Chapter 180: You are the land, I am the ox

Zhou Yinhe let out a loud shout, his voice especially loud, scaring Wen Ling so her heart jumped.

She used considerable force, but not enough to make him scream like that; Wen Ling came to her senses and saw Zhou Yinhe indeed showing a triumphant smile.

"Damn it, you scared me."

Zhou Yinhe bent over and lifted Wen Ling sideways, walking toward the bathroom.

Wen Ling didn't want to go, saying, "I've already showered, you wash yourself."

"Shower with me," he said, already having carried her into the bathroom, closed the door, and steam filled the room.

Before the water even wet her, Wen Ling still wanted to struggle a bit, but Zhou Yinhe had already guarded against her; the moment her wrist twitched, his arms were already around her.

After leaving the bathroom, Wen Ling felt only a sore lower back.

She lay on the pillow, Zhou Yinhe sat beside her massaging her waist; Wen Ling groaned for a long time, finally leaving only one sentence.

"Buy me some kidney-tonifying pills tomorrow," she said, "I feel I need to tonic up."

Zhou Yinhe gave a low laugh, but in the end he let her go.

Wen Ling felt that, whether stamina or body, under Zhou Yinhe's relentless torment she had become much stronger.

In the morning Wen Ling got up full of enthusiasm, woke the still-sleeping Zhou Yinhe, and insisted on going together for a morning run in the backyard botanical park.

"What time is it?"

"It's six o'clock."

Zhou Yinhe glanced sideways; the curtains had already been pulled open by Wen Ling, who had changed into workout clothes, and outside it was still dark.

He sat up, yawned sleepily, and mumbled, "What got you riled up?"

"Nonsense." Wen Ling poked him with a finger, gave a soft hum, and said, "I feel especially strong now, so I want to try a morning run, but I don't want to go alone."

Zhou Yinhe listened, his eyelids drooping, about to lie back down, but Wen Ling grabbed him and pulled him up.

"What's wrong with you? I can wake you up, yet you're so sleepy." She tried to pull him but her strength was small and couldn't hold him; watching Zhou Yinhe dash for the covers like escaping, Wen Ling frowned.

Zhou Yinhe turned over, wrapped himself in the blanket, and murmured, "Don't you know that saying? No field is ruined by plowing, only the ox dies from exhaustion—you are the land, I am the ox, so I might soon be worn to death."

"Pah!" Wen Ling didn't want to hear such talk; Zhou Yinhe helplessly opened his eyes and sat up, explaining, "Do you know how restless you are when you sleep? Do you know how many times I have to get up at night to take cold showers?"

Wen Ling's face grew increasingly embarrassed; Zhou Yinhe, while lying back down, continued, "Do you know how many times I have to catch you in the night when you're about to fall out of bed?"

Wen Ling, flushed with anger and embarrassment, snapped, "If you don't want to go, just don't go—why do you have to expose my secrets?"

Zhou Yinhe gave a half-hearted hum, reached out his hand to Wen Ling; just as she thought he had changed his mind and wanted to go jogging with her, the instant she placed her hand on his, he was yanked back onto the bed.

"Hey, I'm not sleeping—I want to go for a morning run!"

Zhou Yinhe paid no heed, holding her tight; no matter what Wen Ling said, he remained unmoved.

"Sleep a little longer; getting up so early makes you lack energy."

"I'll go change clothes, then come back to keep sleeping—okay?" Wen Ling tried to negotiate with him.

Zhou Yinhe closed his eyes and shook his head; no room for discussion: "You can just take them off, or sleep like that."

"I don't want to." Wen Ling writhed, refusing to stay still; Zhou Yinhe opened his eyes and threatened, "Move again."

Before he finished speaking, Wen Ling understood his meaning, let out a whimper, and reluctantly lay flat in his arms, sighing, "Once you get it, you don't cherish it—last night when you coaxed me you called me Baobao, but now you not only expose my secrets but also threaten me."

Zhou Yinhe laughed despite her anger, raised his hand and struck her back—though it didn't hurt, he hit the wrong spot; Wen Ling widened her eyes, couldn't take it, pushed him flat, and snapped, "You dare hit me!"

"Yeah, I hit you—what are you gonna do about it?" Zhou Yinhe narrowed his eyes at her.

Wen Ling gritted her teeth, lowered her head and bit a chunk of Zhou Yinhe's lip; he groaned in pain, and the next second her sharp teeth broke his lip, drawing a bead of blood.

"You're so ruthless, using that much force." Zhou Yinhe didn't wipe it, letting the blood trickle to the corner of his mouth, and still smiling, he reached out to lightly pinch Wen Ling's waist—so lightly it made her tremble.

Her waist went limp, she collapsed onto Zhou Yinhe, and her formerly angry voice softened as well.

"Don't pinch my waist, it's ticklish."

Zhou Yinhe lightly scratched her itchy spots and asked softly, "Will you mess with me again next time?"

Wen Ling immediately shook her head in surrender: "No more, no more."

"Then will you bite me that hard again next time?"

"No biting, is it not okay if I don't bite?"

Wen Ling laughed until tears welled up, but she couldn't escape, only able to keep begging for mercy.

Only then did Zhou Yinhe relent, letting her lie on him and whispering, "Go to sleep, or I'll keep tickling you if you don't."

Wen Ling agreed, aggrieved; but after just a few minutes, the formerly energetic Wen Ling was already asleep sprawled on him, while Zhou Yinhe, having been teased by her, lost his sleepiness.

He gently stroked Wen Ling's hair scattered behind her back and sighed, "Ancestors, I truly owe you."

When Wen Ling woke up, Zhou Yinhe's figure was gone from beside her; she rose, walked to the window, stretched, and thought she definitely had to go for a morning run tomorrow.

She took a shower, changed into home clothes, went downstairs, heard voices in the living room, and Wen Ling curiously poked her head out from the stairwell.

It turned out to be Ning Qing who had come; Wen Ling was delighted, sped downstairs, and upon seeing Ning Qing she shouted loudly.

"Auntie!"

Ning Qing happily stood up, stepped forward a few paces, and caught the lunging Wen Ling.

"A Ling, do you want Auntie?"

Wen Ling nodded, "I do!"

Zhou Yinhe glared from the side, rose, peeled Wen Ling off his mother's body, and muttered dissatisfiedly, "You've never clung to me like that."

Wen Ling blinked, and Ning Qing was already laughing.

"Xiao Wu really has promise, even getting jealous of his own mother."

Zhou Yinhe lifted his chin, explaining, "I'm not jealous; I just feel it's unfair."

Ning Qing smirked, rolled her eyes at him, and said to Wen Ling, "Yesterday I just returned from out of town with your uncle; knowing Qin Lao and Wen Lao were here, I planned to drop by to see them, but I didn't expect those two old fellows to be absent."

"My grandfather and maternal grandfather now go out for a walk every morning, go to another park to watch people play chess, and yesterday they even said they wanted to learn how to play tai chi like others."

Ning Qing widened her eyes in surprise; before she could speak, Zhou Yinhe interjected, "Has my sister left?"

Which sister are you?