Chapter 29

When Wen Xin kissed him, she made soft, coquettish sounds—sweet and delicate.

For someone who had never experienced romance, this was a massive shock. Just the soft murmurs alone were enough to make him feel flustered and restless. No matter how disciplined Yan Zeyang was, he couldn’t withstand this kind of teasing. He didn’t know whether to hold her or push her away…

The food on the table had already gone cold. After a while, he finally sat down and hurriedly ate a few bites. After finishing, he covered the meal box, placed it into the small blue cloth bag Wen Xin had brought, and carried it in his hand. Checking the time, he turned to look at the girl leaning against the desk, appearing both content and playfully innocent as she curiously examined the objects on his desk and bookshelf.

Noticing where her gaze landed, Yan Zeyang’s eyebrows twitched. Without a word, he got up, walked to the desk, grabbed his car keys, and, now that he had calmed down, said in a deep voice, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.” As he spoke, he casually picked up a file from the desk and placed it into the drawer below.

“No need,” Wen Xin quickly stood up when he approached, smiling brightly like a little flower. “You’re so busy. I can go back by myself; it’s just a few steps away.” She reached out to take the meal box bag.

Yan Zeyang switched the bag to his other hand and looked at her intently. “It won’t take much time. Weren’t you just complaining about the heat? I’ll take you back first. Let’s go.”

Seeing that he was serious about driving her back, Wen Xin felt delighted inside. She softly responded, “Mm.”

If he was busy, she’d walk back by herself. But if he wasn’t, then getting a ride would be even better. Wen Xin clung to his side affectionately, and while walking downstairs, she even held onto his arm. Yan Zeyang glanced at her.

Wen Xin blinked. “Hm? Something wrong?”

When they reached the first floor, Yan Zeyang suddenly stopped. Wen Xin, who was sticking close to him—not quite touching but still too near—halted as well.

He looked at her. She also looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”

He cleared his throat and said, “…Between men and women, it’s best to maintain a distance of two meters. Understand?”

Wen Xin: “…”

She really didn’t know that. But she also didn’t want to make things difficult for Yan Zeyang, so she obediently took a few steps back. When he was satisfied, they continued walking. Wen Xin trailed behind him at a leisurely pace.

Yan the Demon King occasionally turned back to glance at her. She was more than two meters away now—almost three! He had no choice but to slow his pace to match hers.

The “Yan Zeyang” Wen Xin usually saw was in his “at-home” mode—aloof and proud, always looking like he couldn’t be bothered to talk to anyone.

But today, when she stepped into his office, she realized that he was completely different at work.

At home, he was Yan Zeyang. In the army, he was Commander Yan.

She watched him walk steadily ahead, leading her past the corner of the training field. Many soldiers had already finished their meals and were milling about. Every soldier they passed stopped to salute and greet their commander.

Yan Zeyang was a serious person. He gave a slight nod in response, his low “Mm” carrying the dignified presence of a regiment commander.

No one in the army dared joke around with him.

Seeing the way those soldiers reacted when they saw him—their upright posture and solemn expressions—Wen Xin suddenly felt a little guilty.

She started regretting her unreasonable behavior earlier… and felt a bit of fear.

If he had maintained this strict attitude with her all along, she definitely wouldn’t have dared to act so boldly.

Once they got into the car, Yan Zeyang turned it around and drove from the military base toward the military district compound.

After the jeep reached the smooth main road, he glanced sideways at Wen Xin. She was sitting in the passenger seat, tidying up her slightly tousled braids, which had gotten a bit messy during their earlier kiss.

One of Yan Zeyangs many strengths was his steady driving.

The roads in this era were rough, often dry and dusty, with wind kicking up clouds of yellow dirt behind passing jeeps. The terrain was far from smooth, yet Wen Xin sat there without feeling the slightest bump or shake.

A true veteran driver.

Feeling reassured, she casually fixed her hair and re-braided her slightly loosened plaits.

“Wen Xin,” he spoke with a serious expression.

“Hmm?” She turned to look at him.

“I know you didn’t grow up with your parents,” he said. “Maybe no one ever taught you certain things.” As he spoke, he glanced at her to gauge her reaction.

Wen Xin stared at him without blinking, listening intently.

“As a female comrade, you must always maintain a two-meter distance from male comrades,” he continued. “Holding hands is not acceptable, nor is standing shoulder to shoulder. And what you did earlier…” His tone was instructional as he outlined proper conduct between men and women.

“…that was even more inappropriate.”

“From now on, whether speaking with or working alongside a male comrade, you must adhere to these standards.”

Wen Xin had never heard of such a rule before. She asked, “What about dating?”

Yan Zeyang glanced at her before replying slowly, “Even when dating, a couple must not engage in excessive or overly intimate actions.”

That was pure feudal thinking! What was the point of dating if they couldn’t even hold hands?

“Did you hear everything I said?” Noticing her indifferent expression as she absentmindedly played with her braid, he frowned slightly.

“You must maintain a two-meter distance from male comrades and avoid inappropriate behavior. Did you hear me?” Seeing her lack of concern, he held back his frustration and repeated himself.

Wen Xin thought for a moment, then smiled and replied, “Alright, I got it.”

When they arrived at the compound gate, Wen Xin opened the door, ready to jump out. Yan Zeyang handed her the food container, his gaze fixed on her dark, grape-like eyes and flushed cheeks. Her fair little hand reached out to take the package from him, lips pursed in mild displeasure, saying nothing.

Yan Zeyang felt she was entirely unreliable and couldn’t help but warn her, “Stay inside the compound. Don’t wander around.”

“I know.” He was never this nagging before.

She returned the food container to the Yan family’s house and only then realized she had forgotten to bring back Political Commissar Ye’s container. Oh well, they’d probably send it over tomorrow.

As for not wandering around…

Staying cooped up in the compound all day was suffocating. After lying down for a bit, she grabbed her money and ration tickets, along with the measurements she had taken for a few military wives the day before, and headed out.

Her first stop was a department store that had the most extensive selection of fabrics.

Afternoons were the busiest time—people packed the store, especially around the fabric counter, where it was crowded with customers.

While observing the scene, Wen Xin noticed that everyone was jostling for goods—no one cared about maintaining “safe distances.” She was even shoved a bit in the crowd. Holding her money and tickets, she stretched her neck to look at the fabrics behind the counter.

She still wasn’t used to this era’s system of combining ration tickets with money, often miscalculating. But after scanning the available options carefully, she finally managed to get the materials she needed.

With her fabric secured in a bag, she made her way to a tailor shop near Yan Miaomiao’s school. It was the same place where she had all her clothes made.

The tailor was an elderly man with decades of experience. As long as Wen Xin sketched a design, he could bring it to life with perfect tailoring—essentially the equivalent of a modern-day bespoke tailor. And at just two yuan per garment, his prices were so reasonable that Wen Xin almost felt guilty.

The tailor, nearly sixty years old, lived with his granddaughter and had poor eyesight, requiring glasses to work. He handled the pattern-making, while his granddaughter operated the sewing machine.

When Wen Xin entered, the pair was busy at work.

Upon seeing her, the fifteen-year-old girl’s eyes lit up, and she greeted warmly, “Wen Xin-jie, you’re here!”

“Mm, I brought three clothing orders—two tops and a skirt. I also bought the fabric. I’ll pay you two yuan per piece, but I need them in two days,” Wen Xin said, handing over the materials.

“Got it!” The girl eagerly took the items. Wen Xin had been a frequent customer, and they were well acquainted by now.

Tailoring wasn’t an easy job these days—fabric required ration tickets, so people mostly earned from sewing fees. But since many households knew basic sewing, they often handled repairs themselves. Custom orders were rare, and customers frequently nitpicked about loose threads or uneven seams, demanding discounts.

With tailoring fees already as low as two yuan, losing fifty cents or a yuan over minor flaws meant a wasted effort.

Because of the elderly tailor’s age, he couldn’t take on too much work, and many customers preferred younger tailors. But Wen Xin saw his skills as a hidden treasure and came to him regularly.

Only he could craft her designs to perfection. Other tailors either didn’t understand her requests or found her too picky. Eventually, she had all her clothes made here.

“Wen Xin-jie, have some water.” The young girl poured her a cup. Wen Xin, feeling parched, drank it all in one go.

The grandfather and granddaughter had a tough life—just the two of them, with the old man’s declining health and the young girl only fifteen. They survived on odd sewing jobs.

Wen Xin never haggled over their fees and often brought them food.

Now, whenever she made a new outfit, people in the compound wanted the same design. Since the tailoring fee was the same anywhere, she simply took their orders and brought them here.

With three garments in this batch, she’d probably earn around nine yuan in profit.

It’s just too little!

“Miss Wen, with the work you bring us, we barely make a penny. My granddaughter and I really feel bad about it,” the old tailor said as he stepped out from the inner room. Seeing Wen Xin, he brought up the old topic again. He had tried to give her extra money before, but she had refused every time. The grandfather and granddaughter were both honest people and truly didn’t know how else to thank her.

But how could Wen Xin accept it? A full set of clothing only brought in three to four yuan in labor costs. A single top earned just one or two yuan, sometimes even less. That was an entire day’s hard work for the two of them. No matter how short on money she was, she couldn’t bring herself to take their earnings.

Still, the profit was simply too small.

She wanted to help them, but relying on just a few orders every few days was like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water. Plus, her designs weren’t even being factored into the price.

Selling clothes this way was a huge loss.

After thinking for a moment, Wen Xin asked the young girl, “Where do the wealthier people in this area live?”

“Wealthy people?” The girl blinked at her.

“I mean, where do people with money—those who are willing to spend—live?”

“There’s a municipal compound here where a lot of officials’ families live. They’re pretty willing to spend money. There are even vendors selling eggs outside the gate…”

Once Wen Xin got the address, she immediately went to check it out.

Compared to the military compound, this municipal compound was clearly more prosperous. She could tell just by the build of the people coming and going. There were more skinny figures in the military compound, while here, she saw quite a few with fuller figures—likely a sign of better living conditions.

Moreover, these people were clearly more fashion-conscious. Their clothes weren’t dull and gray but rather clean and stylish. Some men even had slicked-back hair and round bellies. In this era, being overweight was rare—if someone had a belly, they definitely weren’t lacking in food.

After scouting the area, Wen Xin went to pick up Yan Miaomiao from school and brought her back to the Yan family home.

…

That evening, Wen Xin was cooking, and the kitchen was filled with a mouthwatering aroma. Yan Miaomiao stood by the door, eagerly waiting to be fed.

Normally, Yan Zeyang returned very late, but today, he arrived earlier than He Wenyan. His jeep stopped outside the main gate, and as he entered the courtyard, he saw a figure busily moving about in the kitchen window.

He stood in the yard for a moment, watching her.

Wen Xin was wearing a thin blouse, with a few strands of hair falling over her cheeks. Her face had a soft pink hue, likely due to the heat of the kitchen, and there was a slight sheen of sweat at her temples.

Since there was no one else at home aside from Yan Miaomiao, Wen Xin, feeling hot, had undone the top button of her blouse. She pulled at the fabric, turning it into a loose, off-the-shoulder V-neck for some relief. She even grabbed a fan and fanned herself vigorously.

After a while, she noticed that the food in the pot was almost ready, so she quickly bent down to get something from the cupboard near the window. As she leaned forward, the wide neckline of her blouse slipped further, revealing a glimpse of soft, fair skin…

Yan Zeyang’s face darkened instantly.

Hadn’t he just lectured her about proper conduct between men and women this morning? She clearly hadn’t taken it to heart!

Yet, despite his disapproval, he didn’t look away. A strange restlessness stirred inside him. It was only when she moved away from the window that he took a deep breath, suppressing the unfamiliar urge rising in his chest, before finally walking inside.

Wen Xin heard Yan Miaomiao call out, “Brother.”

Yan the devil was back?

She quickly buttoned up her blouse all the way to her neck, making sure everything was in place before ladling out the soup.

…

After dinner, Yan Zeyang grabbed a bottle of medicated oil, intending to check Wen Xin’s arm. As he walked down the stairs, he saw her stepping out of the bathroom, freshly showered. Standing on the stairs, he called out, “Come up. I’ll put some medicine on your arm.”

He then turned and started walking up. Normally, before he even had to say anything, she would obediently follow behind.

But today, the ever-observant Commander Yan didn’t hear any footsteps.

He turned back and saw her standing downstairs, looking up at him with a playful smile. Her lips were a deep, rosy red as she cheerfully said, “I can’t! I have to keep a two-meter distance from male comrades. Until I find a fiancé, I can’t have any intimate contact with you.”