Chapter 31 Men care.

The photographer pressed the shutter, and then everyone dispersed. For a moment, Lin Suisui almost thought the warmth she’d felt earlier was just her imagination.

“Suisui, are we going home now?” asked Fang Qianqian, who stood beside her.

“Sure,” Lin Suisui replied. At that moment, Doubao came walking over, and the three of them left together.

She actually wanted to look back, just a glance, but didn’t have the courage. Forget it, don’t overthink. So what if he stood a little close? She had been shoulder to shoulder with Qianqian earlier too. That’s right, exactly like that. Comforted by her own reasoning, Lin Suisui’s mood instantly improved.

Doubao usually took afternoon naps, and around this time he’d normally be waking up. On the way back, the little guy looked a bit drowsy. Once they reached the gate of their home, Lin Suisui said goodbye to Fang Qianqian—only to see her barge right into the Huo household.

“You need something?” Lin Suisui saw her expression and immediately knew there was something on her mind.

Fang Qianqian looked extremely excited. “I do—big news!”

“What big news?” Lin Suisui was intrigued. “Come on, spill it.”

“I just heard some juicy gossip,” Fang Qianqian said smugly. “Your Huo Tuanzhang earned a First-Class Merit during his last mission, and then went to Chief Song to ask for a reward. Do you know what he asked for?”

“…No,” Lin Suisui shook her head. Huo Changzheng rarely talked about his work, and she never pried.

“He told Chief Song that he didn’t want any promotions or awards. All he wanted was for Chief Song to keep his daughter, Song Xiao, in line—so she’d stop pestering you,” Fang Qianqian said with her hands clasped together, practically glowing with excitement. “Tell me that’s not the most epic ‘husband-protecting-wife’ move ever. I’m so jealous!”

“But honestly, Suisui, you’re worth it!”

Lin Suisui was quiet. Fang Qianqian was so confident, she couldn’t bring herself to doubt it. If it was true, it was completely unexpected. She didn’t know what had motivated Huo Changzheng to go that far to stand up for her—but being his wife and living in the military compound, she couldn’t deny it was a good thing.

Still, he had cut things off so cleanly. If he ever wanted to get back together with Song Xiao in the future, it wouldn’t be easy.

While the two women were still excitedly chatting about the gossip, sleepy Doubao was suddenly wide awake.

“Doubao, are you still going to nap?” Fang Qianqian asked, seeing the little guy’s bright eyes as he listened intently. She knew he probably didn’t understand, but he looked like he did. “If you’re not sleepy, you can go with your mom to my place. I want to make clothes with her.”

“Okay!” Doubao nodded. “I’ll go take a nap. Mommy and Aunt Qianqian can go work.”

With that, he toddled off on his little legs to his room.

What a considerate little guy. Lin Suisui couldn’t help but smile, but she still waited until he’d fallen asleep before heading to Fang Qianqian’s.

“What are we making today? You specifically called me over,” Lin Suisui asked curiously.

“Underwear,” Fang Qianqian replied. “But not like the undershirts you’ve been wearing. We’re making real bras. Like this one.”

She pointed to a finished product. Lin Suisui glanced over—there was far less fabric than her usual undershirts. Her face immediately flushed. “This is a bit too… um…”

“Too what?” Fang Qianqian said seriously. “You’re still young, so you don’t feel it yet. But over time, if you don’t wear a bra, everything’s going to sag.”

“…?”

“I’m serious. You might not care, but men do,” she added meaningfully.

Lin Suisui’s face turned red to her ears. Fang Qianqian couldn’t help but laugh at her bashful expression. “You’ve been married longer than me and your kid is four years old. Why are you still so shy?”

“You’re really driving your Huo Tuanzhang mad with that innocent act. Though I bet he’s enjoying every second of it.”

“…Okay, okay, stop. Just teach me already.” Fine, I’ll make it! Happy now?

Knowing they were making clothes, Lin Suisui had brought some fabric with her in advance. She took out her scissors and followed Fang Qianqian’s instructions step-by-step.

Making bras wasn’t that difficult, especially with a sewing machine. Before it was time to cook dinner, she had already completed two.

“All done! It’s getting late, go make dinner,” Fang Qianqian said. “And wear these after you wash them, okay? Don’t let them sit around unused like that outfit you made last time. That’s such a waste. A huge waste.”

“I know, I’m going, I’m going.”

When Lin Suisui returned home, Doubao was already awake. He had brought out a little stool and was sitting in the courtyard reading one of Huo Changzheng’s dense books. He often did this, and she was used to it by now. She never questioned whether he understood it or not—if he enjoyed it, that was enough.

She put the bras away in her room and went into the kitchen to start dinner. She hadn’t gone to the market that morning, so there was no meat in the house. Since they’d had a feast at noon, she decided to keep it simple for the evening.

She cooked a pot of rice first. Once it cooled slightly, she heated some oil in the pan, cracked in three eggs, then added the rice and stir-fried it. A final sprinkle of fresh green onions, and fragrant egg fried rice was ready.

“Mommy, that smells so good!” Doubao ran into the kitchen, drawn by the scent.

“Egg fried rice,” Lin Suisui smiled. “Eat a bit more tonight. I’m going to pick some vegetables from the field to stir-fry. Daddy should be home soon.”

“Okay!” Doubao followed her out of the kitchen. “I want to help you pick veggies too.”

“Alright,” Lin Suisui said as she squatted down. But suddenly, she felt something trickle down. She quickly stood up and told Doubao, “You go ahead and pick. Mommy needs to run to the bathroom.”

Sure enough, her period had arrived.

Her cycles were always irregular—sometimes early, sometimes late. When they were late, she often got cramps. Tonight, even though the egg fried rice smelled amazing, she had no appetite. She only ate a few bites before setting down her chopsticks.

Huo Changzheng noticed something was off and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

She was indeed unwell, but she couldn’t exactly explain why, so she made up an excuse: “No, I’m just still full from lunch.”

“Then go lie down. I’ll clean up.”

Since he offered, she didn’t argue. Her lower abdomen was already aching, so she went back to her room to rest.

After he and Doubao finished eating, Huo Changzheng washed the dishes and then came out to prepare Doubao’s bath.

“Daddy, can you get some brown sugar?” Doubao suddenly asked.

“Brown sugar?” Huo Changzheng was confused. “You want to drink something sweet?”

“No, Mommy needs brown sugar water,” Doubao said.

“Your mom told you that?” Huo Changzheng asked. He hadn’t heard her say anything like that earlier.

“No, Aunt Qianqian told me. She said girls feel uncomfortable a few days each month and need to drink brown sugar water.”

“…”