Su Rou stood at the doorway, carrying an exquisitely woven bamboo basket.
She had deliberately put on light makeup today, making her look delicate and pitiful.
Even her dress had been specially altered, cinched at the waist to accentuate the figure she was so proud of.
Everyone in the military compound knew that Su Rou had a crush on Qin Zhan.
Back then, Qin Zhan had been an untouchable flower on a high peak, indifferent to everyone.
Now, she had suddenly heard that he was married—to a country woman he had brought back from the countryside. Su Rou had cried herself to sleep last night, soaking two handkerchiefs with tears.
She refused to believe it.
How could that country woman possibly deserve him?
She had to be illiterate, uncouth, and shamelessly clinging to Qin Zhan because of some favor she’d done for him.
As long as Su Rou showed herself to be gentle, considerate, and understanding, Qin Zhan would surely realize who truly deserved to stand by his side.
“Brother Qin~”
The moment Su Rou saw Qin Zhan approaching, she immediately stepped forward. Her watery eyes brimmed with grievance and affection.
“It’s been so long. I heard you were injured during a mission. I wanted to visit you so badly, but the hospital kept everything under lockdown…”
As she spoke, she casually tried to squeeze Lin Wan aside, as though the woman standing at the door were nothing more than a housemaid.
Qin Zhan frowned.
He remembered Su Rou. He’d seen her a few times during慰问 performances, but that was the extent of their acquaintance.
Brother Qin?
Were they really that close?
Before Qin Zhan could speak, Lin Wan moved.
Instead of getting angry or shrinking back as Su Rou expected, Lin Wan broke into an even brighter, more genuine smile.
“Oh my! Comrade Su!”
Her voice boomed through the room, completely drowning out Su Rou’s sweet, delicate tone.
“Come in, come in! I was just telling Old Qin how friendly everyone in the compound is.”
“Yesterday someone brought us chive dumplings, and today someone else brought cabbage dumplings!”
She grabbed Su Rou’s arm with astonishing strength and pulled her straight inside.
“Oh my, your hands are so soft! No wonder you’re the star performer of the art troupe. Totally different from rough workers like us.”
Su Rou stumbled, nearly twisting her ankle.
She tried to shake Lin Wan’s hand off in disgust, but Lin Wan’s grip was like an iron vise.
“S-Sister-in-law… a little gentler… it hurts…”
Tears welled up in Su Rou’s eyes as she looked pitifully toward Qin Zhan.
Standing in the middle of the living room, Qin Zhan watched Lin Wan’s seamless performance and couldn’t help twitching the corner of his mouth.
[Pretending? Go ahead, keep pretending.]
[Back when I was catching hens barehanded in the village, you were probably still practicing the splits.]
[Trying to seduce my husband with this amateur green-tea act? Do you think I’m dead?]
Lin Wan’s inner monologue was savage, but her smile remained as bright as a flower.
She firmly seated Su Rou in the creaky wooden chair before snatching the bamboo basket from her hands.
“Oh! The dumplings are still warm! Comrade Su is so thoughtful.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Wan lifted the cloth covering the basket, picked up a dumpling, and stuffed it into her mouth.
“Mmm! Delicious!”
She chewed happily while giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“The wrapper’s nice and thin, the filling’s generous, and the cabbage is chopped really finely. The only problem is there’s a bit too little meat, so it’s a little dry.”
“But that’s understandable. Comrade Su has to rehearse all the time, so she probably has to watch her figure and eat light.”
Watching the dumplings she’d spent the entire morning making disappear into this uncouth woman’s mouth, Su Rou’s face turned green with anger.
“T-Those… those were for Brother Qin…”
she protested weakly.
“It’s fine! Old Qin isn’t picky!”
Lin Wan swallowed the dumpling and winked at Qin Zhan.
“Right, Old Qin? We’re family. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine… is still mine.”
“Comrade Su was kind enough to bring them over. We can’t waste her good intentions.”
[Say something, you human prop! If you dare say you won’t eat them, don’t even think about sleeping indoors tonight!]
Qin Zhan looked into Lin Wan’s mischievous eyes and heard her blatantly threatening thoughts. To his surprise, he found it rather amusing.
Being protected…
Having someone openly claim him as theirs…
It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling at all.
He walked over to the table and looked at the bamboo basket.
“I don’t eat cabbage dumplings.”
His cold voice instantly cut off everything Su Rou was about to say.
She stared at him in disbelief.
“But… back in the cafeteria, I clearly saw you…”
“That was before.”
Qin Zhan interrupted her expressionlessly.
“Now someone cooks for me at home. I don’t eat food from outside.”
“It’s not sanitary.”
Boom!
That final blow was devastating.
Not sanitary?
The dumplings she had painstakingly made… were not sanitary?
Lin Wan nearly burst out laughing.
[Beautifully done! His dead-serious way of talking may be heartless, but it’s absolutely lethal against green tea girls.]
[‘Not sanitary’? Hahaha… Su Rou’s face is about to crack.]
This time, Su Rou’s tears were real.
She was genuinely hurt.
“Brother Qin… how could you say that to me?”
“I only meant well…”
She stood up, swaying as though she might collapse into Qin Zhan’s arms at any moment.
“Of course you meant well! Absolutely!”
Lin Wan hurriedly interrupted while popping another dumpling into her mouth.
“Comrade Su was just worried we’d have nothing to eat after moving here, so she came to help the poor.”
“But Comrade Su, there’s something I should remind you of.”
Lin Wan leaned closer, lowered her voice, and spoke mysteriously.
“These dumplings may be delicious, but they aren’t something you can just give to anyone.”
“Especially not to a married man.”
“If word gets out that Comrade Su from the art troupe came early in the morning to deliver dumplings to the regiment commander’s home…”
“And even did it while his wife was there…”
“People who don’t know better might think you’re trying to become the commander’s second wife.”
“Our new society practices monogamy, you know.”
“You really should keep up with the times.”
Su Rou’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
A second wife?
If people really believed that, her future would be ruined.
“Y-You’re talking nonsense!”
She trembled with anger.
“I simply came out of comradeship!”
“Ohhh… comradeship.”
Lin Wan deliberately drew out the words, looking enlightened.
“Then I misunderstood.”
“Since it’s comradeship, I’ll happily accept these dumplings on Old Qin’s behalf.”
“Sugar Bun hasn’t woken up yet, so she’ll have these for breakfast later.”
“You probably have rehearsal to get to, Comrade Su. I won’t keep you for breakfast.”
“After all, there aren’t enough dumplings here for three people.”
It was an unmistakable order to leave.
Su Rou stood frozen, unable to stay, yet unwilling to go.
She looked hopefully at Qin Zhan, wishing he’d say something for her.
Instead, Qin Zhan was quietly watching Lin Wan eat the dumplings.
Was… that a trace of indulgent affection in his eyes?
Su Rou felt as though her entire world had collapsed.
The cold-faced King of Hell…
The man who had always treated everyone with icy indifference…
Was actually doting on this crude country woman?
“Brother Qin! Since I’m not welcome, I’ll just leave!”
Stamping her foot, Su Rou covered her face and ran out in tears.
She even forgot to take the elegant bamboo basket with her.
The front door slammed shut with a loud bang, and the house finally fell silent.
Lin Wan clapped her hands and swallowed the last bite of dumpling.
“Mission accomplished.”
She turned to Qin Zhan with a look that practically begged for praise.
[So? Not bad, right?]
[Girls at her level? I can deal with one, or wipe out two together.]
[Though honestly… these dumplings are a bit too salty. Su Rou’s cooking really isn’t that great.]
Seeing a tiny speck of flour at the corner of Lin Wan’s mouth, all the gloom in Qin Zhan’s heart melted away.
He reached out naturally and gently wiped it away with his thumb.
The brief brush of his fingertip against her lips made them both freeze.
“Don’t eat food from strangers again.”
Qin Zhan withdrew his hand. His voice was still calm, but it no longer carried its usual icy edge.
“What if it really wasn’t sanitary?”
Lin Wan blinked.
[Holy crap! Was this man just flirting with me?]
[That move… that tone… totally unfair!]
[Oh no… oh no… my girlish heart can’t take this.]
Qin Zhan turned toward the washstand, the corners of his lips lifting into the faintest smile.
Not sanitary?
That had only been an excuse.
The truth was, he simply didn’t want to eat anything given to him by any woman… except her.