Cen Zhengnian had already reached the edge of the bed and was about to lift the blanket to get in when he heard Chuxia’s words.

He looked up at her with pleasure in his eyes.

His wife cared about him this much, and just thinking about it made a sweet feeling rise in his heart.

He seriously explained to her, “I have never had private contact with Fang Lingling. While at the base, I focused solely on work, so the popularity you mentioned probably doesn’t apply.”

He even carefully recalled his time at the base and confirmed that Fang Lingling was the only one around him not focused on work.

Chuxia was momentarily stunned by his earnest response; she had only been joking, but Cen Zhengnian explained so seriously, as if afraid she might misunderstand.

“I…” She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.

By then, Cen Zhengnian had already sat down beside her on the bed and reached out to hold her hand. “I know. I’m afraid you might misunderstand.”

He understood that Chuxia wasn’t accusing him, but even if she did, it was understandable.

However, he didn’t want her to have any misunderstanding about such matters.

Chuxia’s heart skipped a beat.

Looking at Cen Zhengnian, her heart felt like it missed a beat and then was sweetened, as if a drop of honey had been added, with a subtle sweetness rising.

“I didn’t misunderstand.” Chuxia quickly looked away, afraid that if she looked at him any longer, she would lose control of her heartbeat.

Cen Zhengnian chuckled lightly. “Mm.”

Hearing his laugh, Chuxia suddenly felt her face flush.

She unconsciously gripped the book she had placed beside her, her heart racing again.

“Did you see the writing?” Cen Zhengnian suddenly asked.

Chuxia took a moment to remember what he was referring to.

When she recalled the poem on the paper, her face turned even redder.

“Yes,” Chuxia replied, biting her lip.

She asked with an effort to keep her tone steady, “Why did you choose to write ‘Zi Jin’?”

The meaning of this poem was too explicit, and just thinking that Cen Zhengnian wrote it for her made Chuxia’s ears flush with heat.

Cen Zhengnian leaned against the headboard, looking very relaxed. His tone carried a gentle smile as he said, “I felt that this poem best matched my mood at the time.”

He really missed his wife and child. During work, he was completely focused, but once he rested, the images of Chuxia and An’an filled his mind.

Cen Zhengnian wanted to accompany An’an to school, help Chuxia with her homework in the evening, answer her questions, and wake up every morning to see their faces.

That kind of happiness was indescribable.

Once you’ve tasted it, it becomes addictive and you can never quit.

Cen Zhengnian asked her how she thought his writing was.

Chuxia thought for a moment and said, “Better than mine.”

“And compared to Grandpa’s?” Cen Zhengnian asked, his eyes looking at her with a warmth that seemed to melt people.

Chuxia quickly avoided his gaze and said, “You two have different styles and can’t be compared. But I think Grandpa’s writing is more free-spirited, while yours seems to carry something, a bit heavy.”

Cen Zhengnian was momentarily stunned, a complex expression appearing in his eyes.

He did bear many responsibilities and sometimes felt tired.

But he couldn’t slack off.

He feared failing the tasks given by the country and leaders, and the future was uncertain.

They could only move forward, correcting mistakes as they went.

Cen Zhengnian exhaled slowly. “You’re right. I don’t have Grandpa’s free-spirited mindset.”

Chuxia patted Cen Zhengnian with her other hand, smiling casually, “You’re still young and it’s normal to have responsibilities. When you’re Grandpa’s age, you’ll understand everything and become more free-spirited.”

Cen Zhengnian laughed instantly at her words, the faint shadow of gloom disappearing in an instant.

It wasn’t very late yet, and since Chuxia had napped earlier, she wasn’t too sleepy.

She still wanted to read a bit more.

However, Cen Zhengnian asked about their life at home and her work transition.

Chuxia set the book aside and thought about it.

Since she had already shared many things in her letters to Cen Zhengnian, she chose to talk about some things she hadn’t mentioned before.

Her storytelling talent wasn’t high; it was straightforward and lacked the engaging quality of Cen Zhengnian’s voice.

When she told bedtime stories to An’an, he fell asleep so quickly that Chuxia felt her stories were too dull and hypnotic.

At first, Cen Zhengnian would occasionally ask a question, responding to what she said.

Later, as she continued talking, she noticed Cen Zhengnian’s voice had gone silent.

When she looked down, she saw he had already fallen asleep.

Cen Zhengnian’s eyes were closed, and his eyelashes cast curved shadows on his eyelids.

He looked even more gentle and harmless, making Chuxia move more quietly, afraid to wake him.

Chuxia tried to move to turn off the light but found his hand still holding hers with no sign of letting go.

She gently tried to free her hand, but Cen Zhengnian frowned, as if about to wake up. Chuxia dared not move further.

After a while, feeling Cen Zhengnian’s breathing was steady and he seemed to be in deep sleep, Chuxia carefully withdrew her hand.

But Cen Zhengnian almost woke up. Chuxia gently patted his hand and whispered, “Go back to sleep. I’m going to turn off the light.”

His eyes moved but didn’t open.

Chuxia got up to turn off the light and then returned to bed.

As soon as she lay down, Cen Zhengnian’s arm wrapped around her waist.

Chuxia thought he had woken up but soon realized it was just a subconscious sleeping action.

At first, having a big man lying next to her, whose body temperature was much higher than hers and felt like a furnace, made her face feel hot and uncomfortable.

She wanted to avoid him while sleeping.

But the blanket was only so big, and she couldn’t avoid him. Eventually, she fell asleep without realizing when it happened.

Chuxia had a dream where she lived next to Flame Mountain, tirelessly carrying water to douse the flames.

She was exhausted, but the fire kept burning more fiercely.

She woke up suddenly from the heat, realizing she was tightly embraced by Cen Zhengnian with two thick blankets on top of her.

No wonder she felt so hot.

Chuxia tried to move Cen Zhengnian’s hand away, but as soon as she moved, he grasped her hand.

His magnetic voice came to her ear, “What are you doing?”

“I’m hot. Let go of me. Don’t you feel hot?”

Cen Zhengnian was also warm, but holding Chuxia while sleeping felt so good and real.

It was different from lying alone at the base, so he was reluctant to let her go.

Chuxia didn’t understand his thoughts and moved his hand away herself, warning him, “I’m really hot. Don’t hold me anymore.”

Cen Zhengnian looked at her helplessly. “Alright, you go to sleep.”

It was also about time to get up.

He had slept well and had no more desire to sleep, so he planned to get up and check on An’an.

Chuxia yawned.

After Cen Zhengnian got up, she wrapped herself in the blanket and continued sleeping until the wake-up call from outside roused her.

On the first day of the New Year, soldiers still went for their morning exercises, and Chuxia admired them greatly.

Not only was there a wake-up call, but there were also firecrackers in the family quarters.

They had started last night, but since she was deeply asleep, it didn’t disturb her.

Only the morning noise was loud enough to wake her up.

Unable to sleep anymore, Chuxia rubbed her face, sat up, and began getting dressed to go wash up.

As soon as she put on her pants, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside.

Cen Zhengnian walked in with water droplets on his hair, wearing a military uniform.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair after washing it?”

Her medical professional instinct kicked in. Pointing at the towel he was holding, she said, “You should dry your hair quickly. In winter, if you don’t dry your hair, you might get a headache later.”

Cen Zhengnian heard her and placed the towel on his head, beginning to wipe it, while asking her, “Is this from the medical book?”

He had seen Chuxia reading the medical book last night.

He wasn’t familiar with medicine and usually didn’t pay much attention to health, being absorbed in work.

Chuxia nodded. “Yes. It’s not only in medical books; the older generation with life experience also knows about it.”

She was sitting at the desk, combing her hair.

In this room, besides the desk, there was also a dressing table with a mirror and combs, thoughtfully placed by Jiang Shengnan for her use.

Chuxia had long hair that she hadn’t cut and hadn’t gone to a barber for a hairstyle. She didn’t like the current popular perms or dyeing her hair.

When she had time, she would style her hair herself, and when she was in a hurry, she’d just tie it in a ponytail and go out.

In winter, to keep warm, she would braid her hair and wear a thick wool hat or fur hat and wrap a scarf around, which was very warm.

On the first day of the New Year, Chuxia planned to spend a bit more time on her appearance.

As Cen Zhengnian watched Chuxia comb her hair, a poem suddenly came to his mind:

“Eyebrows like the crescent moon, gentle as silk lanterns, Ink and mist cascading, clothes gently swaying. Holding hands and combing with deep affection, Yet strands of hair remain tangled before.”

He put down the towel, unable to resist walking over and taking Chuxia’s hand holding the comb.

Chuxia turned her head, looking at him in confusion, not understanding what he was doing.

Cen Zhengnian leaned over, looking at Chuxia in the mirror, and said softly, “Let me help you with your hair.”

Chuxia’s eyes widened in surprise. Combing hair was an intimate act, a form of pleasure in ancient times!

Cen Zhengnian, feeling embarrassed under her gaze, didn’t say anything and took the comb from her hand, carefully beginning to comb her hair.

Chuxia didn’t refuse; instead, she looked at herself in the mirror, stiffening slightly as she allowed Cen Zhengnian to comb her hair.

His touch was very gentle, afraid of hurting her, and it felt more comfortable than when she did it herself.

After a while, Cen Zhengnian had managed to untangle and smooth out Chuxia’s hair, but he was unsure of what to do next.

He didn’t know how to style or braid hair.

Seeing his difficulty in the mirror, Chuxia relaxed and smiled, “Continue, why have you stopped?”

Cen Zhengnian realized his wife was teasing him but admitted with a laugh, “I don’t know how to continue.”

Chuxia looked innocent. “What should we do then? I still want to see how you style my hair. Otherwise, I’ll just go out with my hair down.”

Cen Zhengnian pondered for a moment and said, “That’s not impossible.”

Chuxia pouted and took the comb from him, saying, “No way. The northwest wind is so strong; my hair will get tangled if I leave it down.”

She sighed and skillfully began braiding her hair. “I wanted you to braid my hair so I could relax a bit in the morning. It looks like I can’t count on that.”

Cen Zhengnian cleared his throat. “How about you teach me? I’ll try to braid it for you.”

Chuxia’s face brightened with a smile, and she released the comb. “Okay.”

Braiding hair isn’t difficult if one is willing to learn.

While advanced styles like fishtail braids or four-strand braids might take time, basic two-strand twists are easy to pick up.

Chuxia didn’t make things hard for Cen Zhengnian.

She had him braid a simple two-strand braid for her while she arranged her hairstyle in the front and wore a hat, which looked great.

“You learned a braid today. I’ll teach you the rest later.”

Chuxia patted Cen Zhengnian’s arm with trust. “When you’ve learned everything, I’ll be able to entrust the hair braiding to you.”

Cen Zhengnian looked down with a smile. “Alright.”

“Let’s go downstairs. An’an should be up by now,” Chuxia said as she headed out.

Cen Zhengnian had seen Cen Huai’an coming in and nodded. “An’an is downstairs playing chess with my dad. Yu Tian and the others are also here.”

The chess game from last night wasn’t finished, and Cen Huai’an had gone to bed.

This morning, seeing that Cen’s father wasn’t going to work, he asked him to continue.

As Chuxia and Cen Zhengnian reached downstairs, they heard Yu Tian’s loud cheer: “An’an, you’re amazing! You won again! Come on, let’s play another game.”

She saw Yu Tian dismiss Xu Liang and sit opposite Cen Huai’an, both of them setting up the chess pieces for a new game.

“An’an’s chess skills are impressive,” Cen Zhengnian said softly to Chuxia, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

Chuxia raised an eyebrow and smiled proudly. “After all, he’s been learning from a teacher for so long and loves playing chess.”

Cen Huai’an not only practiced Go but was also good at chess, checkers, and flying chess.

He often played with neighborhood kids, and when they couldn’t match his skill, he played with retired seniors.

Chuxia wasn’t sure how skilled he was now but knew that if he lost to someone, he would obsessively study how to win until he did.

Some of the elderly residents told Chuxia that An’an would have a bright future because of his persistence.

They stood behind Cen Huai’an and Yu Tian, watching them play.

An’an was focused, lips pressed tightly, and his chubby little hands moved the chess pieces.

It looked like a child playing a game, but Yu Tian was sweating on his forehead.

He looked up at Cen Zhengnian, helplessly saying, “My goodness, Zhengnian, your son is formidable. Even I find it challenging to play against him.”

Cen Zhengnian, with a calm expression, replied, “He’s learning Go from a teacher now, so it’s normal that you find it hard to win against him.”

Chess skills can become rusty without practice.

Yu Tian and the others were not professionals and had been busy with work, so it was normal they couldn’t beat Cen Huai’an.

Don’t underestimate children, especially prodigies.

They absorb and apply knowledge at an astonishing rate.

Cen Huai’an could learn advanced techniques from others and improve quickly by reviewing games he lost.

Yu Tian suddenly exclaimed in realization, “No wonder we can’t win against An’an. It turns out you’re a professional player!”

Chuxia, smiling beside him, said, “Not quite a professional. He’s only been learning for a few months.”

Yu Tian felt as if he had been stabbed. He decided never to play chess with Cen Huai’an again.

Cen’s father, feeling a bit embarrassed, used a newspaper to hide his face and pretended to read seriously, thinking the same as Yu Tian and the others.

Chuxia glanced around and asked Cen’s father, “Dad, where’s Mom?”

Cen’s father put down the newspaper, his face returning to normal, and looked towards the kitchen. “She’s making dumplings with Xiao Liu.”

He then took out several red envelopes and began giving them out, including to Yu Tian and the others.

Yu Tian and the others, initially embarrassed, laughed and declined. “Uncle, we’re grown-ups now. We don’t need red envelopes.”

Cen’s father insisted, pushing the envelopes into their pockets. “Take it! In front of me and your aunt, you’ll always be children.”

Yu Tian and the others were shocked to find themselves overpowered by someone in his fifties, unable to resist him shoving the envelopes into their pockets.

Chuxia and Cen Zhengnian didn’t refuse, especially Cen Zhengnian, who watched Yu Tian and the others being forced to accept the envelopes with a nonchalant look.

He was well aware of his father’s strength.

When Cen’s father was young, he could handle multiple opponents in the military, not ordinary people but experienced soldiers.

His training was top-notch, and his physical abilities were extraordinary.

Cen Zhengnian, despite his delicate appearance, had been trained by his father and could handle soldiers in combat.

It was evident that the red envelopes for Chuxia and Cen Huai’an were the largest and fullest, even surpassing Cen Zhengnian’s, which was much thinner.

Cen Huai’an, taking advantage of everyone’s distraction, quietly opened his red envelope.

Seeing the envelope stuffed with money, his eyes widened, and he quickly folded the red envelope and put it into his pocket.

Cen Huai’an thought no one was paying attention to him, but in fact, Chu Xia, Cen Zhengnian, and even Cen Father were all watching him out of the corner of their eyes.

His little money-loving look made Chu Xia glance at Cen Zhengnian and give him a helpless smile: “Your son just loves money like this.”

Cen Zhengnian nodded, his eyes also showing amusement.

The red envelope should have been given out the night before during the New Year’s Eve vigil, but Jiang Shengnan didn’t mention staying up for the vigil.

She noticed that Cen Zhengnian wanted to spend time alone with Chu Xia, and An An was too young, while Yu Tian and the others were tired.

Plus, she and Cen Father were older and couldn’t stay up all night, so they decided not to stay up after all.

Since they were all family, there was no need for too many formalities.

Last night, there was also a performance by the art troupe, which they couldn’t attend.

When Cen Zhengnian returned, everyone was happy, and they forgot about it.

Cen Huai’an was so excited that he fell asleep right after Chu Xia told him a story. It wasn’t until this morning that he remembered he had missed the eagerly awaited New Year’s Eve performance.

But he wasn’t too disappointed; after all, his dad was back, and that was the most exciting thing for him.

Soon, Jiang Shengnan and Xiao Liu came out with dumplings, and Chu Xia and the others hurried to help carry them.

In northern China, during the New Year, breakfast always includes dumplings.

After eating, they carry dumplings to relatives and friends, and relatives and friends return the favor with their own dumplings.

Usually, this task is given to children, and all the children in the family participate because there is red envelope money involved.

When they go out with the bowl, it comes back empty, but their pockets are stuffed to the brim with red envelope money and candies.

However, the Cen family has no relatives in the military, and Cen Father’s position means he receives New Year’s greetings from others, rather than giving them.

But Cen Zhengnian and Chu Xia are younger, and since it’s Chu Xia’s first New Year in the military family quarters, and there are a few families who get along well with the Cen family, the two of them need to take An An to deliver dumplings and New Year gifts.