Chapter 43.1

As expected, during dinner, when Jiang Suihan mentioned that starting tomorrow, Lele would have to wake up early every morning to run, Lele blew up on the spot.

“I’m not going! I don’t want to run.”

He was still young and needed more sleep to grow quickly. Waking up so early every day and running hard seemed too harsh for him!

Jiang Suihan looked innocent and pointed to Xu Zhao beside her. “Don’t look at me. This isn’t my decision. If you can convince him, that’s fine. I’m not involved in this.”

She knew her brother wouldn’t be on board.

Xu Zhao remained unmoved, his resolve firm. “I heard you were in a fight today?”

Lele felt guilty and worried that his brother-in-law might be angry. He answered in a small voice, “It was Li Zili who started it by trying to take my little tank and said a lot of nasty things. I got mad and fought with him. My sister said it was self-defense and that I did nothing wrong.”

Lele was anxious, wondering if his brother-in-law would think he was a bad kid and dislike him.

He grew more nervous, stealing glances at Xu Zhao’s impassive face, mentally lamenting his fate.

“This is the end for me!”

Xu Zhao continued eating slowly. “Did you win?”

Lele smiled broadly, showing his small white teeth. “Of course I won. Li Zili ran home crying.”

He was thrilled but quickly deflated when he saw Xu Zhao’s serious expression.

Xu Zhao asked, “Did you have any help?”

Lele dared not lie. “Brother Xiaojun helped me hold him down. In the end, we won.”

In the past, he always lost fights because the bullies would gang up on him. But this time was different. He had good friends now. Brother Xiaojun, seeing him being beaten, rushed over to help without hesitation. He was very loyal.

Winning a fight felt great!

Lele had had many fights when he was younger. Xu Zhao understood the mindset of kids. It wasn’t just about fighting; losing was very embarrassing. He asked, “What if no one else had been there and you couldn’t win?”

Lele tilted his head, thinking. “If I couldn’t win, I’d run away quickly.”

Xu Zhao gave him a light glance. “What if you can’t run away with your small arms and legs?”

Jiang Leyun scratched his head, deep in thought, unable to come up with a good solution. He turned to Xu Zhao and asked, “What should I do?”

Xu Zhao gently advised, “That’s why I want you to run with me every morning. Only by keeping yourself fit will you have a chance to win if you get into a fight with other kids. Even if you can’t win, you’ll at least be able to run away.”

Jiang Leyun thought about it and realized his brother-in-law had a point. He nodded subconsciously.

But then he realized something and pursed his lips, looking puzzled. “In the end, you’re just trying to trick me into running with you every morning. You’re so sneaky!”

Jiang Suihan quickly distanced herself from the conversation. “This has nothing to do with me. I haven’t said anything. I’ve already made it clear that I’m not participating. You men can do whatever you want.”

Jiang Leyun glared at his sister, annoyed. “You’re so unloyal.”

She didn’t even try to dissuade his brother-in-law from his plan and just sat there, waiting to see his misfortune. This sister was no longer the same as before.

Seeing the conversation going off track, Xu Zhao interrupted. “Sometimes I’ll be away on missions. You’re the only man in the house. Your sister is a girl. If you don’t learn some skills to protect her, how will you manage?”

He knew Jiang Leyun’s obsession with his sister, and mentioning anything related to her would definitely catch his attention.

Jiang Leyun nodded vigorously. “Okay, I’ll go running.”

Feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, he realized that with only him and his brother-in-law being the men in the family, if his brother-in-law went on a mission, he would be the only one capable of protecting his sister.

Sigh, the family couldn’t do without him.

Jiang Suihan sighed in resignation, watching Xu Zhao trick the child while her brother foolishly fell for his trusted brother-in-law’s scheme.

Indeed, the world is going downhill, and people are becoming increasingly unreliable.

Jiang Suihan cast a glance at Xu Zhao and whispered, “Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

“In the end, it’s because of you. Lele is trying to protect you,” Xu Zhao said calmly, with no trace of guilt on his face. “Otherwise, how about you and Lele switch places? You wake up early and go running with me, and leave Lele at home to sleep. What do you think of that suggestion?”

Jiang Leyun had impulsively agreed to the morning runs, but after saying it, he started regretting his hasty decision. However, he didn’t want to back out, as a man’s word is important, and he couldn’t go back on his promise.

Yes, at seven years old, he was already very concerned about his image.

“I agree. Sister, you’re in poor health, so you should exercise more. It’s for your own good. Don’t you want to make us proud?”

Jiang Suihan twisted Jiang Leyun’s ear with a hint of irritation. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Now you’re even learning to be cunning with me. You’ve grown up, haven’t you? If I said I’m not participating, then I’m not. You guys can do it yourselves. No need to include me, thanks.”

Jiang Leyun gave his sister an exasperated look, then glanced at his brother-in-law, who shrugged, indicating that he was powerless in this situation.

In the future, clinging to his sister’s support at home was the only reliable option. The brother-in-law didn’t hold the power, so hugging his leg was useless.

Jiang Suihan’s face was sweaty, her eyes slightly reddened with a hint of moisture, and her breathing was slightly labored.

Xu Zhao embraced her waist, gently brushing away the hair sticking to her forehead. Feeling her still slightly trembling in his arms, he couldn’t help but feel tender affection and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

He got up to pour her a glass of water and carefully fed it to her. Jiang Suihan, with a very dry mouth, drank half the glass in one go and then turned her head, not wanting more. Xu Zhao finished the remaining water from the enamel cup himself.

He lay back down next to her. Jiang Suihan yawned, feeling tired and wanting to sleep.

Xu Zhao rested his hand on the back of her head, slowly stroking her hair, and said softly, “I’m sorry you were wronged this noon.”

If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have had to endure this harsh and isolated environment, dealing with unfamiliar people. She could have had a better life in the capital.

Jiang Suihan, feeling drowsy and on the verge of sleep, suddenly lost most of her sleepiness when she heard his apology. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for everything.”

It had nothing to do with Xu Zhao, and he didn’t need to feel sorry. She didn’t need his apology.

Xu Zhao gently rubbed her head. “It’s my fault for not protecting you well. I’ll get revenge for you tomorrow.”

Jiang Suihan’s eyes widened in curiosity. “How will you get revenge?”

Xu Zhao revealed his plan for the next day. “Li Hongjun is the  Captain of the Second Battalion, and he is Wang Liying’s partner. I’ll find an opportunity to have a friendly match with him.”

As a man, it would be unmanly to argue with a woman. Since Wang Liying made trouble at his home without reason, it was fair to deal with her partner.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you so petty?”

Instead of hitting a woman, he planned to openly fight with her partner and called it a friendly match.

Should she praise him for being so clever?

Xu Zhao pinched her ear. “If she bullies you, I won’t go after her. I’ll go after her partner.”

Her ears were a sensitive spot, and she instinctively shrank back. “Well, you’re so great.”

Hearing the teasing in her words, Xu Zhao wasn’t embarrassed. He reminded her, “In the future, if you have conflicts with others, don’t be afraid, and don’t act rashly. Wait for me to come back and resolve it.”

With her small frame, if she were to get into a fight, she would likely be at a disadvantage.

Jiang Suihan huffed. “Don’t underestimate me. I don’t fight with people. I only argue with them, and besides, I’m not foolish enough to just stand there and not run.”

She felt that Xu Zhao was being overly protective, like a father worrying about his daughter, overly concerned, and not willing to let go.

Xu Zhao chuckled softly, “Yes, Suisui is the most capable.”

Suisui is the nickname for Jiang Suihan. One night while they were in bed, Xu Zhao asked her if she had a nickname, and she told him.

Feeling her ears tingle and her face turning red, Jiang Suihan pulled the blanket over her head, saying, “I’m sleepy.”

Every time she felt shy, she would say she was sleepy. In the darkness, Xu Zhao smiled silently, reaching out to pull the blanket down a little. “Aren’t you afraid of getting stuffy?”

Jiang Suihan snuggled into his arms, finding a comfortable position, and fell asleep within two minutes.

Xu Zhao held her and soon fell asleep as well.

At first, when they slept together, both of them were not used to it. Especially Jiang Suihan, who was restless in her sleep; even a large bed of 1.8 meters wasn’t enough for her. Xu Zhao eventually learned to hold her still, ensuring she wouldn’t move around too much, allowing her to sleep peacefully through the night.