Chapter 249

Lu Weiguo initially expected to see some signs of fear on the students’ faces, but there were none.

He found this a bit odd. Were these college students braver than most people?

There was a bit of apprehension toward Lu Weiguo’s stern face, but being in a large group with Shi Tingyu and the child present made his aura seem gentler. Especially holding the child, he appeared more approachable.

This contrast softened his fierce demeanor.

At this moment, the soldiers carrying their gear arrived, and upon seeing Shi Tingyu, they all greeted her in unison, “Hello, sister-in-law!”

Their voices were uniform, like a slogan.

Shi Tingyu smiled and replied, “Hello.”

Lu Weiguo was leading this drill, with his second-in-command being Wang Yan, the husband of Chi Shui, who had been accepted into Jinling Art Academy.

Seeing so many students, Wang Yan realized it must be more than one class. His eyes scanned the students, but he didn’t see his wife, confirming she wasn’t there.

Their drill had just ended, and they were about to head back to camp.

Wang Yan waited for Lu Weiguo’s instructions.

Lu Weiguo glanced at his wife, then placed their child back in the small bamboo cart.

“Wife, when will you be finished?”

“Around four or five,” Shi Tingyu replied.

Lu Weiguo calculated the time and said, “I’ll come to pick you up then. You don’t have to go back to school afterwards, right?”

“No,” Shi Tingyu said.

After this painting session, she could take the students home, with Huo Qiang in charge of them.

“Then I’ll finish up and come get you,” Lu Weiguo said.

Since they were on a drill today, they needed to rest afterwards and wouldn’t be bound by the usual schedule.

Shi Tingyu urged, “Alright, you go back first.”

Seeing the students around, Lu Weiguo refrained from being too affectionate, but he couldn’t help turning back to look at her every few steps, which amused the students.

A few bold boys started teasing.

For once, Shi Tingyu blushed.

Hearing the students’ teasing, Lu Weiguo turned around, and the students fell silent.

Huo Qiang jokingly scolded the students, “Cowards.”

The students didn’t mind, acknowledging that soldiers naturally had a commanding presence unlike their own.

But it was clear to them that their teacher’s husband treated her very well, and they were happy for her.

Given that their teacher was young, beautiful, and capable, it made sense that Captain Lu would treat her well.

By the time Shi Tingyu had finished helping the students with their paintings, the three tractors had arrived.

The students began packing up.

At the same time, Lu Weiguo arrived.

He helped Shi Tingyu pack their things and collected the students’ trash to take with them.

As the students boarded the tractors, one of them wouldn’t start.

The driver tried several times but failed.

Seeing this, Lu Weiguo stepped forward and said, “Let me take a look.”

Standing nearly six feet tall, Lu Weiguo made the tractor driver seem small in comparison.

The driver, seeing Lu Weiguo in uniform, obediently stepped aside to give him space.

Lu Weiguo checked the fuel injector and found a blockage. He did a quick fix and then used the crank handle to start the engine.

With a few strong turns, the tractor roared to life.

The rising temperature meant Lu Weiguo wasn’t wearing much, and as he exerted himself, his muscles were visible even through his clothes, making Shi Tingyu want to draw him.

The driver’s sigh of relief brought Shi Tingyu back to reality, and she collected herself, averting her eyes from her husband.

She didn’t notice Lu Weiguo’s ears turning red.

The driver, relieved that the tractor was working again, thanked Lu Weiguo.

Lu Weiguo advised, “Your tractor’s fuel injector has an issue. What I did is only a temporary fix. You should check it and consider getting a new one.”

The driver nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Once the tractor drove off, Lu Weiguo approached, intending to hold his wife’s hand, but noticing the diesel stains on his hands, he pulled back and bent down to kiss her on the lips instead.

Before he could straighten up, a chorus of “Oh~” echoed from the students on the nearby tractor, with the engine’s chugging providing a soundtrack.

The girls on the tractor, especially the unmarried ones, blushed furiously. Even though there was some distance between them and the couple, it didn’t stop them from seeing the kiss. They felt both shy and eager to watch, marveling at how bold their teacher and her husband were.

Shi Tingyu looked at Lu Weiguo and smiled helplessly.

“Do you think they’ll laugh at me when I teach them tomorrow?”

“No, they wouldn’t dare,” Lu Weiguo said confidently, though he couldn’t be entirely sure.

Shi Tingyu took out a handkerchief to wipe Lu Weiguo’s hands, knowing the stains would need to be scrubbed with lye soap at home.

The next day, during her class, a few bold boys did tease a bit, but the class monitor quickly shut them down. Things improved after that.

After school that day, just as Shi Tingyu reached the entrance of the residential compound, the guard called her over.

She leaned out of her car window.

The guard handed her a letter. “Sister-in-law, this letter arrived this morning.”

Shi Tingyu thanked him, took the letter, and drove into the compound.

Once home, she settled Shen Shen and then started reading the letter.

The handwriting immediately told her it was from her elder brother, Shi Muhuan.

Shi Muhuan wrote about how Xiao Jia had found their brother. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper that published the missing person notice was very interested in her portrait skills and wanted to conduct an exclusive interview with her.

Shi Tingyu was surprised, her thoughts swirling. An interview could significantly boost her reputation, but the focus might be more on her portrait skills rather than her oil paintings.

She felt a bit hesitant.

However, considering that forensic art was not yet a recognized profession, promoting it could be beneficial, possibly aiding the police in other ways.

Overall, she decided that the interview would be more advantageous than not.

When Lu Weiguo returned home and heard about the interview, he was very supportive.

“I think forensic art is a highly practical skill. Since you plan to continue with oil painting, the interview will likely touch on that as well. It can serve as indirect promotion.”

Lu Weiguo’s words reinforced Shi Tingyu’s resolve to accept the interview.

With her decision made, Shi Tingyu went to her room to write a reply to her elder brother.