Chapter 17 Returning Home

He was wearing a military green shirt, neatly pressed military pants — simplified and sharp. His stride was quick, and even through his pants, you could faintly see the strong muscles underneath, coiled with energy, poised to explode, exuding a piercing aura.

Su Niannian subconsciously turned away, pretending not to know him.
Liu Tao bowed a full ninety degrees, her voice suddenly turning high-pitched. “Good afternoon, Captain Gu! I’m sorry, Captain Gu!”

Gu Zhiye’s gaze fell directly on Su Niannian — she was wearing her new military uniform, two loose braids resting on her shoulders. Her face was fair, spotless — down to the fine fuzz — delicate and vulnerable. Her hands tightened their grip on the side of her pants, knuckles turning white. Was she nervous because of him? Why?

Gu Zhiye reluctantly turned his gaze away, nodded faintly at Liu Tao, and walked past them, as if he were a complete stranger.

Su Niannian let out a quiet sigh of relief. She was afraid Gu Zhiye might reveal their relationship. She had gone through great lengths to get into the art troupe; the last thing she wanted was suspicion that she used him to get in. Furthermore, whether he would even allow her to stay was another matter — if things fell through, the divorce might soon be put on the agenda…

Liu Tao kept patting her own chest. “Scared me to death! I thought we were going to get punched! Do you think he heard the awful things we said? Will Captain Gu make things difficult for us?”
The new recruit was nervous.

Su Niannian held her friend’s hand and smiled warmly. “He won’t.”
“How can you be sure?!”
“He’s the captain of the neighboring base — he’s not going to reach his hand into our art troupe…”

Liu Tao’s expression turned mischievous as she darted a look around to make sure nobody was nearby. Then she stood on her toes and whispered in Su Niannian’s ear, “Silly! I heard that Jiang Xiaofei, the team leader from Team 1, likes Captain Gu. She drops by their base every few days… The two are close…”

Su Niannian’s pupils tightened, and the smile at the corner of her lips slowly disappeared…

After the selections, everyone moved from their temporary accommodations into their team’s dorms. The dancers stayed in their own courtyard — each team had two rooms, with six people per room — a convenient spot for daily training, well ventilated and comfortable. Liu Tao tugged Su Niannian along to choose a locker and a bed.

Once everything was in order, Su Niannian said goodbye to her and went back to the guesthouse to pack up her things. The moment the door opened, someone slipped in and quietly began folding her laundry and organizing her belongings. His hands were long-fingered, the veins faintly visible, the green shirt’s sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms — strong lines filled with power.

Su Niannian half-closed her eyes, then suddenly tugged at the corner of his shirt. “What are you doing?”
“The wife ran away — I’m here to bring her home.”
“…”

Su Niannian turned to leave, but just as she made a move, Gu Zhiye’s arm darted forward, precisely encircling her waist and lifting her up, placing her directly on the mattress. His grip was alarmingly strong, his muscles firm. Gu Zhiye gazed down at her. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
It was pure agony.

Su Niannian pressed her hand against her bag and slowly drew out a stack of bills — 1,000 yuan left by Gu’s mother — and placed them in his hand. “This is your mother’s pension. I’m returning it.”
“It’s yours — she gave it to you.”
“There’s no merit without service. We originally made a deal that I’d care for your mother, but I didn’t follow through. Your brother and sister-in-law are not easy people. I want to avoid that mess. Gu Zhiye, you hadn’t even submitted a marriage application. So let’s put an end to this.”

She smiled softly, but the words cut deep.

Gu Zhiye rushed to explain, “I already submitted the marriage application. It’s the team leadership who held it up due to a political background issue — but that’s been resolved, and it should soon be finalized. Housing is also underway. As for my brother and sister-in-law — I’ve dealt with them. If you’re not satisfied, you tell me what to do. Niannian, marriage is for a lifetime. We shouldn’t break it lightly…”

He lowered his proud demeanor just a bit. His large frame filled the small guesthouse, yet he chose not to back down.
Having gotten into the art troupe, Su Niannian was already delighted with her future. This man seemed more a hindrance than a blessing — someone requiring her to care for him instead.
She blinked and smiled warmly. “Life is fine as it is — without you…”

Gu Zhiye had been to the art troupe; he knew how much Su Niannian had gone through just to be there. With his current position, marriage could make things much easier for her — even enable her to reach greater heights — yet…

He lowered his gaze and quietly said, “After we’re married, you can do whatever you want. I won’t stop you.”

Su Niannian cast him a surprised look. “I got into the art troupe by myself. I’ll do it again and again by myself in the future. I don’t want anyone to say I used a backdoor. So when I filled in my marriage form, it stayed blank. Currently, you can pretend we’re strangers, Gu Zhiye. I have my own ambitions. As for your mother… I’m sorry. When I married you, I used your military identity — that much I admit. But now…”

Gu Zhiye suddenly covered her lips with his large, warm hand. The rage glimmered in his eyes. “I can keep our marriage a secret… I’ll wait for you.”
This man was really a one-track mind — not letting go. The pressure was so heavy that Su Niannian briefly wondered if he might explode — yet the moment afterwards, Gu Zhiye let her go. “I won’t affect you.”

“…”
Military marriage isn’t easily severed — even if Su Niannian wanted a clean break, it wouldn’t be a simple matter. But now, everything was much simpler. She wouldn’t need to pretend or compromise — nor would she need to care for him or his family. Instead, their marriage might become a form of refuge when it was most needed.

Su Niannian admitted to herself that she was selfish — that while she had given him a chance, he was the one who chose not to let go. So there was no turning back…

She picked up her luggage and turned to leave.
Behind her, Gu Zhiye’s calm voice called out. “Su Niannian, you owe me a deadline.”
“Wait until I get a promotion…” Su Niannian paused briefly and drew a big pie in the air.

Gu Zhiye stood there quietly, letting his frustration seep up from within him. “…You’d better keep your word… even if you’re just using me.”
He hoped… you’d hold on to the end.

The response was the sound of the closing door.