It was unclear whether Fang Chiye noticed the way her eyes wandered.

Su Rui faced the stove, her small face glowing yellow from the warmth as she toasted her padded jacket. On the opposite bench, Fang Chiye’s military uniform was draped over it, perfectly separating the two of them.

The sweet scent of the sweet potatoes roasting in the fire began to fill the room. Su Rui used a small stick to poke them out, rolling one to the back of the bench. “They should be done now. You can eat one,” she said.

Fang Chiye kept his back to her, facing the wooden door. The door wasn’t locked, but it had a wooden stick jammed through it as a makeshift bolt. A strong push from the outside could open it.

He picked up a sweet potato, unfazed by the heat. All he could hear was the sound of Su Rui peeling the sweet potato and occasionally swallowing.

The rain pounded heavily on the roof, and the fierce wind howled through the cracks in the window. The smell of medicinal alcohol lingered in the air.

Su Rui, bundled in a large coat, felt the cold wind creeping under her hem. She scooted closer to the stove, swallowing the last bit of her sweet potato. “How did you end up here?” she asked.

Fang Chiye replied, “The soldier on duty noticed a stranger lurking around, and since I was in the area, I decided to take a look.”

He stood up and walked to the window, using a cloth to block the draft coming through the gap. “Is it still cold?”

“Not as long as there’s no wind,” Su Rui replied honestly. “Are you cold? You can come closer to the stove.”

Fang Chiye chuckled. “I think it’s better if I stay away. I don’t want to scare you.”

Su Rui pursed her lips. The old clothes she wore hung loosely on her, while they looked tight on Fang Chiye. She thought to herself, the fabric seems like it should be enough for a whole outfit. If it weren’t for the army’s food rations, she probably couldn’t afford new clothes even if she saved all her cloth coupons for a year.

Fang Chiye seemed to sense her gaze. “What are you looking at?”

Su Rui replied, “I was just checking if the whitewash was enough.”

Fang Chiye asked in a different tone, “Why do you keep staring at me?”

Su Rui leaned back and said, “You seem really tall. Are you 1.85 meters?”

Fang Chiye smiled, “I could be a bit taller.”

Su Rui said, “1.86 meters?”

Fang Chiye replied, “1.88 meters… and a half.”

Su Rui laughed. “So tall, 1.88 meters… and a half.”

Fang Chiye cleared his throat. “I’ve gotten used to being meticulous.”

Su Rui said, “That’s right, someone like you would be used to it, being in charge.”

Fang Chiye chuckled, noticing that Su Rui was secretly laughing at him. He said, “Does Cadre Su have an opinion?”

Su Rui liked how he called her “Cadre Su” in such a gentle tone. Though she knew it wasn’t the same as calling him “Captain Fang,” she still liked how he said it.

The rain showed no signs of stopping. Fang Chiye resumed his seat. “I heard you almost got married to a widower and a fool?”

Su Rui let out a quiet “Oh,” hugging her knees and lowering her head, signaling that she didn’t want to discuss it further.

Fang Chiye paused before continuing, “No matter how small a role, it’s still an official position. Now that you’re a cadre, no one will mess with you. Director Zhao is not someone who would tolerate that kind of thing.”

Su Rui murmured, “It’s all in the past. Besides, I have a partner now.”

Fang Chiye asked calmly, “How is it going between you two?”

Su Rui replied, “Sometimes I feel he’s really nice, other times he’s a bit strange, always so mysterious.”

Fang Chiye asked, “Are you planning to marry him?”

Su Rui said, “We’ll see how things go. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll kick him out. Also, the betrothal gift can’t be too high. If it’s too much, I’ll kick him out too.”

Fang Chiye, facing away from her, seemed to have a complex expression. A few seconds later, he said softly, “It’s better to get to know him first.”

Su Rui wasn’t just interested in talking about her own life; she also wanted to know more about Fang Chiye. She seized the opportunity to ask, “Do you have a secret crush on someone?”

Fang Chiye replied, “It’s not exactly a crush. I just find myself wanting to care more for her.”

Su Rui teased, “I haven’t seen the photo yet.”

Fang Chiye answered, “There’s nothing special to see. She probably looks a lot like your partner.”

Su Rui was surprised. “How do you know what my partner looks like?”

Fang Chiye thought to himself, that painting was his own creation. He avoided the topic and said, “Old Lady Ah Xi mentioned it.”

Su Rui believed him completely. “She wasn’t wrong then.” Thinking about how Fang Chiye’s crush was a woman with a strong personality, Su Rui couldn’t help but feel both excited and a little regretful. Someone like him deserved better.

If Fang Chiye turned around, he would have seen Su Rui giving him a sympathetic look.

“You said there’s another stranger on the mountain. Could it be an enemy spy again?”

Fang Chiye replied, “It’s probably just some drifters. There’s a kidnapping and murder gang near Hezheng. Since last month’s crackdown, they’ve been trying to flee the province. From what I know, two of them are still on the run. Suhua Township is one of their escape routes.”

Su Rui tightened her coat, her voice tinged with concern. “I hope it’s not them. Our Xiaoba Village just started getting better. We can’t have anything bad happen now.”

Just as she spoke, a thunderclap shattered the sky.

The wooden door was knocked against the doorframe by the wind, and for a moment, Su Rui thought someone was banging on the door.

Fang Chiye spoke in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid.” He stood up and checked the door, confirming that it was just the wind.

Su Rui felt that she could handle small thefts, but if it came to facing a professional killer, she’d be out of her depth. Especially tonight, it felt like any moment a crazed killer with a steel saw could burst in.

She tried to warm her clothes by the fire, feeling that her padded jacket was dry. She turned around and put it on. Afterward, she hesitantly reached out to touch Fang Chiye’s military uniform, which was also dry.

She walked over to him and handed him the uniform. “You should wear this. The firewood won’t last, and it’ll be cold by midnight.”

Fang Chiye took the uniform, not hurrying to put it on. He noticed Su Rui’s pale face and said, “You should get some sleep.”

Su Rui wasn’t particularly tired, but Fang Chiye added, “I’ll take the first shift. You can take the second.”

“Alright.” Su Rui went over to the narrow wooden bed, feeling the damp straw beneath her. It wasn’t completely dry, but it was sleepable.

She forced her eyes closed, listening to the raging wind and rain, and before long, drifted off to sleep.

Su Rui woke up feeling warm, a sharp contrast to the cold she had felt earlier. She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up, realizing she was covered with Fang Chiye’s military uniform. The stove had been moved closer to her bed for warmth.

Fang Chiye had been sitting by the door all night, likely just closing his eyes, his body still in a defensive posture as if ready to spring into action at any moment.

… Anyone who encountered him was bound to be unlucky.

Su Rui walked over. After just a couple of steps, Fang Chiye opened his eyes and turned his head, his gaze clear.

“The rain has stopped.”

“The rain has stopped.”

They both said the same thing at the same time, exchanging smiles.

“How’s your foot?” Fang Chiye asked when he noticed Su Rui walking slowly, thinking her ankle still hadn’t healed.

“It’s fine.”

Su Rui had applied some medicinal alcohol the day before and had slept by the stove all night. Aside from walking a bit slowly, there was no pain. She would have forgotten about it if Fang Chiye hadn’t asked.

They quickly packed up. After Su Rui checked the whitewash, they descended the mountain together.

On the way, when they encountered some muddy spots from the rain, Fang Chiye went ahead and squatted down. Without hesitation, Su Rui climbed onto his back, and he carried her through the mud.

Su Rui loosely draped her arms around his neck and said in a muffled tone, “There wasn’t a creek here before.”

“They built a dam and diverted the river to drain the water. It seems to have affected the mountain. I’ll talk to the experts later; we can’t damage the mountain’s ecosystem.”

While conducting soil research, Fang Chiye and the experts found that the ecosystem of Peach Mountain in Xiaoba Village had been artificially altered. The rocky mountain wasn’t originally supposed to have such lush vegetation and rich soil.

He knew that the women of Xiaoba Village had spent years repairing the mountain with their hands and baskets. When the experts first saw the miracle created by the laboring people, they were deeply moved. It was a testament to the strength of the people’s efforts, a true example of how human determination could conquer nature. Fang Chiye could feel the difficulty of it all and empathized with them.

The laboring people had their own frontlines, where their sweat and blood flowed.

Birds circled behind them, their clear calls pleasant to the ears.

The remaining path wasn’t easy either, so Fang Chiye simply carried Su Rui to a place at the foot of the mountain where they wouldn’t be seen and set her down. “Can you walk back by yourself?”

Su Rui’s face flushed red. “Thank you, Captain Fang. I can go home on my own.”

Fang Chiye said, “You don’t need to go up the mountain for now. I’ll send someone to patrol.”

Su Rui replied, “But we still need to apply medicine to the peach trees.”

Fang Chiye said, “Just keep up with your regular work. If something comes up, you can call me. Can you remember the number?”

Su Rui nodded, her voice clear. “I can!”

Fang Chiye recited a string of numbers and reminded her, “This is a military line, use it if you need to.”

Su Rui understood. Even though she had never used a military line before, she knew that it was strictly monitored, so it wasn’t something to casually use for chit-chat.

As she was about to leave, Fang Chiye stopped her. “Wait.”

Su Rui turned, her pretty face glowing with a sunny smile.

Fang Chiye wasn’t sure why she seemed so happy. After thinking for a moment, he said, “If anyone forces you into marriage, you can call.”

He paused and explained, “The security office is here to protect the people, and that includes things like this.”

Su Rui was pleasantly surprised. “Really?”

Fang Chiye nodded.

Su Rui felt a great sense of reassurance, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart. She knew Fang Chiye was a man of his word, and if he said something could be handled, it certainly would be.

After they parted ways, Su Rui slowly walked back home. As she walked, she couldn’t help but reflect. She had initially harbored prejudice against Fang Chiye, but he really was a good person.

When she arrived home, she saw her father and Su Hongpei standing in the yard, discussing something.

When they noticed Su Rui had returned, Su Hongpei hurried over, saying, “We were so worried! The weather was strange yesterday, and with you up on the mountain, Dad and I were thinking of going to find you.”

Su Li took off his straw hat and, seeing his daughter safely home, gestured toward the hall. “Go wash your face.”

“Okay.” Su Rui tidied up and noticed that Su Chang’e and Su Yuqin hadn’t woken up yet. She was pulled into the west room by Su Hongpei, who mysteriously took out a letter. “This is from your partner.”

Su Rui wasn’t too fond of the idea of having a partner and still didn’t feel fully convinced. She took the letter, and it felt thick. When she tore it open, there was no letter inside, but instead, a lace-trimmed, sky-blue fake collar with an embroidered dragonfly on it.

“I’ve never seen a collar prettier than the one you made,” Su Hongpei exclaimed. “It must be a gift from Comrade Ye. Don’t mind the details; you’re a cadrel now, you should at least have proper clothes.”

Su Rui felt embarrassed. Last time, in front of the Guo family and Fang Chiye, she had lied and said Ye Chifang had sent her a fake collar. She wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence, but here it was, the latest style in the market.

Thinking of Fang Chiye last night and of Ye Chifang far away, Su Rui was filled with conflicting emotions. It was hard to express how she felt about the kindness she had received.

Since she couldn’t just accept such a gift without returning the favor, she wondered how to repay Ye Chifang. She wasn’t sure what a labor reform prisoner might need or how much Ye Chifang had to ask others to get this collar for her.

And then there was Fang Chiye, who had stayed up all night to care for her. She felt she needed to give him something in return as well.

Su Hongpei observed Su Rui’s thoughtful face and stayed with her for a while.

By the time the chickens in the coop started clucking, Su Rui suddenly jumped up to gather the eggs, leaving her sister to quietly smile in the room.