After a long silence, Lu Chengjing finally raised his eyes slowly and looked at Lin Shuyao. His voice was deeper than before, even carrying a faint trace of hoarseness.
“Is it because you’re not used to living at home?”
He didn’t dare ask too directly, nor too urgently.
He was afraid of hearing the answer he feared most—afraid of breaking the fragile peace they had finally built over these past few days, afraid that even this small closeness would disappear.
Lin Shuyao was slightly startled by the question. She looked up at him and immediately noticed something was wrong.
The softness from earlier was gone.
His brows were no longer gentle; instead, they were covered with a faint shadow. Even his entire presence had turned colder.
“I didn’t mean anything else,” she quickly explained. “It’s just that I’m about to start working at the experimental station. Agricultural work is really tiring, and once it gets busy, there won’t be any breaks. I was thinking it might be more convenient to stay in the dormitory—no need to travel back and forth every day, and I wouldn’t disturb you either.”
She spoke in a very gentle, careful tone, even a little polite.
There were some things she didn’t dare say outright.
For example: Your sister-in-law is really annoying. I get irritated just seeing her face. I’m exhausted from work already—I don’t want to come home and deal with her too.
But her explanation only made things sound worse in Lu Chengjing’s ears.
“Busy? Disturb?”
So in her eyes… this wasn’t even her home.
And she didn’t see herself as his wife at all.
A bitter feeling rose in his chest.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say:
This is your home.
You’re never a disturbance.
Just stay by my side.
But he swallowed it all back down.
He was afraid that if he spoke too quickly, he would scare her away even more.
“The dormitories at the experimental station are mostly shared rooms. The conditions are harsh, not as comfortable as home,” he said instead, his voice restrained. “Besides… you just arrived in the Southwest. If you stay at home, I can feel more at ease.”
Every word was an attempt to keep her.
His eyes carried both expectation and unease.
Lin Shuyao finally realized something was off.
Was he… angry?
Was he thinking she was ungrateful? That she used him and now wanted to leave?
Feeling the shift in mood, she quickly changed her tone.
“Hey, what are you thinking? I was just asking casually. I never said anything bad about home.”
A light smile returned to her face.
“Home is definitely more comfortable. You’ve also taken good care of me—I’m grateful.”
The moment she said that, the shadow in Lu Chengjing’s eyes visibly faded.
“You… don’t want to move out?”
Lin Shuyao shook her head with a laugh.
“I’m not trying to move out. I just wanted to ask about the dorm situation. In case I work late at the experimental fields, I’d have somewhere to rest instead of rushing back and forth.”
Only then did the tension in his body slowly loosen.
The heaviness in his chest melted away like warm water washing over it.
So she wasn’t trying to leave.
She was only asking for convenience.
A faint relief, even a hint of joy, surfaced in his expression.
“I’ll ask about it for you,” he said.
“Alright~” she replied cheerfully, picking up a piece of stir-fried wild mushroom and placing it into his bowl. “Eat before the food gets cold. Try this—it’s really good.”
Lu Chengjing obediently picked up his chopsticks and ate what she gave him.
The faint redness returned to his ears.
The earlier heaviness at the dining table was completely gone.
The atmosphere became relaxed again.
Occasional glances no longer felt rushed or awkward.
Instead, there was a quiet ease—and something unspoken hidden beneath it.
By the time they returned to the military compound, night had fully fallen.
Dim streetlights lined the dirt road, their glow hazy and soft. Shadows of withered vines stretched unevenly across the courtyard walls. Fallen autumn leaves spun gently in the wind before landing in damp corners.
The distant barracks flickered with scattered lights, and faint whistles from changing guards echoed through the night.
A quiet military compound—cold yet strangely warm with traces of life.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Lin Shuyao suddenly remembered something.
“I bought some labor cloth earlier. I want to make a couple of work outfits, but I don’t have tools or know how to cut fabric.”
“That’s easy,” Lu Chengjing replied immediately. “The neighbor Aunt Zhang is very skilled. She has a sewing machine and makes clothes quickly. I’ll take you to her. She’ll definitely help.”
Lin Shuyao’s eyes lit up.
“Really? That’s great.”
She had been worrying about this.
Hand-sewing would be slow and uneven. With a sewing machine, everything would be much more efficient and neater.
She followed him to the next courtyard.
The neighbor’s yard had a osmanthus tree, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Lu Chengjing knocked on the door.
A bright voice came from inside.
“Who is it?”
“Auntie, it’s me—Lu Chengjing.”
The door opened quickly.
A middle-aged woman in neat dark-blue clothing stood there, smiling warmly.
“Captain Lu, what brings you here? And this… is your wife, right?”
“Yes. This is my wife, Lin Shuyao.”
Aunt Zhang’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Oh my, she’s beautiful!”
“Come in, come in.”
She quickly stepped aside to welcome them.
Lu Chengjing explained their request.
“I have some fabric. I’d like to ask you to help make two sets of clothes.”
“No problem at all!” Aunt Zhang said enthusiastically. “Shuyao, right? I’ll measure you tonight and pick a simple, practical style. I can have it ready by tomorrow.”
“Thank you for the trouble, Auntie,” Lin Shuyao replied politely.
Inside, the room was tidy. A sewing machine stood neatly against the wall, polished and well-used.
Aunt Zhang went to fetch a measuring tape.
Left standing nearby, Lu Chengjing said, “I’ll go back and take a shower first. I’ll come pick you up later.”
It was only a short distance.
Yet he still said he would come back for her.
Lin Shuyao felt a little embarrassed.
“It’s fine, I’m not a child. It’s right next door. I’ll go back myself after I’m done measuring.”
But Lu Chengjing didn’t respond.
Even if it was just next door—even a few steps away—he still insisted on coming.