Chapter 39 She must conquer this rough guy!

As Fu Jingchuan slurped his noodles, he kept quietly staring at her delicate profile. But the more he looked, the drier his throat felt—he could barely swallow the noodles anymore.

He really couldn’t figure her out.

She seemed open and generous one moment, then shy and reserved the next. Was that just how women were? He pressed his lips together and tensed his jaw. Thinking about it, he realized he’d never really interacted with women alone before. Maybe he truly just didn’t understand them.

Jiang Wan, on the other hand, was starting to feel a little flustered under his gaze. Even the side of her face was burning from how intently he was staring. She felt a bit embarrassed and grumbled to herself: This rough man! Can’t he just eat his food properly? Why does he keep staring at me?

Her long, curled lashes fluttered slightly. Then suddenly, a mischievous thought popped into her mind.

“Is it good?” Jiang Wan turned her face toward him, her voice soft and sweet. She fought to suppress the heat creeping up her ears.

Fu Jingchuan, holding the aluminum lunchbox, swallowed the noodles in his mouth and replied, “It’s good.”

“Ohhh~” Jiang Wan narrowed her glistening apricot eyes in a smile. “If you like it, I’ll make it again next time. No need to sneak into the kitchen and steal food at home.”

“?” Fu Jingchuan furrowed his thick black brows and looked at her in confusion. “When did I steal food?”

“That one time—you finished off the stir-fried cabbage and tofu I made! I thought someone broke in and stole it!” Jiang Wan teased, wanting to turn the tables on him. He’d stared at her until she felt all embarrassed—she couldn’t just let that go!

After all, she had lived two lives now! What was there to be afraid of? He was just a rough soldier. Hmph! Time to show him who was in charge!

“Oh! You mean that day…” Fu Jingchuan remembered. He took a few more bites and answered honestly, “That wasn’t stealing. I went home to bring you the marriage certificate. I happened to be hungry and saw food in the kitchen.”

“?” Jiang Wan blinked. “You came home to bring me the marriage certificate? Then why didn’t you call me?”

“I…” Fu Jingchuan’s eyes flickered, and his strong arms holding the lunchbox suddenly stiffened.

That moment replayed vividly in his mind—when she hugged his arm and pressed herself against him, the soft warmth of her touch felt like it had been etched into his skin. He subconsciously rubbed his rough fingertips together, the tips of his ears already flushing red.

He buried his head and took a few quick bites before replying, “You were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

Worried she might ask more, he quickly changed the subject in a casual tone: “So, have you decided about performing at the village committee event?”

“It’ll be hot these next few days, might get tiring.”

“Mm.” Jiang Wan was satisfied to see the back of his neck flush red. The embarrassment she’d felt earlier under his gaze had completely dissipated.

She curved her lips into a smile. Watching his slower eating pace, she thought to herself—Ha! He’s clearly feeling guilty about sneaking that food before!

Without hiding anything, she explained, “Didn’t Director Zhao say that if you stand out, they might help arrange a job?”

“I married you. I can’t just stay home taking care of kids all day.”

“Besides, those two children aren’t so little anymore. I think they should go to school—get an education!”

“School?” Fu Jingchuan was genuinely stunned. Holding the lunchbox, his eyes flickered. His long, narrow eyelids lifted as he looked at Jiang Wan with a probing gaze.

He had brought this up before with his previous wives. But they either flatly refused, saying the kids weren’t theirs and weren’t worth spending money on… or they agreed half-heartedly but never took action.

Fu Jingchuan was busy with his duties in the army, so he had hoped his wife would handle household matters. And, to be fair, he understood the nature of people—everyone prioritized their own. He hated selfish women, but he could understand their mindset.

Even Grandpa Fu had told him: “Jingchuan, you have to be understanding. Who would want to spend money raising children that aren’t their own? Given your situation, it’s not easy finding a wife. Bear with it if you can.”

That was why, when those women betrayed him later, Grandpa Fu had been furious. Their family had already been kind enough—yet still not treasured or respected.

Jiang Wan didn’t know about all these complicated thoughts running through Fu Jingchuan’s mind. She simply frowned and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you also think education isn’t necessary?”

Even though educated people were rare in this era, and everyone knew how valuable education was, in rural areas, a lot of people still held outdated views—thinking farming was enough and school was just a waste of money.

Jiang Wan’s expression turned serious. Her beautiful face was filled with determination. She furrowed her delicate brows, her bright apricot eyes shining as she spoke with a hint of scolding in her tone:

“Fu Jingchuan, you absolutely can’t think that way!”

“Education is very important. Kids will grow up one day. If they don’t study, they’ll be stuck doing hard labor their whole lives…”

“I used to… well, I was foolish before and missed my chance to study properly.” Jiang Wan thought of the original Jiang Wan’s spoiled and reckless behavior, and sighed. “But I’ll definitely make up for it in the future!”

“Oh right, isn’t there something called night school? I’ll go look into it too!”

“Our whole family should study hard—only then can we have a better future!”

Her eyes sparkled with resolve, and her long, curled lashes fluttered with excitement.

Fu Jingchuan’s deep eyes were as black as ink. He pressed his thin lips together and lowered his head. He finished the last few bites of noodles in a few large gulps, then snapped the lid back onto the lunch box. Straightening up along the tree roots, he turned and handed the mesh bag back to Jiang Wan.

He opened his mouth, his voice a little hoarse but carrying a firm gentleness.

“From now on, you’ll be in charge of everything at home. Whether it’s the kids going to school or you going to school—I’ve got no objections.”

“I’ll support it all.”

“If we’re short on money, just tell me.”

Fu Jingchuan wanted to say more, but he wasn’t good with words. Nothing else came to mind. When Jiang Wan took the mesh bag and couldn’t quite understand the weight in his tone, he had already turned around and walked back into the fields under the blazing sun.

Beneath his sleeveless shirt, his honey-toned skin glistened with sweat. His muscles were taut and powerful.

He raised his arm and said, “Go on home. It’s too hot out here.”

“I’ll head back when the sun’s lower.”

Jiang Wan stood gracefully beneath the tree, holding the mesh bag, feeling the increasingly hot wind brush past her ears. Her heart was pounding—she couldn’t quite tell what had touched her so deeply.

Maybe it was the honest, burning look in his eyes.
Or maybe it was his complete trust in her.

She pressed her lips together and smiled unconsciously, her delicate brows lifting slightly.

Narrowing her eyes, she watched Fu Jingchuan’s figure moving through the fields like a model from a magazine spread. And in that moment, she made a silent decision:

She was definitely going to win this rugged man over.

A man this sexy and responsible?
No way was she letting him slip through her fingers!