After getting the answer he wanted, He Lingyun handed the wild boar’s hind leg to Lu Zhiyao.
“Comrade Lu, this is the hind leg from that boar just now. Keep it to improve your meals. I know you just arrived and haven’t received your grain allotment yet…”
“Commander He, there’s no need. My brother already sent me grain. I can’t accept something I didn’t earn. You should take it back and let your parents have something good to eat.”
Lu Zhiyao shook her head. It wasn’t that she didn’t like pork—she simply didn’t want to accept favors from a man. What if his mother found out and came to make trouble? What would she do then?
But He Lingyun wouldn’t budge. He insisted on giving her the meat.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to get to know me? You won’t even accept a suitor’s gesture?”
Hearing this, Lu Zhiyao stared at him in shock.
Those are two completely different things, okay?!
Her stunned expression made He Lingyun laugh.
The man who was usually stern and cold, like a glacier untouched for centuries, seemed to thaw in that moment. The corners of his lips lifted into a rare smile.
His low, magnetic laughter sounded like an ancient song suddenly echoing through a quiet night, stirring everything around it.
That single smile was like poetry, like music—lingering, unforgettable—making the world feel brighter because of it.
“!!!” Lu Zhiyao was momentarily entranced. This man had no shame—how could he just charm her like this?!
He Lingyun realized then that the girl had a tendency to be easily dazzled. It seemed his parents had given him a face that was at least somewhat useful—it could attract her.
“Just take it. Consider it a gift from a suitor.”
Unable to argue further, Lu Zhiyao accepted the large pork leg. Free food—why not?
“…Alright.”
Seeing her accept it, He Lingyun finally relaxed. He had been worried she might stubbornly refuse, which would’ve made things difficult.
“Then, Zhizhi, I’ll head back first.”
“Wait—what did you just call me?”
“Zhizhi.”
Lu Zhiyao’s face instantly flushed red. No one had ever called her that before. In her past life, people either called her by her full name or, more affectionately, “Yaoyao” or “Xiao Yao.” Even her family used those names. This was the first time anyone had called her “Zhizhi.”
And coming from his mouth, those two syllables sounded strangely intimate… and unexpectedly pleasant.
“Y-you… how can you call me that?”
“Why not?”
She glared at him with wide eyes. “I said no, so no! We’re not that familiar!”
He Lingyun looked at her with a hint of regret. If he married her, would he be able to call her whatever he wanted?
“Alright then. I’ll wait until we’re more familiar before calling you Zhizhi. For now—Comrade Lu.”
“Then, Comrade Lu, I’ll be going.”
“Take care!”
As soon as he left, Lu Zhiyao hurried back to her small room, covering her burning cheeks and taking a deep breath.
This man… how is he so good at flirting?!
“Zhizhi…”
Ahhh—why did it sound so nice when he said it?!
She felt like she was about to fall for him.
No, no… she couldn’t let him succeed so easily. The easier it was, the less he might cherish it.
Marrying him so quickly was absolutely out of the question!
She cut off a portion of the pork and stored the rest in her space. Since it could preserve freshness, she could take some out whenever she wanted.
After calming down a bit, Lu Zhiyao summoned her system.
“Jiujiu, how many points do I have now?”
【Host, you currently have 3,400 points.】
“Tch, that’s so little. What can I even buy in the shop?”
【Host, you can take a look.】
She opened the shop interface. Earlier, she had seen a martial arts manual that cost 100,000 points.
She selected the food category, wanting to check the price of seasonings.
“Wow—you black-hearted shop! A bottle of chili powder costs 1,000 points? A pack of marinade is 2,000? And you can only buy it once? Why don’t you just rob me?”
【Host, once purchased, these items will have unlimited supply. As long as you’ve used them once, they’ll automatically replenish.】
“I take it back, Jiujiu! You’re the best system—no contest!”
When it came to admitting fault, Lu Zhiyao was second to none.
System 9981 had never encountered such a dramatic host before. If it could take human form, it would probably be full of helplessness.
Meanwhile, He Lingyun returned home with a smile on his face. His parents and elder brother’s family were busy dealing with the wild boar meat.
Li Yunzhao sat watching. Seeing He Lingyun’s lovestruck expression, he clicked his tongue.
“Brother Ling, is it settled?”
“No.”
“No? Then why are you smiling like that?”
“She’s just… incredibly cute.”
“That’s one thing—but are you sure she’s the one you want to spend your life with?”
“Yes. Love at first sight might just be attraction—but after getting to know her, I’ll only fall deeper.”
“You talk like you already know her well.”
“At least she’s given me a chance to know her.”
“Then shouldn’t you also get to know her better?”
“…You ask too many questions.”
“I’m married, after all—I can give you advice!”
“You can’t even handle your own mess, and you want to advise me?”
“Hey, don’t hit where it hurts…”
Li Yunzhao sighed. His own family life was indeed a mess. His marriage had been arranged—they met once and got married. He hadn’t expected his wife to send all his allowance back to her parents.
Even their daily expenses had to be supported by his own parents. Their five-year-old son was smaller than other three-year-olds, and he had seen his wife beat and scold the child multiple times.
They had argued and fought over it many times.
He wanted a divorce—but she refused, determined to keep draining him for her family.
“If you don’t cut things off decisively, it’ll only get worse. Avoiding it won’t solve anything,” He Lingyun said.
“I know. Coming here with you this time is also for reflection. But if you want to be with Comrade Lu, you need to truly understand each other. And your parents don’t like her—you need to be prepared.”
He Lingyun nodded. He could tell his family didn’t like her—but that didn’t matter. He liked her.
If it came to it, he could take her with him to live with the army.
As for his parents, he had his reasons. Not long ago, he had been injured in battle—his abdomen was badly hurt. The military hospital director had said his chances of having children were extremely low.
Probably no family would want their daughter to marry a man who couldn’t have children.
That night, each person lay in bed with different thoughts.
Li Yunzhao thought about his troubled marriage.
He Lingyun’s mind was filled with all the expressions he had seen on Lu Zhiyao’s face that day.
And Lu Zhiyao… her mind echoed with that one word:
“Zhizhi…”
In the end, though they slept in different places, both dreamed of each other—romantic, restless dreams… the kind that needed no explanation.
The next morning—
Lu Zhiyao woke up flushed with embarrassment. She quickly changed her undergarments and hid in her space to wash them.
He Lingyun wasn’t much better—he had gotten up in the middle of the night to wash his trousers, only to be mercilessly teased by Li Yunzhao.
As for Li Yunzhao, he hadn’t slept at all.
He had come to a decision.
He was getting a divorce.