The two sat together for a meal, and Su Tang asked Lu Xiao why he had returned so quickly.  

Lu Xiao replied calmly that the mission had been canceled last minute.  

But judging by the injuries on his hands, it probably hadn’t been canceled at all.  

However, since it involved classified matters, Su Tang didn’t press further.  

“Sister Zhang told me that the authorities assign jobs to family members. What can I do here?”  

Su Tang held a steamed bun, taking small, delicate bites as she asked softly.  

She couldn’t possibly just stay at home reading books all day, as Lu Xiao had suggested. That would be unbearably boring.  

At her question, Lu Xiao paused mid-bite.  

Su Tang had a habit of using soft, trailing tones when she spoke, and coupled with her pleasant voice, it sounded almost like she was coquettishly whining.  

But Sister Zhang really had a loose tongue—how could she have told Su Tang about this?  

The job assignments were indeed a real policy, but… Su Tang wasn’t eligible.  

Before her arrival, Lu Xiao had already inquired. The response was that her background was problematic, and if she were to appear in public, it would only make things worse.  

Most importantly, Lu Xiao’s superior had pulled him aside.  

“Xiao Lu, you’re at a critical point in your career right now. Don’t do anything foolish.”

“As for your wife’s job situation, just leave it be for now. We’ll revisit it if a suitable opportunity arises.” 

The unspoken meaning was clear: Su Tang wouldn’t be assigned a job.  

Lu Xiao wasn’t afraid of the consequences—he wasn’t even afraid of death, let alone this.  

But gossip was a fearsome thing. He was more concerned about whether Su Tang could endure the whispers outside.  

The wives and aunties in the residential compound didn’t hold back. When provoked, they’d say anything.  

“Let’s wait a bit longer. There aren’t any vacancies right now.”  

“You just got here, so take some time to adjust. You can explore the area in the meantime.”  

After saying this, Lu Xiao finished the last bite of his bun and stood up.  

Hearing his vague response, Su Tang understood.  

The job situation was likely a dead end.  

In the modern era, she would have loved to have endless wealth and be called a “capitalist miss.”  

But now? Wherever she went, people despised her.  

Su Tang watched Lu Xiao’s retreating figure as he walked toward the kitchen, the stewed cabbage in her bowl gradually turning cold.  

She recalled the conversations she’d overheard on the train to the northwest yesterday, and her heart sank uncomfortably.  

That night, Su Tang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Outside, Lu Xiao, lying on the floor, was equally wide awake.  

Before Su Tang arrived, he had been accustomed to solitude.  

Now, suddenly sharing his space with a woman, he found it hard to adjust.  

Though they were legally married, today was the first time they had truly met.  

Their interactions were inevitably awkward and stiff.  

Lu Xiao lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep no matter what.  

Then, a rustling sound came from the inner room. Instinctively, Lu Xiao reached for the flashlight beside him.  

If she could have held it in, Su Tang wouldn’t have come out.  

She had forgotten to ask Lu Xiao to leave her a flashlight.  

Groping along the wall for what felt like forever, she still couldn’t find the light switch.  

“Strange, I thought it was right here…”  

No sooner had she spoken than she tripped over a table and fell—right onto Lu Xiao, who cushioned her landing.  

The moment the flashlight flickered on, Su Tang saw Lu Xiao’s face clearly.  

“S-sorry, I just needed to use the bathroom…”  

Su Tang was so embarrassed she didn’t know where to look. Then she felt something… quietly stirring beneath her.  

“I’ll take you.”  

Both of them flushed crimson the moment they realized.

Su Tang quickly scrambled to the side, not daring to say another word.  

Lu Xiao sat up and pulled on the clothes beside him.  

Moonlight seeped through the gaps in the window, casting scattered fragments of light on the floor.  

He slipped into his faded coat—who knew how many years he’d worn it—and caught a glimpse of Su Tang in his periphery. Her head was bowed, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. In the dimness, the flush on her cheeks seemed to burn all the way to the tips of her ears.  

Once dressed, he handed her a coat, and only then did the two step outside.  

There was a chamber pot in the inner room, but Su Tang hadn’t used it.  

Probably unaccustomed to it.  

He’d heard city folks had toilets inside their homes, flushed clean with water.  

“This way.”  

Lu Xiao led the path with a newspaper-wrapped flashlight, his footsteps crunching faintly over the gravel in the yard.  

The night wind carried the grit unique to the Gobi, lifting a few loose strands of hair at Su Tang’s temples.  

She hurried to keep up, her heartbeat loud in the silence.  

The outhouse was only a hundred meters from their small flat-roofed house, but the short distance felt like an eternity.  

Lu Xiao handed the flashlight to Su Tang and turned away, standing rigidly by a dirt mound, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.  

In the distance, the low growls of wild dogs made Su Tang’s fingers tighten reflexively on her clothes.  

She finished quickly and rushed back out.  

In the darkness, the ember of a cigarette glowed faintly. The man stood there, straight as a pine.  

“Let’s go back.”  

Seeing Su Tang return, he stubbed it out.  

Neither spoke on the way back.  

Lu Xiao walked ahead, his shadow stretching long under the moonlight. Su Tang stepped on his silhouette, a pang of melancholy hitting her unexpectedly.  

The job assignment weighed on her like a stone.  

Now, in the quiet of night, the whispers from the train echoed in her ears again—“capitalist’s daughter,” “exploiting class.” The harsh words cast a shadow over what little hope she’d had for this new life.  

As soon as they entered, Lu Xiao rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out an enamel mug, pouring hot water into it. “Leave it for tomorrow morning.”  

His tone was still flat, but it warmed Su Tang’s heart a little.  

Watching him tidy the bedding on the floor, she suddenly blurted, “You should… come sleep inside.”  

The inner room had a double bed—more than enough for two.  

The floor was hard; he probably wasn’t resting well.  

After all, she was the one who’d taken his place. It didn’t feel right making him sleep on the ground.  

Lu Xiao paused mid-movement, about to refuse, when hurried footsteps sounded outside.  

His expression darkened instantly as he strode to the window to peer out.  

“Sleep.”  

When he turned back, his voice carried a new edge.  

“No matter what you hear tonight, don’t make a sound.”  

Su Tang nodded and lay back down, listening as the noise outside gradually faded.  

In the dark, she stared at the ceiling, thoughts swirling.  

Before long, Lu Xiao lay down on the outer side of the bed, still fully dressed.  

The Gobi wind howled on, making the window paper rustle.  

“I’ll be leaving again in a few days. The ration tickets are in the drawer. I’ll have Sister Zhang Cui look after you.”  

Just as Su Tang was drifting off, Lu Xiao spoke.  

She wasn’t quite the spoiled young mistress he’d imagined.  

Since she was here now, taking care of her was his responsibility.  

On paper, at least, they were married.  

“Okay. I’ll go find Sister Zhang myself.”  

Su Tang agreed obediently. Lu Xiao wouldn’t harm her.  

So she had to listen to him.  

To survive, she had to.  

“About the job… I’ll help you.”  

After hesitating for a while, Lu Xiao finally said it.  

Seeing her so dejected—he didn’t know why, but it unsettled him.