A sudden thunderclap.
The moment Shen Nan finished speaking, Gao Zhuo and Little Tong looked at each other and shouted at the same time: “What did you just say!!”
Two big grown men with loud rough voices, plus the open space around them — the sound carried far. Teammates walking nearby and in front all turned to look, full of curiosity.
Gao Zhuo didn’t care about the others. He grabbed Shen Nan’s shoulders, eyes wide: “What did you just say?”
Did his ears suddenly stop working?
Wife??
When did Shen Nan get a wife??
Why did none of them know???
Shen Nan frowned and gave a cool glance at the hand gripping him. Gao Zhuo quickly let go, coughed, and stared straight at him: “Captain Shen, when did you get a wife?”
It wasn’t that they were overreacting — they genuinely had no idea this existed.
In the unit everyone always said Shen Nan was pure-hearted and free of desire. All these years after joining the army, not a single woman had ever appeared by his side. Even if someone did, Shen Nan would drive them away immediately. Whether he was stationed on the frontier or here, plenty of people admired him — the art troupe girls, the doctors and nurses in the unit… a lot of them got fooled by that face and fell at first sight.
But Shen Nan was like a thick-headed old man. No matter how direct they were, he always stayed calm with that straight-man expression that said “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Over time, people started whispering behind his back that he might never get a wife in this lifetime.
And now… a wife just popped out???!!!
Gao Zhuo glanced at Little Tong and couldn’t help saying: “Captain Shen, you can’t just make up an excuse to skip the get-together with us, right?”
Hearing that, Shen Nan gave a cold scoff, arrogant: “Do I need to?”
Gao Zhuo: “……”
No, he didn’t need to. But that didn’t mean this was real, right?
Suddenly Little Tong’s eyes lit up. He looked at Shen Nan: “Captain! That beauty last time… could she be your wife?!”
The one from the old town — the girl Bao Ge and the others brought in for questioning, the one the captain looked so nervous about.
Shen Nan gave a mocking laugh, used his cap to smack Little Tong on the head, and left one line: “Not completely stupid.”
Then he ignored their reactions and walked straight away.
Gao Zhuo turned to Little Tong: “Which woman? Why don’t I know anything about this!”
He was the deputy captain — why was he always kept in the dark!
Little Tong stayed quiet for a bit, then told him the whole story about the old town. After that he asked curiously: “Captain never told you?”
Gao Zhuo: “Told me my ass!”
If he had known earlier, he definitely would have gone to investigate!
Shen Nan had no obligation to report this to his subordinates, but the higher-ups definitely knew. Gao Zhuo rubbed his chin thinking. So the leaders must already know Shen Nan was married. He thought for a moment, patted Little Tong’s shoulder: “Later let’s go dig for info from the battalion commander.”
He really wanted to see whether Shen Nan’s wife was real or fake, and what kind of goddess could make this quiet, repressed old man actually get married.
Evening, sunset.
Shen Nan returned to the dorm, checked his phone, thought for a bit, then sent Zhou Zuizui a message.
Shen Nan: How’s your friend?
Zhou Zuizui: We’re at a bar. She’s drinking.
Seeing his wife’s message, Shen Nan subconsciously frowned and directly called her: “How much has she drunk?”
Zhou Zuizui gave a soft laugh, curved her lips: “I haven’t drunk anything. Xia Wen’s in a bad mood, so I didn’t dare.”
She still had boundaries on this. She was worried Xia Wen might do something stupid. Even though Xia Wen didn’t look like she would, what if? If something really happened and she was drunk and couldn’t take care of her, Zhou Zuizui would regret it for life.
So after arriving at the bar she hadn’t ordered any alcohol. She just sat quietly beside her, watching Xia Wen drink, and didn’t try to stop her.
When people are sad and hurting, they need some way to let it out. You can’t keep everything bottled up. Crying hard and getting properly drunk once in a while is fine.
Shen Nan thought for a moment: “Want me to come pick you up later?”
“No need.” Zhou Zuizui laughed: “You still have training! Focus on training. Ai Zeyang will come later. I’ll message you when I get home.”
Hearing that, Shen Nan paused, then nodded: “Okay.”
“Stay safe.” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“Got it.”
They hung up.
Not long after, Ai Zeyang hurried in. When he saw the two of them, his face turned dark: “What’s going on? I heard…” Halfway through the sentence he noticed Xia Wen’s expression wasn’t right and stopped.
Zhou Zuizui shrugged and silently mouthed: Just stay with her.
Ai Zeyang frowned at Xia Wen, put an arm around her shoulders: “What are you sad about?”
Xia Wen glanced at him: “A single dog like you wouldn’t understand.”
Ai Zeyang: “…You can’t look down on single dogs, okay!”
Zhou Zuizui burst out laughing and looked at him: “Are you dumb?”
Ai Zeyang: “……”
Not arguing with women is the smart man’s way.
The three of them quietly kept Xia Wen company while she drank. Zhou Zuizui was bored and playing on her phone. While she was spacing out, several messages suddenly dinged in. She looked down, her pupils tightened, then turned to Ai Zeyang: “I’m going outside to make a call.”
“Go ahead.”
Zhou Zuizui took her phone and went outside. The temperature was still low. Standing outside in a sweater, she was pretty eye-catching.
She lowered her head, stood to the side, and spoke to the person on the other end: “Did you find anything?”
“A tiny bit of a lead, but it still needs time.”
Zhou Zuizui hummed and answered vaguely: “Thanks. Do your best.”
“We will. Don’t worry too much on your side either. It’ll be fine.”
Zhou Zuizui gave a soft laugh, tilted her head back to look at the night sky. Even with the cold wind blowing in, she didn’t feel that cold: “Okay. We’ve already waited so many years. I can wait a little longer.”
The other side said something. She tugged at her lips, hummed once more, then hung up.
Zhou Zuizui stood in the cold wind for a long time. Only when she felt like she was about to freeze into an idiot did she turn and go back into the bar.
What she didn’t notice was that the whole time she was outside, someone had been watching her.
After spending a full day and night with Xia Wen, by Friday evening Xia Wen suddenly bounced back to life — energetic and lively, not a single trace left of the heartbroken crying from the day before.
Except her eyes were still a little swollen.
“Going to pick up Qiuqiu?”
“Yeah.” Zhou Zuizui smiled: “Want to come with me? I was also planning to take Qiuqiu to Shanghai Disneyland for a couple of days. She’s always wanted to go.”
Hearing that, Xia Wen glanced at her: “Sure. I already took a few days off anyway. I’ll hang out with you guys!”
“Okay.”
Zhou Zuizui stayed quiet for a moment, then suddenly looked at Xia Wen: “What do you think about me finding a job?”
Xia Wen paused and stared at her in surprise: “What kind of job?” She asked instinctively: “Weren’t you the one who wanted the free and easy life the most? Why suddenly want a job? What about your little tavern? Or is something else going on?”
“Did your parents force you?”
Zhou Zuizui laughed and shook her head: “No one’s forcing me. I just suddenly want to find a job.”
Xia Wen was quiet for a bit, then made a guess: “Want to become a reporter?”
Zhou Zuizui: “……”
Looking at the expression on the person next to her, Xia Wen knew she had guessed right. She pressed her lips together and couldn’t help saying: “You still haven’t given up on finding that person, have you?”
The answer was only silence.
The air in the car suddenly felt thick. After a long while Xia Wen finally said: “Are you trying to atone for your parents?”
Zhou Zuizui stayed quiet for a long time before answering: “Not really. I just want to find her.”
She actually still had a little sister… but they had lost contact since childhood.
Transferring the love, transferring the care she wanted to give her sister.
Zhou Zuizui gave a gentle smile: “I can tell the difference. Qiuqiu is Qiuqiu, my sister is my sister. But right now both of them are my little sisters.”
Xia Wen rolled her eyes: “Do whatever you want. Actually from the moment you first came back I already guessed you wouldn’t return to the old town anytime soon.”
“Mm, pretty much.”
They changed the subject and didn’t plan to keep talking about sad things. After arriving at the airport, Zhou Zuizui’s eyes immediately found the girl with the long braid. She waved: “Qiuqiu, over here!”
Qiuqiu’s eyes lit up. She looked at her and called out happily: “Sister!”
After picking up Qiuqiu, the two first took her out for a big meal, then gave her a complete makeover, wandered around outside the whole evening, and only then went home.
Tonight all three of them would sleep at Zhou Zuizui’s place.
The moment Xia Wen walked in she couldn’t help laughing: “You brought Qiuqiu here — isn’t Captain Shen mad?”
They had just reunited with his wife and suddenly a few third wheels showed up.
Zhou Zuizui smiled: “He’s not mad. At least he doesn’t look mad.”
Xia Wen turned to look at her: “Why do I feel like being your husband is a bit tragic?”
Zhou Zuizui shrugged, raised an eyebrow and laughed: “Too late to regret it now. It’s a military marriage — you can’t divorce that easily!”
Xia Wen: “……”
That night they made a lot of noise and only fell asleep after one in the morning.
The guest room couldn’t fit three people, so after the other two fell asleep Zhou Zuizui got up and went back to the master bedroom. She checked the time, thought for a moment, then sent Shen Nan a message: You asleep?
When she picked up Qiuqiu, Shen Nan had sent her a message.
At that time she was busy taking care of Qiuqiu, so her reply had been a bit perfunctory.
Just as she was thinking, her phone suddenly dinged: Not yet. Did they fall asleep?
Zhou Zuizui: Yeah. Why are you still awake too?
Shen Nan was sitting in the car. He opened the door, got out, leaned against the hood, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and asked: Sleepy?
Zhou Zuizui: Not really.
Her sleep quality was hit-or-miss, and earlier that night she had drunk milk tea with Qiuqiu and the others, so she was still wide awake.
Shen Nan: Can’t sleep?
Zhou Zuizui: Mm.
Shen Nan: Want to go out for a walk?
Zhou Zuizui: At this hour? It’ll take you forever to get here from your side.
Shen Nan directly called her. His voice was low and deep, especially sexy, and extremely concise: “Want to or not.”
Strong and domineering.
Even Zhou Zuizui felt a little like laughing.
“Want!”
Shen Nan gave a mocking laugh, eyebrow raised: “Come down.”
“Where?”
Shen Nan tilted his head back and looked up at the dark window of the room. His voice sank: “Come down. I’ll take you to see the city at three in the morning.”
Zhou Zuizui froze, instinctively pulled the curtain aside and looked down. A man was standing downstairs. A faint light shone on him. When she looked down, he just happened to look up and meet her eyes.
Their gazes collided. She quickly said: “Wait for me to change clothes.”
“Wear more layers.”
“Okay.”
After changing, Zhou Zuizui ran downstairs without stopping. The elevator doors had barely opened when she was pulled into a hard chest, and a hot kiss immediately landed on her.