Chapter 86.2

It was already late, and the path from the family apartment to the dormitory was a bit long.

Lu Yu, wearing a thin shirt and carrying his military jacket, ran out from the family apartment and encountered Captain Fang and Captain Lei, who were just returning from the regiment. They greeted Lu Yu, “Commander Lu, where are you going?”

Lu Yu replied, “Going to check on the regiment.”

Captain Lei noticed the sweat on Lu Yu’s forehead and his thin clothes, “Commander Lu, are you that hot?”

Captain Fang said, “We just saw Political Commissar Gu and the others. They looked hot too. What were you guys doing?”

Lu Yu coughed lightly, “Drank some white liquor.”

Captain Lei said, “No wonder, drinking white liquor in the summer is tough.”

After Lu Yu left, Captain Fang nudged Captain Lei’s arm, “I’ve had white liquor before, even a lot, but I’ve never been this hot. Look at them, they’re drenched in sweat.”

Lei Zhong laughed, “We’re all young guys.”

Captain Fang: …

That hit right in the heart.

Gu Shizhou, Chen Yao, and Yu Liang returned to the dormitory and took cold showers. Gu Shizhou, just out of the shower, saw Lu Yu entering the room. He raised an eyebrow, “Why are you here?”

Lu Yu said, “I couldn’t sleep, didn’t want to disturb Jiang Nian, so I went out for a run.”

Gu Shizhou wiped his head with a towel and glanced at the sweat on Lu Yu’s forehead, “Let’s run together later.”

Lu Yu smiled, “Sure.”

He also took a cold shower. When he and Gu Shizhou went out, they met Chen Yao and Yu Liang, who were also running.

Chen Yao: …

Yu Liang: …

The deer antler wine at Commander Lu’s house really got to them. Each of the men had four glasses and ended up running almost the entire night. Jiang Zhou and Lou Zhi in the dormitory got up in the middle of the night and looked out the window at the training ground. Jiang Zhou asked, “Are they crazy tonight?”

Lou Zhi replied, “No idea.”

The fact that Commander Lu and his men trained the whole night spread throughout the Third Regiment. No one dared to speak up, fearing Commander Lu, known for his rigorous training, might start drilling them next.

Jiang Nian slept until dawn. She opened her eyes drowsily and vaguely heard the sound of the door opening. Just as she was wondering if Lu Yu had returned, she saw the door pushed open from the outside. In the dim room, a man blocked the light pouring in from the door.

Jiang Nian smiled and sat up from the bed: “You’re back.”

Lu Yu hung his jacket on the wall and unbuttoned his collar, “Mm.” When Jiang Nian got up and lifted the quilt, he walked over, held her, and lay back down with her. His body was cool, which Jiang Nian found comfortable. She looked up and asked, “Why are you so cool?”

Lu Yu replied, “I took a cold shower.”

As Jiang Nian started to speak, he silenced her with a kiss. After a night of training, some of the alcohol had worn off, but a bit still lingered.

Jiang Nian’s hands climbed up to Lu Yu’s shoulders, her face blushing. She glanced at the curtain glowing red with the morning sun. Lu Yu held her ankle, lifting it. She instinctively bit her lip, and as he leaned in, she let out a soft moan.

The battle moved from the bed to the bathroom. In the end, Jiang Nian hung weakly onto Lu Yu, exhausted to her fingertips. After they washed, he carried her back to bed, kissed her nose, and said, “Sleep a bit more. I’ll make breakfast.”

Jiang Nian was not sleepy, but she felt weak all over. She stayed in bed for a while longer and waited for Lu Yu to finish cooking before going out to wash up. After breakfast, Lu Yu went to the regiment. Jiang Nian went to the military guard office to call Shu Xue. It was Su Na who answered the phone. She chatted with Su Na for a few words before she spoke to Shu Xue.

Shu Xue asked, “Sister Jiang, what do you want to talk to me about?”

Jiang Nian smiled and whispered, “I remember you don’t have a boyfriend, right?”

Shu Xue said, “Mm.” Then she realized and blushed, “Sister Jiang, why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”

Jiang Nian paused for a moment before saying, “I have someone in mind for you. He’s quite good in many ways. Would you like to meet him?”

Shu Xue shook her head, “I don’t want to meet anyone. I don’t want to get married.”

Surprised by Shu Xue’s response, Jiang Nian asked, “Why not?”

Shu Xue hesitated, then covered the phone and whispered, “I’m afraid of meeting someone like Tong Gang.”

Recently, Tong Gang had been pestering Jia Yuan again, wanting to remarry her. Jia Yuan ended up chasing him away with a stick and reported his intrusions to the factory’s security department, who then reprimanded him, making him finally stop.

Although Shu Xue had considered marriage before, seeing Tong Gang and Jia Yuan had changed her mind.

While Jiang Nian wasn’t keen on pressuring anyone to marry, she knew Shu Xue’s situation and trusted Chen Yao’s character. She gently suggested, “The person I want to introduce to you is different from Tong Gang. You know him too. He’s a soldier.”

Curious, Shu Xue asked, “Who is it?”

Jiang Nian replied, “Chen Yao, Captain Chen.”

Shu Xue was stunned. She hadn’t expected it to be that rough-looking man who kicked open the door last time like a bandit and was as strong as an ox. Although he had never been rough with her, his presence was intimidating. She also remembered an awkward dinner where he kept staring at her, making her feel uncomfortable.

After a moment of silence, Shu Xue shook her head, “I don’t want to meet him.”

Jiang Nian didn’t push her but asked out of curiosity, “Can you tell me why?”

Shu Xue said, “He’s too fierce.”

Jiang Nian: ???

Chen Yao, fierce? She hadn’t noticed that.

After a brief conversation, Jiang Nian hung up and went back to the family apartment. When Lu Yu returned for lunch, she relayed Shu Xue’s words to him, asking him to inform Chen Yao.

Raising an eyebrow, Lu Yu chuckled, “Alright.”

After lunch, Lu Yu went to the regiment and called Chen Yao over when he saw him coming from the cafeteria. “Your sister-in-law called and asked,” he said.

Chen Yao looked a bit nervous and expectant, “What did she say?”

Lu Yu paused, making Chen Yao’s heart sink. Lu Yu then said, “The girl thinks you’re too fierce.”

Chen Yao: ???

He scratched his head, puzzled, “I never acted fierce towards her.”

They had only met twice, and he had always been smiling. When was he ever fierce?

Seeing Chen Yao sigh, Lu Yu asked, “Do you really like her?”

Chen Yao smiled sheepishly, “Yes, a little.”

Lu Yu patted his shoulder, “If you really want to marry her, take the initiative and try.”

Surprised, Chen Yao turned to Lu Yu, not expecting him to say that. Lu Yu continued, “You’re not young anymore. It’s time to think more about your own matters.”

Chen Yao nodded, “Alright.”

Lu Yu’s leave application had also been approved. They will be leaving in a few days. Jiang Nian called Zhang Xiao, but the military guard who answered said that Captain Zhu had taken his wife to the hospital last night. Jiang Nian guessed that Zhang Xiao had given birth.

The vegetables in the private plot were almost ready, so Jiang Nian tidied up the field.