“Shen Huaichuan!”  

Zhou Qiqi quickly stood up. She recognized him at a glance—this was her so-called cheap husband, the only person who could prove her identity and save her now!  

Her heart swelled with a mix of shock and joy, but when she saw the military uniform he was wearing, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.  

If it weren’t for coming to the military base to find him, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state. The thought made her grievances surge, and she pouted, giving him a light punch while sniffling.  

“Why did you take so long?”  

But she forgot—Shen Huaichuan was a soldier. His chest was as hard as a rock. The punch didn’t even make him flinch, but the recoil sent a sharp pain through her hand. Staggering backward, she nearly lost her balance.  

At that moment, a pair of strong, steady arms reached out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.  

It was exactly like the last time she had fainted in the hotel.  

But this time, Zhou Qiqi was fully conscious.  

The lights in the guardroom were as bright as day, and she could see his face clearly.  

Unlike Xu Shu, who was slick and pretty in a sleazy way, Shen Huaichuan had the face of a classic tough guy.  

His close-cropped military cut was sharp and neat, his bronze skin healthy and rugged. His features were chiseled and stern, his thin lips pressed tightly together, with the faint shadow of stubble beneath them.  

Paired with his overwhelmingly masculine physique, Zhou Qiqi couldn’t help but blush, her heart racing.  

This man always seemed to hold her when she needed it most.  

Just then, the nosy auntie returned with the security team. Hearing that Shen Huaichuan was back, she barged in, immediately playing the victim.  

“Regiment Commander Shen, you’re back just in time! There’s a fraud here pretending to be your wife! She even called you her husband!”  

Halfway through her sentence, she caught sight of the intimate scene inside the guardroom and stammered.  

“Y-You… She… What are you two doing?!”  

The soldiers from the security team behind her were equally stunned.  

They all knew Shen Huaichuan—he was famously known as the “Cold-Faced King of Hell” in the military district. Not only was he ruthlessly strict during training, but he also showed zero interest in women. Once, the most beautiful girl from the cultural troupe tried flirting with him, only to be scared off in tears.  

Yet now, he was holding a woman in his arms?!  

This was unheard of!  

The security team crowded around, eager to witness the spectacle.  

Zhou Qiqi finally snapped back to reality and quickly pulled away from Shen Huaichuan, her face burning as she smoothed her clothes.  

Despite her boldness around him, deep down, she was still a lifelong single who had never even held hands with a man before.  

The auntie was starting to sweat. “What’s going on here? Don’t tell me she’s really…?”  

Zhou Qiqi nudged Shen Huaichuan with her elbow. “Well? Say something.”  

This time, she was smart—she didn’t use much force, and after the nudge, she leaned against him, borrowing his strength.  

Shen Huaichuan seemed momentarily dazed, but her nudge brought him back to his senses. His sharp, phoenix-like eyes swept over her before he subtly stepped forward, shielding her behind him. He turned to the crowd and spoke in a cold, firm voice.  

“Her name is Zhou Qiqi. She is… indeed my wife.”  

His deep voice resonated like a stone dropped into a still pond, sending ripples through Zhou Qiqi’s heart.  

Wife?  

She had never heard anyone refer to her like that before.  

She remembered that older generations used to address their spouses this way—subtle yet solemn.  

She had thought Shen Huaichuan might hesitate to acknowledge her, but not only did he admit it, he did so with such gravity.  

The auntie was dumbfounded. “But… isn’t your wife Yaoyao? You two had an arranged marriage since childhood! Regiment Commander Shen, are you sure you’re not mistaken?”  

With Shen Huaichuan backing her up, Zhou Qiqi’s confidence soared. She straightened her posture, a smug smile playing on her lips as she tilted her head and retorted,  

“Auntie, are you saying you know who Shen Huaichuan’s wife is better than he does?”  

“Should we drag him into the interrogation room and question him properly?”  

“N-No! That’s not what I meant! It’s all a misunderstanding!”  

The auntie frantically waved her hands at Shen Huaichuan, cold sweat dripping down her forehead.  

She wouldn’t dare!

This Regiment Commander Shen was the living King of Hell in their military district—a rank even higher than her own husband. She couldn’t afford to offend him.

But this was already the second time Zhou Qiqi had made a fool of her, counting the incident on the train. The auntie’s face flushed red then paled, her murky eyes brimming with resentment that she couldn’t hide.  

At this moment, Liao Aimin, the head of the security department who had been watching the drama unfold, adjusted his tortoiseshell glasses and glanced between the group before speaking up.  

“Regiment Commander Shen, Auntie Qiu, it’s already past nine. Since this is just a misunderstanding, why don’t we all call it a night and head back?”  

He had seen enough—Auntie Qiu was a troublemaker, and this new wife of Shen Huaichuan’s didn’t seem like someone to mess with either. He didn’t want the two of them dragging things out here and affecting the reputation of his security team.  

Hearing this, Auntie Qiu muttered something about dough still rising in her pot at home and hastily scurried away.  

The soldiers who had been eagerly watching the show were all shooed off by Chief Liao. Once the crowd dispersed, only two people remained in the room.  

“We’ll talk when we get back.”  

Shen Huaichuan didn’t spare Zhou Qiqi another glance. With just those six words, he opened the door and strode out on his own.  

Zhou Qiqi, of course, chose to follow. But the moment she took a step, a sharp, burning pain shot through her feet—blisters, and more than one.  

“Shen Huaichuan! Wait—my feet hurt. Can’t you just—”  

“No.”  

Before she could even finish, his icy reply cut her off, his back still turned.  

What the hell? Just moments ago, she’d been praising him as a good man, and now this?  

If her feet weren’t killing her, she wouldn’t have even asked. And besides, wasn’t she his “wife”? What was the big deal about helping her? Was he really this inconsiderate?  

Zhou Qiqi pouted, about to grit her teeth and force herself forward, when her sharp eyes caught a suspicious redness creeping up the man’s ears.  

Wait… Was he not being cold—but actually… shy?

Noticing the soldiers in the distance still sneaking glances their way, her eyes sparkled mischievously. Pressing her soft lips together, she called out in a voice just loud enough to carry:  

“Husband~”

The tone was sweet as spring willow catkins.  

“Shut up.”

Shen Huaichuan’s calloused palm clamped over her mouth, his sharp eyes glinting with warning.  

If not for the fact that his ears were practically dripping red, Zhou Qiqi might have actually been intimidated.  

“It hurts…”

A single, pitiful word escaped through his fingers as she lifted her foot for him to see.  

Beneath the thin white socks, faint smudges of blood had seeped through. There was no way she could walk on her own like this.  

Shen Huaichuan quickly withdrew his hand, his jaw tightening. The veins on his neck stood out as his Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. Then, with one knee on the ground, he half-knelt before her.  

“Get on.”  

…Was he offering to carry her?  

Zhou Qiqi wasn’t one to play coy. This man was her husband—carrying her was the least he could do. Without hesitation, she climbed onto his back.  

Shen Huaichuan’s shoulders were broad, his muscles firm but surprisingly not uncomfortable. If anything, it felt… nice.  

“Hey, look! Regiment Commander Shen is carrying his wife!”

The soldiers in the distance craned their necks, whistling and hollering at the sight.  

Shen Huaichuan shot them a glare so dark it could kill, but he said nothing. Instead, he adjusted his grip on Zhou Qiqi and swiftly strode away, fleeing the scene with long, purposeful steps.