That afternoon, while Dong Xuebin and Mom were not paying attention, Qu Yunxuan took a rag and started wiping the windows.

That evening, Qu Yunxuan again volunteered to take on the cooking and dishwashing. No matter how Dong Xuebin and Mom tried to persuade her, it was useless.

Around 7:30.

Qu Yunxuan rinsed the detergent foam from her hands and came out of the kitchen. "The dishes are washed. I'll head back now?"

Dong Xuebin was genuinely afraid she would wear herself out. "All right, all right, go get some rest. You've worked so hard all day. I really feel bad about it."

"Aunt Xuan doesn't have many hobbies. Cooking and housework count as one of them. Hehe, how is this tiring?" Qu Yunxuan's smile was as sweet as candy. Like a housewife, she reached up to untie the apron around her slender waist and chest. Under Dong Xuebin's strange gaze, she walked into the bathroom. When she came out, Aunt Xuan was actually carrying a plastic basin filled with dirty clothes—all of them were clothes Dong Xuebin had taken off yesterday. "Your mother's back is bad, so don't let her tire herself out. Aunt Xuan will wash your clothes. Once they dry tomorrow, I'll bring them back."

Mom said from the side, "How could that be? No, no, let him wash them himself."

Dong Xuebin's face turned scarlet. He rushed over to grab the basin from her. "I can wash them myself, I can wash them myself!"

Qu Yunxuan ignored him and tugged hard on the basin. Seeing that Dong Xuebin would not let go, she smiled and raised her hand as if she were about to hit him. "Want me to smack you? Let go. Aunt Xuan wouldn't wash anyone else's clothes. Aunt Xuan just wants you to have more time to study. Aren't you taking the Civil Servants exam soon?" With that, Qu Yunxuan forcefully snatched the basin away, opened the door, and went home.

Dong Xuebin was so embarrassed. There were even his socks and underwear in there.

But alongside his embarrassment, Dong Xuebin also felt that life was unpredictable. If he had been even a step slower in saving her when the car accident happened the day before yesterday, he definitely would not be seeing Qu Yunxuan's smiling face now. Instead, he would have been at Babaoshan, facing Aunt Xuan's cold corpse and regretting it for the rest of his life.

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