Stepmom’s thighs were naturally firm, and crossing them made them appear even more slender and long. Because she was sitting, her skirt had ridden up above her knees, and from the front, one might catch a glimpse of the delightful scenery beneath it.
Zhao Ran couldn’t help but recall the feeling of stroking her thighs with his hand when she was deep in sleep after taking cold medicine. No work of art could compare to these long, shapely, and beautifully rounded legs.
Noticing Zhao Ran’s gaze fixed on her, Zhou Yun asked softly, “What’s wrong? Isn’t the food good today?”
Zhao Ran was taken aback for a moment, then quickly shook his head and blurted out, “Stepmom, you’re so beautiful.”
A hint of amusement flickered in her eyes as she shook her head with a faint, exasperated smile. “Thank you for the compliment, but since when did you start evaluating your stepmom like this?”
Zhao Ran lowered his head to focus on his meal, avoiding her eyes, and said, “It’s not just me. All the boys in my class back then thought you were beautiful.”
Stepmom laughed. “What do kids know about beauty? Focusing on their studies is what really matters.”
Zhao Ran quickly replied, “Of course we know. We already have a sense of aesthetics. Lots of boys in my class have their favorite female celebrities or female classmates they like, though not many actually end up together.”
Stepmom looked at him with interest. “Oh? So which female celebrity do you like?”
Zhao Ran was about to answer, but seeing the sly glint in her eyes, he quickly changed his response. “The female celebrity I like is you, Stepmom. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Stepmom burst into laughter, hugging a cushion beside her. After a good while, she said, “You little rascal, where did you learn to sweet-talk like that? But your words are certainly flattering.”
Her eyes still held a smile as she gently smoothed the skirt over her legs with one hand.
“Not at all,” Zhao Ran said, putting down his chopsticks. He walked over and sat down beside her, leaving only a few dozen centimeters between them.
Stepmom waved her hand dismissively with a laugh. “Alright, enough teasing your mom. Take a break, have a shower, and get ready for bed.”
Zhao Ran nodded and was about to do just that when he suddenly received a message from Wu Dan.
“Cousin, I’m having trouble with these few problems. If you have time, could you come help me with them?”
Wu Dan’s grades were generally good, but physics was her weakest subject, with the lowest exam scores among all her classes, so she needed extra help in that area.
After a moment’s thought, Zhao Ran replied with a simple “Okay.”
Just after he sent the message, Zhou Yun looked over curiously. “What is it?”
Zhao Ran explained truthfully, but then he looked at her with a somewhat pleading expression. “But, Stepmom, to be honest, I’ve forgotten some of these formulas. Could you help me take a look first? I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of my cousin tomorrow.”
Zhou Yun agreed readily. “Sure, let’s go over them now.”
With that, she walked over and sat right next to him, leaning in to look at the problems on his phone.
“Here, and here—which formula do you think should be used? Why don’t you try solving them first?”
Her voice was soft and gentle. Under the table, her legs were crossed, and with Zhao Ran intentionally keeping close, the two remained near each other.
Pretending to scratch an itch, Zhao Ran rested one hand against Stepmom’s thigh while using the other to scratch his own leg, taking the opportunity to stroke her thigh a few times.