Political Commissar Liu also saw her.

What a coincidence—they had met again.

Zhao Daqing, who was driving, felt a surge of nervousness upon seeing her.

Should he stop the car or not?

Political Commissar Liu chuckled and said, “Xiao Zhao, pull over.”

Zhao Daqing breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Truth be told, he didn’t want to offend anyone.

Without the leader’s order, he wouldn’t have dared to stop the car, but he was also afraid of upsetting Battalion Commander Jiang.

Stopping without permission wasn’t his call to make.

The car screeched to a halt beside Su Banxia once again.

Political Commissar Liu rolled down the window and said cheerfully, “Comrade Su, we meet again?”

Recognizing the same car from that morning, Su Banxia’s smile couldn’t have been brighter.

“Hello, leader! It’s nice to see you again.”

Li Jianguo, seated by the window in the back, rolled down his window. Su Banxia’s gaze inadvertently drifted inside, where she caught sight of Jiang Guo’an’s stern, icy expression—a face as cold as the King of Hell himself. Her smile instantly froze.

Couldn’t he at least smile? It was as if everyone owed him money.

There was nothing cheerful about him at all.

Political Commissar Liu said, “Yes, we meet again.”

Noting that they were still some distance from the compound, he added, “Comrade Su, hop in. Your Jiang Guo’an is in the car too. Let’s head back to the compound together.”

Su Banxia glanced at the two people in the back seat. If she got in, she’d have to sit next to Jiang Guo’an.

The thought of facing his icy expression and the stifling atmosphere in the car made her decide against it.

“Leader, please go ahead without me. I’d like to pick some wild vegetables by the roadside. I know you’re busy, so I won’t take up any more of your time.”

Political Commissar Liu noticed that the couple hadn’t even greeted each other, suspecting that their harmony was only superficial.

He turned and shot a glare at Jiang Guo’an. This is all your doing.

Just wait until we get back—I’ll give you a piece of my mind.

Thinking she genuinely wanted to pick vegetables, Political Commissar Liu said amiably, “Alright then, we’ll head off first. Make sure to return soon.”

“Thank you, leader. Goodbye!”

As the car started, Zhao Daqing stepped on the gas as if afraid someone might chase them.

The cloud of dust kicked up by the tires made Su Banxia cough twice.

Frowning, she waved a hand to fan away the dust. Only after the dirt on the narrow path ahead had settled did she leisurely make her way back.

After Jiang Guo’an returned to base, it was still early before off-duty hours. He got out of the car and headed straight to the training ground.

Chen Feng, seeing him back so soon, shouted, “Everyone, take a ten-minute break!”

He jogged over to Jiang Guo’an with a grin.

“Lao Jiang, where’s Lao Li? Weren’t you two on a mission together? How come you’re back alone?”

“He went to the office.”

Jiang Guo’an watched the new recruits in his battalion standing at attention, his deep eyes unreadable.

“Lao Jiang, can you do me a favor?”

It was rare for Chen Feng to see Jiang Guo’an act so serious around him.

The last time he’d spoken like this was when he’d asked him to find a job for his wife.

“Just tell me what you need. No need to be so formal.”

Jiang Guo’an thought of the previous incident and felt somewhat uneasy.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke up.

“I’d like to ask you to help find a job for Su Banxia.”

Chen Feng said, “I thought it was something serious. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

“I’ll call my dad at the office later.”

“Thank you for the trouble.”

“Lao Jiang, what’s with the politeness? After all we’ve been through, you don’t need to stand on ceremony.”

Jiang Guo’an forced a faint smile.

No one but himself knew how much this pained him.

Chen Feng knew that Jiang Guo’an was the type who never liked to trouble others. If he ever asked for help, it meant he had no other choice.

Whatever Jiang Guo’an asked for, Chen Feng was determined to make it happen.

As soon as Su Banxia entered the house, she wiped off the dust with a damp towel before heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

She didn’t want to eat much in the evening, so she shredded some cabbage for a cold salad, stir-fried a plate of potato strips, and steamed some rice.

Since Jiang Guo’an was staying at home now, he would likely return for dinner, so she made enough for him too.

Sure enough, Jiang Guo’an returned shortly after.

The two sat at the dining table. Su Banxia set out the bowls and chopsticks, serving herself only a small portion of rice.

Seeing her eat so little, Jiang Guo’an felt a pang of concern.

“Is there no rice left at home?”

His sudden question caught Su Banxia off guard.

“There is. I just prefer eating less in the evening—it feels easier on my stomach.”

Jiang Guo’an was half-convinced but didn’t press further, silently focusing on his meal.

Su Banxia ate slowly, preoccupied with how to bring up the day’s events to him.

She stole a glance at Jiang Guo’an, her mind wandering.

Though Jiang Guo’an didn’t look up, his years of sharp intuition told him she was secretly watching him.

He finally raised his eyes to meet hers, but both quickly averted their gaze, feeling somewhat awkward.

Su Banxia poked at the rice in her bowl.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Do you have something to say?”

They spoke in unison, surprising each other with their synchrony.

Jiang Guo’an couldn’t help but notice that Su Banxia’s eyes seemed brighter than before.

He cleared his throat. “You go first…”

Su Banxia set down her chopsticks, speaking earnestly, “Today, I…”

Before she could finish, a knock came from the door. Both turned to look in that direction.

Su Banxia remained seated while Jiang Guo’an strode over to answer the door. She stood up, watching the entrance.

Out of courtesy, she didn’t resume eating.

A young woman walked in, her hair styled in fashionable waves, wearing a beige trench coat, fitted dress pants, and leather shoes.

She seemed to have dressed up carefully for the occasion.

Something about her felt unwelcome.

A sweet, gentle voice carried into the living room.

“Brother Jiang, since it’s Friday, I bought some ribs on my way back from the county town and made sweet and sour ribs specially for you. Have them while they’re still hot!”

By the time she finished speaking, the woman was already standing in the middle of the living room.

She paused when she saw Su Banxia by the dining table, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.

Feigning surprise, she said, “Sister-in-law? You’re still here?”

Su Banxia was baffled, but a memory flashed through her mind.

If she wasn’t mistaken, this woman was Liu Yan, the sister of Liu Chun, the wife of the regimental commander of the first regiment.

From what she recalled, ever since the original host arrived at the compound, Liu Yan had never been friendly toward her whenever she returned on weekends.

Every time they met, she would either coldly ridicule or belittle her.

The original host had a gambling addiction but was slow-witted, never realizing why Liu Yan constantly targeted her.

Now, Su Banxia understood.

This woman had feelings for Jiang Guo’an. No wonder she always found excuses to bring him food every time she returned.

Previously, Jiang Guo’an hadn’t been staying here, so she hadn’t witnessed it.

But now that he was back, she couldn’t wait to show up at his door.

Did she not know the meaning of boundaries?

Su Banxia smirked coldly. Wasn’t this just typical “green tea” behavior?

“What do you mean, little sister? This is my home. Why wouldn’t I be here?”

Liu Yan was taken aback that Su Banxia actually retorted.

She wanted to snap back harshly, but with Jiang Guo’an present, she couldn’t risk appearing rude in front of him.

Thinking this, she softened her tone.

“Oh, sister-in-law, last time I was back, I heard some of the wives in the compound say you were gambling. I thought you’d been taken away!”