Xiu Gou's Taming Record

Chapter 186 Testing

Zhou Wanyi looked at Yu Heng, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

"Xiao Heng..." After a while, she finally spoke, "Don't say that..."

"I'm telling the truth." Yu Heng picked up a piece of green vegetable. "My brother is gone, and I'm the only man left in the family. It's only right that I support you."

That's the truth. Even if Yu Heng didn't have those kinds of thoughts, it was still his duty.

Whether Zhou Wanyi remarries or not, Yu Hui is still his nephew. As the old saying goes, if a nephew stands at the door, he is not considered to have no descendants.

Without that remaining glow, his brother was practically his own son.

Zhou Wanyi lowered her head, her fingers twisting together. She was a little confused and didn't know how to respond to Yu Heng's words.

If it weren't for all these recent events, she would think this child is sensible.

But now she's starting to overthink things...

"It's settled then about hiring a housekeeper," Yu Heng continued. "I'll go to a housekeeping company tomorrow and find a reliable one."

"Mom's over there..." Zhou Wanyi looked up.

"I'll talk to her," Yu Heng said, putting down his chopsticks. "Don't worry."

Zhou Wanyi didn't say anything more, which was taken as tacit agreement.

After finishing her meal, Zhou Wanyi began clearing away the dishes.

Yu Heng stood up and carried the leftover plates into the kitchen.

"I'll take a shower," Yu Heng said, turning on the tap.

"No need," Zhou Wanyi took the plate from his hand. "You can rest now, it'll be washed in a bit."

"Let's wash together." Yu Heng didn't leave; instead, he stood on the other side of the sink and picked up a bowl.

Zhou Wanyi glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

She turned on the hot water and squeezed in some dish soap.

The two stood side by side in front of the pool, their arms occasionally touching.

The kitchen isn't big; it's just right for one person to wash clothes, but it's a bit cramped for two.

Yu Heng washed the dishes very slowly, rinsing each one several times.

His left hand was resting on the edge of the sink, and his right hand was holding a bowl. Occasionally, the back of his hand would brush against Zhou Wanyi's hand.

When they first met, Zhou Wanyi flinched.

She glanced at Yu Heng, who was rinsing the bowl with his head down, seemingly unaware of her presence.

Zhou Wanyi turned back and continued washing the pot.

She was a little confused, wondering if Yu Heng was doing it on purpose.

The sound of rushing water was the only sound in the kitchen.

Yu Heng picked up another plate, and this time his hand slid more slowly across Zhou Wanyi's hand.

The stay was a little longer than last time.

Zhou Wanyi's fingers tightened as she stared at the foam in the pot.

After washing the pot, she turned on the tap to rinse it.

The dish soap bottle is on her side.

He reached out again, this time towards the dish soap bottle.

He leaned his body towards Zhou Wanyi, his arm reaching behind her, a posture that seemed to be encircling her entirely in his arms.

Zhou Wanyi froze, not daring to move.

Yu Heng took the dish soap, squeezed out some, and slowly retreated to his seat.

After washing the last dish, Yu Heng turned off the tap.

"Okay," he said, shaking the water off his hands.

Zhou Wanyi took the plate and began wiping it with her head down.

Yu Heng didn't leave; he stood next to her, watching her wipe the dishes.

Zhou Wanyi's movements became slower and slower.

"Sister-in-law," Yu Heng suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Zhou Wanyi responded.

"You have some foam on your neck," Yu Heng said.

"Huh?" Zhou Wanyi subconsciously raised her hand to touch it.

"Here." Yu Heng reached out and gently stroked the side of her neck with his fingers.

Zhou Wanyi tensed up completely.

She quickly wiped the last plate dry and put it away, then untied her apron and hung it up.

"Um..." Zhou Wanyi said, "I'll go check on Xiaohui."

The door closed behind her, and Zhou Wanyi walked to the small bed, where Yu Hui was fast asleep.

She bent down and tucked the blanket around him, then sat down on the edge of the bed.

She wasn't sure if it was intentional.

If it was intentional, what exactly was he trying to do?

A slight tingling sensation lingered on my skin, and it was hard to shake off.

She had heard of such things as uncles and aunts-in-law, but she had never thought it would happen to her.

Zhou Wanyi looked down at her palms, which were a little wrinkled from washing dishes.

She remembered what Yu Heng had said about hiring a housekeeper. Money was secondary; the key thing was what Yu Heng had said.

What he said sounded reasonable, but coming from his mouth, coupled with recent events, just felt off.

-

Yu Heng took a shower, turned off the tap, wiped the water droplets from his face, and stopped when he reached for his change of clothes. The backpack containing his clothes was on the living room sofa; he hadn't taken it into the bathroom at all.

He called out loudly, "Sister-in-law!"

After a few seconds, the footsteps stopped outside the door.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Wanyi asked softly.

"I forgot my clothes," Yu Heng said. "They're in my black backpack, could you get them for me?"

"Oh, okay." Zhou Wanyi pursed her lips and went to the living room to get her clothes.

Yu Heng squinted under the showerhead. "I was just kidding. Actually, he deliberately didn't bring it in."

"Found it." Zhou Wanyi stood at the bathroom door. "Um..."

"Pass it in," Yu Heng said.

"Ah," Zhou Wanyi paused, "Okay."

The door was pushed open a crack, and Yu Heng saw a slender hand reach in, holding neatly folded underwear and a T-shirt.

The door gap was so narrow that only one arm could fit through.

"Thank you, sister-in-law," Yu Heng said, reaching out to take it.

With his other hand, he gripped the doorknob and pulled the door further in.

Zhou Wanyi instinctively glanced down, then suddenly looked up, her face turning pale instantly.

Yu Heng acted as if nothing had happened, took the clothes, and closed the door behind him.

Zhou Wanyi practically ran away from the bathroom door, her slippers pattering on the floor.

Yu Heng's lips twitched slightly as he slowly dried himself, put on his underwear, and then put on his T-shirt.

In that brief moment, he clearly saw Zhou Wanyi's expression.

It wasn't fright, nor anger, but rather an expression mixed with panic and... something else.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When I came out of the bathroom, I saw Zhou Wanyi covering Yu Hui with a blanket in the bedroom.

"Sister-in-law, the questionnaire..." Yu Heng leaned against the doorframe, "Would you like to fill it out now?"

"I..." she said, "I'll write it later."

"Write it now," Yu Heng said calmly. "I'll be watching, and you can ask me if you don't understand anything."

Zhou Wanyi pursed her lips and sighed almost imperceptibly.

She didn't look at Yu Heng, walked out of the room, and sat down on the sofa.

Yu Heng took out his tablet from his bag, opened the questionnaire, and pushed it in front of her: "Fill it out."

Zhou Wanyi looked at the screen; the first question was very straightforward.

Her finger hovered over the screen, remaining motionless for a long time.

"Don't know?" Yu Heng sat down opposite her. "Then let's calculate based on the most recent week."

Zhou Wanyi pursed her lips and chose 3 to 5 times.

As she answered the questions one by one, her face grew hotter and hotter.

Zhou Wanyi took a deep breath and continued scrolling down.

Then she stopped, staring at the line of text, her ears ringing.

This is similar to the question of a ship's waterline.

"How...how would I know?" Her voice was a little dry.

"You haven't measured it?" Yu Heng asked casually.

Zhou Wanyi's face flushed red: "Why would I measure that!"

"Well, roughly?" Yu Heng leaned forward slightly. "You should have a general feeling, right?"

"It feels..." Zhou Wanyi's earlobes gradually turned red. "What do I mean by 'feeling'?"

Yu Heng looked at her for a while, then stood up.

"How about we measure it now?" he said.

Zhou Wanyi suddenly looked up: "Now?"

"Yes," Yu Heng said calmly. "Why don't we try it now and see?"

"Xiao Heng! You..." Zhou Wanyi's voice rose, then she quickly lowered it, her voice trembling, "Don't humiliate your sister-in-law."

She was stunned when she said those words.

"How is this humiliation?" Yu Heng looked at her. "Sister-in-law, didn't you say you were going to help?"

"But I can't...take it now." Her voice trailed off. "And I can't do it in front of you..."

"Then I won't watch," Yu Heng said. "Go inside and measure it yourself."

"No," Zhou Wanyi shook her head, "No..."