Chapter 6 I Am Captain Lin’s Beloved

An Yan tried desperately to dodge, but it was too late—she fell straight into the depths of the man's eyes.

"Ah!"

In her panic, An Yan's hand accidentally brushed against the edge of the pot. When she drew it back, the back of her hand was already burnt, a sharp sting radiating from the spot.

When she looked up again, Lin You was already beside her. "What happened?"

"I just burned myself a little," she replied.

Lin You frowned slightly, took her hand, and led her to the sink. Cool water poured over the burn, soothing it, but An Yan's heart was ablaze, burning as fiercely as the sun.

"Does it feel better?"

"Ah, yes, it's much better now," An Yan answered quickly, coming back to herself.

Without another word, Lin You went inside. He rummaged for a while before returning, holding a bottle filled with red liquid—its purpose unknown. Before An Yan could ask, he took her hand and poured some of the liquid onto her burn, gently spreading it over the wound.

Watching Lin You's profile, An Yan felt her heart stir.

"This medicine is what I got from the hospital last time when Xiao Zhuo burned himself. It works well; don't worry, it won't leave a scar."

"Xiao Zhuo? Oh right, why didn't the two children come back with you yesterday?" An Yan asked instinctively, but immediately regretted it. She truly was a killer of the mood.

Lin You's expression darkened at her words. He recalled what the two boys had said yesterday, annoyance flickering in his eyes. He looked at An Yan with a hint of apology.

"Don't worry about them, they're fine."

"You should bring them home."

"I'll go to the school this afternoon."

After eating a large bowl of noodles, Lin You left. An Yan, feeling like a wife seeing her husband off, accompanied him to the gate before returning home. When she came back, Lin Nuan Nuan was already awake, hugging her plush rabbit and standing on tiptoe to peer at the noodle bowl on the table.

Seeing An Yan, the little girl bounced over, arms outstretched, wanting to be picked up.

"Sister, I'm hungry."

An Yan pinched her chubby cheeks with a smile. It seemed the title of "sister" was set in stone for Nuan Nuan, but An Yan didn't mind.

"Sister will make you noodles. Do you want an egg?"

"Yes, Nuan Nuan wants the egg from yesterday."

An Yan knew she meant the steamed egg from last night. "Alright, sister will make it for you right away."

But when she reached the kitchen, she realized the eggs were gone. "Nuan Nuan, there are no eggs left. Later, sister will take you to buy some, and we'll have them for lunch, okay?"

The little one thought for a moment. "Okay."

"My Nuan Nuan is so sensible." Although An Yan didn't particularly like Zhu Yan, she had to admit Nuan Nuan was well brought up.

She tossed the leftover noodles from breakfast into the pot—it would be enough for both of them. As they ate, she taught the little girl how to use chopsticks. But since all the chopsticks in the house were adult-sized, Nuan Nuan struggled and eventually switched to a spoon.

After the meal, An Yan tidied up the kitchen, keeping an eye on Lin Nuan Nuan playing in the yard. Though they lived in a military district where nothing bad ever happened, children were always prone to accidents, and she didn't want to have to answer to Lin You if something went wrong.

Once everything was cleaned, the sun was warm and pleasant. An Yan cradled Lin Nuan Nuan in her arms, holding a book and telling her stories.

"Grandma, I want to play with Nuan Nuan," came a voice.

An Yan looked up to see a little boy with a runny nose peeking in through the gate, accompanied by a woman in her fifties.

The woman glanced into the yard, visibly surprised. Usually, when Lin Nuan Nuan was at home, it was Dr. Zhu who watched her. Now, there was a young girl, as pretty as a fairy.

"Er Dan!"

Nuan Nuan jumped down from An Yan's lap and ran over happily, with An Yan following behind.

"And you are?" the woman asked curiously.

An Yan greeted her politely, "Hello, Auntie. My name is An Yan. I'm Captain Lin's fiancée from his hometown—I just arrived yesterday."

"Captain Lin's fiancée?" The woman clearly hadn't expected this fairy-like girl to be Lin You's intended.

An Yan nodded. "Yes, we got engaged before. The family mentioned it, so I came."

The women gathered in the compound overheard and came over. Their expressions were identical as they surveyed An Yan.

"Did she just say she's Captain Lin's wife?"

"Yeah, and she's so pretty! Her clothes are nicer than those movie spies!"

Hearing this, An Yan couldn't help but twitch her lips. It was the first time she'd heard herself praised this way.

"No wonder when I went to the hospital yesterday, Dr. Zhu's eyes were red. So that's what happened."

"Sister, can I play with Nuan Nuan?" the little boy asked sweetly.

"Don't call her sister, call her aunt. Sorry, kids don't know how to address people. My name is Wang Guilan, I live next door," the woman explained.

An Yan shook her head. "Aunt Wang, it's fine. Nuan Nuan calls me sister, too. It feels friendly."

As she spoke, An Yan dug two White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket and handed them to the children. "What's your name?"

"Er Dan."

"Er Dan?" An Yan smiled. The name suited the era perfectly. "Come in."

White Rabbit milk candies were quite a luxury at this time. Wang Guilan quickly grabbed the candies and handed them back to An Yan. "Captain Lin's wife, these are too expensive. Let Nuan Nuan have them."

When the candies were taken away, Er Dan looked visibly disappointed. An Yan took them back and placed them in his hands. "Aunt Wang, as long as the children are happy, no matter how expensive, it's worth it. It's just two candies. I have more at home."

Wang Guilan, seeing how polite and proper An Yan was, glanced at her grandson, whose eyes were wide with anticipation. "Er Dan, thank Aunt An."

"Thank you, Aunt An."

"Good boy, go play with Nuan Nuan," An Yan said, ruffling his hair and opening the gate.

Wang Guilan seemed embarrassed. "An Yan, you've just arrived. If you need anything, come find Aunt Wang."

"Thank you, Aunt Wang. Actually, I do have something I'd like to ask. I need to buy a few things, but I'm not sure where to shop." Thinking of Nuan Nuan wanting eggs, An Yan smiled as she asked.

"Shopping, eh? See that little two-story building over there?" Wang Guilan pointed to a distant structure. "That's the supply and marketing cooperative for the base. You can buy daily essentials there, but for anything bigger, you’ll have to go down to the town at the foot of the mountain."

"There's also a canteen at the base. But usually, if a man has a wife at home, he'll eat at home or have meals sent to him."

Having accepted An Yan's White Rabbit candies, Wang Guilan lowered her voice and offered a bit of advice. "An Yan, not to be meddlesome, but Captain Lin usually doesn't eat at home. Dr. Zhu always brings his meals in advance."

An Yan took note. "Thank you, Aunt Wang. I'll bring Lin You lunch at noon. But I’ll trouble you to watch Nuan Nuan for me then."

Wang Guilan laughed. "It's no trouble at all. The kids love playing together."

An Yan thanked her, found a basket in the house, and headed toward the supply cooperative.