Chapter 444

"Chen Yang, don't fall asleep, it's easy to catch a cold outside."

"Hm? Oh."

Chen Yang was already a bit dazed, lying on the lounge chair looking at the star-filled sky, drifting toward sleep without realizing it.

"Let's go, back inside to sleep."

Qi Tongwei looked at his watch; it was almost nine o'clock. After a day of rushing about and exhaustion, it was time to rest early.

"Mm."

After the two of them returned to the room and washed up, they felt energized instead, but thinking about the housewarming tomorrow and the many things left to do, they still prepared to return to their room to rest.

"Brother Tongwei, I, I'm a little scared..."

This courtyard of Qi Tongwei's was a two-section layout with three main rooms, but the area was quite large, with each room being forty or fifty square meters.

Although the furniture and appliances were complete, it still looked slightly empty, and since Chen Yang was a girl and it was her first time in an unfamiliar environment, it was normal to be scared.

"This..."

Although the two of them had kissed and cuddled, most of it had been in the living room during the day; they had never slept in the same bed, let alone at night.

"Then I'll watch you fall asleep before I leave."

"Mm, okay."

Qi Tongwei sat at the desk by the bed flipping through the History of Ming; this was his fifth time reading this book, and he was increasingly able to understand the nuances within it.

Watching Qi Tongwei by her side, Chen Yang felt settled in her heart and fell asleep before long.

Qi Tongwei was also engrossed in the History of Ming, and when he looked up, it was already nearly ten o'clock. Seeing Chen Yang fast asleep, Qi Tongwei also returned to his own room on tiptoe.

Early the next morning, both Qi Tongwei and Chen Yang got up early; they still had to prepare ingredients, as quite a few people from Zhang Ping'an's family were coming for the housewarming.

"Chen Yang, you tidy up the pots and pans at home, I'll go buy the groceries."

"Okay."

Qi Tongwei went straight to the Oriental Supermarket, and his former female colleagues were all full of surprise when they saw him.

"Tongwei?"

"Hello, sisters. I've come to buy some ingredients this time; could you please weigh them out for me for thirty people?"

"Alright, alright. So Tongwei has settled down in Sijiucheng."

"Yes, I graduated with my master's degree these past two years, so I'll likely be in Sijiucheng from now on."

Although the crowd didn't know what a master's degree was, they knew it sounded more impressive than a college student, and they all offered their congratulations to Qi Tongwei.

With everyone's help, Qi Tongwei quickly packed up all the ingredients and tied the large and small bags onto his Bicycle.

Chen Yang had already finished tidying up at home and was waiting for Qi Tongwei's ingredients to return to start the prep work.

According to the number of family members Zhang Ping'an mentioned yesterday, they would need at least three tables to seat everyone.

At eight-thirty, Qi Tongwei returned with the ingredients: chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, peanuts, melon seeds, and candy.

The two of them tidied up efficiently, and by nearly ten o'clock, the preparations before cooking were almost done; at this moment, the sound of car engines rang out outside the door.

"It must be Godfather and the others." Sure enough, just as Qi Tongwei finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Coming, Godfather, Godmother..." Qi Tongwei led Chen Yang in another round of greetings.

"Mm."

Outside, five cars had completely filled the entrance of the alley; almost everyone in Zhang Ping'an's family who was free had come.

Some brought potted plants, some brought ornaments, some brought fruit, some gave red envelopes, and others brought wine or pastries—a motley collection, but all with good omens.

The arrival of Zhang Ping'an's family, especially the children, brought a great deal of vitality to the courtyard.

"Whoa, you two have prepared quite a lot of things," Zhang Weijun laughed.

He looked at the ingredients in the kitchen, and since he was the most familiar with Qi Tongwei, he spoke without any reservations.

"Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law."

"Let's go, let's all lend a hand."

The kitchen was not large, but it was twenty square meters, converted from the East Wing Room, with four stove burners; the dining room was next door.

With the help of the group, all the dishes were finished just past twelve o'clock; the dining room and the main hall were filled with three full tables of people.

Zhang Ping'an, his eight sons, and Qi Tongwei—ten grown men—sat at one table drinking, while the women and children were in the kitchen and dining room.

"Come, Tongwei, congratulations on your housewarming."

"Thank you, Godfather."

"Come, come, drink."

The wine they drank was Tiger Bone Wine; these people drank it year-round and were accustomed to it, which left them with a relatively strong Yang energy, making them popular with the girls.

However, they also consumed a lot through their daily morning boxing and training, so there was no need to worry about an excess of Yang energy.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was also incredibly lively, and Chen Yang found herself unable to keep up with the enthusiasm of the sisters, sisters-in-law, and younger sisters.

Chen Yang envied this kind of family atmosphere; it was not like her own home, where her father was a feudal patriarch and her mother, while having her own opinions, didn't have many, mostly deferring to her father's ideology.

It was said that her mother Wang Fuzhen's family was a prominent family in Modu in the past and had even donated gold bars to our army back then, which was how her mother met her father, but they never mentioned her maternal grandparents' family over the years.

Her maternal grandparents were also a taboo topic in her home; every time she asked, her father's face would darken, her mother's expression would become complex, and the conversation would go no further.

This housewarming banquet lasted for about an hour before ending; the men drank tea, and the women cleaned up.

"Tongwei, we'll be heading back now. You've had quite a bit to drink, so move around a bit in the courtyard later."

"Alright, Godfather."

Qi Tongwei also drank Tiger Bone Wine often, but usually only a cup or two; this time he had drunk more than ten cups, his face was flushed red, and drinking tea only helped him sober up a little.

"Godfather, I will look after Brother Tongwei."

"Mm, good."

Zhang Ping'an thought about it but decided not to warn him; as long as Qi Tongwei exercised enough later, he would be able to expend his energy.

The two of them could be considered family now, so even if they couldn't restrain themselves tonight, it probably wouldn't matter if they lost their virginity first; of course, Chen Yanshi must not know.

After Zhang Ping'an's family left, Qi Tongwei drank some tea and then followed instructions to practice Military Physical Boxing in the courtyard; the more he practiced, the more alert he became, and he didn't stop until he was drenched in sweat.

"Hoo~"

Qi Tongwei let out a long breath, feeling unprecedentedly energetic, as if his body had become a few fractions lighter.

Chen Yang watched Qi Tongwei shedding sweat under the grape trellis; his sharp-angled profile, jawline, and muscle definition seemed to be draped in a golden veil under the sunset's afterglow, making her little heart thump wildly.

Qi Tongwei walked over to the grape trellis, and Chen Yang felt a wave of masculine energy rushing toward her; even the way Qi Tongwei's Adam's apple bobbed while drinking tea was so sexy.

"What's wrong?" Qi Tongwei asked, looking at Chen Yang in confusion.

"Nothing, nothing, you should go wash up, you're covered in sweat."

"Alright."

In the evening, the two of them simply drank some porridge, and after washing up, it was just like last night: Qi Tongwei watched over Chen Yang, waiting for her to fall asleep.

But tonight, Chen Yang tossed and turned, unable to sleep; her mind was filled with the image of Qi Tongwei shedding sweat during the day.

Qi Tongwei, watching her toss and turn, also felt a bit parched; one had to know it was only early October, and with the light clothing Chen Yang wore to sleep, she would occasionally have a wardrobe malfunction.

"Chen Yang, be still when you sleep." Qi Tongwei walked to the bedside and patted Chen Yang under the thin quilt.

"Oh."

The two locked eyes, and sparks flew instantly; before they knew it, they drew closer, and starting from a peck, things became uncontrollable, and then only heavy panting remained in the room.

The next morning, Chen Yang woke from her sleep, her face instantly turning as red as a braised dish; last night, the two of them had crossed the line and had unknowingly engaged in relations.

Seeing signs that Qi Tongwei was waking up, she hurriedly pretended to be asleep; after a long while with no movement, Chen Yang opened her eyes to find Qi Tongwei staring right at her.

"Ah..."