20: In a race against time, hide under the bed

Click.

A faint but unmistakably clear sound of metal turning came from the direction of the dormitory door.

That sound was like a poison-tipped dagger, instantly piercing the brief moment of ambiguity and standoff at the bathroom door.

Wang Fugui was still bare-chested, with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist, one foot having just stepped out of the bathroom. He froze completely, his mind going blank.

Across from him, the color drained from Chen Yun's face in an instant. Her eyes, which were previously filled with infatuation and mist, were now suddenly filled with immense terror.

She trembled, squeezing out a sentence in a breathy voice.

"My husband... my husband is back!"

Boom!

Those words exploded in Wang Fugui's head, louder than the sound of the pipe bursting earlier. His blood ran cold, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard by an invisible hand.

Her husband is back?

He was screwed! If he were caught in the room—a shirtless man and a woman in a nightgown, and they were freaking supervisor and subordinate... he wouldn't be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River!

Being fired would be the least of it; he'd probably have his legs broken! His three thousand eight hundred yuan that he hadn't received yet! His dream of building a big brick house!

In an instant, what Wang Fugui thought of wasn't the propriety between men and women, but his salary and perfect attendance bonus that were about to vanish into thin air.

"Quick! Quick!"

Chen Yun had already reacted from her extreme terror. She had only one thought now: she couldn't let Zhang Qiang see Wang Fugui!

She didn't care about the propriety of physical contact anymore. She grabbed Wang Fugui's thick arm and pushed him desperately toward the only hiding spot—the bedroom.

Her hands were ice-cold, and her nails almost dug into his flesh.

Wang Fugui stumbled from her push, nearly slipping on the water underfoot. His mind was still a mess, so he could only passively follow her force.

Chen Yun's other hand quickly reached for the dryer. Ignoring the heat, she scooped out all the clothes that weren't fully dry yet—still warm and damp—and clutched them tightly in her arms.

"Screech—"

Just as they rushed into the bedroom, the dormitory door was pushed open from the outside.

A man's voice, slightly tired yet full of joy, drifted in.

"Wife! I'm back!"

It was Zhang Qiang!

Chen Yun's body shuddered violently. She shoved Wang Fugui toward the bedside, then pointed under the large bed with its neat sheets. Her eyes were wide as saucers, and using all her strength, she silently mouthed the words.

"Get! In!"

Wang Fugui looked at the narrow, dusty space under the bed, then at the sound of approaching footsteps from the door. A huge sense of grievance and humiliation welled up in his heart.

I, a tall and upright Northwest man, actually have to crawl under a bed?

But that thought only flashed by. The instinct for survival and his obsession with his salary instantly overwhelmed everything. Gritting his teeth and hardening his heart, he ignored the dirt, clutched the bundle of wet clothes, and dove under the bed in one motion.

His body slammed heavily onto the cold, hard floor, kicking up a cloud of dust. Ignoring the choking dust, he scrambled toward the very back until his back was pressed tightly against the cold wall.

Just as he hid himself, a pair of dusty, oil-stained black leather boots appeared in his field of vision.

Zhang Qiang walked in.

"Oh my god, wife, what happened? Did our place flood?"

Zhang Qiang shouted in surprise, looking at the puddles and the mess on the floor.

Chen Yun stood with her back to the bed, blocking his view. She took a deep breath, forcing the tremor in her voice to subside.

"You... you're back. I don't know what happened to the bathroom pipe just now; it suddenly burst. It scared me to death."

Her voice still sounded a bit shaken, which perfectly masked her guilt.

"Are you okay?"

Zhang Qiang walked over in a few steps, his tone full of concern. He dropped the gift box in his hand and opened his arms, wanting to give his wife a firm hug.

Chen Yun's body instantly went rigid.

She didn't dare move, nor did she dare let him hug her. She was afraid her heartbeat would give everything away. Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but glance toward the bed.

Please don't make a sound! Please don't get caught!

Under the bed, Wang Fugui's situation could be described as dire.

The space was so narrow that a big guy like him, over 1.8 meters tall, could only curl up, unable to even turn over. Within his sight were only two pairs of feet: one was Zhang Qiang's heavily worn leather boots, and the other was Chen Yun's fair, small bare feet, with toes curled from tension.

The man's leather boots were less than half a meter from his nose. A complex odor of foot odor, engine oil, and the scent of a long journey unceremoniously wafted into his nostrils.

This smell was even more overpowering than the smelliest oil drum in the factory.

"It's good that you're okay. We'll just fix it."

Zhang Qiang didn't think much of it. Assuming his wife was just startled, he lowered his hands and bent down to take off his shoes.

He kicked a shoe aside, and it happened to hit the bed leg with a dull thud, startling Wang Fugui so much he almost bounced off the floor.

Then, something even more deadly happened.

Zhang Qiang took off his socks and casually tossed them under the bed.

That sock, emitting a strong, pungent odor and so dirty its original color was unrecognizable, followed a precise arc and landed lightly right next to Wang Fugui's hand, almost touching his knuckles where he held the wet clothes.

Wang Fugui instantly held his breath, his stomach churning. He barely managed to keep from throwing up.

My mother! This is more intense than smelling a latrine!

He didn't dare move a muscle, his body as stiff as a stone, only hoping the couple would leave the bedside quickly.

Outside, Zhang Qiang walked barefoot through the water to the bedside and sat down. The mattress sank abruptly under his weight.

"I've been on the road for over half a year; I'm exhausted. It's still better at home."

He sighed with emotion and prepared to lie down.

Chen Yun's heart leaped into her throat.

Wang Fugui's heart also leaped into his throat.

However, Zhang Qiang's motion to lie down stopped halfway. He propped up his upper body and felt around the bed in confusion.

"Huh?"

He let out a soft sound of doubt.

Chen Yun asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Qiang frowned. He looked down at the sheets and twitched his nose, sniffing the air forcefully.

"Why are the sheets a bit messy? And... in this room..."

His voice carried a hint of confusion and alertness. Every word reached Wang Fugui's ears under the bed with crystal clarity.

"Why is there a smell of a man's sweat?"