Chapter 55.1

Wen Nuan also planned to take a hot shower in the courtyard.

She and Qinglan had casually built a small “bathroom” using two pieces of cloth. Previously, they had taken turns guarding the area while they showered each night.

Gu Qinghan had already brought a bucket of hot water to the courtyard, steam still rising from it. He had just returned from his room and changed into a clean military uniform.

Wen Nuan could vaguely see the defined muscle lines on his back, but she thought he had lost some weight.

She placed her clean clothes on a prepared stool and then said to Gu Qinghan, “Stay here and keep watch for me; I’ll just wash up quickly.”

Gu Qinghan replied with an “mm” and added, “Take your time; I’m here.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Okay.”

In the past, it had only been her and Qinglan with the children, and they felt a bit scared. Even though their home was at the end of the row, they didn’t dare to wash for too long, usually just rinsing off the sweat.

Now that Gu Qinghan was home, Wen Nuan felt more at ease and took her time to wash properly.

While Wen Nuan was taking her shower, Gu Qinghan played hide-and-seek with Lele in the courtyard. The sounds of their laughter, one big and one small, echoed in Wen Nuan’s ears, making her realize just how precious this ordinary joy was.

When she finished her shower and stepped out, Lele was drenched in sweat from all the fun. Upon seeing Wen Nuan, she quickly ran over and hid behind her, peeking out to stealthily observe Gu Qinghan, who was standing at the door, ready to catch her.

Having taken a hot shower, Wen Nuan’s cheeks were flushed, and her big eyes looked even more dewy. She had piled her long hair into a bun, exposing a glistening, swan-like neck.

Gu Qinghan stood still, gazing at her with intense eyes. However, before he could approach, Lele let out a shriek and buried her head against Wen Nuan’s waist, her little feet kicking anxiously as she feared Gu Qinghan would catch her.

Wen Nuan turned to look at the excited Lele and scolded lightly, “Look at you, all sweaty! How are you going to sleep later?”

“Stop playing! The more excited you are, the harder it’ll be to sleep.” She tossed the clothes she needed to change into the wooden bucket she had just used for her shower, then turned to lift Lele into her arms.

Gu Qinghan chuckled and said, “Then I’ll wash my clothes first, and you take Lele back to rest for a bit.”

Upon hearing this, Lele immediately pouted, resting her chin on Wen Nuan’s shoulder, and let out a low “hmph,” clearly very displeased.

“Are you still mad? Just look at you, all sweaty and smelly! And later, I’ll have to help you change your clothes,” Wen Nuan said as she carried the child toward the room.

Watching Wen Nuan and Lele go back inside, Gu Qinghan started washing the clothes they had changed out of.

When he returned to the room, he found Lele drinking milk made from barley powder. Seeing Gu Qinghan back, she eagerly held out her milk cup to him and said, “Daddy, drink!”

Looking at the cup in Lele’s hands, Wen Nuan chimed in, “It’s rare for your daughter to want to share. Go ahead and have some.”

He had never tried this before, but since Wen Nuan suggested it, he accepted the cup from Lele and took a small sip.

Afterward, he handed the cup back to Lele and said, “It’s pretty good! You can finish the rest, Lele.”

Lele was thrilled to hear this. She took the cup and gulped it down in one go.

After finishing, she let out a satisfied burp and patted her round little belly, looking utterly content.

Seeing that Lele had finished her milk, Gu Qinghan planned to help her fall asleep. However, Lele seemed to be getting more energetic, bouncing around on the bed with no signs of sleepiness at all.

Wen Nuan then pulled Gu Qinghan back and had him sit beside her, saying, “Forget it. You’ve been out for so long and just got back. She probably wants to play with you a bit, so don’t rush to put her to sleep.”

Although she also wanted to snuggle and kiss her husband, Wen Nuan had just taken a shower and felt lively herself; she was looking forward to chatting with Gu Qinghan for a while.

Gu Qinghan replied with an “mm,” but then he heard Wen Nuan say, “Qinghan, you’ve lost weight.”

“Not too much,” Gu Qinghan smiled at his wife’s concerned gaze, “I haven’t lost as much as before.”

Wen Nuan turned around and sat on his lap. “Let me check you over and see if you’re hurt anywhere.”

As she spoke, she lifted up his shirt.

It turned out that it wasn’t just her imagination; he had lost some weight and tanned a bit.

However, the tan didn’t matter much; it was common for soldiers who had to train outside every day.

No wonder Lele called everyone “Daddy” all the time…

Gu Qinghan let his wife examine him, but when Wen Nuan reached for his pants, he gently held her hand and smiled. Then, he pulled her close, asking, “What were you looking at earlier? Did someone write you a letter?”

Wen Nuan picked up the letter she had been looking at from the nightstand and smiled, “Oh, this is from Meijiao. She said she had divorced Zhang Zhibin and had returned to Beijing. She’s planning to work at a state-run restaurant.”

In her letter, Chen Meijiao mentioned that watching Wen Nuan cook was very healing, so she also wanted to learn how to cook seriously.

Wen Nuan then pulled out a photo from the envelope. The picture shows Chen Meijiao wearing a floral dress and a white shirt alongside her child.

Chen Meijiao looked completely transformed in the photo compared to her appearance in the family compound. Both her clothing and her facial expression radiated confidence and beauty.

Moreover, her smile was even brighter—no longer a forced grin but a genuine smile that came from the heart.

Gu Qinghan noticed Wen Nuan’s smile and asked, “So who is taking care of Comrade Chen’s child now?”

Wen Nuan folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope before replying, “Meijiao said her mother is helping her. At first, Meijiao thought that getting a divorce would embarrass her parents and was hesitant to return to their family compound. But it seems she was overthinking it. Her parents would be more than happy for her and the child to live in the compound. They really miss her.”

“Meijiao’s mother has just retired, and her older brother’s two sons have grown up. With another little sister in the house, everyone is very happy.”

Gu Qinghan listened attentively to Wen Nuan, casually tidied her long black hair, then said, “That’s great. Comrade Chen’s life will definitely be better than it was here.”

Wen Nuan nodded, “I believe she will do even better.”

Then, she caught a glimpse of Gu Qinghan leaning in closer, seemingly smelling her hair, and remarked, “Don’t sniff; I probably smell from today. I didn’t have time to wash my hair; I washed it last night.”

During this time, if it weren’t for Gu Qinglan’s help, Wen Nuan wouldn’t have had any time to wash her hair while taking care of the children all by herself.

Moreover, working in the Cafeteria meant that even if she didn’t have to help cook, the oil and smoke were still quite substantial.

Wen Nuan was planning to find time to cut her hair a bit shorter, making it easier to wash her hair regularly without much hassle.

Gu Qinghan’s expression remained calm as he smiled and said, “No, it still smells really good.”

Wen Nuan chuckled, “Is it the smell of meat or vegetables?”

Gu Qinghan looked into his wife’s eyes and pulled her closer into his embrace. “The scent on you has a very special fragrance.”

“…” Wen Nuan wondered how she could not know that she had a scent.

Suddenly, Lele jumped on the bed with a loud “thud,” prompting Wen Nuan to quickly pull her down and sit on the bed, scolding, “Gu Wanyue, you’re going to break the bed with all that jumping! I wonder where you’ll sleep tomorrow night.”

Lele managed to escape her grasp, bending over and peering at them from between her legs, laughing joyfully.

Seeing the child so energetic, Gu Qinghan got off the bed, retrieved a rather large bag from his luggage, and handed it to Wen Nuan.

“Look at what I bought for you!”

Wen Nuan was momentarily taken aback, then took the bag that Gu Qinghan had handed her. “What is all this?”

Gu Qinghan mysteriously replied, “You’ll find out when you look for yourself.”

Listening to Gu Qinghan’s enigmatic words, Wen Nuan couldn’t wait to open the bag. What caught her eye was a dazzling bright red fabric adorned with green accents.

Red and green, indeed, were a “heavenly match.”

She hesitated for half a second before pulling out the vibrant fabric. Then, after examining it closely, she realized that this was a type of fabric that had yet to become popular. In the residential complex, she had only seen a few people with it—she could count them on her ten fingers.

She had never imagined that Gu Qinghan had bought it for her and Lele.

However…

However, this pattern seemed rather outdated.

Besides two adult-sized skirts, there were also a couple of dresses with a similar pattern, albeit smaller.

Well, she hadn’t expected Gu Qinghan to buy such a pretty dress for Lele, which turned out to be even more beautiful than her own!

Gu Qinghan noticed the surprise in the corners of Wen Nuan’s eyes and said, “What do you think? Do you like it?”

Hearing Gu Qinghan’s breathless question, Wen Nuan struggled to force a small smile and asked, “Did you pick all of these yourself?”

Without any hesitation, Gu Qinghan nodded. “Yes, the salesman said that red looks good on people with fair skin, but I was worried that red alone would be too plain, so I chose something with other colors as well.”

Thank you, red is too plain!

But did you really have to pick red and green together?!

Wen Nuan silently screamed in frustration within her heart, trying to maintain the smile on her face as she replied, “Red does indeed make one look fairer.”

Even if Gu Qinghan was somewhat oblivious, he still sensed that Wen Nuan’s smile seemed forced and asked, “Is it… that you don’t like it?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan turned to look at Gu Qinghan and smiled, “How could I not like it? I love it! And it’s even made of good fabric! You must have gone to the provincial capital to buy this, right? It must have cost a fortune!”

Wen Nuan’s heart ached; such an expensive piece of clothing, and she wouldn’t even be able to wear it out. How could she not feel the pain?

The man smiled lightly and replied, “Yes, I went to the provincial capital. I happened to pass by while going to Qiongzhou Island, so I bought it for you. Don’t worry; whatever I bought for you, it’s worth every penny.”

Wen Nuan said with concern, “Why didn’t you buy something for yourself? In the future, you don’t have to buy things for me.”

This taste in aesthetics was truly hard to commend.

“Here’s what I bought for you. Look! Look!”

Wen Nuan paused for a moment, then took the bag that Gu Qinghan handed to her. “What is all this?”

Gu Qinghan spoke mysteriously, “You’ll find out when you look for yourself.”

Hearing Gu Qinghan’s enigmatic words, Wen Nuan couldn’t wait to open the bag. What caught her eye was a dazzling bright red fabric adorned with green accents.

Red and green were indeed a “divine match.”

She hesitated for half a second, then pulled the red and green fabric out and examined it closely.

It was a type of polyester that hadn’t become popular yet. In the family compound, Wen Nuan had only seen a few people with it; she could count them on her ten fingers.

She hadn’t expected Gu Qinghan to buy it for her and Lele.

But…

But this pattern was just too outdated, wasn’t it?

In addition to two adult-sized skirts, there was also a similarly patterned, slightly smaller dress in the bag.

Well, she hadn’t expected Gu Qinghan to buy a dress for Lele that was even prettier than hers!

Gu Qinghan caught the surprise in Wen Nuan’s brows and said, “Take a look and see if you like it.”

Listening to Gu Qinghan’s breathless question, Wen Nuan struggled to force out a small smile and asked, “Did you pick all of these out yourself?”

Without any hesitation, Gu Qinghan nodded. “Yeah, the sales assistant said that red looks good on people with fair skin. But I was worried red might be too plain, so I chose one that has a bit of other colors.”

Thank you for saying red is too plain!

But did you really have to choose red and green?

Wen Nuan silently shouted a few times in her heart, trying hard to maintain a smile on her face. She echoed, “Red really does make one look fairer.”

Even Gu Qinghan, as dull as he could be, sensed that Wen Nuan’s smile was a bit forced, and he asked, “Is it… that you don’t like it?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan turned to look at Gu Qinghan and smiled, “How could I not like it? I love it! This is even made of polyester. You must have gone to the provincial capital to buy it, didn’t you? It must have cost a lot!”

Wen Nuan’s heart ached; such an expensive piece of clothing that she wouldn’t even be able to wear—how could she not feel distressed?

The man smiled faintly and replied, “Yes, I went to the provincial capital. I happened to pass by while heading to Qiongzhou Island and picked this up for you. Don’t worry; whatever I bought for you, it was worth the price.”

Wen Nuan felt a pang in her heart. “Why didn’t you buy something for yourself? You don’t have to buy anything for me in the future.”

She couldn’t help but think his taste was truly questionable.

A second later, she heard the man say, “I get my clothes and food from the army supplies, so I don’t need anything. From now on, I’ll buy for you and Lele.”

Wen Nuan twitched her mouth, almost breaking character. Spotting Lele running toward her, she quickly reached out to pull her over and said, “Lele, look! This is a new dress Daddy bought for you. Do you like it?”

Wen Nuan deliberately held up the red-and-green dress against Lele and continued, “Wow, doesn’t our Lele love this dress? Just like your daddy, you have good taste!”

Lele had a special fondness for brightly colored things, and this dress caught her eye perfectly.

She stood up, holding the dress, and gestured to fit it on herself, her eyes squinting with laughter.

Wen Nuan took advantage of the moment and asked: “Lele, do you enjoy it?”

Lele answered loudly, “I like it!”

Wen Nuan turned to Gu Qinghan, smiling sincerely. “Look how much your daughter likes it! I wouldn’t even want to wear it myself. Maybe I can alter it a bit and make her a couple more dresses.”

“……”

Gu Qinghan furrowed his brow, sensing a hint of disdain directed at him.

As the man’s gaze grew more intense, Wen Nuan blinked and swiftly retrieved the dress that Lele had been toying with. She smiled and reassured im “Okay, okay, I won’t let her have it. I’ll make sure this dress stays safe!”

Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow. “Do you really like it?”

Although Gu Qinghan usually goes along with her, he could be quite petty. She knew he wasn’t genuinely angry, but his little “revenge” tactics had a way of making her weak in the knees.

Not wanting to be unable to get out of bed tonight, Wen Nuan gritted her teeth and said, “Of course! I’ll try it on for you right now!”

Seeing that Wen Nuan was really about to change clothes, Gu Qinghan’s expression softened considerably. He grabbed her wrist and said, “No need, as long as you like it.”

Lele, sitting on the bed and spotting the new dress, called out unhappily, “Wear!”

Wen Nuan pouted and replied, “You should go to sleep already! You can’t wear it!”

Upon hearing this, Lele crossed her arms and started to sulk—inheriting her father’s temper!

Wen Nuan turned to Gu Qinghan and said, “You should go comfort her.”

With Gu Qinghan being away from home for over a month, Wen Nuan had wanted Qinghan to spend time with Lele. Now that he’s back, she thought it would be nice for him to play with their daughter as much as possible.

Who would have thought that Gu Qinghan would directly put the bright red and green dress on Lele, who happily twirled around?

Wen Nuan looked on and realized that even such a cute little girl as Lele couldn’t pull off this dress. How on earth was she supposed to wear that dress?!

As she racked her brain thinking of how to pass the dress down as a family heirloom to Lele, Gu Qinghan approached her.

With a tone of triumph, he said, “Wife, the child is asleep.”

Wen Nuan met Gu Qinghan’s meaningful gaze, and her face flushed instantly. “So soon?”

“It’s not that early.” Gu Qinghan suddenly lifted her off the bed, his voice low as he said, “I’ve been waiting all night!”

As he spoke, he pressed his solid body against her plump butt.

Wen Nuan felt as if an electric current surged through her, and she couldn’t deny that she missed this man terribly. She slightly tilted her head and kissed him just under his jaw.

“I missed you too, Qinghan.”

Gu Qinghan clenched his jaw and held her tightly. He quickly made his way to the small room next door, not forgetting to grab the dress he had bought for her.

What did he plan to do with that?

Wen Nuan never expected that Gu Qinghan would be so outrageous as to insist she change into a new dress…

It was hideous!

How could he even come up with that idea?

—o—o—o—