“Where did you go?”
Lu Huaizhou’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the oppressive pressure of a storm about to break.
The courtyard lights were off. Only the faint glow from inside the house outlined his tall, rigid figure.
Su Hongxia’s heart skipped a beat. The excitement and joy she had felt just moments ago were instantly doused.
Oh no. In her happiness she had forgotten—this man was both a jealous type and an old-fashioned traditionalist. He hated seeing her run out late at night.
Clutching the heavy canvas bag in her arms, she rolled her eyes quickly and put on a flattering smile, trotting up to him.
“Nowhere special. I just went to Auntie Li’s house for a bit, learning how to stitch shoe soles.”
As she spoke, she proudly held the bag out like presenting a treasure.
“Look! This is the return gift Auntie Li gave me. She said a relative brought it from the capital—very rare!”
Lu Huaizhou lowered his gaze and glanced at the bulging canvas bag, but didn’t take it.
His eyes were sharp like a surgeon’s scalpel, as if he wanted to dissect her inside and out.
“Stitching shoe soles?” he squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, his voice growing colder.“Does stitching shoe soles require climbing over walls? And does it come back with the smell of night dew and… tobacco and alcohol?”
He stepped forward, his tall frame instantly enveloping her.
Su Hongxia caught the faint scent of soap pods from his body, mixed with his own aggressive masculine presence.
She shrank her neck guiltily.
Was his nose that good? Like a dog’s? He could smell the tobacco and liquor through the canvas bag?
Seeing that playing dumb wouldn’t work, Su Hongxia decided to go all in.
She unzipped the bag and pulled out two paper-wrapped cartons of special-supply cigarettes and two bottles of red-label Maotai, shoving them directly into his arms.
“Ta-da! Surprise!” she grinned up at him like a cat that had stolen fish.“So? Isn’t this return gift impressive enough?”
Lu Huaizhou stared at the familiar packaging in his arms and froze.
As a regimental commander, he knew exactly what these were—military special-supply items reserved only for high-ranking generals.
Money and ration tickets couldn’t buy them.
Where had she gotten them?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind before settling on one answer.
The black market.
Instead of softening because of the valuable gifts, his expression turned even uglier. A surge of fear and anger rose from deep inside him.
This woman.This bold, reckless woman!
She had actually gone alone to the black market in the middle of the night to make this kind of risky deal.
Did she have any idea how dangerous that was?
If anything went wrong and someone used it against them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Su Hongxia!” he almost growled her name through clenched teeth.
He grabbed her wrist so tightly it felt like he might crush the bone.
“Who told you to go? Who gave you the guts?!”
Su Hongxia was stunned by his roar. The pain in her wrist made her frown.
She didn’t understand. She had done something good—brought back the things he liked most and even solved the risk of being accused of illegal trading.
Why was he still so angry?
“You’re hurting me!” she struggled, but couldn’t pull free.
“Hurt? Now you know what hurt feels like?” Lu Huaizhou’s chest heaved violently, anger swirling in his eyes.“When you ran to that place alone, why weren’t you afraid? What if something happened? Did you think about the consequences?”
What angered him wasn’t the business she had done.
It was the fact that she had put herself in danger while he knew nothing and could do nothing. The loss of control nearly drove him mad.
Looking at his reddened eyes, Su Hongxia suddenly understood the root of his anger.
He was worried about her.
Something inside her heart instantly softened into a puddle. All the earlier grievance and confusion vanished.
She stopped struggling and instead leaned toward him, placing her free hand gently over his large one that gripped her wrist.
Tilting her head up, she spoke softly:
“But I came back safely, didn’t I? And look—I even brought you a gift.”
Her voice was soft and sticky like freshly made malt candy, clinging to his anger and leaving it suspended awkwardly in his chest.
“Is this about gifts?” Lu Huaizhou said stiffly, though his grip loosened slightly.“This is about principles! Su Hongxia, our family doesn’t lack these things. I don’t need you to get them this way—”
“I know you don’t lack them,” she interrupted.
Her eyes shone brightly in the darkness as she looked straight at him.
“But I want to give them to you. I want to give you the best things I have. Is that not allowed?”
Lu Huaizhou’s heart was struck hard by the blunt warmth of her words.
All his anger collapsed at that moment.
He stared at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing. After a long moment he finally forced out a sentence through his teeth:
“If there’s a next time, you’ll be punished by family discipline!”
“Okay!” Su Hongxia agreed instantly, though a sly smile curved her lips.
“But before that punishment, shouldn’t I check your leg first? Standing out here in the cold wind so late—what if it causes problems?”
Before he could react, she seized the initiative and dragged him into the house.
“I’m warning you—don’t try to change the subject…” Lu Huaizhou tried to maintain his commander’s authority.
But Su Hongxia didn’t give him the chance.
She pushed him down onto the edge of the bed and crouched in front of him, skillfully rolling up his pant leg.
“Don’t move,” she said gently but firmly.“Your leg is more important than my life. If it doesn’t heal properly, who am I supposed to complain to?”
Lu Huaizhou fell silent.
He looked at the woman crouching before him, concentrating on massaging his leg, and his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Her fingers were warm and strong, slightly calloused, pressing into his shrunken muscles and sending waves of sore but comforting heat through them.
Under the lamplight, her lowered eyelashes cast small shadows across her cheeks, her profile soft and focused.
His heartbeat grew faster and more chaotic.
Meanwhile, Su Hongxia secretly observed his reactions while massaging.
Hmph. Still trying to act tough with me?In the state banquet kitchens I’ve seen bigger scenes than this—how could I not handle one stubborn, tsundere man?
Her hands kept the same rhythm, but her fingertips “accidentally” traced along the meridians of his leg, sliding upward to the hollow behind his knee.
One of the most sensitive points for men.
“Mm…”
Lu Huaizhou’s body jerked suddenly, a muffled groan escaping his throat.
He froze completely. A strange tingling current shot through his body from behind the knee, making even his spine go numb.
Su Hongxia acted as if she noticed nothing, continuing to circle her finger there.
“What’s wrong? Does it hurt especially here? The village doctor said this point is the most blocked—you have to massage it more.”
“D-don’t touch there!” Lu Huaizhou’s voice cracked hoarsely.
He tried to push her away, but his raised hand fell back weakly.
His body was heating up at an unprecedented speed, blood roaring through his veins toward a certain place.
Su Hongxia deliberately pressed harder with her finger.
“Hiss—”
Lu Huaizhou sucked in a breath.
Finally unable to endure it, he grabbed her mischievous hand, pulled her up from the floor, and with one strong tug dragged her into his arms before flipping her onto the bed.
“Su. Hong. Xia.”
He gritted out her name word by word. Flames burned in his reddened eyes.
“Did you do that on purpose?”
The distance between them instantly shrank to nothing.
His scorching breath fell on her face, his powerful presence completely enveloping her.
Pinned beneath him, Su Hongxia looked at his handsome face and blazing eyes at such close range.
Instead of fear, she laughed.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered softly:
“So what if I did? Commander Lu… how exactly are you planning to punish me with family discipline?”