The last few words were spoken lightly and softly, like a small stone dropped gently into his heart, stirring a ripple of emotion.
He froze for several seconds. When he finally reacted, his heart was pounding wildly, his face flushed all the way to his ears, and he averted his gaze in panic.
“Qiao Yuwei, are you even a woman? How can you say things like that so casually?”
Seeing his adorable reaction, Qiao Yuwei could barely hold back her smile. She raised an eyebrow and continued teasing.
“Am I a woman or not? Why don’t you try and find out?”
That explosive line made Song Zhinian’s face turn completely red, almost dripping with embarrassment. His breathing quickened.
“You…!”
“What am I seeing? The commander is blushing? What did sister-in-law even say to make him like that?” a young soldier peeked forward, trying to hear more.
The married veterans exchanged glances, smiling knowingly.
“You kids don’t understand. Mind your own business.”
A trace of satisfaction flashed in Qiao Yuwei’s eyes. She stepped back slightly.
“Remember to bring the bowl back and wash it later.”
With that, she turned, picked up the thermos, and walked away humming happily. As she passed Lin Sen, she paused deliberately, even taking a few steps backward in his direction.
Song Zhinian’s flushed face had not yet faded. Seeing her suddenly move toward Lin Sen, his expression instantly turned icy exactly as he expected.
The crowd shook their heads. Looks like another drama was about to begin.
But the next second, what she said completely shocked everyone.
“Want some? Go ask your wife.”
Then she hummed a tune, swinging the thermos as she skipped away around the corner, leaving everyone staring at each other in silence.
Back at home, she didn’t even take a break. She headed straight to the storage room, grabbed a hoe and seeds, and went up to the back hill.
She rolled up her sleeves and spent the entire afternoon clearing a patch of land, spreading ash as fertilizer, and sowing corn, tomatoes, cucumbers…
The bracelet she had today was the last valuable thing the original owner had. Although she still had about fifty yuan left, it wouldn’t last forever and there were still debts to the sisters-in-law.
Farming was the only way she could think of to survive right now. If Song Zhinian insisted on divorce and stopped giving her allowance to force her into submission, at least these crops might sustain her for a while.
After a tiring afternoon, she dragged her exhausted body home.
Looking at the empty house, she sighed. It seemed he wouldn’t be back tonight again.
Gurgle
Her stomach growled. Only then did she remember she had eaten nothing all day except the bowl of mung bean soup.
Luckily, she had bought noodles and eggs earlier. Otherwise, she would have gone hungry.
She boiled water, added noodles, cracked in an egg, and tossed in some greens. The greens were given by Sister-in-law Zhao ugly in appearance but completely natural.
She added a pinch of salt and a spoon of lard. Soon, a big bowl of fragrant noodles was ready.
Just as she was about to sit down and enjoy it, she suddenly smelled her own sweaty odor. Instantly, she lost her appetite.
“Forget it. I’ll shower first.”
The bathroom was separate: a large wooden tub, a clothes rack, and a simple showerhead installed after she shamelessly begged Song Zhinian.
The shower was directly connected to the tap, no hot water, but the weather made cold water tolerable.
After washing comfortably for a while, she reached for her clothes only to find they were completely soaked.
She could wring out water from them.
She gently cracked open the door and peeked out.
“Hello… Song Zhinian? You’re not back yet, right? If no one’s here, I’m coming out.”
Their house was a standalone courtyard. The bathroom was only a short distance from the main room.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she suddenly bolted out.
But after only two steps, the wet clothes slipped from her hands. She paused, turned to pick them up
Creaaak
The courtyard gate opened.
Her heart dropped.
She froze instantly.
Blood rushed to her head.
The sound of the door…
Qiao Yuwei slowly looked up.
She met the man’s cold eyes.
Their gazes locked.
The air seemed to freeze.
Song Zhinian still had his hand on the door. Shock flashed across his face. His eyes instinctively dropped downward for a split second then he quickly snapped them away. His throat moved slightly as he swallowed.
Only then did she realize her situation. Her eyes widened.
“AH !”
A sharp scream cut through the courtyard.
Panic-stricken, she forgot her clothes and ran toward the house but just as she started, her foot slipped. Her body lost balance and fell backward.
Song Zhinian slammed the door shut and rushed forward. Before she hit the ground, he caught her firmly in his arms.
His gaze instinctively landed on the soft figure in his arms bare skin, damp hair dripping water onto his hand, a faint fragrance drifting into his nose.
“AH !” she screamed again, instinctively clinging to him for cover. She buried herself into his warm chest.
In panic, she covered his eyes with her hand.
“Song Zhinian! You bastard! Close your eyes! Don’t look!”
His vision went dark under her soft palm. Her hurried, flustered breathing filled his ears, strangely calming his tense body.
During the day at the training ground, this woman had been bold enough to say such outrageous things in front of everyone. And now she looked like this?
A faint smile tugged at his lips, his voice hoarse with teasing.
“Earlier today, didn’t you say that tonight I should come back and prove you’re a woman? Now you’re telling me not to look while holding me so tightly… is this your way of proving it?”
Her face turned red instantly, like it could fry an egg. She was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground.
“I-I didn’t! I-I anyway, don’t look! Turn your head away!”
Her voice stuttered in panic as she tightened her grip.
“You have to let go first so I can turn away.”
“I won’t! If I let go, what if you secretly peek?”
The two of them stood in a stalemate. He could feel her soft, warm body pressed against his, their hearts almost beating against each other sending a strange jolt through him.
If she hadn’t liked Lin Sen… perhaps he really would have tried to love her.
“You refuse to let go… or are you trying to prove you’re a woman in another way? If that’s the case… it’s not impossible.”
With that, he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the room.