The warm breath felt like a feather, lightly teasing the most sensitive part of his ear.
Gu Changfeng’s body instantly stiffened like a slab of iron.
A surge of heat uncontrollably erupted from the base of his ear, quickly spreading down his neck and across his entire handsome face.
He could even feel the temperature of his earlobes rising rapidly.
Before he knew it, he realized that his body was reacting!
In his twenty-nine years of life, he had never been so intimately close to a woman.
Much less had he ever experienced such a blatant, heavily suggestive tease.
He suddenly took a large step backward, as though fleeing some terrifying beast, his eyes beginning to dart away.
“You…” He opened his mouth, only to find his throat unbearably dry, unable to utter a single word.
Seeing his reaction, so utterly innocent that it was almost extreme, the curve of Su Qiao’s lips widened.
She looked like a fox that had successfully stolen a chicken.
In her ten years in the apocalypse, what kind of tough men had she not encountered? The man before her was nothing more than a paper tiger—cold and hard on the outside, but innocent and inexperienced underneath.
She wanted to tear apart that hard shell of “discipline” and “self-restraint” with her own hands and see what was really hidden underneath.
Just as Gu Changfeng was at a complete loss, his mind utterly blank, Su Qiao suddenly wiped all traces of amusement from her face.
Her expression turned serious, and her eyes became sharp and focused.
“I agree to the conditions you just proposed.”
The sudden change caught Gu Changfeng off guard. He steadied himself and tried to make sure he did not look quite so flustered.
“Mm.” He answered from deep in his throat.
“Now it’s my turn to state my conditions.” Su Qiao spoke one word at a time. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable force.
Gu Changfeng’s heart tightened, and he looked at the woman before him with renewed seriousness.
He realized that her earlier frivolous teasing might have merely been a test.
Now was the real negotiation.
“Go ahead.” His voice was deep as he prepared himself for her to make an outrageous demand.
“First, I agree to the marriage, but I have to be the one who makes the decisions in this household.” Su Qiao looked directly into his eyes, her gaze sharp as a blade. “That includes how your allowance is spent, what we purchase for the household, and how the money is used. You have no right to question any of it. You only need to hand over your money on time.”
Gu Changfeng was completely stunned.
He had imagined that she might ask for money, demand a large sum, or seek some kind of material guarantee.
But he had never imagined that what she wanted was the “authority” over the household.
In an era when the man was considered the head of the family, her words were nothing short of thunder from a clear sky.
“Second,” Su Qiao continued before giving him any time to react, “anyone I don’t want to see is not allowed to step through our door. Anyone at all, including your family and your comrades, may not enter without my permission.”
She was completely eliminating the possibility of Gu Changfeng’s family or troublesome relatives coming to her door.
She needed a completely secure base that was entirely under her control.
Gu Changfeng’s brows drew tightly together.
He looked at the woman before him. Her radiant face was filled with an assertiveness he could not understand, completely different from the weak and easily bullied village girl in his memories.
Her conditions were harsh, domineering, and could even be called unreasonable.
But… he desperately needed a wife to resolve the problem he was facing. His leave was about to end, and he did not have time to find another candidate.
Besides, she was right. They had already become husband and wife in every sense of the word the previous night.
Marrying her was his responsibility.
More importantly, he spent most of his time stationed with the army. To him, a home was merely a concept.
Who actually ran that household seemed… not to make much difference.
Silence spread through the room.
After a long while, Gu Changfeng looked into her unwavering eyes and made his decision.
“…Fine.”
One word, heavy with weight, like a military order he had sworn to uphold.
Only then did a satisfied smile bloom across Su Qiao’s lips.
She knew it. This man was smart—a practical man who knew how to weigh the pros and cons.
“Very good.” She nodded. Then her beautiful, alluring eyes narrowed dangerously. “Then, the last condition.”
Gu Changfeng’s heart sank.
There was another one?
“What?” he asked warily.
Su Qiao’s smile became wicked and dangerous. She suddenly stepped forward. Taking advantage of the moment when Gu Changfeng’s mind was still reeling from her first two conditions, she swiftly wrapped both arms around his neck and yanked him downward!
Caught completely off guard, Gu Changfeng’s tall body suddenly dropped.
The next second, the world spun.
With a clever use of force, she sent him crashing back onto the bed that had borne witness to the previous night’s recklessness.
Su Qiao, meanwhile, moved like a nimble female leopard. She straddled his solid waist, pinning him firmly beneath her.
“Last condition.” She leaned over, her hot breath brushing against his face. Her voice was filled with extreme allure and irresistible dominance. “Let’s do it again!”
Gu Changfeng’s pupils suddenly contracted!
“I was drugged last night. I was groggy and barely conscious, so I didn’t really feel anything. That doesn’t count.” Her fingertip traced along the line of his lips, which were tense from shock, her eyes filled with an aggressive hunger for more. “That account needs to be settled again. This time, I want to be fully awake and experience you properly, from head to toe!”
Before she could finish speaking, she lowered her head and forcefully kissed his slightly parted lips.
Then Su Qiao repeated everything she had wanted to do once more.
A soldier’s stamina really was impressive.
No one knew how much time had passed before Su Qiao lay sprawled limply on the bed, her face flushed.
Her eyes were filled with satisfaction and lingering desire.
……
Half an hour later.
Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Gu Changfeng adjusted the slightly disheveled collar of his military uniform. The flush on his face had not completely faded, and his expression was as tense as though he were facing a surprise inspection.
Su Qiao, meanwhile, followed beside him contentedly, a satisfied smile on her face. Even her steps carried a hint of lazy sway.
“Click.”
Inside the photo studio, the flash went off.
In the photograph, the man looked so solemn he seemed ready to head into battle, while the woman smiled radiantly, her beauty bright and dazzling.
Two brand-new red marriage certificates were soon placed into their hands.
After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Gu Changfeng looked as though he had just completed an extraordinarily difficult mission, even quickening his pace.
He pulled a large bundle of money wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket, along with a string of brass keys, and firmly stuffed them into Su Qiao’s hands.
“This is the living allowance for this month and next month, two hundred yuan in total. Take it for now. These are the keys to the house in the family compound, Building 3, Unit 2, Room 301, Xingfu Lane in the eastern part of the county town. Go there and get settled first. If you need anything, or if you run into a problem you can’t solve, write to me.”
He said it all in one breath, as though he had been rehearsing the lines for a long time.
As soon as he finished, he turned and walked away.
That retreating figure actually looked somewhat like he was fleeing for his life.
Su Qiao remained where she was, amused as she watched his stiff, almost comically synchronized steps.
She weighed the substantial bundle of money and keys in her hands, then laughed softly.
“Why are you running, Regiment Commander Gu? Now that we’ve got the official seal, you’re my man.”