"Did you encounter any trouble along the way?"

"The special train has a smooth journey." Zhou Lin's voice was steady and powerful, and his eyes unconsciously avoided Zheng Wanqing's gaze.

"What is the situation in Peking?"

Zheng Wanqing motioned Zhou Lin to sit down and she pushed the teacup over to him.

Zhou Lin just sat on the edge of the chair and deliberately avoided her fingertips when taking the teacup.

"Please be at ease, Madam. The situation is stable now, and we have Elder Ye and the others here."

Zheng Wanqing nodded slightly and was about to say something else when she saw Uncle Zhou approaching with a kind smile on his face.

"Young Madam, the kitchen has prepared the food." Before he finished speaking, Uncle Zhou caught a glimpse of Zhou Lin sitting next to him, and his smile suddenly deepened.

He reached out and straightened Zhou Lin's collar: "Lin'er, has the young marshal arrived in Peking? Did anything go wrong on the way?"

That familiar tone was just like the concern of an elder for his own child.

Zheng Wanqing's hand holding the tea paused slightly in mid-air.

She heard Uncle Zhou addressing Zhou Lin, and saw that although Zhou Lin kept his back straight and maintained a military posture, his eyes revealed the gentleness unique to the younger generation.

She couldn't help but let out a sigh, with just the right amount of surprise in her voice: "Uncle Zhou and Adjutant Zhou...are old acquaintances?"

Uncle Zhou laughed out loud when he heard this, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

He patted Zhou Lin's back vigorously: "Madam, this is the rascal from my Zhou family!"

Zheng Wanqing's eyes suddenly widened, and the teacup shook gently in her hand, splashing out a few drops of amber tea.

She had been in Xie's house for some time, but had never known about this relationship. This discovery made her re-examine the young adjutant in front of her.

Seeing this, Zhou Lin stood up quickly and said, "I'm sorry. I'm usually on duty at the government office and rarely come to Xie's house..."

His ears were slightly red, completely different from the calm and composed man he was when he was reporting on military affairs just now. Now he looked like a teenager whose secret was exposed by his elders.

"I have been with the old governor since he was studying," Uncle Zhou stroked his son's shoulder with his rough hands. "When the old governor learned that I had a son, Zhou Lin, who was the same age as the young commander, he specially arranged for him to serve with the young commander."

Zheng Wanqing suddenly understood, and a smile of understanding appeared on the corner of her lips: "I see. No wonder the young marshal trusts Adjutant Zhou so much."

"This is all thanks to the old governor and the young commander!" Uncle Zhou suddenly raised his voice, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, his voice filled with excitement that was difficult to conceal, "If it weren't for them, how could this kid have survived? The young commander treated him like a brother and showed him a lot of the world."

Zhou Lin's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the seams of his military pants.

His expression was not evident, but his chest seemed to be pressed by a red-hot iron, with unspeakable emotions surging in his heart.

The image of Xie Yun riding a horse in the parade ground appeared before his eyes, his tall back in the sun, and the hands holding the reins that had once blocked an assassin's attack for him. Those memories revolved in his mind like a revolving lantern.

"Young Marshal..." His Adam's apple rolled and his voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

During the disaster relief in the southern suburbs last year, he saw with his own eyes Xie Yun put his last cloak on the shoulders of Zheng Wanqing, who had caught a cold, and Zheng Wanqing turned around and served hot porridge to a crying child.

The sight of them standing side by side in the refugee camp looked like a perfect match made in heaven.

Thinking of this, the emotions surging in my chest gradually settled down, and finally turned into an almost inaudible sigh.