Qu Chuning didn't know how long she had been sleeping when she was awakened by knocking at the door. With her hair disheveled, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and opened the door to find Xi Muzhou standing outside.
Meeting again made Qu Chuning deeply embarrassed. She immediately blushed, and only when turning around did she realize it was already dusk outside—she had actually slept until now.
"Have you had dinner?"
Qu Chuning shook her head. She had slept very soundly; the bed at the guest house was soft, and the sheets carried the scent of laundry detergent—far better than the straw bed she used back in her hometown.
"Let's go out for dinner then." Xi Muzhou wasn't entirely accustomed to this new dynamic yet, but he tried his best to make amends.
Qu Chuning's first time eating at a restaurant was with Xi Muzhou. He ordered four dishes in one go—her first taste of meat-heavy dishes, with the rest being meat-vegetable combinations without a single purely vegetarian option. She couldn't help feeling touched inside.
The meal was delicious, but Qu Chuning still felt somewhat uneasy eating it. Xi Muzhou barely spoke, only watching her eat and serving her food.
After finishing, Xi Muzhou accompanied her back to the guest house. Once inside the room, Qu Chuning grew even more uncomfortable.
Several days passed in this awkward manner. At noon one day, Xi Muzhou came to the guest house and directly brought Qu Chuning back to the garrison.
Returning to the garrison stirred complex emotions in Qu Chuning. Last time, she hadn't had time to observe carefully before being sent to the clinic. This time, she examined every building, their arrangement, and layout in detail.
Xi Muzhou walked with long strides, far ahead, while Qu Chuning fell behind, unable to keep up. Eventually, she simply stopped trying.
After spending a few days together, Qu Chuning learned that Xi Muzhou was a man of few words, thirty-one years old—a full decade older than her—and held the rank of Zheng Tuan Ji (regimental level). As for other details, Qu Chuning didn't ask, and Xi Muzhou didn't offer.
Soon, Xi Muzhou's figure disappeared ahead. Qu Chuning gave up chasing him and began looking around instead.
There weren't many people in the family area, mostly toddlers in split pants running around everywhere.
Curious, Qu Chuning looked around a bit longer. When she reached where Xi Muzhou had disappeared, she saw three narrow paths ahead and momentarily froze, unsure which to take. After hesitating briefly, she randomly chose one.
"Qu Chuning, why are you still here? Didn't I give you the money? Over three thousand! What else do you want?"
A shrill female voice suddenly came from beside her. Qu Chuning turned to see a familiar courtyard and familiar faces—what an unfortunate coincidence. She had randomly chosen a path that led to Lin Dongguo's home.
Shi Zhenzhen was equally shocked to see Qu Chuning. She distinctly remembered having someone escort her away—how had she gotten back in? This wasn't a place just anyone could enter. Pointing at Qu Chuning's nose, she demanded, "How did you get in? Is this somewhere you belong?"
"I walked in. Quite politely too. Probably because they saw my business wasn't finished yet, the guard was very enthusiastic!"
Indeed, when the guard heard Xi Muzhou describe Qu Chuning as his newlywed wife, his attitude had been extremely friendly, immediately letting her through.
"Impossible!" Shi Zhenzhen shrieked, rushing out from the courtyard. "Why haven't you left yet?"
Upon hearing this, Qu Chuning immediately felt a surge of anger: "Was that someone you sent?"
Qu Chuning questioned Shi Zhenzhen with a firm tone, her face darkening: "Shi Zhenzhen, do you know that kidnapping is illegal? It seems the lesson we gave you last time wasn't enough!"
At these words, Shi Zhenzhen guiltily averted her gaze, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You don't know? If you don't know what I'm talking about, then why did you ask why I haven't left yet?" Qu Chuning's presence was overwhelming as she took a step forward, forcing Shi Zhenzhen to retreat two steps. "That scumbag Lin Dongguo still hasn't publicly clarified things in the newspaper, and what about his relatives back home? All the friends and family from both our families—if Lin Dongguo doesn't make things clear, don't expect me to leave!"
"We've already given you over three thousand! What more do you want? Qu Chuning, don't push your luck. With that much money, even if we sold your entire family, we wouldn't get three thousand yuan! Don't be ungrateful! I'm warning you, if you keep pestering us, don't blame me for being rude!"
Shi Zhenzhen's words were extremely offensive. Just as Qu Chuning was about to lose her temper and strike, she heard a voice from behind: "Oh?"
The moment Shi Zhenzhen saw Xi Muzhou, her arrogance vanished. Others might give her some face out of respect for her father, but Xi Muzhou wouldn't—not just because of his personality, but also because of his status.
Xi Muzhou strode over to stand behind Qu Chuning, his gaze fixed on Shi Zhenzhen: "It seems Deputy Battalion Commander Lin still hasn't realized the gravity of the situation."
Shi Zhenzhen grew anxious upon hearing this and hurriedly explained: "Regimental Commander Xi, it's not like that. She… Dongguo and I were worried she'd keep harassing us. We've already compensated her with over three thousand. If she keeps using this to threaten and pressure us for more money in the future…"
"Bullshit!"
Qu Chuning pointed angrily at Shi Zhenzhen's nose and cursed: "Is it about the money? Lin Dongguo promised me he would publicly clarify things in the newspaper! What about the relatives and friends from both our families? My reputation in the surrounding villages—shouldn't he do this?"
Seeing Qu Chuning's furious reaction, Shi Zhenzhen cast a disdainful glance at her: "How crude!"
Qu Chuning was so angry she wanted to hit someone. She might not be able to beat Lin Dongguo, but couldn't she handle a city girl like Shi Zhenzhen?
"Who are you calling crude?" Qu Chuning pointed at Shi Zhenzhen's nose.
"Comrade Shi Zhenzhen, when Deputy Battalion Commander Lin returns, tell him not to forget about the disciplinary decision. I will follow up on this matter!"
Xi Muzhou's words were final. Qu Chuning was very satisfied. Although Xi Muzhou spoke little, he was a man of his word. With his support, Lin Dongguo wouldn't dare to brush her off again. Besides, she would be living here from now on. If Lin Dongguo dared not comply with the disciplinary decision, she could always visit the Lin Family a few more times—though she wondered if Lin Dongguo and his wife would want to see her again!
After Xi Muzhou and Qu Chuning left, Shi Zhenzhen completely lost her composure and threw all the clothes from the clothesline onto the ground.
After a long while, Shi Zhenzhen muttered to herself: "How did those two end up together?"
On the way back, Qu Chuning was very curious: "How did you know I was at the Lin Family?"
Xi Muzhou merely glanced down at her briefly without answering. After walking for a few minutes, he pointed to the courtyard ahead: "This is our home."
"Our home!" These words made Qu Chuning pause mid-step. She had worked tirelessly for the Lin Family, and when Mother Lin was displeased, she would say things like, "What use is it that our family spent money to marry you?" Back in her own family, she was frequently called a money-losing burden who would eventually belong to another family. This was the first time she had heard these words, and they felt truly heartwarming!
That evening, news of Xi Muzhou's marriage gradually spread throughout the Military Family Area.