Chapter 83.4

Tang Ze had a train to catch that night. The journey from the city to the border would take four days by train, a tough and grueling trip.

After lunch, Tang Ze took his luggage and headed to the train station. Jiang Nian, Lu Yu, and Gu Shizhou returned to the military base by bus. As soon as they got home, Lu Yu lifted Jiang Nian into his arms, startling her. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his dark eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked, laughing.

Lu Yu buried his face in her neck, his breath smelling faintly of alcohol. “Were you thinking about Song Bai during lunch?”

Jiang Nian: ???

She blinked, looking at Lu Yu as he raised his head and gazed at her. She smiled. “I was just curious how he’s doing at the border after Tang Ze mentioned him.”

She suddenly realized that Lu Yu seemed to get jealous quite easily.

She hadn’t noticed this before.

Lu Yu didn’t say anything more, just held her quietly. Jiang Nian hugged his slim waist, laughing. “Are you drunk?”

Lu Yu replied, “No.”

In the afternoon, He Yue came by and asked Jiang Nian to visit the private plot. Some vegetables were ready for harvest. Jiang Nian walked around the plot, picking a few cucumbers and tomatoes. Something urgent happened in the regiment that night, and Lu Yu left as soon as it got dark, not returning until late at night.

With no embroidery work to do, Jiang Nian had some free time. When Guan Lu visited her, she would spend some time at her place, always bringing a notebook and pen. Today, Guan Lu taught her a poem and had her write it out.

Jiang Nian returned home at dusk, placed the notebook and pen on the table, and started cooking.

Soon, the sound of Fang Xia and Fang Guo coming home from school filled the air. As it got dark, Lu Yu returned, entering the house to find the notebook and pen on the table. He picked up the notebook and flipped through it. The first page had crooked handwriting, the second page was a bit better, and by the last two pages, the handwriting had become quite neat.

While not particularly beautiful, it was acceptable.

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow, picking up the pen to trace over the writing. His eyes grew more focused, and after a moment, a slight smile appeared on his usually tight lips.

This dummy.

Pretending not to know when she actually did. Whether a person can write well can be seen from the strength of the strokes and the power of the finish.

“Dinner’s ready. I made your favorite, mixed sauce noodles,” Jiang Nian said as she carried a bowl from the kitchen. She saw Lu Yu holding the notebook and paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over his chiseled profile. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yu closed the notebook, a smile playing on his lips. “You’re improving quickly.”

Jiang Nian smiled back, “I have a natural talent.”

Lu Yu: …

Jiang Nian made a lot of mixed sauce noodles, and Lu Yu ate three bowls. That night, as they lay in bed, Jiang Nian couldn’t help but touch the man’s abs. She looked up at Lu Yu, her eyes bright. “Do you guys have intense training every day?”

Lu Yu grabbed her wrist, stopping her wandering hand. “Yes.”

He held her close, planting a kiss on her nose. “How about I take you training one day?”

Jiang Nian: …

Recalling the training scenes between Lu Yu and Song Bai, both ending up with bruises, Jiang Nian glanced at Lu Yu’s strong hands. She figured he wouldn’t need much force. Just one hand could probably knock her down.

With that thought, she quickly turned around, her back to him. “Sleep.”

Lu Yu chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I only meant running.”

Jiang Nian: …

“No.”

“I’d rather gain a bit of weight.”

Lu Yu laughed, “Alright.” Then he added, “I can carry you even if you get chubby.”

Jiang Nian: …

Two days later, a military guard came to find Jiang Nian, saying someone outside wanted to see her. Jiang Nian guessed it might be Ge Mei delivering the embroidery design. Following the military guard, she was surprised to see Shu Xue, who handed her a cloth bundle. “Sister Jiang, the embroidery design is ready.”

It was lunchtime, so Jiang Nian told Shu Xue to wait. She ran into the base, looking for someone familiar to sign and bring Shu Xue in. She bumped into Deputy Commander Luo and ran over. “Deputy Commander Luo, could you help me?”

Luo Chengyi was taken aback. “What do you need?”

Jiang Nian pointed outside the base. “A colleague from my embroidery shop is here. I want to bring her in for lunch, but I need someone from the regiment to sign for it.”

Deputy Commander Luo said, “No problem.”

With Luo Chengyi’s signature, Jiang Nian brought Shu Xue to the family apartment, cooking a few extra dishes for lunch. Lu Yu and Chen Yao returned together, and as Chen Yao entered, he called out, “Sister-in-law, I’m here to mooch a meal again.”

Jiang Nian walked out with a plate, hearing Chen Yao say, “I sparred with a few people from the regiment today on behalf of Commander Lu. I didn’t embarrass him; I won. Commander Lu promised to bring me back for a meal.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Alright.”

She turned back to the kitchen, followed by Lu Yu. He leaned on the table, trapping her in his arms, and kissed her ear. Seeing her cheeks flushed from the heat, he swallowed, hugging her slender waist. “Did the embroidery design arrive?”

Jiang Nian nodded softly, “Yes.”

She moved aside to avoid his warm body. “Get the food.”

Then she ran off.

Chen Yao also ran into the kitchen to get food. When he came out, he noticed Shu Xue sitting opposite, wearing a light orange short-sleeved shirt, her hair in two braids on her shoulders. Her eyebrows were curved, and her smile was gentle. He remembered her as the embroiderer who had tried hard to block him during the bride pickup.

Seeing Chen Yao glancing at her frequently, Shu Xue frowned and glared at him, pretending to be angry. She found this man still as bold and reckless as when he came to pick up the bride, full of brute force.

Chen Yao couldn’t help but laugh, thinking she looked cute when pretending to be angry.

Lu Yu glanced at Chen Yao but said nothing.

Jiang Nian came out of the kitchen, asking, “What are you laughing at?”

Chen Yao quickly shook his head, “Nothing.”

During the meal, Jiang Nian and Shu Xue chatted about the embroidery shop, mentioning Jia Yuan beating Tong Gang again. Shu Xue vividly described the scene, while Chen Yao frequently looked up, almost staring a hole into her. Suddenly, his leg hurt, and he looked up to meet Commander Lu’s dark gaze. “Don’t embarrass me,” Lu Yu said quietly.

Chen Yao: …

He quickly lowered his head, focusing on his meal, not daring to look up again.

Shu Xue also noticed Chen Yao’s occasional glances, making her uncomfortable. She kept her head down, talking to Jiang Nian to ease the awkwardness.

After lunch, Chen Yao and Lu Yu went back to the regiment. Jiang Nian saw Shu Xue out of the base and hurried back to her embroidery. This time, the design was a landscape painting, which was simpler than portraits. She sat in front of the embroidery frame all afternoon, and Lu Yu returned at dusk.

Just as he arrived home, a military guard came with a large nylon bag, saying it was a package for Commander Lu.

Jiang Nian was curious, “Who sent it?”

“I don’t know.”

Lu Yu brought the bag inside, placing it on the table. Jiang Nian fetched scissors, and as Lu Yu turned the bag over, the sender’s name came into view.

The sender was Song Bai.

Jiang Nian was taken aback, looking up at Lu Yu. She saw his furrowed brows and tight lips.

Her eyes curved into a teasing smile. “What’s the matter?”

Lu Yu glanced at Jiang Nian’s bright smile, his lips curling into an unreadable smile. “Are you trying to provoke me?”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Ayalee: It was supposed to be unlocked on Friday, but since I’m going to be busy on that day, so I decided to unlock it early. Also, do check out my new translation work guys (❀‿‿❀)

I’m Not Going to Be This Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Anymore