“Then… then what are you doing?”

The calluses on the man’s large, warm palms brushed against her skin. Wen Ci’s skin was smooth and delicate, and even though he wasn’t moving much, the touch tickled her. “Put me down, I can walk by myself.”

The living room wasn’t far from the bedroom, and in just a few steps, Huo Jingyuan carried Wen Ci to the bedroom and placed her on the bed. The sunlight outside filtered through the clouds and spilled onto the bed.

Huo Jingyuan spoke succinctly:
“Be good, let’s apply the medicine.”

As he spoke, he took out a tube of ointment from the drawer.

“Close the curtains…” Wen Ci swallowed nervously.

Huo Jingyuan obediently did as she asked. After closing the curtains, he walked back to the bed and turned on the light. The doctor had instructed him to apply the ointment evenly around the affected area.

The warm yellow light filled the room. It wasn’t particularly bright, but it was enough to clearly see Wen Ci’s face. The man’s gaze was intense, and he curled his lips into a smile. “Should I help you take it off, or will you do it yourself?”

Wen Ci: “…”

She couldn’t stand the look in Huo Jingyuan’s eyes.

It was like a hungry wolf staring intently at its prey.

“Then I…”

Before Huo Jingyuan could finish, Wen Ci reacted strongly. “I-I’ll do it myself.”

…

The next day.

Wen Ci had a good night’s sleep. When she woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten. She stretched lazily, and the sound of soldiers running during morning drills was clearly audible next door.

Her constitution was good, and after applying the ointment last night, the swelling had already gone down.

The early morning in the northwest was chilly, with a cold breeze blowing. Wen Ci draped a military coat over herself and opened the door to the courtyard. She saw Xue Li standing at the door, his hand raised as if about to knock.

When Xue Li saw Wen Ci, he smiled warmly. “Good morning, sister-in-law.”

As he spoke, he handed her a steamed bun and a bowl of porridge. “Sister-in-law, Brother Huo asked me to bring you breakfast. He’s going to be leading drills with the troops this morning. If he doesn’t come back by noon, I’ll bring you lunch.”

“Won’t that be too much trouble?” Wen Ci frowned slightly.

Xue Li shook his head. “No trouble at all, no trouble at all.”

“I still have to go for a run, so I’ll head off now.”

“Thank you, Xue Li.”

In the military compound, breakfast was typically steamed buns and porridge.

The porridge was served in a lunchbox, and Wen Ci could feel the warmth in her hands. Her eyes curved into a smile. After finishing breakfast, she washed the lunchbox thoroughly.

Wen Ci decided to take a walk around the family quarters to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

The sky had brightened, and sunlight bathed the earth. In the distance, the Gobi Desert seemed to be coated in a layer of gold, shimmering under the sun’s rays.

The three-bedroom houses in the family quarters were mostly empty. As Wen Ci walked behind the building, she saw a few figures. Unlike the standalone houses, this building had about four rooms per floor.

A few wooden stools were placed in front of the building. The shared water tap was on the first floor, and the three-story building had a communal water source.

Several women sat on the wooden stools, holding bowls of porridge. Wen Ci’s simple attire caught their attention.

“Are you a new family member?”

Wen Ci nodded. “I just arrived yesterday.”

There were about a dozen similar buildings in the family quarters. A northeastern woman pulled out a small stool and waved at Wen Ci. “Come over here, sister, have a seat.”

Wen Ci, having nothing else to do, walked over and sat down.

“Sister, where are you from?”

Wen Ci replied, “Beijing.”

“Oh—” The northeastern woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Isn’t that our capital?”

Wen Ci nodded. “Yes, but I’m not from Beijing. I’m from the mountains in Hebei. I just took the green train from Beijing.”

Wen Ci’s household registration was from a rural village in Hebei. A few years ago, it had been one of those impoverished villages where educated youth were sent to work.