Chapter 119: The Couple Actually Slept in Separate Rooms (1) [Bonus Update]  

“How is that possible? You are from the same Military Camp, comrades, and friends. It’s only natural to interact with each other—”  

Jiang Rou’s response came out instinctively.  

The moment she finished speaking, a sudden realization dawned upon her.  

So, her words came to an abrupt halt midway.  

Zhou Zhongshan immediately understood that Jiang Rou’s sharp mind had already grasped the meaning.  

In a deep voice, he said: “Wife, what difference is there between Company Commander He and Company Commander He’s wife?”  

If Zhou Zhongshan truly wanted to avoid risks, he would never have become friends with He Donglai in the first place.  

He could interact with He Donglai.  

Then why couldn’t Jiang Rou interact with Song Qingqian?  

They were all from the same compound and part of the same Military Camp. What difference was there?  

Zhou Zhongshan’s way of reasoning was direct, straightforward, and simple.  

Most people, when thinking about this matter, might take a roundabout approach, considering multiple layers of implications.  

But Zhou Zhongshan was a man of decisiveness and clarity.  

At the same time…  

“Wife, we are husband and wife—we are one. There is no such distant distinction as ‘you affect me’ or ‘I affect you.’ The things I want to do, you will surely support me. The things you want to do, I will surely support you. I want to be your reliance.”  

— I want to be your reliance!  

Zhou Zhongshan spoke in the calmest tone, yet his words carried the weight of an unshakable vow.  

He laid bare his understanding of marriage, revealing it all to Jiang Rou.  

At this moment, it was as if Jiang Rou could see into Zhou Zhongshan’s heart—that burning, crimson heart, placed right before her.  

“Husband, you treat me so well.”  

Jiang Rou’s emotions melted like a gentle stream.  

She held Zhou Zhongshan tightly, pressing against his chest.  

The rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat.  

Their pulses were almost in sync.  

At this moment, they felt even closer than when they were physically intimate.

She promised,  

“Zhongshan, I will definitely learn to make clothes properly from Song Qingqian. Just wait to wear the new clothes I make for you with my own hands.”  

“Alright, I’m looking forward to it. But don’t push yourself too hard—take your time. Wife, go to sleep.”  

Zhou Zhongshan spoke in a low voice, his strong and resolute face softened by a high-arching smile.  

That night, even in his dreams, he was surrounded by the sweet scent of Jiang Rou.  

—  

At the same late hour—  

Creak.  

A wooden door was pushed open and then closed again.  

A tall, upright figure melted into the darkness, stepping into the courtyard, where a path paved with cobblestones lay beneath his feet.  

He Donglai caught sight of a faint glow—it was coming from inside the house.  

His eyes flickered slightly, and the lenses of his glasses reflected a sliver of light.  

Then—  

His steps toward the house became just a fraction quicker.  

Upon entering, he found the room illuminated.  

Beneath the warm glow of the lamp stood a slender, graceful figure.  

Her long hair was tied up at the back of her head, and she wore a light-colored long dress. She leaned slightly forward, her head lowered.  

Song Qingqian was sitting at the writing desk, holding a pencil and a piece of letter paper.  

The pencil glided across the paper, producing a soft, scratching sound.  

She was sketching something, making marks and erasures.  

He Donglai couldn’t see what she was drawing, but he could tell that she was deeply focused—so focused that she hadn’t even noticed his entrance.  

So, He Donglai simply stood by the door in silence, watching her quietly for a long time without making a sound.  

They were husband and wife, living under the same roof, yet he hadn’t seen Song Qingqian for quite some time.  

During the day, He Donglai had to go to the mine-clearing site to oversee and guide the soldiers in their operations.  

At night, the military headquarters organized training sessions.  

They had him serve as an instructor, training personnel capable of executing mine-clearing missions, helping them understand different types of landmines and explosives.  

That way, even when He Donglai was too occupied to be on-site himself, there would still be others able to continue the work.  

From dawn until nightfall, He Donglai was practically rooted in the Military Camp.

He could have just slept in his office. There was a folding bed and military blankets—the living conditions weren’t bad.  

But in He Donglai’s heart, there was always that small flicker of anticipation.  

No matter how late it got, he still wanted to come home.  

Yet…  

The house was always shrouded in darkness.  

By the time he returned, Song Qingqian had already gone to bed, and the two of them never even got to see each other.  

Although, even when they did see each other before, they never had much to say.  

But being able to see her at all was still better than not seeing her.  

He Donglai’s anticipation was humble, almost insignificant.  

Tonight, unexpectedly, it was fulfilled.  

Behind the lenses of his glasses, his gaze burned with intensity and focus as he silently watched Song Qingqian.  

He Donglai could only see her side profile, unable to make out her full face.  

Yet in his mind, he traced the image of her slender, almond-shaped phoenix eyes.  

No matter the time or occasion, the corners of her brows always lifted slightly, carrying an undeniable charm.  

Like a small, irresistible hook, drawing people in.  

He Donglai’s thoughts wavered for a moment.  

In the bedroom, the scratching sound of the pencil gradually came to a stop.  

Song Qingqian examined the design on the letter paper, then suddenly noticed a dark shadow beside her.  

She turned her head—and saw He Donglai standing by the door.  

The moment their eyes met, both of them flinched, startled by each other’s presence.  

They could see the surprise on each other’s faces.  

And within that surprise, there was also an awkward unfamiliarity, a sense of not knowing how to react.  

Then—  

Both of them quickly masked their expressions, pretending as if nothing had happened.  

Their faces smoothed into a composed calm, as if completely unbothered.  

“You’re back.”  

“I’m back.”  

They spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping.  

That single exchange only made the moment even more awkward.

The bedroom once again fell into silence.  

Song Qingqian bit her lower lip.  

She didn’t know why, but every time she spoke with He Donglai, it always ended up like this.  

While Song Qingqian was feeling frustrated, He Donglai, on the other hand, was overjoyed.  

She spoke to me!  

Not only did he get to see Song Qingqian today, but she actually took the initiative to speak to him.  

If He Donglai were a dog, his tail would have been wagging so fast in excitement that it left afterimages—happier than if he had been given a meaty bone.  

But He Donglai was not.  

He had no soft, fluffy tail to sway from side to side.  

All Song Qingqian could see was his indifferent expression and the cold gleam reflected off his glasses.  

At any other time—  

Song Qingqian would have turned away immediately, refusing to exchange even half a sentence with He Donglai.  

Though they lived under the same eaves, they were nothing more than strangers.  

But tonight—  

Song Qingqian had heard so many things.  

She had waited for so long, just to confirm the truth from He Donglai’s own mouth.  

In the silence, she hesitated, struggled, and wavered.  

Finally—  

Song Qingqian stood up from her chair and took a step toward He Donglai.  

“You…”  

Just as she was about to speak, she saw He Donglai instinctively take a step back.  

Her voice abruptly stopped.  

—