Chapter 48: My Good Baby

Su Nianmei felt particularly embarrassed, pretending she hadn’t understood Gu Xichao’s words. She blinked her eyes a couple of times and said, “Ah? Photos? What photos?”

Gu Xichao looked at Su Nianmei’s fluttering eyelashes, and with a slight turn of his head, he could see the fine fuzz on her neck. Her skin looked so delicate that it seemed one could squeeze water from it.

“No photos?” Gu Xichao’s voice was light but carried a teasing undertone.

Su Nianmei was struck by his words, and her face immediately turned bright red. Sweat beads trickled down her neck, and she quickly waved her hands. “No! There aren’t any photos.”

“Oh?” Gu Xichao suddenly stood straight. Though he said the same “oh,” his tone was elevated. He placed his finger on Su Nianmei’s earlobe, rubbing it back and forth.

Su Nianmei abruptly became alert and struggled to free herself from Gu Xichao’s embrace, her voice sounding somewhat unnatural. “This is school; you can’t, you can’t do that.”

“Oh.” Gu Xichao obediently responded, but his hand did not drop. Instead, he moved his fingers from her earlobe, tucking her loose hair behind her ear. The temperature of the air grew increasingly warmer. “You’re my wife; what can’t I do?”

Su Nianmei looked at Gu Xichao. Her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, filled with a mix of laughter and playful intrigue, unlike her usual serious demeanour. Her hands moved gently, yet there was a hint of carefree teasing. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but her eyes clearly revealed affection.

Gu Xichao’s hand was positioned just right, loosely wrapping around her waist. It wasn’t so frivolous that it made her uncomfortable, yet it securely held Su Nianmei in place as if declaring her as his possession, making it difficult for her to move and keeping her within his grasp.

“Is this not okay?” Gu Xichao leaned down to ask Su Nianmei, their noses almost touching, close enough that Su Nianmei’s tip nearly brushed against Gu Xichao’s. “Good baby.”

She held her breath, her lips trembling. It felt as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at her chest, tingling and making her feel weak, a stream flowing up from her abdomen. When the stream rushed through her chest, it hit suddenly, and her legs immediately grew weak; even the corners of her eyes became moist. She still managed to feign a strong tone. “No.”

Gu Xichao’s hand tightened slightly around her waist, causing her head to bump against his chest, and he pulled her fully into his embrace.

His palm was partially cupped, his broad hand resting on her waist through the thin fabric of her military training uniform. The warmth of his palm seeped through the fabric, penetrating into her waist.

Su Nianmei didn’t move and didn’t dare to speak, closing her eyes.

He bent down, leaning close to Su Nianmei’s neck and lowering his head.

Su Nianmei felt a chill at the back of her neck, quickly followed by a warmth. The spot where Gu Xichao had touched her tingled instantly, the sensation creeping up from her neck to her ears while her eyes remained tightly shut.

“Good baby, you’ve trained really hard; you’re all sweaty,” Gu Xichao said, rubbing his thumb over Su Nianmei’s eyelids as he spoke.

In Su Nianmei’s mind, she couldn’t shake the image of Gu Xichao’s tongue licking the beads of sweat, making her dizzy. She gripped the hem of Gu Xichao’s shirt tightly.

The sound of “thud thud thud” abruptly broke the moment’s tranquillity.

Su Nianmei jolted awake and pushed Gu Xichao away.

The soldiers spotted their leader leaning against a storage shelf. Next to him stood a student in military training gear, head bowed.

The poor kid was probably intimidated by the boss and didn’t even know what he had done wrong to be singled out for a conversation. They knew their leader was not someone to be trifled with; the last time someone messed up, a guy over 1.8 meters tall had cried all night after being scolded by him.

“Report!” the soldier’s voice boomed.

“Come in.” Gu Xichao said, all the while calmly straightening his clothes.

As soon as the soldier entered, Su Nianmei quickly interjected, “Instructor, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

The young soldier quickly helped the foolish girl out, “You need to train rigorously during military training; every day counts! Stop thinking about slacking off and hurry up. Training won’t wait for you!”

Su Nianmei quickly approached the exit, saying, “Yes.” As she walked, her foot snagged on a bag, causing her to stumble several times before finally exiting the room.

Once outside, she burst into laughter, tears almost spilling from her eyes. The sky was a clear blue, and the sun was blazing, but Su Nianmei’s spirits were high. She had just seen Gu Xichao’s ears turn bright red in an instant.

That’s what he gets! Let him be inappropriate; he’s the one who ended up embarrassed.

The afternoon breeze wafted in through the small ventilation window, the August heat mixing with it. Gu Xichao was still sweaty, and the wind helped to refresh him slightly.

Watching Su Nianmei’s retreating figure, he touched his nose and let out a sigh.

He chuckled, the sound echoing hollowly in the basement, his shadow stretching long on the ground.

—o—o—o—

Su Nianmei stood at the end of the line, with Qi Man on her left. During military training, the two of them had gathered late, and their positions had ended up at the back, just the two of them.

As soon as Qi Man saw Su Nianmei return, she let out a few teasing snickers.

Su Nianmei adjusted her cap and returned to her spot.

“Xiao Su, where did you go just now?”

Su Nianmei stared at the brim of her hat and quietly whistled, gritting her teeth as she whispered, “What else could I do? I went to see some handsome soldier brothers.”

Qi Man shifted her weight, her heels hurting. “Girl, that’s not cool. You didn’t even call me to join you for the eye candy. Just how good-looking is that soldier of yours?”

Su Nianmei rolled her eyes at Qi Man. “He’s good-looking, just stunning. Like snow on a high mountain, as handsome as a pine tree.”

Qi Man scoffed, “These days, being just good-looking isn’t enough. You also need to be good in other ways.”

Su Nianmei inhaled sharply, wondering where such a fierce girl as Qi Man came from.

“Hey, I suddenly remembered something. I have a friend who has been married for quite a while. Their relationship is okay, but they’ve never… you know, done that. What do you think the reason could be?”

Qi Man’s tone brightened, and she straightened up, ears perked. “Is the guy the problem?”

Su Nianmei choked on her response. “No way!”

Gu Xichao had been more clingy with her lately, looking at her with eyes that seemed to burn.

“Why are you so excited? Your friend isn’t you.”

Qi Man glanced at Su Nianmei and clicked her tongue. “Then it’s definitely the woman’s issue. The interaction between a man and a woman is like dry tinder and kindling; if the fire hasn’t ignited, it must mean one side isn’t…”

Before Qi Man could finish her thought, a cold voice came from behind them, “Not enough of what?”

Instructor Jiang Quan stood at the end of the line.

Startled, Qi Man blurted out, “Flirt!”

The entire area fell silent.

Instructor Jiang Quan’s neck turned red as he spoke gruffly, “If anyone dares to speak again during training, you’ll face an additional ten minutes of punishment!”

Su Nianmei and Qi Man carried a small basin and headed toward the bathroom after training that evening.

As they walked, Qi Man pounded her thigh and complained, “What did Jiang Quan eat today? He’s in such a bad mood and seemed to target me during training.”

Su Nianmei tightened her grip on the basket. “You really made him mad today; it’s a miracle he didn’t make you stand all afternoon.”

Qi Man placed her hand on Su Nianmei’s shoulder, poking her lightly. “Xiao Su, you really are ungrateful. Would he have focused on me if I hadn’t been here to help you?”

“Okay, okay, my fault,” Su Nianmei said, quickening her pace toward the bathroom. “Let’s hurry; so many people want to shower that we might miss out on a spot.”

She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Qi Man pulled her back.

“We’re not going that way.” Qi Man wore a mischievous grin, her eyes squinting into slits, her dimples faintly visible as she pointed in a different direction. “We’re going over there.”

Su Nianmei looked where Qi Man pointed at the small grove beside the dormitory. Under the moonlight, it appeared to be a dark patch. Su Nianmei froze, realizing why Qi Man had insisted she bring the basin. Stammering, she asked, “You want to wash in the woods?”

Qi Man pulled Su Nianmei along. “Of course not! What are you thinking? I heard Jiang Quan chatting with another instructor while I was being punished to stand.

“They said there’s a small bathhouse beyond this grove. It was built in a pretty remote area because they were worried about student safety, so it hasn’t been widely used, only allowed for instructors during military training.”

Su Nianmei halted in her tracks again. “Aren’t all the instructors men?”

Qi Man’s hand remained on her shoulder, and she frowned slightly. “When it was built, they must have included both male and female bathrooms. There should be a water supply for both sides. Stop overthinking it and follow me; I’ll ensure you shower comfortably tonight.”

Su Nianmei followed Qi Man, who suddenly turned her head back to look at her.

“What’s wrong?” Su Nianmei asked.

The two of them entered the small grove, the wind rustling the leaves and mixing with the soft whispers around them.

The male and female bathhouses were built back to back, with the men’s bathhouse in front and the women’s behind. They couldn’t see each other from either side. When they arrived, a few instructors finished their showers and walked out from the front.

They stealthily made their way to the front of the women’s bathhouse, which turned out to be usable.

Although the place was deserted, Su Nianmei and Qi Man took turns showering, with one guarding the entrance to prevent any unexpected situations.

Qi Man went in first, while Su Nianmei simply sat on the steps outside the bathhouse.

The wind blew in from afar, scattering her hair. She looked up at the moon and recalled a line from a poem: “A bright moon rises over the sea, and we share this moment, though miles apart.”

It was a bit cliché, almost overused like something from a grade school essay, but the sentiment it conveyed was straightforward and resonant. She and Gu Xichao were currently under the same moonlight, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing at that moment.

They had both agreed to keep quiet about their two-month arrangement, and things had progressed smoothly, with Gu Xichao being so considerate. However, with everything feeling too perfect, she found herself grappling with feelings of insecurity and jealousy.

This made her hesitant to give herself to him entirely.

But after talking with Qi Man, Su Nianmei felt that the path ahead seemed much clearer.

Suddenly, she heard rustling sounds from the grass and immediately stood up. “Who’s there?”

A white shadow darted out.

Something tugged at the hem of her pants, and when she looked down, she saw a pure white kitten pulling at her pants leg as it tried to scurry away.

Leaning against the wall was a man, his cap shading most of his face. He wore a crisp military uniform, and even the top button was done up neatly. He sat on the edge of the wall, his upper body straight as a rod, yet his demeanour was relaxed and natural, his head resting against the iron railing as he closed his eyes.

Behind him, unknown wildflowers climbed up the iron railing, white, red, and pink, creating a vibrant cluster.

They added a touch of beauty to the man.

At that moment, the distant moon was obscured by dark clouds, and the shadows of the flowers were scattered on the ground, creating a dappled effect.

The little cat quickly jumped into the man’s arms, and he skillfully caught it, running his long fingers down its ear fur.

When he looked up, Su Nianmei was standing a short distance away.

“Xiaobao, what are you doing here?”

Su Nianmei hadn’t expected Gu Xichao to be there. “I just met this little cat—the one you’re holding. It tugged at me to follow it.”

Gu Xichao chuckled and scratched the kitten’s ear. “This cat seems quite affectionate.”

Just then, the kitten jumped from Gu Xichao’s embrace, wagging its tail at Su Nianmei and letting out a series of “meow-meow” sounds.

Su Nianmei squatted down, wanting to pet the kitten, but the tiny creature suddenly flopped down into a cat pancake, lazily lying in the grass with its head buried, refusing to let her get a good look.

Su Nianmei huffed, “This little guy has quite the attitude.”

Gu Xichao replied, “Just like you.”

Su Nianmei stepped over the kitten and walked toward Gu Xichao, aiming to sit beside him. “How am I like that? I’m so well-behaved, and my temper is excellent.”

However, Gu Xichao stopped her, pulling her into his arms as if coaxing a daughter. “My Xiaobao has the best temperament. Don’t sit there; it’s chilly at night. It’s not good for girls’ health.”

Su Nianmei nestled into Gu Xichao’s embrace, showing a much more relaxed demeanor than in the morning, nodding in agreement. Her head rested against his chest. “I haven’t asked you yet—what are you doing here?”

Gu Xichao licked his lips. “I just took a shower. I couldn’t sleep at night, so I came here to enjoy the breeze.”

His lips glistened under the night light, and Su Nianmei’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected to be the one with the wandering thoughts first.

She reached out and touched Gu Xichao’s chin, feeling his stubble against her fingers. “Darling, I missed you.”

Gu Xichao’s hand trembled slightly.

Su Nianmei blinked her eyes. “Do you want to continue what we started at noon?”

She wore a serious expression, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gu Xichao while her heart danced with excitement. What a bold thing to say!

She could clearly feel Gu Xichao’s muscles tense up suddenly.

“Is it possible?” Gu Xichao’s voice was soft, yet it carried a hint of urgency and pleading.

Su Nianmei didn’t respond, slowly closing her eyes instead.

Gu Xichao wrapped his arms around Su Nianmei, their noses brushing against each other, their lips almost touching.

As Gu Xichao kissed her more passionately, Su Nianmei wrapped her arms around his neck in response. Her index finger slipped onto Gu Xichao’s shoulder, and the sudden pain radiated from her fingertip, making her want to laugh. The wind pushed away the clouds, and the moonlight illuminated them at that moment, causing Su Nianmei’s eyes to sparkle.

What a wonderful man he was—and he was hers!

She didn’t care about his past; since he was hers, he would forever belong to her, and no one could take him away.