“Are you hungry?”
Only then did Su Wan realize she was actually a little hungry—the meals on the train hadn’t suited her taste at all.
She nodded, feeling the warmth of the man holding her hand. His palm was rough, calloused.
Before, his hands had been smooth; these few years in the army had made them tougher.
Su Wan looked up at him. His once very fair face was now slightly tanned, a wheat-colored hue, but still very handsome.
His straight nose was strikingly handsome, and his dark eyes were fixed steadily on her.
The passing young girls and wives couldn’t help but steal several glances at him; he looked really good in uniform.
Broad shoulders, long legs, tall stature—he was nearly 1.9 meters in shoes.
In his military uniform, he appeared very stern and disciplined, with a serious expression like an experienced officer—but she had never seen such a good-looking officer.
The two of them arrived at a state-run restaurant. Gu Huaizhi ordered three dishes: tomato and scrambled eggs, sweet and sour spare ribs, and hot-and-sour shredded potatoes.
All three were Su Wan’s favorites. She usually preferred sweet dishes, while he liked spicy food.
He was originally from Chun Province; it was quite a coincidence that when he enlisted, he ended up back in his home province. Fate, perhaps.
“You’re not getting a spicier dish? Don’t you like spicy food?” Su Wan asked softly.
“It’s fine. You eat first; I’m not hungry yet,” he replied.
Su Wan was no longer the easily swayed girl of the past. It was three in the afternoon, and he probably hadn’t eaten either.
So she got up and bought a spicier dish—spicy diced chicken, his favorite.
Gu Huaizhi hadn’t expected her to get a dish he liked; he thought she might just be worried that three dishes wouldn’t be enough.
Though Su Wan loved Gu Huaizhi, she was a stubborn type. When with him, she often acted out.
She never truly cared for anyone and always followed her own whims, thinking that testing someone’s love required making them endure her bad temper.
If someone could tolerate all her bad moods, then they truly loved her.
Later, she realized love couldn’t be tested like that—people would get exhausted.
“You like this dish, don’t you? Let’s see how the chef here cooks it,” she said.
Gu Huaizhi stared at her for a few seconds, then picked up a piece of the spicy diced chicken.
Su Wan finally relaxed and began eating. “Is it good?”
He paused briefly, then replied normally, “It’s okay.”
“Oh, then eat more,” she said, making small talk.
After that, they didn’t speak much. Su Wan didn’t know what to say.
It had been so long since she had seen him, and she had experienced the unbelievable events of her rebirth.
Her mindset now was completely different from back then, but she still didn’t know how to interact with him normally.
In any case, she vowed never to act petty again.
After finishing a bowl of rice, Su Wan was full, leaving plenty of dishes remaining.
The man finished everything. He ate much faster than before.
Since joining the army, he had changed a lot. He used to eat slowly and carefully, but now he ate quickly.
Su Wan had never realized this before and had thought he ate fast because there wasn’t enough good food. This also reinforced her resolve not to follow the army—she couldn’t handle that kind of hardship.
Now she understood: he ate fast because he might be called to duty at any moment; he needed to fill his stomach quickly.
Otherwise, when the bell rang, he would have to leave his meal immediately, whether he was full or not.
He ate three bowls, clearly very hungry.
After the meal, Su Wan expected him to take her back to the barracks first, but instead, he brought her to a state-run store.
He handed her a stack of cash. “See what you want to buy. The army doesn’t have much. If you need anything, buy it here.”
She hadn’t expected him to be so thoughtful, remembering to bring her shopping.
“I sent a lot of things to the army, didn’t you bring them back for me?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes, I picked them up.”
When he retrieved the packages, many people had seen him, curious about what he was picking up and why so much.
Su Wan held his hand and turned to him. “That’s enough. I don’t need anything.”
Gu Huaizhi didn’t ask further; he led her to the bus back to the barracks.
Once on the bus, people greeted him, “Captain Gu!”
He nodded. As they entered, he released her hand.
Su Wan followed him. There were many empty seats in the back row. Gu Huaizhi left the window seat for her.
Su Wan was prone to motion sickness, so she usually avoided enclosed buses, especially with so many people on board.
She sat down and quickly opened the window for fresh air.
The women who greeted him earlier were followers of soldiers, occasionally taking trips to buy daily necessities.
Many people were now secretly watching Gu Huaizhi and Su Wan.
Some couldn’t help gossiping—everyone knew the captain had a delicate wife.
He had been in the army for two years, but his wife had never appeared. Last year, his sister had even come to the army.
It was rumored she didn’t get along with his wife, so people thought Captain Gu would likely divorce.
Moreover, his phone had been ringing a lot over the past six months, always his wife calling.
From the way he answered the calls, it was clear they often argued.
So many in the army knew that Captain Gu and his wife had a strained relationship.
A soldier’s wife had to accompany him to the army; otherwise, even the best relationship would fade.
Captain Gu was so handsome, yet his wife trusted him completely.
Seeing Su Wan, they understood why—there were beautiful women in the army, but someone like Captain Gu’s wife was rare.
Su Wan leaned against the seat, drowsy, her gaze on the passing scenery.
She had mostly stayed in Shanghai her whole life, only having visited Beidahuang before.
Now, coming to Chun Province, she was very interested in the area.
Perhaps it was because she hadn’t rested well on the train, and the grandmother and her grandson had been very noisy.
Su Wan was awakened by the man—she had apparently rested her head on his shoulder while dozing off.
She wiped her lips, relieved there was no drool, otherwise it would have been embarrassing.
It took two hours by bus from the city to the army base; the sky was already dimming.
Gu Huaizhi led her directly to the family quarters.
Along the way, they met many people, and Su Wan’s smile froze from trying to greet everyone.
Gu Huaizhi knew she wasn’t good at handling so many curious stares, so he stayed in front to shield her.
They arrived at a single-story house, and Gu Huaizhi spoke softly—