Chapter 13: Tied to Him

They got in the car, and she sat in the same position as before.

Jiang Ning decided she had to sit properly today.

The driver was still Shi Feng. He greeted her with a respectful nod: “Sister-in-law.”

Jiang Ning smiled back at him. Both of them acted as if the previous incident had never happened.

The car started, and she carefully held the things she was carrying in her arms, afraid of bumping them. She had woken up too early, and she wanted to close her eyes and rest for a while.

Lu Dingquan naturally saw the object she was holding tightly in her lap, as if she were holding some precious treasure. She wouldn’t even relax when she was sleeping with her eyes closed.

Of course, she also sat far away from him, huddled against the car window. There was even enough space between their seats to fit another person.

He withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes, but his brow furrowed slightly.

The journey was very quiet.

Suddenly, Lu Dingquan felt something moving on his leg. His sharp eyes flew open.

Beneath his gaze, the corner of her white floral dress fluttered in the wind, brushing against his trousers. Following the swaying, light skirt, he saw the woman beside him leaning against the car window, fast asleep. Her forehead kept bumping against the window glass, and her beautiful, white side face wrinkled slightly, but she didn’t wake up.

Her slender, jade-white legs were exposed from time to time. The car was driving fast, and the wind from the window crack was quite strong, even blowing to her knees.

The dress billowed in the wind and then quickly fell down as if it had been sucked empty.

Jiang Ning had chosen a thin dress because the weather was nice this morning. The wind was blowing, and she felt a little cold in her nap. She subconsciously huddled further into the corner of the seat.

The man just stared for two or three seconds.

His dark brows quickly lowered, his thin lips pursed. He raised his hand and unbuttoned the collar of his jacket.

When Jiang Ning woke up, the car was parked by the side of the road.

Her first reaction was to touch the bag in her hand. Yes, she was still holding it. But… why was there a jacket draped over her waist?

She looked at Lu Dingquan. It was clearly his jacket.

Seeing her wake up, he turned his head, met her gaze, and calmly asked, “Did you go out robbing last night?”

Jiang Ning’s stiff body moved. Her arms holding the bag were sore. Hearing his deliberate question, she knew he was mocking her for falling asleep as soon as she got in the car. She snorted, rolled her eyes, and said, “It’s not like you’re home, I can’t even sleep alone at night…”

She quickly added, “Cough, but men, of course, work is the most important thing. You can just go ahead and work outside. Don’t worry, I understand.”

Lu Dingquan remained silent, lifting his lips into a smile that seemed like he wasn’t smiling at all.

She folded the clothes draped over her waist and legs and handed them back to him: “…Thank you.”

Jiang Ning thought he had put it on her because he was afraid she would catch a cold while sleeping.

Actually, she was a little hot now that she had woken up.

Looking out the window, she asked, “Why is the car stopped? Have we arrived?”

The man’s gaze swept over the skirt that was finally settled down. He took the jacket and said calmly, “We haven’t arrived yet. Shi Tou got off to pick someone up.”

Jiang Ning said “oh” and felt that her hair was messed up. She fixed it in front of the car window.

The window also vaguely reflected Lu Dingquan’s sturdy side profile.

She was fixing her hair and took a few more glances. Suddenly, she heard him ask, “Why aren’t you dressing up anymore?”

Jiang Ning: “Huh?”

She looked at herself in the car window. She was clearly dressed very well today.

Oh… was he hinting at mocking her exaggerated monkey butt makeup before?

Was this man trying to pick a fight with her today?

Jiang Ning just smiled and said, “Dress up for what? Everyone outside says my husband gives me forty yuan a month for living expenses, and I have him tied up tight. Why do I need to dress up?”

She turned her head, feigning curiosity and leaning closer: “Could it be… you like to see me dressed up?”

Lu Dingquan remained expressionless, his warm, deep eyes glancing over.

Jiang Ning raised her eyebrows and smiled. She was about to sit back down when she heard him say:

“Whether you dress up or not, you have me tied up tight, haven’t you?”

The man’s voice was very deep and mellow. It sounded like he was following her words, but it also seemed like he was stating a fact that he had already accepted. It was understated yet very certain, directly piercing her ears.

Jiang Ning’s ears buzzed. She froze for a moment and quickly sat back in her seat.

Her ears were a little hot. It must be because the car window was closed. Ugh, it was too stuffy.

Just then, Shi Feng also returned after picking up the person. The two of them sat in the front, breaking the quiet atmosphere in the car. The person they had picked up was also wearing a military uniform. He first saluted Lu Dingquan with a solemn expression:

“Battalion Commander!”

Then he greeted Jiang Ning: “Sister-in-law!”

This young man looked quite young, in his early twenties.

Jiang Ning knew that Lu Dingquan’s rank had been promoted to Battalion Commander before he retired. He could have continued down that path, but she heard that he had retired due to injuries and illness.

Lu Dingquan nodded slightly, his face showing no surprise. He must have been in frequent contact with this person recently. He asked, “Is everything alright at home?”

The young man sat upright in the passenger seat and turned his head to say, “Everything is fine!”

He answered every question like he was giving a report, with a particularly energetic tone.

Shi Feng started the car and couldn’t help but laugh: “Heizi, don’t scare Sister-in-law. We’re going to be working for the Battalion Commander from now on. Don’t act like this when you get to the factory. We’re not in the army anymore.”

The young man, called Heizi, was stunned for a moment, then grinned: “Oh! Battalion Commander, I understand.”

“You have to call him Factory Director from now on.”

“Factory Director!”

Jiang Ning thought this young man was quite funny. She also smiled slightly, and Heizi was stunned when he saw her smile. He quickly straightened his head, sat upright, and didn’t dare to glance around anymore.

Soon, they finally reached the city.

Jiang Ning heard them talking in the car. It turned out that Lu Dingquan was in the city today to attend a conference for retired military officers. It was a very formal event, and only those with certain qualifications could attend.

It was only nine thirty when they arrived in the city, and the conference was scheduled to begin at ten thirty.

They went to a designated guesthouse to rest first. Jiang Ning got to enjoy the benefits and went with them.

They were assigned two rooms in the guesthouse. She and Lu Dingquan went into one. Although the furnishings and decorations were simple, it was clean and tidy, with complete amenities.

She had been sitting in the car for so long that she wanted to rest for a while before going to the antique shop.

Lu Dingquan was already dressed in his neat, pine-green military jacket. He went to the table and poured himself a cup of water.

Jiang Ning sat on the bed, giving him the only chair. She propped herself up with her arms and looked up at him: “When will your meeting end? Should I wait for you to go back together in the afternoon?”

That’s right, she meant she wanted to hitch a ride again.

Also, it was already this late. They would definitely have lunch here after finishing their business. If she could also hitch a free meal…

“I’m not sure. It might be a little late.”

The water from the thermos was very hot, steaming. Lu Dingquan placed the porcelain cup filled with water on the table to cool down. He stood straight by the window and said in a calm voice, “When are you going to take care of your business?”

Jiang Ning’s legs, hidden beneath her floral dress, swung back and forth on the edge of the bed. She unconsciously looked at his back: “I’m going right away. It shouldn’t take long. Well… I should be back around lunchtime.”

The man was facing the window. They were staying on the second floor of the guesthouse. The street below was bustling with activity. The city was more lively than the county, and the roads were wider. There were countless people coming and going.

His gaze, which had been looking at the scenery below, inadvertently shifted to the window.

He said in a slow and steady tone: “Don’t wander around when you come back. Wait for me here. There will be food after the meeting.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ning agreed readily.

It sounded like she had secured free food and transportation. Although this man liked to mock her with his words, he still made arrangements properly.

She asked again, “Do you have anything else to do after dinner? I want to wander around here. But if you’re busy with work and need to go back quickly, then forget it.”

The large department store in the city was different. It had several floors. She thought that if she could sell the bowl lid at a good price, she would take this opportunity to go shopping in the department store and buy some things.

Lu Dingquan hummed in response, glancing at her instantly happy expression on the glass. His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and he said, “We’ll see.”

“…Okay then.”

She saw him standing there looking at the scenery outside the window, not moving for a long time. She simply lay down and decided to rest for a while before going out.

Lu Dingquan’s brow furrowed slightly. Seeing her carefree attitude, ready to fall asleep again, not even covering herself with the blanket, like a lazy bone lying there.

Her soft chest rose and fell with her breath, like a carefree little animal. Her full lips were pursed, and her slender waist stretched out like a vine. The hem of her floral dress swayed slightly under the blanket.

How early did she wake up?

His gaze lingered on the window glass for a long time before the man calmly withdrew his gaze.

The cup of tea on the table had gone cold. He didn’t drink it. Before going out, he took out ten yuan and placed it on the table, using the cup to hold it down.