“Alright, set a time. I’ll find a day to buy some things for your family.”
He Lingyun felt moved and hugged Lu Zhiyao. “Zhizhi, why are you so good…”
Lu Zhiyao couldn’t help but burst out laughing. This man was already so touched just because she was going to meet his family.
“Zhizhi, can I kiss you?”
The man’s burning gaze stayed fixed on the girl in his arms. After the girl shyly nodded, He Lingyun could no longer suppress his urge. He lowered his head and precisely captured the lips he had been thinking about countless times.
Lu Zhiyao’s gasp was swallowed by the man.
It seemed that men were naturally skilled in this kind of thing. He Lingyun quickly went from a light touch to something deeper within just a few seconds. Those soft pink lips were exactly as he had imagined—gentle and sweet.
Lu Zhiyao’s body went weak from the kiss. If it weren’t for his strong arms holding her slender waist, she would have already slid to the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, He Lingyun finally released her lips, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he murmured softly:
“Zhizhi… my Zhizhi…”
Lu Zhiyao’s face was flushed red, her eyes filled with shyness. Her features carried an indescribable charm, and her lips—now kissed to a deeper shade of pink—looked even more alluring.
She gave him a coy glare. That single glance nearly made the man lose control again.
At the end of June, He Lingyun and Li Yunzhao were about to return to the military base. Five days before leaving, He Lingyun informed his family that Lu Zhiyao would be visiting their home in a couple of days.
His mother understood immediately—her third son had officially confirmed his relationship with Lu Zhiyao.
Before this, everyone had not interfered much when they were merely “trying to get to know each other.” But now that she was coming to visit, it meant they were formally getting engaged.
Before this, Lu Zhiyao had already written a letter to her elder brother in the military region, informing him that she was in a relationship. She didn’t know whether Lu Zhiheng had received the letter yet.
What she didn’t know was that the day after receiving the letter, Lu Zhiheng had immediately taken leave and rushed over from the southwestern military region.
His rank was quite high—actually higher than He Lingyun’s. He had come by military vehicle and also contacted their parents in Xinjiang to inform them that their daughter was in a relationship. They entrusted all marriage-related matters to him, as the eldest brother was like a father.
Within half a month, two military vehicles entering Qingshan Brigade attracted the attention of the commune.
“Hello, I’m the brigade leader of Qingshan Brigade. May I ask who you are looking for?”
The brigade leader felt uneasy. The military rank of this person seemed even higher than He Lingyun’s.
“I apologize for the trouble. I’m looking for a sent-down youth here named Lu Zhiyao.”
“Oh, you’re looking for Lu Zhiyao? May I ask your relationship with her?”
Seeing another man suddenly come looking for her—especially since she was about to get engaged to He Lingyun—the brigade leader couldn’t help but wonder if this man was some sort of fiancé.
“I’m her older brother. Her biological brother. I heard she’s about to get engaged, so I came to take a look.”
Lu Zhiheng said this through gritted teeth. Their carefully raised little sister—only nineteen and newly sent down here—had already been “taken away” by some man?
“Her biological brother? And a colonel too… that He family’s third son is really lucky…”
“Lu Zhiyao isn’t staying in the dormitory. She’s living in the old He family residence. I’ll take you there.”
“Can the car go there?”
“Yes.”
“Then get in and guide me.”
Lu Zhiheng didn’t want to waste time, so he directly had the brigade leader get in the vehicle to show the way.
Soon, the military vehicle stopped in front of the He family’s small courtyard.
“Old master, this is Lu Zhiyao’s elder brother. He’s here to see her.”
“Oh, her brother! Please come in. She’s in the west courtyard.”
The old master was tactful and did not personally lead the way.
Lu Zhiheng stood at the courtyard entrance and called out:
“Yaoyao!”
When Lu Zhiyao heard the voice, she was startled. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn’t immediately place it.
She opened the door and saw a man in military uniform standing outside. He looked even more handsome than He Lingyun. From her memory, this was her elder brother—Lu Zhiheng.
“Big brother?”
She called out tentatively.
“What? It’s only been a few years and you don’t recognize me anymore?”
It had been about three years since they last saw each other.
Whether it was from accumulated grievances since being sent down, or simply the emotion of seeing family (even if not her original one), Lu Zhiyao could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Lu Zhiheng’s arms and began crying.
Lu Zhiheng gently patted her head, heart aching. His most pampered little princess had clearly suffered greatly.
He Lingyun soon arrived after hearing the news. As her partner, he naturally had to show proper respect.
When he stepped into the west courtyard, Lu Zhiheng immediately noticed him. But no matter who it was, they couldn’t compare to his sister. Only after Lu Zhiyao finished crying did he look toward the man at the door.
“Yaoyao, aren’t you going to introduce him to your brother?”
“Big brother, why are you here?” Lu Zhiyao paused, then introduced them: “Big brother, this is my partner, He Lingyun. A Ling, this is my brother, Lu Zhiheng.”
“You’re the one who lured away our little white rabbit?”
He Zhiheng was thirty, while He Lingyun was twenty-five. Calling him “kid” wasn’t inappropriate.
“Colonel Lu, I am He Lingyun, a regiment commander from the Northwestern Military Region. I failed to inform your family before our engagement. That is my fault. Please punish me accordingly.”
He Lingyun knew he had handled things poorly. He had wanted to notify Lu Zhiyao’s family but worried it might upset her, so he hesitated.
“Hmph. You knew it was wrong and still did it—do you not take us seriously?”
Lu Zhiheng was quite angry. In his view, when dating someone’s daughter, one should inform the family first and meet them formally. How could he proceed without a word?
Such behavior showed a lack of respect toward the girl and her family. Naturally, he would not easily approve of such a man.
“I’m sorry. That was my mistake. I wasn’t making excuses. I just feared Zhizhi would be saddened thinking about her family in Xinjiang.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhiheng’s expression softened slightly, though he still wasn’t satisfied.
If they were in the capital, his sister could live freely and be spoiled. But given the current situation, he had to consider her future carefully.
“Yaoyao, I’ll talk to him for a bit. You go inside first, alright?”
He gently comforted her, then turned to He Lingyun:
“Come out with me.”
Lu Zhiyao watched the two men leave and thought to herself that her brother was definitely going to beat him up. Her brother would not let him off easily.
But for some reason, these thoughts didn’t quite feel like the original “Lu Zhiyao’s” thoughts—they seemed to come from within her own heart.
Half an hour later, both men returned to the courtyard.
Lu Zhiyao came out and saw that Lu Zhiheng’s clothes were neat without a wrinkle, while He Lingyun’s were slightly disheveled. There were no visible injuries on his face—likely the injuries were hidden under his clothes.
To avoid escalating things further, Lu Zhiyao pretended not to see the subtle “pleading” look in He Lingyun’s eyes. He Lingyun smiled helplessly and left, returning to his own home.
He also needed to inform his parents that Lu Zhiyao’s brother had arrived so they could properly prepare to host him.
“Big brother, have some water. How are sister-in-law and my little nephew?”
Lu Zhiyao and Lu Zhiheng were eleven years apart; he had practically watched her grow up.
Four years ago, Lu Zhiheng was transferred to the southwestern military region. His wife, Mu Lin, and their son Lu Jiajun went with him.
“Your sister-in-law is pregnant again, so she didn’t come. When she heard you were getting engaged, she got so angry she smashed several cups, insisting she wanted to see who had taken our little treasure away.”
“Ah, she’s pregnant again? That’s wonderful.”
For some reason, Lu Zhiyao felt especially relaxed around Lu Zhiheng, as if this was how things were meant to be.
Lu Zhiheng also seemed natural, as though she had always been like this.
“Yaoyao, tell your brother honestly—did that man deceive you? Don’t worry about anything else. You’re my sister. No one can bully you.”
“Big brother, no. I’ve spent over half a month with A Ling and understand his character. He treats me very well and is sincere. I also genuinely like him.”
“Yaoyao, we only want you to be happy. If being with him makes you happy, we won’t break you apart. We’re just worried you might be deceived. You’re still young and don’t understand many things. This period of turmoil… forget it, let’s not talk about that. As your family, I’ll accompany you to the engagement. Is that okay?”
“Of course. You’re my real big brother—my family from home!”
The siblings continued chatting until He Lingyun arrived with food. Only then did they remember it was time to eat.
On this point, Lu Zhiheng was quite satisfied—at least the man had good awareness and consideration.