“It’s fine, go to bed early.”  

After speaking, Lu Beiting lay down stiffly. The moment he settled, Xia Zhi poked him.  

She lifted her chin slightly and said, “Move further in. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for me to get on and off the bed.”  

Lu Beiting’s entire body tensed as he reluctantly shifted inward.  

Xia Zhi raised an eyebrow and lay down, barely suppressing a laugh as she watched him lying rigidly on his side.  

In the darkness, Lu Beiting kept his eyes open, breathing slowly as he listened to the sound of her breathing behind him.  

This was the first time he had ever slept next to a woman—it was a strange and unfamiliar feeling.  

Just as he closed his eyes and prepared to sleep, a sudden weight pressed against him. The person behind him clung to him like an octopus.  

Lu Beiting’s breath hitched. Hadn’t she said she slept quietly?  

Xia Zhi draped an arm over his waist and hooked a leg over him, nestling in contentedly afterward.  

Lu Beiting stayed frozen in the same position all night, only managing to drift into a light sleep in the early hours.  

The next morning, Xia Zhi woke up, yawned, and grinned at the sight of Lu Beiting still asleep on the inner side of the bed. Not bad at all, she thought.  

Lu Beiting had actually woken up the moment he sensed movement beside him but had waited for her to get up first before moving himself.  

Xia Zhi sat cross-legged and said, “Since you’re awake, get up. Let me take a look.”  

Hearing this, Lu Beiting sat up nervously.  

After checking his pulse, Xia Zhi carefully examined his legs, pressing and probing. The entire time, Lu Beiting watched her with tense anticipation.  

“It’s not too bad. We’ll take it slow,” she said finally, getting up and stepping off the bed. She rummaged through her luggage and pulled out an acupuncture kit she had brought from the traditional medicine clinic.  

Lu Beiting propped himself up and sat properly, waiting for her next steps.  

Xia Zhi deftly inserted needles into several acupuncture points on his legs.  

Lu Beiting pressed his lips together, a faint sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.  

Once the needles were in place, Xia Zhi clapped her hands and stood up. As she dressed, she said, “Alright, don’t move. I’m going out for a bit. Wait for me to come back and remove the needles.”  

Lu Beiting glanced at the dense cluster of needles in his legs and nodded at her.  

As soon as Xia Zhi stepped outside, she ran into Zhang Yi, who had come to deliver breakfast.  

“Morning, Sister-in-Law!”  

Xia Zhi eyed the food in his hands and smiled. “No need to bring him meals from now on. I’ll prepare some medicinal dishes for him.”  

“Got it, Sister-in-Law! Where are you headed? Should I have someone show you around?”  

After yesterday’s events, Zhang Yi had grown to admire Xia Zhi, especially since she was treating the battalion commander’s condition.  

“It’s fine, I’m just taking a stroll. Be careful not to bump into the needles on Lu Beiting later,” she reminded.  

Zhang Yi nodded repeatedly, then turned and entered the room after Xia Zhi left. Seeing the battalion commander immobilized on the bed, he approached cautiously.  

“Commander, let me feed you some food first. Sister-in-Law said she’ll handle your meals from now on.”  

“Mm,” Lu Beiting responded, his voice slightly strained.  

Zhang Yi noticed his odd tone and studied him curiously. “Commander, does the acupuncture hurt?”  

Lu Beiting’s pale lips moved slightly as he nodded. His legs felt hot, with a deep, bone-aching itch.  

Zhang Yi’s eyes widened in amazement. “Sister-in-Law is really something.”  

Lu Beiting said nothing more, his gaze drifting toward the open door.  

After leaving the dormitory, Xia Zhi walked along the path. The military base was enclosed by wire fences, and even the earthen walls were embedded with sharp deterrents.  

The place was vast—at least the size of a school. No matter where she went, the sounds of training echoed around her.

The cafeteria was quite small, with only a few tables and a vegetable garden in the back.  

Not far from the cafeteria stood the military hospital—a modest two-story building. From a distance, she could see families and soldiers coming and going.  

She stood observing for a while before turning back, figuring it was about time.  

“Beiting, who did this to you? How could they mess around like this? Shouldn’t you have gone to Dr. Shen?”  

Su Yating had come to take him to the hospital for a follow-up, but the moment she saw the scene before her, her heart nearly stopped.  

Just as Xia Zhi reached the door, she heard a stream of nagging from inside.  

“With so many needles stuck in you, let me take them out. I’ll take you to Dr. Shen for a proper check-up.”  

A woman in a white coat was lecturing Lu Beiting and reached out to pull the needles.  

Lu Beiting opened his mouth to stop her, but his words were cut off by a sudden voice.  

Xia Zhi’s expression turned cold as she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “If you dare pull those out, I’ll make sure they end up in you instead.”  

Su Yating’s outstretched hand froze. She turned to look at the unfamiliar, disheveled woman at the door, her expression shifting from confusion to suspicion.  

“You’re the one who stuck these needles in Beiting? Who gave you permission?”  

“Beiting is the battalion commander of Yunfang. If something happens, can you take responsibility?”  

Su Yating narrowed her eyes, her tone aggressive and laced with hostility.  

In all these years, she had never seen another woman by Lu Beiting’s side besides herself—not even Hao Liping, who was supposed to marry him, had ever appeared at the base.  

But this woman…  

A sense of crisis flared in Su Yating’s heart.  

With just one glance, Xia Zhi could tell this woman had feelings for Lu Beiting.  

“Lu Beiting hasn’t said a word. Why are you in such a hurry?”  

Xia Zhi walked forward, noticing the darkened areas around the needles, and sat on the edge of the bed to remove them.  

Su Yating was stunned that this woman dared to sit on Lu Beiting’s bed. Couldn’t she see the stool right there?  

And didn’t she know there should be boundaries between men and women?  

What shocked her even more was that Lu Beiting didn’t say a word about it.  

Su Yating’s breath hitched. She turned to Lu Beiting, her voice softening.  

“Beiting, I was just worried about you. I didn’t expect this girl to be so hostile toward me.”  

“But you should also take responsibility for your own health. If there’s a problem, you should go to Dr. Shen.”  

“There’s no need to grasp at straws in desperation.”  

Her words were dripping with faux concern.  

Xia Zhi frowned and shot an annoyed look at the noisy woman.  

“Can you shut up? You’re giving me a headache.”  

Su Yating’s eyes widened. She turned to Lu Beiting, her gaze full of grievance. “Beiting, I’m sorry…”  

But Lu Beiting’s attention was entirely focused on his legs. He had no time to entertain her.  

Only after removing all the needles did Xia Zhi finally relax. She then treated his wounds.  

As she packed up her things, she deliberately remarked,  

“I’ll go gather some herbs in the mountains later. Be careful while I’m gone—don’t let just anyone in.”  

Su Yating’s face instantly darkened. “How rude! I’m a nurse at the military hospital and also Beiting’s comrade.”  

“Is it wrong for me to care about him? And who even are you? I’ve never seen you before.”  

Her hands clenched under her sleeves. Who is this woman? Why is Beiting tolerating her like this?

Xia Zhi crossed her arms and looked at the man on the bed.  

“Lu Beiting, tell her—who am I?”