Chapter 8: You Kissed Me, Now You Have to Take Responsibility  

A short while later, the four of them entered the house and sat around the only decent piece of furniture—a square table.  

Zhou Zhongshan had not returned just to watch the commotion, nor was he here merely to help Jiang Rou out of a difficult situation.  

He had come to deliver food.  

The man had brought back meals from the military canteen. Three silver aluminum lunchboxes, stacked neatly in a rectangular shape, sat in front of them.  

The moment Jiang Rou laid eyes on the lunchboxes, her stomach let out a loud gurgling sound.  

From the moment she had been knocked unconscious and thrown onto the ship until now, she had lost track of how much time had passed.  

At the very least, it had been a full day and night.  

Earlier, she had been too preoccupied with figuring out this world and getting to know the old man to even think about the needs of her own body.

As soon as the aroma of the food reached her nose, Jiang Rou suddenly realized how painfully hungry she was.  

She quietly reached out and rubbed her stomach.  

Zhou Zhongshan noticed this. He placed the first lunchbox in front of Jiang Rou before handing the others to Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua.  

He said in a deep voice: “Eat.”  

Jiang Rou flashed him a bright smile and quickly opened the silver lunchbox.  

Inside, there were shredded potatoes, a portion of Chinese cabbage, and a small serving of pickled long beans.  

The staple food consisted of two steamed buns and a steamed cornmeal bun.  

That was all.  

Jiang Rou could not spot even the slightest hint of oil in the entire meal.  

Zhou Zhongshan was a military regiment commander. With his rank, he could easily have the kitchen prepare special meals just for him.  

But he did not take advantage of that privilege.  

Instead, he ate the same large-pot meals as the ordinary soldiers, collecting his food from the military unit canteen just like everyone else.  

Just by looking at the food, it was clear how scarce resources were on this island.  

Jiang Rou paused for a moment, deep in thought.  

Zhou Zhongshan happened to catch this momentary hesitation.  

Thinking she was dissatisfied, he spoke up.  

“The island is remote, and transportation is inconvenient. The supplies that can be brought in are limited. The conditions here are not like those in the city. If you’re not used to it, bear with it for a few days. I’ll send you back later.”  

What?  

Send her back again?  

Jiang Rou was stunned.  

This man had just publicly acknowledged her as his fiancée, yet now he was thinking of sending her away again.  

Hmph!  

She was not going anywhere!  

“I am used to it! Shredded potatoes with steamed buns taste amazing!”  

Jiang Rou puffed up her cheeks slightly, her voice carrying a hint of frustration.  

Her bright, clear eyes shot a sideways glance at Zhou Zhongshan—half annoyed, half playful.  

Then she opened her mouth, picked up a piece of shredded potato, and took a big bite of the steamed bun.

The shredded potatoes were a bit salty—probably too much salt had been added.  

But that was fine; the saltiness made the rice more appetizing!  

Jiang Rou was indeed hungry, but at the same time, she also wanted to prove a point to Zhou Chongshan. So, she took big mouthfuls of rice, eating voraciously.  

At the dining table, apart from the sounds of eating, there was no other noise for a while.  

Taking advantage of this moment, Jiang Rou was finally able to carefully examine the two children sitting across from her.  

She had already thought they looked small for their age, but now, seeing them up close, she realized they were excessively thin and frail.  

At six and four years old, they should have still had some baby fat, with chubby little faces.  

However, whether it was Zhou Xiaochuan or Zhou Xiaohua, both of them looked like skin and bones.  

Their clothes were dirty, and their little faces were covered in grime, making them look dark and smudged—like two little coal balls.  

While Jiang Rou was eating hungrily, Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were also devouring their food.  

With their small mouths, they couldn’t fit an entire steamed bun inside, so they tore it into pieces and stuffed them into their mouths bit by bit.  

Then, they gulped down the food ravenously, as if they had been starving the whole day.  

It had to be Xu Chunxiang who had shorted them on lunch, giving them nothing but a bowl of thin, watery rice soup to get by.  

That must have been why they were so desperately hungry.  

Jiang Rou’s gaze softened inexplicably, carrying a hint of tenderness and sympathy.  

However—  

Zhou Xiaochuan suddenly sensed her gaze and abruptly lifted his eyes.  

His dark, wolfish eyes glared at her fiercely!  

Disgust filled his expression, written plainly in his eyes.  

Even though Jiang Rou was an adult, she was still momentarily startled by the intensity of the child’s stare.  

But in the very next second—  

The fierce little wolf cub picked up a chopstick-full of shredded potatoes from his lunchbox and placed it into his younger sister’s.  

Then, he split his steamed cornmeal bun in half and gave an equal portion to Zhou Xiaohua.

Zhou Xiaohua’s mouth was stuffed with a steamed bun, making her cheeks puff up while her round eyes gleamed.  

Since she couldn’t speak with her mouth full, she simply smiled at her older brother.  

That smile brought out a bit of girlish charm.  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s expression shifted slightly as he reached out and patted his sister’s head.  

This little wolf cub might have been fierce, but he was also fiercely protective.  

Jiang Rou saw everything clearly.  

Before long, she had finished most of her boxed meal, leaving only the last steamed cornmeal bun, which she held in her hand, nibbling on it slowly.  

Only then did she belatedly remember something.  

“Zhou Chongshan, what about you? Have you eaten?”  

Zhou Chongshan replied: “The military unit’s canteen saved a meal for me. I’ll eat when I go back.”  

The implication was clear—  

He was still planning to leave.  

Jiang Rou picked up on that, nodding slightly.  

Her gaze lowered as she seemed to be lost in thought.  

…  

As the sky darkened, Zhou Chongshan gathered up the empty lunchboxes and prepared to leave. Before stepping out, he gave a few reminders.  

“There’s only one bed in the house. Tonight, you three will have to share it. If you’re not comfortable with that, let me know tomorrow, and I’ll set up a small bed for the kids so Xiaochuan and Xiaohua can sleep separately.”  

“You don’t need to worry about the children. Xiaochuan is the older one—he will take care of Xiaohua. Just focus on resting.”  

“The wind is strong on the island at night. If you hear any noises, don’t be frightened. If anything happens, go find Sister-in-law Zhao next door. She knows everything and will help you.”  

The man spoke in meticulous detail.  

Jiang Rou tilted her head up and looked at Zhou Chongshan.  

His words were full of concern, yet his face remained cold and expressionless—like a block of solid ice.  

She refused to believe he couldn’t be warmed up!  

Her gaze sparkled as she looked at him. “Are you finished talking?”

“Hmm… that’s about it. You’re tired today, so get some rest early.”  

Zhou Chongshan said this as his final words, then turned to leave.  

However—  

Before his tall frame could even shift sideways, a pair of fair, delicate wrists suddenly grabbed onto his collar.  

“You’re too tall…”  

Jiang Rou’s soft voice murmured a complaint, but the corners of her lips lifted into a sweet smile.  

She tugged lightly at Zhou Chongshan’s collar, pulling it down just a little.  

The towering man before her, for some unknown reason, actually followed that impossibly light force and bent down ever so slightly.  

The moment Zhou Chongshan lowered his head—  

Jiang Rou stood on tiptoe, lifted her delicate chin, and leaned in.  

Her soft, rosy lips landed directly on the chiseled, handsome contours of his face.  

In that instant—  

Zhou Chongshan’s temples twitched, the motion extending to the faint scar at his temple.  

Was this… a kiss?  

The warmth and tenderness on his cheek lingered, refusing to dissipate.  

In his dark, unfocused pupils, Jiang Rou’s bright and alluring face was reflected—her lips soft, pink, and slightly parted…  

His gaze froze, staring blankly.  

Then, her sweet voice rang in his ears once more.  

“Zhou Chongshan, you’ve already seen everything, and now you’ve been kissed too. You have to take responsibility for me!”  

As soon as the words fell, Jiang Rou let go of the shirt she had been gripping, taking a small step back.  

An old man who had just gotten a taste of romance couldn’t be teased too hard all at once.  

Jiang Rou knew when to stop—just enough to leave a lingering sweetness.  

“Zhou Chongshan, goodnight.”  

She left those words behind and turned, stepping into the house.  

Leaving Zhou Chongshan standing alone in the night, utterly bewildered in the evening breeze.  

A few minutes later—  

Zhou Chongshan’s figure finally disappeared from the courtyard.  

As he walked, his dazed hand lifted to touch the spot on his cheek where Jiang Rou had just kissed him.  

The moment his fingers brushed against it, a tingling current seemed to jolt through him.  

His heart, tough and steady for years, was suddenly struck by something fierce—  

Buzzing, pounding wildly.  

It was only after a delayed moment that he realized—his ears were burning, his whole body stiff and tense.  

So this was how ordinary married couples… flirted with each other?