Chapter 21: You Can’t Leave

As soon as Han Zhixu stepped into the courtyard, Luo Yaqing came up to greet him, her eyes sparkling with a bright smile.

“You’re back!”

“Mm.”

“We’re having pancakes and fish soup for dinner.”

Luo Yaqing told him excitedly about the meal she had prepared for the evening.

“Oh, th-thanks… must’ve been a lot of work…” Han Zhixu seemed a bit unused to this.

Luo Yaqing gave him a bright smile. “Of course, it’s my duty—I’m your wife, after all.”

Han Zhixu’s ears turned red.

“Come on, Auntie is waiting for us to start dinner,” Luo Yaqing said.

“Wait a minute,” Han Zhixu called after her.

She stopped in her tracks. “What’s wrong?”

Han Zhixu clenched his fist slightly. “There’s a movie showing at the military district auditorium tonight…”

“You… you’re inviting me to watch a movie?” Luo Yaqing asked, a bit excited.

Han Zhixu nodded.

Her eyes lit up, her brows curving into a delighted smile. “Sure! I accept your invitation.”

This wooden man had suddenly learned to be romantic.

What a pleasant surprise!

But as her joy swelled, another thought came to her. If they went to the movie, that would leave Qiu Shimin alone at home.

They couldn’t just leave her there all by herself.

She weighed the situation and finally made a reluctant decision. “How about next time? I don’t want Auntie to be left alone.”

“Auntie is coming with us,” Han Zhixu replied.

Luo Yaqing’s eyes sparkled. “The three of us? Really?”

“Of course. That was the plan all along.”

“…”

Han Zhixu had reassured her completely. Luo Yaqing’s mouth twitched.

He was still the same wooden log.

In the cold winter, a hot bowl of fish soup with pancakes didn’t just warm the stomach—it warmed the heart.

They ate and chatted together, the whole house filled with a cozy atmosphere. Luo Yaqing loved this kind of feeling.

Just as she was about to mention the movie, Qiu Shimin spoke up: “I’m going back to Beijing tomorrow.”

Luo Yaqing was stunned.

Her eyes widened. “What? You’re leaving tomorrow?”

Why so sudden?

She had only just arrived a few days ago!

Qiu Shimin put down her chopsticks. “Now that I see you two are doing well, I can rest easy.”

Luo Yaqing shot a glance at Han Zhixu and muttered inwardly,

Doing well? He’s just a block of wood.

Good thing I’m lively and cheerful, or I’d be depressed to death.

She reached out and grabbed Qiu Shimin’s arm. “You can’t leave yet.”

Qiu Shimin looked at her anxious expression. “Why not?”

Luo Yaqing sneaked a look at Han Zhixu.

If you leave, this wooden man will definitely move his sleeping spot. And in the freezing winter, who’s going to warm the bed? That won’t do!

“Because I’ll miss you. I don’t want you to go.”

She thickened her skin and gave a more respectable reason.

Qiu Shimin patted her hand. “You’re married now, don’t act like a child.”

“Auntie, stay a few more days,” Luo Yaqing said sweetly.

Qiu Shimin smiled gently. “Your uncle has chronic stomach pain. I’m worried he won’t eat properly alone.”

“I’ll take you to the train station tomorrow.”

The man who’d been silent all meal suddenly spoke up, which made Luo Yaqing fume.

Not only was he not helping convince her to stay—he was pushing her out the door!

But Qiu Shimin laughed happily. “Alright. Then I’ll catch the earliest train tomorrow.”

After dinner, Luo Yaqing sulkily cleaned up the dishes.

Then she heard Han Zhixu mention the movie again, and Qiu Shimin smiled warmly.

“I’ll skip the excitement. You take Yaqing.”

“I don’t like watching movies!” Luo Yaqing huffed.

She wasn’t in the mood!

Ignoring both their expressions, she furiously scrubbed the dishes.

Han Zhixu had no idea what she was angry about and eventually walked away in silence.

After cleaning the pots and pans, Luo Yaqing helped Qiu Shimin pack her luggage.

She stuffed all the snacks from the house into the luggage bag.

Qiu Shimin didn’t stop her, touched by the gesture, and simply reminded her to live well with Han Zhixu.

When Han Zhixu returned, Luo Yaqing was already curled up in bed.

Her sleeping face looked as peaceful as a child’s.

Afraid of waking her, Han Zhixu quietly undressed, turned off the light, and got into bed softly.

Just as he lay down, the person beside him stirred slightly and mumbled, “Was the movie good?”

“I didn’t go. I went to the motor pool,” Han Zhixu answered truthfully.

He had gone to assign tasks to a few company commanders for the next day, and then borrowed a vehicle.

The person next to him didn’t respond again, just moved closer to him.

She pressed tightly against him, wrapping her arms around him.

Han Zhixu took a deep breath, trying to suppress certain instincts.

—

The next morning, before dawn.

Luo Yaqing was nudged awake by the man. “Yaqing, time to get up.”

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and glanced outside the window. “It’s still early…”

“It’s not. Auntie is already up,” Han Zhixu said.

Hearing that, Luo Yaqing stretched and got out of bed, getting dressed as she asked, “When did you come back last night? Was the movie good?”

Han Zhixu: “…”

She forgot everything after sleeping?

Just as he was about to answer, Qiu Shimin’s voice came from the outer room.

“Zhixu, Yaqing.”

“Coming!”

Luo Yaqing quickly brushed her hair, opened the door, and stepped out.

The three of them had a simple breakfast and set out.

Han Zhixu carried the luggage and walked out ahead. Luo Yaqing and Qiu Shimin followed behind.

After walking a bit, Qiu Shimin suddenly stopped and touched her neck. “Oh, I forgot my scarf!”

“I’ll go get it,” Luo Yaqing said, pulling out the house key and turning around.

But Qiu Shimin quickly pulled her back. “Give me the key. I’ll get it myself.”

Luo Yaqing didn’t think much of it and handed her the key.

She waited in the courtyard, but suddenly there was a dull bang from inside the house.

Luo Yaqing was about to rush in to check, when Qiu Shimin came out.

“Auntie, what was that noise just now?”

“Oh, I accidentally knocked over the washbasin rack.”

“Really…”

“Don’t nag, come on—we’ll miss the train if we’re late,” Qiu Shimin said, tying her scarf and urging Luo Yaqing.

Once they left the family compound, a green military jeep was parked by the roadside.

Luo Yaqing was surprised.

They were usually strict about keeping public and private matters separate—she thought Han Zhixu would have them hitch a ride on a local village ox cart.

But this was better—it saved them the trouble of transferring to a shuttle bus in town.

The ride from the rural township to the city was over two hours. The vehicle broke down on the road and they were delayed for an hour, reaching the city close to 9 a.m.

They missed the earliest train.

Han Zhixu stood in line at the ticket window and managed to buy a 1:30 p.m. ticket for Qiu Shimin.

The three of them had no choice but to wait patiently in the waiting room.

As lunchtime approached, Luo Yaqing suggested they go eat at the staff canteen.

But Qiu Shimin rejected the idea.

The waiting room was too crowded—if they left their seats, they wouldn’t be able to find a place when they returned.

Plus, the canteen food was expensive and located outside the station.

Fortunately, they had brought snacks to curb their hunger.

Not far away, a train attendant was offering free hot water to passengers.

Qiu Shimin handed an enamel mug to Luo Yaqing. “Go get some hot water.”

Luo Yaqing took the mug and walked off.

Qiu Shimin glanced at her niece’s back, then turned to Han Zhixu.

“Thank you, Zhixu.”