Huh? What’s going on?
Gu Jianing opened her eyes and looked over.
The moment she saw it, her eyes widened, and her face instantly turned red.
She pouted and scolded softly, “Sheng Zexi, y-you’re shameless!”
Sheng Zexi blinked, his eyes filled with innocence. How was he shameless?
Seeing his utterly innocent expression, Gu Jianing was so exasperated that she laughed.
“You—you’re having a nosebleed!”
A nosebleed?
Sheng Zexi instinctively reached up to wipe his nose and immediately saw the blood on his hand.
He was actually having a nosebleed?!
No wonder he had just felt something warm trickling from his nose.
Noticing Gu Jianing’s flustered and exasperated look, Sheng Zexi felt a bit guilty. He quickly grabbed a handkerchief to wipe his nose while shamelessly explaining, “Wife, this isn’t my fault. It’s your body that’s just too good.”
Gu Jianing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She didn’t feel like scolding him, nor did she feel like hitting him.
She huffed softly and didn’t say anything more.
But despite her feigned frustration, deep down, she felt secretly pleased and proud.
Her figure and skin had always been excellent.
And ever since she consumed the National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance Pill rewarded by the system half a month ago, her body had been further enhanced to near perfection.
Her curves were now flawlessly balanced—slim where she should be slim, full where she should be full. Her figure had become increasingly perfect.
Even when she occasionally wiped down her own body, she couldn’t help but feel envious of Sheng Zexi. Hmph, what a bargain this man got!
“Ning Ning, do you want to wash your hair? How about I help you?” After wiping his nosebleed, Sheng Zexi eagerly suggested.
Gu Jianing glanced at him lightly. This man… He clearly had ulterior motives.
But she still nodded and agreed.
Just as Gu Jianing suspected that Sheng Zexi was only using the excuse of washing her hair to get handsy, he unexpectedly behaved himself.
When he said he would help her wash her hair, he genuinely meant it—he was serious and careful.
Her hair, now soaked in the hot spring water, remained silky smooth in his hands. Sheng Zexi picked up the soap and gently lathered it into her long hair. His movements were light, as if afraid of hurting her.
After thoroughly applying the soap, he carefully massaged her scalp, his fingers pressing with just the right amount of pressure—not too hard, not too soft.
Gu Jianing felt so comfortable under his touch that she even closed her eyes to enjoy it.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that soaking in the hot spring for too long wasn’t good, she would have wanted him to keep massaging her head forever.
Once he was done, he wrapped her hair in a towel.
Then, Sheng Zexi quickly dried himself off, put on his clothes, and started a fire. Only after ensuring everything was ready did he call Gu Jianing to get up.
When she was fully dressed and sitting by the fire, he unwrapped the towel from her head and carefully dried her hair, using the warmth of the fire to slowly let it dry.
At this moment, the two were very close. Sheng Zexi could easily catch the fragrance on Gu Jianing’s body—it wasn’t strong, but it was pleasant, subtly luring him in and making his heart itch.
“Ning Ning, your hair is so smooth and silky,” Sheng Zexi praised.
He was telling the truth. Her long black hair was sleek and untangled, flowing effortlessly through his fingers. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by it.
“Is there anything wrong with me?” Gu Jianing asked softly, tilting her chin slightly with a hint of pride.
Seeing her like this, Sheng Zexi thought she looked like a proud little kitten—so adorable that he wanted to pull her into his arms and gently knead her.
Once Gu Jianing’s hair was dry, Sheng Zexi wrapped her up snugly, and the two of them headed back to the military district.
As soon as they entered, they noticed a commotion up ahead—a few vehicles and a crowd of people gathered noisily.
“What’s going on up there?” Gu Jianing muttered.
Sheng Zexi wasn’t interested in the excitement and turned to ask her, “Do you want to check it out?”
Gu Jianing shook her head. “Not really. Let’s just go home.”
“Alright.”
Gu Jianing didn’t like crowds, and with the weather being so cold, she had no desire to stay outside any longer than necessary.
So, Sheng Zexi turned the car around and drove in the other direction.
After returning the vehicle, the couple went home.
The next morning, Zhang Shuwan arrived with Guoguo, bringing over some freshly made, fragrant pancakes. “Jianing, do you know why the military district was so lively yesterday evening?”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she was just one step away from grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds and sitting down to gossip with Gu Jianing.
Gu Jianing blinked and played along. “Why?”
“In just a week, it’ll be New Year’s Eve. I heard that every year on New Year’s Eve, the Northwest Military District hosts a performance by the cultural troupe to entertain the soldiers.”
Gu Jianing suddenly understood—she had heard about this before.
On New Year’s Eve, there would be a cultural performance by the troupe.
“The people who arrived yesterday were the performers coming to the Northwest Military District this time. I heard they came all the way from Beijing. When I went to pick up Guoguo for dinner last night, I happened to see them. I have to say, the female performers in the troupe are truly beautiful.”
But after saying that, she glanced at Gu Jianing and added, “However, I think the most beautiful one among them—the so-called star performer—is still not as pretty as you. Really, if you joined the cultural troupe, you’d definitely be the most stunning and captivating one there.”
Zhang Shuwan said this with complete certainty. In her eyes, Jianing was far more beautiful than those performers, and she felt proud of that. After all, she saw Gu Jianing as a younger sister.
“Jianing, I’ve noticed that you’ve been looking more and more beautiful lately,” Zhang Shuwan murmured, momentarily lost in thought. Day by day, Gu Jianing’s beauty became more dazzling, a sight to behold.
“Auntie is so pretty!” Little Guoguo, munching on a pancake, chimed in.
Gu Jianing took out a handkerchief to wipe the crumbs from Guoguo’s mouth and smiled. “Our Guoguo is also very pretty~”
“Oh, right! Are you and Battalion Commander Sheng going to watch the New Year’s Eve performance by the cultural troupe?” Zhang Shuwan asked.
“Yes, we are.”
Sheng Zexi had casually mentioned it once before, and Gu Jianing was quite curious about the performance. Since the university was closed for winter break and she couldn’t return home, there weren’t many activities in the military district.
A rare event like this was worth checking out.
“Great! Let’s go together and see if the female performers from Beijing are really as talented as they say. I also heard that after the Spring Festival, there will be a social event to help the single soldiers in the district find partners.”
While Gu Jianing and Zhang Shuwan were discussing the performers, those very performers were also discussing Gu Jianing.
Fang Manping walked into Li Shuyao’s room and looked around her private dormitory, feeling a wave of envy.
Sure enough, having connections meant getting preferential treatment wherever you went.
Take Li Shuyao, for example. Even though they had all arrived at the Northwest Military District together, while everyone else had to stay in shared dormitories, she alone—thanks to the influence of Elder Li—got a private room.
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