Chapter 6

The moment they returned to the room, He Bingning immediately drew the curtains shut.

The military compound was good in every way—except for its lack of privacy.

Whatever a young couple did at home, the whole courtyard would know about it the next day. Especially when it came to certain activities, it was embarrassing to make too much noise.

And Gu Huai, being young, strong, and… vigorous—

He Bingning simply couldn’t handle it, and since she didn’t dare make any sound, she had ended up disliking the matter altogether.

But now things were different. With a husband who had eight-pack abs, of course she had to enjoy it properly. She would never suppress herself again—she would make as much noise as she pleased. That way, everyone would know just how loving they were, and others would stop harboring thoughts they shouldn’t.

He Bingning had something on her mind. So did Gu Huai. In fact, it was the exact same thing.

So the two of them finished their meal as quickly as possible.

The bowls and plates were pushed aside.

“Husband, don’t bother with these. I’ll wash them tomorrow in the daytime,” He Bingning said.

Gu Huai only let out a muffled grunt.

Blushing furiously, He Bingning clung to him. “Do you know, you’re amazing? Every time I feel like I’m going to die, but you act like nothing happened, still full of energy~”

No straight man could resist that—his heart raced wildly.

Gu Huai flipped her down beneath him.

In that instant, He Bingning’s mind went blank.

She couldn’t think of anything else. The whole world was nothing but Gu Huai.

……

Li Juanjuan had originally come to chat with Gu Huai. This was a trick Auntie Li had taught her—between men and women, the more they talked, the more feelings would grow.

Especially with someone like He Bingning, who was proud and haughty. If Li Juanjuan just acted gentle and considerate, surely the man would know which way to choose.

But when she reached the door…

What she heard was a series of unbroken sounds.

Li Juanjuan froze, her face drained of color. It took her a long moment to realize—those were the sounds of man and woman in bed.

Her face turned scarlet.

She thought to herself: How shameless! He Bingning, doing that kind of indecent thing in broad daylight. Absolutely disgraceful, utterly wanton.

At that moment, she forgot—those two were husband and wife.

Li Juanjuan spun around and ran.

Back home, she locked herself in her room and cried in grievance.

Why was He Bingning the one who got to marry Gu Huai, and not her?

What was so great about He Bingning anyway?

She was just the daughter of a capitalist! In earlier years, that kind of background would’ve been publicly denounced!

And Gu Huai was a military officer. How could a capitalist’s daughter have the right to marry an officer?

Even that she could grudgingly accept—but the worst part was, the woman was so wanton!

When He Bingning woke up, her whole body ached as if she had fallen apart, especially her waist, though there was a smile at her lips.

Reaching over, she found that Gu Huai was already gone.

She got up and glanced at the clock—it was already past ten in the morning.

She had truly slept until the sun was high.

Her first thought was to check on the babies. Both were sleeping soundly. She touched them—their diapers had been changed.

On the table lay a note in Gu Huai’s handwriting: The babies have already been fed milk formula.

He Bingning stretched with a sweet smile. She felt blessed—Gu Huai took care of her, managing all the little things so she could live like a princess.

At the same time, she felt her heart ache for him. As an officer, his training was already exhausting, yet he still looked after her and the two children.

She realized she truly loved Gu Huai.

Or perhaps she had always loved him—she just hadn’t known it before.

Either way, this life, she would stay by his side forever.

At ten in the morning, the mess hall naturally no longer served breakfast. But she could wait until noon to eat lunch.

During the day, the men were all at the base, so the compound was filled only with women and children.

But that didn’t matter—the military compound was one of the safest places there could be. No kidnappers, no threats. There was even a kindergarten inside the compound. Her babies were too young now, but once they grew a little older, she could send them there.

In her previous life, what she had hated most was the monotony of life in the compound.

Now she understood—that calm, uneventful life was the truest blessing!

Back then, it was precisely because life had been too good that she craved turmoil—falling for a scumbag, slaving for a vicious mother-in-law, raising the scumbag’s brats. A pampered young lady, a proud military wife—yet she had wasted herself into a pitiful drudge.

How laughable she had been.

Feeling a little hungry, she rummaged in the cupboard and found some pastries. They had been sent by her brother and sister-in-law—bread, cakes, biscuits, even some imported treats.

Nowadays, in supermarkets, such things were everywhere. But in the 1980s, they were true luxuries.

Her brother was more than ten years older than her, and he doted on her. Her sister-in-law loved her even more.

The couple had a son, now twelve, studying abroad.

He Bingning always felt they were too heartless—sending a child so young overseas alone.

But she couldn’t really say much—it wasn’t her place.

She opened a packet of biscuits, nibbling slowly. After a few pieces, she felt thirsty, so she poured herself some water. A few more bites, and she was half full.

No longer hungry, she picked up the bowls and plates from yesterday’s meal. Since they belonged to the public kitchen, she had to wash them before returning them.

She tucked the babies in with their blankets, then carried the dishes off to wash.

As she neared the kitchen, she smelled cooking smoke. When she walked closer, she saw it was Li Juanjuan, busy at the stove.

Toward this girl, He Bingning had her opinions. But since they lived face-to-face, it was only polite to greet her.

“Juanjuan, what’s got you cooking today?”

Li Juanjuan turned. Seeing He Bingning, her face darkened for an instant, then she forced a smile. “Sister Bingning, it’s just… I saw you cooking yesterday, and it inspired me. I thought, I’ll have to marry someday, and once I do, I’ll have to cook for my husband.”

He Bingning smiled. “Well, you know our compound has a mess hall—you don’t really need to cook. I only do it for the joy of sharing it with my husband. But you’re different. You’re not married yet, and you might not marry into a military family. Still, learning to cook is good. Even if not for a man, at least you’ll be able to feed yourself.”

Of everything she said, Li Juanjuan only caught four words—joy with husband.

She instantly thought of the sounds she had overheard yesterday. Her face flushed red.

In her heart, she sneered—Shameless woman.

So she said bluntly, “Sister Bingning, I think you ought to show a little restraint. Brother Gu Huai is a military officer, after all. And in broad daylight…”

It was already very direct, even downright rude.

He Bingning only smiled sweetly. “You don’t need to worry about that. My husband’s in great health. And really, it’s not me wearing him out—it’s him wearing me out. Honestly, it’s a killer~”

Li Juanjuan had never been married. Hearing those words, her face burned as if on fire.

She abandoned her cooking, shut off the gas, and ran off.

Watching her back, He Bingning laughed softly.

What kind of second-rate girl dares to covet my husband?