Xu Xinghe immediately pouted, "How can you be like me?"
The Nian monster only has eyes and a mouth; its nose wasn't even cut out. It's not that ugly.
When Wang Chunmei saw Jiang Linchuan return, she quickly waved her hand and started to shoo him away, "Since Commander Jiang is back, you should go back now and let him help you put up the window decorations. Commander Jiang, there are only two days left until the New Year, aren't you leaving?"
"I'm not leaving. I've already completed this year's tasks."
"That's fine then." Wang Chunmei chuckled, closed the door, and said, "Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Go home now, it's cold outside."
Jiang Linchuan lowered his eyes and took Xu Xinghe's small hand. "Let's go home."
"Yes, let's go home!"
The courtyard remains the same as before.
It just has a touch more red and a festive feel.
Jiang Linchuan took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and took the paper-cut window decoration from Xu Xinghe's hand. "I'll help you put it up."
“Okay, we’ll stick this on…” Xu Xinghe thought of what he had just said, “Let’s stick it on the front door, right below the character ‘福’ (Fu, meaning good fortune).
"good."
Xu Xinghe held the bowl of paste and stared at Jiang Linchuan. Although it had only been a few days since they last met, for some reason, he seemed even more handsome. Perhaps it was because he wasn't wearing that same old military overcoat anymore. "By the way, has Lian Xiao come back too?"
Jiang Linchuan paused. "Yes, you're back. You want to see him?"
"Yes, I want to send him something. He lives alone now and his relationship with everyone is just so-so. Apart from the New Year's gifts from the military, he probably hasn't prepared anything else. Although Grandpa Lian will send him some things, they will definitely be from Shanghai, which are different from what we have here."
Jiang Linchuan pasted the window decorations, stared at them carefully for a while, and made sure they weren't crooked. "Then let's go deliver them. I'll go with you."
He couldn't restrict Xu Xinghe from making friends, nor could he domineeringly demand that she not interact with any men.
All he could do was watch closely from the sidelines to prevent any accidents from happening.
He believed Xu Xinghe, but not Lian Xiao.
Especially during this mission, where the two worked together, he was able to see some of the traits in Lian Xiao's personality.
Perhaps because he came from a military family and grew up with a powerful elder like Lian Lao, he was arrogant and unrestrained, with an uncommon flamboyance in his bones.
This is a drawback; it might cause him to get injured during missions, make him disliked, and lead people to think he's arrogant and difficult to get along with.
But isn't that also his strength? At least it's enough to attract women's attention.
Once this arrogance subsides and settles, he will become even more outstanding.
Given time, I will surely be able to stand at the same level as him.
Paste all the window decorations.
Xu Xinghe selected some New Year's goods and went to Lian Xiao's house with Jiang Linchuan.
Other courtyards were already adorned with red lanterns, filled with the lively atmosphere of the New Year, but Lian Xiao's little courtyard remained deserted.
The water basin in the corner of the yard was frozen solid, the snow on the steps hadn't been cleared, and even the doors and windows were bare, making it look like no one had lived there for a long time.
Xu Xinghe stepped forward and gently knocked on the door. "Lian Xiao, are you home?"
"Yes." Footsteps soon came from inside the room.
The door creaked open, revealing Lian Xiao's handsome face.
He had already taken off his thick coat, wearing only a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his well-defined collarbone. He leaned lazily against the doorframe. "Why did you come here?"
Jiang Linchuan took a half step forward without making a sound, just blocking Xu Xinghe's view of Lian Xiao, and said in a flat tone, "I've come to bring you some New Year's gifts."
As he spoke, he placed the bag in his hand on the small table by the door. "Everything is here. Organize it yourself."
He turned his head to look at Xu Xinghe beside him, "Let's go first. He just got back, he must still have things to do."
"Who said I'm busy?" Lian Xiao stepped aside and opened the door completely. "I'm very free right now. Besides, I don't know how to deal with all this New Year's goods, and I haven't even put up any paper-cut window decorations yet. Xinghe, why don't you lend me a hand? Oh, by the way, my grandfather sent some things over a few days ago and specifically asked me to give them to you. I'll give them to you at the same time."
“Okay.” Xu Xinghe tugged at Jiang Linchuan’s sleeve.
Lian Xiao only knew her here, and besides, the other party came to Heilongjiang Province because of her. It was only right and wrong for her to help her during such an important holiday as the Spring Festival.
Jiang Linchuan's eyes were unreadable, but he still nodded in agreement, "Mm."
The two entered together.
Lian Xiao poured Xu Xinghe a cup of hot tea, but when they arrived at Jiang Linchuan's place, there was only a bowl of plain water. "We don't have that much hot water at home. You're not angry, are you?"
During this mission, Lian Xiao truly witnessed Jiang Linchuan's prowess.
With precise tactical deployment and composure in the face of adversity, he can handle even the most challenging emergencies with ease.
But this excellence did not inspire any admiration in him; on the contrary, it made him even more resentful.
Because he doesn't deny Jiang Linchuan's excellence, but he also doesn't think he's that bad.
During the mission, however, Jiang Linchuan seemed to be deliberately going against him, always finding fault with him.
If you're slow, you'll be criticized; if you don't observe carefully, you'll be criticized; in short, there's always something to find fault with.
Instead of becoming comrades-in-arms during the mission, the two became even more at odds than before.
"Of course not." Jiang Linchuan glanced at the bowl of water on the table but didn't touch it. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"You're a grown man, you can't help me." Lian Xiao deliberately sat opposite Xu Xinghe, leaving him standing aside. "I see that other people's windows have paper-cut window decorations, can you cut some for me too?"
Xu Xinghe had just learned how to cut paper snowflakes from Wang Chunmei and was itching to try it herself. Upon hearing this, she immediately nodded and said, "Sure, do you have any red paper at home? If so, I can cut some for you right now."
"Of course, wait a moment."
Lian Xiao got up to get the red paper, along with some items mailed from Shanghai.
The table was piled high with food.
"These are pastries my grandpa brought for you, all your favorites. And this is glutinous rice balls, my grandpa specially had someone make them, they taste especially good. And this..."
The two then chatted back and forth, creating a cheerful atmosphere.
Jiang Linchuan sat to the side, unable to get a word in edgewise.
He remained silent, gazing intently at Lian Xiao.
It's okay, they're just friends.
But the bitterness in my heart just wouldn't go away.
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