Volume 1 Chapter 68: Training *Every Step Counts

  Hmph, just you wait and see, there will come a day when I'll have trained you properly.

  Xiang Hong muttered to herself, neatly moving the second layer into the dish. The green kiwi fruit slices paired with the smooth cake were consumed even faster than the first layer.

  The third layer...

  Song Shuwei stared at the empty plate, a bit dazed. The little girl's greedy gaze at the plate made him wonder in surprise - was she still thinking about the colorful jam on the edge of the plate?

  Obviously, Sang Hong thought so too.

  She was struggling, thinking hard, damn Qin Luoshui, why did he have to teach her etiquette?

  Go through the motions, just want to eat!

  She was about to lower her head, and secretly glanced at the bright light flashing in Song Shuyu's deliberately indifferent eyes, decisively deciding to give up, with a mournful cry in her heart - for a girl to add jam to her crush's toast in front of him, indeed requires great, great, or even unparalleled courage.

  But that sweet and cool jam is really smooth and refreshing!

  No need for her to worry, two big hands directly cleaned up the things on the table. She obediently handed over the knife and fork in her hand to the large hands spread out in front of her, stuttering: "Thank you."

  The man caught it deftly and threw it away, then casually took out a tissue to wipe his fingers.

  She lowered her head and saw that there was still a piece of butter left on the tip of her finger, and without thinking, she put it to her mouth and licked it off with the tip of her tongue.

  She looked up and found Song Shuyu staring at her in astonishment.

  "What's wrong?"

  "After you like eating it, I'll often buy it for you." Song Shuyu suppressed a smile.

  Xiang Hong lowered her head, her small hands clenched into fists, how could she uncontrollably add butter to the tip of her finger? When had she ever been so hungry before? Carelessly exposing herself - Ahhh, dying of embarrassment, a certain woman despised herself.

  She only felt her body suddenly light, dizzy - came back to herself and she was sitting in a certain man's arms again. Just as she was dazed, a voice came from above: "Is it really that delicious?" The voice had confusion and doubt.

  "Uh-huh, delicious, of course it's delicious, I like this fruit mochi with three flavors—"

  Xiang Hong was speaking excitedly, but her words were abruptly swallowed back because a certain man's lips had already reached hers, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips once before releasing them, and then he seemed to be savoring the taste.

  "It tastes good."

  Xiang Hong stared blankly: "Wha—what a great taste?"

  Song Shu's eyes sparkled with a hint of suppressed amusement: "None are correct."

  He licked his lips with a hint of nostalgia, staring at her small mouth with an inexplicable expression, scaring Xiang Hong into hurriedly covering her mouth.

  He kissed me too hard last night and the swelling just went away, is he coming again?

  Waaahhh... - She doesn't want thick lips anymore!

  Song Shuwei felt the small body in his arms suddenly stiffen, looking at her with a fearful expression, as if she was afraid he would suddenly take advantage of her. His heart sank, and his face showed no emotion, but his body leaned back slightly, letting her lean completely into his embrace.

  Xiang Hong weakly struggled a bit, but his words calmed her down: "Good girl, lean against me and take a nap for a while, you must have been exhausted last night."

  He finished speaking and wrapped one arm loosely around her slender waist, the other hand warmly covering her forehead, pulling her head tightly into his embrace.

  This movement easily made Sang Hong relax his body, and he rubbed against him like a kitten, found a comfortable posture, and closed his eyes in that warm embrace.

  There is a cake-like milky fragrance in the air, and with him, her breathing becomes calm, it's really so blissful!

  ……

  Song Shu Wei slowly curled up the corners of his lips, and the soft and weak little girl in his arms made him feel rarely full-hearted. The feeling of satisfaction was like holding the most precious treasure in the world.

  She was too tender, he didn't plan to force her, giving her time to slowly accept.

  How long has it been since I've slept so comfortably?

  Since this man forcefully occupied her body and left his mark on her, she had been desperately thinking of forgetting and escaping. In the end, that thought turned a hundred times, a thousand times, until suddenly she understood a strange logic - when a woman's body is not complete, her soul will also no longer be complete!

  This realization filled her with horror and despair, yet she couldn't help but think of all the possibilities drawing near, clinging to the faintest glimmer of hope and striving - now, she could finally rely on this fantasy that had been nurtured countless times in her arms.

  Her heart was clear and calm, last night, she had already made up her mind to give her heart to the man by her side, no matter how far they would go, she was too young to see clearly, but the happiness of being in his arms, she felt it.

  She believes - as long as she is willing, she can hold on tight.

  However, since Qin Luoshui said that men lose interest in things that are too easily obtained, she carefully and limitedly teased him a bit, letting him experience some unexpected fun.

  ……

  "Song Tuan, we're almost at our division's headquarters. Should the partition be lifted? That group of people is probably waiting for you."

  Wang Xiaoshuai's voice came through the loudspeaker, Song Shuyu lazily stretched and felt energized all over, but his chest felt stuffy and cool.

  She lowered her head and quickly wrapped her arms around the fragrant little body that was leaning to one side, humming - surprisingly able to sleep so soundly.

  He looked down at his chest in surprise and saw that the ironed white shirt had a wet patch of water stains.

  Xiang Hong opened her eyes dazedly, following his movements, and also saw the water stain - coughing, she was so ashamed that she was choked by her own saliva, how could she be so embarrassing!

  She can drool in someone's arms, she doesn't want to live anymore. Sang Hong covered her face and slid to the ground with a coughing motion.

  Song Shuwei was amused by her adorable little appearance, and he scooped her into his arms, patting her back comfortingly: "Honghong, there's still some work to be done at the department, Xiao Wang will send you off to rest first, I'll head back later."

  Xiang Hong covered her eyes and didn't dare look at him, she just nodded.

  Song Shuyu smiled lightly and put her down on one side of him.

  He looked up at the increasingly familiar scene outside - finally returned to his post, he felt that even breathing was full of freedom, and there seemed to be endless energy, without the fatigue after previous military exercises.

  Strange, could it be because of this little girl by my side?

  He unbuttoned the shirt on his body, took it off, leaned over and opened the simple closet in the back compartment, and took out a white shirt to change into.

  Seeing her two small paws covering her small face tightly, he walked over with interest and whispered: "Did you peek?"

  "No."

  "Nothing?"

  "I really didn't peek at you changing clothes."

  "Pfft - you cover your eyes, but you can still tell I'm changing clothes?" Song Shu Yu laughed, his mischievous teasing thoughts expanding rapidly, he reached out and pulled open her hand, "Want to see? Go ahead and take a look, or should I strip again for your pleasure?"

  The face that was once the most unsmiling in the world said such frivolous words, and Xiang Hong was shocked by the contrast, staring blankly with a foolish expression.

  "Looks like I really have to take it off again!" The man said, raising his hand as if to touch the button, but his fingers were already caught by that small hand.

  "Hooligan!"

  Xiang Hong was teased by him, so ashamed that she had nowhere to hide, and only after realizing he was joking with her could she hurriedly drop the large hand that had easily grasped hers tightly. She raised her hand to hold the undershirt he had changed into close to her chest, half covering her face, revealing only those big, shiny eyes full of embarrassment.

  Song Shuwei was so captivated by her cute expression that his heart was in disarray. He pursed his thin lips, averted his eyes, took a deep breath, straightened up and sat back against the soft seat, pressing the intercom button: "Open the partition, drop me off at the fork in the road, and take her directly to the family area behind."

  "Are you going there?" Wang Xiaoshuai's voice was filled with uncontrollable surprise, and they were still some distance away from the team headquarters.

  "Uh, watch your mouth."

  "Uh——is——" Wang Xiaoshuai suddenly felt a bit dizzy, this conversation was too late, and he was afraid that the fact that Song Tuan had a girlfriend would have already become common knowledge to everyone on earth. How could his mouth be so bad at keeping secrets? He really wanted to slap himself!

  Xiang Hong's heart was racing, "Is it the residential area?"

  Her face suddenly turned red beyond self-control.

  Song Shuyu took out a separate key from her pants pocket, pulled over her small hand, and gently placed it in her palm.

  The key had a simple ring on it, surrounded by a layer of pale yellow sunlight, as if conveying the heat to Sang Hong's palm, and she looked up at him with a silly expression.

  "Take it."

  Song Shuyu clasped her small hands together and nodded at her with deep meaning.

  "You, aren't you going to cover up the traces a bit? Aren't you afraid I'll go in and see something bad?" San Hong felt her palms burning, and she forced a smile to ease the tension.

  "Hmm, a gentleman is open and aboveboard. Welcome to supervise." He said, clearing his throat, warning Wang Xiaoshuai who was grinning at the front.

  The car stopped quietly, Song Shuyu collected the smile on his face, let go of her hand, opened the door, patted it casually, and got out without looking back.

  The air in the car suddenly became thin, Wang Xiaoshuai looked at Sang Hong's gaze entwined on Song Tuan's back from the rearview mirror, endured for a while, and finally couldn't help but quip:

  "Let your eyes turn into an alien's bullet, penetrate this bulletproof glass to convey your resentment to him, and he won't even turn his head. This man is like that, with a cold and hard face, don't even think about making him wave goodbye to you with a gentle hand, extinguish that thought as soon as possible."

  Xiang Hong was taken aback by his Mandarin with a hint of Sichuan accent, but she quickly understood what he meant.

  Was she so obvious in her intentions that those words, laced with undisguised mockery, left her somewhat at a loss for words?

  Is it that obvious?

  Resentment?

  She hastily closed her eyes, then opened them again, full of bright and cheerful smiles. She naturally changed the subject: "Let's go, my name is Sang Hong, the red color of the national flag, not Sang Heng. What's your name? We haven't formally met yet!"

  "Wang... (young) Xiaoshuai." Wang Xiaoshuai gritted his teeth as he reported his own name, and just thinking about such an unimpressive name made him feel annoyed.

  Xiang Hong detected the dissatisfaction in his voice and suddenly stifled a laugh. Any adult male with this name would indeed find it suffocating: "Uh, I think this name is really not suitable for you."

  "What?" Wang Xiaoshuai was somewhat surprised, and his hair stood on end like a hedgehog.

  "You're clearly handsome and majestic, how can you just be a little cutie? A name is the expectation given by parents, I guess it didn't meet their expectations of a little cutie, and you may not have grown up to be as majestic as you are now. I think don't mind the name too much."

  Xiang Hong carefully sized him up and felt that he lacked the foil of Song Shuyu, this guy looked quite pleasing to the eye, where was a hint of naivety?

  "Hmm," Wang Xiaoshuai couldn't help but notice Sang Hong's sugar-coated cannonballs and her delight in his misfortune, he nodded thoughtfully, "Sang—Hong, your name is quite common, but your surname is not often seen, this combination is actually a perfect match that turns the mundane into something extraordinary. I reckon you wouldn't mind having a common name either."

  Xiang Hong raised an eyebrow, this guy's mouth was quite vicious. She had clearly extended an olive branch, but he actually counterattacked and ridiculed her. Little did she know that Wang Xiaoshuai's conversation forbidden zone was precisely the name that drove him crazy.

  "You call my name as if it's really smooth." Xiang Hong was certain she had never seen this guy before, and really couldn't understand how he could be so familiar with her name.

  "Of course—" Wang Xiaoshuai's tone became even colder and harder, "I've stood at the train station entrance calling out that name hundreds of times."

  Xiang Hong felt that the memory suddenly returned to the anxious face on the camouflage jeep at the train station entrance, and after throwing away the urgent expression, it could indeed be restored to this face.

  She knew with a bitter smile where this guy's hostility came from, or what kind of grievance he had suffered as a result, after all, having a superior like Song Shuyu was really embarrassing.

  "Uh - sorry, I couldn't hear that you were calling me at the time. Back then, I hadn't heard so many dialects of Mandarin and lacked the ability to distinguish between them."

  Besides, I also walked around the station for a while, and in the end... well, never mind, it's hard to say, anyway, you're not the only one who suffered.

  Xiang Hong didn't dare to deny it, so she might as well tell the truth. Some things, if missed the opportunity to explain, will produce bad consequences.

  Wang Xiaoshuai felt that she didn't beat around the bush and fool him, thinking that scolding a little girl was not very manly.

  At once, he also put down his mind, this little girl is good, there's no sign of being spoiled at all.

  "You've come here, and now you're completely in the tiger's den." He said with a big grin.

  "What the...? What do you mean?" Song Hong's face turned bright red, and she assumed "tiger" referred to Song Shuyu. She couldn't understand how this guy could say such crude words so bluntly.

  "My point is, now that you're here, it's best to stick closely with Song Tuan, otherwise..."

  "What nonsense are you talking about!" Sang Hong said with embarrassment and annoyance.

  "I'm not talking nonsense, once everyone knows you're his girlfriend, I reckon there'll be a lot of people finding fault with you. What I mean is - our Song Tuan is very popular here, you need to be mentally prepared and don't get bullied into tears."

  "Ah?" Sang Hong was taken aback, he wasn't ridiculing her, but rather kindly reminding her, and immediately thought of the women who appeared beside him in the video.

  Suddenly died of depression.

  Wang Xiaoshuai sympathetically glanced at her from the rearview mirror, and the label "honest and kind" was brightly stuck to her forehead.

  I really don't understand Song Tuan, how did he bring this little girl here? With her skills, those two women who have been trained to perfection will eat her alive.

  ……

  Song Shuwei knew that the girl was staring at him with an unyielding gaze, her eyes piercing, and he feared that his back of the head would be seen through by her.

  But he could only grit his teeth and move forward, with so many windows and Venetian blinds, how many pairs of eyes were staring at him through the gaps, where could he turn back?

  Besides, he needs to take a walk and let his emotions settle down. This smile on his face is getting harder and harder to conceal, it's really abnormal!

  He thought about what he had just said and done in the car, now thinking that his old face was so ashamed, how could he say such stupid and meaningless words with a straight face, and still say them so naturally and happily.

  Crazy!

  He couldn't help but rub his face, wiping away the smile, summarizing the strange reason for himself - that little girl was silly, sitting with her made him uncontrollably silly too, just looking at her silly and dazed expression made him want to tease her, seeing her coyly smiling and slightly angry, he felt an indescribable joy.

  Is this close to being stupid?

  Stop it, stop it, think again and you'll give yourself away.

  "Song Tuan, you've worked hard, welcome home."

  Song Shuyu looked at Li Yang, the three-company commander who was running over with a gasping breath, without changing his expression. He nodded: "You're really tired, how long did you run? You can be so anxious like this? It seems that leaving you at home is correct. This week, I will inspect the results of your company's intensified training."

  "Yes!" Li Yang saluted with a bitter face.

  In his heart, he secretly felt wronged. It was those few guys who said that Song Tuan let Xiao Wang make a big purchase, and it's possible that today when he comes back, he'll bring his girlfriend along with him. He had a bit of curiosity, but was pushed out as a scapegoat to block the bullet.

  Song Shuoye's eyes swept across the office, where everyone was busy with their work, and walked into the large office on the first floor without looking around. The feeling of being back was great, but when he saw the neatly arranged files on his desk, that feeling suddenly became somewhat discounted. He opened his mouth lightly:

  "Tell them the meeting will be in an hour."

  He had just sat down, and before he could finish a cup of tea, the internal phone rang. He glanced at the number, sighed, and stood up respectfully: "Master, I'm Song Shuyu."

  That voice transmitted a gentle laugh: "Shu Yu, you really came back, it's hard work, thank you for the honor that your team has earned for our division. Otherwise, let's have a big dinner party tonight?"

  Song Shuwei rubbed his eyebrows and forced himself to say: "Reporting to the instructor, I was invited by B City X Military School to attend the welcoming party, so I came back ahead of schedule. The battlefield has not been cleaned up yet, and most of the troops will return according to plan after half a month, so the whole army meeting dinner needs to be postponed for now."

  "Huh?" The voice on the other end sounded somewhat surprised, "Such a small matter, you usually don't participate in, oh, right, I remembered, your family's old man's birthday is coming up, remember to send me an invitation!"

  "Thank you for your concern, I'll definitely invite you to join us at that time. By the way, I'm a bit busy with things right now, how about we have lunch together? There's something about the military exercise that I need to report to you."

  Song Shuyu thought of the photos related to the military performance and the internal reference report, thinking that time couldn't be delayed any longer, so he immediately raised his spirits.

  "Alright alright alright, I was just thinking of chatting with you too, see you later."

  Song Shuoye simply flipped through the documents and the clerk came to inform him that the meeting time had arrived.

  "I'll go right away." He picked up the documents selected on the table and walked out in big strides.

  Everyone in the meeting room was silent, there was one thing that was tightly covered up externally, but internally it still needed to be faced - due to quality problems with food supplies, several soldiers from the three companies left behind during the military exercise had food poisoning, and despite all efforts to rescue them, one person died.

  The nature is really too bad, his subordinates all know that Song Shuyu is very protective of his people, following him to do things, he knows how to cherish everyone's hard work, honor and bonuses, etc., often try their best to fight for everyone. However, for those who stretch out their hands too long, they are also ruthless in dealing with them.

  It seems that among those present today, there must be some who will be directly eliminated from the management team.

  The door was pushed open, and the originally quiet conference room suddenly became so quiet that it was terrifying.

  Song Shuyu raised his hand to stop Li Yang, who was temporarily presiding over the meeting in place of the three consecutive chairmen, from standing up.

  "Many things to attend to and time is tight. I have to go to the department to report on my work soon, so let's skip those unnecessary formalities at the meeting!"

  "Now everyone is discussing, what good countermeasures there are, just speak out, we will study and come up with a compensation plan together, as well as a strict liability plan."

  After finishing speaking, he took out a lighter and lit a cigarette, no longer saying anything.

  Those big and small heads were all stunned, this was not the imagined strong accusation, questioning attitude, only to see his eyes calm, attitude relaxed, completely without the imagined anger.

  Even so, how dare they speak recklessly?

  Afraid that if one is not careful, the fire will burn right up to one's own eyebrows.

  "Although the incident at the instructor's place is already considered a thing of the past, I must ensure that the aftermath, including compensation and resettlement for the deceased's family, is properly handled. This plan for handling the aftermath is very detailed, and I don't see any major issues with it. However, no amount of money can buy back a life. Try putting yourself in their shoes and think about it as if your own brother had died; only then will you not be blinded by petty personal gains."

  This is the army, the pillar of the state. Anyone who dares to try to make a fortune from here should have his hands cut off as soon as possible.

  The reconnaissance platoon is stationed at the military court, and if this problem is not solved, they will go there every day to stand guard for them.

  Those who can speak up, go there to exert pressure, the food inspection report that investigates the cause of death, directly bring the hospital's test report to the military court, whoever speaks for him will be held accountable by a military order, guaranteeing that guy who committed the crime, don't just talk nonsense, this is provoking the country, we'll give it a fair trial, if the one poisoned to death was an ordinary civilian, wouldn't they just ignore it and fool them?!

  The financial department followed the old practice and gave out funeral expenses and consolation money to this unit, according to the highest compensation standard, all at once.

  The Logistics Department inquired about the special requirements of the family members and reported back in a timely manner.

  Three rows and two columns, the one who got into trouble is your subordinate. You must take good care of the deceased's family, do not fight back or retort, accompany the family to bring the ashes back to their hometown, arrange for burial in the Martyrs' Cemetery, absolutely cannot have any more incidents, come back and report to me.

  "Yes!" Everyone replied in unison, each secretly letting out a sigh of relief. It seems that today's hurdle has been passed, and follow-up work needs to be done immediately. Anyone who dares to make another mistake will likely face the pent-up anger head-on.

  They send us their rambunctious kids and what are we supposed to do with them?!

  "Let everyone remember, we are soldiers, our brothers can only fall on the battlefield!" As he said that, his hand involuntarily slapped onto the table.

  Everyone was so frightened that they were barely breathing.

  Song Shuyu's eyes were stern as he looked back one by one, and finally squeezed out a sentence from his teeth: "Don't take it as an example!"

  Then handled a few more things in public, all of which were directly asked to the person in charge and signed off on.

  After dealing with all of this, he rubbed his temples, which were aching slightly. Having accumulated so many things for so long and then handling them all at once, he actually felt much lighter in his heart.

  Walked out of the conference room and headed straight for the teacher's office building.

  Behind the big courtyard of the Ministry, Song Shuyu squinted his eyes and glanced at the two-bedroom, two-hall small nest on the top floor of the residential building in the distance. The curtains were tightly closed, and he didn't know what Xiao Yazi was doing now!

  A faint smile played on his lips.

  A soft and gentle voice came from behind: "Song brother, wait a minute."

  Song Shuwei stopped and turned around, seeing that it was Zhao Shi Chang's daughter, Zhao Yanran, and immediately smiled warmly and nodded.

  She works in the cultural troupe of the military region, four years younger than him, good at singing and dancing, now a deputy director who can hold her own.

  That was the female military officer who was referred to as Song's childhood sweetheart by Qin Luoshui in the video that Sang Hong watched earlier.

  Zhao Yanran wore a new camouflage skirt suit, stepped on hollow black short boots, and floated over with a charming demeanor. A thin layer of sweat appeared on her slightly rounded white face, and there was a smile at the bottom of her eyes and eyebrows:

  "Song, Dad is worried that you've forgotten the time with your workaholic habits. He asked me to pick you up on my way home from work and have dinner together. I just went to the department, but couldn't find you. Ah, by the way, when are you coming back?"

  "This morning." Song Shuyu and she walked side by side towards that row of small villas.

  Zhao Yanran pursed her lips and smiled lightly. As soon as he came back, he came to visit her father and had lunch together. She was the first woman he wanted to see, and the sweetness in her heart made her smile even more dazzling.

  She immediately thought of the military doctor, Mei Lan'er, who always made her feel annoyed in the troop hospital. She probably still didn't know that Song Shuyu had already returned from his military performance. Heh heh, finally got one up on her this time.

  "You must be very tired, you've made another achievement in the military exercise, haha, Dad said you always come up with unexpected moves, making Old Man Ouyang Qingxu blow his beard and glare."

  "It was just luck!"

  "I told Dad, and next year when we have military training, I'll also bring people from our squad to the battlefield with you."

  Zhaoyan praised him and took the opportunity to probe his intentions.

  Song Shuwei couldn't help but laugh at her sudden idea: "It's very dangerous, don't blindly join in the excitement! Just focus on preparing for your farewell party as a soldier."

  "It's always the same old thing, I'm so bored to death."

  ……

  They had walked this road together many times, but today it felt a bit unexpected. Song Shuyu thought the road was too long and he was worried that the little girl would glance out and see him; while Zhao Yanran thought it was too short, she had a lot to say to him.

  Arriving at Zhao's home, in the spacious dining hall, Zhao Yanran's mother Liu Xiu had already cooked a table full of dishes.

  Seeing them enter, she smiled and came over, shouting: "Old Zhao, Shu Yu and Yan Ran are back, let's have dinner."

  Zhao Shizhang came out of the study, smiling and greeting him, and they sat down together.

  Willow catkins had always regarded Song Shuoye as a son-in-law, and when he first transferred here a few years ago, he often came to eat for free; however, later on, he felt the implication of this family, so he felt a bit embarrassed and gradually came less often.

  The four of them chatted enthusiastically in their casual conversation, after dinner, the mother and daughter cleaned up the kitchen, while Song Shuyu followed Zhao Shilang to the study.

  "Shu Yu, these years your seniority has accumulated quite enough, and it's time to move up in position. The only thing that hasn't been settled is the matter of marriage. The organization always feels you're not mature enough, otherwise, this year you should make marriage a major focus of your work."

  Zhao Shilong's words were very sincere and heartfelt.

  "Yeah, I think it's time for me to consider this too, thanks for reminding me." Song Shuyu scratched his hair a bit awkwardly.

  Zhao Shilang heard him respond so neatly, smiled very comfortably, in his view, his daughter Yanran should be the first choice for this clever and capable subordinate to choose a wife.

  Song Shuyu took out two photos from his briefcase and handed them over, which were taken during the military exercise when the Central Military Commission went to direct the battle on the battlefield.

  "The headline photo of the military exercise report is urgent, and it's a good opportunity to confirm. These two standard photos are not bad, I always think that such a good chance should not be missed, what do you think?"

  Two photos highlight four people, the two in the middle are Wang Qingwen, commander of the military region, and the highest leader of the military, the remaining two are Zhao Kai Feng, commander of the division, and Liu Qingxiang, political commissar of the division. The two have the same military rank, but Zhao has a slightly higher position. With someone above them about to retire, they are natural competitors.

  Zhao Kaifeng looked at Song Shuyu's expression and knew that this kid must have an ulterior motive.

  Looking at the two photos in his hand, from left to right are Liu Qingxiang, the military commission secretary, the military region commander and him. At that time, he also weighed the pros and cons before following suit. After all, he thought the recommendation of the military region commander was very important. However, the position on the other side was really tempting, after all, the opportunity to stand next to that person was too rare.

  There is not much difference between these two photos, but a discerning eye can tell the story at a glance - in one photo, Zhao Kai Feng is pointing to something and speaking, with the commander-in-chief and him standing very close together, while the secretary in the middle is smiling at him, Liu Qing Xiang on the other side has a bland expression.

  Another one is a regular highlight of emphasis, the secretary points to the mountains and rivers, and everyone else is a supporting role.

  Zhao Kaifeng narrowed his eyes and stared for a while, then burst out laughing: "You little scamp, you're quite cunning in the details!"

  Song Shuwei smiled and said, "I just think that the standard photo looks a bit stiff, so I'll give you this one instead. The secretary's smile is full of spirit and vitality, and the commander's demeanor is also good, it has more life than that standard photo."

  "Hmm, all of his photos, has he ever seen them?"

  Zhao Kaifeng asked cautiously.

  "Don't worry, Ma Chao has handled this matter very carefully. The imperial photographer is his classmate, and once the thing is sent up, it will be archived and sealed, and won't cause trouble for that person."

  "Alright, remember unity comes first, internal sabotage can only lead to self-destruction."

  ……

  Wang Xiaoshuai directly sent Sang Hong to the door, solemnly asked for her phone number, dialed it, and seriously told her that she must save it, and notify him in time if she needs anything.

  Xiang Hong said thank you, watching him leave, suddenly happily jumped up and threw the keys in her hand high, then jumped to catch them, quickly opened the door, closed her eyes and jumped into the house.

  The door closed behind her, and she slowly opened one eye to take a closer look.

  At the entrance, there was only a pair of silver-gray men's slippers on the shoe rack. With her keen intuition, she sensed that there was no woman in this room, and this discovery made her feel extremely relieved.

  He immediately kicked off his shoes, hugged the bag with his bare feet, and rushed to the bathroom with a frosted glass door. His eyes scanned back and forth like radar, finally locking onto the washbasin - aside from simple shaving cream, cologne, and lotion, there was only a white ceramic cup and a white-handled toothbrush, without any of the miscellaneous trinkets that women usually have.

  She burst out laughing and took out her toiletries from her bag, occupying the other half of the bathroom.

  He took out his own toothbrush and put it in the white ceramic cup, facing up. After thinking for a moment, he felt that it wasn't beautiful enough, so he wandered into the kitchen and found another cup of the same color and style, but slightly smaller in shape, from among the dishes, and placed it next to his cup.

  Still feeling unsatisfied, a bit monotonous, she surprisingly pulled out nail polish and painted an abstract fish on each of the two cups, facing each other with half a heart-shaped bubble, one cup with half a heart.

  She stepped back two steps, narrowed her eyes and admired it for a while, thinking of Song Shuyu's silly expression when brushing his teeth, she couldn't help but laugh secretly.

  She walked out of the bathroom and saw that the two-bedroom, two-hall room was very bright and clean, with a color scheme that was either silver or green, cold and hard, making her feel uncomfortable.

  Forget it, transformation also needs to come a little at a time, and it will be accomplished silently.

  In case I accidentally touched his reverse scales and was thrown out by him, it would be miserable.

  Xiang Hong ran into the kitchen again and saw that all the cooking utensils were clean and shiny.

  She turned around and opened the refrigerator door, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, then immediately laughed. Inside the three-door silver refrigerator, from top to bottom, were colorful arrays of fruits and vegetables, cakes and desserts, meats and seafood, which greatly lifted her mood.

  At the thought of finally having time and space at her disposal, she suddenly shook off her fatigue.

  She indulged in soaking in the big bathtub, washing off the dust on her body and bubbling away the fatigue in her bones.

  She tidied herself up, then quietly pushed open the bedroom door. Before her eyes was a wide double bed with a silver-gray sheet and a stack of books on the bedside table, some of which were half-open, clearly having been read by someone. She looked at the bed, feeling her face flush red, and didn't dare to linger for another moment, hastily closing the bedroom door again.

  Entering the study, I saw a bookshelf occupying one wall, neatly stacked with various military-related books. On the spacious desk, there was a liquid crystal desktop computer, and on the other side, various documents were piled up very neatly.

  She rolled around the room and ended up on the soft, silver sofa in the living room, where she rolled around some more. After she was done frolicking, she felt that there were some things she needed to ask Qin Luoshui about.

  "Hey, what's wrong? Missing me? Just these few days, I'll make time to go see you." Qin Luoshui saw that it was Sang Hong's number and smiled brightly as he teased her, she rarely initiated calls to him.

  "Uh-huh—" Song Hong ignored his teasing and carefully told him about her living in Song Shuyu's dormitory, then somewhat embarrassedly asked him about Song Shuyu's taste and favorite dishes.

  Qin Luoshui heard this and knew that the two of them were going smoothly on the right track, so he timely gave Sang Hong a hint:

  He grew up in A city, so his taste is naturally dominated by the light flavor of our side.

  However, he originally lived with his grandfather, a high-ranking official, who was particular about food and clothing. I guess he had a sharp tongue, so don't expect any surprising feedback from him, just ordinary things will do. The key is that thought, to make him feel the warmth of a small family.

  "Oh."

  "By the way, remind you that such a man is not lacking in cooks and warm beds, you don't need to be too self-sacrificing;"

  What he needs is a woman who can attract his interest, arouse his desire for exploration and conquest.

  "Xiang Hong, be your true self, you're very charming. Don't take it lightly just because you can enter his private space. If something is too easily obtained, it will also be easily lost. Do you understand?"

  ……

  Hanging up the phone, Song Shuyu felt a sense of suffocation in his chest, as if he was filled with mixed emotions.

  Xiang Hong thought for a moment, feeling a bit drowsy, and decided to take a short nap, thinking she would continue when she woke up.

  She woke up from her nap, and lunchtime had already passed. She picked up the phone on the tea table, but there were no missed calls. She pouted, got out of bed lazily, took a dessert from the fridge, heated a cup of milk, and roughly got through the meal.

  After eating and drinking enough, he finally perked up his spirits, remembering the books that filled the walls and shelves. He took a thermos cup, poured himself a full cup of tea, walked into the study, and carefully selected several books.

  She looked at the small tea table by the window, and suddenly had an idea. She pushed the wide, soft armchair behind the desk to the window, pulled open the sunshade curtains, and the warm sunlight of the afternoon poured in. She put the book on the small tea table, brought the tea over, took a sip, and it was so hot that she wanted to spit it out. She had to cover the lid and put it down for now. Like a cat, she curled up in the chair and started reading.

  ……

  "Sang Hong——Sang Hong——"

  It seemed as if someone was calling her, then footsteps rushed into the study, the sound of switches in the study, and the sound of curtains being pulled up. Xiang Hong rubbed her eyes dazedly, not knowing where she was.

  Suddenly, she saw Song Shuwei standing by the window with a smile on his face. She quickly put down her book and prepared to sit up, but forgot about the tea on the coffee table. With a loud crash, the cup fell over, the lid rolled away, and the tea spilled all over the table, flowing in all directions and seeping onto the wooden floor.

  "Ah!" Xiang Hong exclaimed and reached out to grab the book on the tea table, but Song Shu Yu grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

  "Are you burned? How can you be so careless?" The tone couldn't hide the worry and concern.

  "Never mind me, books... all got wet in the rain." Xiang Hong hastily withdrew her hand.

  "It's fine once it dries off, look, they're all scalded red." Song Shuyu picked up her small hands and blew on them gently.

  "There's no need, the water that was spilled this afternoon has already cooled down, and the book will be deformed after it dries. Xiang Hong felt even more embarrassed, trying to pull her hand away to salvage the situation, but he held onto her hand tightly and wouldn't let go."

  "This cup has a good insulation effect; the book is deformed and wants to buy it again, what if it's scalded? You think you're like me, with thick skin and rough flesh, scalding doesn't matter?"

  He said so, and then Xiang Hong felt a burning sensation on the back of her hand.

  Thanks to his reminder, she suddenly remembered that she had scalded him last night and felt a kind of thrilling revenge.

  He took her hand back, covered it with his lips and blew on it, asking: "Aren't you going to search? How did the search end up in the study?"

  "What's wrong with the study? Can't hide evidence anymore?"

  "Oh, what did you see?"

  "Others are thinking about where to hide their secrets, not being scared by you and losing their minds." San Hong teased with a pout, entwining him.

  Song Shu's eyes gleamed with a sly smile as he pulled her into his lap, sitting down on the chair. The subtle fragrance from her body gradually seeped into his nostrils, and her languid, charming appearance made his heart beat faster and faster, pounding violently against his chest. Where she leaned against him was like a source of burning fire, causing his blood to heat up gradually.

  "Alright, let's go. Otherwise, you can check me now, face to face, drum to drum, so I won't be able to deny it. Including my body, do you want to undo every single button and have a look?"

  "Rogue." Xiang Hong gave him a white eye, how this man would become so lazy and naughty whenever he was alone with her.

  "Silly girl, you don't even know how to change your tone, this phrase alone gets me excited."

  "Huh?"

  "Reminding me - I'd rather be a rogue!" He adored her silly, helpless look, and with one flip of his body, he pinned her down on the soft chair, covering her eyes, and his lips followed closely.

  But after just one afternoon of not seeing her, he felt like he was missing her for too long and his hunger was becoming unbearable.

  Xiang Hong only felt that her mind was like a sudden clap of thunder, his kiss was too passionate, and she easily became infatuated.

  She was trapped in his arms, with the faint scent of books and tea lingering between her breaths. The blood in her body was ignited, screaming, making her yearn for him to press down, press down, and crush herself into his body.

  His kisses grew more urgent, biting her small tongue sore, this little pain made her consciousness float between confusion and clarity.

  The kiss continued, and Song Shuyu had already freed one hand, slowly moving down to linger on the soft nape of her neck.

  This elegant arc, the tenacity shown in its fragility, left him in awe.

  He suddenly understood the source of vampires a little, was it at this moment when the blood was unbearable, loving too much, and the sharp teeth were embedded in her blood vessels unknowingly?

  He gazed at her neck and moved his eyes away, his lips grinding against hers, his hand had already slid down to the soft edge of her clothes.

  For a split second, there was a slight hesitation, and then the next second it slipped in uncontrollably, rushing straight to its target.

  Xiang Hong only felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, that sharp sensation making her body tremble with both resistance and longing. This was the study, the first night she had entered his domain, and she didn't want to be so disheveled. Otherwise, would he always take what he wanted from her whenever and wherever he pleased?

  Song Shuwei knew her body's reaction, the warm and large hands wandered on her, leaning down to whisper in her ear: "Honghong, can I?"

  "Is it possible?"

  His voice was suppressed with a few hoarse and urgent tones, his dark eyes wrapped around her like flames, his scorching cheeks rubbing against her face with difficulty.

  Crimson gazed at him dazedly, he had already changed into ordinary home clothes when he returned to the room, his scorching body temperature made her indulge in this tranquility, his body tightly pressed against her legs.

  She knew he was enduring hardship, but at a critical moment, he finally learned to consult her opinion and consider her feelings. Isn't this progress?

  It's not that I'm not moved or don't want to give in, but for no reason, I feel like I should cherish the results of my own struggles even more!

  She needs to have the right to say no.

  Thoughts slowly turned around, consciousness also slowly woke up, their relationship was really too fast.

  She always knew that a good life was about the slow and steady accumulation of small joys, and emotionally, she had hoped for the same. She was afraid that his intense longing and love would only be limited to physical intimacy.

  Flattery may easily win his favor, but it will never gain respect.

  Time and time again, he unscrupulously satisfies his desires, and soon he will become bored with her. Their relationship has already exceeded her expectations. If she can't gain some autonomy for herself, his dominance will only intensify, leaving her helpless and unable to turn the tables.

  "No." She replied clearly.

  Song Shuwei stared at her in defeat, while Sang Hong's bright and shiny eyes showed no weakness.

  He finally gritted his teeth, turned his head and opened his mouth wide, biting down on her neck, but only nipped at it lightly for a moment: "You little demon, you're driving me crazy, I really want to bite you to death."

  He held her tightly and rubbed her a few times, then let out a sigh, turned over, gave her freedom, and muttered to himself:

  "I'm starving, I didn't even have dinner and came back home, otherwise, how could I be so hungry that I would treat you as food?"

  "Hehe, I haven't eaten either."

  Xiang Hong suddenly felt free, jumped down from the chair with a whoop, smoothed out her clothes, grinned like a little fox, leaned forward, gazed at his handsome face, stretched out her finger tip, plucked up her courage, and lightly tapped his straight nose:

  "As a reward for your progress in democratic awareness, I've decided to cook you a good meal to treat your stomach."

  "Will you? Otherwise, let's go out and eat." Song Shuyu reached out and caught her mischievous little hand.

  Don't think he's too suspicious. After all, a little girl like Sang Hong with good grades and looks, how can her family bear to let her cook? Besides, she's always studying, where does she have the time?

  "Hmm, it seems you don't know much about me. Well, let's start with cooking as the beginning of our new life together." Xiang Hong said with a pout, and then turned to head into the kitchen.

  Song Shu Yun spun around in his chair, his eyes inexplicably fixed on her back as she walked away with an almost skipping gait.

  So you like it?

  He savored his feelings carefully, from the joy of their first meeting, to the occasional pangs of longing after they parted, to last night's passionate abandon, to this afternoon's endless official duties that were filled with thoughts of her.

  Originally thought that liking someone would be a rollercoaster of emotions.

  Your happiness is no longer your own happiness, and even a sense of accomplishment cannot replace or fill this void.

  But with just one glance from her, he could go from heaven to hell, and with just one move, he could go from hell to heaven. He was well aware of how dangerous it was to let someone else control his emotions, but this perilous state had him so enthralled.

  Where is the source?

  What makes him so infatuated with her?

  A delicate body? Somewhat, but the magnetic field is simply too compatible with his body. As long as he's close to her, he feels a wave of heat surging through his entire body, and without her, everything feels dull and lifeless.

  Then why did he listen to her and let her go at a critical moment?

  Obviously, Qin Luoshui's words stimulated him. He didn't want such a sweet thing to be his alone, he needed her to experience it together. She was unwilling, so he had to wait.

  After calming down the flames in his body, he leaned over carefully to pick up the scattered pieces on the tea table, and used a clean cloth to absorb the water stains on the book. He was heartbroken, and even more bizarre thoughts came to him.

  He is very particular about his study, and even if Little Wang comes over to sweep it, moving anything will displease him.

  How did this girl just get all his books wet, and yet she didn't even bother to take a look at the books, but instead kept her attention on him?

  He has a lot of information about world-class cutting-edge weapons, which can't even be bought.

  That girl's hand was scalded red on the back, don't know how it is now.

  He thought so and walked out of the study.

  That slender figure was washing something by the sink, then came the chopping sound of "dang dang dang", with a very familiar frequency, and occasionally there were low humming sounds.

  He felt for the first time that his little nest had a warm and sweet atmosphere, as if the small kitchen in this corner brought an indescribable vitality to the whole house.

  He leaned against the kitchen door and concentrated for a while, but couldn't make out what rhythm she was humming "drip drip dong".

  The liquefied gas flame was blue, and the porridge above was obviously being simmered over low heat. The range hood had been turned on. Sang Hong worried that the oil smoke would fly outside, so she reached out to pull the kitchen door open, and that's when she saw him.

  "Are you going to scare people like that without warning?" She teased him with a smile, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

  "Do you need my help?" He thought she looked lovely like this.

  "Can you help me pull the door up?" She nodded towards the kitchen sliding door.

  Song Shuyu pursed his lips and stepped aside, slipping into the kitchen and obediently closing the door.

  "Hey, how did you get in? I mean, lock yourself out the door and go, just wait a bit, it's fine." Xiang Hong was about to start firing when she turned her head and saw him standing right next to her, the pressure suddenly increased, and she couldn't help but smile awkwardly as she pushed him away.

  "What? Afraid I'll steal your ultimate technique?" Song Shuyu had no intention of leaving.

  "There's a smell of oil fumes here, you're all clean and fragrant, don't come here to join in the fun." Shan Hong sniffed his body with her nose, looking intoxicated.

  "Smells good, how come I don't know?" Song Shuyu puzzledly lifted his sleeve and sniffed.

  "How can you smell it? Alright, go out for 15 minutes, I'll tell you what the fragrance on your body is after I finish cooking." San Hong looked at her wet hands and could only pout, using her head to nudge him towards the outside.

  Song Shuoyu hadn't heard the word "well-behaved" used on himself in years, and it made him laugh and cry at the same time, feeling inexplicably happy. He awkwardly raised his hand to rub her short hair, and was obediently pushed out of the kitchen by her.

  The door closed behind him, he raised his hand to touch his face, and only then did he realize that her single word "well-behaved" had made him blush and surrender.

  Can't help but laugh.

  She thinks this girl calls him "good boy" and coaxes him out with a soft tone, how can it be so natural, as if she has called him that hundreds of times.

  Thinking so, he smiled foolishly again. He had never seen anyone being driven away with a small head, and the itchy feeling that rubbed against his chest made him feel surprised and lovely. For a moment, he didn't know how to deal with her.

  Does he smell good?

  He had always disliked the fragrance of various toiletries, and his soap and shampoo were all very refreshing types. However, her entranced appearance made him curious beyond measure.

  Before long, Sang Hong brought up two dishes of stir-fried vegetables, one plate of green and red silk stir-fried beans, and another plate of sliced meat stir-fried with tender bamboo shoots. The thick and fragrant Job's tears lotus seed porridge was steaming hot, and when scooped up with a spoon, it could be pulled out in strands.

  Song Shu Yu looked at the two dishes of home-cooked food, which smelled and tasted great, and his appetite opened up: "Hmm, are you sure you didn't secretly order takeout to trick me?"

  "Chop, where's the takeout with my special secret sauce?" Sang Hong smiled complacently as he served him rice, then took off his apron and sat down beside him to eat.

  Song Shu Yun picked up the small bowl, took a sip of porridge, and felt the delicate softness and fragrance of the lotus seeds that had been cooked to perfection, and the refreshing aroma of Job's tears was irresistible.

  I took a small bite of the stir-fried green and red pepper strips, and suddenly felt that this dish paired with the porridge was really appetizing.

  Xiang Hong saw the surprise and delight overflowing from his eyes, and immediately laughed: "Didn't I tell you?"

  "What's your secret ingredient? It tastes incredibly delicious!"

  "Ultimate skills are not good at passing on, hehe." The curved eyes were filled with cunning smile.

  "Do you often cook? I see that your knife skills for cutting vegetables are quite good." Song Shuyu picked up the evenly cut lotus root slices and said.

  "Alas, I've already regressed quite a bit. Ever since Dad improved the knife, I haven't practiced my knife skills for a long time." Xiang Hong also picked up two strands of bamboo shoots, narrowed her eyes to take a look, shook her head, clearly not satisfied.

  "What did you say?"

  "Do you really want to hear it? It's a long story."

  "Hmm, I really want to... really want to... hear you talk, your voice paired with this food must be especially appetizing."

  Is this the legendary sweet talk?

  Xiang Hong was so excited that she immediately thought of some interesting things from her childhood, and her little mouth was like a babbling brook, talking non-stop!

  "When I was a kid, I was always hungry, and it felt like these two eyes of mine were especially bright, everything I saw was something I wanted to eat."

  I remember that year, I guess Dad was called by creditors and blocked the door, our family had no money or food left, he didn't want to go out at all.

  I'm so hungry that I'm pacing back and forth in the room, he's curled up on the bed with his head covered, it's snowing outside, I know he's also worried about sending food to mom who's sick in the hospital. He asks every now and then how big the snow is outside, I respond from the windowsill - "The snowflakes are falling like white sugar, looking so sweet... It's getting bigger, the ground is covered with a layer as thick as the oil pancakes at Hutong Gate, I really want to eat oil pancakes... It's even bigger, as thick as the crispy pancake at the Korean city lamb soup place, the flavor of the lamb soup is so fresh..." Finally, dad gets up from bed with a sigh and says, "You're a girl, why do you always talk about food, are you a hungry ghost reincarnated?!"

  However, I got up after all, and there were only some noodles left at home. He paired them with various seasonings and cooked a bowl of thin noodles for me. I think that was the best bowl of noodles I've ever had so far.

  From that day on, Dad taught me how to cook dish by dish. In his words, "the skill is not suppressed", when Mom's body recovers, the three of us can open a restaurant together, and we can make whatever we want to eat!

  Song Shuyu gazed at the light in her eyes and picked up some dishes into her bowl: "Eat while talking, I remember reading 'A Bowl of Yangchun Noodles' in my middle school textbook. When I read it, I felt that the description of 'hot and fragrant' made people drool."

  Haha, yeah, I also drooled over that lesson's text for a long time!

  I really like language textbooks, many classmates like the stories in the textbook, but when I pick up a language book, the first thing I do is look for something edible from top to bottom. Until now, I still have special admiration for those writers who can describe food in a way that makes people drool.

  Xiang Hong got a response and suddenly became even more enthusiastic.

  Song Shuyu subtly pushed the dishes in front of her and pointed with his chopsticks.

  Xiang Hong obediently picked up a big chopstick of vegetables, sipped the porridge, and after swallowing, still couldn't control her endless desire to talk: "When I was in elementary school, I read 'I Love My Hometown's Bayberry', the textbook even had colorful pictures. Looking at those bayberries covering the mountains and plains, I was always filled with envy, and would recite those passages to satisfy my cravings."

  Song Shuwei finally widened his eyes and stared at her, a girl who could produce such intense interest in eating, a girl who satisfied this desire through words, was indeed a rare treasure.

  He secretly admired her and finally followed her words: "Can you still remember those lines now?"

  "Of course, want me to recite it for you?" Sang Hong mischievously blinked her eyes.

  Song Shuwei nodded solemnly and opened her phone behind her back.

  Xiang Hong smiled with satisfaction: "Pluck one and put it in your mouth, the tip of your tongue touches the smooth thorns of the Chinese bayberry, making you feel delicate and soft... Gently bite into it, and you can see the fresh red tender flesh, your lips and tongue are simultaneously stained with bright red juice; unripe Chinese bayberries are both sour and sweet, while ripe ones are sweet and juicy, making people love to eat more."

  Song Shuyu moved the phone screen towards her, pointing out the lesson text on Baidu for her to see, and praised repeatedly: "It's really amazing, not a single word is wrong."

  "Heh, sometimes it's especially regrettable. I remember reading this lesson and satisfying my curiosity about bayberries by buying some at a fruit stand, but unfortunately, they didn't have the flavor described above."

  And was also scolded by her father as a prodigal daughter, she felt quite regretful, it's really that tasting is not as good as reading.

  Xiang Hong pouted and looked dejected.

  Song Shuwei couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to pinch her nose: "What you ate was probably sold by the peddler for a long time, not fresh, and now the season is over. Next July when the bayberries are ripe, I'll take you to pick them from the tree, and we can slowly taste what they're like."

  "Really?"

  Song Shuwei nodded, and Sang Hong smiled awkwardly: "Eh, your explanation can actually make me feel better. It's not fresh, so it doesn't have that wonderful aftertaste. If I eat the fresh one and find out it's actually not delicious at all, how disappointing would that be?"

  No need to be disappointed, think about the topic, I love the Yangmei in my hometown, things from my hometown, that taste may have been a bit distorted, I guess, let the author grow up and go eat again, he may not be able to bring out the taste of memory, words are like this, letting imagination burst forth infinitely, just this, has already added a lot of fun to life;

  Besides, with me by your side, the taste of the bayberry should be somewhat different too.”

  "Uh-huh, that's right. I remember when I learned the phrase 'a bowl of Yang Chun noodles', I went home and asked my dad what Yang Chun noodles were, he said he didn't know;"

  Later, he asked many chefs and finally told me with a smile, 'Yangchun noodles are just plain white noodles boiled in clear water, handmade noodles, the most primitive and simple noodles, without any vegetables or seasonings. It turns out that I, your old man, had cooked Yangchun noodles for you long ago.'

  I was struck by his explanation and thought he must be fooling me. At that time, I thought to myself, one day, I will definitely go to Japan to try a bowl of the legendary Ramen.

  Xiang Hong said with a smack of her lips.

  Song Shuoye finally burst out laughing: "You're really funny, if you went to Japan just for that bowl of wonton noodles, you'll probably be even more disappointed."

  "What? Have you eaten?"

  "Hmm, your dad is right, it's that plain noodle dish with no vegetables." Song Shuyu smiled to himself, his mouth curled up.

  "You're lying, no one believes you."

  "There's no need to cheat you, actually sitting in Japan eating that bowl of Ramen is just a special experience, it's about the culture; just like the meat pies sold on our streets and the hamburgers in hamburger shops, the nutrition is similar, but the price difference is huge, the only difference is maybe an extra slice of lettuce, these are foods from different cultural backgrounds; must you go to France to try the oysters that Uncle Yule sold when he was down on his luck after reading 'My Uncle Yule'?"

  Song Shuyu summed it up perfectly and asked a very clever question.

  Xiang Hong's eyes widened in surprise, and she smiled awkwardly: "Eh---how did you know I had such thoughts?"

  "I'm really convinced by you, I advise you to just enjoy the words, I even suspect that if I were to compile a cookbook, it would be easier to lure you away."

  Song Shuyu said it quite seriously.

  Xiang Hong shrugged and smiled secretly, then lowered her head to drink congee.

  Song Shuwei thought back to her expression when she spoke and couldn't help but speculate about the information conveyed in her words.

  What kind of family lets their child cook at such a young age?

  Where's mom? In a family of three, she wasn't left out in their imagination, probably her body is either sick or weak.

  What kind of man can bear to scold such a well-behaved and lovely little girl, I reckon seeing her go hungry would make him more heartbroken than angry, and self-blame would be greater than sorrow.

  At that time, he thought her parents were just merchants under Qin Luoshui, who took the opportunity to make money and let her cling to them. Now, there might be other hidden reasons, and he would definitely ask clearly when he had a chance.

  "Nowadays, few girls can cook well, have you ever been proud of your good cooking skills?"

  Song Shuwei asked curiously.

  Xiang Hong patted the rice and thought for a moment, saying: "When cooking and stir-frying, I just hope that the meal is delicious, and Mom can eat more. As for opening a restaurant with our family, I know Dad was coaxing me, how could we possibly afford it? Moreover, at that time, I never even thought about leaving home or having the opportunity to enter university."

  Song Shuwei listened to her words, watching her only lower her head to drink porridge, not even picking up any dishes, knowing that she might still be holding back, recalling the incident of Qin Luoshui sending her to his side, feeling the hardships weighing on her thin shoulders, he looked at her with some heartache and said:

  "Eat more, you're growing up."

  "Uh-huh, you too. What dish do you like to eat? Just tell me and I'll try my best to make it taste the way you expect." Xiang Hong felt a little sweetness seeing him being so considerate of her.

  "Haha, I was thinking, now I finally understand what you mean by your special seasoning." Song Shuyu looked at the bright smile in her eyes and couldn't help but feel interested, joking with her.

  "Huh?" Xiang Hong clearly didn't believe it, "Tell me more."

  "Will there be a reward if I guess correctly?"

  "Go on," said Sang Hong, who was always straightforward and couldn't stand others being evasive.

  "The secret ingredient is to use your heart, to think carefully when cooking, and to consider how the dishes can be matched in a way that looks good, tastes good, and is nutritious. The hope is that the person eating will feel some thoughtfulness and hope."

  Song Shuyu didn't just make something up, all you need to do is connect her previous and next words, and you can infer this point of view, after all, the flavor of the seasonings commonly used in his kitchen he was still very familiar with, where did she get her so-called secret seasoning from.

  Xiang Hong was slightly taken aback and pondered for a moment, feeling that his words were similar to what she had thought when she casually deceived him into going out.

  Is this the legendary telepathy?

  Xiang Hong smiled and nodded: "The heart you mentioned in your words is well said. The heart is reflected in the dishes, flavors, colors, and even the objects of eating. For example, at noon, a formal meal, what you eat in the restaurant is usually rice, vegetables, and dishes. In the evening, porridge with light dishes can comfort a tired stomach; this is my interpretation. Can you tell me what kind of heart you have eaten from the dinner I made?"

  Song Shuwei listened to her words and knew that he had not guessed wrong, and there was also a small surprise beyond his expectation. He heard her kick the ball back again, and immediately smiled at her:

  "Eat out your carefulness and nervousness!"

  Xiang Hong's eyes widened instantly, she was very tense about his attitude, but she thought she had covered it up well, didn't expect him to have already discovered it, and immediately retorted: "What reason?"

  "This porridge, no matter how picky the person is, won't be too repulsive for dinner, so it's a clever choice. After all, there are frozen dumplings and wontons in the fridge that can easily pass as a meal; but you actually spent 40 minutes cooking this porridge, which shows you're taking this meal seriously."

  "This dish is mainly vegetarian, light and slightly spicy. I estimate that after eating this meal, you can probably guess my basic taste without me saying a word."

  Xiang Hong heard him say that and awkwardly twisted her words: "It's not as complicated as you said, I just did it casually."

  "Haha, it's not like that, I prefer us to be more relaxed and natural. You don't have to be too careful, people who come out of the army are good at handling their mouths; anyway, thanks for the delicious and comforting meal."

  Song Shu said with disdain, "Am I crazy? I'm so patiently figuring out what's on Xiao Yu's mind?"

  Xiang Hong smiled and stood up, making a "wait a minute" gesture to him.

  She got up and went into the kitchen, and soon brought out a small bowl of steaming hot food, placing it in front of him: "This is your reward, try it, what's the taste of truly slow-cooked congee."

  Song Shuwei picked up the spoon and stirred it, feeling that it was a bit thicker, but otherwise no different.

  "Try some!" Xiang Hong urged him in a soft voice as she saw he was just staring at it without eating.

  He picked up the spoon, scooped some into his mouth, blew on it gently, and savored the flavor: "Wow! It's not easy to stew Job's tears to this level. This is truly a culinary secret!"

  He nodded in appreciation and ate it all up in just a few mouthfuls.

  Xiang Hong watched him eat happily, laughing until her eyes narrowed into a slit: "Just now I was worried that you had waited for too long and were starving, which would have ruined your appetite. The remaining bowl of porridge was left in the pot to continue cooking, and after another twenty minutes, it became sticky rice paste. Dad said that when Job's tears reach this stage, their medicinal properties can be fully absorbed by the stomach."

  Song Shuwei felt that this girl couldn't be underestimated, her meticulous and thoughtful nature filled him with a warm feeling of being cared for: "You know a lot."

  "Heh heh, just experience. Although hunger is the best flavor enhancer for food, overdoing it can easily lead to stomach problems. I remember having that kind of memory before, being so hungry that I couldn't eat anything."

  Xiang Hong felt that Song Shu Yu was not as icy and inaccessible as he seemed on the surface, their recent interaction gave her an unexpectedly close feeling.

  After dinner, Song Shuyu took the initiative to clean up the bowls and chopsticks and went to the kitchen to wash them.

  Xiang Hong didn't say anything either and followed him into the kitchen, where she pushed a certain man who was standing by the sink preparing to start work, holding up the blue apron in her hand.

  Song Shu Yu looked over and obediently lowered his head, allowing her to easily put it on him as he held out his two hands that had just touched water.

  Xiang Hong tied the belt from behind him, her fingers feeling his solid waist, and suddenly thought, it would be great to just go on like this - peaceful years, living a stable life.

  "Hmm, if you keep tugging on that strap, won't it just break?" Song Shuyu thought this girl was really strange, she could hide behind his back and fiddle with the strap for so long.

  Xiang Hong was made to feel a bit embarrassed by him, turned around and left the kitchen, wiping the dinner table in circles, hesitated for a long time, feeling that it was impossible to open her mouth to discuss with him where to sleep tonight.

  She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, then ran back to the bedroom in small steps, closed the door, bit her lip and hesitated for a while, but finally didn't lock it.

  Buried himself in the quilt and lay down with his face inward.

  Song Shuyu was sweeping the kitchen with a calm and composed manner, but his ears did not miss any slight movement from outside.

  She heard that she got into bed so quickly, couldn't help but laugh, her living habits were quite good, but it was so early, and yet there was a hint of regret in her heart, she didn't even snuggle up on the sofa to watch TV for a bit or chat with him for a while.

  He was just thinking about how he and she could sit together in the living room watching TV, and how to get her to curl up in his arms like a cat.

  Alas, there's still a pile of official business to attend to, and nothing can be done about it.

  He put everything in order, went straight into the study, organized some plans that needed to be done, rubbed his somewhat stuffy head with his fingers, picked up his phone and called Qin Luoshui.

  "Hey, are you asleep? If so, I won't say more." Song Shuyu looked at the time, it was already past 11 o'clock, and he worried that the guy was indulging in a sweet dream, disturbing others' good deeds.

  "Where can I sleep now? At this hour, the rich urban nightlife has just begun. What's up, say it."

  Qin Luoshui's voice was full of spirited and lively energy.

  "Ah - has the approval document for your new company been issued? Has the groundwork been laid over here?"

  Song Shuyu first picked up the right thing and said.

  "Everything is ready, I just happen to be going over there for inspection in the next few days. Later on your turf, I'll have to rely on you for food and drink."

  Qin Luoshui listened and was immediately delighted, feeling that this guy was too righteous. Such a tedious matter could be settled so quickly, it must have taken some effort.

  "If Master Qin were to ask me for food, wouldn't that be a joke that would make people laugh their teeth off? Let's skip the pleasantries, brother, and save our breath to warm our bellies."

  Song Shuyu listened to his nonsense and pierced through his empty words.

  "Haha, this is a must-see, my belly has never been short of warmth, but you, being picky, might have cooled down your stomach. I'll pass by in two days, let's go see that girl Xiang Hong together, and I'll help you make things right."

  Although Xiao Hong had already told the two of them to live together in the afternoon, Qin Luoshui, a clever person, would not reveal anything, letting him know that Xiao Hong privately asked for his opinion on everything, making it clear that he was fed up!

  "Speaking of her, I actually have something to ask you, how did that girl end up by my side in the first place?"

  Song Shuyu was eager to understand the reason.

  "Alas, don't look down on her just because she's a bit poor. With such talent, any family with some wealth would be willing to take her in."

  Her mother has a serious heart disease, can't even bear going up and down the stairs, has been weak for years, rarely goes downstairs, if this illness is not treated this year, she will miss the last treatment period and can only wait for death.

  Her father used to be the director of the old kiln factory in the city, but after the factory went bankrupt and lost its business, he started his own business but failed, worked as a cook to make a living, and later, seeing that life was hopeless, he made a living by gambling, occasionally doing odd jobs, and lived a miserable life.

  He still had feelings for his wife, and when he saw her at the gates of hell, he swallowed his pride and went to borrow money from the female boss of the casino to pay for surgery, and she agreed on condition that he introduce Xiang Hong to her.

  Qin Luoshui's mouth, of course, knows how to speak and avoid the heavy and light.

  Song Shuwei's face turned gloomy: "Her dad... sold her out just like that?"

  That night she stood in front of him, how desperate and tragic, his heart softened again.

  "It's estimated that this matter was a private agreement between her and the female boss, her father may not know about it, or maybe he's pretending to be unaware; however, judging from the current situation, her family has indeed turned over a new leaf because of this money, her mother's surgery went smoothly, and her father no longer gambles recklessly, but instead accompanies his wife who is recovering from illness with great patience."

  Qin Luo spoke the truth.

  Song Shuwei was stunned, living in such a family, mentioning her father and mother without any complaints. She has grown up to be the way she is now, is it because of good luck or bad luck?!

  "This girl - what kind of person do you think she is?"

  Qin Luoshui heard him ask this way and hesitated for a moment before saying:

  "I don't interact with her much and don't understand her well, but based on experience, this girl, although she's been through a lot at the bottom, has an extraordinary temperament, with many advantages. Every time I see her after getting to know her, I discover something amazing about her. In short, if you have her by your side, your days won't be so dull and boring, there will be a lot more fun."

  "You think so highly of her, but considering how you usually act, why did you give her up to me in the first place?"

  Song Shu thought of the dinner time, Sang Hong's playful appearance, his mouth twitched with a smile, but although the tone was light, it couldn't hide that sour taste.

  Qin Luoshui's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a pang of jealousy. This man was quite petty.

  "Hehe, to be honest, I did have a crush on you. You know my usual personality, I can appreciate all kinds of beauty, plump or slender. But for me, having a crush only has to do with hormonal secretion, and I'll get tired of it quickly."

  "I think she's quite filial and smart, to be able to struggle up from such a living environment is really not easy. She deserves better, like you, if you're moved then maybe give her an explanation, but if it falls into my hands... what a pity."

  Qin Luoshui said this, feeling stuffy in his heart, and the phrase "self-entrapment" was exactly about him. How could he lie that he had never been moved at all? The more he lied, the more suspicious it became.

  That girl was never interested in him, wasn't it obvious that he had made a pass at her before? Besides, even if I said something, that person probably wouldn't believe me anyway. It's really hard to be a good person.

  This remark made Song Shuyu feel much more at ease:

  "Spare some time to take care of her family, her father was once a factory director, so he's had leadership experience, helping him out a bit shouldn't be impossible."

  Song Shuoyu let out a long sigh and said to Qin Luoshui in a clear tone, "The truth of life is cruel. Since we have this little fate, taking care of each other is what should be done."

  When he talked about his family with Shang Hong, the expression on her face told him that she had a good relationship with her parents. The affectionate and soft eyes filled with worry made it impossible for him to ignore.

  She could have spoken up and made him change his living situation, but this silly girl didn't get it, where is her cleverness?

  Isn't this what they call "great wisdom behind a foolish appearance"?

  However, her approach clearly made him feel less used and the feeling of taking the initiative to do something for her was quite good.

  He hung up the phone and quickly finished what he was doing, then looked at the single bed in the study, the quilt and sheets were neatly arranged without a single wrinkle, giving him an inexplicable sense of rejection.

  I'll just take a look at her and come back as soon as I see she's asleep.

  Then he came out of the study, tiptoed and quietly opened the bedroom door, and walked in gently.

  The autumn moonlight was like silver, shining through the curtains and spreading across the bed, mingling with his soft, gentle breathing, making him feel that the entire room was filled with a warm, tranquil atmosphere, and the warmth seeped into his bones.

  He could hear that she was sleeping soundly, her breathing rhythm very even. On such a wide bed, she curled up on one side, her small body huddled together, wrapped in half of the quilt, like a lovely cocoon.

  He stood for a while, and she was still sleeping soundly. He couldn't help but feel a little envious and annoyed that he was left alone in the study, without even saying goodnight to her.

  Looking at the soft big bed, the slender and delicate little body, he couldn't move his feet anymore.

  Since she sleeps so soundly and sleeps in the innermost part, and the door is not locked, does this mean that she actually doesn't mind sleeping with him? Then can he sleep beside her too?

  Thinking like this, he wanted to hold her and sleep even more. Having known her for so long, they had only slept together a total of two times, which could be counted on one hand. According to his understanding, it was natural to sleep with her, but the sudden stop she made in the study that afternoon felt terrible.

  Sleep here or sleep in the study?

  He hesitated, then thickened his skin and steeled himself, quickly stripping off his pajamas, his movements completely disregarding reason, and slipped under the covers.

  Every inch of progress is made with a trembling heart and a burning face, it's really fucking torturous.

  More troublesome than attacking an enemy's stronghold.

  He gritted his teeth and stretched out his arm, grabbing her small waist and pulling her little body over to him. Without saying a word, he pressed her into his embrace.

  Ah... comfortable!

  It's just this feeling, it's so great!

  Song Shuwei felt that his whole body was comfortable, as if he was holding a tailor-made, heart-warming small pillow, lightly floating like in a dream.

  Xiang Hong symbolically struggled a couple of times and murmured in her sleep.

  The sudden stiffness of her small body in his arms made him clearly aware that she was awake!

  Her heart was in her throat, and if she asked him why he was here, what would he say?

  Who knew that little head would snuggle up in his arms and find a comfortable position, just like a kitten, quietly nestled in his embrace.

  That gentle breathing wrapped around his body was extremely peaceful.

  He restrained his pounding heart, calming himself down, and held her still, secretly rejoicing that she hadn't made a sound to embarrass him.

  Afraid that he can't help but make some special moves again, he patiently gave himself positive psychological suggestions - step by step, step by step, bread will be available, can't eat bread, look at the plum blossom and stop thirst, holding and sniffing to enhance resistance is also meaningful.

  Moreover, he firmly believes that as long as you can hold onto it, you will eventually be able to eat it!

  Xiang Hong listened to the strong rhythmic thumping in his chest, and her heart was filled with vigilance, fearing that his hands would once again unscrupulously entice him.

  After a pause, he felt that he was still quite honest, so he didn't plan to make things more complicated.

  Curled up in his arms and fell asleep, her face against that smooth and solid chest, very satisfying to the skin's thirst.

  Small hands wrapped around the strong waist that was yearned for but could not be reached in the bright daylight, the touch felt indescribably good.

  Her calf squeezed into the space between his legs, another leg wrapped around him majestically, entwining his limbs like an octopus.

  Uh-oh, this feels so weird, it seems like there are many arms and legs tangled up under the quilt!

  Song Shuyu initially didn't understand her intentions, was startled by her closeness and tensed up, but immediately adapted and closely stuck to her, their bodies tightly sealed together - this feeling... was... too... comfortable!

  ……

  At 5:30 in the morning, the biological clock accurately woke up the sleeping body.

  Song Shuwei opened his eyes, touched the soft little body in his arms, and felt an unparalleled sense of pride - look, this is what Liu Xiahui meant by "such a master"!

  However, the suddenly clear body made him embarrassed and unable to show his face - damn it, morning wood had arrived unexpectedly!

  Heh——Liu Xiaohui doesn't know whether he actively or passively became a model of "no desires then strength", anyway, he can be sure that the woman in his arms is definitely not the one he likes, otherwise, who knows how hot and passionate it would be!

  Anyway, he knew that his current state should be classified as passive, but since this little girl wasn't so difficult to deal with, he definitely wouldn't let her go!

  Wow——bittersweet and sweet at heart, after all, I have someone to think about, it's quite interesting!

  In the midst of struggling to understand, he suddenly grasped the profound meaning behind the king's reluctance to rise early. He was just holding on like this, and those kings who had spent a night in battle would find it hard to let go of their beautiful concubines' beds.

  Thinking so, he still got up neatly. He had always been like this; once someone warmed the bed for him, he wouldn't get up. This made Wang Xiaoshuai broadcast loudly: "He's not going to be the laughing stock of the whole team anymore!"

  The bugle sounded loudly throughout the military region —— beep —— beep —— drip drip drop ——

  Why is it that all places related to the military use this wake-up call?

  Scarlet suddenly felt a thrill, conditioned reflexes in general, just wanted to climb up and jump under the bed.

  As I turned my head, I saw a black shadow standing by the bed, rustling as it put on clothes. I was startled and my scalp felt numb. I blinked my eyes, trying to remember where I was this morning, and then I secretly closed my eyes and remained still.

  Song Shuyu quickly changed her clothes, tidied up, turned around and covered the quilt tightly for her, then ran out of the door.

  Xiang Hong listened to his footsteps fading away, feeling relieved and happy, she rolled over to the side he had just lain on, how long hadn't she slept soundly?

  What awaits her next is a protracted war of willpower, she must conserve energy, seize the time to rest - zzz... continue sleeping soundly.

  ……

  Xiang Hong was woken up by a burst of urine, she hastily rushed into the bathroom wearing a pair of oversized slippers that didn't fit her feet. She saw Song Shuyu who had just returned from his morning exercise and finished showering, with tiny water droplets still rolling on his upper body, standing in the morning light leisurely shaving in front of the mirror.

  His figure is excellent, with broad shoulders and narrow hips, a pair of slender and strong legs, deep facial features, under the illumination of morning light, like the beautiful statues displayed in the Florence Sculpture Gallery.

  He raised an eyebrow and stared at her as she burst into the bedroom, then rushed over like a gust of wind, and stood stunned in front of the bathroom door.

  He shaved his beard neatly, tilted his head, stopped the action of washing his face in front of the sink, and looked at her: "What?"

  "Hey, can you please move over a bit? I need to..." San Hong said, her small face flushing bright red as she tugged down on the hem of her slightly short nightgown and pointed at the toilet not far from him.

  Song Shuwei raised an eyebrow and expressionlessly said "oh" before leaving.

  After relieving herself at the public toilet, she finally felt relieved, but when she lifted her head and saw her disheveled appearance in the mirror, she was overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment.

  They say women need to maintain their image in front of men, but she can ruin a good impression with just one blink.

  With a sorrowful face, she lifted her hands to start washing her face and brushing her teeth, vowing that from now on, she would never oversleep again and absolutely show him the most radiant and beautiful version of herself.

  He lifted his hand and saw that his toothbrush was placed horizontally on the rim of his teacup, with toothpaste already squeezed onto the bristles.

  She measured the two white ceramic tea cups placed side by side, and the heart pattern was still very neat.

  The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and this guy didn't seem as scatterbrained as he looked!

  Brush brush brush - her low mood suddenly lifted up.

  ……

  A knock at the door was followed by a low, husky voice: "Hurry up, your congee is getting cold."

  Xiang Hong looked at her neatly combed hair and small face, nodded in satisfaction, and went out immediately.

  All she saw was the man waiting by the dinner table, his upper body already clad in a snow-white cotton vest. The vest was tight and shiny, cinched at his sturdy waist, the effect... was so provocative that it made her drool, it would be better if he didn't wear it at all.

  Song Shuwei received the message in her eyes, bewildered, and looked down at herself: "What's wrong?"

  "Alright, from now on let's make three rules, after all there are members of the opposite sex at home, if you dress too revealingly, it's easy to make people... lose their humanity."

  Xiang Hong felt her throat tighten, and after a pause, she hesitated, not raising her hand to touch her nostrils. Let the nosebleed flow, don't be afraid of losing face, let him see the effect of his sinful attire.

  Song Shuyu understood the meaning behind her words, and calmly sized up her clothes, pushing away the rice bowl: "I'll go get my coat right now, you should too, don't wear such a short jacket in front of me anymore."

  But in his heart, he couldn't help but laugh at her unreservedly fierce words - this little girl's words were sharp, and it turned out that not just him, but she too could transform into a wolf if she wasn't careful!

  "Nightgown?" Xiang Hong lowered her head to see the nightgown that reached down to her knees, and she was so embarrassed that she covered her face and ran into the bedroom.

  As soon as she pushed open the door, Song Shuyu had just taken off his vest and was taking out clothes from the closet, and when he saw her coming in, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  "What's going on? Come and take a look?"

  Xiang Hong suddenly changed the hand covering her face to a rubbing motion, muttering: "Hmph, who cares, it's not like I haven't seen it before."

  She walked past him and opened the closet next to him to get her own clothes.

  Song Shuwei caught a whiff of the fragrance wafting from her body, and his arm involuntarily wrapped around her, lowering his head to gaze into her eyes: "Hong Hong, do you know that this is too tormenting?"

  Xiang Hong looked at him with a mischievous smile and took out her clothes from the closet: "Alright, let's go, the porridge is cold."

  Song Shuwei lowered his head and glared at her fiercely, his Adam's apple moving up and down several times before he finally let go of her and turned to leave, buttoning up as he went.

  This guy's willpower is getting stronger and stronger!

  Xiang Hong smiled and looked at his back, took off her clothes from inside to outside, changed neatly, and went out for dinner.

  "From the cafeteria." Song Shuyu said, pushing over the tea leaf eggs, fried dough sticks and desserts stored in the fridge.

  "Thank you, what's the plan for me next?"

  Xiang Hong politely expressed her gratitude, and after hesitating for a moment, she pointed to the dessert.

  "From what you said, if you want to go to the cultural troupe to learn skills, I'm familiar with the head of that place and can take you there; if you want to follow the strong training class of the troops, I'll have someone take you there. Moreover, when I have time, I can accompany you to practice. You choose."

  Song Shuyu thought of the excuse she used to let her join the troops, and the words sounded grand and democratic; however, it was also a selfish heart, and one could tell at once.

  Xiang Hong and he exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but smile sweetly.

  Deep down, he thought, wasn't the leader of the literature and art troupe that girl who had grown up with him?

  No way, I absolutely cannot go there and give them a chance to meet or deepen their feelings.

  "Is there even a need to choose? Of course it's the reinforcement class of the troops. I came here specifically for you as my training partner."

  Song Shuwei was delighted to hear that, this girl is quite interesting, he thought she would at least take another step to understand the situation and consider it carefully. After all, going to the literature and art troupe to mix and mingle with the days is much more relaxing than choosing a rigorous training class, which is truly self-inflicted hardship. It seems that the condition she proposed that day was not just a bluff.

  He then said warmly: "Then hurry up and eat, soon I'll get Wang Xiaoshuai to come pick you up and take you there directly."

  Xiang Hong herself was planning to eat slowly and steadily, but when she heard his words, she knew he couldn't accompany her, so she stared at him blankly for a moment, realizing that she had overstepped her bounds. How could she have inadvertently started to rely on him?

  Hurriedly covering up and lowering his head to drink porridge.

  "I need to make some arrangements before I can leave, and if I want to learn something, I have to work hard to integrate into the new environment." Song Shuyu couldn't help but understand her thoughts, so he spoke up to comfort her.

  "Uh-huh, got it, you don't have to worry too much about me, I adapt well." Xiang Hong raised her head and smiled at him.

  Song Shuwei pursed his lips. This girl was quite strong-willed and had a firm goal in mind. He was also looking forward to seeing what new surprises she would bring him.

  Not long after he left, Wang Xiaoshuai came over to pick her up.

  That young face was full of curiosity, and he looked at Sang Hong with a puzzled expression, his face full of gossip: "Huh? Song Tuan asked me to send you to the base's rigorous training class, I didn't hear it wrong, did I? You're actually borrowed by the Wen Gong Tuan as a high-ranking advisor."

  "What a high-ranking official, the school sent me here with a more important intention to take lessons and see how your local masters were trained." Sang Hong said casually.

  Wang Xiaoshuai was getting more and more flustered, even when sending someone to learn, he had to send a sturdy young man with a strong build, but instead he sent her, such a weak and delicate little girl, into the wolf's den, it was suspicious no matter how you thought about it.

  He thought of Song Tuan, who went out for a run in the morning and saw him take a woman to that little nest for the first time. In the morning, he was not drunk and gentle, as usual, got up from bed and went for a run!

  Cough cough cough——Something's up!

  His incredibly rich imagination ran wild - would this little girl not let Song Tuan have his way, and he was unsatisfied, so he specially threw her somewhere to give her a show?

  Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for the poor and kind little girl.

  Suddenly another thought, for a moment can't figure out who this sympathy should be sent to - sympathize with Song Tuan, there are so many girls here who admire him and follow his heroic figure, as long as he doesn't scowl and refuse people, I don't know how many will throw themselves into his arms, why did he find such an unromantic little girl, isn't this self-inflicted?!

  Pity this little girl, with a look of expectation on her face, as if she's rushing to the Tiananmen Tower to receive an award, without knowing what kind of danger and hardship await her ahead; just obediently follow Song Tuan and be done with it, having met such a good man who is clean and self-disciplined, why still play hard to get.

  These two people are purely annoying and looking for trouble.

  "What kind of people are in your intensive training class here?" Shan Hong asked curiously.

  "The intensive training class is naturally for intensified training, and those people are cultivated as special forces seedlings." Wang Xiaoshuai was very cautious, he didn't plan to say more, in case he slipped up and scared this girl away. What would happen to Song Tuan's prestige then? He'd be torn apart on the spot.

  "Are they all selected from the new recruit regiment?" Shan Hong asked persistently.

  "Not all of them, some are old soldiers with a bit of potential."

  "Are there many girls?"

  "It's not clear, go and you'll know." Wang Xiaoshuai swallowed the torrent of words that had been longing to burst out of his abdomen, closed his mouth tightly, and firmly remembered the saying "disaster comes from the mouth".

  Half an hour's drive and they arrived at the location of the base's reinforcement class.

  Wang Xiaoshuai got off the bus and handed over his pass, and was then allowed to go through.

  Drove all the way to the foot of the mountain, and after seven twists and turns, I saw the isolated barracks hidden in the woods. The reinforced class chose this place, on the one hand, it is close to the nearby well-protected high-mountain forest, on the other hand, various new training facilities of the troops are all built around here.

  Wang Xiaoshuai got off at the last checkpoint and explained his intention to the sentry who had stepped out to intercept him. The sentry beckoned, and a sentry from afar came running over to take him and Sang Hong straight to the barracks.

  "Captain Zhao has just finished his morning training with that group of people and is probably having lunch now. I'll go inform him, please wait here for a moment."

  The sentry knew Wang Xiaoshuai and knew that he was a duty soldier from Song's team. Although Wang Xiaoshuai's rank was not higher than his, after all, he was a person beside the leader, so he didn't dare to slack off.

  "Never mind, her name is Sang Hong. You take her directly to meet Captain Zhao and tell him that she's a new recruit sent by Team Leader Song to participate in the intensive training, let her follow along with the others."

  Wang Xiaoshuai is very unkind, standing still and not planning to go in, dumping Sang Hong and wanting to slip away.

  Xiang Hong was somewhat unexpected, with an undisguised gaze of disdain: "Wang Xiaoshuai, you're just going to abandon me here?"

  Wang Xiaoshuai stiffened his scalp and spread his hands: "Song Tuan told me to send you to the base, I've always executed the leader's orders without any discount."

  He said that, then saluted the sentry and bid farewell, afraid of being stuck with Sang Hong, almost running onto the car, turning around quickly and slipping away quickly.

  Wang Xiaoshuai did this because he was very clear about what kind of person Captain Zhao was.

  Zhao Gan Kun is a veteran deputy commander of special forces, always cold-faced and unfeeling, with no human emotions, and extremely arrogant.

  He was well aware that bringing Sang Hong along would only add one more person to mock her, where would he have the nerve to watch? Once Sang Hong couldn't take that guy's provocation and contempt, crying and yelling to go back with him, what could he do?

  It's better to get out of it as soon as possible.

  Anyway, Song Tuan said he would be here by this afternoon at the latest. Let's leave room for the real hero to save the beauty, who dares to overstep his authority?

  Xiang Hong looked at his disheveled appearance, suppressing the astonishment in her heart, and couldn't help but feel a pang. She turned to face the sentry with a sweet smile: "Big brother, he's so scared, I guess this Zhao team leader I'm going to see is quite... quite... strict?"

  She racked her brains but couldn't think of a word to describe her conjecture.

  That sentinel was also surprised at Wang Xiaoshuai's evasive appearance, Zhao Team Leader and Song Tuan's relationship were said to be very close, it shouldn't have been that he didn't give face to Song Tuan, but looking at this slender little girl, he couldn't help but worry about her.

  He smiled and said, "Captain Zhao is very serious, but he's actually quite good to those who are qualified to participate in special training. You have to understand that the people who can get here are all top-notch fighters who have been through many battles."

  Look, what they said is quite reasonable.

  In other words, if you don't have two brushes, then don't go and humiliate yourself.

  Xiang Hong raised an eyebrow and smiled: "No wonder Wang Xiao Shuai ran away so awkwardly, he must be worried that I would make him lose face!"

  "Hehe, it's possible that Captain Zhao is a person who can't be underestimated in terms of skills."

  The sentinel looked at her and heard that remark, still smiling, but he couldn't help but relax his nerves. After all, you can't judge a person by their appearance! He didn't dare to underestimate this little girl.

  When they entered the dining room, the group of people had obviously finished their meal and were discussing something around the dinner table.

  The man in the center, about forty years old, was surrounded by a crowd of people like a moon among stars. His tall and slender figure, his blurry face, only a pair of bright and piercing eyes remained, and he caught sight of her at a glance.

  Everyone followed his gaze and also looked over, and they all sat down in a scattered manner.

  "Report to the captain, Song's squad's duty soldier has brought a new team member and hopes she can follow you for collective training." The sentry saluted and reported, then turned around and retreated.

  Everyone's eyes suddenly fell on Sang Hong's body.

  "Reporting to Captain Zhao, I am Shan Hong, a freshman from B City XX Military Academy."

  As soon as she finished speaking, the expressions on everyone's faces were all stunned: this new student from the military academy? The military training has already been assigned to someone, how can Song Tuan casually send someone to their core training base?

  "Oh, it's Sang Hong, I presume. You must have come to the wrong place for military training." Zhao Gan's eyes narrowed, and as his words fell, a ripple of gentle laughter spread through the cafeteria.

  Xiang Hong naturally heard the sarcasm in his words and politely said, "Can't I just enter a place like yours alone mean that I have the qualifications to participate in your training?"

  Zhao Qiankun squinted his eyes and waved his hand:

  "Here, it's not about qualifications, but strength, and we're fighting with our fists."

  "In that case, how will you test your strength and draw a line?" Sang Hong was calm and composed, knowing that today's pass could only be crossed by her own strength.

  A burst of laughter suddenly spread out.

  Everyone is obviously laughing at her for being overconfident.

  Xiang Hong heard the sound without any embarrassment or irritation, but stood calmly.

  Zhao Ganqun and others laughed, sizing up Sang Hong's calm and fearless demeanor, secretly admiring her. This girl, from her temperament to her bearing, was refined yet not bookish, a true delight to behold.

  Thinking of Song Shuyu, this guy has always been steady and reliable, rarely seen him abuse his power for personal gain, I guess this little girl doesn't have that kind of ability, how would he send someone over to show off?

  At once also came some interest.

  "What's your specialty? Let's hear it. Just pick someone at random and have a match with them. If you win, you can stay."

  Xiang Hong's heart skipped a beat as she glanced around at the dozen or so people standing beside him, and realized that going into this challenge without knowing anything about her opponent was too risky.

  However, doing nothing won't even get you past this hurdle in front of your eyes.

  She had to deliberately misinterpret his meaning and said, "According to what you said, the only thing I can take out is playing mahjong. Are we going to set up a mahjong table here and play a few rounds?"

  Pfft——The people in the restaurant couldn't help but burst out laughing. They were clearly seeing for the first time someone daring to cross Zhao Qiankun.

  Zhao Qiankun also couldn't help but laugh, his cold and gloomy facial expression looked a bit strange, and he said in a chilly tone:

  "Stop distorting the superior's words, don't try to fool people with your little cleverness. If you can't come up with some real skills today, then go back where you came from."

  Xiang Hong stared back at him without backing down, arguing strongly:

  "Captain Zhao, you said I was a clever trickster, but isn't this just great cleverness, openly and brazenly bullying people? As a newcomer who has just arrived, you let me win against everyone present, obviously making things difficult for me."

  The whole room was shocked, with pairs of eyes staring at Sang Hong in unison, no one even dared to breathe.

  Zhao Qiankun furrowed his brow - this girl was quite a handful, with sharp words and cautious actions, not easily provoked or swayed. He spoke in a cold tone: "Then tell me, how do you plan to get us through this pass today?"

  Xiang Hong looked at him and finally spat, then smiled: "I don't have any impressive skills either, I'm just good with throwing darts, winning is unlikely, but we can play a trick or two."

  The whole room suddenly burst into a commotion, this chick is too ridiculous. In the troops, whoever can shoot guns, darts are always the first training to get started with, she plays out of style and wins, isn't that too easy?

  Zhao Qiankun waved his hand and everyone shut their mouths. He expressionlessly said: "What tricks?"

  "Darts, everyone can play, besides, that thing needs to be changed venue, everyone's training time is tight, let's not waste words, I'll use the chopsticks on this table as a substitute for darts. You guys choose one person to stand up and be the target, standing within my limited range of one meter, you can dodge or catch. I'll throw with my back facing him, ten chopsticks, if one hits the target, I win, if all ten miss, I lose."

  Xiang Hong said as she picked up the chopsticks from the chopstick holder on the side table.

  Those soldiers all looked at Zhao Qiankun with high spirits, waiting for his decision.

  Zhao Qiankun looked at Sang Hong's confident appearance and couldn't help but rub his chin, saying casually: "With such conditions, if you were the target, can you guarantee that you could avoid it?"

  "I can't guarantee it, but if the captain is also interested, after I finish this game, if I can stay, I'll be your target and have some fun."

  Xiang Hong gazed at his sparkling eyes, feeling a sense of pressure coming her way. It was said that those divine marksmen could also discern sounds from the wind, and would flash their waist when they had said enough. She made herself even more cautious.

  Zhao Gan saw that the girl's words were tactful and knew when to advance or retreat. From the beginning to now, this scene had been full of suspense and surprises, which was quite interesting. He immediately expressed his satisfaction: "Good! Let it be so."

  He nodded, and immediately a dark-faced guy turned around, dug out a bowl of flour in the kitchen, and ran to the entrance of the dining room to sprinkle out a circle with a diameter of one meter.

  Xiang Hong couldn't help but clutch her forehead in frustration, her headache unrelenting. This guy was too cunning, absolutely a difficult person to deal with.

  She needs to defend against not only the footwork within that one-meter square, but also against opponents who grab the door frame with their hands and swing back and forth to dodge.

  Things have come to this, she certainly can't show cowardice.

  Simply standing quietly by the chopsticks, counting ten pairs of chopsticks with a hint of moisture on them, evenly inserted into the flour bowl, making the top stained with some flour to make the marks more prominent.

  She walked to a distance of three meters from the circle, stretched out her arms and exercised her wrists, flexing each joint of her fingers one by one, and also moved her neck into position.

  Then she stared fixedly at that position, quickly deducing the evasive positions of those flashes with mathematical rapid calculation methods, which ones were unavoidable dead angles.

  Soon a thin boy less than 1.7 meters tall walked over and stood in that circle.

  Xiang Hong gazed at his height, and the data that had already become clear began to adjust in his mind. Soon, it narrowed down to six unavoidable key points.

  The boy obviously didn't dare to be careless, he moved all his joints, staring tightly at Sang Hong's eyes.

  She shouldn't have set such a condition, but shooting with her back to him and not letting him dodge, it's a bit too arrogant. He was confident in his own agility, and he wanted to see how clever she could be.

  Xiang Hong made sure she remembered the direction, slowly closed her eyes, opened them again and looked around, then turned around.

  No one around her dared to interrupt and disturb her sight and hearing anymore. After all, in their opinion, if they were in her shoes, it would be impossible for them to come up with such a difficult move, and this kind of courage made them admire her from the heart. Of course, the suspense naturally became more intense.

  Zhao Ganqun also received that careless attitude, his eyes staring tightly at her ears, without blinking for a moment.

  Xiang Hong took a deep breath, pinched a bamboo chopstick between her left thumb and index finger, closed her eyes, and asked in a low voice: "Excuse me, are you ready?"

  "Alright!" The boy looked at Xiang Hong, who was facing away from him, and suddenly felt a bit bewildered. His opponent, whom he couldn't even see in the eyes, made him feel that every part of his body could be her target.

  Zhao Ganqun was delighted to see that Sang Hong's earlobe, exposed outside her short hair, moved slightly.

  As expected, as soon as the boy's voice fell, the bamboo chopstick held in Sang Hong's left hand shot towards his head with a steady aim, too fast.

  The boy ducked down hastily and easily dodged it.

  He was about to stand up, and Sang Hong had already put the extra bamboo chopsticks in his mouth, one in each hand, alternating shots, as fast as lightning. He dodged left and right, suddenly realizing that the angle of his dodge was being pressed smaller and smaller.

  In a moment of shock, he barely steadied himself, only to see Sang Hong's two hands throwing out four bamboo chopsticks at him in an extremely tricky angle, making it impossible for him to dodge.

  He dodged to one side, twisting and flipping in mid-air, barely avoiding two of them. The remaining two bamboo skewers were unavoidable, one hitting him squarely in the chest, the other striking his bent leg.

  Xiang Hong turned around with a surprised expression, her eyes shining brightly as she gazed at the white spots on his body. Her triumphant smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a hint of embarrassment: "I've been too presumptuous."

  That thin man's face turned green and red, squeezing out a difficult smile: "Indeed, your skills are exceptional, I, Cao, admit defeat."

  After finishing, he lowered his head to pick up the bamboo chopsticks on the ground, and also picked up those that had fallen outside the dining hall. He looked back at Xiang Hong's standing position, feeling even more that her skills were magical.

  This arm strength doesn't need to be said, towards the direction behind his back, without any target, he can probably shoot this far.

  But that instant of unavoidable terror state made him have lingering fear, if what was in her hand was really a flying dart, how terrifying would it be?

  It's well-known that dart-throwing relies on hand accuracy, but she can actually shoot with both hands at the same time! How did she manage to practice this?!

  Zhao Qiankun applauded first, and immediately there was a burst of applause.

  He stood up with a smile and said to Sang Hong: "Congratulations on passing, but I'm also excited by your skill. Why don't you be my target for a bit?"

  Xiang Hong smiled and said: "In front of Captain, you can only suffer by yourself if you try to be clever."

  This remark was heard by everyone, and it was obviously a flattering phrase. However, Zhao Gan heard another meaning in it, knowing that she didn't want to win and was worried about embarrassing him.

  He then said seriously: "You use all your strength, if you can dodge there will be a reward. Moreover, my wrist strength is not stronger than yours, if I hit you, I'll get hurt."

  Xiang Hong saw the seriousness in his eyes and immediately responded with a sound. To be honest, she was also very curious about his skills.

  Cao Meng respectfully placed the bamboo chopsticks he had collected in his hand into Zhao Gan's hands, saying in a low voice: "Don't underestimate her, her strength is not small at all. My knee joint was beaten by her until it went numb, and that feeling lasted for at least three minutes."

  Zhao Qiankun's mind immediately flashed back to the final killing move that Sang Hong had shot out, and his position was indeed very accurate. He nodded slightly, this guy wanted to avenge himself for him.

  He took over the chopsticks and walked casually to a place more than four meters in front of Sang Hong.

  Xiang Hong gazed at his standing posture, suddenly feeling a strong pressure locked onto herself, making her whole body tense and unable to move. The kind of oppressive and powerful aura made her realize that she was like prey in his eyes, with no escape.

  Heaven!

  This man must have killed people before. The cold and determined look in his eyes made her tense up, with sweat beading on the palms of her hands.

  "Can I touch the chopsticks that have been shot over? Is it not considered a loss as long as the white one doesn't stick to me?" She narrowed her eyes and asked, trying to boost her own courage.

  Zhao Qiankun smiled wryly: "Yes."

  Xiang Hong thought that his smile at the corner of his mouth was sarcastic, implying that she was overestimating herself. She stood up with her horse stance and said, "Come on."

  She chose this posture very well. With one jump, she can climb up to the door frame and swing back and forth. If she ducks down, she won't be too embarrassed.

  Zhao Ganqun turned around, and Sang Hong raised her ears vigilantly.

  "Go!" He let out a tiger's roar, and the tip of the black bamboo tube shot forward like a black lightning bolt, rushing straight at her. Sang Hong narrowed her eyes in terror as she realized that there was nowhere for her to dodge, and the two straight tubes were charging directly at her face and the top of her head, clearly sealing off any space for her to jump up.

  In a flash, Sang Hong's legs split forward and backward, her head bowed down on her front leg, suddenly shrinking the attacking points presented by her body to an unbelievable degree. That unexpected flexibility and softness made people exclaim in surprise.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, a gust of wind whizzed past her ear, and she could clearly feel the three bamboo chopsticks narrowly brushing against her body as they whizzed by, sending chills down her spine.

  Zhao Ganqun turned around with a triumphant smile, looking at Sang Hong's posture, his dark face revealing a hint of almost imperceptible smile: "Get up, flexibility is not bad."

  Xiang Hong straightened her waist, propped herself up with both arms, and sprang up lightly. She naturally glanced at the white lines that had been drawn on the outside of her pant legs, patted them gently, and forced a faint smile:

  "Haha, I lost, and was actually hit in two places. If this were a dart game, wouldn't I be covered in colors?"

  Zhao Gan Kun narrowed his eyes and glanced at her, raised the remaining bamboo chopsticks in his hand and threw them on the table, saying calmly: "You had the chance to hang yourself from the top of the door with such a posture, where is my potential blind spot, how did you give up?"

  "Heh, I did have that idea, but in an instant of hesitation, the opportunity was lost and all I could do was continue on. " Xiang Hong smiled awkwardly, for the first time feeling the shock of letting a chance slip away.

  "When facing a strong enemy, never hesitate. Convert your first thought into action or make it a conditioned reflex, because a true enemy will not give you notice before attacking."

  This sentence is Zhao Qiankun's first lesson to Sang Hong.

  "Assemble!" Zhao Qiankun gave the order.

  A dozen or so people quickly formed two rows, and Sang Hong also joined in. There were twelve people standing neatly in the two rows, with only one person left at the end - her.

  "Starting today, Sang Hong becomes a transfer student in the special training class. This isn't favoritism, everyone just saw her skills, although it was only for an instant, but in combat, an instant can reveal one's true strength."

  Morning training, go to the parking lot and drive, all kinds of vehicles, including tanks can move, like what play what, practice for half an hour. In the afternoon, it's a group competition, one group opens and one group rushes, goes to the back mountain and turns around the closed mountain road, which group comes back first gets extra food, which group comes back later follows the usual rule.

  "Yes!" After the sound of respect, someone came out to shout the team, in sync with the beat, six groups of people walked away in unison.

  Xiang Hong didn't hesitate at all, turned around and started walking, although she knew nothing about the vehicle, she still had to follow it with a hard head.

  "Obey orders!" Zhao Gan saw San Hong being so obedient and couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, speaking out to stop her.

  Xiang Hong stopped and turned around.

  "This morning, your task is to test physical strength, puller, dumbbells, barbell, arm strength stick, single-handed push-ups, and so on. Physical strength must be pulled even with those people before starting flying car robbery, cliff climbing, hand-to-hand combat, no-man's land survival, parachute jumping, swimming, tank driving, and mastering various weapon skills training."

  "Yes!" Sang Hong's blood was boiling with excitement. These skills would give her the opportunity to train one by one, and that was a realm she couldn't even imagine.

  "Go to the physical testing room over there, and once you're done, someone will take you to the training grounds." Zhao Qiankun said as he walked away without looking back.

  Xiang Hong walked into the physical testing room, she understood that her first test data would become the standard for formulating later training plans, and absolutely could not hide anything, or else she would be further and further away from mastering the true skills.

  The testing officer looked at Sang Hong's sweaty but still strong state, and couldn't help but feel some sympathy. However, he remained expressionless as he observed the data, after all, endurance and willpower were too important for these soldiers undergoing rigorous training.

  ……

  Song Shuyu had never felt that time was so hard to pass, he raised his wrist to look at his watch more than once, and suddenly felt that time was passing too fast, how could the file have been processed for only half an hour, but it was already mid-morning?

  After a while, I felt that time was passing too slowly and wished I could directly transition to the afternoon special training class.

  Can she stand Zhao Qiankun's torture?

  Damn Wang Xiaoshuai, didn't even have the patience to wait for a personal delivery of something that would put his mind at ease, what's the hurry to roll back so anxiously!

  Digression

  Thanks to cyx90378xxsy for the diamond reward! As a special treat, I've added 5,000 more words. Enjoy everyone!