Chapter 50.2

This was the second time Lu Nong called his name when they were alone, and she stumbled over it slightly. Pei Ji’an gently replied, “You can call me Xiangzhi. That’s my courtesy name.”

“Xiangzhi…” Lu Nong was taken aback. Her face instantly flushed. Despite being someone who excelled in social situations, she couldn’t help but whisper, “I think I’ll just call you Pei Ji’an.”

Pei Ji’an was puzzled but respected her preference, nodding in agreement.

“You still haven’t answered my question.” Lu Nong quickly shifted the topic. “Do you believe in love?”

Pei Ji’an paused for a moment, glanced at her, and shook his head. “No.”

He wasn’t lying to Lu Nong. He had always felt this way, from the past to the present.

At his core, Pei Ji’an was a proud person. He was exceptionally intelligent, able to see through people’s hearts easily, and his abilities often overshadowed even Gu Weiguo’s.

From childhood through his teenage years, he had been sent to the countryside by his parents. Due to his inability to connect with the other kids in the village, he faced rejection from almost everyone around him. Coupled with the difficulties caused by Gu Weiguo’s stepmother and the poverty of rural life, he turned inward, exploring the spiritual world in times of material scarcity.

This exploration allowed him to understand human nature better and recognize himself and the world, but the result was disappointment.

As a result, Pei Ji’an entered adulthood alone, fully prepared to live a single life.

Lu Nong looked at him in surprise. The question she had just asked held two meanings: to believe in love, one must first understand what love truly is.

This era was quite different from the modern-day flood of romantic ideals.

People of this time were often embarrassed to discuss sex and love. They confused love with revolutionary camaraderie, believing that shared ideals were the only valid connection. Some people viewed marrying and having children as a natural course of life, with love playing no role in the matter. For them, love seemed like nothing more than the idle complaints of intellectuals.

It was surprising that Pei Ji’an, a soldier, appeared to have seriously contemplated love. Such stereotypes were indeed misleading.

However, his response struck a chord with Lu Nong. As a self-proclaimed “sea king,” all she wanted to say was: Don’t love me. It won’t end well.

Lu Nong’s attitude toward love was to embrace a laid-back approach, and this perspective remained consistent even in the 1960s. This attitude was why, despite being attracted to Pei Ji’an, she had never dared to pursue him.

While she admired her uncle and aunt’s marriage, she lacked confidence in others, especially herself, fearing that she might hurt someone’s feelings.

Pei Ji’an’s disbelief in love was reassuring to her.

At least they could preserve their hearts and remain clear-headed. Perhaps after ten or twenty years of being tired of each other, they could part ways, each moving on to a second spring in life without emotional entanglements, breaking up gracefully.

Just thinking about it felt nice…

After her reflection, Lu Nong smiled and leaned closer to Pei Ji’an. “Do you want to kiss me?”

Pei Ji’an was somewhat startled, unsure of what was going through Lu Nong’s mind. He pressed his lips together, not accustomed to such actions during the day.

However, after coming to a realization, Lu Nong felt completely liberated. Taking advantage of Pei Ji’an’s momentary distraction, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. Afterward, she tilted her head to look at him, mirroring a pose that was strikingly similar to Gu Xiaohuai’s, which was incredibly charming.

Pei Ji’an: “…”

“You…” Pei Ji’an’s gaze shifted downward to Lu Nong’s rosy lips, and he swallowed hard.

“Don’t you want to kiss me, brother?” Lu Nong continued playfully teasing him.

Pei Ji’an’s eyes darkened as he regained his composure. He released Lu Nong’s now warm feet, helped her put on her socks, and fastened her shoes.

He stood up and reached out a hand to her. “Get up.”

Lu Nong shot him an angry glance, feeling humiliated. No way, no way, no way, she thought, internally criticizing, You’re no good, Old Pei!

“I don’t want to. Your hands have touched my socks and feet.” She huffed and stood up on her own.

After getting up, Lu Nong became worried. The ground was covered with ginkgo nuts covered with peels and smelled bad. Lu Nong didn’t want to touch them at all. It was a pity that Pei Zheng was not there.

(Pei Zheng: ?? Thank you.)

In the end, Pei Ji’an proved to be reliable. He gathered the ginkgo nuts, rubbed their skins off with the soles of his shoes, and tossed the skinned nuts into the stream to wash them. After cleaning them, he took off his jacket and used it to hold the nuts.

“Let’s go.”

Pei Ji’an held the ginkgo nuts in one hand and extended the other hand toward Lu Nong.

Still annoyed that Pei Ji’an hadn’t kissed her, Lu Nong considered swatting his hand away but ultimately chose to grasp it instead.

Don’t think that just because Lu Nong was holding Pei Ji’an’s hand, she would behave herself. Her little fingers occasionally poked at the palm of his hand.

Pei Ji’an, feeling helpless, held her hand tightly to keep her from being mischievous.

Upon returning to the shooting range, Pei Zheng was still practicing his shooting. The sun had risen by then, and he lay flat on the ground, concentrating intently on aiming. Nearby, Squad Leader Wang teased him with a blade of grass, saying, “A great sniper must never be distracted by the outside world. Yes, that’s right; keep it up for a while longer.”

Sweat poured down Pei Zheng’s forehead, yet his gaze remained resolute and still.

Lu Nong looked at Pei Ji’an, her eyes questioning whether they had moved on to sniper training.

To be honest, Pei Zheng’s serious demeanor was quite intimidating. No wonder he could be a male lead in a novel.

Pei Ji’an chose not to interrupt, reflecting on Pei Zheng’s desire to join the army for the first time. Everyone had their own path to follow, and Pei Ji’an wouldn’t stop Pei Zheng from making his decision. However, if Pei Zheng lacked the necessary skills, it would be a case of overestimating himself.

“All right, that’s enough.” Squad Leader Wang patted Pei Zheng on the back to help him up.

“Old buddy, your son is really good, a good seedling.” Squad Leader Wang praised Pei Zheng generously.

Pei Zheng looked over at Pei Ji’an. Everyone said his biological father was a legend, and Pei Zheng believed it. Although his father was cold and distant, not particularly close to him, in Pei Zheng’s heart, his father had always been a hero.

He didn’t want others to think of him as a tiger father with a dog son.

So over the years, Pei Zheng made sure to do everything perfectly and excel at everything. He wanted his father to see that he could do it.

Now, he was proving himself, showing that what he said was never just empty talk.

Pei Ji’an nodded. “Not bad.”

Pei Zheng visibly brightened up, his spirits soaring as he proudly straightened his chest toward Lu Nong, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Lu Nong: “??” Why is he so proud in front of me? I’m not competing with you for Dad’s attention.

On the way back, Pei Zheng chatted animatedly with Squad Leader Wang in the front seat about various firearms and international military situations (at Old Wang’s strong request, the Jeep was handed over to him to drive).

Lu Nong and Pei Ji’an sat in the back seat, their hands intertwined the whole time. Squad Leader Wang and Pei Zheng, two grown men, didn’t even glance in their direction, proving themselves to be good comrades and good sons of Pei Ji’an.

The car bumped along the uneven dirt road, and Lu Nong recalled the day Pei Ji’an came to pick her up from Li Garden, when their legs had accidentally brushed against each other.

She smiled mischievously, subtly shifting her position to snuggle a little closer to Pei Ji’an, rubbing against his leg. A wave of warmth traveled through her clothes and then faded, creating an almost teasing distance.

Pei Ji’an looked up at the two in front, then gently placed his hand on Lu Nong’s leg to stop her playful antics.

Lu Nong turned her head, looking at him reproachfully, and mouthed, “Old pervert.”

Pei Ji’an: “……”

At that moment, Squad Leader Wang suddenly flashed a mysterious smile in the rearview mirror and said, “Old Pei, we might not have much else, but we have plenty of wild delicacies. When you guys leave, I’ll prepare some for you…”

“Oh, and I have a deer over there. Deer antler is a good thing. Hehe, and deer blood—great for nourishment. We’ll each have a bowl tonight.”

Lu Nong: “……” Squad Leader Wang, you might have pierced your brother’s heart with that one.

Seriously, why does it feel like he can always get to Old Pei’s heart, no matter where we go? That’s definitely a question.

Pei Ji’an slowly retracted his hand from Lu Nong’s leg and calmly said, “You can keep it for yourself, I don’t need it.”

Squad Leader Wang wasn’t satisfied. How could he keep it for himself? Good things should be shared with brothers. If his brother refused, it would be quite embarrassing for him.

“Just take it. f you don’t take it, it means you despise me and don’t give me face.” he looked to Pei Zheng for support. “Kid, don’t you agree?”

Hearing this topic and sensing trouble, Pei Zheng did his best to minimize his presence: “……” What should I say, yes or no?

Why do I always end up getting hurt in the end? Why is life so hard?

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Author’s Note:

Pei Ji’an: I don’t believe in love.

Lu Nong: Yay, we can go for it!

Pei Ji’an: ??

—–

Pssst..

Translator’s Note: Don’t forget to grab your roles on Discord 🛎️ to stay updated on new chapters unlocked! 📚✨