Chapter 64 Qingyun Sending a Child Tower.

Warm yellow light streamed down from the ceiling, enveloping every corner of the living room.

His calm gaze was fixed on her, and the ticking of the alarm clock on the wall seemed to slow down.

Jiang Mingxue looked back at him, seeing his seemingly calm eyes that hinted at some unease. She opened her lips, but suddenly couldn't bring herself to lie to him.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding."

She leaned over, wrapped her arms around his waist, and whispered:

"You must live well, so that I can love you for a lifetime."

She spoke gently yet solemnly, and the man's body stiffened at first. Jiang Mingxue could feel his muscles relax noticeably.

Seemingly comforted, Rong Chengzhou slowly raised his hand and pulled her tightly into his arms:

"good."

A gentle breeze lifted the curtains, creating soft folds.

In the simple and cozy family room, they hugged each other tightly for a long time.

There was no lust, only pure love.

--

It was almost ten o'clock when Rong Chengzhou finished showering. He needed to wash his training uniform from the daytime, so Jiang Mingxue climbed into bed first and waited for him while playing on her phone.

Twenty minutes later, Rong Chengzhou finished his work and went to the bedroom.

The bed in the family quarters was of poor quality; it creaked as soon as he sat down.

The voice sounded so familiar that Jiang Mingxue instinctively looked up.

After meeting his meaningful gaze, she quickly looked away.

Rong Chengzhou lay down and saw that she was looking at her phone and hadn't turned off the bedside lamp.

He stretched out his long arm and hugged her from behind: "Aren't you going to sleep yet?"

Jiang Mingxue was replying to Cheng Ying's message: "Coming soon."

Rong Chengzhou hummed in agreement and held her quietly as they waited.

After chatting with Cheng Ying for a few minutes, Jiang Mingxue turned off the screen and was about to put her phone away when...

Suddenly, a series of intermittent sounds came from next door.

Male and female voices mingled, sometimes moaning, sometimes growling.

And there was the creaking of the wooden plank beds, just like theirs.

"......"

Jiang Mingxue belatedly realized what was happening on the other side, and her body suddenly froze.

The bedroom was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard. Rong Chengzhou had much better hearing than her, so he could hear them clearly.

The sounds from next door grew increasingly intense, like a surging tide, causing Jiang Mingxue to blush: "Rong Chengzhou, is the soundproofing in your house this bad?"

The man's hand encircled her waist: "It seems so."

This was his first time here, and he wasn't sure how well the soundproofing was.

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

Taking a few deep breaths, she asked tactfully, "So... was I... loud that night...?"

Upon hearing this, Rong Chengzhou smiled and said, "Not at all, I heard every word clearly."

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

The sky has fallen.

She raised her hand and covered her head with the blanket, pretending that she hadn't heard anything.

Rong Chengzhou chuckled and reached out to pull back her blanket: "I was just kidding. That night, only the bed was making noise."

Jiang Mingxue glared at him angrily: "Rong Chengzhou!"

He pulled her closer, resting his chin on the crook of her neck.

His freshly shaved chin didn't feel prickly, and a slightly hoarse yet amused voice rang in her ear: "My fault."

Jiang Mingxue ignored him with a stern face.

She noticed that Rong Chengzhou had recently taken to teasing her, even though he used to be such a serious person.

Rong Chengzhou half-sat up and leaned over her, pinching her chin and kissing her:

"Peipei, don't be angry."

She stubbornly turned her face away, unwilling to forgive him so quickly.

Rong Chengzhou kissed her lips and eyes again: "I was wrong, wife."

His smile remained, and his low, husky voice carried a hint of seduction.

Jiang Mingxue's heart trembled upon hearing this.

In a moment of distraction, the man's kiss landed on her earlobe.

Her hot breath hit her, making her shrink her shoulders in response.

The atmosphere gradually became more intimate, and the man's kisses moved lower and lower.

Jiang Mingxue's breathing quickened.

He was wearing his white shirt, which had been unknowingly pulled down below his shoulders.

He kissed her and coaxed her, "Peipei, don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Jiang Mingxue closed her eyes and accepted his kiss; she had no energy left to be angry with him.

This man had so many tricks up his sleeve that she couldn't get angry at all.

His shirt collar was pulled up to his waist, and Jiang Mingxue could only see the top of his fluffy head when she looked down:

"You've slept for two days now, are you well rested?" he asked.

"..." Jiang Mingxue frowned slightly, not wanting to answer the question, and asked him in return, "Rong Chengzhou, don't you have to get up early tomorrow?"

The man didn't raise his head, his hoarse voice hidden between his sucking lips: "It won't affect anything."

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

She has influence.

The wooden bed trembled much faster than the one next door, and Jiang Mingxue had to remind him several times before Rong Chengzhou finally stopped.

Jiang Mingxue's hard-won energy was quickly drained by Rong Chengzhou, and she drifted off to sleep, vaguely hearing his last words in her ear:

"I'll buy you some clothes with big pockets when we get back."

Jiang Mingxue: "......"

Whether it was a pang of conscience or not, Rong Chengzhou was much more restrained that night, and by around three o'clock he had finished cleaning her up and was holding her to sleep.

The next morning, Rong Chengzhou got up at six o'clock to wash up, and kissed her forehead before leaving:

"Peipei, I'm going back to the army. Remember to eat breakfast when you wake up."

Jiang Mingxue, with her eyes closed, mumbled in response, "Mmm..."

Rong Chengzhou stood by the bed and didn't leave. He pinched her chin and kissed her again.

Jiang Mingxue suddenly opened her eyes and covered her mouth: "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

The man smiled and removed her hand: "It's okay, I don't mind."

Rong Chengzhou didn't turn on the lights; the room was dimly lit in the early morning.

He leaned down and kissed her for a long while before reluctantly letting go.

He stood by the bed and watched her for a full five minutes before turning around and leaving.

He used to not understand why a foolish emperor would ruin the country because of beautiful women, but now that he has experienced it firsthand, he suddenly realizes it.

Even a foolish ruler has his reasons.

--

Jiang Mingxue slept until noon.

Last night, Rong Chengzhou had a change of heart and didn't torment her for too long.

Although I woke up late, I was noticeably less tired than on the first day.

She lingered in bed for a while before getting up to wash up.

When my gaze fell upon the bedside table and saw that less than half of the custom-made packaging remained, my naive idea was immediately retracted.

That wasn't a change of heart; he was clearly trying to save money because he was worried about not having enough later!

Jiang Mingxue remained silent for a while before putting on her shoes and getting out of bed.

Xing Kaiyu went on a mission with Rong Chengzhou today, and the person who delivered the food was another soldier brought by Rong Chengzhou.

Jiang Mingxue ate breakfast and lunch in one meal, and also ate some fruit that Rong Chengzhou had washed in advance.

I sat on the sofa and played on my phone for a while, but I found that when I had free time, the documentaries I wanted to watch and the TV series I wanted to follow became boring.

I turned off my phone after watching for a short while, changed my clothes, and prepared to go out for a walk to clear my head.

Ancheng is further north than Beicheng, so autumn comes earlier there. The afternoons are not hot, and several aunties and military wives are sitting around a mahjong table chatting downstairs in the family building.

Upon seeing the beautiful and striking new face in the hallway, she immediately recognized her as Rong Chengzhou's wife.

The aunt greeted her warmly, "Xiao Rong's wife, come and sit down!"

Jiang Mingxue paused for a moment, then pointed to herself: "Me?"

What kind of strange new name is this?

"Yes, it's you. Xiao Rong told us a long time ago to show you around to keep you entertained," the aunt from Northeast China said with a beaming smile.

Jiang Mingxue belatedly realized that Rong Chengzhou had indeed said something similar to her.

No wonder these people recognized her as soon as they saw her.

She wasn't one to mince words, so she walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to the others.

"Fifty thousand." Auntie said to her as she played mahjong, "You've finally come out. We've been waiting for you at the door for three days."

Jiang Mingxue was first surprised, then awkwardly tugged at the corner of her lips: "Sorry, I'm a bit of a homebody."

"It's okay, we're all staying home when we first arrived, but we won't be able to stand it for long."

Another military wife, holding her sleeping child, comforted her.

There were four people downstairs: two mothers of soldiers and two wives of soldiers.

"Exactly, you'll know how boring it is once you stay at home for a long time."

Jiang Mingxue laughed and said, "I'm already feeling bored."

“Right?” said the military wife holding her child. “I get bored taking care of the baby at home, let alone you who don’t have children.”

“I also want to have a child, but I haven’t gotten pregnant yet.” The younger military wife said, then looked at her. “Oh right, you and your soldier husband are also trying to conceive, right?”

Jiang Mingxue blinked, wondering how she came to that conclusion, and smiled as she replied, "I'm quite busy with work, so I'm not trying to conceive."

"Oh—" the young military wife said knowingly, "It's alright, it might not happen this time, but it will happen next time."

The other two aunties nodded in agreement: "Yes, young people should have children early."

Jiang Mingxue awkwardly tugged at her lips. She hadn't expected that after escaping her family's pressure to have a baby, she would be met with an even more intense baby-making squad from the family compound.

Fortunately, the group didn't dwell on the topic. The military wife, who was holding her child, said to her while playing cards, "Xiao Jiang, you can take over for me after this round. I'm going upstairs to get some sleep."

Jiang Mingxue waved her hand: "I don't know how to play mahjong."

The Jiang family doesn't have this tradition for Chinese New Year, and she's usually too busy with work to have any opportunity to participate.

"It's okay, I can learn it on the spot. Mahjong is very simple."

"I just won a lot of chips, so you can play without worry, you won't lose them all."

"Yes, you get a newbie aura the first time you play, so you might end up winning the most."

Several people tried to persuade her, and Jiang Mingxue, not wanting to spoil the mood, accepted the position of the military wife.

Besides recognizing the cards, all the rules at the poker table were taught on the spot.

While patiently teaching her how to play with the right hand and the right hand, her aunt laughed and said, "This time we've met a real newbie. He's going to win all of our money later."

"That's right, mahjong is a very unpredictable game; the better you are at it, the easier it is to lose."

The group chatted and played games with Jiang Mingxue, and the afternoon passed by in this way.

They didn't deliberately deceive or bully Jiang Mingxue; there is indeed a saying about "newbie halo" at the card table.

As a result, after the last game, Jiang Mingxue not only didn't have the novice's aura, but also lost money to three other teams.

In the final battle, she even played the role of the chosen one, setting up three cannons and asking everyone to give her three cards.

She pulled open her empty little drawer, clutched the last chip, and looked up, saying, "This is the last one..."

The two older women and the young military wife were laughing so hard they were practically lying on the table.

"Oh my, I can't stop laughing, Xiao Jiang is so cute."

"You guys can be my witnesses, I'm really not lying! All the newbies I've seen win blindly, this is the first time I've seen someone lose blindly."

"I know, all the newbies I've seen win by sheer luck. Xiao Jiang's bad luck is just unbelievable."

Auntie clutched her stomach and laughed for a while before she calmed down: "Let's do the math ourselves, don't count Xiao Jiang's share, we'll lose everything if we keep playing like this."

Jiang Mingxue quickly waved her hand: "It's okay, I can give it to you."

She wasn't someone who couldn't accept defeat, and besides, everyone showed no impatience while teaching her how to play. She could tell they weren't trying to win her money, but rather to integrate her into the group and find some entertainment to relieve their boredom.

“That won’t do. Although we’re not betting much, you’ve lost far too much. It adds up to a considerable sum. We can’t bully a newbie,” Auntie said.

Jiang Mingxue opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, when suddenly a slow, unhurried footstep came from behind her.

At the same time, a deep, magnetic male voice rang out:

“I’ll pay for whatever my wife lost.”

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Rong Chengzhou, dressed in a well-tailored dark blue air force uniform, walking slowly towards her.

He stared straight at her, a faint smile playing on his lips, and they locked eyes for several seconds.

He didn't withdraw until he was two steps behind her, his hands landing lightly on her shoulders with a clear sense of reassurance.

With just this one action, Jiang Mingxue knew that she didn't need to worry about the rest.

“It’s really nothing. If others knew that we were bullying the newbies, would we still be able to stay in this family compound?” Auntie insisted.

"Yes, you're all young people, save your money and buy some baby formula for your kids."

"I know."

Several people refused to accept it, but Rong Chengzhou insisted on giving it to them.

He took out dozens of red banknotes from his wallet, placed them on the card table, and said calmly:

"I am busy with military affairs and have no time to accompany her. In the next few days, I will trouble you to take her out for some fun."

"No matter how much we lose, I'll cover it all."

Having said that, the group understood.

The money wasn't from a lost bet, but rather a thank-you gift for entrusting them with taking care of his wife.

The three of them were deeply moved, never expecting that there would be such a thoughtful and considerate man in the army.

They were playing with small hands, so they didn't need that many cards. In the end, they only drew a few cards as a token gesture, and the auntie laughed and said:

"Although Xiao Jiang has bad luck at the card table, he's really lucky when it comes to meeting people."

Jiang Mingxue looked up at Rong Chengzhou. The setting sun softened his cold and hard features, and the man's handsome face was more gentle than when they first met.

She stared intently, a faint smile curving her lips.

She also felt that she was lucky to meet people.

--

I chatted with them for a few minutes downstairs, and then the couple went upstairs hand in hand.

"Did you have fun today?" Rong Chengzhou asked.

There was no elevator in the residential compound, so Jiang Mingxue followed behind him, climbing the stairs one step at a time, nodding: "It was quite fun. Apart from losing a lot, mahjong was still quite interesting to play."

Rong Chengzhou smiled faintly: "I'm glad you don't find it boring. Just treat these few days as a vacation and relax."

Jiang Mingxue: "Okay."

"Oh, right." As she walked into the entryway, she suddenly remembered something and looked up to ask, "Did you say something to them?"

Rong Chengzhou: "I only told them to take good care of you, what's wrong?"

Jiang Mingxue frowned and asked curiously, "Then why did they all think I was trying to conceive today?"

Rong Chengzhou raised his eyebrows slightly, realizing what was going on: "That's because you don't know the other name for the family compound."

Jiang Mingxue asked curiously, "Huh? What nickname?"

Rong Chengzhou tilted his head, looked at her meaningfully, and slowly uttered three words:

"The Tower Where Children Are Sent"