Lin Yuqiu stepped into the room and looked around.
The interior floor is covered with shiny mahogany wood flooring. Under the warm yellow incandescent light, the portrait of Chairman Mao in the center of the white wall is particularly eye-catching, with large red “double happiness” characters on both sides reflecting the glass frames of military medals next to it.
Against the wall was a solid wood double bed covered with a bright red cotton sheet, and at the head of the bed were a pair of bright red double happiness pillows, which instantly made her cheeks flush.
As soon as she moved to the bedside, the man’s presence behind her was too strong. Like a rabbit whose tail had been grabbed, she suddenly quickened her pace and walked to the writing desk by the window.
A layer of transparent glass was placed on the tabletop.
Under the glass were several black and white photographs, all depicting scenes from the military.
Lin Yuqiu’s fingertips traced the faces of the young people, her heart tightening little by little, until she saw that familiar face.
Her eldest brother, who sacrificed his life, stood among a group of comrades in his military uniform. With his clear and bright eyes and striking features, he stood out in the crowd.
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly tilted her head back, refusing to let them fall, and not wanting the man behind her to see her vulnerability.
My throat feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, it’s sore and painful.
In the man’s eyes, the woman at this moment, standing in front of the desk, her shoulders tense but trembling slightly, looked like a young bird battered by wind and rain, huddled there alone, without crying or making a sound. Yet, that vulnerability that emanated from her very bones struck him more clearly than any sob.
He walked very lightly and stood silently behind her.
Her broad shoulders, like a silent mountain, enveloped her entire being in their own shadow.
Lin Yuqiu’s body froze instantly, and she even forgot to breathe.
I gazed at the silhouette of the man’s tall figure under the dim light.
The dull pain in my heart felt like all my vulnerability had found a harbor, and was strangely soothed.
She composed herself, slowly turned around, and leaned against the desk to face him, but the moment she saw his chest, she subconsciously lowered her head.
Her voice trembled slightly, with a hint of cautious curiosity: “Are you and my older brother close?”
“I’ve never heard you say that.”
She paused, then finally asked the question that had been lingering in her heart, her voice even softer, tinged with a hint of confusion: “What kind of kindness would make you willing to marry me?”
The man was taken aback by her direct question, and paused for a moment, his face blank with surprise.
But that moment of distraction was fleeting, and he returned to his usual cold and aloof demeanor.
A complex emotion flashed quickly across those unfathomable eyes, a mixture of nostalgia for former comrades and a profound sadness she couldn’t decipher.
“Your elder brother has done me a favor. I don’t need to elaborate on what it was.”
“Just know that I married you because I truly want to protect you and protect you for the rest of my life. Is that enough?”
As soon as the man finished speaking, he didn’t take a step back. Instead, he leaned down slightly and locked his gaze firmly into her eyes.
Looking at the man’s sincere expression, Lin Yuqiu felt a warm current flowing through her heart, and an uncontrollable joy rose from the bottom of her heart.
But as the man leaned closer, staring at those thin lips, her heart felt like it had been stabbed, suddenly tightening. A shy scream stuck in her throat, and almost reflexively, she turned away.
Where are you in this photo?
She changed the subject, pointing to a photo where all the faces looked very young, but for a moment she couldn’t find the man in it.
Before he could finish speaking, the man behind him suddenly took a step closer.
He didn’t speak, but simply pressed close to her back, his broad chest almost touching her spine.
In that instant, Lin Yuqiu felt her whole body freeze again.
Before that unfamiliar sense of protection had dissipated, it was completely enveloped by the man’s unique, aggressive dominance.
Her heart clenched suddenly, a throbbing sensation and a heavy sense of oppression gripping her tightly.
She even stopped breathing, with only the sound of her own heart pounding like a drum and his warm breath spraying on her neck.
Immediately afterwards, a large hand with calloused fingertips firmly grasped her hand and pointed to the photograph below the glass.
She held her breath until the man slowly released his hand, at which point the suffocating pressure subsided slightly.
Looking down at the figure the man had pointed out, his face was very youthful, only sixteen or seventeen years old, but his eyes already held a cold, sharp edge.
That touch of youthful naiveté instantly captivated her.
Looking up, the mature and cold profile of the man beside her created a stark contrast with the boy in the photo.
The two images intertwined in her heart, giving rise to a subtle flutter.
It’s as if through this photo, she truly touched upon that unknown period of his life, from his youthful innocence to his maturity.
No wonder such a beautiful girl like Li Shiyun was so deeply in love with him.
Lin Yuqiu’s gaze swept across the glass tabletop, and suddenly her eyes were drawn to a photograph pressed in the corner.
It was an old, yellowed photograph. The little dumpling in the photo had a bare bottom, but it was wearing a large little military uniform and a crooked little military cap.
A faint smile graced his round face, but with his head slightly raised, he had always been a cool kid, a perfect replica of himself.
Despite her turbulent emotions, Lin Yuqiu couldn’t help but let a faint, lively smile appear on her lips.
Unaware that the man had already turned around and taken out the matte black Dongfeng camera from the drawer.
The man held up his camera and aimed it at the figure standing in front of the desk.
Under the dim light, her hair fell down, covering half of her face, revealing only her smiling profile.
Like a lotus emerging from clear water, clean and gentle.
The man’s gaze shifted from the woman’s maroon dress in the camera lens to the large red “double happiness” character on the wall behind her, and a soft look suddenly appeared in his eyes.
With a slight dip of my fingertip, I pressed the shutter.
“Click”.
The crisp sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
Lin Yuqiu suddenly turned around.
The man was still holding the camera, standing lazily with one leg crossed, his face expressionless, but the corners of his lips were slightly curled up.
Lin Yuqiu bit her lip, her cheeks turning bright red, even her ears turning pink: “What did you film?”
As she spoke, she leaned closer and said, “I want to see.”
But the man quickly hugged the camera to his chest, as if protecting some precious treasure.
His voice was deep, carrying an undeniable firmness, and a hint of possessiveness that even he himself was unaware of.
“no.”
He paused, his gaze falling on her blushing cheeks, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and added meaningfully, “This is mine.”
Lin Yuqiu couldn’t openly rob him, so she had no choice but to give up.
She pouted slightly, pretended to be angry, turned around, and faced away from him, her voice carrying a hint of grievance: “Fine, I won’t look then. I’m going to sleep. You can leave now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on the man’s lips disappeared, and his gaze remained fixed on her. The deep meaning in his eyes seemed to spark a fiery ember in her heart.
Feeling uncomfortable under that gaze, she coughed lightly and casually changed the subject, her voice barely audible, yet tinged with a rapid heartbeat: “Um, where are my clothes?”
The man then withdrew his gaze, turned and walked out of the room, his steps steady and his movements swift, without the slightest hesitation.
Not long after, he returned with a military cloth bag containing the clothes she had worn while staying at the guesthouse.
Lin Yuqiu found her pajamas, glanced at the completely exposed room, then at the man, her face showing a mixture of embarrassment and pleading.
The man noticed her expression and led her out of the room to the bathroom on the second floor.
The bathroom was simply furnished but very clean, and even the air smelled of soap.
There were only men’s toiletries on the sink, indicating that only men used the second-floor bathroom.
Lin Yuqiu looked at the man’s toothbrush and all the other men’s toiletries, still feeling uncomfortable about intruding on someone else’s territory.
On the shelf was a brand new set of toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as a bar of Shanghai brand sandalwood soap.
Lin Yuqiu picked up the sandalwood soap and smelled it as if possessed. The familiar scent made her ears turn red.
On the towel rack hung two brand-new towels, one military green and one white.
They were all prepared for her.
Lin Yuqiu changed into her pajamas.
Her pajamas consisted of white cotton long-sleeved shirts and trousers, the fabric soft and loose.
The fabric subtly outlines her slender waist and abdomen, her petite hips, and her long legs, like a thin veil that conceals her body curves in a way that is both visible and hidden.
After washing up, I wanted to take a shower, but when I looked back at the bathroom, there was only a bathtub with white tiles, but no convenient shower.
However, there was a large wooden bathtub in the corner, coated with tung oil, which looked brand new.
She was too embarrassed to trouble Zhou Runqing, and before she could even finish standing there in the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.