They silently arrived at the hospital and stood under the dormitory building. The evening sunset spread across the sky. The sunset on the island was different every day, and today, it was particularly beautiful. The smoke-purple clouds floated in the sky, attracting a crowd of people who stopped to admire it.

The hallway windows were filled with people, and when Qin Yao and Gu Cheng appeared, a few of them noticed.

The sunset was dreamlike, but Gu Cheng’s face was as dark as a pot bottom. He pressed his lips together, feeling an inner turmoil.

He had walked this far, thinking his anger would subside. He thought when they reached the bottom of the building, Qin Yao would say a few soft words, and he would let his guard down. But there were so many people outside.

Qin Yao noticed Gu Cheng’s expression and couldn’t help but secretly smile.

Along the way, she had guessed what was bothering him. He was upset because he thought she was ignoring him. Although she wasn’t entirely considerate, Gu Cheng’s silent treatment was something she couldn’t just let go of.

He should have expressed his feelings clearly instead of holding everything inside.

Stubborn as a mule.

Qin Yao yawned and said, “Anything you need to say? If not, I’ll go upstairs?”

Gu Cheng, who had been debating whether to speak, was furious. After all this, the girl didn’t take it seriously.

She could have just acted a little spoiled to coax him.

Gu Cheng closed his eyes. While cursing himself, he turned and walked away.

He walked slowly, his ears tuned to the sounds around him. As soon as Qin Yao called out to him, he would stop.

But by the time he reached outside the hospital, no one had followed him.

Inside the car, Gu Cheng slammed his fist against the seat back. The engine roared, and a faint smell of diesel filled the air. The car bumped up and down, and his heart was in turmoil.

The banana leaves outside the window quickly passed by. Gu Cheng resented Qin Yao’s indifference, unaffected by his departure. He replayed the scene in his mind when she almost touched his hand.

He had pulled away.

…Could she be mad at him?

A sudden wave of fear and disappointment rose in his heart. Gu Cheng bit his lip and leaned back in the seat. It felt like a wild animal was rampaging inside him. He suddenly shouted, “Stop the car!”

“Commander Gu, what’s wrong?”

Gu Cheng half-closed his eyes, staring outside. The smoke-purple clouds had turned bright red, dazzlingly beautiful. But despite the beauty of the scene, a sense of melancholy and reluctance filled his heart.

An indescribable pain and bitterness spread through him.

“Keep driving.”

In the hidden corners, Gu Cheng leaned against the window like a withered eggplant, his body heavy with regret. The darkness outside engulfed the world, and inside him, the word “regret” consumed him.

When they reached their destination and Gu Cheng rolled up his sleeves, he mentally prepared to “make amends.” Once back in the dorm, he would write a “reconciliation plan.” After all, wasn’t it just about coaxing a girl? How could he not learn how to do it?

Having made the decision, Gu Cheng got out of the car and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He moved forward into the darkness, with only a few scattered lights visible in the distance.

As he confirmed the code, Gu Cheng walked into the darkness, and an unexpected thought flashed through his mind—“henpecked husband.”

He was startled by the thought in the dark.

When he reached the office door, Gu Cheng had already composed himself. He knew that his current actions were merely temporary, like King Yue Goujian enduring hardship and waiting for a future opportunity to take down Wu. Once he had gotten through this phase and passed the probation period, when he finally married the woman, wouldn’t everything be under his control?

He, Gu Cheng, would never be a henpecked husband in his lifetime!

With a mocking smile, Gu Cheng sat at his desk, settling into work. He focused intently on the files in front of him, writing down notes with a steel pen. When at work, he was completely absorbed, with his mind focused on nothing else.

Political Commissar Zhou knocked on the door. “Commander Gu, I knew you would be here. You’re quite different from others. You actually managed to keep up with work while dating.”

“Unlike that old Wu, who is henpecked. His private money was turned upside down, but he is still worried and afraid of his wife.”

Gu Cheng: “…”

“Commander Gu, has Xiao Qin ever gotten mad at you? Girls tend to be clingy when they’re in a relationship. Your sister-in-law used to cling to me too, so I couldn’t help but complain a bit.”

Gu Cheng put down his pen, his handsome face darkened, and with no expression, he said, “She did.”

Political Commissar Zhou raised an eyebrow, curious. “What happened?”

Gu Cheng’s gaze turned cold. “She tried to hold my hand, and I didn’t let her.”

“…” Political Commissar Zhou was speechless. How could there be such a man in the world?

Which man wouldn’t want to get closer to a girl when they’re dating? This guy was definitely strange.

“No wonder Xiao Qin is mad at you,” Political Commissar Zhou shook his head. 

“Commander Gu, are you really serious about Xiao Qin? Or is it just because you’ve reached a certain age and feel that she’s suitable enough to settle with?”

Political Commissar Zhou genuinely felt sorry for Xiao Qin. He hadn’t interacted much with Qin Yao, but from what he saw, it seemed like she was the only one invested in this relationship. She was the one who gave him handkerchiefs and initiated hand-holding.

“If you’re just settling, don’t waste her time. There are plenty of considerate men out there. Didn’t she have a blind date with Doctor He before?”

“Maybe Xiao Qin will realize in a few days that Doctor He is a better choice, and then you, this bachelor, will be left alone,” Political Commissar Zhou teased to provoke Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng slammed the table. “Are you trying to teach me how to be a ‘henpecked husband’?”

Political Commissar Zhou froze. “?”

“If I really become a henpecked husband, it will all be your fault,” Gu Cheng said coldly.

Political Commissar Zhou: “…”

Political Commissar Zhou’s appearance reminded Gu Cheng of a sentence he had read before, and he cursed himself for having such a good memory. The sentence and the image kept replaying in his mind, making him feel like he was torturing himself.

He thought about it during the day and dreamed about it at night. Sadly, the beautiful woman in his dream, just like a cooked duck, flew away.

The next morning, Gu Cheng woke up with a face full of resentment.

*

Qin Yao had a restless night. Dark circles had appeared under her eyes. She had tossed and turned, lost in thoughts until who knew what time before finally falling asleep.

Comrade Xiao Qin sighed in her heart. She had come to the painful realization that Gu Cheng had become more and more important to her.

Caring about someone was a terrifying thing.

What was even more terrifying was realizing the depth of her own feelings, sinking deeper into them day by day.

“Xiao Qin, did you have a fight with Commander Gu?” Zhang Yufei hesitantly asked before leaving for the day.

Qin Yao shook her head. “Not really.”

They didn’t really argue, but it could be considered a “cold war.”

“That’s good. Didn’t you sleep well last night?” Zhang Yufei asked with concern.

“Just thinking about some things.” Qin Yao hated how her thoughts kept flying away on their own. The more she thought about it, the more she reflected on herself.

She admitted that a part of her regretted how she had treated Gu Cheng the day before. She had been distant with him.

What made Qin Yao even more anxious was that as she reflected on her relationship with Gu Cheng, she started to realize that she was becoming more and more like the person from her memories.

She had always despised her domineering father, but now she was behaving similarly. It was like that day when she had forced Gu Cheng to wear the polka-dot apron, and she had even taken pleasure in it.

How could she have become the kind of person she hated the most, self-centered, and forcing those close to her to obey?

She couldn’t let her fear of losing herself in love turn her into a manipulative person, using emotions to control others and making them compromise again and again.

Qin Yao decided to change. Gu Cheng had tried to get closer to her multiple times, so now, it was her turn to take the initiative.

After work, she planned to go to Gu Cheng, apologize, and tell him clearly that, rather than the “Commander Gu” persona, she preferred the way he was when they first met.

When she reached the duty room, Head Nurse Ge stopped her. “Xiao Qin, there’s a letter. Commander Gu had someone send it this morning. Please have a look.”

Qin Yao’s heart skipped a beat. She took the letter from Head Nurse Ge’s hand. The envelope was intact, unopened, and had no name or address on the outside.

Head Nurse Ge looked up and rubbed her forehead, showing a hint of worry. Normally, she would have been curious about the little couple’s issues, but today, she had too much on her plate to care about anything else.

Qin Yao tucked the letter away and asked, “Head Nurse Ge, is something wrong?”

Head Nurse Ge turned to look at her, and suddenly, an idea popped into her head. “Xiao Qin, could you do me a favor?”

Qin Yao paused. “What is it?”

“Could you help me write something?” Head Nurse Ge tentatively asked. “Last time, with the self-criticism, many people said you were good at writing stories. Recently, I’ve been asked to write about my own achievements for a women’s magazine, but I don’t know how to start…”

Head Nurse Ge was hesitant as she spoke. The Southern Women’s Newspaper wanted to publish stories about exemplary women, and they had contacted her to write an article. If the article was well-written, it could even be reprinted in the National Women’s Newspaper.

At first, Head Nurse Ge didn’t take it seriously. She thought it would be fine to just write something casually. After all, she was older now, and whether or not it was published in the National Women’s Newspaper didn’t matter to her. So, she planned to write something hastily.

However, last night, her rival, Fan Dandan, called her. In their conversation, it became clear that Fan Dandan knew about the article and even teased her, saying, “I’ll be waiting to see your glorious achievements in the newspaper. Oh, Old Ge, you’re doing great!”

That remark really annoyed Head Nurse Ge.

She spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed, and by morning, she had made up her mind to write the article seriously. She couldn’t let her rival laugh at her.

She made a rough outline in her mind but found herself stuck after writing just a hundred words. She felt frustrated and at a loss.

Qin Yao asked, “Should I help you write the story?”

“Yes,” Head Nurse Ge sighed. She didn’t expect much, thinking Qin Yao would refuse. After all, this wasn’t a pleasant task. No one would willingly take on such a thankless job.

Qin Yao’s eyes flickered as she thought this was a good opportunity. It was challenging, yes, and certainly not easy, but if she could write something that satisfied Head Nurse Ge, the benefits would be huge. First, it would increase Head Nurse Ge’s goodwill toward her. Second, it would improve her reputation as a writer.

“Head Nurse Ge, I’ll help you. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll give it a try.”

Head Nurse Ge was pleasantly surprised. “Xiao Qin, you really are… alright, alright! You try writing it. If it’s not good, I won’t blame you. Just don’t worry and write.”

With that settled, Qin Yao arranged to meet Head Nurse Ge at noon to discuss the details. She then walked out of the duty room with the envelope in hand.

In the hallway, filled with the smell of disinfectant, Qin Yao tore open the envelope. In front of her was the pharmacy counter, with a line of people waiting.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she wondered what Gu Cheng had written inside. She stuffed the white paper back into the envelope without opening it. After a moment, she recalled the “three-line love poem” Gu Cheng had written before.

Those words were so cryptic, like Morse code—only a genius could understand them.

She then opened the envelope in plain sight. On the white paper were three lines written clearly:

“One day, three autumns.”

“Punishing myself for my mistakes.”

“The bond between Qin and Jin.”