Chapter 33

After finishing breakfast, Su Xi checked the time on her wrist—it was 6:50.

“Oh no, I’m late for our first date…cough cough. It’s not good to be late,” she muttered.

She hurried back to her room to grab her bag, glanced at the small mirror to make sure everything was perfect, flashed a brilliant smile at her reflection, sighed at how much of a fairy she looked, and then walked briskly outside. “Grandma, I’m heading out.”

Chen Xiangyun, holding a loofah, paused from washing the dishes halfway and stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Come back early.”

“I know!”

Just as Su Xi stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Xie Zhen standing not far away with his hands behind his back.

The man, dressed in a straight military uniform, stood under a big tree, staring steadily in the direction of Su Xi’s house.

With broad shoulders and long legs, Xie Zhen exuded a cold and unapproachable aura.

Just the moment he saw Su Xi’s figure, warmth flashed through his eyes, and his serious expression softened a bit.

Su Xi ran over with a smile, and when she stood in front of him, she looked up at him and asked, “Why are you waiting for me here?”

They had agreed to meet at the fork in the road leading to the pier yesterday.

Xie Zhen curved his lips and said, “Your house is close.” 

He felt embarrassed to say that he wanted to see her sooner.

Su Xi’s eyes flickered slightly as if she had guessed the man’s unspoken words. She shyly lowered her eyes and whispered, “Shall we go, then?”

Xie Zhen nodded, and they walked side by side.

It was the first time for the both of them to be this close to the opposite gender, so they didn’t know what to say for a while.

They exchanged glances from time to time, their shyness and sweetness almost overwhelming.

Finally, Su Xi broke the silence and casually brought up a topic: “Did you run into my brother and the others? They left a few minutes before me.”

Xie Zhen: “When your brother came out, I avoided him in advance.”

Su Xi breathed a sigh of relief and looked relieved. “That’s good, that’s good.”

Xie Zhen hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Do… you not want your family to know?”

Su Xi tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Not really, I just feel embarrassed.”

Xie Zhen stopped walking and reached out to gently grab Su Xi’s wrist, then let go immediately.

When Su Xi looked back at him, the man’s focused and warm gaze was fixed on her.

As the autumn wind rustled through her hair, Su Xi suddenly felt a subtle and charming atmosphere around them, as if something was about to break free and come rushing towards her.

“Su Xi, I wanted to wait until you were familiar enough with me before confessing.” 

His voice was husky, low, and captivating.

As if enchanted, Su Xi remained motionless, just gazing at him with wide eyes. His dark eyes seemed to be occupied by her.

Xie Zhen raised his big hand and gently caressed the flower-shaped birthmark under Su Xi’s eye. Then he bent down slightly and looked straight at the girl’s watery black eyes, as if trying to peer into her soul. He said solemnly, “But I seem to be quite greedy. Now, I want you to be my partner, to stand by your side openly, to be part of your life, and to introduce myself to all your family and friends as Su Xi’s man.”

With a hint of regret in his eyes, Xie Zhen continued, “I was impatient. Forgive me for my lack of experience. Let me tell you about myself first. I’ll turn 28 years old this year, from J City, currently holding the rank of Captain, with a monthly salary of 128 yuan, excluding allowances and bonuses. My grandparents and parents are all alive, and I have a sister who is four years older than me, and she’s already married. So, do you… are you willing to be my partner?”
With each statement from the man, Su Xi felt her heart beating louder and louder, her whole body burning with heat.

Plop! Plop! As Xie Zhen spoke, Su Xi felt her heart beating louder and louder, as if it might leap out of her chest.

The passionate emotions in the man’s eyes were evident, almost burning her. Su Xi couldn’t bear it and looked away.

She had never experienced such intense emotions before. In her previous life, she was focused on winning competitions due to her career. She had forgotten if anyone had ever confessed to her.

In this life, although I received many love letters during my college years, I have the courage to confess my feelings in person.

Even in this life, although she had received many love letters during her university years and had even faced some face-to-face confessions, her emotions have never fluctuated as much as they do today.

She had never been in a relationship before and had no experience, but she thought that by agreeing to go out on a date today, she had already made her intentions clear. But apparently… It wasn’t enough?

With this in mind, Su Xi’s ears were burning hot, and her lowered gaze was wandering, trying to figure out how to respond, to appear calm and composed.

Unexpectedly, she caught sight of the man’s hand hanging by his side, clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

Was he nervous too?

With this realization, Su Xi suddenly felt less flustered. She reached out her tender and slender hand, gently touching the man’s clenched fist.

As his hand trembled slightly, Su Xi reached out her other hand, slowly freeing his strong and powerful hand from its tight grip, and then interlocking their fingers together.

The man immediately tightened his grip, his hand large and warm, with rough calluses, enveloping her small hand completely.

Su Xi smiled gently, enjoying the feeling of their hands clasping together. She pouted playfully, gently shaking their intertwined hands, then looked up, her face still flushed with embarrassment but her voice firm as she replied, “Yes.”

Xie Zhen’s eyebrows relaxed, and he couldn’t help but chuckle out loud. The joy that surged from the bottom of his heart made it difficult for him to control himself as he reached out his long arms and pulled the petite girl into his arms, squinting his eyes and letting out a satisfied sigh.

………………….

C City is the closest urban area to Hongjun Island.

Su Xi has been with Shi Lingling once before, and there is not much difference in C City after a month has passed.

There were few pedestrians, and only a few children were playing and running around.

Su Xi looked at her new boyfriend beside her and asked, “Where are we going?”

“It’s still early; why don’t we go to the department store first?” In fact, Xie Zhen doesn’t understand what couples should do when they are on a date. He had only hastily called his married friend, Fa Xiao, for consultation last night.

After being ruthlessly mocked, he received some advice from the married man, such as going shopping at the department store, watching a movie, or visiting the park with his partner, and so on.

He discarded the idea of going to the park because it was August, it’s too hot under the sun, and her fair skin was delicate. He didn’t want her to be exposed to the sun.

If they really had to go to the park, why not take her to explore the forests on the island, where they wouldn’t get sunburned and could hunt for some game?

Su Xi agreed since she had some cloth vouchers her brother had given her in her pocket.

When they arrived at the department store, there weren’t many people inside anymore. Nowadays, people are used to going out early rather than late.

There weren’t many goods left, and the good stuff had been picked clean by those who came early.

Su Xi dragged her man straight to the counter, selling fabric. She didn’t know how to make clothes; the clothes at home were all made by her grandma. Since her family members all wore military uniforms, they had accumulated quite a few fabric vouchers.

Su Xi looked at the few remaining pieces of fabric in the glass cabinet—black, navy blue, and one in military green.

These were the mainstream colors of this era.

With no other options, Su Xi asked for four feet of each type. When it was time to pay, Xie Zhen handed the money to the cashier in advance.

Su Xi was taken aback and instinctively wanted to refuse, but the man lightly patted her head and said, “I am your partner.”

His happiness couldn’t be concealed in his tone.

Su Xi pursed her lips, amused by the man’s childishness.

She didn’t refuse and put her cloth vouchers back in her pocket, thinking that maybe she could learn to make clothes from her grandmother and then make a set for her boyfriend.

He would surely be happier, right? She wanted to see him happy.

……

After buying the fabric, the man took Su Xi to the food area and bought a bunch of snacks—pastries, candies, and powdered milk, among other things.

Then he took Su Xi to the second floor to look at watches. Su Xi raised her wrist to look at her watch and said to Xie Zhen, who wanted to buy everything, “I already have a watch, and I don’t like this style either.”

Xie Zhen carefully looked at the watches on the counter. C City was a small city, and the watch styles here couldn’t compare to those in cities like J City or Shanghai.

There were only three women’s watches here, none of which were as nice as the one on the girl’s wrist.

He could only nod in agreement with his partner. “Indeed, they’re not very nice.”

Then, under the silent but indignant gaze of the cashier, Xie Zhen held his partner’s hand and left the store.

He thought to himself that he would call his mother when he got back and ask her to help him pick out a nice watch from J City to send over.

He was serious about buying her gifts.

After they got downstairs, Su Xi looked at Xie Zhen with his hands full of bags and couldn’t help but ask, “With all these things, won’t we be unable to go anywhere else?”

Xie Zhen smiled faintly. “It’s okay. I know the manager here. We can leave them with him for now and pick them up before we leave this afternoon.”

Su Xi was curious. “You know people here too? Didn’t you just transfer here about a year ago?”

Xie Zhen carried the bags ahead of them and didn’t let Su Xi help. He also turned around from time to time to look at the girl, afraid that she might get lost. “Yes, he’s a company commander from our island who transferred here. We’ve worked together before, and he’s a good person.”

Su Xi looked at the man leading the way, carrying a bunch of stuff and occasionally looking back at her, as if she were a little doll to be protected.

Last year, he had clearly seen her combat power.

She felt soft in her heart and wanted to tell Xie Zhen that she wasn’t fragile and wouldn’t get lost.

However, the feeling of being cared for by her boyfriend is different from that of her family.

She also quite likes it.

Su Xi pursed her rosy lips, raised her fair hand, and before the man turned around again, she grabbed his clothes.

The man’s body stiffened instantly, and Su Xi said softly, “This way… you can relax, right? I… I won’t get lost.”

Xie Zhen didn’t look back, but his ears started to heat up uncontrollably. After a while, he chuckled softly. “Hmm, I can now rest assured.”