Shen Huaichuan's back was as taut as an iron plate.
He was the top runner-up in the military region every year when he was carrying heavy loads in cross-country races. The weight on his back was light and nothing to him. However, the woman's messy hair swayed with his steps, brushing against the back of his neck and making his back burn. He had to slow down.
Compared to him, Zhou Qiqi was quite at ease.
She had never been to a military dependents' area in either of her lives, so everything was new and exciting to her.
The lights were already off, with only the dim streetlights still on, making the entire military dependents' area look like a faded old photograph. The gray, cramped tenement buildings stood side by side, clothes hung on the ropes outside the windows, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning coal.
Shen Huaichuan deliberately chose to walk on deserted paths, the moonlight casting long shadows that enveloped the two intertwined figures, blurring them into a hazy mass on the stone path.
"arrive."
When Zhou Qiqi pushed open the courtyard gate, her eyes lit up instantly.
In the neat three-row, one-story courtyard, only this building smelled of freshly painted lime.
As expected of the regimental commander, the house he lives in is truly exceptional!
This will be her home from now on!
Zhou Qiqi unconsciously tightened her grip on Shen Huaichuan's neck and followed him into the house with anticipation.
She was stunned as soon as she went in.
This house only looks impressive from the outside; inside, it's cold and lifeless.
A complete set of furniture stood upright with sharp edges, and everything was arranged as if it were lined up neatly.
It was spotless inside and out, without a single piece of clutter or decoration, not even curtains.
A minimalist military barracks style.
"Explain the situation."
The moment her bottom touched the ground, Shen Huaichuan sat down opposite her, raised an eyebrow, and stared directly into her sharp, cold eyes as he spoke.
With that way of speaking, that poker face, and the surrounding environment, Zhou Qiqi instantly felt that she wasn't his wife, but rather a prisoner under his command.
This isn't some minimalist military barracks style, it's pure prison style!
She seemed to understand why Lin Yao didn't want to marry Shen Huaichuan anymore.
However, Zhou Qiqi was not the same kind of pushover or doormat as the original owner of this body. She was used to taking control of everything herself, and blinked her eyes pitifully.
"Commander Shen, even when interrogating prisoners, you have to give them a drink of water, and besides..."
She dangled her blood-stained feet, her voice trailing off weakly, "My soles still hurt! Do you have any medicine?"
She had already figured it out in the guard room. Shen Huaichuan was just a bit cold-faced, but he could be easily manipulated with a little coquetry. He was a complete paper tiger.
Sure enough, the man looked at her five nimble, dancing toes, blinked with a dark look in his eyes, got up to pour her a glass of water, and also went into the house to find a jar of ointment.
The water was cold, drawn from the tap, and had a strange taste, but Zhou Qiqi was extremely thirsty and didn't care, gulping it all down.
Then they quickly started pricking the blisters and applying ointment.
She has always been independent and self-reliant; she won't ask for help if she can do something herself.
But he never mistreats himself. Just now, when he couldn't walk anymore, he didn't hesitate to ask Shen Huaichuan for help.
She had been busy on the road and hadn't had a chance to examine the body closely before, but now that she saw it, it was truly shocking.
The original owner of this body is only twenty years old this year, but she already has such a thick layer of calluses on the soles of her feet, which are left from years of working in the fields. Moreover, there are many reddish-brown old scars below her calves.
These were burns she got while cooking before. Her family couldn't afford to buy her medicine, so the new and old wounds piled up, causing an infection that never healed.
The minty ointment mixed with the smell of blood made Zhou Qiqi's nose itch and her eyes well up with tears.
She felt even more sympathy for the original owner of this body, and slowly began to recount the original owner's experiences in the Xu family over the past nineteen years.
This includes how the Xu family treated her after her parents passed away, her relationship with Xu Shu, and her experiences after this trip.
However, she only talked about the original owner's experiences, and didn't say a word about herself.
Her tone was soft and weak, tinged with grievance, and her eyes were slightly red, making her look pitiful.
This tactic is called "pretending to be weak to catch a tiger"!
"You mean the Xu family has been bullying you all along? For over a decade?"
Shen Huaichuan frowned, raised an eyebrow at Zhou Qiqi, his gaze deep and unreadable.
"yes!"
Staring at her like that, Zhou Qiqi felt a sudden panic for no reason. She swallowed hard and nodded subconsciously.
However, she quickly calmed down. She hadn't lied, so what was there to be afraid of?
She's just so pitiful!
As she spoke, she straightened her chest and blinked her eyes, meeting his gaze directly into the cold, deep pool of the Huai River.
"In short, that's the situation now. Anyway, you've already submitted the marriage application, so legally I'm already your wife. I can only come with you to the military base; there's no other way. We can't get a divorce, can we? What do you think?"
When the marriage report was mentioned, Shen Huaichuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he lowered his head.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice still somewhat hoarse, "I do need a lover."
His parents have always been in poor health and have been pressuring him to get married this year. They've even told him this to the political commissar of their military region, saying that if he doesn't get married this year, it's really unacceptable.
As for Lin Yao, she kept delaying meeting him, and he could tell that she didn't want to marry him.
Even though he had already agreed to her request and given her the opportunity to intern at the military hospital.
And the woman in front of me...
Shen Huaichuan knew she was lying, but for some reason, he didn't want to refuse.
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