Chapter 34

Lin Qingping couldn’t help but glance several times. She had to admit that Gu Juncheng was truly handsome! The way he looked in casual clothes and as a military commander was entirely different—there was a relaxed elegance to him, with a poise in every gesture, every movement.

Truly, she had seen so many people in her past life, yet none could compare to him! Gu Juncheng, ever sharp, noticed her gaze. Suddenly turning around, he caught her eyes directly. 

“What are you looking at?” His expression was stern.

Lin Qingping quickly glanced around, trying to think of an excuse, when she suddenly noticed that under his outer jacket, he wasn’t wearing the sweater she had knitted for him, but a black one instead.

“Xiao Lin! Xiao Lin!” At that moment, Lei Sufang’s voice called from outside.

“I’m coming!” Lin Qingping opened the door and saw Lei Sufang waving from outside.

“Are you ready?” It turned out Lei Sufang was also going.

“Ready, let’s go!” Lin Qingping turned to ask Gu Juncheng.

Gu Juncheng nodded: “Let’s go.”

So, Gu Juncheng accompanied her, Old Chen followed Lei Sufang, and the four of them went out together. Though they called it shopping, it wasn’t far—they just went to the town near the Military Unit.

Lei Sufang was in high spirits, buying many things: clothes, hats, scarves, candies, snacks, and so on. Old Chen followed behind, both hands full. Lin Qingping was equally excited, helping Lei Sufang pick things out, but she only bought ingredients for cakes and desserts. 

Gu Juncheng, holding a pile of ingredients, asked curiously: “Is this all you’re buying?”

“Mm!”

Gu Juncheng looked at her beaming face, unsure of what to say. Did these ingredients really require a special trip to town?

Seeing her happily carrying a small basket of hawthorn, Lin Qingping smiled and said: “And this too!”

Gu Juncheng: … 

Even Lei Sufang teased her: “Xiao Lin, aren’t you going to buy anything else? You’re really good at saving money for your Commander Gu!”

Lin Qingping chuckled: “We have plenty of other things at home. I’ll be staying here for a while, and if I buy too much, it’ll be a hassle to take everything back with me.”

She glanced at Gu Juncheng, thinking to herself: I didn’t tell you about spending a huge sum on 500 pieces of clothing, because I’m afraid it would scare you…

After shopping in the town for half a day, the four of them went to a restaurant for a meal. By the time they returned to the Military Unit, it was already afternoon. Just as they set their things down, Xiao Tian came to find Gu Juncheng and asked him to attend a meeting. 

Gu Juncheng quickly changed into his military uniform and followed Xiao Tian out.

Lin Qingping paid no mind and slowly began to organize her things. However, the meeting lasted until the evening, and Gu Juncheng didn’t return until then. When he came back, he appeared to be hesitating to speak.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Qingping was making whipped cream, which, for her, was the most time-consuming part of the cake-making process. She thought she might as well finish it tonight so she could just use it at Lei Sufang’s house tomorrow.

“Lin Qingping.” He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Whatever it is, just say it! You’re making me anxious with how you’re acting.”

Lin Qingping felt a sudden tension in her heart. The shadow of Gu Juncheng’s sacrifice during her past life had always loomed over her, a constant source of unease.

She kept trying to tell herself not to think about it, not to think about it—but it always resurfaced at the most unexpected moments, disturbing her peace of mind.

“Lin Qingping, I’m leaving tomorrow.” Gu Juncheng said.

Lin Qingping wasn’t sure how to describe her feelings. Disappointment was certainly part of it, but she understood the nature of his work, so she tried her best to smile lightly: “I thought it was something serious, you scared me. Be safe!”

“Mm.” He tightened his grip on her shoulder. “This mission will take longer than usual.”

Lin Qingping understood. This meant her home visit would probably be coming to an end. She felt reluctant, but she still smiled lightly, at least on the surface. “It’s fine. Actually, I’ve been thinking about home too, especially Second Sister and Zhiyuan. I can’t stop worrying about them.”

“Zhiyuan, thank you for your hard work.” he said.

Lin Qingping shook her head. “It’s nothing. He’s a good boy. By the way, when do you leave tomorrow?”

“Early in the morning.”

“So, about tomorrow evening at Lei Sufang’s place…”

“Mm, I won’t be able to make it. Old Chen has to leave too.” he said. “But if you’d like, you and the other family members can still go out and have fun together.”

“Ah, I see…” Lin Qingping smiled. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll handle it. You just focus on your mission. And… I sleep pretty deeply, so please make sure to wake me up. I’d like to see you off, alright?”

“Alright.”

There was an awkward tension in the air, filled with forced smiles. Lin Qingping didn’t want to keep up this facade, so she handed him the chopsticks and the bowl. “Well, could I trouble Commander Gu to help me out tonight and whip the milk for me?”

Without a second thought, Gu Juncheng took the bowl. “How do you want me to do it?”

“It’s simple, just beat it with the chopsticks like you would with eggs. Stop when I say stop.”

It was just like that day when Gu Juncheng had scolded her, asking her to recite a text: if he didn’t tell her to stop, she wasn’t allowed to stop.

Lin Qingping chuckled and teased: “Tomorrow, won’t the news spread that Commander Gu helped his wife beat eggs all night?”

Gu Juncheng’s lips curved slightly. “Even if it spreads, it’s no big deal.” 

His strength was strong, and his speed was fast. He was at least three times more efficient than Lin Qingping. While they chatted, it didn’t take long before the milk was whipped. After repeating the process a few times, Lin Qingping placed it outside and covered it with a lid. The low temperature outside was similar to that of a refrigerator’s cold storage.

Since he was leaving the next day, Lin Qingping didn’t want to delay his rest. After they washed up, the two of them went to bed early.

Lin Qingping was very obedient. To be more precise, ever since she had developed unspoken suspicions about him, she had become much more cautious, wanting to avoid bringing up sensitive topics. That night, she tried not to speak much, so he could rest well. 

However, unexpectedly, he spoke in the dark.

“Lin Qingping, I’m sorry.”

Why would he say that?

Lin Qingping immediately thought of the fact that he had been hiding something he couldn’t do. She had already been reborn; she didn’t care about that anymore! She immediately turned over, facing him, and comforted him: “Juncheng, please don’t think like that. I’ve told you, I don’t mind this at all. We’re doing fine as spiritual partners…”

He was leaving for a mission tomorrow. She had to make sure he let go of this mental burden! 

“Lin Qingping!” In the darkness, he called her name, his voice gritted with frustration.

Ah, he didn’t like hearing that. She knew…

“Juncheng, even if you punish me to recite more texts tonight, I still want to say: let go of this burden. To me, you’re a hero, a giant! This little thing won’t affect us…”

“Lin Qingping! Say one more word!” His eyes, like black obsidian, burned with fury.

“Juncheng…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

In the darkness, the burning warmth and moisture stopped her from saying anything else.