"Yes, it's all packed."

Chu Yan paused as he unbuckled his belt, the light highlighting the sharp lines of his shoulders and back.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his body initially carrying a cool and refreshing aura, but the moment he touched his wife's palm, it melted into a gentle, tender touch.

He couldn't help but pull Ye Nian'an into his arms: "It seems the children are sleeping soundly."

Ye Nian'an snuggled into his arms, found a comfortable spot to lie on her side, and closed her eyes contentedly.

"Yes, I'm tired too. I was so happy today that my adrenaline was pumping. I need to get some rest."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yan gently kissed Ye Nian'an's forehead and softly said, "Yes, I'm here with you. Sleep now."

The man's hand rested on her slightly protruding belly, his fingertips caressing the cradle of new life through her nightgown.

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Having shared a bed for many years, Ye Nian'an keenly sensed that something was wrong with Chu Yan's aura. She opened her eyes and asked softly.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Niannian, everyone's happy about the announcement today, but Dad and I might have to go back to the army after the New Year. Then you..."

Ye Nian'an shook her little head: "I still need to take the college entrance exam first, so I probably can't go with the army for the time being. Let's talk about it after the baby in my belly is born and Daddy, Er'er and San'san grow up."

"No matter what, now is not a good time to accompany the army."

One or two is fine, but once the baby in her belly is born, who knows how many babies there will be.

Bringing so many kids along to the military camp, what a mess! It's impossible to manage them all.

“Besides, once you return to your original post and go back to the army, you and Dad will definitely have a lot of things to do and won’t have time to take care of us. It’s more convenient for me to stay in Haicheng, where Mom and the others can take care of me.”

"I know……"

Chu Yan gently stroked the back of Ye Nian'an's hand with his fingertips. The warmth of his palm seeped through his skin, but it couldn't hide the faint trace of melancholy in his tone.

"Just thinking about this makes me feel like something has been gnawed away at my heart."

They never separated, not only after they got married, but also during their time in the countryside.

Over the years, they have been inseparable, like glue and a harmonious couple, spending every day together.

Those warm moments, filled with the aroma of cooking, have long since etched the word "we" into each other's very bones.

The thought of returning to the military after the New Year and being separated from her husband, becoming a long-distance couple, filled Chu Yan with a sense of emptiness.

I wish I had a space where I could hide my wife and children and take them with me.

Chu Yan was unaware of the bizarre and superstitious thoughts swirling in his mind; in fact, his wife truly possessed such a wonderful treasure.

"Brother Yan, the adult world is always full of difficult choices, but you are a war god, a young and promising officer. You said that protecting the country is your dream."

"It is precisely because I admire you that I have fallen in love with you. I will support any decision you make because I believe that the man I love is absolutely a true and upright man."

"Just keep pushing forward, I'll take care of things at home for you."

These words were like a handful of warm snow, gently landing on Chu Yan's heart and melting away the layer of melancholy frost.

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

He once thought that hardship would wear away her tenderness, but he never expected that in the wrinkles of those years, she would see the meaning of "family and country" even more clearly.

She understood the passion hidden beneath his military uniform, and she also understood the weight of the saying, "Only when the nation is secure can the family be harmonious."

Those humiliating past events, gilded in history books, are pain etched into the genes of the Chinese people.

If no one stands in the wind and snow with a gun, where will the aroma of rice from the stove come from?

I never want to go back to the past.

Therefore, no matter what had happened before, Chu Yan knew that he was a soldier.

Whenever the country needs us, we will take the initiative, no matter when or where we are.

The key is, she understands...

Chu Yan's inner emotions were a mixture of joy and complexity.

"If only it could be slower..."

"Hey, don't say it."

Ye Nian'an extended her fingertip and touched Chu Yan's lips.

"The present moment is the most beautiful time and the best arrangement."

Ye Nian'an's smiling eyes curved into crescent moons.

She waits for his return amidst the everyday hustle and bustle of life, while he, bathed in the light of stars and moon, protects the peace and security of his home and country.

Perhaps this is the best agreement between them.

The calendar pages are turned one by one by time.

In the blink of an eye, the New Year has arrived.

Every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

The sounds of firecrackers and fireworks filled the air.

The whole city was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

As high-ranking infiltrators were dismantled and crushed, many high-ranking officials who had been slandered and wronged gradually returned to the city.

This year, Haicheng is even more lively than in previous years, with every household beaming with happy smiles.

At least I won't have to live so restrained and afraid anymore, lest I be arrested and sent to a labor camp for saying the wrong thing.

This year, everything is a fresh start!

After having their New Year's Eve dinner, Ye Nian'an and the others wandered around the streets, watching others play with firecrackers, chatting and laughing, and basking in the festive atmosphere.

Chu Xin'er, with her sharp eyes, suddenly noticed something and excitedly grabbed Ye Nian'an's arm, saying, "Sister-in-law, look! Someone is performing iron flower displays!"

Following the direction of her finger, a golden waterfall rose from the open ground not far away.

With a powerful strike, the craftsman transformed the molten iron into countless fireflies, blooming into flowers in the night sky, their red light illuminating the astonished faces of the onlookers.

Ye Nian'an's eyes lit up instantly: "Let's go take a look."

"OK."

Chu Yan chatted with the three Ye brothers, his gaze never leaving Ye Nian'an for a moment, ensuring her safety at all times.

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