Shen Huaichuan’s back was as stiff as an iron plate.  

He had always ranked first in the military district’s weighted cross-country runs, so the slight weight on his back was nothing to him. But the woman’s disheveled hair swayed with each step, brushing faintly against the back of his neck, sending a scorching heat down his spine and forcing him to slow his pace.  

In contrast, Zhou Qiqi was completely at ease.  

In both her lifetimes, she had never set foot in a military family compound, so everything felt fresh and new to her.  

By now, the lights were already out, leaving only dim street lamps casting a yellowish glow over the entire compound, making it look like a faded old photograph. Rows of drab, tightly packed apartment buildings stood side by side, their windows strung with clotheslines full of laundry. The air carried the bitter, burnt scent of coal briquettes.  

Shen Huaichuan deliberately chose secluded paths, avoiding people. The moonlight stretched his shadow long, wrapping around their overlapping figures as they swayed into a blurry mass on the stone-paved road.  

“We’re here.”  

When he pushed open the courtyard gate, Zhou Qiqi’s eyes instantly lit up.  

Among the neat rows of single-story houses, this one stood out with the fresh smell of newly painted lime.  

As expected of a regiment commander—his house is different!

This would be her home from now on!  

Unconsciously, Zhou Qiqi tightened her arms around Shen Huaichuan’s neck, eagerly following him inside.  

But the moment she stepped in, her excitement vanished.  

The house might have looked impressive from the outside, but inside, it was icy cold.  

A full set of angular furniture stood stiffly in place, every item arranged as if lined up for inspection. The entire space was spotless—no clutter, no decorations, not even curtains.  

Pure military minimalism.  

“Explain yourself.”  

The moment her feet touched the ground, Shen Huaichuan had already taken a seat across from her, his sharp, cold eyes fixed on her as he spoke.  

His tone, his poker face, paired with the austere surroundings, made Zhou Qiqi feel like she wasn’t his wife but a prisoner under his command.  

This wasn’t military minimalism—it was prison minimalism!  

Now she understood why Lin Yao hadn’t wanted to marry Shen Huaichuan.  

But Zhou Qiqi was nothing like the original owner, a meek pushover. She was used to taking control of every situation. Blinking her eyes pitifully, she whined,  

“Regiment Commander Shen, even prisoners get a drink of water during interrogation. And besides…”  

She wiggled her blood-stained toes, dragging out her words in a soft, pleading tone, “My feet still hurt! Do you have any medicine?”  

Back at the guard post, she had already figured out that Shen Huaichuan, despite his cold demeanor, was easily swayed by a little coquettishness—a total paper tiger.  

Sure enough, the man’s gaze darkened as he watched her five toes wriggle playfully. He stood up, poured her a glass of water, and even rummaged through a cabinet to pull out a jar of ointment.  

The water was cold, straight from the tap, with a strange taste. But Zhou Qiqi was too thirsty to care, gulping it down in one go.  

Then she got straight to work—pricking her blisters and applying the ointment with practiced efficiency.  

She had always been independent, doing everything herself rather than relying on others.  

But she also never shortchanged herself. If she couldn’t walk, she had no qualms about asking Shen Huaichuan for help.  

Before now, she hadn’t had the chance to examine this body closely. But seeing it up close was horrifying.  

The original owner was only twenty, yet the soles of her feet were covered in thick calluses from years of labor in the fields. Worse, her lower legs bore reddish-brown scars—old burns from cooking. The Xu family had never bothered to buy her medicine, so new injuries piled onto old ones, leading to infections that never healed.  

The minty ointment mixed with the metallic tang of blood, making Zhou Qiqi’s nose itch and her eyes water.  

Her sympathy for the original owner deepened.  

With a sigh, she began recounting the nineteen years of suffering the girl had endured in the Xu family—how they had treated her after her parents’ deaths, her relationship with Xu Shu, and everything that had happened since her arrival here.  

But she only spoke of the original owner’s experiences, carefully omitting any details about herself.  

Her voice was soft and fragile, tinged with grievance, her eyes slightly red—the very picture of pitifulness.  

This was her strategy: playing the pig to eat the tiger!

“So you’re saying the Xu family bullied you? For over a decade?”  

Shen Huaichuan’s brows furrowed as he studied Zhou Qiqi, his deep eyes unreadable.  

“Yes!”  

Under his gaze, Zhou Qiqi’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She swallowed hard and nodded reflexively.

But soon, she calmed down again. She wasn’t lying—what was there to fear?  

She was pitiful!  

With that thought, she straightened her back, blinking her big eyes as she met Shen Huaichuan’s icy gaze head-on.  

“Anyway, this is the situation. You’ve already submitted the marriage report, and legally, I’m already your wife. I have no choice but to come live with you as a military dependent—it’s not like we can just get a divorce, right?”  

At the mention of the marriage report, Shen Huaichuan’s gaze flickered slightly, and he lowered his head.  

After a long pause, he finally spoke in a low, slightly hoarse voice, “I do need a wife.”

His parents’ health had been poor for years, and they had been pressuring him to marry this year, even going so far as to involve the political commissar of his military district. If he didn’t get married this time, there would be no avoiding their demands.  

As for Lin Yao… she had been dragging her feet, unwilling to meet him. He could tell she didn’t want to marry him—even though he had already agreed to her condition and secured her a position as an intern at the military hospital.  

But this woman in front of him…  

Shen Huaichuan knew she was lying, yet for some reason, he didn’t want to refuse her.  

This thought had inexplicably taken root in his mind the moment he first saw her at the hotel.  

And later, in the guard post, when he saw her deer-like, teary eyes filled with dependence, when he heard her say—”I am Shen Huaichuan’s wife! Shen Huaichuan is my husband!”—that thought only grew stronger.  

This feeling was unfamiliar… but he didn’t resist it.  

Hearing his words, Zhou Qiqi finally let out a sigh of relief.  

Shen Huaichuan also needed to get married—this perfectly aligned with her own needs!  

“Perfect!”

Total victory!  

She couldn’t help but cheer inwardly, but Shen Huaichuan’s expression turned serious. His fists clenched slightly, his gaze intense.  

“Are you sure you understand my situation? You don’t mind? You’re still willing to marry me?”

“I don’t mind! I am willing to marry you!”

Zhou Qiqi nodded solemnly.  

Back at the hospital, Xu Shu had laid out Shen Huaichuan’s family circumstances in detail—probably to persuade her.  

The Shen family was a military household with three sons, all of whom had served. Shen Huaichuan was the youngest.  

His eldest brother, Shen Huaishan, had gone missing in action at the border a decade ago, with no news since. His second brother, Shen Huaiyue, and his wife had been severely injured on a mission three years ago and were now both in vegetative states, kept alive by machines in the hospital.  

As for Shen Huaichuan’s parents, their health had deteriorated over the years from grief, and they now lived in a sanatorium.  

Xu Shu’s exact words had been: “Sure, the Shen family’s a bit unlucky, but Qiqi, you’re an orphan too—it’s a perfect match! You probably won’t get cursed to death!”

At the time, Zhou Qiqi had wanted to kick him into the next century.  

He was the unlucky one—his entire family was unlucky!  

Zhou Qiqi, a proud product of socialist education, had a natural admiration for soldiers. Far from minding Shen Huaichuan’s background, she respected him even more for it.  

She was about to offer him some words of comfort when she suddenly met his gaze. The emotions swirling in his eyes were unfathomable, burning so intensely that her heart trembled.  

“There are things we need to clarify in advance.”

His tone was still stern, but his voice carried a slight tremor. “I’m often away on missions. You’ll have to—”

Zhou Qiqi wiggled her toes, cutting him off. “Be mentally prepared? Don’t worry, I get it! I’ll be a qualified military wife—an excellent…” 

The word “lover” lingered on her tongue but never made it out. Instead, she settled on, “An excellent wife!” 

This was her promise—and the most she could offer.  

As someone who grew up in a broken home, unloved by either parent, she had never believed in love.  

Wasn’t marriage just two people joining forces to get through life?  

She could fulfill the duties of a wife, but the word “lover” felt too unrealistic for her.  

Still, she was willing to be a good military wife, an excellent partner, a family even without blood ties.  

Shen Huaichuan should have been happy hearing this. Yet for some reason, a sharp pang pierced his chest.  

Not wanting her to notice, he turned away to pour himself a glass of water.  

But then, from behind him, came an earth-shaking—  

“Gurgle—gurgle—GROWL!”