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Though she felt disheartened, An Huan never looked down on Xiao Zheng, nor did she intend to abandon him. After all, everyone eventually loses the bloom of youth—how could one expect a man to remain forever vigorous?
She silently recalled some folk remedies she’d come across online, planning to try a few out on Xiao Zheng later to help nourish him.
Gradually, sleep began to take hold.
It wasn’t until the soft rhythm of her breathing became steady that Xiao Zheng dared to turn around. Only then did he allow the complicated emotions in his eyes to surface unchecked.
He had found a letter in the drawer.
Normally, he would never pry. But when he inadvertently caught sight of the sender’s name on the envelope, an unseen force seemed to compel him to open it and give it a once-over.
After reading it, he nearly slammed his palm down hard enough to break the desk in two.
Bastard! That damn dog still had the nerve to try and elope with his Wife?
After the surge of fury came a wave of dread.
An Huan had kept the letter so carefully. Did that mean her heart was once again swayed by another man?
The last time, when An Huan had divorced him for a lover, Xiao Zheng’s anger had stemmed from wounded pride—the humiliation of being cheated on, a blow to his dignity as a man. Aside from that, he hadn’t felt much. He had been able to let her go with something like stoic detachment.
But this time… this time was different.
Xiao Zheng felt a gnawing fear of losing her. Just imagining that An Huan might still be thinking of another man made a tidal wave of jealousy surge up within him. He wanted nothing more than to fly to the provincial capital and tear that man to pieces.
It took everything he had to restrain himself, to maintain a semblance of normalcy.
To be honest, Xiao Zheng was feeling a bit lost right now.
He wanted to confront her, to demand an explanation—but he was afraid he wouldn’t get the answer he hoped for.
He wanted to pretend he didn’t know, but feared that one day she might vanish without a word.
Bathed in the faint light of the moon, Xiao Zheng’s gaze stayed fixed on the person beside him.
She slept like a mess—her head tilted toward him, but her body turned the other way, twisted into some bizarre position. Half her face was obscured by a wild curtain of hair.
But the more he looked, the softer his heart became. Reaching out his long arm, he pulled her fully into his embrace and held her tightly.
Seeing that she didn’t wake, he lowered his head and began kissing her lips—at first gentle pecks, but gradually with more pressure, until his lips were nibbling lightly.
She let out a couple of sleepy murmurs but didn’t wake up.
A smile flickered across Xiao Zheng’s face, and he possessively wrapped his arms around her.
He had made up his mind. He wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
She was his. If anyone wanted to take her from him, they’d have to step over his dead body first.
Throughout the night, An Huan woke up several times from the heat—each time cradled tightly in Xiao Zheng’s arms.
It was no different from trying to sleep next to a burning stove in the middle of summer!
The next morning, An Huan warned him sternly, “You’re not allowed to hold me while we sleep anymore. If you do, we’re sleeping in separate beds!”
Xiao Zheng paused, then replied in a serious tone, “That’s not going to happen. I’ll try not to hold you.” With that, he adjusted his cap and marched out the door.
An Huan: “…”
How could he talk about bedroom matters with such a dead-serious expression and tone?
But Xiao Zheng wasn’t the only one who brought up bedroom matters with grave seriousness. Zhou Meihua did too.
“Sis, when you get a day off, go with me to the Fang family’s market and visit that Physician Fang.”
An Huan asked in surprise, “Sister-in-law, are you sick?”
Zhou Meihua hesitated, then with a resigned look, finally blurted out, “That Physician Fang… he treats men’s ailments.”
An Huan understood immediately.
Zhou Meihua sighed, “Men, once they get older, it’s all downhill. My old Shi was like a raging bull in his teens and twenties. But once he hit his thirties, it was all downhill. Now he’s pushing forty, and he’s completely turned into a limp noodle.”
An Huan let out an awkward chuckle.
Was thirty really such a turning point?
Should she be asking about this Physician Fang for Xiao Zheng too?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Zhou Meihua leaned over and asked, “Your Xiao Deputy Commander—he’s still vigorous, right? He’s got that big frame, looks sturdy. Probably not like the average man. But still, no harm in doing some early tonics for prevention.”
An Huan replied, “…He’s still vigorous.”
“Then it’s settled. When you get your day off, we’ll go together!” With their plan finalized, Zhou Meihua left in high spirits.
An Huan glanced at the time. There was still a while before work, so she sat down at the desk and started writing a report letter.
She was reporting Chen Siyan for seducing a decent married woman and attempting to destroy a military marriage!
The letter from Chen Siyan had been shockingly explicit—not only did he express his love in a pitiful, groveling tone, he even openly slandered Xiao Zheng, revealing a clear disdain for the military profession.
This wasn’t just about sabotaging a military marriage—this man’s ideological awareness was deeply flawed!
Fortunately, although the original An Huan had liked Chen Siyan, she had exercised restraint during her marriage to Xiao Zheng. She had not overstepped any lines nor left behind any compromising evidence. There was no fear of Chen Siyan turning around and accusing her.
An Huan enclosed her own letter with Chen Siyan’s and mailed both to the Provincial Department of Culture.
She didn’t send it directly to Chen Siyan’s workplace—after all, with how long he’d been entrenched in the orchestra, there was a real chance his colleagues would cover for him.
But the Department of Culture oversaw the orchestra, and the department head happened to be an old classmate of An Bohuai. He’d definitely help her with this matter.
After mailing the letter, An Huan headed to work at the factory.
What she didn’t know was that heading toward the provincial capital alongside her report letter—was someone sent by Xiao Zheng.