Seeing her head lowered, lost in thought, Zhou Yue thought his tone had been too harsh earlier, making her feel wronged again.
His thin lips pressed together slightly as he was about to say something, when she suddenly looked up at him, her face full of sincerity.
“Zhou Yue, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have drugged you.”
“I liked you too much. The moment I saw you, I couldn’t control myself, so I asked Mother Xu and my brothers to bring you home and drug you.”
Xu Xi wasn’t wrong. The original owner had gone mad with infatuation the moment she laid eyes on Zhou Yue, pestering Mother Xu and her brothers, insisting she would marry him no matter what.
Zhou Yue’s ears felt slightly warm. Why did she have to mention liking him when apologizing?
Moreover, the look in her eyes was clear and sincere, with no hint of insincerity.
Zhou Yue’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. After a moment of silence, he picked up the pork bones in his hand and said, “I’ll go stew the soup first.”
Seeing him leave just like that, Xu Xi blinked in confusion.
Did he accept her apology or not?
Probably not, given his icy expression.
Come to think of it, could something like drugging be easily forgiven?
The fact that Zhou Yue had stood up for her in front of the military wives was already quite good, and Xu Xi felt rather pleased about it.
She followed him into the kitchen and watched as he skillfully blanched the bones to remove the gaminess, then added water to the pot and started stewing them.
Xu Xi couldn’t help but strike up a conversation. “Zhou Yue, why did you finish training so early today?”
“Training ended early, so I finished early.”
Zhou Yue had too much pent-up energy with nowhere to vent it, so he had taken his team out for training ahead of schedule.
Xu Xi pursed her lips and asked again, “I heard from the wives that you met with Comrade Lin today. What did she say to you?”
Zhou Yue didn’t hide anything. “She asked me if I was forced to marry you. I told her we got married normally, without any other reasons.”
A flicker of surprise passed through Xu Xi’s eyes.
She had thought Zhou Yue and Lin Xiuman had gone to talk about love, but it turned out they only discussed this?
Xu Xi’s mind began recalling the original plot again.
His response was so bluntly straightforward. Lin Xiuman must have felt quite wronged. It seemed he would have to work harder to win her over in the future.
…
After lunch, Zhou Yue returned to the military base for some matters.
Xu Xi found a bucket and a small shovel in the kitchen. Having been on the island for so long, she had never been to the beach and wanted to see if she could find anything worthwhile.
There weren’t many people on the beach at this time. Most had gone home to cook or rest, as they still had work to do in the afternoon.
Only Xu Xi, idle and carefree, carried her bucket and made her way to the beach.
An elderly woman who was gathering fishing nets saw Xu Xi, pregnant, coming to the beach and kindly reminded her, “Young lady, you must be about four months along, right? The tidal flats are slippery. Be careful not to fall.”
Xu Xi felt a warmth in her heart. “Thank you, ma’am. What should I call you?”
The elderly woman smiled warmly. “Oh, my surname is Wang. You can call me Auntie Wang. You look unfamiliar—have you just arrived on the island?”
Xu Xi picked up seashells as she chatted with Auntie Wang.
“Yes, I’ve been on the island for less than a week. I don’t know many people yet.”
Auntie Wang actually had an impression of Xu Xi. A few days earlier, she had heard that a pretty and lively young woman had arrived on the island, pregnant and married to Battalion Commander Zhou from the military base.
She had followed the crowd to take a look at the entrance of the guesthouse, where Battalion Commander Zhou was helping the young woman with registration. However, the two of them seemed unfamiliar, not at all like a married couple.
“Miss, you and Battalion Commander Zhou haven’t been married long, have you? He’s the type who’s stern on the outside but warm-hearted.”
Xu Xi: “Auntie Wang, you know him well?”
“Can’t say I know him that well.” Auntie Wang finished gathering her fishing net and continued, “He’s been stationed on our island for almost three years now, and he’s done a fine job protecting us islanders.”
“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve never seen a battalion commander as dedicated as him. Whenever typhoons or floods hit our island, Battalion Commander Zhou is always the first to rush to the rescue.”
The islanders all hold him in high regard.
It seemed Xu Xi had never really taken the time to understand Zhou Yue properly. Now, hearing Auntie Wang’s words, she felt she knew him a little better.
Auntie Wang looked at Xu Xi’s delicate, porcelain-like face and smiled. “Miss, Battalion Commander Zhou is lucky to have married you. You’re carrying twins, aren’t you?”
Xu Xi was surprised. “Auntie, how did you know?”
Auntie Wang was the first person who could tell she was carrying twins just by looking.
Auntie Wang had worked as a midwife before. She had delivered at least eighty, if not a hundred, babies in her time.
Now, seeing Xu Xi’s pregnant belly—fuller and broader than most expectant mothers, with a shape distinctly different from the usual roundness—she could guess Xu Xi was carrying twins.
Xu Xi was genuinely impressed. “Auntie Wang, you’re amazing.”
Auntie Wang humbly waved it off. “Oh, it’s nothing special. Well, it’s getting late, I should head back. Remember to be careful, miss.”
“Alright.”
Seeing Auntie Wang leave, Xu Xi rolled up her pant legs and carefully made her way to the rocky shore.
She’d heard there were small crabs on the rocky shore and wanted to try catching one to see if she could keep it in her Spatial Dimension.
This area was remote and deserted, so even if a crab vanished from her hand, no one would see.
Xu Xi bent slightly, scanning the crevices between the rocks. Sure enough, she spotted a small bluish-gray crab. Its tiny body quickly retreated into a crack, leaving only a slender leg sticking out.
She swiftly reached out and grabbed it. It felt slippery, its little pincers struggling in her grasp.
Xu Xi tried to store it in her Spatial Dimension, but nothing happened.
Probably because her Spatial Dimension wasn’t advanced enough yet to hold living creatures. Disappointed, she dropped the crab into her bucket.
Just as Xu Xi was about to pick up the bucket and leave, the sound of children laughing and playing suddenly came from behind a nearby rock.
Whose kids were still playing by the sea at noon instead of going home for lunch?
Xu Xi followed the noise and found several five- or six-year-old children sitting on the tidal flat, treating the wet sand like clay and molding it into various little shapes.
These kids looked familiar—they were all from the military family compound.
Among them was Sister-in-law Guo’s son, Yang Zhijun.
He was the youngest of the group, just over five years old, but his knack for mischief was no less than the others’.
Out of concern for their safety, Xu Xi called out a reminder.
“You’re all from the family compound nearby, right? Remember to be careful when playing by the sea.”
“Got it.” The children replied dismissively and went back to their play.
Having grown up in the island’s military family compound, they’d learned to swim long ago and weren’t afraid at all.
But Yang Zhijun obediently replied, “We’ll be careful, Aunt Xu.”
Xu Xi’s lips twitched. She was only twenty, and already being called “aunt.”
Seeing the children were too engrossed in their fun to pay her any mind, she picked up her bucket and headed back toward the family compound.
But Xu Xi had only walked a short distance when he heard the panicked voices of the children behind him.
“Someone, help! Yang Zhijun fell into the sea!”
“Li Xiaomei! Why are you shouting so loud? Doesn’t Zhijun know how to swim? If you call the adults over, we’ll get scolded!”