Chapter 9

Chapter 9

This was the first time Xu Yuqing had ever held hands with a man since she grew up.

And it was with a man she was already somewhat smitten with because of his looks.

All the way until they got in the car, Xu Yuqing was still dazed, barely able to come back to her senses.

"My goodness, the iron-blooded rooster is finally plucking its feathers! Tsk tsk tsk, having a wife really does make a difference."

In the trunk, Yu Wenyao marveled as he helped pack things away, casting teasing glances at Xie Junli. But Xie Junli wasn't affected in the slightest, going about his business as usual—though one could hardly miss his crimson ears.

Xu Yuqing sat in the back seat, the sound of her playful voice carrying over. Her already flushed face turned even redder, and her palms were sweaty.

There were too many items to fit in the trunk, so Yu Wenyao took some of the less fragile ones and placed them on the passenger seat. Because it was getting dark and the road conditions weren't great, the two men worked quickly, finishing up and immediately getting into the car to head back.

The car jolted along the road, and just as Xu Yuqing's drowsiness began to set in, a bump would jolt her awake again. The journey was a miserable one for her.

Fortunately, they arrived before nightfall.

If not for the soldiers guarding the perimeter, the family compound looked much like the residential buildings in the county town, albeit slightly larger. The car slowly drove in, but what surprised Xu Yuqing was that whenever someone saw Xie Junli and noticed her by his side, their expressions were filled with surprise.

Was she that scary?

Did she look like a female demon?

When the car reached the open space in the family compound, it couldn't proceed any further. Yu Wenyao parked the car and turned off the engine.

Xu Yuqing watched as several women outside chatted animatedly after glancing at the car. They approached when they saw Yu Wenyao and Xie Junli get out, though she couldn't hear what they were saying.

Xie Junli and Yu Wenyao had already gotten out of the car. After much hesitation, Xu Yuqing tightened her blue cotton coat around herself and stepped out.

"Commander Xie! You're back from your mission! And this is...?" A woman who seemed to be the leader among the group stepped forward with a smile, asking kindly. She appeared quite amiable.

As soon as Xu Yuqing walked beside Xie Junli, she heard him say, "Yes, I just got back. Sister-in-law, this is my wife, Xu Yuqing. I'll trouble you in the future, Sister-in-law."

Perhaps this sentence gave the woman immense satisfaction, as her smile nearly overflowed. Satisfied, she shifted her gaze to Xu Yuqing. "No problem, Sister Yuqing, right? I'm Song Mei. Just call me Sister Mei. Come find me if you need anything in the future."

Xu Yuqing put on a professional smile. "Thank you, Sister Mei."

Song Mei nodded contentedly. Xu Yuqing was quite pretty but not arrogant. She hoped she would be as easy to get along with in the future.

"Alright, you two continue unpacking. We'll go back and cook dinner."

With this meeting concluded, Xu Yuqing helped carry the items into the house. Their home was located in the northeast corner of the family compound. At first glance, she found it very satisfactory. Although the courtyard wasn't large, it was clean and tidy. The single-story house had two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

Compared to the old house of the Xie family, this place could almost be considered a small villa.

As night fell, when they moved the second load, there was no one left in the open space. Since there wasn't much left for the second trip, Yu Wenyao didn't help anymore. He watched as Xie Junli carried most of the items, leaving only a bag of pastries for his wife to hold, under the pretense of being afraid they might get crushed.

Yu Wenyao watched with a smile, already contemplating how he would recount the events to his comrades upon his return.

As the car drove away, Xie Junli led Xu Yuqing home, aware that she wasn't accustomed to the dark. Though he could have easily held her hand with one free, he chose not to illuminate their path with a flashlight. Under the night's cover, they walked hand in hand, passing through the gates of various courtyards.

Just as Xie Junli and Xu Yuqing had passed by, the wives who couldn't contain their curiosity emerged. "Hey! Lifang! Did you see? That Colonel Xie bought so many things!"

"Saw it, saw it! My goodness, that huge bag of pastries, how long will that last!"

"Isn't Colonel Xie known for being stingy? I heard he's reluctant to spend money. How come he went on such a shopping spree today."

"Yeah, his quilt had a hole in it, and he even borrowed needles and thread from Sister Mei!"

"Oh my, he's so generous with his wife, isn't he!!!" said the short military wife enviously.

At this moment, another military wife joined the conversation. She had been there two years earlier than these two, making her one of the first military wives in the compound. Her name was Li Yan, and she seemed to know everything. "Well, you didn't know this, but Sister Mei originally wanted to introduce her younger sister to Colonel Xie. But her sister, after hearing about Colonel Xie's reputation for being stingy, refused to meet him!"

Upon hearing this, the other two wives covered their mouths in surprise.

"Really? It seems like Colonel Xie is frugal with himself, but he's quite generous with his wife. I wonder what Sister Mei thinks," said the tall military wife with amusement.

The short military wife was even more envious. "My husband still smokes. Our household expenses are already high, and he insists on buying cigarettes and alcohol. If only he could learn from Colonel Xie."

Li Yan pursed her lips, also feeling a twinge of envy. "You haven't seen Colonel Xie's wife; she's so thin she'd be blown away by the wind. Can she survive this winter!?"

Zhang Lifang, the tall military wife, herself tall and with a large frame, chimed in, "True, how can she endure Colonel Xie's company? But her face, oh, it's so beautiful, like a fairy."

This comment elicited laughter from all three women, their faces adorned with knowing, mischievous smiles.

"I saw her too, truly beautiful! I wonder where she's from, how could she be so stunning." Wang Yunyun, the short military wife, said enviously. Short and plump, she envied tall, slender figures the most.

"Ah, ah, ah, let's stop talking. My old man, Li, is back!" Seeing her husband in the distance, Li Yan hurriedly called out. Her rice was still cooking, and she hoped it hadn't burned yet.

Unaware of this commotion, Xu Yuqing, upon returning home with Xie Junli, locked the door and began tidying up the bed. The exhaustion of a long journey was something only those who had experienced it could understand. Seeing the clean kang bed, Xu Yuqing felt a sense of relief. All she needed to do was lay down her bedding, saving her much time. She was so tired that she could fall asleep the moment she touched the bed!

However...

Only the main room was properly arranged.

The other room, though clean, was cluttered with miscellaneous items, likely due to uncertainty about where to place them during the cleaning process. This meant that, regardless of the circumstances, she would have to share a bed with Xie Junli tonight.

Her movements slowed as she laid out the bedding, and Xu Yuqing began to feel uneasy. In her previous life, perhaps due to her reclusive nature, she had no male friends around her. Coupled with her extremely busy work schedule, she never had the time for romance!

Was her lifelong singlehood going to end here?! Yet, as Xu Yuqing thought about Xie Junli's face and his gentlemanly, considerate actions, she felt a faint sense of anticipation.

"I've cleaned up the kitchen and boiled water. You should wash up first," Xie Junli said, a streak of soot still marking his face from when he accidentally smeared some while tending to the fire.

Xu Yuqing was startled by Xie Junli's sudden appearance. For a moment, she felt as if he had seen right through her thoughts. Hastily, she stood up and, stepping over Xie Junli, made her way quickly towards the bathing area.

"I didn't get the clothes." Xie Junli was at a loss, unsure where he had gone wrong, looking at her like a headless fly wandering around.

Help! Xu Yuqing covered her face in embarrassment, then turned back to retrieve her clothes from a small bundle within the larger one, rushing off to the bathing room.

The hot water was already prepared. In the dimly lit bathing room, a bucket of hot water sat obediently, with another bucket of cold water beside it.

...

How could he be so gentle?

After her bath, Xu Yuqing had relaxed. Now she was Xu Yuqing, married to Xie Junli on paper. Even if she acted a bit forward, it was legally justified. Besides, when love comes knocking, isn't taking the initiative acceptable?

After all, the worst outcome would be divorce, and she had planned for that anyway.

Xu Yuqing lounged comfortably on the bed, towel in hand, drying her hair. "Why did you wash your hair?" Xie Junli immediately put down what he was packing, somewhat anxious. It was very cold, and the room wasn't warm enough; washing her hair could easily lead to catching a chill.

Especially since she was so frail.

He approached her, taking the wet towel from Xu Yuqing's hands. Her hair was still dripping wet, causing him to frown. "The stove isn't fully heated yet, it's not warm enough. Go to the kitchen to warm up."

With a serious gaze, Xu Yuqing closed her mouth, which was about to protest, and obediently followed Xie Junli's lead, silent.

In the kitchen, he set up a low stool for her to sit on. Xu Yuqing, when washing, only thought about doing it because she wanted to, completely forgetting this wasn't her convenient past life. Now timid, she did whatever Xie Junli told her to do.

"Like this?" Xu Yuqing sat down, facing the fire. The warmth enveloped her, but because she was sitting far enough away, it wasn't scorching or smoky. Xie Junli nodded, scooped a ladle of cold water to wash his hands, then grabbed another towel.

Xu Yuqing sat there, drowsy. Xie Junli's face was full of seriousness as his rough hands carefully held her fine, long hair.

Without a watch or a clock, neither knew how much time had passed.

By the time her hair was dry, Xu Yuqing was hugging her knees, asleep.

When she woke up, it was already morning. Xu Yuqing yawned contentedly, her sleep quality through the roof. She tightened her grip on the pillow, feeling she could sleep for ten more minutes.

But while she could still sleep, Xie Junli couldn't. He woke up when the morning bugle call sounded, no, when she moved closer to him last night. After waking up, he should have gone to training, even though it was still technically a holiday.

However, the warm, soft person in his arms clung tightly to him, whimpering discontentedly when he tried to move, her aggrieved expression melting Xie Junli's heart. His beloved wife was right there in his arms, and Xie Junli dared not move.

That morning was both blissful and torturous for Xie Junli.

Suddenly, Xu Yuqing turned over, releasing Xie Junli's hand, leaving his embrace, and turned to lean against the wall, motionless.

Xie Junli felt the emptiness in his arms. He moved his numb arm, looking at the sleeping Xu Yuqing. Concealing his disappointment, he confirmed she was still asleep before standing up with relief, getting dressed, and heading out to fetch breakfast from the canteen.

On the bed, Xu Yuqing stared wide-eyed at the wall, screaming internally in shame. Who could understand!

Waking up in a man's arms! How could anyone control themselves!

And Xie Junli! He actually had! Eight! Abs!

She writhed on the bed in a series of contorted movements until exhaustion forced her to stop. Defeated, she buried herself in the blankets, unwilling to emerge.

At that moment, the door to the room made a sound. It was Xie Junli returning after fetching food. He gently knocked on the door. "Yuqing, it's time for breakfast."