At 2:30 in the afternoon the next day, the train finally arrived in Qingbei City.

As soon as she stepped off the train, her attention was drawn to a row of soldiers standing nearby.

Lu Jiansen swept his gaze over them, then raised his hand in a beckoning gesture.

Almost immediately, someone ran over. “Battalion Commander…”

While Gu Xiaoxi was still in a daze, the group of soldiers had already run up to her and saluted in unison.

“Hello, Sister-in-law!”

Feeling a little embarrassed, Gu Xiaoxi smiled. “Hello!”

“Sister-in-law, let us carry your things. You and the Battalion Commander can walk empty-handed!” The soldiers who came to carry the luggage quickly cleared everything away. Those who couldn’t grab anything even fought over the remaining bags.

“Why did so many of you come?” Lu Jiansen asked sternly.

His voice was too cold and deep, making Gu Xiaoxi instinctively turn to look at him.

Lu Jiansen’s heart skipped a beat—afraid of scaring his little girl, he quickly softened his rigid expression.

“We were passing by the station, so we took the opportunity to pick up the Battalion Commander and Sister-in-law,” Deputy Company Commander Li Kun said quietly.

Lu Jiansen frowned. “Passing by?”

Li Kun nodded. “Yes. Battalion Commander, let’s talk in the car. Sister-in-law must be tired.”

Lu Jiansen glanced at the young girl beside him but said nothing in the end.

The military vehicle was parked just outside the station, but the sight of someone standing by the car brought Gu Xiaoxi immense joy.

Like the wind, she ran over, grabbed the person’s sleeve, and her eyes turned red.

“Brother…”

Gu Dachuan was startled by his sister’s reaction and quickly reached out to wipe her tears.

“Why are you crying? Did someone bully you?”

Gu Xiaoxi pressed her lips together and smiled. “I just missed you so much!”

It had been so many years since she last saw her brother.

Gu Dachuan chuckled and patted her head. “You little brat, you’re getting sweeter every time I see you. Get in the car—I bought you a big bag of snacks, all your favorites.”

Without hesitation, Gu Xiaoxi climbed into the vehicle, completely forgetting about Lu Jiansen.

Seeing how she was now entirely focused on her brother, Lu Jiansen sighed helplessly.

Once they were inside, he finally asked, “Tell me, what do you mean by ‘passing by’?”

Gu Dachuan fell silent for a moment before answering, “Commander Xiao was killed in action. His wife couldn’t take the news and attempted suicide this morning. We borrowed a car early to come pick you up, and on the way, we took her to the hospital.”

Lu Jiansen’s eyes darkened, a shadow passing through them.

Two days ago, when he spoke to the regiment commander on the phone, the commander had said that if Lu Jiansen couldn’t return in time, Commander Xiao would lead the mission instead.

But he had never imagined that this decision would cost Commander Xiao his life.

The sudden heaviness of the conversation left Gu Xiaoxi momentarily silent.

After a brief pause, a soldier spoke up, sounding both aggrieved and indignant. “Commander Xiao’s death had nothing to do with the Battalion Commander, but somehow, rumors started spreading that the Battalion Commander knew the mission was dangerous, so he deliberately delayed his return, leaving Commander Xiao to take his place and die instead…”

The moment those words were spoken, both Lu Jiansen and Gu Xiaoxi turned to look at the soldier.

Lu Jiansen was caught off guard, while Gu Xiaoxi was completely shocked.

In her past life, her brother had told her about things that happened in the army. He had said that the person he admired and respected the most, “Lu the King of Hell,” had died while saving a reckless battalion commander from the Second Battalion during a mission.

Her brother had been furious—so much so that during the New Year, when he got drunk at home, he had cursed that battalion commander for hours.

Thinking of this, Gu Xiaoxi’s body trembled slightly.

She turned to look at the man beside her. His profile was perfect, but his expression was solemn.

Her voice was so soft that even she could barely hear herself.

“Are you the one they call ‘Lu the King of Hell’?”

Lu Jiansen noticed the fear in her eyes and, for a fleeting moment, panicked.

He quickly grasped her hand and reassured her, “I won’t be harsh to you.”

She gazed into his eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering, and before she knew it, tears slipped down her cheeks.

Choking up slightly, she whispered, “Just don’t die, okay?”

She didn’t know why, but at that moment, she had a strange feeling—

In her past life, Lu Jiansen had died because she hadn’t kept him from leaving!

Watching her tears fall, Lu Jiansen felt a tightness in his chest.

A man known for his unwavering self-control, at this moment, couldn’t help but pull her into his arms, gently patting her back.

“Don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen to me.”

No matter how dangerous the mission, he would make sure to come back alive.

His little girl needed him. He wasn’t alone anymore.

Gu Dachuan, seeing his sister in tears, silently cursed the soldiers from the Second Battalion.

They all felt sorrowful and regretful over their battalion commander’s death, but they had no right to blame it on Lu Jiansen—

Let alone say something that would upset his sister.

He would make sure to track down whoever started the rumor and teach them a lesson!

The road back to the military base wasn’t easy to navigate, and the ride was bumpy, but Gu Xiaoxi seemed unaware of it. Every so often, she would glance at Lu Jiansen.

Lu Jiansen was helpless—she was clearly frightened by Commander Xiao’s death.

Not knowing how to comfort her, he simply held her hand tighter, offering her silent strength.

He actually wanted to tell her—

Her man wasn’t that weak!

By six in the evening, Gu Xiaoxi finally arrived at the military family compound where she would be living in the future.

Looking at the large words painted on the compound wall—”Stay Vigilant, Defend the Homeland”—she felt an overwhelming sense of security.

Carrying her luggage, Gu Dachuan was the first to rush inside. “Sister, your house is at the very end of the northern side. I checked it out for you—it’s not big, and the house is old, but the good thing is that there’s a well in the yard. It’ll be convenient for washing things.”

Curious, Gu Xiaoxi quickened her pace.

At this hour, most families in the compound were preparing dinner, so not many people were outside. However, as she walked past, several people peeked through their windows to get a look at her.