Chapter 92: Soft and a Waist So Slim

Lu Zhanlin was tall and strong. Not only did he catch Chu Yue with ease, but he also used his palm to support her body, allowing her to quickly steady herself. Then, with one final motion, he reached out and took the quilt from Chu Yue’s arms.

The thick, bulky quilt that had once filled Chu Yue’s embrace now looked much smaller in Lu Zhanlin’s arms.

After making sure Chu Yue was standing steadily, Lu Zhanlin walked a few steps forward. When he noticed she hadn’t followed, he turned back and looked at her.

In a low voice, he asked,
“Aren’t you coming inside?”

Chu Yue rarely lost her composure, but lately life had been so peaceful that surprises like this had become almost nonexistent.

She had guessed Lu Zhanlin might return soon—it was almost New Year’s Eve, after all—but she never expected today would be the day, nor that he’d appear in such a moment.

Even though she wouldn’t have been hurt much if she had fallen—she was long used to pain—the moment Lu Zhanlin caught her, a series of ripples stirred deep in her heart.

Having a man around wasn’t so bad, she thought. At the very least, carrying quilts became much easier.

“I’m coming,”

Chu Yue said with a smile, lifting the corners of her mouth and walking over lightly.

As soon as she moved, Lu Yuanbao immediately followed.

After entering the house, Lu Zhanlin didn’t just drop off the quilt. He made the bed—spreading the blanket meticulously. Years of military training had instilled him with precise habits, and he was naturally a detail-oriented man. Everything had to be perfect.

While he was making the bed, Chu Yue stood nearby watching.

“Why are you back so early today?” she asked.

“Today the soldier training ended, so I came back early,” he replied.

“What about tomorrow? Are you going back down the mountain?”

“Yes. I have to go down again to arrange a few things. I should be back around the same time,” he explained.

Lu Zhanlin tried to be as thorough as possible with his answers. This training had gone smoothly, with no unexpected issues. Commander He had intentionally chosen to end training today so that the soldiers could enjoy a day of rest on New Year’s Eve. Once the new year began—on the first day of the lunar calendar—all soldiers would return to the unit, and that would be the true end of the exercise.

After that, Lu Zhanlin wouldn’t have to keep traveling down the mountain. He would be stationed near home again.

Which meant… he could see his wife every day.

Once the quilt was neatly arranged, Lu Zhanlin patted the fluffy cotton surface, his palm still remembering the sensation of touching Chu Yue’s lower back—

Soft. And such a slender waist.

He furrowed his brow ever so slightly. Chu Yue seemed too thin. He should help fatten her up a bit.

But he also knew exactly where she kept her softness. On those few nights they’d shared a bed, Chu Yue had slept close against his arm—warm, soft touches that were now deeply etched into his memory.

Beside him, Chu Yue hadn’t noticed Lu Zhanlin’s drifting thoughts.

She was thinking about tomorrow night’s New Year’s Eve dinner.

“Alright, I’ll start cooking around that time tomorrow, so we can eat together when you get back. What about Company Commander Xu? Since he can’t go home, should we invite him over too?”

“No need. Xu Feng has a mission tomorrow night.”

When Lu Zhanlin mentioned the mission, a smile flickered at the corners of his lips.

After all, Xu Feng’s task was quite special—assigned by Commander He himself. No matter how bold Xu Feng might be, he wouldn’t dare disobey the order.

Lu Zhanlin guessed he’d have to deal with a few days of Xu Feng grumbling in his ear afterward.

The thought passed in a flash, and Lu Zhanlin turned his full attention back to Chu Yue.

“If there’s anything else that needs doing, just leave it to me.”

Chu Yue instinctively shook her head. After all, she had already arranged everything around the house, big and small. To put it bluntly, whether Lu Zhanlin was here or not made little difference.

But looking into the man’s deep, serious eyes, it felt like if she didn’t let him do something, he’d turn into a dejected big puppy.

Chu Yue thought it over seriously, then picked a task and said:

“Zhanlin, you can chop the ribs. Chopping them takes strength, and I’m not strong enough to do it properly.”

Her soft, sweet voice sounded like she was being coquettish to Lu Zhanlin, at least in his ears.

He immediately replied,

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

Lu Zhanlin undid the buttons of his military uniform and rolled up his sleeves in neat circles, revealing well-toned arms, then walked into the kitchen.

The half-slab of ribs that Song Qi had sent over earlier was hanging up high. Thanks to the cold winter weather, it hadn’t gone bad.

Lu Zhanlin lifted his arm and easily took it down, placing it on the cutting board.

Chu Yue naturally chimed in:

“Chop it into smaller pieces, about two or three centimeters each. That way it’s easier to eat.”

Lu Zhanlin nodded and brought the knife down.

He handled the kitchen knife just like he would a pistol—decisive and clean.

Standing to the side, Chu Yue watched and thought, sure enough, a good-looking man looks good doing anything—even chopping ribs. Especially when his arm muscles flexed, the faint veins under the skin on his forearm stood out, giving off a subtly sexy vibe.

Chu Yue felt that watching alone wasn’t enough. She nudged Lu Yuanbao, then pointed at the fried rice cakes, signaling him to bring them over.

Watching and eating—now that was the real enjoyment.

While chopping ribs, Lu Zhanlin suddenly thought of something and asked:

“How’s the bicycle? Do you like it?”

“I love it! It’s amazing.” Chu Yue’s voice was full of excitement.
“I even rode it once with Yuanbao down the mountain.”

Thud!

Lu Zhanlin’s knife missed the ribs and hit the board.

He looked up at her, shocked:

“You… already rode the bike down the mountain?”

“Yeah, what’s the matter?” Chu Yue blinked, not understanding his surprise.

Of course Lu Zhanlin was shocked.

Bicycles were hard to come by these days—women’s bikes were basically nonexistent. All the ones available were the large-frame “28 bar” men’s bikes.

These bikes were all the same size, designed for men: tall frames and high seats. For someone petite, even getting on the bike was a challenge.

Chu Yue was a southern girl, not very tall—about 165 cm. Riding a 28 bar bike meant she’d have to stand on tiptoe to get on. And she was carrying a child too…

Going downhill might not be so bad, but going uphill? That was all climbing—how did she manage to get back up the mountain with a kid?

A girl who couldn’t even chop ribs—how did she have that kind of strength?

As Lu Zhanlin stood there in stunned silence, Lu Yuanbao chimed in confidently from the side:

“Mama really did ride the bike and bring me home.”

He was the tiny eyewitness.

Lu Zhanlin’s throat tightened, then he said,

“The seat’s a little too high. I’ll adjust it with some tools later—make it easier for you to ride.”

Chu Yue nodded.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

And just like that, the little ripple of tension passed quietly.

---

That evening, when Lu Zhanlin went to bed, he found Lu Yuanbao still lying in their bed.

It was as if Lu Yuanbao already knew he’d be kicked out, so he had prepared early—setting up his small pillow, taking off his coat and shoes, tucking himself under the quilt, and looking up at Lu Zhanlin with his big dark eyes.

“Mama told me I could sleep here.”

Lu Zhanlin’s brows furrowed slightly, his eyes shifting.

Was it that… Chu Yue didn’t want to sleep with him?