Su Haiting's face flushed red instantly.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Jiuzhen was overjoyed, knowing that the first step had been successful.

He raised his head and looked at Su Haiting with the same direct gaze he had learned from Ling Huanwu, his eyes filled with deep affection and ambiguity.

Su Haiting blushed even more under his gaze, and lowered her head in a panic, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.

Seeing this, Zhou Jiuzhen took two more steps forward and said softly, "I'm so sorry, you don't mind if I use a towel to wipe myself, do you?"

The voice was deep and carried a just-right amount of shyness.

Su Haiting was so nervous that she could barely speak: "No... I don't mind."

As she spoke, she hurried to get the towels from the wooden rack.

This was Zhou Jiuzhen's first time doing this. Holding the towel, his mind was filled with images of helping Ling Huanwu take a bath, so he dried her very slowly.

The towel slowly wiped the water stains from his chest, and with his slow movements, the water stains spread to his abdominal muscles. Through the military green fabric, he exuded a wild and primal beauty.

When Zhou Jiuzhen looked up, he saw Su Haiting's gaze fixed on his waist, and blood was flowing from under the woman's small nose.

What's wrong with you?

Without thinking much, he stuffed the towel he had just used into Su Haiting's hand.

Now, Su Haiting's nosebleed became even worse, and she quickly grabbed the towel that Zhou Jiuzhen had used to plug her nose.

Seeing that her nosebleed had stopped, Zhou Jiuzhen pressed his advantage.

Using the eye contact technique taught by Ling Huanwu, he would occasionally look at her with those affectionate eyes, and then casually look her up and down.

Su Haiting's heart was pounding like a rabbit's, her mind completely disturbed by Zhou Jiuzhen's actions.

After a long silence, Zhou Jiuzhen deliberately steered the conversation back to Su Haiting's mother.

He casually mentioned it, his face full of regret, "Back then, your brother wanted to show me your mother's belongings, but unfortunately, I never got to see them."

Su Haiting was immersed in the "ambiguous" atmosphere with Zhou Jiuzhen when, in a moment of impulsiveness, she blurted out, "There is a treasure map. My mother gave it to my older brother, and I gave it to my grandmother..."

After she finished speaking, she realized that she might have said something wrong and quickly covered her mouth.

Zhou Jiuzhen was overjoyed that his charm had worked, but he remained outwardly calm and gently comforted her, "What treasure map? It's alright, I won't tell anyone. I'm just curious about what kind of keepsake your aunt left for Hai Di?"

He feigned regret, which made Su Haiting's eyes light up. She quickly revealed, "The treasure map my mother left behind wasn't kept in my brother's military barracks; it was kept at my father's old home. I brought it with me to show you."

As Su Haiting spoke, she took out a small wooden box from under the pillow on the bed.

Open the wooden box and take out a piece of cloth with geographical directions drawn on it; it looks like the treasure map!

Zhou Jiuzhen couldn't wait to pick up the treasure map and examine it carefully. After looking at it for a long time, he could only make out that the shape of the island drawn on the treasure map was Wantan Island.

The location of the treasure was completely baffling; all that could be vaguely discerned was that the terrain of the treasure's location resembled a small bird spreading its wings.

Zhou Jiuzhen memorized the location diagram of the treasure map, declined Su Haiting's request to stay and read with her, and hurriedly slipped out of the military dormitory under the pretext of having something to do.

Outside, the waves rolled, and the moon shone over the sea and sky.

After Zhou Jiuzhen finished drawing a copy of the treasure map, he began searching for Ling Huanwu.

At the entrance of the cooperative.

Zhou Jiuzhen climbed over the wall and searched around but couldn't find it. Then he remembered his little home by the sea and hurried over there.

There was no one at his small home by the sea. Standing on the rock, he saw a familiar figure standing motionless in the seaside cemetery.

She seemed to stand in front of Wang Guihua's tombstone for a very, very long time...

Seaside cemetery.

Ling Huanwu gazed at the vast, shimmering sea, and a small boat of memories seemed to slowly drift into her heart, tearing her heart in two, leaving her bewildered and directionless.

"Mother, in this world, only you will unconditionally protect me and love me..."

Her voice was so soft that it vanished into the endless ocean with a gust of wind.

Behind Zhou Jiuzhen, those few words felt like a sharp blade piercing his heart.

He recalled how he had neglected her several times while focusing on his missions, and the image of her leaving in a wronged state.

Even though they both knew it was all an act, it still hurt her heart like a real knife.

For some reason, when he looked at her, he always felt a sense of dread that she might leave him at any moment.

“Big Girl…”

Ling Huanwu turned around.

In the instant their eyes met, she slowly curved her lips into a smile, her face showing no displeasure whatsoever.

That smile, however, caused Zhou Jiuzhen's heart to ache.

"So, did your charm work? Did you get the treasure map?"

"Are you planning to sell me out, get the treasure map, find the treasure, and use that treasure to fill your vast space?"

Zhou Jiuzhen slowly moved closer to her, teasing her with a smile.

She chuckled, "Yes, with a wave of my hand, I stored the treasure in my spatial storage and then put it directly into our country's treasury, saving on transportation costs too. What do you think of me..."

Before she could finish speaking, a warm, wet kiss landed on her lips.

For a very long time, it remained there gently, letting time flow and the waves roll.

"Huanwu, I love you... I can love you unconditionally..."

A sentence suddenly escaped his lips, and the cool liquid spilled between their lips with a slightly salty and sweet taste.

Ling Huanwu stroked his handsome, slightly stubble-covered chin and felt his hand was ice-cold. Only then did she realize that he was actually crying.

Why are you crying?

Zhou Jiuzhen took a deep breath, shook his head, and held her hand tightly, pulling her towards the family compound.

"What are you doing? I don't want to go back to see your mother and those people."

Ling Huanwu refused to go back, but the man in front of her stubbornly dragged her home.

There was nothing he could do; Ling Huanwu standing next to him was like a chick standing in front of an eagle at the door—the difference in strength was enormous.

They half-dragged and half-carried them back to the family compound. As soon as they entered the house, they saw Chu Mei and a group of relatives still sitting inside chatting, with sunflower seed shells scattered all over the floor.

Chicken feathers and porcelain shards were still stuck to the muddy floor of the stone house. They were clearly furious and had overturned the table, scattering bowls and chicken feathers all over the floor.

Zhou Jiuzhen, holding Ling Huanwu's hand, slowly approached the group. Chu Mei was still berating her relatives, "Marrying a capitalist's daughter makes her so spoiled. She can even burn the bottom of the pot when cooking eight-treasure porridge. She's completely disgraced the Zhao family! I asked her to cook, and she cooked a whole table of chicken feathers just to annoy me..."

Auntie was cracking sunflower seeds, and some of the shells splashed onto the book that Ling Huanwu usually read.

Third Aunt chimed in, "That's right! When I first married my husband, I cooked three meals a day and fed the pigs and chickens. I never dared to be as lazy as her!"

"What's all the noise about?"

A strong male voice suddenly burst into the courtyard. Zhou Jiuzhen, dressed in a crisp military uniform, startled everyone in the house, who turned to look at the two men.

He pulled Ling Huanwu inside, gripping her cold hand with a resolute and determined expression. His gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard, finally settling on Chu Mei: "Aunt Chu, is this how you talk badly about your daughter-in-law behind her back?"