Su Wanqing, under the pretense of being Huo Jingyuan’s childhood friend, openly walked up to the officers’ building. When Xue Li saw Su Wanqing in the corridor, wearing a floral dress, he couldn’t help but frown. Remembering that Brother Huo was changing clothes inside, he stepped forward to stop her, his expression turning serious:
“Dr. Su, this is a restricted military area. Please leave immediately.”
This building belonged to the Northwestern Military District and was where all the officers worked. Civilians were not allowed upstairs without prior registration and an escort from a captain or higher-ranking officer.
Su Wanqing looked at Xue Li with pleading eyes: “I’m here to see Brother Huo.”
“Whoever you’re here to see, you need to leave now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the creak of a wooden door sounded, and Huo Jingyuan slowly emerged, dressed in dark green training attire. The uniform perfectly accentuated his physique.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long, powerful legs.
The belt around his waist seemed to restrain his figure, but once undone and his shirt removed, his sculpted abs would be revealed.
“Who let you come up here?”
Huo Jingyuan’s voice was low, his tone neither warm nor cold, but carrying a hint of authority.
Xue Li’s throat tightened, and he sighed silently.
The guard on duty today was going to get an earful.
Su Wanqing looked at Huo Jingyuan with timid eyes. In her memory, Brother Huo had always been a man of few words but very polite.
But now, he was unusually cold.
Su Wanqing lowered her gaze, feeling a wave of immense sadness. She had traveled thousands of miles from abroad, then from the south to this desolate northwest.
“Brother Huo.”
Huo Jingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly and said slowly, “This is a military zone. If you have something to say, wait until I’m off duty. Leave now.”
“Okay…”
Huo Jingyuan stood in the corridor, watching Su Wanqing leave with his own eyes. His face remained stern, and his tone was cool: “The person on duty today will run ten kilometers with a weighted pack after their shift.”
Xue Li frowned slightly: “Isn’t ten kilometers with a weighted pack too much? How about five kilometers?”
Running ten kilometers with a weighted pack meant carrying nearly 80 pounds of equipment and running at full speed without any breaks.
This kind of training was usually only done during “Hell Week.”
“Hmm?” Huo Jingyuan glanced at Xue Li, his gaze pausing for a moment before he spoke unhurriedly: “Say one more word, and you’ll join them.”
Xue Li shut his mouth.
“You said there was something urgent earlier?”
Xue Li pretended not to hear, keeping his mouth tightly shut and making unintelligible sounds.
Huo Jingyuan: “…”
…
Meanwhile.
Wen Ci had just finished administering injections and IVs. As she returned to the duty room, she saw a man in a wheelchair in the corridor. Walking closer, she recognized him as the soldier she had met yesterday.
It was Zhang Mu, who had injured his leg during a grenade training exercise.
Zhang Mu was looking around as if searching for someone. Just as he lowered his head in disappointment and prepared to turn his wheelchair around, he heard a warm, sunny voice:
“Do you need any help?”
Looking up, Zhang Mu met Wen Ci’s extremely gentle eyes. His face uncontrollably flushed red, “Doc… Doctor Wen.”
Wen Ci smiled: “I’m not a doctor, just a nurse.”
“Nurse Wen.” Zhang Mu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he couldn’t bring himself to look directly at Wen Ci. His stammering speech seemed to mask his inner nervousness.
After an internal struggle, he finally spoke: “Nurse Wen, do you…”
Suddenly, someone called Wen Ci’s name from not far away.
Wen Ci: “If you need anything, feel free to call any of the nurses in the hospital.”
After work.
Wen Ci ran into Sister Jing’s son, Xiao Pihou, at the entrance of the residential compound. She waved at him and said, “Xiao Pihou, are you going home alone?”
Xiao Pihou walked over to Wen Ci with a grin, looking up at her, he obediently called out in a well-behaved tone.: “Hello, pretty sister! My mom is working in the cafeteria, and my dad is still at the base, so I’m going home alone.”
The Northwestern Military District had a secure defense line, so there was no risk of child abduction. At dismissal time, either the parents would pick up their children, or the kids would go home on their own.
The parents in the residential compound weren’t worried.
Wen Ci reached out and ruffled Xiao Pihou’s hair. Remembering she had some candy at home, she smiled and said, “Do you want to come to Auntie’s house for some candy?”
“Yes!”
Xiao Pihou agreed immediately.
After all, his parents wouldn’t be home for a while.
Wen Ci took Xiao Pihou’s small hand. Perhaps he had been playing wildly with his friends at school, as he was still a bit dirty. They walked into the courtyard.
Xiao Pihou’s eyes widened as he looked around. The courtyard was only slightly smaller than the school playground: “Pretty sister, is this your home?”
Wen Ci’s eyes curved into a smile: “Yes.”
She and Xiao Pihou had their own way of addressing each other. He called her “pretty sister,” while she referred to herself as “Auntie.” The generational hierarchy couldn’t be messed up.
Wen Ci first took Xiao Pihou to wash his hands, then gave him a few pieces of candy. Her eyes twinkled as she pretended to be serious: “You can’t eat all of them at once. Only one piece a day, or you’ll get cavities, and that hurts a lot.”
Hearing the word “hurt,” Xiao Pihou instinctively covered his mouth and handed all the candy back to Wen Ci, saying, “Then I won’t eat the candy. I don’t want cavities. I’m scared of pain.”
Wen Ci burst into laughter.
She finally understood the joy of teasing children.
It was so much fun.
She stuffed the candy back into Xiao Pihou’s hand and said with a smile, “Then you can share the candy with your younger brothers and sisters.”
Sister Jing’s son was the oldest, followed by Sister Qin’s twins, and Sister Li’s son was the youngest, just starting kindergarten.
“Okay.”
Suddenly, Xiao Pihou noticed the large TV in the living room. TVs in the 1980s were very big. He pointed at it and asked, “Pretty sister, what’s that?”
“It’s a TV.”
With that, Wen Ci used the remote to turn on the TV. She remembered that cartoons were on at this time. A colorful image appeared on the screen, and a small deer emitting seven-colored light appeared.
Wen Ci recognized it as The Seven-Colored Deer.
Xiao Pihou was mesmerized by the colors, his eyes glued to the screen.
The candy had been bought by Huo Jingyuan after he submitted their marriage application. He hadn’t spread the news of their marriage, so only a few comrades knew about it.
The candy was meant to share their joy with them, and the rest was placed next to the TV.
Wen Ci spoke softly: “Xiao Pihou, you can sit on the sofa to watch. Sitting too close will hurt your eyes.”
“Okay.”
…
Huo Jingyuan had originally planned to go to the hospital in the morning to explain his relationship with Su Wanqing to Wen Ci, but he was held up by regimental affairs due to a leadership visit.
After work, he rushed to the hospital, only to find out that Wen Ci had already gone home.
Hearing the sound of the TV coming from the living room, Huo Jingyuan’s eyes softened, and he hurriedly walked inside.
As he reached the steps leading to the inner room, through the slightly ajar door, he saw a small child sitting on the sofa, completely absorbed in the TV.
Huo Jingyuan frowned.
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