"How could that be! You're much sturdier than an ox!"
Shen Yu added water to the basin and carried it behind him. Looking at his broad back, she added, "And even oxen aren't as fair-skinned as you."
"Shut up."
Gu Huai'an cursed but didn't actually refuse, quickly pulling off his tank top.
His bronze-colored back was covered in beads of sweat, trickling down his spinal groove into the waistband of his pants.
He had quite a few scars.
On his shoulder blade was a round scar left by a bullet hole, and across his lower back ran a long knife scar.
Shen Yu dipped the towel into the hot water, wrung it half-dry, and draped the steaming cloth over his back.
Gu Huai'an grunted. Shen Yu applied a bit more pressure, wiping downward along his spine.
As she wiped, her hands grew restless. Her fingers traced along his lower back, pausing over the longest scar. "How did you get this scar?"
"Got it during the aid mission to Vietnam. Almost got my kidney pierced."
Shen Yu's hand trembled.
Her gaze dropped to his waist, her tone turning hesitant and concerned. "Pierced? Then… then it didn't damage anything… fundamental, did it?"
Gu Huai'an opened his eyes, grabbed Shen Yu's hand that was still wandering over his waist, and abruptly turned around.
"Shen Yu, what kind of look is that?"
He gritted his teeth, his ears burning red. "Suspecting I'm not up to it?"
Men hated nothing more than being told they weren't capable, and this woman had just walked right into the line of fire.
Shen Yu was genuinely startled by his reaction and quickly explained, "I'm just concerned about your injury, thinking about our future… life together."
Gu Huai'an laughed in exasperation, pulling her wrist forward. "Alright then, come on. Don't pull back. Reach down and check for yourself."
Any lower… that was forbidden territory.
When it came down to the final step, Shen Yu backed off faster than anyone.
"Don't be a pervert! I really was just concerned, nothing more!"
Gu Huai'an snorted, scooped her up by the waist, took two strides to the bed, tossed her onto the hard plank, and pressed himself over her.
"You know I'm a scoundrel?"
Gu Huai'an wedged his knee between her legs, his gaze roaming freely over her flustered face. "Since we've gotten the certificate and you've stepped through this door, you should know how a scoundrel lives."
He lowered his head, his nose brushing against her neck, then gave her a firm but not too hard bite.
"Returning the favor. Paying you back."
Shen Yu winced in pain, feeling like crying but having no tears.
How was this man different from what was written in the books?
Wasn't Gu Huai'an known throughout the entire military district as a cold-faced tough guy?
Where was the coldness in this?
"Gu Huai'an! If you dare try anything, I'll… I'll scream for help!" Shen Yu was panicking, her words tumbling out without thought.
Gu Huai'an paused, lifting his head.
"A wife with a marriage certificate, and you're calling it assault?"
Even as he said this, he didn't continue with those blush-inducing actions.
He rolled over, lying on his side, and pulled Shen Yu—blanket and all—into his arms, holding her tightly like a giant pillow.
"Alright, stop trembling. You're like a quail."
Gu Huai'an rested his chin on top of her head, the heat in his voice subsiding a bit. "I'll let you off today. I don't fight battles unprepared. Once I've properly tamed you, just see how I deal with you."
Curled up in his arms, Shen Yu finally relaxed slightly.
But this position… was just too embarrassing.
She was pressed against his bare chest, the man's body heat seeping into her, making her limbs go weak.
"Gu Huai'an…"
"Shut up and sleep."
Gu Huai'an impatiently slapped her bottom. "Keep moving, and if that fire from earlier flares up again, you'll be responsible for putting it out."
Shen Yu immediately settled down.
Under the covers, it was warm and cozy, the man's scent permeating everything.
She had thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but the embrace was unexpectedly comforting.
Before long, Shen Yu drifted into a hazy slumber.
…
The next morning, the bugle call sounded. Shen Yu burrowed deeper into the covers, one leg draped rather indecorously over Gu Huai'an's waist.
Gu Huai'an had been awake for a while, leaning against the headboard, holding a cigarette between his fingers to satisfy his craving.
He glanced down at the woman clinging to him like an octopus.
What terrible sleeping posture.
Like a little pig, snuffling and grunting all night.
He reached out and unceremoniously pushed her leg aside.
"Get up."
Shen Yu groggily opened her eyes to see Gu Huai'an already getting out of bed and dressing.
Buttoning his shirt, fastening his belt, pulling on his military boots.
In no time, he had resumed his stern and composed demeanor.
He yanked the covers off, folded them into a neat square, and placed them properly, then glanced back at her.
"I have training today, might not be back for lunch."
With that, he pulled a stack of ration coupons from his pocket and placed them under the enamel mug on the table.
"Go eat at the canteen yourself, and stop by the service center to buy some decent clothes."
Shen Yu's lingering irritation from waking up instantly vanished. She muttered under her breath, "Such a nag."
Gu Huai'an paused mid-step, turning to glare at her.
"What did you say?"
"I said you're wise and mighty!" Shen Yu immediately flashed an ingratiating smile.
Gu Huai'an snorted coldly and slammed the door on his way out.
Shen Yu stretched lazily, eyeing the colorful stack of ration coupons on the table.
Now that she had sponsorship, it was time to get down to business.
She changed into a modest pair of blue trousers and threw on one of Gu Huai'an's old military uniforms, rolling the sleeves up several times for a look that was both practical and charming.
Once outside, she headed straight for the clinic behind the family quarters.
As soon as she entered, she heard a sharp, scolding voice echoing down the corridor.
"Are you an idiot? Huh? Do licorice tablets and compound licorice tablets mean the same thing? A single word difference could kill someone, don't you know that?"
"Cry! All you know is how to cry! It's only because times have changed that someone with your background can even sneak into our ranks. In the old days, a pampered capitalist girl like you would've been sent to clean toilets for reeducation!"
Shen Yu slowed her pace and peeked inside.
At the pharmacy window, a middle-aged nurse in a white coat stood with her hands on her hips, berating a young girl in front of her.
The girl hung her head, shoulders trembling. She looked about eighteen or nineteen, fair and delicate, but her cowering demeanor made one want to kick her.
Confirmed—this was the original female lead, no doubt about it.
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow.
Better early than late; the timing of this plot point was just perfect.
The middle-aged nurse was still ranting, "Clumsy and useless like you, and you still want to become a regular employee? Dream on!"
A few soldiers and family members waiting nearby cast sympathetic glances but didn't dare intervene.
This Sister Liu was a veteran at the clinic, and her brother-in-law was a deputy section chief in the logistics department. Crossing her would make it difficult to get supplies in the future.
Deng Qin bit her lip, tears falling silently, not daring to utter a word.
Liu Hongmei knew no one dared to intervene. She grabbed a stack of medical records from the counter and threw them at Deng Qin.
"Go! Recheck all these medications! If even one pill is missing, you can forget about working here!"
Deng Qin finally managed to choke out, "Sister Liu, the prescription originally said…"
"Still talking back!"
Liu Hongmei glared, raising her hand to shove Deng Qin's forehead. "I say you're wrong, so you're wrong! A temporary worker who hasn't even been made permanent yet, and you dare argue?"
Deng Qin closed her eyes in fear.
But the expected pain never came.
A slender hand shot out, gripping Liu Hongmei's wrist.
"Early in the morning, I thought I'd walked into the wrong place—a slaughterhouse."
A clear, laughing voice rang out. Deng Qin looked up through tear-filled eyes, meeting a bright and bold face.