Chapter 12 Sleeping with Changfeng.

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

No, is that right?

He spoke almost without any intonation, as if he were reading a battle briefing.

His voice was cold and deep, like a bell tolling on a snowy night, with a lingering resonance.

As the last syllable fell, shouts erupted from all around.

"Wow! Captain Rong is so good at flirting, he's got the skills to handle any girl!" Xing Kaiyu exclaimed in surprise.

"Take this opportunity to confess your feelings! If anyone dares to say that our Brother Rong is clueless about romance, I'll be the first to disagree!"

Xu Yan: "My goodness, my brother-in-law is so shrewd! I'm too embarrassed to say these kinds of things when I'm confessing my feelings, but he just said them out loud. I bet he's said these kinds of things to Sister Ming a lot at home."

"Tsk tsk tsk, the captain's mental fortitude is truly extraordinary. Even in this situation, he can remain calm and composed. He's incredibly strong, a true role model for us all!"

"......"

Rong Chengzhou, hailed as a "role model for our generation," stood coldly amidst the jeers, as upright as a pine tree, unaffected in the slightest.

On the contrary, Jiang Mingxue wished she could tear the parasol off the stall and cover her head with it.

He knew exactly what it meant, yet he said it in public. He just said it when asked; how could he be so obedient?!

The owner of the coconut carving stall enthusiastically agreed, giving him a thumbs up: "Yes, yes, exactly as pictured."

Jiang Mingxue didn't dare to ask any more questions. From the few she had just selected, she picked the one with "Gong Yi Wa Sai" on it and said casually, "Boss, I'll choose this one, Gong Xi Fa Cai, and my friend's Xin Wang Shi Cheng. I'll pay for them together."

"Okay, okay, that's three cups in total."

Jiang Mingxue paused as she took money out of her bag, not understanding what she meant. She turned to ask, "Is it one hundred and three or one hundred and three?"

Rong Chengzhou remained silent and handed over the money; the shopkeeper gave him seventy yuan in change.

Jiang Mingxue had no choice but to take back the portion she was holding.

After buying the coconut carvings, the group walked forward together, and Xu Yan whispered in her ear from time to time:

"Wa Yi Wan Lu~~ Wa Yi Wan Lu~~~"

Jiang Mingxue pretended to glare at her: "If you do this again, I won't take you out anymore."

"Oh dear, I was wrong, Sister Ming." Xu Yan rubbed against her like a kitten, which easily calmed her down.

"Alright, hurry up and find the trays and fertilizer."

"Yes, sir!"

There were very few stalls selling flower and plant growing tools; they had walked halfway through the market without finding any. It was exactly ten o'clock in the morning, and the sun was already high in the sky, shining directly above them, making it hard to open their eyes.

"It's so sunny." Xu Yan fanned herself with her hand as she walked.

Jiang Mingxue also raised her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun, but it was better than nothing.

I was in a rush when I went out and forgot to bring a parasol. The scorching sun made me dizzy and my hair felt hot from the heat.

Suddenly a shadow fell in front of me, completely blocking the sun from the diagonal sky above.

She looked up and saw Rong Chengzhou's broad and tall figure just inches away. His 1.94-meter height was like a moving parasol, completely blocking out the glaring sun. He was tilting his head and talking quietly with Xing Kaiyu.

She secretly observed him from the shadows he provided. Although he was dressed casually today, in a dark gray T-shirt and black pants, his upright posture, unchanged for decades, still made it easy to tell that he was a soldier.

Her profile features a sharply defined jawline, sharp and cold lines, and strikingly beautiful features. She always maintains a taut expression, her brows revealing a heroic air—a quality unlike anything she possesses, unlike Yan Ze or her brother, that inspires awe.

Of course, this "fear" is more of awe, because he was so upright and his words and actions were impeccable. Even when he spoke sweet words, it was as if he were reciting poetry and songs, without the slightest hint of disrespect or contempt.

"Sister Ming, there seems to be a flower shop up ahead. Let's go take a look; maybe they have what we need."

Lost in thought, Xu Yan's reminder brought her back to reality.

Jiang Mingxue turned around and nodded: "Okay, let's go."

The large group of people walked up to the flower stall, startling the proprietress who was sitting on a small stool. She stood up warily and asked, "What are you all going to do?"

Jiang Mingxue turned around and saw that, apart from Bai Dong, the people Yan Ze and Rong Chengzhou brought were all over 1.8 meters tall, and there was one who was 1.9 meters tall. Five or six tall and strong young men followed behind them, each of them stern and fierce-looking. You would think they were there to rob them in broad daylight.

She quickly and softly explained to the shop owner, "Auntie, don't be afraid. We came to buy fertilizer, and we were worried that it was too heavy to carry, so we asked a few young men to help us."

The proprietress finally relaxed her guard, sat back down on the small stool, and said to her in Mandarin, "What do you want to buy? Take a look."

The flower and plant stall mainly sells potted flowers. The trays and fertilizers are given away with the flowers. Jiang Mingxue negotiated with the owner for a while before she agreed to buy the fertilizer and trays separately.

She picked out several different organic fertilizers, bought a few bags of each, and planned to try them all when she got home. She then paid extra to buy all the trays on the stall. As she was leaving, the stall owner counted her money and said to the old lady at the neighboring stall, "Look, they've bought all my freebies. How am I supposed to do business now?"

"Don't sell that mud, why are you forcing me? The house even paid you extra!"

"Oh, what are you saying? Am I concerned about your chicken droppings, you idiot?..."

Jiang Mingxue and Xu Yan led the way empty-handed, while several men, each carrying a bag, left amidst the landlady's rambling chatter.

Rong Chengzhou carried the most items, as he had two coconut carvings which he picked up after paying for them.

Although he carried them quite easily, as if he were carrying a bag of snacks, Jiang Mingxue was still a little embarrassed: "Let me help you carry some things."

"No need." He didn't give it to me.

A bicycle was passing by, so he moved to Jiang Mingxue's left: "You go inside."

Jiang Mingxue: "Okay, thank you for your hard work."

"Sister-in-law, don't worry about Rong-ge. He usually trains with 40-kilogram barbells. You can lift one of them easily, let alone these few kilograms," Xing Kaiyu teased from behind.

His description was so vivid that Jiang Mingxue couldn't help but imagine herself being lifted into the sky by Rong Chengzhou.

Hmm... that's a little scary.

She decided to go back and eat more; she needed to gain weight.

"Are you taking a break today?" she asked.

Rong Chengzhou walked on the outside, letting her walk under the shade of the tree: "Yes, take a long break."

When there are no training or duty assignments, others usually work five days on and two days off, but he holds two positions and has a lot of things to manage, so he only gets two or three days off each month.

"Are you free later? Would you like to come to the base with me?"

He disliked noisy environments. Today, he had originally planned to go to the clinic to find Jiang Mingxue, but Xing Kaiyu dragged him to the market on the way, and they happened to run into each other.

"I'm free." Jiang Mingxue nodded without hesitation. "Okay."

Rong Chengzhou paused for a moment, then turned his head and asked, "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm looking for you?"

She chuckled softly, her tone resolute: "I trust you. You wouldn't easily come to me unless it was something that absolutely required my involvement."

Rong Chengzhou stared at her for two seconds, then smiled silently.

It's very light and shallow.

If you trust others so easily, wouldn't you be easily led astray?

We need to keep a close eye on things in the future.

After delivering the items to the clinic and putting them down, Jiang Mingxue followed Rong Chengzhou and the others to the base.

After they left, Xu Yan and Bai Dong carried fertilizer and trays, preparing to tidy up the temporary greenhouse. When they turned around, they found Yan Ze still standing at the entrance of the clinic, looking in the direction where Jiang Mingxue and Rong Chengzhou had left. His amber pupils reflected the two distant figures, as if he was deep in thought.

Bai Dong patted him: "Brother Ze, what are you thinking about so intently?"

Yan Ze's thoughts were interrupted, his brows furrowed slightly, and he turned around to himself, saying, "It's nothing."

Bai Dong stood there, watching his indifferent back, scratching his head, puzzled.

--

The midday sun shone brightly above the track, distorting the air into waves and steaming with heat. During the long break, only a few people were playing on the training field; most were resting in their dormitories to escape the heat.

Jiang Mingxue followed Rong Chengzhou to the canteen for lunch. This time, she didn't feel dizzy at the base and ate twice as much as usual.

But Rong Chengzhou still looked at the rice on her plate that she could finish in just a few bites, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.

With such a small appetite, no wonder she's so thin.

The two sat facing each other at a cafeteria table. Rong Chengzhou pushed a crystal shrimp dumpling in front of her: "Eat some more."

Jiang Mingxue shook her head: "I can't eat anymore."

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes eating until you are 70% full, so she never eats until she is stuffed.

Rong Chengzhou remained calm and said seriously, "Being too thin is unhealthy."

Jiang Mingxue almost choked on her saliva. His expression was just like the scene at home when her grandfather would scold her for not eating properly.

She straightened her back and said confidently, "My weight and height are within a healthy range."

She's a doctor; surely she knows whether she's healthy or not.

"Really?" Rong Chengzhou sized her up and asked, "Who was the person blown away by the typhoon last time?"

"..." This dark history can never be erased.

His expression was so serious that it made Jiang Mingxue imagine her parents forcing her to eat. Unable to argue with him, she reluctantly picked up another shrimp dumpling and ate it slowly.

Then he put down his chopsticks and asked, "Is this okay?"

Rong Chengzhou withdrew his gaze and reluctantly accepted it.

You can gain weight gradually.

After lunch, we rested briefly in his dormitory. At 2 PM, I took her to the service center to get her stamped by the staff on duty.

The person in charge of issuing cards and stamping stamps was a woman in her forties. Although she worked in an office job, she had a very heroic air about her.

Upon seeing Rong Chengzhou, he greeted him warmly: "Little Rong, you're here! It's been a while since I've seen you."

Rong Chengzhou nodded slightly: "Sister Sun."

Noticing Jiang Mingxue beside her, Sister Sun's eyes suddenly lit up: "This must be Xiao Jiang! Oh my, Xiao Rong has been keeping her hidden away for so long, and I've finally met her in person. The girl is so beautiful, and she has such a good temperament. She and Xiao Rong are such a perfect match."

Jiang Mingxue smiled and politely thanked her, "You flatter me."

Rong Chengzhou handed over the materials he had prepared in advance and Jiang Mingxue's ID card: "Sister Sun, thank you for your trouble."

"Don't talk about trouble or not, it'll be done in a few minutes. You can sit here and wait a bit."

Sister Sun sat behind the computer, entering Jiang Mingxue and Rong Chengzhou's information into the system while chatting with them: "Little Jiang, you don't know, Rong is very popular in our base. From moral education teachers to the cafeteria aunt's daughter who just started college, they often come to me to ask about Rong, whether she is dating or has a girlfriend. I have been keeping an eye on things for Rong, but who knew that Rong would get married without saying a word."

"You wouldn't believe it, after hearing the news of Xiaorong's marriage, all those girls were completely distraught, unable to concentrate on their work, just like they'd broken up with their boyfriends..."

"Sister Sun." Rong Chengzhou interrupted her, his knuckles resting on the armrest.

He disliked gossiping about others and couldn't stand others talking about other people in front of him. Moreover, he didn't think being pursued by others was something to brag about, and saying such things in front of his wife was disrespectful to both her and the girls.

Sister Sun quickly stopped her: "Oh dear, it's all my fault. I was so happy to see Xiao Jiang that I couldn't help but say too much. Xiao Jiang, please don't mind."

Jiang Mingxue shook her head; she could guess these things without even hearing them. After learning about it these past few days, she felt it was only natural that Colonel Rong, with his distinguished military achievements, was pursued by many girls, and she wasn't particularly surprised.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know so many people were pursuing him." Jiang Mingxue apologized for her hasty decision to get ahead of him.

Sister Sun said, "Why are you apologizing? This happens all the time. It's all thanks to you winning over Xiao Rong that those girls have given up on finding other girls."

Before Jiang Mingxue could reply, Rong Chengzhou, sitting across the coffee table, suddenly turned his head to look at her. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, his lips pressed into a straight line, and he calmly asked:

"If you knew, what would you do?"

"I..." Of course, I won't get married; I'll give up my Prince Charming to those girls.

But he swallowed his words; one shouldn't easily touch a tiger's head.

She coughed lightly and changed the subject: "Of course, I'll marry you with a sense of guilt."

Upon hearing this, Rong Chengzhou's expression softened somewhat.

Just as Sister Sun finished recording the information, she printed out a card from the machine and handed it to Jiang Mingxue:

"Here you are, Xiao Jiang, your military dependent card is ready."

Jiang Mingxue accepted the thank you and the two walked out of the affairs center side by side.

The full name of the military dependent card is "Chinese People's Liberation Army Military Personnel Support Card," which has her name, photo, and other personal information printed on it.

"So that's why you called me here." Jiang Mingxue looked down and examined the front and back of the card.

"Yes, the person in question needs to come forward."

What is the purpose of this military dependent card?

"Shared military preferential services, including medical care, education, and transportation, even though you may not need these."

These preferential services are invaluable to ordinary people and can solve many problems, but for the Jiang family, their effects are negligible.

Rong Chengzhou's explanation was brief. Jiang Mingxue looked it up online and found that preferential treatment for military personnel generally includes skipping lines at train stations and airports, exclusive access to museums and tourist attractions, priority medical care, and priority enrollment for their children, etc.

After reading it, she retorted, "Of course you need it, there are so many benefits."

Although her family has some wealth, most of it was earned by her younger brother alone. Besides, there are many things in this world that money can't solve. The military dependent card is only available to the families of active-duty military personnel; it's a special honor.

She inherited her grandfather's frugal nature, always traveling in economy class, first class, or second class. She often had to queue, and there were many crowded tourist attractions that she had never visited because she was worried about the crowds. So this card could save her a lot of time.

Rong Chengzhou, however, did not believe that she was telling the truth.

He stopped, turned to face her: "This is another thing I want to tell you today."

"What?" Jiang Mingxue looked up at him.

I happened to walk under the trellis of flowering vines, where the green leaves had woven a dense shade, and coral vines climbed all over the stone wall, blooming in clusters on the winding branches. The shades of pink flowed in the sunlight, like the glow of sunset broken by the wind.

He stood beneath the coral vines, the shimmering light casting shadows on his forehead, flickering and fading.

Those dark pupils looked into her eyes, solemn and serious: "I am not from a wealthy family, and I am destined to have nothing of value in this life. The companionship that ordinary people can give you, I cannot give you either. I can only offer you some insignificant things, which are nothing more than a handful of yours."

"Military marriages are different from ordinary marriages. If the spouse of an active-duty military member wants a divorce, they need the member's consent. I've told you this beforehand, but I think you should have the opportunity to try and fail. So—"

He paused for a moment, then called her name:

"Jiang Mingxue".

"If you regret it, please let me know at any time, and I will set you free."

The coral vines intertwined, and they stood like two silent trees beneath the trellis. Sunlight and flower shadows alternated on his face, and his deep-set eyes were like a whirlpool, drawing her in.

From beginning to end, their marriage was nothing more than a marriage certificate protected by the Civil Code to her, a shield she used to shirk her annoying pressure to get married. She never took it seriously, never thought about her future with him, and never even considered divorce. All of this was because she didn't care.

The single page of chat history she had over the past year led her to believe that Rong Chengzhou shared the same attitude as her. But today she suddenly realized that someone like Rong Chengzhou would take responsibility for every decision he made.

He was three years older than her and always acted with composure and thoroughness. From the moment he agreed to register their marriage, he had already planned out a way out for her. And in every interaction afterward, he accommodated her, respected her, and went along with her pace.

It has always been her fault.

The young girl stood under the flower vines, her eyelids half-closed, her thick, long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes, obscuring the thoughts that flowed in her eyes.

They stood facing each other for a long time.

She thought it through carefully, and he waited patiently.

A gentle breeze stirred, tucking a curtain of tranquility.

Petals drifted down onto her shoulder. She finally looked up, a smile spreading across her lips. She held up the card that bound her identity and looked up at him:

"Rong Chengzhou, I've accepted the military dependent card. I won't leave unless you bring it up yourself. But please give me some time. I'll learn how to be a good wife, okay?"

As the wind rose and the flowers fell, she stood beneath the swirling petals, her back ramrod straight, her eyes reflecting the sunlight and the shadows of the flowers, gazing resolutely at him.

With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?

His tense jaw finally relaxed, and he slowly parted his lips to say to her:

"good."

--

Jiang Mingxue followed Rong Chengzhou back to the dormitory living area. Along the way, many air force soldiers greeted her warmly, shouting "Hello, sister-in-law!" After arriving at his dormitory, many pilots from the flight squadron who had been personally instructed by him came to see their mentor's wife.

The first step to being a good wife is getting to know her husband's friends. Jiang Mingxue chatted with them warmly and politely, with Rong Chengzhou occasionally chiming in with a few words. He went out for a while and returned with a plate of cut fruit, which he presented to her first.

Jiang Mingxue waved her hand: "I ate too much at noon and can't eat anymore. Let's share it with everyone."

She ate twice her usual amount of food at noon, plus a crystal shrimp dumpling, and only two hours have passed, so she hasn't digested much at all.

The soldiers have big appetites; five fruit platters aren't enough for them. Rong Chengzhou is a compassionate officer who usually distributes fruit and milk to his men, but he wouldn't go so far as to cut it up for them to eat.

He placed the fruit platter on the coffee table in front of her: "Eat it when you're hungry."

Jiang Mingxue didn't move, so naturally the others wouldn't eat either. Helpless, she picked up a piece of dragon fruit with a disposable fork, then pushed the fruit plate to the center: "Come on, everyone, have some fruit."

Several sensible pilots then picked up their forks and each ate a piece, mainly to give face to their pilot's wife.

Everyone could tell that the fruit platter was specially prepared by the captain for his teacher's wife. Even if they had the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard, they wouldn't dare to snatch the food from her.

They chatted happily, and before they knew it, the afternoon had passed.

She didn't remember to eat until after 7 p.m., and she ate at the air force base. Afraid that her stomach couldn't handle it, Rong Chengzhou had dinner according to her habits.

After we finished eating, we were about to take her home when, just as we left the cafeteria, large raindrops suddenly started falling from the sky.

"Ah...why is it suddenly raining?" The weather forecast clearly said it would be sunny for the next few days.

Rong Chengzhou: "Let's go to my room and hide for a bit."

"good."

The raindrops grew heavier, and Rong Chengzhou, holding the umbrella his teammate had given him, escorted Jiang Mingxue to her dormitory.

Jiang Mingxue sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the damp watermarks on his shoulders. When he opened the umbrella earlier, it had all slammed onto her side, and she hadn't even gotten her pants wet.

"Go take a shower and change your clothes, or you'll catch a cold."

Rong Chengzhou hummed in agreement, telling her to wait in the room for a while until the rain stopped before taking her back. Then he took his change of clothes and toiletries to take a shower.

However, even after Rong Chengzhou finished showering and returned, and hand-washed several pieces of clothing, the rain showed no signs of stopping; on the contrary, it grew heavier and heavier, threatening to pour down.

It really lived up to Lao Lin's saying, "Haining's weather is bizarre; it's sunny in the morning and pours rain in the afternoon."

Jiang Mingxue glanced at the inky black sky, guessing the rain wouldn't stop tonight. The reed marshes were muddy and wet; going back in the rain would be dangerous.

"Never mind." She thought for a moment, then turned to Rong Chengzhou and said, "Do you have any empty rooms or girls' dormitories here? I'll stay here for the night and go back tomorrow morning."

Rong Chengzhou had just returned from hanging up the laundry when he looked down at her and asked, "Are you sure you want to sleep in a separate room from me in the army?"

She could previously use the excuse of being "busy with medical matters" to go back, but now everyone in the flight squadron knows that she can't go back tonight and has to stay overnight at the base.

Rong Chengzhou still has a single dormitory room. If she were to move to another room at this time, it would be too deliberate.

After realizing this fatal problem, Jiang Mingxue was at a loss: "What should we do?"

With a "click," the door was locked from the inside.

He closed the door and turned to approach.

As the distance closed, Jiang Mingxue's hands, which were resting on her lap, unconsciously curled up, and her body leaned back subconsciously.

His tall figure stood under the lamp, casting her in the center of the shadow.

Those dark, unfathomable eyes slowly uttered three words:

"Let's sleep together."