First Night with the Army: The Stoic Big Shot Is Done Pretending

"Th-Then what are you doing?"

The man’s hot, calloused palm touched her skin. Wen Ci’s skin was soft and smooth, and even though he wasn’t doing much, the touch tickled her. "Put me down. I can walk on my own."

The living room wasn’t far from the bedroom. In just a few steps, he carried Wen Ci into the bedroom and placed her on the bed. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, spilling onto the bed.

Huo Jingyuan’s words were succinct:

"Be good. Time for your medicine."

As he spoke, he took a tube of ointment from the drawer.

"Close the curtains..." Wen Ci swallowed nervously.

Huo Jingyuan did as he was told. He closed the curtains, walked back to the bed, and turned on the light. The doctor had instructed him to apply the ointment evenly around the area.

A warm yellow light filled the room. It wasn’t particularly bright, but it was enough to see Wen Ci’s face. The man’s gaze was intense. A smirk played on his lips. "Should I help you undress, or will you do it yourself?"

Wen Ci: "..."

’She couldn’t stand the look in Huo Jingyuan’s eyes.’

’He was like a hungry wolf staring intently at its prey.’

"Then I..."

Before Huo Jingyuan could finish, Wen Ci reacted strongly. "I-I-I’ll do it myself."

「The next day.」

Wen Ci had a good night’s sleep. When she woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the grey dawn. She stretched, and the sounds of soldiers on their morning run, along with their calls, were exceptionally clear from next door.

She had a strong constitution; the swelling had already gone down after applying the medicine last night.

A bit of a cold wind blew through the Northwest morning. Wen Ci draped a military greatcoat over her shoulders. Just as she opened the door to the outer courtyard, she saw Xue Li standing at the entrance, his hand raised as if about to knock.

Seeing Wen Ci, Xue Li smiled brightly. "Good morning, Sister-in-law."

As he spoke, he handed the steamed buns and rice porridge to Wen Ci. "Sister-in-law, Brother Huo asked me to bring you breakfast. He has to lead the regiment in training drills soon. If he’s not back by noon, I’ll be the one to bring you lunch."

"Won’t that be too much trouble?" Wen Ci frowned slightly.

Xue Li shook his head. "No trouble, no trouble at all."

"I have to go for my run, so I’ll be off."

"Thank you for this, Xue Li."

The standard breakfast provided in the military compound was steamed buns and rice porridge.

The rice porridge was in a lunch box, and she could feel its warmth in her hands. Wen Ci’s eyes curved into a smile. After finishing her breakfast, she washed the lunch box until it was sparkling clean.

Wen Ci decided to take a stroll around the family courtyard to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

The sky suddenly brightened as sunlight spilled across the land. In the distance, the Gobi Desert looked as if it were plated in gold, shimmering brilliantly under the sun’s rays.

The area with the three-bedroom units was quiet. It wasn’t until Wen Ci reached a larger building that she saw anyone. Unlike the single, detached houses with their own yards, this building had about four apartments per floor.

A few small wooden stools were set up in front of the building. The tap was on the first floor; the building had three floors in total, and all its residents shared a single water tap.

Several women were sitting on the wooden stools, holding bowls and eating rice porridge. Wen Ci’s simple attire drew their attention.

"A new arrival?"

Wen Ci nodded. "I just arrived yesterday."

There were about ten buildings like this one in the entire family courtyard. A boisterous woman from the Northeast took out a small stool and waved at Wen Ci. "Hon, come sit over here."

Wen Ci had nothing better to do, so she went over and sat down.

"Hon, where are you from?"

Wen Ci answered, "Beijing."

"Ooh—" The woman from the Northeast widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Isn’t that our Capital?"

Wen Ci nodded. "Yes, but I’m not from Beijing. I’m from the mountains in Beihe. I just took the green-skinned train from Beijing."

Wen Ci’s household registration was from a rural area in Beihe. It was one of those poor villages where, years ago, the educated youth had been sent to work in the countryside.