Chapter 29

“Back so soon?” Hu Xiu looked disappointed. “That wasn’t even half an hour.”

Lin Ting smiled, not wanting to worry her mother-in-law. “The temperature difference is big at night. The cool breeze was uncomfortable.”

Hu Xiu accepted the explanation. “You’re too sensitive to the cold. Why not take a bath? I’ll find a bathtub for you.”

Huo Xiao spoke up. “I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

Lin Ting shot him a subtle glance but said nothing.

Now that she had calmed down, she didn’t think much of Liu Wenyan’s words. Still, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t show her stance.

The future is long, and some things must be addressed in advance.

Thinking this way, when Lin Ting returned to her room to pack, she sat on the bed, crossed her arms, raised her chin seriously, and said, “Tell the truth.”

Huo Xiao, amused by her stern expression, looked innocent. “What do you want to confess?”

Lin Ting gritted her teeth. “Who is Comrade Liu Wenyan?”

“The daughter of Political Commissar Liu,” Huo Xiao replied, moving to sit beside her.

Lin Ting immediately raised her hand to stop him. “Stay away. This is serious.”

Huo Xiao stepped back but struggled to hold back laughter. He wasn’t usually cheerful, but his wife easily made him laugh.

Seeing him suppress a smile, Lin Ting wanted to laugh too but resisted. “Stand at attention! Be serious! Tell me, which regiment is Political Commissar Liu from? Does he want to be your matchmaker?”

Huo Xiao stood straight like a soldier. “He’s a brigade-level commissar, not a regimental one. He didn’t mention matchmaking, just asked if I was married. I told him I was, and that I’m the father of two children.”

Lin Ting nodded approvingly. “Good. You’re clear-headed. But let’s be clear—I hate people who can’t handle their feelings properly. The past is the past, but there can’t be anyone else in the future! If you ever have doubts or other thoughts, tell me immediately!”

Huo Xiao frowned. “What nonsense! There was no one before, and there won’t be anyone after!”

Lin Ting wanted to argue back—she didn’t have anyone either!

But… she had once had a boyfriend, though she dumped him on the first date.

And… her original body had a past too.

She slowed her tone. “Who is Cao Wen Ze?”

Huo Xiao didn’t reply but scanned her face.

Lin Ting kept a straight face. “Why are you staring? Answer the question.”

Huo Xiao pursed his lips. “I’m still standing at attention.”

Lin Ting…

Her defense broke, and she burst out laughing. “Fine, fine, at ease—ah! You bit me again! I haven’t showered yet!”

“Let’s shower together later.” Huo Xiao took a step forward, pinning her under him. He lightly bit her lips, as if punishing or teasing her. “Are you hiding something from me?”

The roles reversed. Lin Ting, about to bite back, suddenly felt guilty. “No… no?”

Huo Xiao had battlefield experience, capturing enemy spies. Telling when someone was lying was second nature to him.

He remained silent, narrowing his sharp phoenix eyes.

Lin Ting felt a chill. “You’re imprisoning me!”

Huo Xiao raised an eyebrow, then lay down, pulling her into his arms.

Lin Ting sighed in defeat, resting her head on his shoulder. “I dated a guy in college, but he later married the daughter of the Revolutionary Committee director.”

Lin Ting didn’t know that Huo Xiao had already dealt with Wang Xiuqin.

She had wanted to tell him about her past relationship for a while.

After all, if time travel exists, who’s to say secrets don’t come out?

She didn’t know how much the person who wrote the threatening letter knew, so it was better to mix truth with lies to avoid trouble.

Of course, her last sentence was deliberately bitter.

Huo Xiao frowned but rubbed her back soothingly. “That man had no vision.”

Lin Ting’s peach blossom eyes curved in delight. She patted his cheek twice and smiled. “I think so too. By the way, you still haven’t told me who Cao Wen Ze is? Is he one of your soldiers?”

Huo Xiao, seeing her gossip-loving expression, relaxed. As long as she didn’t care about that past relationship, nothing else mattered. “He’s a battalion commander under my command.”

Lin Ting’s eyes lit up. “So he looks—”

Huo Xiao interrupted. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

The next morning.

The weather was clear.

Lin Ting and her mother-in-law prepared dishes for a dinner party scheduled for the next night.

This was an important event—a formal introduction. Both women took it seriously, carefully planning dishes, from appetizers to desserts.

As they sat by the gate, watching the children play, they debated ingredients for a sweet soup—glutinous rice balls with candied dates or longans with candied dates?

Just then, Tang Wenlan from next door arrived with a middle-aged man. “Tingting, are you busy? This is Principal Huang from the military middle school. He’s here to discuss a teaching position with you.”

Wenlan was fast! Lin Ting quickly stood up and welcomed them with a smile.

“Hello, Principal Huang. I should have come to see you first.” After inviting them in and serving tea with dried fruit, Lin Ting spoke politely.

Principal Huang, around fifty, was thin, with deep-set eyes and a square face. He looked more like a soldier than an educator.

His faded military uniform and empty left sleeve hinted at his past as a soldier who transitioned to civilian work.

Lin Ting’s attitude towards him wasn’t just polite but respectful.

Despite his rigid appearance, Principal Huang spoke gently but directly. “It doesn’t matter who approaches whom. Talent is what matters. I heard from Comrade Tang Wenlan that you’re a college graduate and proficient in English. Is that true?”

This was essentially a job interview. Lin Ting unconsciously straightened her already upright posture. She introduced her school, mentioned that she hadn’t completed college, and then modestly added, “I can’t say I’m fluent, but I can communicate well. My Russian is also passable.”

Coincidentally, the original person had attended the same university as Lin Ting and had also majored in teacher training.

“I chose Russian like many others, but I also spent time learning English because my ex-boyfriend thought English poetry was romantic.”

However, his English level was far below Lin Ting’s, who specialized in the language. Fortunately, this couldn’t be discovered easily, especially since the original person had been out of school for nearly two years.

Although Principal Huang had already heard about Lin Ting from Comrade Tang Wenlan, he was still pleased to hear her confident response.

Even though he didn’t understand English, he asked Lin Ting to introduce herself in the language. After listening to her speak fluently, he requested that she translate it into Russian.

Lin Ting didn’t actually understand Russian very well, but thanks to the original person’s memories and her recent studies, she had been preparing for job opportunities. So, she introduced herself fluently in Russian as well.

This time, Principal Huang understood and smiled. “I don’t know English, but Comrade Lin Ting speaks Russian very well. By the way, do you have your high school diploma and university admission letter?”

Lin Ting nodded. “Yes, do you want me to get them?”

Principal Huang nodded. “Thank you.”

As Lin Ting entered the room, Tang Wenlan, who had been silent, whispered, “Principal Huang, what did she just say? It sounded like birds singing, I didn’t understand a word.”

Principal Huang smiled. “She introduced her name, age, hometown, college years, and school activities.”

Tang Wenlan was impressed. “Wow, she knows two foreign languages. That’s amazing.”

Lin Ting returned with a stack of well-preserved documents. Hearing this, she handed them to Principal Huang and joked, “Sister-in-law, if you want to learn, I can ask Jianjun and Jianbing to teach you later.”