Hu Lili watched as the two of them acted so intimately right in front of her, so angry that she almost stepped forward to pull them apart.  

Lu Xiao led Su Tang into the military family compound, with Zhang Cui following behind. As she passed by, she even gave Hu Lili a glance.  

“Oh my, they say a good dog doesn’t block the path—why do you keep getting in the way?”  

“Our Su girl is pretty, cultured, and educated. Brother Lu is really lucky to have such good fortune.”  

Zhang Cui’s words were like venom, each sentence stabbing straight into Hu Lili’s heart.  

Chang Jia, afraid that Zhang Cui might provoke Hu Lili to the point of fury, quickly picked up Zhang Cui’s suitcase and urged her inside.  

“Sister-in-law, Brother Wang is probably waiting for you. Let’s hurry in.”  

With Chang Jia’s persuasion, Zhang Cui couldn’t be bothered to deal with Hu Lili any longer.  

A few years ago, Zhang Cui hadn’t been eligible to live on the military base and could only visit her husband occasionally. Back then, she already knew Hu Lili had feelings for Lu Xiao, but she figured Lu Xiao probably wouldn’t be interested in someone like her.  

Later, she heard from her husband that Lu Xiao had gotten married—to the daughter of a professor from Shanghai.  

Truthfully, Zhang Cui didn’t have much fondness for such privileged young ladies. But before knowing Su Tang’s identity, Su Tang had not only helped her but also carried herself with humility and politeness.  

She was nothing like the spoiled, willful young lady Zhang Cui had imagined.  

Compared to Hu Lili, Zhang Cui much preferred Su Tang.  

Su Tang followed Lu Xiao to the very end of a row of houses. He took out a key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.  

The furnishings inside were simple—just the bare essentials, nothing more.  

On a nearby table sat a pile of new daily necessities, likely bought in advance by Lu Xiao.  

“Professor Su wrote me a letter earlier. Once things settle down, if you want to return to Shanghai, I’ll take you back.”  

“The family compound is filled with the families of my comrades—all sorts of people are here. If you feel like you don’t fit in, just stay inside and read.”  

Lu Xiao bent down to set Su Tang’s suitcase aside, then poured her a glass of water from a thermos.  

Hearing this, Su Tang nodded.  

He wasn’t wrong. The family compound had all kinds of people, and given the current political climate, many didn’t have a favorable impression of her.  

Hadn’t that Hu Lili just proven as much?  

Su Tang didn’t want to invite trouble.  

“Um, about our marriage…”  

She took a step forward, wanting to clarify something in advance.  

After all, the two of them were now legally married, and certain… obligations came with that.  

But Su Tang wasn’t familiar with Lu Xiao, and she didn’t yet know if she could even return home. So she wasn’t mentally prepared for that kind of thing.  

Lu Xiao, however, seemed to have already sensed her thoughts. His eyes darkened slightly.  

“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”  

Then he added, “There aren’t many spare rooms in the family compound, so none are available for you. You take the bedroom—I’ll stay out here.”  

Lu Xiao knew Su Tang hadn’t come to the northwest military base by choice.  

Her father had sent her here to protect her from being implicated in the political turmoil.  

If not for these circumstances, he probably wouldn’t have had the chance to see her again.  

The woman before him was graceful and elegant, with delicate features and fair skin so tender it looked like it could be pinched to draw water.  

Her amber eyes were clear and bright, like precious gemstones.  

To be honest, if not for these extraordinary times, he would never have been able to marry someone like Su Tang.  

She could have had a much better life.  

“I’m sorry. I’m just not ready yet. But Lu Xiao, you’re really a good person. Thank you for taking me in.”

The ever-polite Su Tang could tell from Lu Xiao’s expression that he had misunderstood.  

So she hurriedly added an explanation—though her words only made things more awkward.  

Lu Xiao gave a noncommittal “Mm,” glanced at the clock on the wall, and said, “I have work to do. I’ll bring dinner back for you tonight.”  

With that, he left.  

Only after he was gone did Su Tang let out a slow breath and sink into a chair.  

Her belongings had already been shipped ahead of time—four large boxes in total, filled with her favorite books, clothes, daily necessities, and the like.  

Looking at the boxes piled in the corner, Su Tang rolled up her sleeves and dragged one over.  

When she opened it, she realized—oh wow, the original host studied clinical medicine in England?

Talk about a perfect match for my expertise!

She mentally scolded herself for not paying closer attention when reading the novel and missing this detail.  

Seeing something familiar lifted her mood a little.  

She peeked into the bedroom—it wasn’t large, just a double bed and a desk.  

On the desk were a few of Lu Xiao’s books, though they were mostly basic primers.  

Su Tang knew Lu Xiao wasn’t highly educated, but the fact that he had climbed to his current position through sheer effort was impressive.  

She carried her own books over, arranging them on the shelf, stacking the extras to the side.  

The bedding had clearly been changed beforehand—clean, with a faint scent of soap.  

Su Tang unpacked the remaining three boxes, hanging her clothes in the wardrobe and even laying a tablecloth over the desk.  

Only after smoothing it out did she remember—decorating like this might not be appropriate right now.

Reluctantly, she peeled it back off.  

Knock, knock.

“Su girl, you in there?”  

Just as Su Tang was about to lie down for a rest—since the room was already spotless and didn’t need tidying—Zhang Cui’s voice called from outside.  

She opened the door and let her in.  

“Having a woman around really makes a difference—look how neat this place is!”  

Su Tang flushed slightly. The room had already been clean—she hadn’t done much.  

“Sister Zhang, what’s up?”  

“Brother Lu just said he’s got a mission tonight and might not be back, so he asked me to take you to the canteen for dinner and show you around.”  

Su Tang nodded. Lu Xiao was thoughtful—at least he hadn’t forgotten about her, or she might’ve starved.  

“Alright, let me grab the meal tickets.”  

Zhang Cui immediately tugged her arm. “Brother Lu already gave them to me. Come on, let’s go—if we’re any later, the good food will be gone!”  

Su Tang grabbed her keys and bowl, locked the door, and followed Zhang Cui to the canteen.  

When they arrived, the place wasn’t too crowded, but the aroma of food was intoxicating.  

After days of surviving on plain steamed buns, Su Tang’s mouth watered at the smell.  

They queued up, Zhang Cui chatting away with amusing anecdotes.  

But when it was Su Tang’s turn to be served, the cook—a man—took one look at her and *slammed* the pot lid shut.  

“Comrade, you haven’t given me any vegetables.”  

Her bowl held only two steamed buns—not a single bite of the stewed cabbage she’d seen served to others.  

“Not enough to go around. Gotta save some for the rest.”  

Su Tang finally understood—this wasn’t a shortage. It was deliberate.  

Zhang Cui, who had almost walked off, turned back and immediately recognized the server—Hu Lili’s brother.

Ah. So that’s how it is.

“I paid with my meal ticket. Why won’t you serve me the food?”  

“If you won’t give me the vegetables, then return my ticket.”  

Su Tang had no patience for arguing. She held out her hand.  

“You’ve already taken a bite of the bun. Can’t return it now.”  

The man smirked, shamelessly pointing at the bun she’d nibbled.  

“Just to confirm—you’re refusing to return my ticket and withholding my portion. Correct?”  

“I told you—we’re short. Can’t give you any.”  

Su Tang nodded, then without another word, yanked a feedback form and pen from the suggestion box nearby.  

“Hey—what are you doing?!”  

“Filing a complaint. Let’s see how your superiors feel about you bullying a soldier’s family.” She met his glare. “Last chance. Return it or not?”