Chapter 24

Deepening Affection

Shen Yuebai came out of the men’s bathroom, hearing the noise. Without a second thought, he rushed in, his face anxious. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Xu Jiajia ran over and jumped into Shen Yuebai’s arms, her slender legs wrapping around his waist, and her arms clinging to his neck. “Ah, there’s such a big mouse!”

A staff member rushed in at the sound. “Where? We clean every day, and we also regularly check the pool. Something like this shouldn’t have happened.”

Shen Yuebai noticed that the female staff member kept staring at Xu Jiajia, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He turned to block her gaze and quickly grabbed Xu Jiajia’s clothes from beside the cabinet, draping them over her.

Feeling the touch of the fabric, Xu Jiajia belatedly realized she was only wearing her undergarments.

The soaked clothes clung tightly to her skin, making her fair skin even more apparent.

Feeling Shen Yuebai’s intense, restrained gaze on her, Xu Jiajia’s ears turned bright red. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could just disappear into the ground.

Oh my god!

How embarrassing.

She quickly slid down from Shen Yuebai’s arms and hurriedly dressed.

Once dressed, she pointed to where the mouse had scurried past. “It went that way.”

The female staff member walked over and carefully checked the spot, only to find a mouse hole. She was stunned. “When did this appear?”

Xu Jiajia walked up to her side. “I wasn’t lying, right? Mice reproduce quickly. If you don’t deal with it promptly, it will soon become a nest.”

The staff member apologized sincerely. “Sorry, this was our oversight. How about this? We won’t charge you today.”

Xu Jiajia wasn’t looking to cause trouble; she was just genuinely startled. “Can I exchange that for two bath tickets?”

She didn’t really want compensation.

She was just thinking that her family hadn’t been to the bathhouse, and this was a rare opportunity.

If she could exchange them, she could bring her family to experience it later.

The staff member smiled. “Of course, that’s fine.”

She pulled two bath tickets from her pocket and handed them to Xu Jiajia. “We hope you’ll come again next time.”

Xu Jiajia took the tickets. “Thank you—”

The staff member waved her hand. “No need, it’s the least we could do.”

…

Back at the guesthouse.

Xu Jiajia took off her clothes and got into bed.

“To think I saw a mouse while taking a bath… unbelievable.”

Shen Yuebai lay down next to her and extended his arm to wrap around her waist. “The train leaves at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Once your exam is over, I’ll head out.”

When he came to the town, Shen Yuebai had brought his luggage with him.

Xu Jiajia glanced at the side of his face. “I’ll take you to the train station.”

Shen Yuebai tapped her forehead lightly. “No need. It’ll take hours to go to the city and back. I’m not comfortable leaving you alone.”

Hearing he was leaving, Xu Jiajia felt a little reluctant. She snuggled closer to him. “You have to write to me often.”

Shen Yuebai kissed her on the lips. “Mm, you too. Take care of yourself. If Zhao Chunlan causes trouble, don’t bother with her—just stand up to her.”

Talking about that made Xu Jiajia want to do something. One of her hands began to wander on Shen Yuebai’s body. “You also need to take care of yourself. Don’t skip meals.”

With the beautiful woman in his arms and already feeling desire building up, Shen Yuebai’s breath became heavier. The added teasing from Xu Jiajia made it even more unbearable.

But then, he remembered that Xu Jiajia still had her exam tomorrow. His rationality, on the edge of snapping, quickly returned. He grabbed her misbehaving hand and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Stop. Let’s get some sleep. You need to be in the best shape for tomorrow’s exam.”

Xu Jiajia, full of energy, wasn’t about to sleep just yet. It was barely dark. “You’re leaving tomorrow, and you won’t even let me deepen our feelings a little?”

Shen Yuebai threw his rationality aside, pinched her delicate waist, and with one swift move, flipped her over, pressing her down. His large hands roamed over her soft skin.

Xu Jiajia couldn’t help but take deep breaths, her chest rising and falling, appearing quite alluring.

Shen Yuebai’s eyes darkened, and he kissed her slightly parted lips. His tongue gently explored hers, making their tongues dance together.

They kissed for a long time, until Xu Jiajia was out of breath. Only then did Shen Yuebai pull away.

Breathing heavily, Xu Jiajia gasped for fresh air. “You’ve kissed my lips numb!”

Shen Yuebai buried his head in her neck. “This is how you deepen a relationship. If we were at home, I’d want to take it even further!”

Shen Yuebai was referring to the home where the military family stayed.

Xu Jiajia blinked in confusion. “Why does it have to be at home?”

Shen Yuebai turned red. “I heard from my comrades that the first time, there will be… blood. If we stay at the guesthouse, it might not be appropriate.”

Xu Jiajia was stunned. “Do you and your comrades often talk about dirty jokes?”

Shen Yuebai, afraid she might misunderstand, immediately shook his head. “No, how could I, someone without a wife, talk about that? It’s the married ones who talk about everything. I just overhear some of it.”

Xu Jiajia said “Oh,” and didn’t bring it up again.

Shen Yuebai thought she didn’t believe him, so he quickly reassured her, “Wife, I don’t participate in those conversations. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my comrades after we’re in the military.”

Xu Jiajia didn’t disbelieve him; she just didn’t know what to talk about. “No need to ask. I believe you.”

Then, Shen Yuebai shared many interesting stories and experiences with her.

Xu Jiajia listened attentively, enjoying every word.

As she listened, she gradually drifted off to sleep.

Seeing this, Shen Yuebai covered her with a blanket and closed his eyes to sleep as well.

…

The next day.

When Xu Jiajia woke up, Shen Yuebai had already bought breakfast.

She stretched and sleepily said, “Good morning!”

Shen Yuebai waved at her. “Get washed up and come eat breakfast. We only have an hour before the exam.”

The guesthouse had a designated place for washing up.

Xu Jiajia squeezed toothpaste and walked to the washroom with a enamel cup.

The washroom in this era was very simple.

It was a small rectangular basin made of red bricks with a few faucets on top.

After washing up, Xu Jiajia returned to the room to find Liao Mei already there.

“Jiajia, why aren’t you in a hurry?”

It was already so late, and she had just gotten up—how could she still sleep?

Xu Jiajia wasn’t surprised to see Liao Mei. “What’s the rush? The most important thing is your mindset. Being too nervous will just make you mess up the exam.”

Noticing the dark circles under Liao Mei’s eyes, Xu Jiajia guessed she hadn’t slept well. “What time did you finish reading the materials last night?”

Liao Mei didn’t remember the exact time. “Probably around three or four in the morning. I went through all the points you highlighted.”

Xu Jiajia asked, “How much do you remember?”

Liao Mei smiled bitterly. “My brain is a mess right now. I don’t remember anything. There’s no way I’m passing this time.”

Xu Jiajia gently shook her head. “You’ve got no pressure tolerance. I told you, you’re just here for the experience. Why stress so much?”

Liao Mei didn’t want to dismiss it entirely, but she secretly hoped for a miracle. “I’m just afraid of being sent to the countryside.”

Xu Jiajia turned to Shen Yuebai. “Ah Yue, are there many single men in your unit?”

“Many. The political commissar is always worrying about everyone’s personal issues.”

Before Xu Jiajia could ask further, Liao Mei quickly added, “Comrade Shen, can you introduce one to me?

I don’t have high demands for a man, as long as he’s good to his wife and responsible to his family.”