The night after the big military competition ended, Lu Zhanting returned home carrying both honor and exhaustion.
The soldiers of the Fierce Tiger Battalion were clamoring to hold a victory celebration banquet for their captain, with calls growing louder and louder, but he suppressed them all with a cold, sharp glance.
He refused all the noise and crowding, and amidst countless eyes filled with envy and blessings, he took Su Wanqing’s hand and returned to their quiet little home.
Click.
The moment the courtyard gate shut, it was as if two different worlds were separated.
The fierce aura he forcibly maintained in front of others instantly collapsed.
He let go of Su Wanqing’s hand, his tall frame leaning heavily against the door with a dull thud.
He exhaled a long, heavy breath, and those once blazing eyes from the day were now filled with an overwhelming weariness and bloodshot veins.
“I’ll go boil water for you.”
Su Wanqing looked at the dark stubble on his chin, and her heart ached sharply.
Just as she turned, her wrist was grabbed by a burning-hot hand.
“Don’t rush.”
Lu Zhanting gently pulled her closer.
He said nothing, only reached out and tightly wrapped his arms around her.
His chin pressed into the hollow of her shoulder, his face deeply buried in her neck, breathing greedily in the unique, soothing fragrance that calmed his spirit.
This embrace was unlike any before.
No trace of desire, only a complete release of defenses—dependence and longing.
He was like a giant ship battling stormy seas for days, finally returning to the only harbor where he could drop anchor.
Su Wanqing did not move; quietly held by him, she reached out her soft hand and stroked his broad back that trembled slightly from tension, again and again.
“You must be exhausted,” her voice light as a feather.
“Hmm.”
Lu Zhanting squeezed out a low sound from deep in his throat, tinged with a barely noticeable hoarseness and grievance.
They stayed quietly embraced until the steel-like tension in him completely relaxed, then he slowly straightened and looked down at the woman in his arms.
“Today, when I stood on the podium receiving the award, I thought about something.”
“What?” Su Wanqing looked up at him, her eyes reflecting his shadow.
“I wondered, why I’ve been working so hard all this time.”
Lu Zhanting’s rough thumb gently stroked her cheek, his gaze deep like a calm night sea.
“Before, it was for the national emblem on my uniform, for the Fierce Tiger Battalion’s flag. But today, when I saw you standing down there…”
He paused, his voice growing especially low and serious.
“I suddenly understood, Wanqing, that I want to bring all the honor I earned with my life to you.”
“I want you to be the proudest, most envied military spouse in the entire district.”
Su Wanqing’s heart was tightly gripped by this clumsy confession, instantly soft and overwhelmed.
This taciturn man was baring his burning heart in the most sincere way.
“You’ve already done that.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips.
“Lu Zhanting, I’m proud of you.”
The kiss was as gentle as a feather, yet instantly ignited the wildfire already blazing within him.
His eyes darkened suddenly.
He grabbed the back of her head, turning passive into active, fiercely kissing her back.
After the shower, the exhaustion seemed to be washed away by the hot water.
Lu Zhanting wore only a towel around his waist; droplets slid down his muscular body, marked with old and new scars.
He wiped his wet short hair with a towel as he stepped out.
Su Wanqing had already brought the warmed meal to the table.
Lu Zhanting ate quickly as usual, but Su Wanqing could feel he had relaxed, no longer taut like a drawn bow.
After the meal, she pulled him to the sofa, took out the medical kit, and treated the fresh wounds he got during the competition.
His arms and calves bore several scratches from obstacles; though not deep, the raised flesh was still shocking.
“Ah…”
When the cotton ball soaked with medicinal alcohol touched a deeper wound, Lu Zhanting’s body instinctively tensed, letting out a suppressed sharp breath through clenched teeth.
“Did it hurt?” Su Wanqing immediately stopped, her voice trembling.
“It’s nothing.” He shook his head. Seeing her worried and pained expression warmed and softened his heart. “These small wounds don’t count.”
“How can that be a small wound!”
Su Wanqing’s eyes reddened uncontrollably. She put down the cotton ball, her voice thick with nasal tone and a hint of choking.
“Lu Zhanting, can you… please not push yourself so hard in the future?”
She knew the request was unreasonable.
A soldier’s duty was obedience and struggle.
But whenever she thought of him maneuvering on those cliffs, her heart felt gripped by an invisible hand, hurting so badly it was hard to breathe.
Lu Zhanting looked at her reddened eyes and fell silent.
After a moment, he reached out his uninjured hand and gently wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye.
“Silly girl.” He sighed, his voice full of helpless fondness. “If I don’t fight hard, how can I protect you? How can I earn you a future where no one dares to bully you?”
He pulled out a shining gold medal from his pocket like a magic trick and solemnly placed it in her palm.
“Keep this.”
“This is yours.”
The warm metal felt heavy and burning in her hand, imprinted like his own scorching heart.
Su Wanqing clenched the medal, all grievances and worries transforming at this moment into surging love and determination.
Yes.
This man was using his blood, sweat, and even life to hold up a sky for her.
So what could she do for him?
Late at night.
Lu Zhanting, utterly drained from the day, fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
He slept deeply, breathing steadily and strongly, his usually cold, tense face showing rare peace and calm.
Su Wanqing lay on her side beside him, tracing his sharp features again and again in the pale moonlight.
Her heart was filled with a complex and strong emotion.
Love, worry, pride, and a fierce desire to do something for him.
Suddenly, her secret space flashed in her mind.
An idea grew uncontrollably.
She must become stronger.
She must gain more resources to help him.
Su Wanqing carefully sat up from the bed, making sure she didn’t wake Lu Zhanting, then quietly got up, walked into the study, and locked the door behind her.
After a familiar tug, she appeared again on that familiar land.
However, the moment she entered the space, a sudden anomaly occurred!
The entire space began to roar and shake violently; the ground beneath her feet jolted upward as if struck by a strong earthquake!
The originally gray sky was suddenly torn apart by dazzling streams of colorful light!
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple!
The seven-colored light flowed like liquid glass, weaving and surging, illuminating the entire space like a divine realm.
Su Wanqing was stunned and dumbfounded by this sudden drastic change. Instinctively, she crouched down to steady herself and nervously looked around.
What she saw amazed her!
The patch of black soil, originally only the size of half a basketball court, was expanding outward at a terrifying speed!
The thick, impenetrable white mist that shrouded the boundary of the space seemed to be roughly pushed aside by an invisible, divine giant hand, continuously rolling back and retreating!
Ten meters, fifty meters, one hundred meters…
In just a few minutes, the entire space had expanded by more than ten times its original area!
The small patch of earth had turned into a vast, boundless field—about an acre in size!
The color of the soil had changed too, from ordinary black to a rich, glossy, deep hue, as if it could squeeze out oil—fertile and lush!
The air was filled with a refreshing and strange scent, a mix of the fragrance of earth and the fresh aroma of plants.
Even more astonishing to her was that the vegetables and medicinal herbs she had planted before were now playing out a silent, frenzied miracle of life under the glow of the colorful light!
The green leaves stretched visibly, turning lush and vibrant!
The red tomatoes swelled rapidly, becoming plump and bright!
Even a few rare medicinal plants that had just sprouted buds wildly grew taller, blossomed, and bore fruit, completing their entire life cycle in just a few dozen seconds!
This was a miracle!
Su Wanqing stood up in shock and walked step by step onto the newly expanded land.
She bent down and scooped up a handful of soil.
The soil was soft and moist, containing an indescribable vitality, as if planting a single seed would cause it to sprout the next moment.
The colorful light gradually faded, and the shaking of the space ceased.
Everything returned to calm, but the entire space had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.
Before her excitement could subside, a soft, crisp sound of water bubbling reached her ears.
Following the sound, she found that right in the center of the field, somehow, a spring about the size of a washbasin had appeared!
Clear, bottomless spring water bubbled up from the spring, pooling into a small pond about a meter in diameter beside it.
The pond water was incredibly clear, revealing every smooth, rounded pebble on the bottom.
A faint white mist with a hint of sweetness gently rose from the water’s surface, dreamy and ethereal.
This was… a spiritual spring?!
Su Wanqing’s heart raced wildly, nearly bursting from her chest.
She hurried over and crouched by the pond; the white mist brushed her cheek, bringing a refreshing coolness that instantly revived her.
After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and scooped up a handful of spring water.
The water felt slightly cool to the touch, yet carried a jade-like smoothness.
She brought her hand to her lips and gently took a sip.
The spring water was tasteless.
But the moment it slid down her throat, a gentle yet vast warm current exploded through her entire body!
That warmth was like the most efficient cleanser, washing through every cell and sweeping away the fatigue and weariness she had carried for days!
Her mind reached a clarity and comfort never experienced before.
This water was truly a treasure!
Overcome with excitement, Su Wanqing drank several more sips until her whole body was filled with warmth, then reluctantly stopped.
Her gaze fell on a cucumber vine nearby that looked somewhat withered from growing too fast.
A thought struck her, and she quickly went over, dripping the few remaining drops of spring water from her hand onto the yellowing leaves.
A miracle happened!
The leaf, already yellowed and curled, absorbed the water like a dry sponge, visibly unfurling and regaining its fresh, tender green appearance!
It really worked!
Su Wanqing’s breathing grew rapid.
Her mind flashed with images of the countless scars crisscrossing Lu Zhanting’s body and the new, fierce wound on his arm from tonight.
If…
If she used this spring water on him…
The thought ignited like a prairie fire, uncontrollable!
She immediately rummaged through the warehouse, found a clean military water bottle, carefully washed it, and then filled it to the brim with the spring water.
As she screwed the cap on, Su Wanqing felt that what she held in her hands was infinite hope—for her and Lu Zhanting’s future.
Looking at the vast spiritual field before her and the spring continuously bubbling with life-giving water, a surge of lofty ambition welled up inside her.
From today onward, she would no longer be a weak woman relying solely on Lu Zhanting’s protection.
She had her own trump card.
She had the capital to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, even to protect him in return!
Holding the water bottle tightly, she thought once more and returned to the study.
Outside, the night was deep.
She grasped the cool bottle and hurried to the bedroom door, gently pushing it open.
In the moonlight, the man was sleeping soundly.
He lay on his side, one arm draped over the edge of the bed, the freshly bandaged wound still prominent in the moonlight.
Su Wanqing walked to the bedside, slowly crouched, and looked at his peaceful face, her eyes filled with unprecedented determination and tenderness.
Lu Zhanting, you have fought for me with your blood and flesh.
From now on, let me protect the vast lands you have won.