When they arrived at the rehabilitation center, a staff member led them inside and pushed open a room next to the nurses’ station.
“Commander Zhou, this is the ward arranged according to your request. Please take a look and see if anything else is needed.”
Inside, the room was spotless and neatly arranged. Beside the single bed stood a brand-new bedside cabinet. On a tall rack were a washbasin, towel, and enamel mug all fully provided. It was clearly a high-standard private ward.
Lin Yuqiu’s heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at Zhou Runqing, her lips moving slightly as she almost asked how much this would cost but she swallowed the words.
She knew she couldn’t afford much now. Asking would only embarrass her further.
Zhou Runqing looked at her instead. His deep voice carried a gentle warmth that put people at ease. “What do you think?”
The staff member followed his gaze and smiled. “Commander Zhou, this must be your fiancée.”
Lin Yuqiu stiffened inwardly, nodded with a polite smile, then said softly, “It’s very nice here.”
Once the room was settled, the staff brought in a caregiver dressed in blue work clothes. “Commander Zhou, this is the caregiver arranged per your instructions. She’s quick and attentive with patients.”
After a pause, the staff member added, “However, the rehabilitation center has a rule family members may not stay overnight. Daytime visits must also follow proper application procedures. We hope you understand.”
Lin Yuqiu froze. If she couldn’t stay, how could she remain by her mother’s side?
Before panic could set in, the man spoke steadily again. “Book a guesthouse room. A better one.”
The staff agreed readily and soon handed them a key to a room in the guesthouse affiliated with the center.
After settling her mother, Zhou Runqing took the key and led her toward the guesthouse.
It was right next door only a few steps away.
Their room was at the end of the corridor. After opening the door and scanning the interior, Zhou Runqing turned and instructed Xiao Liu to go buy daily necessities.
Though small, the room was clean and tidy. The shared facilities included not only a restroom but also a washroom and shower area. Lin
Yuqiu was already more than satisfied.
Most comforting of all, the window was open. The evening breeze carried the fragrance of grass and trees from the courtyard none of the usual musty smell of ordinary guesthouses.
She walked to the window and gazed into the distance. The clouds at the horizon seemed to melt into streaks of golden dust, casting a honeyed glow over pale blossoms afar, stirring a faint sense of living sweetness in her heart.
Suddenly, the man’s steady voice sounded beside her. Though calm and unreadable, there was something quietly reassuring in it.
“How’s the environment here? Bear with it for a few days. Once the report comes through and we register our marriage, you’ll move into the compound.”
She turned to look up at him.
His features were stern and cool, yet his words were like spring rain silent, but seeping gently into her heart.
Zhou Runqing lowered his gaze, noticing the shimmer in her eyes. It felt as though a cat’s paw had brushed lightly across his heart.
A girl once raised in luxury and pampered like jade and gold now seemed so heartbreakingly fragile.
He spoke softly, “Your grain ration will be transferred after we’re married. For these few days, I’ll arrange for someone to bring you meals.”
Then he took out a small notebook and pen from his uniform, wrote down a string of numbers, and handed it to her. “If you need anything, tell me anytime. This is the home phone number.”
Her nose stung. During the confiscation, even her and her mother’s ration books had been taken. Without Zhou Runqing, they might still be surviving on roadside sweet potatoes.
She nodded, took the paper, and looked up at him with eyes brimming with gratitude. “Thank you.”
His gaze shifted slightly as he looked at her deeply. “We are to be husband and wife. There’s no need to be distant.”
The word “husband and wife” seemed to scorch her cheeks. Heat rose faintly as she looked away, unsure how to respond.
She muttered softly, “Oh.”
He watched the faint pink bloom across her fair, full cheek more captivating than any spring scenery he had ever seen.
With quiet interest, he looked a moment longer. Yet his sharp, cool features betrayed nothing of what he was thinking.
Suddenly, he pulled two chairs over from beside the tea table. He placed one in front of her, gestured for her to sit, then straightened the other and sat down himself.
Once she was seated, he studied her intently and asked evenly, “Is there anything you want to ask?”
She nodded, then shook her head.
She desperately wanted to ask how her elder brother had entrusted her to him. She also wanted to ask about the female doctor. But selfishly, she didn’t want to shatter this fragile barrier between them.
Whatever his motives, this marriage had given her what she needed.
She smiled gently, her eyes soft with ingratiating warmth.
His expression remained unreadable. Suddenly he leaned forward swift as a wolf closing in on prey, his movement carrying an undeniable intensity.
Startled, she watched as his handsome face drew near. Her breath caught.
His fingertip brushed her cheek, pinching lightly at the soft flesh there. His low voice carried a husky, coaxing note.
“So obedient?”
The rough warmth of his touch sent her heart into wild chaos, like a small beast rampaging inside her chest. Her ears buzzed; she barely heard what he said.
He soon withdrew his hand. A faint curve touched his lips, softening his cold features with a trace of iron-blooded tenderness.
“I don’t want my wife looking at me with that kind of ingratiating gaze.”
“Our relationship is equal. Since I’ve decided to marry you, I’ll do my best to treat you well. You don’t need to feel burdened.”
She gradually regained her composure, then frowned slightly. “But my status”
He raised an eyebrow, casually twirling his pen. “Being labeled a capitalist do you think that could hinder me?”
He shook his head. “I don’t mind.” The arrogance in his tone was strikingly different from his usual steady demeanor, as though her background truly meant nothing to him.
Still uneasy, she asked, “I haven’t met your family. Will they agree?”
Leaning back lazily in his chair, his posture relaxed yet authoritative, he said firmly, “You needn’t worry about that. Just prepare to be my wife.”
She swallowed the many questions about his family and, as if compelled by something unseen, asked, “Then what is that female doctor to you?”
His relaxed air faded. His voice turned calm and serious. “You mean Shiyun? We grew up together in the same compound she’s like a younger sister.”
Then he looked at her meaningfully. “Do you care about her?”
She hurriedly shook her head. “No.”
At that moment, Xiao Liu’s panting voice sounded from outside.
“Commander, I’ve bought everything.”
He entered carrying several large bags filled with daily necessities.
Lin Yuqiu stepped forward to help. “Thank you, Xiao Liu.”
He waved it off. “No trouble at all. The commander specifically instructed it and paid for it himself.”
She looked at the pile of brand-new items: towels, washbasin, enamel cup, toothpaste, toothbrush. Though the guesthouse provided some, he had bought new ones anyway.
In the past, she would have cared about such details. After losing everything, she no longer felt entitled to such preferences.
She took a deep breath and noticed he had even bought candles surely at the commander’s instruction.
The city’s electricity supply was unstable; power outages were common even at the hospital.
She hadn’t expected him to be this thoughtful.
Night deepened outside. Earlier, the lingering daylight had been enough to see clearly, but now the lights had to be turned on.
She switched on the bare bulb and looked at the man still standing inside, unsure what to say.
Xiao Liu was already waiting outside the door. Yet Zhou Runqing stood with hands in his pockets, his tall figure moving around the room as if inspecting territory checking the window latch, glancing up at the dim lightbulb with a slight frown.
Sensing her gaze, he turned slowly. “Are you hungry?”
As if on cue, her stomach growled. Mortified, she lowered her eyes with a small smile. “It’s getting late. You should head back. I’ll just eat something simple later.”
He frowned, his eyes falling on her small pointed chin as if silently measuring it. His Adam’s apple shifted almost imperceptibly she was thinner than before.
“Get ready. Come out with me.”
From outside, Xiao Liu peeked in. “Commander, back to the compound?”
Zhou Runqing nodded. “Mm.”
Lin Yuqiu’s heart jumped. “I’m going too?”