Qin Zhan stood outside the family quarters, letting the northwestern wind buffet him.
He racked his brains but still couldn’t figure out what exactly his wife had wanted from him.
She had brought up the desk herself. Looking around the room, he noticed how empty it was. Could it be that she wanted a wardrobe and a dressing table?
After all, young girls loved pretty things, unlike rough men like him who lived carelessly.
But the moment he suggested it, her little face fell.
Could it be that she wanted beautiful clothes?
Indeed, the clothes she wore had been washed until they had faded, and even the black cloth shoes on her feet had been patched again and again.
It was his oversight.
He had been so preoccupied with filing their marriage report that he had forgotten to remind his mother to buy the little girl some pretty dresses and leather shoes.
Yet when he mentioned that, her face turned green.
Could it be that she wanted vegetable seeds?
Seeing the empty vegetable patch outside the courtyard, perhaps his wife had already begun planning for their new home on her very first day here.
How virtuous his wife was.
Warmth spread through Qin Zhan’s heart, and delight blossomed within him.
Yet after hearing that suggestion, she had simply shut the door.
Qin Zhan let out a helpless sigh and headed back toward the regiment’s bachelor dormitory with a face full of resignation.
Meanwhile, inside the family quarters, Gu Panpan punched the bed angrily.
This dog of a man wasn’t the male lead, and she wasn’t the female lead.
According to period novel conventions, male supporting characters never handed over their salaries to cannon fodder female supporting characters.
If he wouldn’t give it to her, then he definitely couldn’t save it for the original female lead.
Starting tomorrow, she was going to spend, spend, spend.
Buy, buy, buy.
She would spend every last cent of this dog man’s salary until he became a penniless pauper.
The original female lead had ninety-nine men around her.
Gu Panpan would make sure that Qin Zhan wouldn’t become even one of them.
Hmph!
…
The next morning, sunlight had only just begun spilling into the family courtyard.
Gu Panpan remained immersed in sweet dreams.
“Panpan… Panpan…”
A low, husky voice drifted into her ears.
Gu Panpan slowly opened her eyes, only to find an extraordinarily handsome face enlarged right before her.
Still half asleep, a thought flashed through her mind.
Fox never earned enough money for more than admiring male models from afar, with the occasional chance to touch some abs.
Since when did they start bringing male models out for overnight stays?
Overnight stays?
Oh no, she didn’t have the money for that!
The moment the thought crossed her mind, her body reacted faster than her brain.
Acting purely on instinct, she kicked out fiercely.
Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing was the best option.
Her kick landed squarely against the man’s waist.
Qin Zhan let out a muffled groan as he clutched the wound on his abdomen.
Caught completely off guard, he staggered backward several steps.
Qin Zhan had spent the entire night awake, finally enduring until dawn.
He had moved his bedding and daily necessities from the dormitory back to the family quarters.
Then he had gone to the regiment’s cafeteria to fetch steamed buns, intending to wake Gu Panpan for breakfast.
Even after surviving countless battles, he had never imagined that he would receive such a solid kick from his wife first thing in the morning.
If Lu Tian or the soldiers under his command ever found out, they would laugh themselves to death.
Meanwhile, Gu Panpan, who had already sprinted out into the courtyard, suddenly came to her senses.
She had transmigrated into a novel.
Last night, she had arrived at the regiment headquarters to join the army and had moved into the family quarters.
The man she had just kicked was very likely her lawful husband.
Then why had she run away like an idiot?
After sorting things out in her head, she immediately turned around and rushed back into the room.
Only to find the tall man standing there, one hand pressed against his abdomen as he looked at her with a deeply aggrieved expression.
“Um… if I said I didn’t do it on purpose, would you believe me?”
Gu Panpan carefully edged along the wall, trying her best to minimize her presence.
“Hmm?”
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, as though waiting for a more convincing explanation.
If he wasn’t satisfied, he looked ready to explode at any moment.
“I had a nightmare. I dreamed that a dog was chasing after me to bite me, so I kicked it.”
“Good, very good.”
Qin Zhan ground his teeth.
What kind of wife had he married? Was she indirectly calling him a dog?
“Ah, I didn’t say that dog was you. Don’t take it personally.”
Seeing the dangerous look on Qin Zhan’s face, Gu Panpan’s survival instincts kicked into overdrive.
She hurriedly waved her hands.
“You’re not human… no, no, no! You’re not a dog. You’re human. Right, you’re human!”
Qin Zhan tugged at the corner of his lips.
Apparently, he ought to thank her for acknowledging that he was indeed a person.
“Ah! Blood…”
Suddenly, Gu Panpan cried out in alarm, covering her mouth.
Her sharp eyes had spotted the blood staining Qin Zhan’s hands where he pressed against his abdomen.
In truth, Qin Zhan had already noticed the damp warmth beneath his palm.
He simply hadn’t wanted his wife to discover it.
Now not only had she discovered it, but she had been thoroughly frightened as well.
He could only shake his head with a bitter smile.
He had been discharged from the hospital just yesterday.
Since his wife had only recently arrived to join him at the military base, the regiment commander had granted him a week’s leave to recover properly and cultivate their relationship.
Who could have predicted that they would end up in such an absurd situation on the very first day?
Filled with guilt, Gu Panpan carefully supported her newly acquired sickly husband as they headed toward the infirmary located north of the regiment headquarters.
The moment they stepped through the doors, a group of enthusiastic young nurses surrounded them, all speaking at once as they fussed over her sickly husband.
“Deputy Battalion Commander Qin, what happened to you? Didn’t you just return from the military hospital? How did you get injured again?”
One nurse with a ponytail and a long, narrow face squeezed past her colleagues, her face full of concern.
“That’s right. This looks serious. You’re bleeding. Let me take a look.”
Another nurse with braided hair and a round face was equally unwilling to back down.
As she spoke, she deliberately edged past the first nurse and moved closer to inspect Qin Zhan.
Oh ho! Her sickly husband seemed rather popular.
Gu Panpan tactfully released Qin Zhan’s arm and stepped aside, crossing her arms over her chest as she prepared to enjoy the show.
Qin Zhan frowned. Why had his wife stopped supporting him?
He quickly moved back toward her, pretending to be weak as he leaned against her shoulder.
The sight of a six-foot-two man resting delicately against a petite young woman barely five-foot-five looked completely absurd.
The nurses felt their worlds collapsing.
Was this little bird-like man before them really the formidable God of War Qin, the bravest fighter in the entire 1688th Regiment?
“What are all of you standing around for? The patient is already this weak, yet you’re still crowding around to watch. Hurry up and prepare for wound cleaning!”
Gu Panpan turned around.
A tall woman in a white coat had hurried over, her face stern as she sharply scolded the young nurses.
Before she had even finished speaking, the woman strode directly to Qin Zhan’s side.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, and her voice trembled slightly.
“How could you be so careless? Your wound has reopened again!”
As she spoke, it was as though Qin Zhan was the only person in the room.
She completely ignored Gu Panpan’s existence.
“Doctor Xiao, I’ll have to trouble you.”
Qin Zhan’s voice remained cool, polite, and distant.
At his words, Xiao Ling’s body trembled almost imperceptibly.
Biting her lip, she shot Gu Panpan a glare.
“The patient needs wound treatment. Family members aren’t allowed inside.”
Oh? What exactly was the meaning behind that glare?
Why wasn’t she allowed in? Who exactly was this female doctor?
And what was going on with all those nurses?
This dog of a man was adding scenes to his own storyline.
Did the original author even know about this?
The male supporting character, who had originally been glossed over in a few sentences, suddenly had so much drama surrounding him.
Gu Panpan’s expression grew wary.
Clutching Qin Zhan’s arm tightly, a woman’s sixth sense told her that the relationship between this dog of a man and the female doctor was anything but simple.