Xu Xinghe walked back to the courtyard, her mind heavy with worries.

As they walked, they bumped into Political Commissar Wang, who was walking briskly. He had a furrowed brow, as if he was pondering something important.

She subconsciously stopped in her tracks, thinking of Jiang Linchuan.

He has been gone for several days, longer than any previous mission, and there has been no news of him at all.

After hesitating for a moment, she couldn't help but ask, "Political Commissar Wang, are you busy?"

Political Commissar Wang looked up and saw her, his expression softening slightly. "Comrade Xu."

Xu Xinghe smiled, "By the way, Political Commissar Wang, how's the mission in Linchuan going? When will he be back?"

When Jiang Linchuan was mentioned, Political Commissar Wang's eyes flickered for a moment before he spoke, "We still can't contact him, but don't worry. Linchuan is always reliable when it comes to missions. He's encountered situations like this where we can't reach each other often before. He's experienced and has a calm personality, so there definitely won't be any problems. Just wait patiently."

For some reason, Xu Xinghe's heart suddenly started racing. "Then... could you reveal a little about his mission? For example, where did he go? Is it related to espionage?"

"I'm sorry, Comrade Xu," Political Commissar Wang's tone became serious, "the details of the mission are classified and cannot be disclosed casually. Don't worry, I will inform you as soon as I have any news about him."

After saying that, he glanced at his watch and said, "I have urgent business to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Watching Political Commissar Wang's hurried departure, Xu Xinghe's heart pounded even faster.

She had a strange feeling that Jiang Linchuan's mission this time was probably more dangerous than before.

She took a deep breath to calm her panic.

No, it must be because she knew more information about this mission, plus the mudslide was man-made and a young soldier died, that's why she's overthinking things.

Jiang Linchuan always came back safely from missions before, didn't he?

Thinking about it this way, Xu Xinghe felt a little more at ease.

She hurried back to the courtyard, took out her notebook, and wanted to do something to distract herself.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Xinghe looked up at the window, wanting to relieve the fatigue in her eyes, only to see two familiar figures standing at the door.

Lian Xiao was carrying an oil paper package, followed by Zhang Cishu, who had a calm expression.

Lian Xiao turned around and glared fiercely at Zhang Cishu, lowering his voice and gritting his teeth, "What are you doing getting involved? You're not allowed to freeload today!"

With Jiang Linchuan gone and me finally having some free time, I could spend some quality time alone with Xu Xinghe and deepen our relationship. But Zhang Cishu, that little tagalong, insisted on following me around, which was really an eyesore.

Zhang Cishu remained unmoved, his eyes calm.

He rarely had any free time, and Xu Xinghe's popularity was always his task. Observing her daily life more would help him find his way into the lives of ordinary people more quickly.

So no matter how much Lian Xiao glared at him, he stood still, as if rooted to the spot.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and leave!" Lian Xiao wanted to say a few more words, but then he heard Xu Xinghe's voice coming from the courtyard.

"What are you doing standing at the door?" Xu Xinghe leaned against the door frame, looking at the two people locked in a stalemate at the door. "If you have something to say, come in and talk."

Lian Xiao's anger subsided instantly, replaced by his familiar arrogant smile. He stepped in carrying the oil paper package and said, "Xinghe, I thought you might not have cooked properly, so I specially brought you some canned meat. Let's treat ourselves to a nice meal tonight."

As he spoke, he turned back and glared at Zhang Cishu, signaling him not to follow.

But Zhang Cishu seemed not to see it and followed him in. "My grandfather had someone send me some fruit. I'll bring it to you in a bit."

Lian Xiao couldn't help but roll his eyes. "This canned meat was sent by my grandfather. You can keep your lousy fruit for yourself."

Xu Xinghe couldn't help but find the two of them amusing.

She stepped aside to make room for us. "Come in. I didn't prepare anything. Since you brought food, let's eat together."

Lian Xiao's mood instantly improved, and he pushed Zhang Cishu towards the kitchen. "Come on, let's cook! Xinghe, I'll show you my skills today. My cooking skills have improved rapidly recently. As for you, don't even think about slacking off!"

Don't even think about having a private chat with Xu Xinghe when he's not around!

Zhang Cishu didn't argue and obediently followed him into the kitchen.

Xu Xinghe wanted to lend a hand, but Lian Xiao pushed her out of the kitchen, saying, "You can just sit and read and rest. Leave the cooking to us."

She smiled helplessly, not forcing the issue, took out a medical book from the house, and sat on a wicker chair in the yard to read it.

The sounds of chopping vegetables and Lian Xiao's occasional muttering came from the kitchen. Zhang Cishu rarely spoke, only responding with a word or two when Lian Xiao asked him a question, which was quite tacit.

Dinner was quickly prepared: a plate of stir-fried greens, a can of pan-fried meat, two dishes brought from the cafeteria, and Zhang Cishu's apple, cut into small pieces, all placed on the table.

The three sat at the dining table.

Lian Xiao kept piling meat onto Xu Xinghe's plate, saying, "Xinghe, eat more."

Xu Xinghe looked at the two people in front of her and wanted to tell them about Lin Hui's situation several times, asking for their opinions.

But then she thought again, Lian Xiao is impulsive. If he finds out, he might confront Lin Hui directly, which would only alert her.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately swallowed her words and simply ate her meal quietly, occasionally responding to their conversation.

After the meal, Xu Xinghe was in charge of clearing away the dishes. "It's getting late, you should all go home first. I still need to study."

Lian Xiao was a little reluctant to leave, lingering for a moment. "Alright, don't stay up too late. Be careful with your eyes. Even though it's summer, it gets cool at night, so remember to put on an extra layer and take care of yourself."

Only after Xu Xinghe nodded repeatedly in agreement did he leave the courtyard, turning back every few steps.

Xu Xinghe stood at the door and watched Lian Xiao's figure disappear around the corner of the alley. After confirming that he would not return, she quickly walked to the wall, stepped onto the low stool, and gently called out towards the direction of the neighboring courtyard, "Ci Shu, wait a moment!"

Zhang Cishu was about to enter when he heard the shout and stopped in his tracks.

He turned to look in Xu Xinghe's direction, and seeing her beckoning him over, he simply turned back to the courtyard. "Is something the matter?"

The lights in the courtyard illuminated his calm face.

The first impression it gives is one of composure.

This is also why Xu Xinghe was willing to tell him.

Xu Xinghe jumped off the stool and sat down at the stone table. "Cishu, what I want to talk to you about is Lin Hui, Director Li's wife. I always feel that there's something... off about her."

Zhang Cishu raised an eyebrow. "Something's not right? What do you mean?"

Xu Xinghe recounted everything that had happened recently in great detail, leaving out nothing she could think of. "Look, she was so eager for the ointment, but she didn't use it. And now that I think about it, I even feel like there was something fishy about how she got injured, as if she was after my ointment!"

"If she did this for Director Li, why didn't she give the ointment to him? Besides, as I said, I would provide the prescription, and Director Li has clearly accepted it. There's no reason for his wife to put on such a melodramatic show."