Chapter 38 Do you have eight-pack abs?

Jiang Piyu tilted her head slightly, her gaze landing on Lu Huaijin’s handsome face—his high-bridged nose, his thin lips pressed together.
She wasn’t sure if it was because of the wine he’d had earlier or the romantic tension in the air, but Lu Huaijin’s face was tinged with a warm blush.

“A’Yu…”
“Mm?”
“A’Yu…”
“Mm?”

Lu Huaijin called her name a few times, the last one right next to her ear.
His breath, warm and tinged with the scent of alcohol, brushed against her earlobe, and his deep, magnetic voice sent a shiver down her spine.

They stared into each other’s eyes, as if the world around them didn’t exist. Lu Huaijin’s face moved closer and closer—until their lips finally met.

Jiang Piyu squirmed and hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and tilted her head up to meet the kiss.

In her past life, she had lived to be twenty-nine. In this life, this body was twenty-two. Together, that made her over fifty years old.
And yet, this was her very first kiss. She couldn’t help but feel a little excited—her first kiss…

And it was with this tall, handsome man with an eight-pack. Totally worth it! Hehe!
In her past life, she’d been a homebody—an introverted and secretly passionate otaku—who’d never dated, much less kissed anyone.

Now she’d found herself a guy who was 185 cm tall and had abs. And in just a few days, he’d legally become her husband.
Even though she was a little shy, she didn’t want to push him away.
It’s just a kiss, right? Who’s afraid of who?

By the end of the kiss, both of them were out of breath and flushed red like monkey butts.
Don’t get it wrong—they weren’t blushing from embarrassment. They were literally holding their breath the whole time.
Two late-bloomers who’d never kissed before… they knew how to smooch, but not how to breathe while doing it.

Lu Huaijin took a moment to calm himself down, then looked into Jiang Piyu’s eyes.
“A’Yu, I really wish I could marry you tomorrow…”
So he wouldn’t have to part with her again.

“A’Yu, once we get married, will you come live with me on base?”
“Huh? Right after the wedding?”
“Don’t you want to live on base with me? Our unit has plenty of housing for military families. The same day we get back, I can apply for a place.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…”
“I just didn’t think it’d be so soon. After the New Year, the shop will be super busy, and… I probably won’t be able to leave right away.”

The more Jiang Piyu spoke, the more unsure she felt.
She sighed inside—living on base meant losing her freedom.

But then again… once you’re married, it’s not ideal for a couple to live apart for long.
Men… well, they’ve got needs. Even if he doesn’t go chasing after someone else, who’s to say someone won’t throw themselves at him?

“How long do you need?”
“Once I’ve got everything settled here, I’ll call you and you can come back to get me.”
“Okay. But give me your phone number so I can reach you quickly in case letters take too long.”
“Alright, I’ll write it down before I leave, so you don’t forget.”

“By the way, we’re getting married soon, but I still don’t know what branch of the military you’re in. Can you even talk about that?”
“I can.”

“I’m the commander of the 3rd Regiment under the 1st Military District in Jin City. I’m a special forces soldier.”

Jiang Piyu’s mouth dropped open in shock. She almost jumped up—
Fortunately, she remembered she was in Lu Huaijin’s arms, so she held herself back.

“You’re a special forces soldier?!”
Lu Huaijin nodded lightly.

Seeing her big reaction, he suddenly got a little nervous.
He was afraid she’d back out of the marriage after realizing how dangerous his job was.

“A’Yu, I’m a special forces soldier. My missions are tougher and more dangerous than regular soldiers…
Will you… mind that?”

“You’re really a special forces soldier?”
“Ha!” Jiang Piyu suddenly burst into happy laughter.

Lu Huaijin was a bit puzzled by her reaction.
“What is it?”
“Wow, you’re a special forces soldier!”

“Does that mean you’re super strong, like the kind of guy who can take on dozens at once?”

In her past life, Jiang Piyu had admired soldiers, especially the kind portrayed in action dramas—those badass special forces types.
Whenever she watched those shows, her eyes would light up like stars.

She absolutely loved special forces soldiers.
She’d originally thought she’d ended up with an ordinary military man.
Who knew he’d turn out to be a real special forces commander?!

This is too good to be true. She felt like she might faint from happiness…

Seeing the joy on Jiang Piyu’s face, Lu Huaijin finally let out a breath of relief.
At least… she didn’t reject him.

“I should probably let you know…”
“Your future husband—no one in our unit can beat me in a fight right now.”

“Wow, Huaijin-ge, you’re amazing!”

As Jiang Piyu looked up at him with adoring eyes, Lu Huaijin’s pride was completely satisfied.

“Wait… do you really have an eight-pack?”
She finally asked the question that had been on her mind forever.

Lu Huaijin’s face flushed a rare shade of red. “Yeah… I do.”
“Really? Can I touch it?”

Ahem. This silly girl—where was she even learning this kind of bold stuff?

But Jiang Piyu didn’t care what he thought.
She reached out her soft little hand and boldly slipped it under his jacket.

She tugged his tucked-in military shirt out of his waistband and slid her cold fingers under it—
until her hand landed right on Lu Huaijin’s firm, sculpted abs.

Lu Huaijin gasped softly, his body tensing for a moment before he relaxed. Jiang Piyu’s little hand was cold like a snake, slithering across his abs, growing more enthusiastic the longer she touched him.

Feeling the solid ridges of his eight-pack, Jiang Piyu thought, So big, so firm… and there’s even a deep groove down the middle.

Lu Huaijin tightened his arms, pulling the mischievous woman in his embrace even closer. He leaned close to her ear and murmured softly,

“Are you satisfied with what you felt? Hm?”
“Mmm… yeah, it’s pretty hard,” she replied, serious and sincere.

Lu Huaijin let out a low chuckle and gently pulled her wandering hand away from his waist. If she kept touching him like that, he really would burst into flames.

“Heh… silly girl. Alright, it’s time to head back.”
“Okay,” Jiang Piyu reluctantly backed out of his arms. That’s fine, she thought, Once we’re married, I can touch him every day.

She had originally come out to walk Lu Huaijin back, but now it turned into him walking her home instead.

Once they arrived at her doorstep, Lu Huaijin pulled a small, square wooden box from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Huh? What’s this?”
“A toy to amuse little kids. A gift for you to play with.”
“Then… can I open it?”
“Yeah. I gave it to you—open it if you want.”

Jiang Piyu gently opened the wooden box and found a small fighter plane model made entirely out of bullet casings.

She gasped in awe.
“It’s so beautiful… Huaijin-ge, did you really make this yourself using bullet casings?”
“Yeah. Do you like it?”
“I love it—so much!”

Muah! Jiang Piyu closed the box, then gleefully jumped up and planted a kiss on Lu Huaijin’s cheek.

“I’m going home now. Bye-bye, Huaijin-ge!”

Watching the shy little woman dash back into her house after stealing a kiss, Lu Huaijin couldn’t help but show a helpless, affectionate smile.
“You little rascal…”