Chapter 105 : Confirmation of Relationship

Nangong Ruochen, who had just walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative carrying several bags, saw Yun Siying, Jiang Aimin, and Li Dazhuang coming out of the state-owned restaurant, chatting and laughing together. A sharp pain and a wave of panic suddenly rose in his heart.

He quickly ran forward, eager to confirm his suspicions. “Siying.”

Upon hearing this familiar voice, Yun Siying felt an inexplicable excitement in her heart. She turned around and, sure enough, it was Nangong Ruochen. A genuine and joyful smile appeared on her face. “Nangong Ruochen, are you done?”

“Yes, there are still some final tasks, but I’ve handed those over to my brother. Are you here at the state-owned restaurant for dinner?”

“Yes, my two apprentices are finishing their training today. They invited me to dinner to celebrate,” Yun Siying explained, noticing that Nangong Ruochen seemed slightly upset. She thought it might be because of the spy investigation he’d been involved in.

“What did you teach them?” Nangong Ruochen asked, feeling a little wronged. He hadn’t been away from the team for long, yet two men had suddenly appeared at her side and they were now her apprentices.

“The Captain asked me to teach them how to drive a tractor, and they’ve both learned now.”

Nangong Ruochen finally relaxed after hearing her explanation. He had been afraid that in the short time he was gone, Siying had fallen for someone else. That fear had made him anxious. “Siying, I heard there’s a good movie playing today. Want to go see it with me?”

“Okay!” Yun Siying agreed readily. Since arriving in this world, she had never been to the movies, and now that Nangong Ruochen mentioned it, she was curious about films from this era.

Worried that Siying might invite the two other guys along, Nangong Ruochen quickly handed his bags to them and said, “Comrade Dazhuang, Comrade Aimin, could you two please take these things back to the team headquarters for me? I’ll pick them up when I get back to the village.”

“Sure, we’ll head back now.” Jiang Aimin and Li Dazhuang knew that the two had a good relationship, so they didn’t overthink it and readily agreed.

At the cinema, Nangong Ruochen bought the tickets, as well as some peanuts, sunflower seeds, and soda. “Siying, we’re lucky the movie starts in ten minutes. Let’s head in.”

The film was a war romance. The sound quality wasn’t great, but thankfully there were subtitles. The visuals were in black and white, with occasional static, and the image was blurry but Yun Siying still watched intently.

She ate sunflower seeds while watching, fully absorbed, completely unaware of the longing gaze beside her. Nangong Ruochen, feeling somewhat heartbroken, wished he could swap places with the male lead on the screen.

As he gazed at Siying’s delicate and beautiful face, he silently peeled sunflower seeds for her. Seeing other couples quietly holding hands made him want to hold Siying’s hand too. Watching female comrades shyly lean on their partners, he longed to see that side of Siying as well.

At last, the movie ended. The two of them followed the crowd out of the cinema and returned to the Youth Academy. Nangong Ruochen followed her into her room something he had done often before, usually to cook with her so she didn’t think much of it at first.

But when she heard the door close behind them, Yun Siying suddenly felt that something was off. Normally, whenever the two of them were alone in the same room, the doors and windows would be wide open. She turned around, a bit puzzled only to see Nangong Ruochen looking at her with burning eyes. Her heart skipped a beat under that fiery gaze, and she asked uneasily, “What… what’s wrong?”

At that moment, her hand was enveloped in Nangong Ruochen’s warm palm. A tingling sensation ran through her whole body, and her heartbeat quickened. The unfamiliar feeling left her flustered. She instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. She looked at Nangong Ruochen in confusion.

What met her gaze was his suddenly enlarged, handsome face. She froze in place until she felt the warm, soft pressure on her lips. That’s when she realized, she was being kissed. Nangong Ruochen had kissed her. Her eyes widened, full of disbelief.

“Does Siying hate me for doing this to you?” Nangong Ruochen’s deep, magnetic voice whispered in her ear. He didn’t want to wait any longer. He needed Siying to understand his feelings, to confirm their relationship here and now.

“No, I don’t hate it.” She was still a little dazed, but her heart was filled with a fluttering joy and anticipation. Why was it beating so fast?

“Siying, I fell in love with you at first sight the day you arrived in the countryside. I didn’t feel this way before, but from that day on, I’ve been in love with you. I want to date you with marriage as the goal. Don’t worry, I will be as loyal to you as I am to my country.” Nangong Ruochen gazed at Yun Siying with burning eyes, filled with affection and sincerity.

Yun Siying’s mind was in turmoil. She didn’t know how to respond. In her previous life, she had been engaged, but there had never been love between her and her fiancé. It was a dying wish from her parents that had bound them together. There should have been familial warmth at least but he betrayed her and even tried to take her life.

The mere thought of Nangong Ruochen being intimate with other women pierced her heart like a blade. It made her want to kill. She couldn’t accept the idea of him ever being physically close to someone else.

But knowing now that Nangong Ruochen had liked her all along and only her made her deeply happy. She had never experienced true love in her previous life. In this life, she had met him, and their feelings for each other were real and mutual. She no longer wanted to hide or run. Looking up at him seriously, she asked, “Can you really stay loyal to me forever in both body and heart?”

Nangong Ruochen saw the change in her expression and understood she had come to terms with her feelings. Overjoyed, he immediately responded, ” I swear my heart and body will always be loyal to you. If I ever betray you, then let me—um—”

Yun Siying quickly covered his mouth, stopping him before he could finish. She didn’t believe in oaths, only in herself. “I’ll believe you. But if one day you betray me, I’ll kill you with my own hands. You know I’m capable of it.”

Nangong Ruochen, thrilled, wrapped his arms around Yun Siying’s slender waist, lifted her up, and spun her around. Then he gently kissed her forehead. “Siying, you really agreed to be mine. Thank you.”

“Mm, I promised you,” Yun Siying replied softly. Her face flushed red, and she shyly buried her head in his chest. For the first time, she felt at peace, she wasn’t alone in this world anymore.

Nangong Ruochen held her even tighter, as if afraid she might disappear. He rested his chin on her hair and breathed in her scent, heart pounding with joy. The girl he liked liked him back. He had dreamed of holding her in his arms and today, that dream finally came true.

“Nangong Ruochen, go easy. You’re choking me,” Yun Siying complained, feeling breathless. “You really don’t know how to hold someone properly!”