Seeing the little girl's wide-eyed surprise, and a snowflake landing on her rosy lips, Zhou Jinshan's breath hitched for a moment. He quickly released her, took a step back, and said, "Be careful next time."

The man's voice was somewhat tense, but Feng Mingshu's heart was beating a little faster because of the recent events, so he couldn't tell the subtle difference and just assumed that he was a very proper person.

Because he let go quickly, just like when a passerby falls and he helps them up, his actions were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, which improved her impression of him slightly.

Of course, this was mainly because her bottom line was too low; after all, she had previously regarded him as a bandit and a scoundrel.

It seems that soldiers are soldiers, not bandits or scoundrels.

She had just relaxed when Zhou Jinshan snatched the military water bottle from her hand.

"This was prepared for me, right? Thank you." Zhou Jinshan raised the kettle to express his gratitude, a smile in his eyes. "I'll return it to you tomorrow."

"Hurry inside, the snow is getting heavy."

"See you tomorrow, Comrade Feng!"

The man talked to himself, waved his hand, and strode away with his head held high, looking very righteous, showing no remorse for having robbed anyone.

Feng Mingshu was so angry that her mind went blank. After she came to her senses, she couldn't catch up with him, so she could only yell at his back: "You scoundrel, I won't see you even if you come tomorrow!"

The issue now isn't whether or not to drag someone down with her, but rather that this man's temperament clashes with hers. Even if he were a perfect match, she wouldn't take a bite.

The man didn't turn around or answer; he simply waved the water bottle before disappearing into the wind and snow.

Helpless, Feng Mingshu angrily closed the courtyard gate and ran back into the building.

Yu Jingqiu saw her daughter storm in and glanced at her hand: "Why did you bring the umbrella back? Has the snow stopped?"

"It didn't stop, and he didn't need an umbrella."

Feng Mingshu didn't notice the spite and anger in her words. Such emotions were extremely rare for her. Ever since her father ran away with the family fortune to elope with his true love, she had become exceptionally sensible and quiet. Even if she was unhappy, she would keep it to herself and digest it slowly.

A sensible girl might be praised by outsiders, but to her mother, it's a source of heartache.

Seeing her daughter so vibrant again, Yu Jingqiu was overjoyed and also felt a surge of affection for the officer whose name she didn't know.

"Zhuzhu, when that gentleman comes next time, please invite him in for a chat," Yu Jingqiu said to her daughter with a smile, her tone gentle.

Feng Mingshu put the black umbrella deep in the cabinet, turned around and heard her mother's words. She shook her head and said, "Mom, he won't come again."

If they come, we should send them away in advance to avoid wasting each other's time.

"Is that so? That's a real shame." Yu Jingqiu expressed her regret, but there was a smile in her eyes.

Feng Mingshu calmly went upstairs to the second floor, entered her room, threw herself onto the bed, and punched it several times.

...

"Old Zhou, it's already dark, you're finally back!"

"Do you know that if you don't come back in this heavy snow, I'm going to report you to the political commissar?"

"Old Zhou, say something, don't be a mute. Tell me honestly, are you dating that capitalist's daughter?"

Zhou Jinshan returned to the hospital covered in snow and wind. Lu Xiangqian immediately started nagging him. Zhou Jinshan silently made his way to his own bedside and finally spoke: "If you have time to ask about this, why don't you call a doctor for me?"

Hearing his hoarse voice, Lu Xiangqian noticed that Zhou Jinshan was sweating profusely, with bulging veins and an abnormal flush on his face. Lu Xiangqian raised his hand to touch him and exclaimed in shock, "Old Zhou, are you burning up? Is your brain fried?"

Zhou Jinshan: "..."

"Old Zhou, hang in there, I'll go get the doctor!"

Fortunately, Lu Xiangqian wasn't so unreliable and quickly called the doctor and nurses.

When I took the thermometer, wow, it was almost 40 degrees Celsius!

The doctor was so angry that he yelled, "You had a cut on your body, and you went out and caused trouble before your wounds had healed. You're lucky you even made it back!"

"Yes, he's just making a mess of things, he needs to be properly criticized!" Lu Xiangqian chimed in, but unexpectedly drew the criticism to himself.

"Comrade, weren't you the one who came to pick me up at noon? What did you promise me?"

Lu Xiangqian immediately backed down, repeatedly bowing his head and admitting his mistake with a good attitude.

Half an hour later, Zhou Jinshan's injuries were re-treated and bandaged, and he was put on an IV drip again.

Finally, after getting rid of the ill-tempered doctor, Lu Xiangqian dragged over a chair and plopped down: "Old Zhou, I took half an hour of your lecture for you. If you have any camaraderie, tell me honestly, what's going on between you and that capitalist's daughter?"

Zhou Jinshan leaned against the headboard with his eyes half-closed, his only movable hand stroking a kettle. Lu Xiangqian noticed this and immediately reached out: "Is there still water in the kettle? Let me have some water to moisten my throat first, then I'll tell you..."

Snap!

Lu Xiangqian's outstretched hand was slapped away, and Zhou Jinshan raised his eyelids and said coolly, "Go get your own water if you want some."

"No, we're brothers from the same trench, we can even swap pants, and now you won't lend me a water bottle... Hey, this water bottle is a little different from the ones issued to us in the army, it wasn't a gift from that capitalist's daughter, was it?" Lu Xiangqian realized he had found the key point.

Zhou Jinshan glanced at him: "Don't always call her the capitalist's daughter. Her surname is Feng. From now on, call her Comrade Feng."

Lu Xiangqian was stunned by Zhou Jinshan's seriousness and stood up abruptly: "Old Zhou, are you serious? You even swapped water bottles! How am I supposed to explain this to the political commissar?"

Zhou Jinshan glanced at him indifferently: "Didn't you relay the political commissar's message, telling me to snatch the prettiest one back?"

"no……"

"Did you relay the wrong message?"

"No, I didn't make a mistake! The political commissar told you to grab the prettiest one, not a capitalist's daughter." Lu Xiangqian didn't fall into Zhou Qingshan's verbal trap and quickly gave an example, "Look at Lao Zhai, that's what you call clear-headed. He left as soon as he found out about Comrade Feng's background."

Upon hearing Lu Xiangqian mention Zhai Qingping, Zhou Jinshan's lips twitched, a look that seemed both mocking and disdainful. He spoke slowly and deliberately: "Old Lu, don't make wild guesses about what the political commissar said. Isn't the political commissar's ideological awareness higher than yours or mine?"

Regardless of the current situation, on a large scale, it is necessary to unite all social classes, and capitalists can also be reformed into good people.

Lu Xiangqian was momentarily speechless: "I can't argue with you. I'm going to find the political commissar right now."

"stop."

"Hey, now you're scared?" Lu Xiangqian stopped in front of the door, raising an eyebrow smugly.

Zhou Jinshan: "I suggest you look at your watch. What time is it? Are you going to disturb the political commissar and his wife's rest?"

The watch shows 10 o'clock.

Lu Xiangqian: "..."

"Fine, I'm not going. I'll stay at the hospital with you for the night!" Lu Xiangqian plopped down and stared at him.

"I'm going to sleep. Keep an eye on the medicine bottle for me." Zhou Jinshan closed his eyes.

Lu Xiangqian grumbled and cursed, but still kept a close eye on the medicine bottle. He waited until almost 2 a.m. when the medicine was finished before he lay down on the bedside and fell asleep haphazardly, soon starting to snore.

That night, however, many people couldn't sleep well.