Chapter 6 – Missing Two Front Teeth

Chu An raised her eyebrows. “It’s already lunchtime. Let’s go to the canteen first.”

She walked ahead with practiced ease, and the two cubs exchanged a glance before trailing closely behind her. Once inside the canteen, Chu An looked for an empty table for four, then told Huo Zeye to take the children and pick whatever food they liked.

She wiped the tabletop spotless with an old newspaper she had brought from home, then fetched four sets of chopsticks and spoons. When she returned to the table, she saw that four meal trays had already been placed there.

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got five dishes.” Huo Zeye said coolly.

He and Chu An had always eaten separately; they had never once gone to the canteen together.

“Thanks, I’m not very picky.” Chu An’s movement paused as she picked up her chopsticks. She noticed that the dishes on the four trays were piled high like little mountains, far exceeding the standard portion.

“Did you pay extra for more dishes?” Chu An asked.

“No.” Huo Zeye replied curtly.

Huo Ran suddenly added: “Aunt Cui at the serving counter said big brother worked hard on his mission, so she gave him extra.”

Chu An glanced around at the other people’s trays in the canteen, a faint sense of unease creeping over her.

Hmm… in the original book, wasn’t the male lead’s mother’s surname Cui?

With that thought, Chu An couldn’t help but look toward the serving counter. Standing there was a woman in her early twenties.

She had been smiling sweetly while watching Huo Zeye’s back, but the moment her eyes met Chu An’s, her smile froze, and a flicker of uncertainty passed through her gaze.

“Hey, hey? Comrade, could you help me get a serving of scallion tofu and some seaweed egg soup?” someone at the counter urged.

“Oh, right, got it.” Cui Sinan quickly withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to serve the food.

That day, Cui Sinan had volunteered to take over for Aunt Yu Chunhua, who was down with a cold, and help out in the canteen. She had married young, like most women from the countryside, and two years after marrying a fellow villager, she gave birth to a baby girl. But her husband had been unlucky—he died in an accident while on duty. The higher-ups, seeing that Cui Sinan had a child to raise, arranged for her to take on an auxiliary job at the Tutan Island guesthouse.

In those days, being widowed with a child was no easy life. Cui Sinan had begun thinking about finding another man. She had once overheard Aunt Wu gossiping that Huo Zeye, the Regiment Commander, had a restless wife who was always scheming to cuckold him and who was indifferent toward their two children. Aunt Wu had guessed the couple was on the verge of splitting up.

If Huo Zeye really divorced, and still had a younger brother and sister as burdens… wouldn’t his situation be a lot like hers?

The more Cui Sinan thought about it, the more tempted she felt. So when she heard that Huo Zeye had returned, she took the initiative to fill in for Aunt Yu in the canteen, hoping to get close to him and see if there was a chance.

What she hadn’t expected was that the so-called “estranged” Regiment Commander and his wife would actually come to the canteen together for a meal.

Passing the food she had just served to a waiting diner, Cui Sinan hesitated, then took out a tin box of stir-fried clams she had prepared in advance. Against her better judgment, she glanced again toward the other side of the canteen.

There sat the Regiment Commander beside a woman in a lotus-pink polka-dot dress. Her stylish large waves fell loosely over her shoulders, her features were delicate, and her skin was as tender and pale as fresh tofu.

Most striking of all, there was an indescribable air about her in every movement and smile. Sitting beside the sharp-featured and upright Huo Zeye, she looked unexpectedly well-matched with him.

A person’s surroundings could change their spirit; nurture could shape their body.

Under the soaring economic growth of Huaguo, with the progress of society and the spread of education in the 21st century, women had gained a more diverse environment to grow in and richer access to knowledge. Coupled with the fact that Chu An now suddenly had abundant money at her disposal, with no worries to weigh her down, she naturally displayed a vibrant yet leisurely spirit.

Cui Sinan hesitated for a long while with the tin box of stir-fried clams in her hands, but in the end, she no longer had the courage to send it over.

Aunt Wu was notorious in the family compound for having no filter and a mouth that never stopped. Cui Sinan really must have been muddle-headed with lard to have believed her words.

After that initial glance, Chu An never again spared a look in the direction of the male lead’s mother.

She was here to enjoy life, not to participate in some petty competition between women.

Huo Zeye and the male lead’s mother could make trouble all they wanted—as long as he handed over money to her regularly, she had no interest in meddling with all those convoluted, tiresome affairs.

Besides, according to the original novel’s setting, Huo Zeye was a man of upright character. If it weren’t for the Original Owner making trouble and getting herself killed by the villain cub, there would have been no need to worry about Huo Zeye being unfaithful or marrying another woman.

In short, it was quite a relief.

After finishing her mental calculations, Chu An cast a satisfied glance at her dear cash-machine husband.

Huo Zeye was using clean chopsticks to serve food to Huo Ran and Huo Mian. The moment he felt a searingly warm gaze on him from the side, his back went stiff.

Ever since returning from this mission, why did it feel like Chu An had turned into a different person?

That former air of vanity, pretension, and ostentation had been restrained quite a bit. Now she truly seemed as though she possessed some inner depth, carrying a quiet, elegant beauty.

Especially when Chu An looked at him—her gaze no longer held the fear or dissatisfaction from before, but instead brimmed with passion and heat.

It was just like… just like looking at walking cash and tickets, filled with instinctive affection.

For some inexplicable reason, Huo Zeye’s heart skipped a beat. He shook his head, forcing the thought out of his mind.

How could a couple who were only married in name have passion or affection? As far as he was concerned, if Chu An didn’t put a green hat on his head, it would already be a sign of rare conscience.

The meal, as well as the walk home afterward, was unusually silent.

Chu An knew that Huo Zeye was naturally taciturn, so she didn’t mind. At ease, she led the two cubs toward home, while Huo Zeye followed behind them with a somewhat pensive expression.

Others in the family compound, upon seeing Huo Zeye and Chu An walking together, couldn’t help but freeze in surprise.

Had the sun risen in the west?

This couple, whose surface cordiality and inner discord were well-known throughout the entire compound, had actually come together today?

Both Chu An and Huo Zeye were aware of the gossipy stares they were receiving.

When Chu An was unlocking the door, she heard Huo Zeye give a faint “tch” behind her.

After working so hard to provide for his family, only to come back and hear rumors and become the subject of idle amusement—how could he not be angry?

Chu An pulled the key from the lock, and there Huo Zeye stood, leaning slightly against the courtyard gate, the corners of his lips tight. His demeanor was both cold and somewhat accustomed to it.

The things the Original Owner had done were indeed rather dishonorable, one incident after another. If those thorns weren’t pulled out and were left to fester in the heart, in time they would rot and cause pus, harming the family relationship and disrupting her own plan to live carefree.

Falling a step behind, she let the two cubs enter the house first. She closed the courtyard gate, then looked up at Huo Zeye.

The man was tall—at Chu An’s height of 166 centimeters, she could only see the lower half of his coldly defined jawline.

“Huo Zeye.” Chu An asked: “did I used to make you feel very insecure?”

Huo Zeye stared at her intently. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing in particular. I just mean, since we’ll have to live well together in the future, I wanted to explain myself.” Chu An said: “I’ll be more mindful of these issues from now on.”

“You’re not planning to get involved with those men anymore?” Huo Zeye asked lightly.

“I never did in the first place.”

Since the Original Owner truly hadn’t engaged in any physical relationships, Chu An could say this with complete confidence.

“It’s all just baseless talk. Probably people just spread nonsense because I’m pretty.”

Huo Zeye: “…”

He gave her a long, searching look, only to find a pair of eyes filled with unclouded sincerity.

Casually plucking an unknown wildflower from the base of the wall, Chu An wove a crude little wreath from its leaves and slipped it onto Huo Zeye’s wrist.

“Here’s a flower for you—may we live in harmony, hand in hand.” she said offhandedly, winking at him before stepping inside.

The flimsy wreath sat loosely around his wrist, carrying a faint but refreshing fragrance.

Her slender figure in the dress disappeared behind the door—light, and lively.

Huo Zeye touched the flower with his fingertips, yet did not take it off.

Chu An entered the house and saw the two cubs studying the toothbrushes she had bought from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative with great interest.

“I’ve seen Sister-in-law use this thing before. You put it in your mouth to eat.” Huo Mian said slowly.

“No, no.” Huo Ran refuted her. “This is a toothbrush. It’s used to brush your teeth.”

“Teeth need to be brushed too?” Huo Mian stood on tiptoe curiously. “How do you brush them?”

Huo Ran fell silent.

Her question had touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.

Chu An spoke up to answer the children’s curiosity. “Of course teeth need to be brushed—especially for children. You need to keep your mouth clean so you won’t get cavities.”

“Come on, I’ll teach you how to use it.”

She washed the newly bought toothbrushes, then squeezed some Zhongjian toothpaste onto them before handing them to the children.

“First, we need to put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush.” Chu An demonstrated. “Hold the handle, and for your upper teeth, brush gently from top to bottom…”

Huo Mian obediently held the toothbrush and began moving it up and down, back and forth, imitating Chu An’s actions.

Huo Ran, on the other hand, seemed to think of something. He hesitated for a moment before putting the toothbrush into his mouth. But as soon as he applied a bit of force, he cried out in pain and spat out toothpaste tinged with red.

Startled, Chu An said: “You have to brush gently—don’t use so much force. Are your gums bleeding?”

“No…” Huo Ran shook his head quickly.

“Let me see.” Chu An leaned forward in concern, but the boy covered his cheek, face flushed, and shook his head stubbornly, unwilling to let her look.

That shy, evasive behavior made Chu An narrow her eyes, quickly piecing together the truth. “Are you at the stage where you’re losing your baby teeth?”

Huo Mian froze, then asked blankly: “Sister-in-law, how did you know my Big Brother has no teeth?”

Huo Ran shot his sister a look full of disappointment.

Wasn’t that basically confessing it outright?

He stubbornly corrected: “It’s not that I have no teeth—it’s just that I’m missing two.”

This cub usually kept up a cool, aloof façade, wary of strangers, so it was rare for Chu An to see him so embarrassed.

She felt a playful urge rise up and smiled with narrowed eyes. “What’s there to be shy about? Let me check your gums.”

Huo Ran, deceived by her harmless smile, hesitated. “Then you have to promise not to laugh at me.”

“I promise.”

With Chu An’s solemn assurance, Huo Ran blushed and slowly opened his mouth.

And there, right in front of her, were two empty gaps.

Because he was short and liked to keep his lips pressed together, speaking little, Chu An hadn’t noticed until now—this kid was missing his front teeth!

“Pfft.” Chu An looked at the bare gums and, for some inexplicable reason, found it hilarious.

Huo Ran immediately closed his mouth and said angrily: “You said you wouldn’t laugh at me!”

“I wasn’t laughing at you.” Chu An said innocently, spreading her hands.

But every time Huo Ran spoke, his dark tooth gaps were revealed. Seeing the faint curve of a suppressed smile on her lips, he quickly covered his mouth again.

Sister-in-law really was bad!

Feeling humiliated, Huo Ran turned his back to the mischievous Sister-in-law—only for his hair to be gently ruffled. “I’ll have your big brother buy some milk tonight. You need more calcium while you’re changing teeth.”

Huo Ran pursed his lips and glanced back at his sister-in-law’s smiling crescent eyes.

He thought, this Sister-in-law might like to tease children, but… he didn’t seem to dislike her anymore.