Gu Huai'an pulled over a chair and sat down, his long legs spread wide apart, his gaze fixed on Shen Yu's bare feet.
"The political review will take a few more days. Stay in this room during that time, and don't wander around."
"Are you afraid I'll run away, or that I'll embarrass you if I go out?" Shen Yu sat cross-legged on the bed, looking indifferent.
Gu Huai'an sneered, "I'm afraid you'll be mistaken for a spy and arrested. Then I'd have to go to the security section to bail you out."
Shen Yu wasn't pleased. "What spy could possibly be as pretty as me?"
"Enough nonsense. The military base is full of checkpoints. Without proper documents, you won't get a single step. If you don't want to get shot, behave yourself."
"Understood, commanding officer. I'll complete the mission and won't cause you any trouble." Shen Yu raised her hand in a mock salute.
"Cut the cheeky attitude." Gu Huai'an stood up. "Hurry up and eat. If it gets cold, I'll dump it for the pigs."
"What a waste to feed it to the pigs. I'm not picky."
"Suit yourself." Gu Huai'an ignored her, pulled open the door, and walked out.
Shen Yu slipped on her cloth shoes and walked to the table, lifting the lid of the lunchbox. The white rice porridge was thick and creamy, topped with a fried egg, golden and crispy.
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow. Not bad treatment at all.
In these times when even coarse grains had to be rationed, this breakfast was indeed a luxury.
She didn't hold back, picking up the lunchbox and finishing the porridge in a few gulps, the fried egg sizzling with oil as she bit into it.
Full and satisfied, Shen Yu tugged at her clothes.
She had rolled around in the cornfield yesterday and crawled through the locust forest. In the summer heat, her back was already soaked with sweat, the fabric sticking uncomfortably to her skin.
No matter how she sniffed, she couldn't stand the smell.
She glanced at the washbasin stand in the corner. Next to the basin was an unopened bar of medicated soap and a thermos.
She picked up the thermos and shook it. It was full.
Shen Yu drew the curtains and kicked the dirty clothes aside in disgust.
She poured hot water into the enamel basin, added a bit of cold water, and lathered herself with the medicated soap.
She looked down at herself.
This body had an excellent foundation—fair skin, a slender waist, long legs, and curves in all the right places.
Even in the Xiangyang Brigade, where food and clothing were scarce, the original owner hadn't been tanned, maintaining a delicate complexion that the village women envied.
No wonder those women resented her.
With looks like hers, working in the fields would not only captivate men but also stir jealousy in women.
After washing up, a problem arose.
Looking at the pile of dirty clothes in the corner, she couldn't bring herself to put them back on.
Shen Yu wrapped her wet hair and walked to the wardrobe.
"Borrowing a shirt from you. I owe you one."
She muttered to herself and pulled open the wardrobe door.
Inside were rows of military uniforms—nothing but training gear and standard attire, not a single piece of civilian clothing.
"How boring is this guy's life? Nothing but green."
After rummaging for a while, she finally pulled out a white shirt.
It was Gu Huai'an's standard uniform undershirt, the collar already frayed.
Shen Yu had no other choice, so she slipped it on.
The man's frame was broad, and the shirt hung loosely on her.
The shoulder seams drooped to her upper arms, the sleeves had to be rolled up several times to reveal her wrists, and the hem hung long, covering her thighs.
After buttoning it up, Shen Yu looked at herself in the mirror.
The reflection showed damp black hair and, beneath the oversized men's shirt, two slender legs.
The door clicked open.
Shen Yu turned around.
Gu Huai'an stood at the doorway, holding a mesh bag containing two apples and a can of malted milk powder.
He hadn’t expected the scene inside the room, and his steps came to an abrupt halt.
Shen Yu: “…”
The man’s gaze swept from her hair, lingered on the empty collar of her shirt, and finally settled on her bare legs.
He closed the door behind him, tossed the mesh bag onto the table, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Who said you could wear my clothes?”
“My clothes were filthy—how could I wear them?” Shen Yu tugged at the hem of the shirt. “What’s wrong with borrowing them? It’s not like I ruined them.”
“You really don’t see yourself as an outsider.”
Gu Huai’an strode over, his presence imposing. “Dressing like this in a man’s dorm—are you testing my self-control, or do you really think I wouldn’t dare touch you?”
Shen Yu pouted. “The marriage report has already been submitted. If you dare cause trouble at this critical moment, I’d like to see how you explain it to the organization. If the report isn’t approved, it’s you who’ll face the consequences, not me.”
“Don’t provoke me. I’m a normal man, not some saint.”
“Then should I take it off?” Shen Yu made a show of unbuttoning the shirt. “It’s not like I have any other clothes to wear. Going naked would be simpler.”
Shen Yu truly wasn’t afraid of him.
He might look fierce, but deep down, he was a stickler for rules. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have slept on the floor last night rather than lay a finger on her.
Gu Huai’an was so angry he wanted to pin her over his knee and give her a good spanking, just to teach her what fear felt like.
With a dark expression, he walked to the washstand, picked up the pile of dirty clothes with two disdainful fingers, and threw them into Shen Yu’s arms.
“Change back.”
“I won’t!” Shen Yu threw the clothes to the floor. “They stink. I’d rather die than wear them.”
“If you won’t wear them, then come with me naked.” Gu Huai’an picked up the car keys from the table. “I’m taking you back to Xiangyang Brigade right now.”
Shen Yu froze. “Why go back? Wang Dashan is definitely plotting something to deal with me. Going back now would be like walking right into a trap.”
“That’s exactly why we’re going.” Gu Huai’an picked up the dirty clothes from the floor and shoved them back into her hands. “Your household register, grain and oil ration documents, and all your belongings—we have to get them back.”
Shen Yu really didn’t want to go back and face those people.
“Can’t we just leave those things behind? You can take care of me from now on.”
“No.” Gu Huai’an’s tone was firm. “When I marry a wife, it has to be proper. If I hide you away in my room without any explanation, people will think I’m some bandit who abducted a woman.”
Shen Yu muttered under her breath, “You’re not much different from a bandit.”
“What did you say?”
Shen Yu fell silent.
Gu Huai’an glared at her. “All the procedures must be completed, and your household registration must be transferred here. If Wang Dashan dares to make trouble, I’ll make him pay back every last bit.”
Holding the clothes, Shen Yu reluctantly admitted he had a point.
He might be sharp-tongued, but he handled things like a real man.
“Then you have to protect me,” Shen Yu said. “They won’t want to bear the blame, so they’ll try to smear my name. Don’t let me end up paraded through the streets while you’re nowhere to be found.”
“Even if the sky falls, it won’t crush you.” Gu Huai’an glanced at her sideways. “Hurry up and change, or I’ll put the clothes on you myself.”
Shen Yu knew he meant what he said, so she reluctantly carried the clothes toward the bathroom.
“No need to be so fierce. I’ll change.”
Gu Huai’an stood facing the door, his senses heightened.
He rubbed his thumb over the teeth of the key, his mind still filled with that flash of dazzling white from earlier.
Shen Yu dawdled as she changed back into her old clothes and came out. Passing by Gu Huai'an, she paused her steps. "Are you really going?"
She still felt somewhat uncertain. "That Wang Dashan is like a local tyrant in Xiangyang Brigade. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a snake in its own territory. It's not worth stirring up trouble over a few pieces of paper."
Gu Huai'an scoffed lightly, tossing the car keys in his hand.
"I don't care if he's a dragon or a snake. Straighten your back. When we return to the village today, whoever threw dirt on you before—you make them kneel in the mud with their head pressed down."