The following day, at the regimental headquarters office.
He Yanzhi sat behind his desk, holding a document in his hand, but his eyes were somewhat glazed over, and the two obvious dark circles under his eyes indicated that he had a terrible night's sleep.
The scenes from yesterday evening kept replaying in my mind...
Her bright smile, her slender figure on horseback, the soft touch as she fell, and that unexpected kiss that felt like a feather brushing against his throat yet ignited a wildfire...
"cough!"
A deliberate cough interrupted his reverie.
Wan Tao, carrying an enamel mug, strolled over and plopped down in the chair opposite him, giving him a winking and sizing-up look:
"Hey Lao He, what's wrong with you? Did you steal a cow last night? Look at those dark circles under your eyes! You're a bachelor, you don't usually have any 'activities' at night, how did you manage to get yourself into this state?"
He Yanzhi snapped out of her daze, rolled her eyes at him irritably, and ignored his nonsense, lowering her head to pretend to look at the documents.
Wan Tao persisted, leaning closer and lowering his voice, "What? Did I guess right? Something's up? Tell me, is it... related to that Comrade Guan?"
He gestured towards the direction of the family compound.
He Yanzhi paused, remained silent for a moment, then put down the document with some irritation and rubbed his temples.
His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible confusion, "She...she seems...a little different lately."
"Oh? How are they different?"
Wan Tao immediately perked up, his gossip-loving spirit burning brightly.
“Yesterday… she smiled at me, and… accepted the things I gave her.” He Yanzhi carefully chose his words, omitting some overly provocative details. “This morning when she went out, she didn’t seem to be avoiding me like before.”
He even subconsciously touched his Adam's apple, where a lingering, hallucinatory sensation seemed to remain.
"Wow! This is great news!" Wan Tao slapped his thigh, almost jumping for joy. "Has the sun risen in the west? Has she finally come to her senses and stopped being so stubborn?"
Old He, what are you waiting for? Strike while the iron is hot! Quickly, find a few reliable women, sound them out, and officially act as matchmakers! Then everything will fall into place, right?
He Yanzhi's eyes flickered, clearly showing his concerns.
He pursed his lips, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his voice lowering, "I'm afraid she's only doing this temporarily... or out of gratitude. What if she's still unwilling in her heart?"
He was worried that it would put pressure on her.
"My dear Commander He!" Wan Tao was practically frantic with worry over his indecisive manner, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Where's your usual decisive and ruthless spirit on the battlefield? Why are you so hesitant and indecisive when it comes to this!"
He leaned closer, his voice extremely low, yet every word struck He Yanzhi's heart like a hammer blow:
"She's only been dating Han Haoxian for a few days? He went to war not long after they got married. What feelings could they possibly have? Does she really think she can live a life of widowhood for him? Everyone knows how Lin Jiaman and those two brats tormented her. She must be out of her mind to refuse to jump out of that hellhole and remarry!"
Wan Tao became more and more excited as he spoke, and couldn't help but reveal the secret that He Yanzhi had buried deep in his heart:
"Besides! Have you forgotten? The year we first went to the front lines, Han Haoxian received a letter from her, found it annoying, and threw it aside. Did you pick it up and read it?"
The handwriting on that letter! So neat and strong, didn't you recognize it at a glance? That's the handwriting of 'Blue Sky' that you've been searching for all these years! There's absolutely no mistake!"
He Yanzhi's body stiffened abruptly, and his pupils contracted slightly.
That memory he had deliberately buried was unearthed once again.
Wan Tao continued, "Didn't you secretly talk to Han Haoxian back then, asking him to treat his wife better and write back more often? But what did that kid say? He said he had no feelings for her and was too lazy to write!"
You later discovered that he was secretly writing letters to a woman named "Zhao Mei," knowing full well that they wouldn't be sent! Didn't you get so angry that you fought with him?!
He Yanzhi's fists clenched unconsciously, and his jawline tightened.
The memory of that falling out between brothers still makes him feel choked up.
"What kind of nonsense did that bastard Han Haoxian say back then?" Wan Tao mimicked that arrogant tone, "'If you really think she's good and feel sorry for her, then when you get back, you should just marry her!' Ha, now look what's happened, he can't come back, but you are! Isn't that perfect? You're going to have to snatch her away... no, take her in and take good care of her, right?!"
Wan Tao slapped He Yanzhi hard on the shoulder, as if he wanted to force him to get married. "Old He! Since you've already decided on her, stop with your melodramatic act of silently protecting her and watching from afar!"
If you're a man, take the initiative! Quickly and legitimately snatch her away and keep her by your side to protect her! Are you really going to just stand by and watch her continue to be bullied to death by that wicked mother-in-law in that house?
Wan Tao's words were like a heavy hammer, shattering He Yanzhi's last hesitations and concerns.
Yes, what is he waiting for?
The result of waiting might be watching her continue to be tormented, or... missing out again.
He suddenly raised his head, the previous confusion and hesitation in his eyes vanished, replaced by the sharpness and determination of a soldier making a firm decision.
He took a deep breath and looked at Wan Tao. "You're right. I know what to do."
......
The days that followed felt like they had been put on a magical fast-forward.
Without fail, He Yanzhi would "casually" bring an extra breakfast every morning and wait at the usual spot not far from the compound.
Sometimes it's steamed buns and porridge from the cafeteria, sometimes it's egg pancakes he makes himself early in the morning; he always manages to come up with something different.
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