Chapter 5: The Subtle Affection Between Them

At this moment, Lin Hongzhuo’s face bore no trace of the smile he’d worn when he first entered the house; his eyes, as he looked at An Yan, were full of anger.

“Lin Hongzhuo! Apologize!”

Lin You spoke in a low, stern voice.

“I didn’t say anything wrong. Why should I apologize? I’m going to find Mama Zhu!”

With that, Lin Hongzhuo spun around and ran out of the room.

“I’ll go check on my brother,” Lin Hongzhe said, leaving this remark behind as he followed after him.

An Yan felt a headache coming on. These two boys were clearly not as easy to get along with as Nuannuan. “Captain Lin, do you want to go after them?”

“No need. Let’s eat.”

Fortunately, Lin Nuannuan was at home, so the meal didn’t feel too oppressive.

Afterwards, An Yan helped Lin Nuannuan wash up and coaxed the little girl to sleep. By the time she came out, Lin You had already tidied up the kitchen.

“Maybe you should go look for the boys after all. This is the mountain, and if they get lost, it’ll be a real problem.”

“You’re not angry?”

Lin You took a drag of his cigarette, turned, and looked down at An Yan.

“I wouldn’t get angry with a child. Besides, I was at fault, too—I didn’t consider their feelings. They aren’t like Nuannuan; children their age have their own thoughts.”

Lin You looked a bit surprised.

He didn’t quite know what had happened between An Yan and Xia Cuicui, but the first time he saw this girl, she’d been dressed unusually well, likely the daughter of a well-off family. His home was in the mountains, after all; it was understandable she’d be uncomfortable and a little temperamental on her first day.

But now, it seemed, she’d adapted quite well—and was very understanding.

A thought flickered through Lin You’s mind: a girl this good deserved to marry someone who would truly love and cherish her, not a rough man like himself—let alone one with three children.

He resolved to find a time to talk with her properly.

“I’ll go check on them.”

Watching his retreating figure, An Yan wiped the sweat from her palms. This damned nervousness—she felt more tense than the first time she’d ever signed a contract.

After quite a while, An Yan yawned. The days of travel had left her truly exhausted. Seeing that Lin You hadn’t returned, she got up to fetch her pajamas from his room, planning to wash up and change before going to bed.

She had just entered the room when Lin You walked in, face dark. Those two boys had nearly driven him mad, insisting that if An Yan didn’t leave, they wouldn’t come back.

Inside, An Yan had just taken off her clothes when the door suddenly opened.

She let out a startled cry and instinctively grabbed the nearby quilt to wrap herself.

The moment the door opened, Lin You heard her startled cry and quickly retreated, slamming the door shut—so loudly that the noise woke Lin Nuannuan next door.

Outside, Lin You’s deep, slightly panicked voice sounded: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in there.”

An Yan’s face burned red. What a mess—on the very first day, she’d almost been seen naked.

“Go check on Nuannuan, she’s crying hard.”

She forced herself to stay calm.

“All right.”

Hearing his footsteps recede, An Yan quickly dressed. A few minutes later, the crying from the next room had stopped. Gathering her courage, she walked to the door and patted her flushed cheeks.

Any sleepiness she’d felt had vanished completely.

“Don’t be afraid, An Yan, there’s nothing to be afraid of—he’s not going to eat you,” she whispered to herself for encouragement. Yet the doorknob felt impossibly heavy, refusing to turn. Upon closer look, she realized the door had been locked from the outside.

Panic set in.

Did this man have designs on her? After all, a thirty-year-old man, full of vigor...

As if sensing her attempt to open the door, the man outside approached softly. “I accidentally locked the door just now. You can open it from the inside.”

She saw the lock above the door, gave it a twist, and with a click, the door opened.

The tall, lean figure—the coldly handsome face, the piercing gaze—his military bearing left An Yan breathless, almost unable to catch her breath.

“Is Nuannuan asleep?”

An Yan realized that since crossing into this world, she seemed to have left her courage behind; her heart was constantly unsettled.

“She’s asleep.”

Lin You pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “Do you mind?”

“No, go ahead.”

He noticed her discomfort and went to the table to pour two glasses of water. “I thought you were already asleep.”

“I was just about to change for bed,” An Yan replied. “I didn’t mean to change in your room, but Nuannuan’s doesn’t have a wardrobe. When I unpacked this afternoon, I put my clothes in yours. You’re not angry, are you?”

“Angry? Do I look like I get angry that easily?” Lin You raised an eyebrow.

It was a simple question, but whenever this man spoke, An Yan felt an inexplicable pressure.

“N-no… You seem… easy to talk to.”

“Heh, you’re the first person to say that about me.” He glanced at her—under the dim light, the girl exuded a fresh, youthful charm.

Delicate features, especially those large, expressive eyes that seemed to speak volumes.

That earlier thought returned to his mind: how could he, of all people, deserve such a beautiful girl, and ask her to care for three children? The more he thought about it, the more unreasonable his request seemed.

“An Yan…”

“Yes!” She instinctively straightened up, standing at attention.

Lin You looked at her and couldn’t help but smile. “You don’t need to be so nervous. I just want to talk to you. I don’t know why you agreed to come all this way, but I’d like to give you half a month to consider things. During this time, if you want to leave, just tell me and I won’t stop you.”

“If, after half a month, you haven’t left, I’ll submit the marriage application.”

He paused, thinking of what had just happened, and as if worried she’d be frightened, added, “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you during these two weeks. And even after, if you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

“I’m usually at the base during the day. If I’m delayed by a mission, I’ll let you know in advance.”

An Yan pondered for a while, clearly wrestling with something. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind. “Since I’ve come here, I’ve already decided.”

Lin You nodded thoughtfully. “This matter depends on you. There’s no need to rush your answer. After all, you’ve only just arrived. Marriage is a big decision; there’s a lot to consider…”

“I’ll take care of Nuannuan tonight. You can sleep in my room. You’ve been traveling for days—get some rest.”

***

That night, An Yan tossed and turned, not knowing how long it took before she finally drifted off. Her mind was filled with Lin You’s words and image, and even the scent in the room was his.

She was awakened in the morning by the bugle call. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she felt limp and unenergetic.

Opening the door, she nearly bumped into Lin You coming out of the next room. The shock woke her up instantly.

“You’re up so early? Why not sleep a bit more?”

He was already dressed in his uniform, looking so handsome that An Yan felt instantly alert—so it was true that a good-looking man could make you forget your troubles.

“I… I woke up, so I got up. Sorry for taking your room last night. Tonight, I’ll sleep with Nuannuan.”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter to me where I sleep.”

Just then, the bugle sounded again outside.

“Do they play the bugle every morning here?” An Yan asked curiously.

“Yes. That was the breakfast call—before that was the wake-up call…”

“They have a bugle just for meals?” An Yan was stunned. She’d known the army had a strict schedule, but she hadn’t expected it to be this regimented, with every activity arranged down to the last detail.

“Yes. Why, does it bother you?”

“No… Not at all. I was just curious.” She quickly waved her hand. Luckily, in her past life, she’d also had a fixed daily routine, otherwise it would have taken her some time to adjust.

Suddenly, An Yan remembered something. “We still have leftover noodles from yesterday. How about noodles for breakfast?”

At her suggestion, Lin You recalled the noodles from yesterday—that taste was far better than the canteen’s. Only now did he realize, not only could this girl cook, but her food tasted wonderful.

“Sounds good. I’m not picky.”

After he said this, he seemed to catch himself and added, “The noodles you made were really delicious.”

“Go wash up first. The noodles will be ready soon.”

“Thank you.”

An Yan nodded slightly. This damned sense of distance… it was so awkward.

From the kitchen, she could see the washbasin. After tossing the noodles into the pot, she straightened up and happened to see Lin You washing his face. So, it really wasn’t just TV dramas—handsome male leads washing their faces could be mesmerizing in real life, and not the least bit greasy.

Sensing her gaze from the kitchen, Lin You suddenly turned to look her way.