Su Wanqing took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping across the tidal flats, and was immediately drawn to the movement in the crevices of the rocks.
A few plump green crabs were scuttling sideways, and many palm-sized clams peeked out from the sand.
The joy of scavenging by the sea instantly dispelled her bad mood.
She rolled up her pant legs, revealing her fair, slender calves, pushed up her sleeves, and threw herself wholeheartedly into collecting her “spoils.”
When Lu Yan arrived along the beach, he saw Su Wanqing crouched by the rocks, her small figure full of playful energy.
The golden sunset bathed her in light, turning her hair a warm brown.
Every now and then, she reached into the crevices to pull out a clam, a faint smile on her lips, the corners of her eyes curving like crescent moons, as if the angry girl from before didn’t exist.
Lu Yan paused, not stepping forward, and stood on the sand a short distance away, watching.
The coconut cakes still warm in his pocket were like her vibrant emotions—
passionate and direct, angered when she was angry, joyful when she was happy.
Completely different from the cold, orderly world he was used to.
Suddenly, Su Wanqing looked up and met his gaze.
In that instant of eye contact, she was so startled that the clam in her hand nearly slipped.
Wasn’t he supposed to be on duty?
Why was he at the seaside?
Lu Yan walked over, his military boots leaving shallow prints in the sand.
He stopped beside her, took out paper and pen, and wrote swiftly: Are you angry?
Seeing the handwriting, Su Wanqing immediately had an idea.
She deliberately stiffened her face, turned to ignore him, and dug her fingers into a rock crevice, pulling out a plump clam.
Lu Yan’s pen paused, then wrote: I sent Lu Zhengming away. He won’t stay at home.
Su Wanqing froze, then turned and met his deep, dark eyes.
He leaned slightly, the shadow of his cap falling across his face, his gaze quiet and steady, instinctively soothing.
She had no idea how alluring that focused look was.
Her anger melted completely.
She hadn’t expected the usually aloof and cold Lu Yan to come over and comfort her…
A completely unexpected delight.
Su Wanqing’s expression became serious and earnest: “Lu Yan, I’m not angry about that.”
Lu Yan’s hand holding the pen froze. He looked up at her, a flicker of confusion in his dark eyes, waiting for her to continue.
“You made me wait at noon—I thought you wanted to leave work with me,” Su Wanqing said, unconsciously rubbing the clam shell in her fingers.
“But I waited forever, and all you wanted to talk about was Lu Zhengming. Of course I wasn’t happy.”
She lifted her head to meet his gaze, speaking plainly: “It felt like I was just someone being informed, not the person you specifically wanted to see.”
Lu Yan listened, his fingers tightening slightly, eyes lowered as he fell into thought.
The sunset cast soft shadows on his eyelashes, hiding the emotions beneath.
Used to a world of strict orders, he was accustomed to conveying information directly.
He had never realized that behind “waiting” and “inviting” there could be such subtle… complex feelings.
After a moment, he wrote swiftly, handwriting neat and decisive: Sorry, I didn’t consider that.
Su Wanqing looked into his clear, earnest eyes and let out a silent sigh.
Like a “block of wood.”
He clearly hadn’t fully grasped the key reason for her anger, but that straightforward, unhesitating apology made it impossible to stay mad.
She stood up, brushed the sand off her knees: “Alright, I forgive you. Next time, if there’s something else, remember to tell me in advance.”
Lu Yan lifted his gaze, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly, and nodded.
He lowered his head and wrote another line in the notebook: I need to return to the camp to handle some affairs. Leaving now.
Su Wanqing waved, her young face full of seriousness: “Go ahead, and remember to eat on time.”
Lu Yan paused, reaching into his pocket at the still-warm coconut cakes.
Watching his back disappear at the road’s edge, Su Wanqing hugged her bag full of clams and headed toward the residential compound.
She had always been optimistic.
From what she could see, Lu Yan’s “cold and distant” demeanor was just a façade.
He wasn’t good at expressing emotions and needed enough time and guidance to open up.
Before reaching the compound, she spotted Lu Zhengming crouched under the old locust tree, his head drooping like a frostbitten eggplant.
His face was swollen and bruised, and his once-arrogant air had completely vanished.
Hearing footsteps, Lu Zhengming raised his head sharply, brightening briefly when he saw Su Wanqing, then quickly dimming again.
Soon, he straightened up with sincere posture: “Sis… sis-in-law, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have argued with you, nor said anything reckless. Can you forgive me?”
His tone and expression were far more genuine than his previous half-hearted apologies.
Su Wanqing raised an eyebrow.
She didn’t intend to argue with a half-grown kid: “Why are you still here? Didn’t your brother tell you to leave?”
Lu Zhengming’s ears drooped.
Having just been scolded by his brother, he was now as obedient as possible.
Moreover…
“I have nowhere to go… I can’t go back to the dorm, and my brother won’t let me stay here.”
Right now, he had only one choice—he had to convince the woman in front of him to allow him to stay.
Otherwise, he would have to slink off the island and face his father’s wrath.
Lu Zhengming looked at Su Wanqing with hopeful puppy-like eyes: “Sis-in-law, I promise I’ll be good this time. I won’t make a fuss, and I’ll even help you with chores!”
“Can I stay at your place for a few days?”
Su Wanqing’s mind sparked, the earlier thought surfacing.
She blinked and asked directly: “Let me ask you something—do you know sign language?”
Lu Zhengming paused briefly, then nodded vigorously: “Yes! My brother’s situation is special… anyway, everyone in our Lu family knows it—even my six-year-old little brother!”
Su Wanqing was very pleased.
After searching high and low, the answer came effortlessly.
She had been worried about finding someone to teach her sign language.
Also, to understand Lu Yan, interacting with his family was indispensable.
From the original memories, there was very little information about the Lu family—a military-political household, practically a mystery.
Who knew when she might encounter them.
This kid, Lu Zhengming, was a “resource” delivered right to her.
Seeing her expression soften, Lu Zhengming seized the moment: “Sis-in-law, I’ll be really good! Just let me stay a few days. Like last night, I’ll sleep on the sofa!”
Su Wanqing crossed her arms, pretended to ponder, then slowly said: “Staying over isn’t impossible, but I have a condition.”
Lu Zhengming’s eyes lit up instantly: “You say it! Even ten conditions, I’ll agree!”
He had completely understood—his brother’s attitude depended entirely on this woman.
So he had to coax her.
“Teach me sign language,” Su Wanqing said bluntly. “Start with the basics. Teach me half an hour every day. Once I can have simple conversations with your brother, you can stay until school resumes. If you don’t teach well…”
She deliberately paused. Lu Zhengming’s expression instantly tensed, and without thinking, he agreed: “Deal! I promise to teach fast and well!”
“I’ll draw a sign language chart for you first thing tomorrow morning. I guarantee you’ll be able to handle daily conversation in a few days!”
Afraid Su Wanqing would change her mind, he pounded his chest in assurance, all his previous anger gone.
Su Wanqing nodded in satisfaction.