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

After the meeting, Zhu Jing remembered her birthday was in a couple of days. A smile played on her lips as she said, "My birthday’s in two days. You all have to come over to my place for dinner, okay?"

"Who are you inviting?" Xiang Qin asked.

Things were different now. Before, there were fewer people in the family compound, so they could set up tables in the yard to eat. Now, a large batch of new families had arrived.

It wouldn’t look good for just their small group to be feasting on chicken, duck, and fish out in the yard.

Zhu Jing answered, "I’m not inviting anyone else, just us."

"Where are you planning to have it?"

The question left Zhu Jing a bit dumbfounded. She blinked, pointing to the empty space next to the building’s corridor. "Right here, of course. Isn’t this where we ate last time?"

The "last time" she was referring to was the gathering to welcome Wen Ci to the family compound.

"These buildings around us are all full now. Is it really a good idea to hold a small banquet in the yard? Besides, the men are all conscious about their image and prefer to eat out..."

Xiang Qin’s words sent Zhu Jing into deep thought.

She understood what Xiang Qin was getting at. Their husbands would definitely be invited to the birthday dinner. The original plan had been to have two tables—one for the men, and another for the women and children.

Suddenly, an idea seemed to strike Zhu Jing. She looked at Wen Ci and asked, "Wen Ci, could we have the dinner at your place in two days?"

The yard of her three-bedroom house could easily accommodate three or four tables.

"You can," Wen Ci agreed without a second thought. "Of course, you can. I can even help out over the weekend."

After they finished chatting, Wen Ci returned home. A vintage roadster bicycle was parked casually in the middle of the yard, the bright sunlight glinting off its frame, making it particularly eye-catching.

The door to the main room was wide open. Wen Ci peered inside, thinking her husband was still home. She called out in a soft, sweet voice, "Huo Jingyuan~ Mr. Huo~"

’Giving it away was one thing, but she still wanted to ride that roadster at least once. She wanted that dopey husband of hers to pedal her around their own yard for a spin.’

When no one answered after a long moment, Wen Ci walked up the steps to the main room. She did a quick turn inside but saw no sign of Huo Jingyuan. She murmured to herself, "Huh, did he go to work?"

-

The next day, Wen Ci went to work as usual.

The day before, she had gotten a call from Huo Jingyuan on the landline at home. He told her he probably wouldn’t be able to come home for the next couple of days, and that she’d have to put up with eating at the cafeteria.

He’d make it up to her properly when he got back.

She had just stepped into the hospital when she heard some colleagues discussing how the military district had temporarily suspended the bus service. Curious, she interjected, "Then what will the families in the compound do?"

"I think they’re sending military vehicles to pick them up."

Yu Qing came over to Wen Ci’s side and asked in a hushed voice, "Is it related to the tires being slashed?"

"Probably."

Wen Ci’s expression turned grave. It was just as she had suspected. For the bus tires to be slashed several times in a row, there had to be something fishy going on.

"Then what about our costumes for the Military Art performance..."

Wen Ci: "..."

’I almost forgot about that.’

Wen Ci sucked in a sharp breath. The Military Art tour was still half a month away. They should be able to figure out what was going on by then.

’If worse comes to worse, I can ask someone to bring a couple of costumes for the Water Sleeve Dance from Sea City.’

Wen Ci spoke calmly, "Let’s just focus on practicing our dance for now. Don’t worry about the costumes." Her expression shifted, and she added with a touch of humor, "As the old saying goes, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Yu Qing laughed out loud.

The sun rose in the east and slowly set in the west. After work, Wen Ci headed straight for the cafeteria. The house felt empty, and since she didn’t feel like washing dishes, she decided to just eat there.

Ever since the cafeteria got a new head chef, the number of people eating there each day had visibly increased.