Chapter 13 Changfeng: Couples do not need to wear masks.

Jiang Mingxue's clear eyes gradually widened, and she remained stunned for a long time.

How did he manage to say that so calmly?

She felt that Rong Chengzhou's personality was really peculiar; he could always say the most ambiguous things in the most serious tone.

But despite his smooth-talking sweet nothings, he doesn't actually mean anything by it.

Young people call this flirting without realizing it.

Jiang Mingxue had been flirted with by him several times, and was well aware of his tactics.

Just like now, she clearly knows that this "sleep" is not that "sleep".

But even the most formal "sleep together" was a bit too much for her.

Although she had just made up her mind today to learn how to be a good wife, he was moving a little too fast.

She asked cautiously, "...Um, isn't there any other way? I can sleep on the floor too..."

Rong Chengzhou looked at her and calmly asked, "I don't have any extra beds here. Do you need to borrow one from someone else?"

Jiang Mingxue: "...No need."

How is this any different from what he just said about 'announcing to the world that he and his wife sleep in separate rooms'?

Jiang Mingxue turned her head and glanced at the single bed, which was about 1.5 meters wide, and felt relieved.

Thankfully, it's not the narrow 0.8-meter bed she had in college. Besides, she's thin, so she can just stay away.

Jiang Mingxue mentally prepared herself before finally making up her mind, as if going into battle: "Okay! Let's sleep together then."

She believed that Rong Chengzhou was not the kind of person who would take advantage of someone in distress.

"Hmm." Rong Chengzhou nodded slightly.

"So how should I take a shower today?" she asked.

They're a public bathroom; she definitely won't be able to use it.

Rong Chengzhou frowned slightly, seemingly stumped by the question.

After thinking for a few seconds, she said, "I'll go get you a bucket of hot water. Please bear with it for a bit."

Jiang Mingxue quickly replied, "No, no, I feel wronged. I get washed like this at the clinic too."

At least Rong Chengzhou's dormitory had a private bathroom, hot water from the tap, and the door could be locked. The conditions at the air force base were much better than what she had at the clinic.

"Um."

He nodded, found a clean bucket, filled it with hot water, and then took out a towel with a label still on it from the cabinet and handed it to her: "New, never used."

Jiang Mingxue accepted it: "Thank you."

"Hmm... what should I wear later?" she suddenly remembered.

Rong Chengzhou opened the wardrobe door again. Inside, clothes for spring, summer, autumn, and winter were neatly categorized and arranged, each item folded with exceptional care. A faint scent of cedar wafted from the wardrobe, pleasant to the nose.

This was the first time Jiang Mingxue had ever met a man so clean and organized; even she felt inferior to him. The daily high-intensity training should have easily produced body odor, but she had never smelled it on Rong Chengzhou.

“These are all washed, take your pick,” he said, pointing to the lounge area.

Jiang Mingxue grabbed a white T-shirt and a pair of black casual pants and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

The bathroom was still very clean, with air freshener on the sink, and there was no odor at all.

Jiang Mingxue scooped up a handful of water and poured it over herself, gradually wetting her body.

The thought of sleeping in the same bed with Rong Chengzhou made her movements involuntarily slow down.

I wanted to use this as an excuse to escape for a moment.

The heat gradually spread upwards, blurring her features, and the mirror became fogged up.

Jiang Mingxue slowly applied men's shampoo and gently massaged her hair.

Rong Chengzhou was worried that the water would get cold in the latter part of the wash, so he deliberately turned up the water temperature.

But as Jiang Mingxue delayed, the scalding hot water gradually cooled down, and the sensation of it running down one's body sent shivers down one's spine.

There was no other way; the water temperature wouldn't allow her to delay any longer.

Jiang Mingxue resignedly rinsed off the foam, dried herself, put on her clothes, and went outside, hanging the clothes she had worn during the day on the standing clothes rack by the door.

I went to the market today and sweated a lot, so my clothes are quite dirty. But Haining has a humid climate with high humidity, so even if I use a washing machine to spin-dry them, they definitely won't be dry overnight. I'm worried I won't have any clothes to wear tomorrow morning, so I'll just have to bear with it for now and change into clean clothes when I get back.

Rong Chengzhou's clothes were a bit too big for her; the shoulder line hung loosely down to her upper arms, almost big enough to fit two of her. The trouser legs were rolled up five times, but still hung down to her ankles.

The waistband of the pants was also a size too big, but fortunately the pants had an elastic band, so even when she tied them as tight as possible, they barely didn't fall down.

Rong Chengzhou was reading professional books related to aviation at his desk when he saw her come out, so he got up.

The girl's fair face was flushed from the steam, and her thick, curled eyelashes were damp and clumped together. Her small body was squeezed into his oversized T-shirt, like a child wearing an adult's clothes.

Her outfit was quite comical, but he didn't laugh at her. He remained serious and handed her a hairdryer, saying, "There's a power outlet in the bathroom."

"good."

Jiang Mingxue took the hairdryer to the bathroom to dry her hair, and then used the new toothbrush that Rong Chengzhou had given her to quickly wash her face.

Just as he came out, Rong Chengzhou returned from outside.

Jiang Mingxue didn't ask him what he was going out to do; she had no time to care about others right now.

After all that commotion, it was already 11 p.m., and according to her usual routine, she should have been asleep by now.

But she didn't dare to sleep at Rong Chengzhou's place. She sat in the chair in front of the table, pretending to deal with messages on her phone.

There hadn't been any new messages for a long time. She scrolled through her WeChat Moments absentmindedly, and before she knew it, she had scrolled back to a week ago.

Just then, my phone rang.

Since the first time she met Rong Chengzhou, they almost got confused because they both had the same ringtone. She changed to a different one that day to distinguish herself from him.

It's her ringing now.

"Hello, Ayan." She answered the phone.

Xu Yan's anxious voice came from the other end of the phone: "Sister Ming, it's pouring rain today, why are you coming back?"

Jiang Mingxue said softly, "The rain is too heavy, I won't go back today."

"What?! You're going to share a bed with your brother-in-law?!" Xu Yan keenly connected the dots to the most crucial point, and her voice unconsciously rose.

Jiang Mingxue: "...I guess so."

"Ahhhh, doesn't that mean things are going to get really heated?! You two haven't seen each other in ages!"

Xu Yan didn't know that they hadn't seen each other for a year after getting their marriage certificate; she only thought it had been two or three months. She blurted out a long string of words: "Sister Ming, although I know that absence makes the heart grow fonder and tonight will definitely be a sleepless night, your health is weak, so you still need to ask your brother-in-law to be moderate and take good care of your health!!"

Jiang Mingxue could climb mountains and cliffs, but she was a bit thin and physically weak, at least compared to Rong Chengzhou.

Her tone became increasingly agitated, and her voice grew louder. Jiang Mingxue deliberately took her phone away to take a look, and it was indeed in earphone mode.

She thought she had accidentally pressed the speaker, but she could hear it clearly in the quiet room.

Xu Yan kept rambling on and on: "And I saw online that the beds in the military aren't very good quality, and many people have had them collapse. My brother-in-law is even doing the work of three people, so you guys better be careful tonight and don't make too much noise, and also..."

"Um... Ah Yan, I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep now. You should go to sleep early too. Goodnight."

The more she spoke, the more explicit it became, so Jiang Mingxue quickly interrupted her, with Rong Chengzhou still standing nearby.

He hung up the phone quickly without waiting for her reply.

She secretly glanced up to observe Rong Chengzhou's expression, wondering if he had heard her.

Fortunately, Rong Chengzhou remained calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, showing no reaction.

I probably didn't hear much.

Jiang Mingxue quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's getting late, go to sleep." Rong Chengzhou stood by the bed, looking at her.

"oh......"

Jiang Mingxue turned on silent mode, placed her phone on the table, dawdled as she pushed back her chair, got up, took off her large slippers, and climbed to the inside of the bed.

Lie down with your legs together, hands folded over your abdomen, and straighten up.

Rong Chengzhou stood beside the bed and glanced at her: "Aren't you going to cover yourself with a blanket?"

The air conditioner is on to dehumidify the room, and it's pouring rain outside, so it'll be cold at night.

"...Oh, I forgot."

Jiang Mingxue pulled back the thin summer blanket folded into a neat square at the foot of the bed to cover her legs and stomach.

Rong Chengzhou stood motionless by the bed, staring at her tense body, and suddenly smiled.

Jiang Mingxue felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze and asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing." He lowered his eyes, said it briefly, and turned to walk away.

It's just that it's rare to see her so flustered, and I find it kind of cute.

Jiang Mingxue watched as he went to the door and turned off the light. Only the dim light from the corridor shone through the crack in the door, casting a faint glow in the room.

He approached in the darkness, near the bedside.

A familiar presence drew closer, carrying a distinct sense of oppression.

Jiang Mingxue's breathing suddenly stopped, and her heartbeat seemed to disappear.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

Just then, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.

"Brother Rong, are you asleep? I need to talk to you about something." It was Xing Kaiyu's voice.

Rong Chengzhou stopped two inches from the bed. His night vision was excellent, and he accurately spotted her eyes in the dim light: "I'm going out for a bit. You go to sleep first, don't wait for me."

Jiang Mingxue was overjoyed, as if granted a pardon: "Okay."

Thank you, Deputy Captain Xing, for arriving at just the right time.

It would be best to keep Rong Chengzhou occupied for a while longer, until she falls asleep, before returning.

Rong Chengzhou didn't turn on the light. He walked to the door, closed it, and went out.

The light from the hallway shone in for two seconds before being shut out by the door.

Jiang Mingxue's tense body finally relaxed.

Only his brain remained conscious.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep...

She forced herself to close her eyes and count sheep, trying to fall asleep before Rong Chengzhou returned so that she wouldn't feel awkward.

...forty-seven sheep, forty-eight sheep, forty-nine sheep, five...

Before they could even finish counting the fifty sheep, the door slammed shut with a "click."

Jiang Mingxue opened her eyes wide in the darkness. How could they be back so quickly?

What's wrong with Xing Kaiyu? He's only been gone for less than five minutes.

Rong Chengzhou entered the room, first went to the wardrobe to take out a new T-shirt and put it on, then threw the clean T-shirt he had just changed into after taking a shower into the laundry basket.

When I arrived at Xing Kaiyu's dormitory, I smelled of smoke.

The sound of rustling fabric came from inside the room, and Jiang Mingxue was caught off guard to see him changing clothes.

He stood facing the wardrobe, showing her only his profile. The dim light swallowed all the details, but outlined the sharp lines of his shoulders and the clear contours of his abdominal muscles, like a series of undulating snow-capped mountains.

She unconsciously held her breath, her eyes involuntarily peering in his direction.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

A detached voice rang out, drawing her thoughts back to reality.

He had already changed his clothes and was walking towards her.

Jiang Mingxue quickly looked away, blinked, and closed her eyes again: "...I'm going to sleep now."

Rong Chengzhou placed the things in his hand on the table, then very quietly lifted the blanket and lay down.

The intense heat emanating from her side made Jiang Mingxue's heartbeat seem to slow down.

She opened her eyes again, mustered her courage, and asked, "Do you only have one blanket?"

They had spare toiletries such as toothbrushes, towels, and slippers, but there was only one blanket. How were the two of them supposed to cover themselves?

"Well, if you mind, I can leave it on," he said softly, lying flat on the bed.

"......"

Do you think she'd mind what you said?

“…Then let’s build it together.” Jiang Mingxue had a moral bottom line and knew she couldn’t take over someone else’s place.

"Um."

The narrow single bed accommodated the two of them, with only an inch between them. Jiang Mingxue lay down properly, not daring to move at all.

But as Rong Chengzhou lay down, the back of her hand still inadvertently brushed against his arm.

The cold, hard muscles felt like a scorching hot iron, and a tingling current surged from her hand through her entire body, causing her hand to recoil as if she had been electrocuted.

Then, thinking he was moving quietly towards the wall, seemingly without intention, but actually deliberately widening the distance between them.

Rong Chengzhou has always had keen senses and can quickly detect any movement around him, but he just doesn't want to point it out.

Outside the window, the rain poured down, the raindrops pounding against the windowpane, creating an invisible dividing line between the couple inside.

Her sense of smell became more acute in the darkness, and she could faintly smell the tobacco scent emanating from the man beside her.

He changed his clothes; the smell of tobacco was faint, but a trace remained.

She assumed he had brought it with him while he was out smoking, and asked, "Rong Chengzhou, do you smoke?"

"Of course I will," he answered readily. Military life is monotonous, and he's getting older, so it would be a lie to say he wouldn't. It's just that he's not addicted to cigarettes; he only remembers to smoke one a week, mostly to stay awake.

"But I've never seen you smoke?" she asked, puzzled.

“I don’t smoke often.” His deep, mellow voice sounded particularly pleasant in the rainy night. “Besides, I won’t smoke in front of you.”

Smoking is a personal choice, and there's nothing wrong with that. But forcing others to endure secondhand smoke is an act of rudeness.

A warm feeling welled up inside Jiang Mingxue, and she smiled, "Actually, I don't mind the smell of smoke."

The room was silent for a few seconds before that deep, resonant voice rang out again:

Sometimes, I wish you would ask more of me.

Jiang Mingxue was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.

Rong Chengzhou did not explain, but suddenly raised his long arm and reached over her chest.

Jiang Mingxue subconsciously raised her hand to protect herself.

The man paused abruptly as he pulled the blanket up: "I'm sorry, I should have informed you beforehand."

Jiang Mingxue's cheeks flushed; it turned out that she had only covered herself with a corner of the blanket to keep her distance from him.

She sincerely apologized: "I'm sorry... it was a reflex, but it was definitely not directed at you."

This is a natural bodily response and is not directed at anyone in particular, but it can indeed easily cause harm.

Rong Chengzhou didn't mind. He pulled the blanket from her waist to her chest, then moved his own blanket a little closer to her, before calmly withdrawing his hand: "Go to sleep."

"Hmm." It was almost one o'clock, and Jiang Mingxue's brain finally sensed the fatigue, and she fell asleep without realizing it.

--

The heavy rain didn't gradually stop until 3 a.m. The air force base was washed clean and shiny. In the distance, water droplets on the tarmac dripped down the curves of the wings, refracting like shattered diamonds on the metal surface.

The radar antenna at the top of the control tower began to rotate again, cutting through the gradually brightening air. The smell of damp earth after the rain was fresh and rich. Sunlight shone through the gaps in the gray curtains, waking the girl who was sleeping in bed.

As the clock struck the number "7", Jiang Mingxue opened her eyes groggily. She hadn't had a dream all night and was still a little dazed when she woke up.

She turned her eyes and saw the simple and tidy furnishings in the room, and then suddenly remembered that she had stayed at Rong Chengzhou's place last night.

She turned her head and saw that the seat next to her was empty; Rong Chengzhou had gotten up at some point.

She didn't hear a thing.

Just as she was about to stretch, she realized that a whole night had passed and she was still in the same position. Although she had slept soundly, her body was stiff and unable to move.

She slowly moved her limbs, allowing her body to gradually adjust.

The door opened from the outside at that moment, and Rong Chengzhou walked in carrying a takeout lunchbox: "Awake?"

It seems like she just took a shower; her hair is still half-dry.

Jiang Mingxue sat up: "Mm."

"Get up, wash up, and have breakfast." He placed the lunchbox on the table.

"good."

She got up and put on her shoes. Turning her head, she noticed that the dirty clothes she had taken off yesterday were neatly folded and placed on the bedside table. The faint scent of laundry detergent wafted in the air, indicating that they had just been washed.

She asked in surprise, "Did you wash it for me?"

Rong Chengzhou spread a tablecloth on the coffee table and said in a low voice, "Yeah, I washed it last night."

Wearing dirty clothes is uncomfortable, and the communal washing machines in the military are quite dirty, so he usually washes them by hand.

Jiang Mingxue then remembered that Rong Chengzhou had gone out while she was drying her hair in the bathroom yesterday. She assumed he had something to do and hadn't asked about it.

It turns out he went to do his own laundry.

Her tender heart felt a pang, and she sincerely thanked him, then asked curiously, "Do you have a dryer here?"

It's raining heavily outside, so there's no way to dry them. And there's no wind even if you try to dry them indoors. Her clothes are made of thick fabric, so it's even less likely they'll dry unless there's a dryer.

"No." Rong Chengzhou shook his head. Unlike universities, military units don't have such comprehensive facilities.

He slowly opened each of the lunchboxes and placed them on the coffee table before continuing, "But there's a hairdryer."

He spoke casually, but Jiang Mingxue's heart felt as if it had been violently struck.

There is no dryer, but there is a hair dryer.

So he used a hairdryer to dry her.

"Thank you" was not enough to express her feelings; Jiang Mingxue didn't know what to say.

Seeing her standing there in a daze, Rong Chengzhou continued, "I dried it until it was half dry before blowing it, it didn't take much effort."

Jiang Mingxue didn't believe it. It took her ten minutes to blow-dry her hair, so two half-dry clothes would take almost an hour.

But she didn't thank him anymore; she has now learned to accept his kindness with equanimity.

Anyway, there's still a long way to go. As long as she keeps it in mind, she can repay him slowly.

She picked up the clean clothes and went to the bathroom to wash up and change.

When she came out again, Rong Chengzhou had already set out the bowls and chopsticks and was sitting on a stool waiting for her to come out.

Jiang Mingxue sat down opposite him and picked up a fried dough stick: "What time did you get up? Why did you get up so early?"

"At five o'clock, the troops will have morning training."

Morning training starts at 5:30, and he gets up half an hour early for his morning run. This is his daily routine; no matter what time he went to bed the night before, he always wakes up at 5:00 the next day.

Jiang Mingxue continued his words: "And then after you finished your morning training, you took a shower, and also helped me dry my clothes and bought me breakfast?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Jiang Mingxue secretly admired him; no wonder he had achieved such great military exploits at the young age of thirty.

After finishing her meal, Jiang Mingxue picked up her phone, which was charging on the table, and prepared to head back to the clinic.

His gaze suddenly fell on the square box on the table, and he paused involuntarily.

Rong Chengzhou followed her gaze and calmly replied, "Xing Kaiyu gave it to me last night."

He doesn't even have a girlfriend normally, I don't know where he got one from.

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

She took back what she had said yesterday, praising him for arriving just in time.

Xing Kaiyu is the ultimate villain!

On the other side, Xing Kaiyu, who was eating in the cafeteria, sneezed while drinking soy milk.

Who insulted him?

That shouldn't be the case.

He, a single man who had been alone for twenty-nine years, had gone through tremendous effort last night to get a box of condoms from his comrade-in-arms and rushed to deliver them to their captain before he went to bed. He bet that although Captain Rong and his wife didn't say it to his face, they were definitely grateful to him.

He did such a great deed that accumulates merit, how could anyone scold him?

Absolutely not.

Xing Kaiyu firmly believes that doing good deeds every day will surely bring good fortune.

Then he continued to look down, happily showing off his large bowl of rice.

"It's getting late, let's go."

Rong Chengzhou was worried that she was shy and embarrassed, so he pulled her out of her awkward situation.

Jiang Mingxue didn't answer, but suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Rong Chengzhou stopped and turned to look at her, wondering what she was going to do.

Jiang Mingxue concealed her unease, turned around, opened the square box on the table, took out one of the boxes, tore open the packaging, pinched one corner with her fingers, and hung it open-side down above the trash can.

The white plastic object quickly slid into the trash can, and then she threw in its outer plastic packaging as well.

Her fingers didn't touch inside, but she still pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands: "All done."

They had to go all out with the act so that Xing Kaiyu wouldn't find out when he came to check the dorm.

A hint of surprise flashed in Rong Chengzhou's eyes, and he raised his eyebrows slightly: "You said last time that one is equivalent to three, wouldn't throwing only one be a bit too little?"

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

This joke is stuck in your head, isn't it?

Okay, then she'll satisfy his vanity.

She took out two more and was about to tear open the packaging when a large, bony hand suddenly pressed down on her.

“Just kidding,” he said softly, a very faint smile escaping his lips.

Jiang Mingxue stopped. Throwing one away was enough; she felt it would be a waste to throw away three.

She put the two items back into the box, and his unhurried voice came to her ears again:

"Actually, you don't need to worry about it. It's fine even if you don't throw it away."

Jiang Mingxue: "Why? Aren't you afraid he'll notice something's wrong?"

Rong Chengzhou looked down at her and explained slowly:

"It's not necessarily necessary between husband and wife."

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

--

The morning air was still a bit chilly after the rain. Jiang Mingxue, with Rong Chengzhou's windbreaker draped over her shoulders, followed him out of the air force base and into the reeds.

The air was filled with the fresh, green scent of reeds, mixed with the salty, earthy smell of soil. The path was muddy, and the low-lying areas were filled with puddles, so deep that you could sink into the mud with just one step.

Jiang Mingxue glanced down at her white canvas shoes and involuntarily shrank back.

After walking through this muddy ground, she'll lose all her shoes.

Just as she was fretting, the man next to her suddenly bent down, bent one knee, took out two pairs of plastic shoe covers from his pocket, and loosened the elastic of the shoe covers.

"Hold me up with your hands and lift my feet."

He spoke in a low voice, his voice sinking into the damp air after the rain.

Even when he squatted down, he was still very tall. When Jiang Mingxue stood up, her hand could just reach his shoulder. She did as she was told.

Rong Chengzhou knelt on one knee, gently lifted her ankle with his fingertips, and carefully put on shoe covers for her, tying a strap of moderate tightness around her slender ankle.

A few minutes later, he stood up: "All done."

Then I put it on and said, "Let's go."

"Okay, sure."

The two walked through the muddy, wet reeds until they reached flat ground. Rong Chengzhou bent down, removed her mud-covered shoe covers, and threw them into a roadside trash can. Then he took out a handkerchief and wiped the mud off his hands.

Thanks to his thoughtfulness, Jiang Mingxue's white canvas shoes remained clean and brand new, without a speck of mud on them.

On the way, she remembered Grandpa Jiang's question: "By the way, Grandpa asked me last time when you're going to finish your mission and go back to Beicheng?"

Rong Chengzhou truthfully replied, "It's not certain yet; I'll follow the instructions from my superiors."

In addition to guiding and training air force soldiers in the south, he was assigned here this time, and there are other specific tasks he hasn't completed.

Jiang Mingxue nodded: "Okay, then I'll reply to him like that."

“Yes, I will go back to visit your family as soon as possible,” he promised solemnly.

"No rush," Jiang Mingxue smiled slightly. "Protecting our country is more important."

Rong Chengzhou looked into her eyes, his gaze deep and sincere: "Thank you."

Thank you for being tolerant of his profession, understanding of his aspirations, and considerate of his lack of control over his own life.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the clinic. Jiang Mingxue took off her coat and handed it back to him, saying, "I've arrived. You should go back now. The ground is slippery, so be careful on your way."

"Okay, eat on time," he replied, adding a final reminder.

Jiang Mingxue readily agreed and watched him leave.

It was already eight o'clock when she arrived at Yuanhe Medical Clinic. Xu Yan came out to greet her, jumping up and down: "Oh, Sister Ming, you're finally back!"

As if he were on stimulants, he chattered in her ear: "Why didn't you reply to my messages yesterday, leaving me alone in my room all night?"

Jiang Mingxue's eyelids twitched twice. What she did wasn't sending a message; it was going crazy.

She yawned, raising her hand because she hadn't slept well last night.

Xu Yan keenly noticed the faint shadows under her eyes, clicked her tongue repeatedly, and whispered in her ear, "Tsk tsk tsk, Sister Ming, you guys had a great night, you've got dark circles under your eyes."

“…I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds.” Jiang Mingxue glanced at her, quite speechless.

Xu Yan could not possibly believe it, after all, Jiang Mingxue had personally certified Rong Chengzhou's "strength".

"Huh? That's not right." Xu Yan continued to scrutinize her, and seeing that she walked normally, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Sister Ming, you actually managed to walk back by yourself. I thought your husband carried you back. Don't novels always describe someone who can't get out of bed for three days and three nights? How come you're acting like nothing happened?"

Xu Yan is a master of empty talk; all her crude remarks are learned from netizens and movies/novels, and she actually has no understanding of a man's normal ability level.

Jiang Mingxue ruthlessly denied it: "The situation you described is most likely due to an illness."

He then left her alone, deep in thought, and prepared to go upstairs to change his clothes.

"This shouldn't be happening..." Xu Yan crossed her arms, frowning and questioning her life choices.

She still couldn't believe the fact that the male protagonists of the novels she was so obsessed with when she was a child all had physical illnesses.

Seeing Jiang Mingxue disappear around the corner of the stairs, Xu Yan slapped her forehead, only to remember something else.

She quickly caught up with him: "Hey, Sister Ming, I almost forgot. You didn't come back last night. Brother Yanze went out in the rain in the middle of the night to look for you but couldn't find you. Then he waited for you at the entrance of the clinic all night. No matter who tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. In the morning, it was Old Lin who finally persuaded him to go back after much persuasion and threats to make sure it didn't affect the clinic's business. You should go and see him."

Jiang Mingxue frowned slightly, only then noticing the message Yan Ze had sent her last night:

[Dr. Jiang, where are you? I'm coming to pick you up.]

There are two missed calls.

But she had silenced her phone early on and left it on the table without looking at it, and didn't reply to him all night.

No wonder he went to see her in the rain.

Without even changing her clothes, Jiang Mingxue rushed to Yan Ze and Bai Dong's room and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in." Yan Ze's deep, cold voice came from inside the room.

Jiang Mingxue went inside, and Bai Dong went to fetch water, leaving Yan Ze alone in the room.

The curtains were drawn, and the room was dimly lit. Yan Ze's location could only be found by the faint light filtering through the cracks in the doors and windows.

He sat on the old sofa, his slender fingers gently caressing a necklace. Its shape was indistinct in the darkness, but one could vaguely tell that he cherished it.

The sofa beside him sank gently, and the familiar scent of sandalwood wafted over. The thin boy on the sofa finally reacted and slowly turned his head.

After being drenched in a heavy rain, his already fair complexion looked even more haggard, his stubble digging into his skin, and his thin lips turning slightly pale.

But upon seeing the newcomer, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in his dull eyes:

"Dr. Jiang, you're back."

Jiang Mingxue said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't check my phone last night."

Yan Ze lowered his eyes and said softly, "No need to apologize."

He insisted on going to see her; he didn't want her to live in the same house as another man, even if that man was her legal husband.

Yesterday morning, he saw the distance between the two and secretly rejoiced that there might be no feelings between them.

However, fate dealt him a blow that very night.

Xu Yan told them that Dr. Jiang would be staying in Rong Chengzhou's dormitory tonight, and he messaged her as soon as he found out.

Even amidst thunder and lightning, he could bring her back safely.

But she didn't reply to his messages, nor did she answer his calls.

She didn't reply to his message for the first time.

It was because she stayed overnight in another man's room.

He rushed into the pouring rain like a madman, wandering through the reeds for half an hour before finally finding the air force base, only to find the gates locked and him unable to get in. He walked back like a walking corpse and sat at the entrance of the clinic, waiting for her to return.

The torrential rain poured down, creating puddles. My soaked clothes clung to my body, icy cold.

No one knows how long he endured in agony sitting at the clinic entrance last night, when she didn't come home all night.

Even though he knew she was a married woman, he still couldn't stop thinking about her.

Why?

He was the one who approached her first, yet she chose someone else as her husband.

The young man clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned noticeably white from the force.

Jiang Mingxue thought he was enduring the discomfort of being soaked in the rain, so she reached out and touched his forehead, only to be unexpectedly burned.

She frowned: "Why does he have such a high fever?"

Yan Ze, however, did not care at all. He held her hand tightly with his burning hot hand and murmured softly, "Dr. Jiang, it's good that you're back...it's good that you're back."

As long as he can come back, he still has a chance.

So what if I get married? So what if I share a bed with other men?

He was willing to wait for her to get a divorce.

The boy in front of her was like a frightened kitten caught in the rain, so endearing. Jiang Mingxue let him hold her hand and gently comforted him, "Aze, it's alright, I'm back, don't worry."

Once he calmed down a bit, Jiang Mingxue called Bai Dong to help him change into clean clothes, fed him ginger soup and fever reducer, and helped him to bed to rest.

After settling Yan Ze in, Jiang Mingxue finally had a chance to go upstairs to change her clothes.

The clothes that Rong Chengzhou had personally dried got wet, so he had to change into a new set, which was a bit of a shame.

She put the dirty clothes aside, and Yan Ze's expression from earlier that day flashed through her mind. Suddenly, she felt something was off.

He used to be unconventional, but he always acted with composure and restraint. This was the first time he had lost his composure in front of her.

Why is that?

And what about Yan Ze's background, which he keeps silent about?

And who gave him the necklace he was clutching so tightly, unwilling to let go?

......

There are too many mysteries surrounding Yan Ze that she cannot unravel. Jiang Mingxue had always respected her apprentice's privacy and never dared to pry.

But today, she felt she could no longer indulge and tolerate them like this.

Jiang Mingxue snapped out of her thoughts and checked her phone messages, only to find that Rong Chengzhou had sent her a message half an hour earlier, but she hadn't seen it.

【CZ】: I've arrived at the base.

She typed a reply:

[Jiang Mingxue]: Sorry, I was taking care of a student with a fever and that's when I checked my phone.

Then, quoting his message, another one was posted:

[Jiang Mingxue]: Okay.

On the other side, Rong Chengzhou had just finished leading his team in a training session.

People who usually forget to pick up their phones all day not only carried them with them today, but also checked them several times, which is unprecedented.

Xing Kaiyu stared at him for a long time, then deliberately teased him, "Colonel Rong, you're practically a statue waiting for your wife. Your wife has only been back for a short while, and you're already so eager to chat with her? It seems the sweet moments last night didn't satisfy you."

Rong Chengzhou raised his eyes and said coldly, "Flying Eagle Team Four has a 10-kilometer run today. You will lead the team."

Xing Kaiyu: "......"

He slapped himself on the mouth in regret.

Ugh, ugh, ugh, it's always that stinky mouth of yours!

He had lost count of how many times he had checked his phone, but this time he finally received a message from Jiang Mingxue, and his brows gradually relaxed.

However, after reading the message clearly the next second, his relaxed brows furrowed again.

【CZ】：Yan Ze?

Jiang Mingxue was somewhat surprised and shocked by Rong Chengzhou's accurate guess.

[Jiang Mingxue]: How did you know?

Half a minute later, I received a reply from the other party:

【CZ】: He looks most like someone who is prone to illness.