Chapter Ninety-Eight: Lost in a Fog of Confusion

Hearing this, Zhao Xiaojie was momentarily stunned.
“What do you mean? Didn’t you say it was the old lady who beat them?” Zhao Xiaojie felt confused, unable to make sense of it.
“Ah, you’re such a stubborn kid,” Manager Wu waved his hand with a smile. “How could that be? Do you think the old lady could send the village ruffians to the hospital?”
“Think carefully for yourself—what’s the most likely explanation?”
With that, Manager Wu returned to his own work.
At that moment, he felt a renewed confidence stirring within him.
This boss was young yet steady, not impulsive, and he possessed both means and ability.
Following him would surely lead to great success and strength in the future.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaojie pondered Manager Wu’s words and finally understood his meaning.
“So it turns out these people were dealt with by the boss himself. No wonder he said he wouldn’t be standing guard here today—so that’s the reason.”
“Impressive.” Thinking this, Zhao Xiaojie secretly gave Lu Hao an approving thumbs-up.
“Looks like the boss isn’t the pushover we thought,” Zhao Xiaojie shook his head, smiling as he resumed his work.
But now, his enthusiasm was far greater than before.

...

Soon, noon arrived.
Lu Hao finished his work at the clinic and headed home, ready to rest for a while.
Just as he passed by Zhao Cuihua’s house, her voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard.
“Lu Hao! It’s you, right? I’m a bit busy now and need your help. Can you come over?” Zhao Cuihua’s voice echoed through the yard.
Lu Hao touched his nose, knowing this woman must have something on her mind again.
“Alright, Cuihua, keep your voice down—don’t disturb the neighbors,” Lu Hao said with a smile.
He abandoned the idea of going home to eat and walked into the room.
“You look thinner than the last time I saw you—have you been busy running the restaurant?” Zhao Cuihua said as she saw Lu Hao’s face, her voice full of concern as she stepped forward with a warm towel to wipe his face.
“Hey, isn’t this your towel?” Lu Hao turned his face away, reluctant to use it.
“What’s the matter? Don’t like my towel? You’ve even slept in my bed, and now you’re picky about towels?” Zhao Cuihua chuckled, forcibly pressing the towel against Lu Hao’s face.

Lu Hao caught a whiff of the fragrance emanating from Zhao Cuihua.
“What’s wrong? Missing me?” he said boldly.
At this, Zhao Cuihua’s cheeks flushed bright red.
“Hurry and close the courtyard gate; don’t let outsiders see and gossip,” she said, tapping Lu Hao lightly on the forehead.
Lu Hao smiled and quickly went to shut the gate.
When he turned back, Zhao Cuihua had already resumed her work.
It turned out she wasn’t here for idle chatter but genuinely needed help.
“Hey man, help me steady this ladder. It’s too tall, and I’m scared,” Zhao Cuihua said.
Lu Hao stepped forward and held the ladder for her.
Today, Zhao Cuihua wore a skirt, and as Lu Hao steadied the ladder, he found himself standing right beneath her.
The white lace trim of her underwear and the ample curves beneath her skirt came into his view.
“Hey, Cuihua, can these peaches be eaten?” Lu Hao teased.
“Of course! Eat as much as you want—they’re sweet and fragrant,” Zhao Cuihua laughed in reply.

In the courtyard, clusters of lilac blossoms were in full bloom.
The intense midday sun cast its rays upon both Lu Hao and Zhao Cuihua, their youthful energy overflowing as if about to drown them.
Zhao Cuihua’s slender legs, well-maintained figure, and tanned, toned skin glistening with sweat appeared to Lu Hao like a goddess of summer.
A surge of hormones washed over him, making his vision blur as if he were hallucinating.
When he raised his eyes, Zhao Cuihua’s body seemed to merge with a scorching wave of heat.
Her intoxicating scent and the sway of her legs on the stool stirred endless fantasies within him.
A burning heat began to flow from Lu Hao’s palms and soles, rising to the top of his head.
It felt as though something was gathering in his core, swelling with desire.
The sun blazed more fiercely, and even the clouds seemed to shy away in fear.
Zhao Cuihua, sensing something, nervously avoided looking down.
She feared meeting Lu Hao’s wild gaze but refused to look away. No one knew what she truly thought.
All that could be seen was her frequently wiping sweat from her brow, trying to prevent it from trickling down her neck, shoulders, and chest.

She was like a woman steeping in boiling water, enveloped in the scorching sunlight and Lu Hao’s gaze.
She couldn’t tell whether the heat came from him or from the blazing sun.
All she knew was that her body was drenched in sweat, wrapped in a rising steam.
“Would you dare to eat them in broad daylight?” Zhao Cuihua teased, her face flushing like a ripe peach.
Since becoming a widow and first being cared for by Lu Hao, four or five years had passed.
She had matured from a young woman of twenty-three or twenty-four into a fully blossomed young wife.
Over the years, her desires had steadily grown, and her self-restraint had become fiercer.
Like a raging flood repeatedly dammed, the accumulated force would one day burst forth with full might.
So much so that even Lu Hao had found it overwhelming the last time.
“Why wouldn’t I dare? Have you finished picking yet?” Lu Hao smiled, still holding the ladder. But somehow, the ladder felt smoother and hotter, stoking deeper desires within him.
The hormones in the courtyard had thickened, like a fragrant bloom swelling further in the summer heat.

At that moment, Zhao Cuihua suddenly glanced down toward Lu Hao’s position.
But with that glance, her foot slipped, and she fell straight off the stool.
“Ah!” she cried out, losing her balance in midair.
Lu Hao reacted instantly, letting go of the ladder and catching her waist as she fell.
But the move was sudden and unprepared for.
Moreover, Zhao Cuihua weighed nearly a hundred pounds, causing Lu Hao to stagger a few steps and fall to the ground with her still in his arms.
Zhao Cuihua ended up pressed against Lu Hao’s body.