Chapter 4 The torn-up report is a torn-up past.
"It would be best to use you to lock me up."
"lifetime."
Jiang Wu's voice was soft, yet it was deeply etched into Qin Lie's heart.
He froze completely.
He was holding a soft, fragrant woman in his arms, who was extending an irresistible invitation to him.
This woman is simply an enchantress!
Qin Lie had lived for twenty-six years, and this was the first time he had ever known that a woman could use such words and such demeanor to steal a man's soul.
His self-control, which he was so proud of, was as fragile as a thin sheet of paper in front of her.
"Jiang Wu!"
He gritted his teeth and squeezed out her name from deep in his throat, his voice hoarse and unlike his own.
He tried to push her away, but his arms were too heavy to lift.
He could clearly feel the softness of her against his chest, smell the fragrance emanating from her hair, and hear his own heart, which had betrayed its master, pounding wildly.
"Um?"
Jiang Wu snuggled against him, like a cat that had found a comfortable spot.
She looked up, and in her misty eyes, she saw his out-of-control appearance.
"Honey, your heart is beating so fast."
As she spoke, she stretched out her restless hand and touched his heart again.
"Don't you also think we shouldn't sleep separately?"
That one gesture became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Qin Lie shuddered violently, as if struck by an electric current.
He used all his strength to grab her wrist and tear her off his body.
The force was so great that she couldn't help but hiss.
"Stop fooling around!"
Qin Lie roared, his chest heaving violently, his eyes surging with suppressed anger and a hint of embarrassment that he himself was unwilling to admit.
He took two steps back, creating a safe distance, as if she were some kind of man-eating beast.
Jiang Wu rubbed her reddened wrist and looked at his tense expression. Instead of being angry, she smiled.
This man is so innocently adorable.
Even though their bodies are reacting so honestly, they still have to pretend to be so serious.
"I'm not being silly."
Jiang Wu's tone became exceptionally serious. She suppressed the seductive look in her eyes, leaving only clarity and composure.
"Qin Lie, everything I said is true. I want to live a good life with you and be a real husband and wife."
Qin Lie was panting heavily, trying to calm the burning desire within him.
His gaze swept around the room, finally settling on the scattered white scraps of paper in the grass beneath the window.
That was the divorce report she had torn up.
This discovery reignited his anger, which he had barely managed to suppress.
He strode over, bent down, and picked up the largest fragment from the grass.
The word "divorce" is still clearly visible above.
He clutched the piece of paper, turned around, and stared intently at Jiang Wu with his dark eyes.
"Then what is this?"
His voice was so cold it could drop ice crystals.
"Is this another trick you use to just live a normal life? A game of playing hard to get?"
He felt he understood her completely.
This woman is cunning and resourceful, with a variety of scheming methods.
First, he pretended to elope, causing a huge uproar and making him lose face.
Now she's torn up the divorce papers, putting on an act of changing her mind and throwing herself into his arms.
Isn't it just about making him back down and having him under your control?
Qin Lie is the last person who falls for this kind of thing!
Seeing the sarcasm and doubt in his eyes, Jiang Wu sighed inwardly.
The mess left by the original owner is really hard to clean up.
The man was more wary than she had imagined.
But that's okay, she has plenty of patience.
"Yes, that was indeed my trick."
Jiang Wu unexpectedly admitted it.
Qin Lie was taken aback, not expecting her to admit it so readily.
Jiang Wu walked towards him, stood right in front of him, and took the piece of paper from between his fingers.
Her fingertips brushed against his fingers, sending another slight shiver down her spine.
"But this is not a case of playing hard to get."
Jiang Wu looked at the shredded paper in her hand, her voice very soft.
"This is farewell."
She raised her eyes and looked at Qin Lie.
"Qin Lie, Jiang Wu used to be both pretentious and stupid, her brain was full of mush. She didn't know how to cherish, she took your sincerity for granted, and she took your kindness for granted."
"She makes you lose face in front of your comrades, she turns this family into chaos, she has done so many wrong things."
Her voice was calm, as if she were telling someone else's story.
"But Jiang Wu is no longer here."
In front of Qin Lie, she tore the piece of paper in her hand into even smaller pieces.
"From today onwards, standing before you is a completely new Jiang Wu. A Jiang Wu who only wants to be your wife, bear your children, and live a peaceful and stable life with you."
Her words made Qin Lie's heart skip a beat.
The woman before me had an open and honest gaze, and spoke with sincerity, without a trace of hypocrisy or scheming.
But he still couldn't believe it.
How could a person change so much in a single day?
Do you think I'd believe that?
Qin Lie's voice remained cold and hard, but the doubt in it had subtly diminished.
Whether you believe it or not is neither up to you nor up to me.
A slight smile curved the corners of Jiang Wu's lips.
Time will tell.
She didn't press him any further, but instead changed the subject.
"Honey, when you came back just now, did you see the tiles on our roof? Several of them are cracked. The house was leaking when it was windy and rainy a few days ago."
She pointed to a corner of the roof.
"And that old stove in the kitchen, the flames always flicker, it's a real struggle to cook a meal. I was thinking, tomorrow we should go to the logistics department and see if we can get some new roof tiles and coal to tidy up the house."
She naturally began to discuss household matters, her tone so familiar that it seemed they had been doing this for many years.
This feeling is wonderful.
Qin Lie looked at her, his mind a little blank.
Just a moment ago, she was a vixen setting fire to his life.
At this moment, she became a perfectly normal wife again, worrying about the family's food, clothing, and daily necessities.
Which one is the real her?
"I see."
He gave a vague reply, feeling completely led by the nose by her.
He didn't want to be in the same space with her anymore; it felt too dangerous.
He turned and strode towards the outer room.
"I'm going to wash up."
He grabbed his washbasin and towel and practically fled.
Watching his hurried departure, Jiang Wu's smile grew even brighter.
She walked to the bedside and looked at his pillow and the neatly folded blanket on the bed.
There's no reason for us to sleep in separate beds tonight.
Qin Lie stood under the tap in the yard, repeatedly splashing his face with the icy well water.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the image of Jiang Wu from his mind.
The softness of her body when she held him, the warmth of her breath as she spoke in his ear, the captivating eyes she looked into...
And then there was her final statement, "Time will tell."
Qin Lie grabbed a handful of hair in frustration.
He discovered that he knew nothing about his wife, whom he had been married to for a year.
What's even more terrifying is that he seems to have developed an uncontrollable curiosity about her.
When he returned to his room, still damp from the sweat, he found that the scene inside had once again exceeded his expectations.
The small wooden bed in the outer room, where he had slept for a year, was now empty.
The bedding that was originally placed on top is gone.
His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly looked into the inner room.
Jiang Wu was sitting on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to her.
On the 1.5-meter-wide double bed, two pillows were placed side by side.
His thin blanket was neatly spread out on the other half of the bed.
"Honey, are you done washing up?"
Jiang Wu smiled at him, her eyebrows curving like a crescent moon in the night sky.
"I've already made up your bed, come and get some sleep. You have to get up early for morning exercises tomorrow."
Her tone was so matter-of-fact.
It seems they've always shared a bed like this.
Qin Lie stood at the door, unsure whether to go in or back out.
He felt like a clueless young man who had stumbled into a spider's web.
And the most beautiful fairy was spreading her alluring net for him.
If he takes just one more step forward, he will be completely swallowed up.
But where can he retreat to?
The whole house is just this small.
"Jiang Wu, bring out my blanket."
He was making a final struggle.
"don't want."
Jiang Wu shook her head and even shrank further under the covers, clearly trying to get away with it.
"It's so cold outside, you'll get sick if you sleep there. You're the regimental commander, what will happen to the troops if you get sick?"
She even quoted grand principles.
Qin Lie was speechless, completely stumped by her.
He stood there, facing her.
Time passed by, and the night on the island grew deeper.
The sea breeze outside the window howled like a woman's sobs.
The lights inside were dim and warm.
The person on the bed had beautiful features and was looking at him with a smile.
Qin Lie finally sighed in resignation.
He strode in and went inside.
But he didn't go straight to bed.
Instead, he stood by the bedside and spoke to Jiang Wu in an unprecedentedly serious tone.
"Okay, I'll sleep in the bed."
"However, we need to agree on three rules."
He stretched out his finger and gestured in the middle of the bed.
"This is the 38th parallel."
"You sleep on your side, I'll sleep on my side. Neither of us is allowed to cross the line."
"If I find out you've crawled over here in the middle of the night..."
He paused, trying to find a threatening remark.
I'll throw you off the bed!
P.S.: I forgot to flatter Tomato in the last chapter, so here's a make-up.
Tomato Robot is the best, bar none!
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