Just then, the door was shoved open with force.
A gust of sand-filled wind swept into the room.
程北堂 stood in the doorway, holding a greaseproof paper bag in his hand—it contained roasted sweet potatoes he had specially asked the mess hall for, intending to bring them back as snacks for her.
At a glance, he saw 苏怀瑾 sitting on the floor.
And in front of her…
The opened iron box.
“Clatter!”
The paper bag slipped from his hand. The steaming sweet potatoes rolled onto the dusty floor.
The warmth that had lingered in 程北堂’s eyes instantly froze over, only to erupt into blazing fury.
That box was forbidden territory.
A scar he never dared touch, even in the dead of night.
It held the lives of his entire family.
“Who told you to touch that?!”
His furious roar exploded through the room like thunder.
In a few strides, he rushed forward and seized 苏怀瑾’s wrist.
“Didn’t I tell you not to touch my things?!”
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead. He looked like a lone wolf whose territory had been violated, radiating dangerous hostility.
If this had happened before, 苏怀瑾 would already be crying in fear, yanking her hand away and shouting that it hurt.
But this time—
She didn’t dodge.
Ignoring the sharp pain in her wrist, she lifted her tear-streaked face and looked at the enraged man through blurred eyes.
There was no fear in her gaze.
Only overwhelming sorrow… and a heartbreak so deep that 程北堂 couldn’t understand it.
“程北堂…”
She called his name through sobs.
That look scorched him.
The strength in his grip loosened instinctively, though his voice remained harsh.
“What are you crying for? Now you know to be scared?”
He reached for the box, wanting to hide those bloodstained memories away again.
He didn’t want her to see any of it.
Didn’t want her to see his misery, his burdens… or the future where he might die in some forgotten wasteland at any moment.
But before he could touch the box—
苏怀瑾 suddenly moved.
She threw herself at him.
Not like a refined young lady, but like a wounded little beast crashing straight into his solid chest.
“Ugh—”
程北堂 grunted, stumbling back half a step as his entire body stiffened.
Two slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
苏怀瑾 buried her face against his chest, which smelled of sweat and dirt, her tears soaking through his undershirt instantly.
“Why are you yelling at me…”
She cried as she pounded weakly against his chest, her voice hoarse.
“程北堂, you big idiot! Why would you leave all your money to me? Who wants your death compensation?! I don’t want it!”
The hand he had raised froze midair, unable to come down.
The violence in his eyes slowly shattered beneath her sobs.
“You…” His throat was painfully dry. “You saw it?”
“I saw everything!”
苏怀瑾 looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes like an angry rabbit.
“Your whole family is gone, and you’re in such a hurry to join them? You already wrote your will?!”
“Do you really want to die that badly?!”
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and bit down hard on his shoulder through his shirt.
“Hiss—!”
程北堂 sucked in a sharp breath.
Was this woman a dog? She bit hard.
But he didn’t push her away.
The pain in his shoulder was real.
The warm, trembling body in his arms was real too.
And that sense of reality cracked open the frozen, numb heart he’d buried among the dead for years.
“程北堂, listen to me carefully.”
Releasing her bite, 苏怀瑾 stared at the clear teeth marks she’d left behind and declared domineeringly:
“I’m not divorcing you anymore!”
程北堂’s pupils shrank slightly.
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m not divorcing you!”
Sniffling, she cupped his rough face in both hands, her fingers brushing over the hardships etched into the corners of his eyes.
“Didn’t you already hand your life over to me? Fine. I’ll take it.”
“From today onward, your life belongs to me. If I say you’re not allowed to die, then you’d better stay alive for me!”
“And if you dare leave me behind and run off to become a martyr, I’ll take your compensation money and find ten pretty boys! I’ll dance on your grave every single day just to piss you off!”
程北堂: “…”
What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that?
But even though he wanted to scold her, the words wouldn’t come out.
His heart pounded violently against his ribs.
In the past twenty-eight years, people had told him to grieve less, to take care of himself, to live up to the title of hero.
But no one had ever pointed at his face and fiercely ordered him not to die.
No one had ever seen those lists of the dead and, instead of running away, clung tightly to him and said:
“Your life belongs to me.”
“苏怀瑾.”
His voice was unbearably hoarse.
Slowly, he lifted a trembling hand and placed it on the back of her head.
Then pressed her firmly into his chest.
“You chose this yourself.”
He whispered against her ear, his tone carrying a dangerous edge of obsession.
“Since you’ve provoked me, don’t even think about running away later. If you do, I’ll break your legs.”
Snuggling against him as she wiped away her tears, 苏怀瑾 laughed through her crying, still sounding spoiled and delicate.
“I won’t run. But…”
She pointed toward the iron box.
“You gave away all your money. How are you going to support me now? I eat a lot, and I want pretty dresses, and scented soap…”
Looking at her completely justified expression, 程北堂 suddenly felt the heavy stone crushing his chest become lighter.
For the first time in years, a genuine smile—lazy, rough, almost roguish—appeared on his usually stern face.
“Don’t worry.”
His rough thumb brushed the tears from the corner of her eye.
“I can afford to spoil you, princess.”
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling across the rusted iron box.
The painful past was still there.
But somehow, it no longer felt so cold.
And in that moment, 苏怀瑾 finally understood.
She hadn’t crossed thousands of miles to come here for a divorce.
She had come here to love this hero the world had forgotten in a lonely corner.