Chapter 32

As for Lu Huaijin, he was shoveling dumplings into his mouth one after another, barely noticing the taste. He didn’t feel the heat either. He was still thinking about the lingering softness he had felt when his hand brushed against the girl’s hand earlier.

He hadn’t expected the girl’s skin to be so delicate, and it made him realize he might have crossed a line.

He hadn’t thought of himself as that kind of man. After all, many women had come up to him before, and he’d faced many temptations during his missions. But today, his own unusual reaction gave him a shiver. It dawned on him that he wasn’t invulnerable to weakness. Was it possible that he was just attracted to women after all?

He quickly found an excuse for himself. It must be because she was his fiancée. With that thought, he felt a bit more at ease.

They ate in silence, the meal quiet and uneventful.

After dropping her off at the train station, when Lu Huaijin was retrieving her luggage from the car, Xu Nian Nian pulled out a bag of red apples from her purse.

“Comrade Lu, these are for you,” she said.

Thinking back, she realized she had taken advantage of him a lot, and it was only right to give something back. She hadn’t had time to eat these apples herself, so she decided to give him a few. In this day and age, fresh apples were rare enough.

Lu Huaijin understood now—she had gone out to buy apples for him yesterday.

Without changing his expression, he gave her a piece of advice:

“Be careful when you’re out shopping. Try not to go too often.”

He could tell these apples weren’t bought at the supply and sales store, but on the black market. He felt a bit like a nagging old man as he handed her a small package.

“This is from my mother. There are some pastries in it for you to eat on the road,” he said, placing her luggage on the seat. Then he handed her a train ticket and a small note.

“Time was tight, so I couldn’t get you a sleeper for the whole trip. I’ve upgraded the second half to a hard sleeper. You’re traveling alone, so your safety is the most important. This is my contact in the army.”

He glanced around. The other passengers seemed to be mostly people heading to the countryside, so it should be relatively safe.

As he glanced back, he noticed someone staring at him. It was the same person who had been eyeing him earlier. He remembered how earlier, he hadn’t even exchanged a word with Xu Ruhua and had gotten angry with her. If she saw him now, she would definitely be upset.

He started to say more but realized it was getting a bit too much, so he stopped himself:

“I’m leaving.”

With that, he got off the car without looking back.

Xu Nian Nian sighed in relief. His tall figure was so noticeable in the train car, and she knew people were staring at him, likely also observing her. The pressure was overwhelming.

As soon as he got off, a girl with two big braids sitting across from her asked,

“Comrade, was that man your brother?”

The girl seemed concerned, thinking that if he were her husband, she wouldn’t be traveling to the countryside. She assumed he was some kind of relative, like a brother.

More people in the car looked at Xu Nian Nian, awaiting her reply.

Xu Nian Nian felt anxious but responded, “He’s my fiancé.”

At that moment, the people who had been trying to get closer to her immediately cooled off.

Xu Nian Nian looked out the window. The man in military uniform stood outside, as straight as a pine tree, seemingly waiting for her to leave before he did. Although they hadn’t started dating yet, for some reason, she felt a twinge of reluctance.

Perhaps it was because he was the first person to show her kindness in this world.

The sound of the train whistle signaled its departure.

Xu Nian Nian waved to him as the train started moving.

Was it Lu Huaijin’s imagination, or did she seem to linger on him? He had counted; she hadn’t blinked in a full minute while staring at him.

His ears turned slightly red. If she wasn’t his fiancée, he would never have stared at her for so long.

He clenched his fist and decided he would hurry up with the paperwork when he returned.

From the beginning, agreeing to the blind date had been forced by his grandfather. But when he met her, he found her small face so delicate, so fair. He had never understood what people meant by good looks before. His mother had always told him he was handsome, and now she said the same thing about Xu Nian Nian.

For the first time, he realized what it meant to be truly attracted to someone’s appearance.

If someone as powerful as the King of Hell had shown up, even he wouldn’t have been able to resist.

As the train moved farther away, he reboarded the jeep and looked at the apples Xu Nian Nian had left behind. He picked one up, sniffed it, and started the engine.

Back home, his mother, sitting by the door, immediately noticed the apples in his hand.

“Huai Jin, why did you buy so many apples while sending Nian Nian to the train? Why didn’t you bring them to her?”

The apples were large, round, and red, with fresh green stems that looked irresistible. She couldn’t resist grabbing one, and the fragrance filled the air.

Lu Huaijin, holding the bag, responded, “These were from Xu Nian Nian.”

His mother, hearing that, said, “She’s such a thoughtful child. Even before leaving for the countryside, she thought to bring us something.”

Lu Huaijin nodded, and his mother had already gone to wash the apples.

She bit into one without drying it, and the taste surprised her. She hurried back to Lu Huaijin’s side.

“Did Nian Nian tell you where she bought these apples? They’re so good. I’ll buy some to send to your grandfather next time.”

Time had been tight, so Nian Nian hadn’t gone to visit Grandpa Lu, mostly because she was shy.

Lu Huaijin didn’t ask, but he had a good guess. The apples couldn’t have come from the supply and sales store. It must’ve been from the black market.

He had heard that people in the south were growing greenhouse vegetables and secretly transporting them. Xu Nian Nian had probably spent a lot of effort to find them.

His mother, noticing the slight frown on his forehead, decided not to ask further. After all, it was just his child’s small gesture of filial piety.

Lu Huaijin’s father, who had been reading the newspaper inside, heard them eating. He came out and saw his wife holding an apple. It looked tasty, though he wasn’t a fan of apples.

But seeing his wife munching on it, he couldn’t resist grabbing it from her.

“Let me have a bite,” he said.

Lu Mother quickly backed off. “You want it, go get it yourself. Why steal mine?”

Lu Father raised an eyebrow, confused by her retreat. It was just an apple, after all.

He initially only wanted one bite, but now he grabbed another from the bag, and soon he was munching on it.

Lu Huaijin looked at his father washing the apples and thought about how he hadn’t had a single bite himself.

He placed the apple on a small table and got up to wash one for himself.

Before long, all three of them were gathered around, eating apples together.

Lu Father declared, “This is the best apple I’ve ever had.”

There were 11 apples left in the bag. Lu Mother decided to take six of them to buy some other things and visit Grandpa Lu. The other two would be for the two kids after they woke up.

Lu Mother regretted letting her husband take one, though—he shouldn’t have eaten it himself.