Chapter 59

The next morning, at dawn, the sunlight broke through.

Shi Tingyu woke up early to prepare breakfast for Lu Weiguo.

Lu Weiguo, being from the north, preferred more staple foods. She kneaded and rolled out noodles for him, and also made two eggs.

Seeing the steaming noodles in front of him, Lu Weiguo showed his appreciation through actions.

Apart from leaving enough for Shi Tingyu, he finished the rest by himself.

Watching the noodles disappear, Shi Tingyu felt a sense of satisfaction.

After tidying up, Lu Weiguo packed his bag and prepared to leave.

Standing in the corridor, Shi Tingyu watched his departing figure, a slight melancholy rising in her heart.

Just as Lu Weiguo was about to leave the compound, he stopped, turned around, and hurried back to her.

Lu Weiguo looked down at his wife in front of him, solemnly asking, “Wife, can you hug me?”

Shi Tingyu’s eyes twinkled with a smile as she reached out, embracing his waist and burying her face in his chest.

Lu Weiguo returned the embrace, holding her tightly.

Her petite figure, with the fragrance of early morning washing still lingering, nestled in his arms, was incredibly endearing.

Feeling her gradually relax in his arms, Shi Tingyu patted his waist and looked up.

Lu Weiguo eased his grip, his eyes reluctant.

Shi Tingyu tugged at his collar and tiptoed to peck him lightly on the lips.

Lu Weiguo’s eyes widened involuntarily. He looked down at her, seeing Shi Tingyu’s slightly flushed face and her full, moist lips. Her gaze met his without any evasion.

Encouraged, Lu Weiguo tightened his grip around her soft waist, cupped the back of her neck with one hand, and passionately kissed her.

His kiss was as intense and fierce as his demeanor.

It was Lu Weiguo’s first kiss, lacking experience, relying only on instinct to press his lips against hers.

The sensation of their lips touching sent shivers down their spines. Shi Tingyu’s legs felt slightly weak.

Feeling her body slowly slide down, Lu Weiguo lifted her up, refusing to let their lips part for a moment.

Shi Tingyu instinctively clung to his neck, her eyelashes trembling, her soft lips following his lead.

She felt the oxygen in her chest slowly depleting.

This was her first intimate encounter with a man like this, and every pore on her body trembled. Her hands gripped his shirt collar, as if grasping a lifeline before drowning.

Sensing her movements, Lu Weiguo kissed her deeper.

He had no extra skills, only a passionate release of suppressed emotions.

Just as Shi Tingyu felt she might drown in the kiss, Lu Weiguo released her.

Both of them were panting heavily, their chests pressed against each other.

Lu Weiguo gently brushed her slightly disheveled hair and sighed tenderly, “Wife, I have to go. Take care of yourself at home.”

Shi Tingyu buried her face in his chest, her voice slightly hoarse from the kiss, “Mm, you too.”

Lu Weiguo lightly patted her back, instructing, “I’ve already spoken with Old Feng yesterday. If anything happens, find him.”

Shi Tingyu slowly raised her head, a faint blush still on her face. “I’ll be fine here in the family quarters. It’s safe, and if needed, I can always rely on Mrs. Zhang next door.”

Lu Weiguo nodded, still concerned, and reminded her, “If anyone troubles you, stand up to them first. If that doesn’t work, tell them you’ll complain to the leaders. The leaders always take care of the families of soldiers on missions.”

Shi Tingyu smiled, saying, “Okay, and if all else fails, I can always let out Lijian.”

Finally, giving her a light peck on the lips, Lu Weiguo released her hand and turned to leave.

This time, he didn’t look back.

As the courtyard gate slowly closed, Shi Tingyu felt a hollow emptiness in her chest. From now on, she would have to slowly adapt to this state.

Thinking this, she patted her own face. She needed to find something to do; she couldn’t become a woman who idly waited for her husband to return.

Deciding to act immediately, Shi Tingyu decided to start with a thorough cleaning of the house.

She went to her room and began tidying up her desk. While organizing the drawers, she found a notebook inside.

The notebook had no name on it. She opened it and found newspaper clippings pasted inside.

The clippings reported on their elementary school winning the title of Most Beautiful Campus in a local competition.

After the interview, she hadn’t paid much attention to it.

Whether it was the original owner or herself, being in the newspaper was not unfamiliar, so she had no desire to collect newspapers.

Apart from her, the only one in this house was Lu Weiguo, and it was clear that he had been getting these things.

Unexpectedly, after the newspaper was issued, he even silently cut it out.

The Jinling Daily’s report used two photos, one of the murals and one of her standing in front of the school gate for the interview, both of which were quite clear.

She appreciated the skill level of this photographer, Dazhuang.

However, beside her photograph, there was also a spot of ink-black ink.

Shi Tingyu chuckled. “This man really needs to improve his aesthetic sense. At first glance, I thought it was a blot of ink.”

Putting the notebook back in place, Shi Tingyu’s mood improved. She felt particularly energized doing the housework.

After cleaning the entire house, Shi Tingyu felt sore all over.

She sat on a chair in the corridor, looking at the lush climbing roses along the wall, feeling peaceful.

It was rare to steal half a day of leisure.

Lijian lay at her feet, panting in the heat, making Shi Tingyu uncomfortable.

“Let me give you a bath at noon.”

Whether Lijian understood or not, it wagged its tail at Shi Tingyu as if agreeing.

Shi Tingyu warmed some water and gave Lijian a bath. Lijian seemed to enjoy it, squinting its eyes contentedly. Despite being a puppy, it already had a dignified air.

After the bath, Shi Tingyu dried Lijian off and instructed, “You just had a bath, don’t get your fur dirty.”

Then she went to fetch some water.

When she finished tidying up, she noticed Lijian holding a broom in its mouth, sweeping a spot on the corridor.

To Shi Tingyu’s astonishment, Lijian put the broom away and lay down on the clean spot it had swept.

It had really understood her words.

Shi Tingyu rubbed its head with joy. “Lijian, you’re so clever.”

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she thought Lijian’s eyes lit up and its mouth curved into a smile after she said that.

She thought to herself, perhaps she had turned Lijian into a genius with her “spiritual spring water.”

Fortunately, Lijian couldn’t speak yet, so she temporarily put her worries aside.

It was early July now, just the beginning of summer vacation, with over a month left. Shi Tingyu planned to find something to do.

Doing her old job openly wouldn’t work, but she could take on some side projects.

She noticed there were very few extracurricular books available for children to read now, mostly just comic books and the like.

She couldn’t return to her old profession, but she could illustrate storybooks.

She could submit them to publishing houses later. She believed in her drawing skills and would have Lu Weiguo review them to ensure they didn’t involve political ideologies.