Lin Wanqing didn’t understand what the man meant by that. Was he testing the nature of their relationship? Or did he mean something else?
“We grew up together, so of course we’re close.” Whether it was her original self or her current self, they had indeed grown up together. Lin Wanqing paused briefly before continuing, “The reason our relationship was bad before was due to some misunderstandings. Now that those misunderstandings are cleared up, there won’t be any more friction.”
Shen Yunzheng’s eyes darkened slightly. He had only asked casually, without any particular meaning, but Lin Wanqing seemed very nervous about it…
When the train arrived in Su City, the sun was just peeking over the eastern horizon. Dragging their exhausted bodies off the train, Song Huixin’s waist ached and her legs were sore—her whole body felt uncomfortable. If it weren’t for Qingbao keeping her company, she would have broken down on the spot!
“Hang in there a little longer. We’ll be able to rest soon.” Lin Wanqing’s voice was full of affection. When she turned to speak to the man, her tone was completely different from before. “Is the family compound far? If it’s too much trouble, we could stop at an inn first to rest, then head back after we’ve recovered!”
“We can get there in half an hour.” As Shen Yunzheng finished speaking, he gestured for them to follow. A military off-road vehicle was parked by the roadside, and a guard saluted the man. “Hello, Regiment Commander!”
Shen Yunzheng gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, stepped forward, and pulled open the car door. “Let’s go.”
She hadn’t expected they’d get to ride in a car. Lin Wanqing exchanged a glance with Song Huixin, both silently thinking: this man’s status must not be simple!
The car drove directly into the military family compound. The ride was completely silent—no one spoke a word.
When the car stopped, Lin Wanqing made to get out, but Shen Yunzheng reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Our home isn’t here.”
It’s not? Lin Wanqing turned to him in surprise. “What do you mean?”
Weren’t they uncle and niece? Hadn’t they already divided the family property long ago?
Before coming, she had assumed she and Huixin would be staying together. This was rather unexpected.
“I’ve been assigned a new courtyard by the military district. I don’t live with the family.” Shen Yunzheng explained.
Song Huixin, who had been about to open the car door, froze mid-motion. Hearing this, she felt like the sky was falling!
She was going to be left alone in a place where she didn’t know a single person?
“Forget it—how about I go back with you two today? I can come back when I have time.”
Song Huixin sat back down, but Shen Yunzheng clearly had no such intention. He said in a deep voice, “Your fiancé will be back later this evening. If I take you with me, what would that look like? The two of you should get to know each other first, then find a suitable time to get your marriage certificate.”
“I—” There’s no rush for the certificate. Song Huixin didn’t even know what her fiancé looked like. Sure, she had married to avoid being sent to the countryside, but if he turned out to be scum, she’d rather go to the countryside! Or she could just find someone to marry through a matchmaking session at the military district—marry herself off.
Lin Wanqing could see her best friend’s reluctance and opened her mouth to say something, but Shen Yunzheng interrupted again.
“You two must be exhausted after such a long train ride. Go back and rest well, alright?”
“Fine.” Song Huixin reluctantly opened the door and got out. She was just about to say a few words to her best friend when the car door slammed shut at lightning speed. By the time she reacted, all she could see was the car’s rear end…
Driving that fast?
…
Lin Wanqing likewise hadn’t gotten a chance to say two words to her best friend. She frowned in mild complaint. “What’s the rush!”
Of course he was in a hurry! Shen Yunzheng was eager to get rid of the inconvenient third wheel.
If he didn’t take Song Huixin to the old residence tonight, the two women would definitely end up sharing a room again.
“Let’s get home and rest early. Your eyes are getting bloodshot.”
Shen Yunzheng didn’t tell the truth; instead, he showed concern for Lin Wanqing’s well-being. “Want to eat something? I noticed you barely ate anything on the train. You must be starving, right? By this hour, the cafeteria probably won’t have much good left. How about I cook for you when we get home?”
“You know how to cook?” Wasn’t there a saying that gentlemen stay away from the kitchen? He actually knew how to cook! Lin Wanqing couldn’t imagine this man being the type to cook at all.
In this era, the mindset of favoring boys over girls still existed, and most households followed the pattern of men handling external affairs and women handling domestic ones.
For him to offer to cook for her, Lin Wanqing suspected he might just be saying it casually.
“What’s so hard about cooking?”
“…” The guard in the front seat slammed on the brakes, looking as if he’d seen a ghost.
Good heavens, he confirmed that the sun had risen from the east today—his mind definitely wasn’t playing tricks on him.
When had their regiment commander ever spoken to a female comrade in such a gentle tone? And when had he ever offered to cook for one?
He had a reasonable suspicion that their regiment commander’s brain was malfunctioning!
“Can’t you even drive?”
The moment the brakes were hit, Shen Yunzheng instinctively reached out to shield Lin Wanqing, saving her forehead from slamming into the front seat.
The man’s voice was low, carrying a hint of pressure, and the guard instantly broke out in a cold sweat down his back.
It seemed their regiment commander’s brain was fine after all!
This was the real him!
“I’m sorry!”
“Don’t let it happen again.” Shen Yunzheng warned coldly, then turned his head and softened his voice again. “Let’s get out.”
The courtyard Shen Yunzheng had been assigned consisted of four rooms facing north. The small yard was spotless—clearly cleaned on a regular basis.
A man who keeps things clean earned extra points in Lin Wanqing’s book.
“What would you like to eat?”
Shen Yunzheng’s voice came again, and Lin Wanqing replied, “Anything is fine.”
She didn’t have many requirements for food—just enough to fill her stomach. For Lin Wanqing, a meal was simply the energy needed to sustain basic life functions.
“Then let me see what’s in the kitchen.”
“Alright.”
Lin Wanqing had barely been seated in the room for a few minutes when she heard the sizzling sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen.
The room was furnished with the simplest of furniture, and Lin Wanqing’s attention was drawn to a family portrait hanging on the wall.
She could recognize the man in it at a glance. The other young man, also youthful, gave Lin Wanqing the faint impression that he was most likely Huixin’s fiancé.
It had to be said that the parents of both the Lin and Song families had excellent taste.
This uncle and nephew pair were second to none in terms of family background and physical appearance!
What’s more, they were even willing to marry them now, without ever bringing up the fact that the mother and daughter had been sent down to the countryside.
Had it been anyone else, they would likely have kept their distance and called off the engagement at the first opportunity.
“Time to eat.”
Just as she was thinking this, Shen Yunzheng brought over a steaming bowl of freshly cooked noodles. “Dumplings for departure, noodles for return—today we’ll make do with noodles, and tomorrow I’ll take you out for something better!”
The noodle soup glistened with oil, topped with chopped scallions and cilantro. It looked as though the eggs had been pan-fried before the noodles were cooked in the broth.
It was a feast for the eyes and the nose.
“Aren’t you eating?”
Lin Wanqing was slightly taken aback when she saw him standing there with no intention of going back to the kitchen for another bowl.
“I’m not too hungry.” Shen Yunzheng had eaten something on the train; he had noticed that Lin Wanqing hadn’t eaten much and was worried she might be hungry.
There were two eggs in the bowl. Lin Wanqing ate only one and half the noodles before she couldn’t eat any more. “I’m full.”
“Mm.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Shen Yunzheng pulled the bowl and chopsticks over and finished what she had left.