“Desolate? Not exactly,” Huo Jingyuan replied.

In earlier years, the area around the Northwest Military District was indeed desolate, with yellow sand filling the sky. However, in recent years, the environment had undergone significant changes. Family quarters had been built, and sandthorn trees had been planted around to prevent sandstorms!

The reason for having the Jiang family’s daughter accompany him to the Northwest was that Huo Jingyuan, as an officer in the Northwest Military District, needed to set an example for the entire army. This way, more families would be willing to follow their loved ones to the Northwest.

Huo Jingyuan’s gaze fell on the lively Miss Jiang. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Life in the Northwest might not be as comfortable as in Beijing. You’ll have to do most things yourself, and it will be quite demanding.”

“I don’t mind,” Wen Ci shrugged.

No matter how hard it is, it couldn’t be harder than surviving in the apocalypse.

This was the 1980s, at most, it would just mean being self-reliant.

Huo Jingyuan’s eyelids lowered slightly. He had heard from his elders that the Jiang family’s daughter was a delicate and frail young girl, but upon meeting her today, she was completely different from what he had imagined.

“Although we’ve already registered our marriage, the wedding banquet can be held at a state-owned restaurant.”

Wen Ci asked, “Can we skip it?”

In the 1980s, the cost of a table at a state-owned restaurant was quite high. For a wedding, it was customary to have at least eight tables, not including the cost of alcohol for each table.

Just thinking about the expense made Wen Ci’s heart ache.

Moreover, as a substitute bride, she felt it was unnecessary!

“Why?” Huo Jingyuan asked, puzzled.

His return to Beijing this time wasn’t just to bring the Jiang family’s daughter to the Northwest with him.

He also wanted to hold a wedding to announce it to the entire compound.

Huo Jingyuan had grown up living with his maternal grandparents in the Beijing compound. His parents worked in other confidential units, and coincidentally, they shared the same surname, Huo.

So, outsiders assumed that Huo Jingyuan was the biological grandson of the Huo family in Beijing.

After Huo Jingyuan’s grandfather passed away, many in the compound believed that the Huo family had declined. In reality, Huo Jingyuan’s paternal grandfather held an even more powerful position.

Wen Ci blinked her eyes and replied in a soft voice, “With only three days, holding a wedding might be too rushed. I don’t want it to be so hurried, so perhaps we could hold it in the Northwest instead.”

For some reason, Wen Ci always felt a sense of discomfort in Beijing, as if her original body was resisting. This feeling was even stronger in the Jiang household.

Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan nodded solemnly. Indeed, he hadn’t thought carefully about the wedding arrangements. He only had three days in Beijing.

Including today, that left only two more days.

Even if they could book a state-owned restaurant tomorrow, it would still be too rushed.

Huo Jingyuan looked at Wen Ci. The woman before him would be his lifelong companion, and he didn’t want to give her a rushed wedding either.

He had heard from the political commissar in the military district that marriage was a lifelong commitment.

It should never be taken too lightly.

“Then I’ll follow your lead.”

Wen Ci smiled. Her gaze fell on Huo Jingyuan’s casual suit, with a white shirt underneath, clearly revealing his well-built chest muscles.

She wanted to touch them!

She wanted to play with them!

Huo Jingyuan sat upright beside Wen Ci, feeling her intense gaze. He glanced at her and noticed the excitement and anticipation in her eyes.

He couldn’t help but look at Wen Ci, and their eyes met briefly for a few seconds.

Huo Jingyuan couldn’t withstand Wen Ci’s gaze and turned his face away, the tips of his ears slightly reddening, though it was barely noticeable.

Since childhood, he hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with women.

In the Northwest Military District, he only encountered a few female nurses when he was injured, but they weren’t as bold as the Jiang family’s daughter. They usually kept their distance upon seeing him.

Noticing the redness in his ears, Wen Ci couldn’t help but chuckle.

He was such an innocent soldier.

Huo Jingyuan’s physique was the epitome of broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs.

From his build, one could easily imagine his well-defined muscles.

Wen Ci had always been fond of men with such perfect physiques.

In her previous life, she had wanted to date a man with such an ideal body in college, but then the apocalypse struck, and zombies overran the world.

After becoming a war goddess, Wen Ci no longer had the time or energy for romance.

Usually, just admiring from afar was enough to satisfy her.

But now…

Hehe.

She was, after all, Huo Jingyuan’s nominal wife.

Jiang Chen returned from the department store with several sets of clothes. Reluctantly, he tossed the new clothes onto the sofa and said, “Wen…”

As soon as he spoke, he caught sight of Huo Jingyuan’s face and immediately changed his tone, offering a faint smile, “Jiang Ci, do these clothes fit you?”

Before sending Wen Ci’s household registration, the Jiang family had changed her surname.

Jiang Ci.

Huo Jingyuan’s calloused fingers lightly rubbed together.

He silently repeated the name of the woman beside him.

Suddenly, a “clatter” came from upstairs, followed by the sound of a vase shattering on the staircase, accompanied by a woman’s delicate scream.

Jiang Chen immediately panicked. Without regard for Huo Jingyuan’s presence, he rushed upstairs. Seeing his sister fallen on the floor, he wore a look of alarm and comforted her:

“Are you okay, sister?”

Jiang Chen’s voice wasn’t too loud, but it wasn’t too soft either.

Hearing the noise, Huo Jingyuan frowned slightly. As far as he knew, the Jiang family only had one daughter. So who was the woman upstairs who had broken the vase?

Just as he was puzzled, Wen Ci touched his hand.

Huo Jingyuan flinched and quickly withdrew his hand, looking at Wen Ci in shock. His heart skipped a few beats, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Wen Ci spoke, “Let’s go.”

She didn’t like the atmosphere in the Jiang household.

“Go… go where?”

Wen Ci replied, “Home, of course.”

With that, Wen Ci took the initiative to link her arm with Huo Jingyuan’s. Her tone was calm, each word firm and clear: “We are legally married, Comrade Huo Jingyuan.”

The term “comrade” made Huo Jingyuan’s ears burn.

He wasn’t used to Wen Ci’s boldness.

But deep down, he felt a secret thrill.

Su Guilan was about to speak to persuade them to stay when she heard even louder commotion from upstairs. She glanced at Wen Ci with a complex expression, then composed herself:

“Ah Ci is right. You two are already married and should start your life together. I’ll have her brother bring Ah Ci’s luggage over tomorrow.”

Wen Ci forcefully pulled Huo Jingyuan to his feet: “Let’s go, Comrade Huo.”

Even through his clothes, Huo Jingyuan could feel her hand occasionally brushing against him. He clenched his fists, unsure of how to react.

Once outside the Jiang household, Wen Ci released Huo Jingyuan’s arm.

She knew he felt uncomfortable.

In this era, interactions between men and women were extremely reserved.

Especially unmarried individuals, who rarely had close contact in private.

Even married couples maintained a certain distance.

But Wen Ci didn’t share this mindset. She was a modern woman who had been alone for over twenty years. Having witnessed too much cruelty in the apocalypse, she yearned for love.

She and Huo Jingyuan had just met.

But as the old saying goes:

There’s plenty of time ahead!

She was about to marry and move to the Northwest with him. While in Beijing, how could she not take the opportunity to get to know her husband better?

After all, a harmonious marital life was also very important.

Ahem.

With this thought, Wen Ci’s gaze naturally fell on Huo Jingyuan.

She scrutinized him up and down.

With such a perfect physique and long-term military training, his stamina couldn’t possibly be lacking.

“How’s your stamina?” Wen Ci asked.