Chapter 15: Being Held by Her All Night

The two of them were sent back to the inner room by Qiu Shimin.

The unexpected situation left Han Zhixu awkward and at a loss…

Luo Yaqing gently broke the silence first: “Do you want to sleep on the inside or the outside?”

Han Zhixu paused slightly. “Outside.”

Luo Yaqing quickly moved her pillow further in on the bed and tidied the bedding. “Time to sleep.”

Han Zhixu responded with a quiet “mm.”

Luo Yaqing smiled, dimples showing, and turned to retrieve a sweater from the camphor chest: “This is a sweater my aunt knitted for you. Wear it tomorrow—it’ll make her happy.”

“Okay.”

“We have to get up early tomorrow, so hurry and get in bed.”

She stood by the bed urging him.

Under her gaze, Han Zhixu’s face flushed as he took off his cotton coat and then his fleece…

“You’re not taking off your long johns?” Luo Yaqing asked softly.

She remembered seeing him take them off last time when she brought him a blanket.

Han Zhixu pretended not to hear, said nothing, lifted the quilt, and lay down.

Luo Yaqing pouted, took off her own clothes, and climbed into bed.

As she was crawling over him to get to the inside of the bed, she lost her balance and pressed her hand down blindly.

“…!!!” Han Zhixu’s eyes flew open, his handsome face contorted in pain.

Under the quilt, Luo Yaqing had no idea what she had just pressed.

She lay down and pulled the covers over them. “Where did I press? Want me to rub it for you?”

Han Zhixu gritted through the pain in a certain part of his body. “…I’m fine.”

“Really?” Luo Yaqing turned her face to look at him.

“…Just sleep.”

He reached out and turned off the light. Only then did Han Zhixu gasp sharply in the dark.

Luo Yaqing’s voice came in the night: “I kind of move around a lot in my sleep.”

Han Zhixu kept his eyes closed and said nothing.

Getting no response for a long time, Luo Yaqing assumed he had already fallen asleep.

After all, military training every day was exhausting. It made sense he’d fall asleep fast.

But Han Zhixu wasn’t sleeping. His body was tense, not daring to move a muscle.

After half a year of marriage, this was the first time they were sleeping in the same bed.

And not just that—they were under the same blanket.

The person beside him moved slightly, inching closer to him. Han Zhixu held his breath.

Then suddenly, a leg shamelessly draped over his waist…

Moments later, she wrapped herself around him like an octopus.

Her body was light, soft, and carried a faint fragrance.

Han Zhixu’s Adam’s apple bobbed hard.

He felt his blood boiling, losing control, his breathing growing heavier.

“Yaq—”

He wanted to wake Luo Yaqing, to put some distance between them.

But he was afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams.

Luo Yaqing slept peacefully through the night, the bed as warm as spring sunshine.

So warm and cozy.

She rubbed her eyes as she woke up, stared a moment, then turned to see the empty spot beside her—Han Zhixu had already gotten up.

Remembering today was market day, Luo Yaqing didn’t dawdle in bed. She dressed as fast as she could.

When she opened the door, the outer room was quiet. Qiu Shimin was still asleep on the single bed.

Luo Yaqing washed up quietly, went back to the inner room to put on a scarf, and headed out.

Just outside the courtyard, she saw Han Zhixu approaching with a food container in hand.

She walked up to him. “Han Zhixu.”

Thinking of how they had shared a bed last night—her clinging to him all night—Han Zhixu’s ears turned red. “I got some steamed buns from the canteen.”

“I’m not eating. I’ve got errands to run. Auntie’s still sleeping. Let her know when she wakes up.”

Han Zhixu suddenly thought of something and grabbed Luo Yaqing’s hand. “Yaqing.”

“Hmm?”

“Here, take this.”

“You… you’re giving this… to me?”

Luo Yaqing stammered, looking from Han Zhixu to the money in his hand.

Five big unity bills.

So generous!

Han Zhixu nudged the money closer. “Your pocket money.”

Then turned his face away, looking elsewhere.

Luo Yaqing kept stammering. “It’s-it’s a bit much…”

She wouldn’t have dared to dream of this.

He actually handed her such a large amount as pocket money.

In this era, five unity bills could feed a family of seven or eight.

And he gave it to her just like that.

Without blinking.

Luo Yaqing was touched. She only took two of the five bills from his hand. “This is enough.”

Han Zhixu looked at her, opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t understand girls.

Didn’t know how to interact with her.

Was afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting her.

Luo Yaqing tucked the money into her pocket and smiled at him. “I’m off. Be good and wait for me to come back.”

Han Zhixu didn’t say a word, his ears burning as he bypassed her and walked into the courtyard.

…

Luo Yaqing left the military family compound. Zhang Guiqin was already waiting for her.

“Yaqing!”

“Auntie, have you been waiting long?”

“No, I just left the yard with this.”

Zhang Guiqin patted the bicycle seat beside her, smiling brightly.

A half-new 28-inch bar-frame bike, polished to a shine, with a handmade seat cover crocheted from old yarn.

Luo Yaqing happily grabbed the handlebars and kicked the kickstand up. “Let’s go, Auntie!”

Zhang Guiqin adjusted her basket.

Luo Yaqing stepped on the pedal, gliding a bit before swinging her other leg over the bike.

Her posture was perfect and practiced.

This completely reassured Zhang Guiqin.

If the girl had been a novice, she wouldn’t have dared to ride along—what if she got hurt?

“Auntie, jump on!” Luo Yaqing called out.

Zhang Guiqin jogged a few steps and hopped onto the back seat. “You’ve got relatives at home—we won’t stay out long. Just buy what we need and head back.”

“Mm, got it.”

Luo Yaqing pedaled hard.

It was market day, and although they left early, there were already groups of locals making their way there.

The usually quiet town was lively, both sides of the road lined with stalls, bartering in full swing.

Luo Yaqing didn’t wander. She pushed the bike with Zhang Guiqin straight to the meat shop.

Pork was 0.7 yuan per jin.

With her coupon, Luo Yaqing bought two jin of pork belly.

Zhang Guiqin spent 0.3 yuan on a pig’s trotter to make nourishing soup for her family.

She then accompanied Luo Yaqing to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Canned goods, sponge cakes, sunflower seeds… by the time they walked out, the bicycle was loaded with bags big and small.

“Auntie, I need to stop by the photo studio.”

“You had photos taken?”

“Mm, wedding photos with Han Zhixu.”

“Really? Let’s go then. You don’t know how much I love looking at photos.”

Zhang Guiqin was even more excited than Luo Yaqing and took the lead.

They weaved through the crowded street and spotted the photo studio’s sign.

Luo Yaqing parked the bicycle in front of the studio and left Zhang Guiqin to watch their things.

“Auntie, I’ll just be a minute.”

“Go ahead, go ahead.”

Zhang Guiqin didn’t even look at her, eyes fixed on the display window full of photo samples.

When Luo Yaqing came back with the envelope, Zhang Guiqin was still standing there. “Auntie.”

She saw the envelope in Luo Yaqing’s hand. “You got the photos? Let me see!”

Luo Yaqing handed them over with both hands.

Zhang Guiqin happily took them, pulled out the photos, and praised as she looked. “So handsome, such a perfect match. Yaqing, how are you so photogenic and pretty?”

Then glanced back at the photo samples in the display. “None of these come even close to looking as good as you.”