Chapter 162

Chapter 162

The two of them left without a second thought, leaving Yu Wenyao to struggle with a child sitting on his neck for over an hour at the Yan family's place. He couldn't even sit down; if he did, Yu Song would complain it wasn't high enough.

Just as he was about to get angry and make the child get down, his father-in-law rolled up his sleeves and offered to let Yu Song sit on him. How could Yu Wenyao dare to do that? He didn't dare!

In the end, he silently rubbed his neck, feeling miserable.

On the other side, Xie Junli and Xu Yuqing had no idea what had happened to Yu Wenyao. They rode through the night, along the country road, with cool wind blowing. Xu Yuqing held a flashlight, illuminating the center of the road.

Xie Junli rode fast, dashing all the way back to the family compound.

"We're here." Xie Junli applied the brakes. Xu Yuqing, who had been hugging him and was half-asleep, woke up slightly at the sound of his voice and nodded carefully before getting off the bike.

She fumbled for the keys, yawning in the process, and aimed blindly. "I'm so sleepy. What else do we need to see?"

Xie Junli pushed the bike inside, parked it, and secured it. Xu Yuqing had already gone in. She had slept so little these past few days that the quiet time on the road had made her extremely tired. Now, nothing could stop her from rushing straight to the bed.

Xie Junli knew she was exhausted. There were things he needed to show her, but he silently went to the kitchen to heat water for her to wash up.

Half an hour later, when Xie Junli entered the room, he found her sound asleep. The past two years had left no trace on her face except for a bit of darkness under her eyes.

Xie Junli put down the basin, wrung out a towel, and gently brushed aside her hair to wipe her face.

Her hands, her feet—she was so tired she hadn't even taken off her socks. Xie Junli carefully tended to her, afraid she might wake up, and quickly finished so she could sleep well. Then he took the basin out.

The next morning, as soon as Xu Yuqing woke up, she noticed something strange in her arms. Looking down, she saw that Xie Junli was being held by her, and judging by the position, she had initiated it herself.

Feeling guilty, she cautiously released her hold, looking at his sleeping form nestled in her arms. Xu Yuqing wanted to laugh but dared not, so she held back and took a step back, pretending nothing had happened.

But this man must have been faking sleep!

As soon as Xu Yuqing moved, he opened his eyes immediately, his gaze clear and alert, far from just waking up.

"You were faking sleep again!" Xu Yuqing felt guilty but still accused him loudly, quickly stepping back as if nothing had happened.

However, Xie Junli wouldn't let her get away. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her closer, and looked into her eyes with his dark gaze. "What are you hiding from?"

Xu Yuqing sat up abruptly, hands on her hips. "I'm not hiding anything! I'm just hungry and wanted to get up!"

Feeling hungry, Xie Junli looked at her like a paper tiger and couldn't help but smile. "I'm also hungry."

Xu Yuqing thought Xie Junli was going to let her go and her eyes lit up. "Okay, okay! I'm also hungry. Let's get up. How about some persimmon egg noodles for breakfast—"

Before she could finish, Xie Junli kissed her deeply. Xu Yuqing looked at him in surprise, unable to escape his intense assault.

It turned out that when he said he was hungry, he meant this kind of hunger.

But she was really hungry too! Xu Yuqing cried inwardly, trying to struggle, but her efforts were futile against Xie Junli.

For the past two months, to ensure she focused on her studies, Xie Junli had abstained for over two months.

For someone who used to eat meat every meal, these two months of abstinence had made Xie Junli look at Xu Yuqing with a hungry, green-eyed gaze.

Their breaths intertwined, growing hotter, and Xu Yuqing's resistance weakened. She felt as if she was completely under his control, following him into a deep embrace.

Just as their emotions reached a peak, Xie Junli suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. Xu Yuqing panted heavily, watching him.

Xie Junli gently laid her down, then reached into his pocket with his left hand and pulled out a small object. It was hard to tell what it was, and Xu Yuqing watched curiously, unsure of his intentions.

The next moment, the object appeared in front of her.

It was a gold ring.

A gold—ring?

Xu Yuqing widened her eyes, disbelievingly staring at the golden glint. "Where did you get this?"

She took it and bit it. It was soft, real gold!

But wait, she knew exactly how much money was in the box. Xu Yuqing looked at Xie Junli suspiciously. "You've been hiding money!"

She stated it firmly.

...

Both fell silent, neither speaking. Xu Yuqing and Xie Junli stared at each other, and after a few seconds, Xu Yuqing burst into laughter, realizing she had ruined the mood.

"Alright, alright, put it on me." Xu Yuqing handed the ring back to him and extended her right hand.

Over the past two years, she hadn't done any heavy labor. Even when she took a temporary leave to help with frozen supplies, she hadn't done much work. For her contributions, the Military District leadership had awarded her an honorary medal.

But now, Xu Yuqing looked expectantly at Xie Junli, holding out her slender, fair hand, waiting for him to act.

At first, Xie Junli didn't understand, but when Xu Yuqing urged him, he realized she wanted him to put the ring on her finger.

He focused his gaze, carefully taking her hand. Not knowing which finger it should go on, he started from the index finger, sliding the ring until it fit perfectly on her ring finger.

Xu Yuqing laughed, pulling her hand back to admire the gold ring. "Where did you buy this? You didn't even know my size. How dare you buy it without knowing?"

She looked at him, a hint of pressure in her gaze.

Xie Junli stared at her hand, his focus on the golden ring. It was the most beautiful ring and hand he had ever seen.

Xie Junli reached out, kissed her hand, and spoke his thoughts aloud.

A person who is usually cold and self-possessed suddenly looks at you with deep affection, their eyes filled with love. Xu Yuqing's cheeks grew hotter as she looked at him, feeling a bit at a loss.

She was charmed.

The atmosphere returned, a warm current sweeping through her body. Xu Yuqing gave up resisting; she had been tempted by him once again.

Throughout the night, Xu Yuqing did not stop. Every time he glanced at the ring, it was as if he got a surge of energy, and he would come back to her.

When the storm finally subsided, Xu Yuqing felt like she had come back to life. She relaxed and fell asleep immediately.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already evening. The sky outside was half dark. This time, Xu Yuqing had a good, solid sleep. She stretched comfortably and looked around—no one was there.

She sat up, picked up the watch from the drawer, and realized it was already past five.

It was almost dinner time.

Xu Yuqing belatedly covered her stomach, realizing why it felt so empty—she hadn't eaten breakfast.

Her stomach growled with hunger, and Xu Yuqing hastened to get dressed and wash up. Xie Junli wasn't in the kitchen either. As she brushed her teeth, she went to the kitchen window.

Sure enough, he was in the yard. Xu Yuqing found it amusing. Ever since Xie Junli started tending this plot of land, it became his precious treasure. No matter how late he came back, after dinner, he would always take a flashlight and visit it.

Not only that, but before leaving, he would inspect it again. On weekends, he spent half his free time on these vegetable plots.

Even among his fellow soldiers, they had started competing over whose plot was the best. Whoever grew the best vegetables was considered the biggest rival.

After finishing her morning routine, Xu Yuqing walked out. Even the small gaps between the four little plots were not wasted; Xie Junli had sown some scallion seeds.

She plucked two scallions, which looked a bit malnourished.

She also picked two eggplants and a handful of green beans, noticing Xie Junli's gaze fixed on her hands.

She really was picking his treasures, Xu Yuqing thought helplessly, but couldn't help smiling mischievously.

Intentionally ignoring him, Xu Yuqing picked another green pepper and strutted back inside.

Feeling quite smug.

Xie Junli watched her silently, relieved to see her in a better mood.

His acting had paid off. He continued weeding, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Each had their own thoughts. Xu Yuqing hummed a tune happily, occasionally glancing at the golden ring in her hand.

How strange, she used to dislike gold, but now she found it so beautiful.

The design was simple—a gold bar shaped into a circle, yet Xu Yuqing found it particularly appealing. She wondered where he bought it.

Does anyone sell gold nowadays?

She cut the eggplant into pieces, dried them, and broke the green beans into small segments. Then she sprinkled a thin layer of starch on the eggplant and fried it until golden. Once done, she removed it from the pan and cooked the pork ribs until crispy. She added minced garlic and green beans, then seasoned with salt, soy sauce, and spices. After adding hot water, she covered the pot and let it simmer.

After about half an hour, the pork ribs were tender, and the green beans and eggplant were soft and flavorful. She added the eggplant back to the pot, letting it absorb the sauce, and finished with green peppers and scallions.

Thus, a hearty stew was ready.

She brought out the buns and porridge Xie Junli had left for her in the morning: "Xie Junli! Dinner!"

The man outside had already smelled the aroma and prepared himself. Hearing her call, he quickly put down his hoe and strode back into the house.

There was only one dish on the table, but it was a large enamel basin full of stewed pork ribs, green beans, and eggplant. It didn't look as appetizing as Xu Yuqing's other dishes, but the aroma told Xie Junli it was anything but ordinary.

Xie Junli eagerly served rice, giving some to Xu Yuqing. They sat down and began eating.

Xu Yuqing took a bite of the pork rib first. It was perfectly cooked—tender but not falling apart.

Xu Yuqing had planned for this dish to last two meals, as it would taste even better reheated, with fresh eggplant added. However, she hadn't expected Xie Junli to enjoy it so much that he forgot to eat his rice.

By the time he was full, the basin was nearly empty, with a pile of bones and Xie Junli holding his stomach. But— "Aren't you going to eat your rice?"

Xu Yuqing was shocked that he wasn't eating his staple food.

Xie Junli looked regretfully at the remaining rice, "I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow."