Chapter 167: Gu Tingxiao’s Physical Strength
When others tried to play with him, he would lose interest after a short while and never go back. He preferred to shadow his older brother everywhere, but his eldest son was a talkative, mischievous boy who was practically the leader of the neighborhood kids, and he constantly hoodwinked his younger brother.
If the little one had a piece of candy on him, his older brother would inevitably take it. The eldest son never resorted to hitting his brother; instead, he would talk him circles with little lectures, and the younger one fell for it every single time. Every time he went running to his mother, his eyes would be red as he accused his brother of cheating him out of his candy.
Captain Wang was deeply frustrated by his two sons. Each had a distinct, stubborn temperament—one was a smooth talker, while the other was gullible and timid. He often joked that if he weren’t a soldier, he wouldn’t be able to subdue the two brats, as both boys deeply admired the military. As for the youngest son’s fragile health, it remained a constant source of anxiety for the couple. If this pattern continued, it was a real question whether the boy would ever grow up healthy.
Sheng Wanyan reached out and gently caught the little boy’s wrist as if to tease him, but her fingers subtly pressed against his pulse point.
“Auntie, have some candy,” Captain Wang’s youngest son offered, holding out a piece of the wedding candy Wanyan had just distributed to their family to share with her.
“Auntie has plenty of candy. You eat it and grow big and strong,” she replied warmly.
The little boy nodded. He unwrapped the candy, and seeing that she genuinely didn’t want it, he popped it into his own mouth. Wanyan gently ruffled his hair before moving along with Gu Tingxiao, continuing down the row of courtyard houses to knock on doors and hand out the remaining sweets.
“Is the house directly across from ours empty?” Wanyan asked as they walked. She had been in the compound for a few days now but hadn’t noticed a single soul entering or leaving the yard opposite theirs.
“It used to be occupied by Commander Fang and his family, but they moved to one of the tube buildings a while back.”
Commander Fang was Gu Tingxiao’s superior. The moment the modern apartment building was completed, his entire family had relocated there. Wanyan had actually met Commander Fang briefly; he was a stern, rigid-looking man who seemed like the type to just bury his head in his work. He was a decent, dependable man, and over time, everyone on the base had grown to rely on him for help.
Wanyan knew that a man couldn’t rise to the rank of regimental commander without genuine capability. Even if he was a simple, helpful person by nature, his reliable character meant people would always get along well with him, no matter the era.
Commander Fang’s wife was a city dweller. After joining the army, she had secured a position as a teacher at the base nursery. She dressed in elegant, imported fabrics and carried a bit of an arrogant streak, particularly when interacting with the rural military wives, whom she largely ignored.
By the time Sheng Wanyan finished distributing the wedding candies, she had mapped out a general understanding of the social dynamics among the compound wives. To put it simply, the community was split into two extremes: the rural wives envied the sophisticated extravagance of the city women, while the city wives looked down on what they perceived as the narrow-minded pettiness of the country folks. Each group had firmly established its own cliques and factions.
“How many rooms does the courtyard across the street have?” Wanyan inquired.
“It has three rooms, just like ours.” Gu Tingxiao didn’t quite understand the reason behind her sudden curiosity, but he answered thoroughly nonetheless.
Wanyan nodded quietly, keeping her thoughts to herself. She planned to wait until Sheng Wanze and Pan Yue returned to the base, and then she would pitch the idea of them applying to transfer into that empty courtyard. Having your own flesh and blood living directly across the lane was a thousand times better than dealing with strangers.
If a random family moved in across the street while her own household ate well and enjoyed nice things, an envious neighbor could easily spark endless friction. Living next to her brother and sister-in-law would eliminate that worry. If any emergency arose while the men were deployed, she and Pan Yue could easily look out for one another.
With the wedding candy successfully distributed, the couple returned home, washed up, and settled onto the comfortable kang. Gu Tingxiao gave her a precise headcount for the next day’s housewarming dinner.
“Wife, tomorrow we’ll be hosting Regimental Commander Fang’s family, Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s family, Company Commander Wu’s family, and Deputy Company Commander Feng’s family. They’re also going to bring along Squad Leader Liang from the logistics station, Political Commissar Xie, and Aunt Xie.” He paused to calculate. “That makes eleven adults and ten children in total.”
Commander Fang had three children, Deputy Battalion Commander Wang had two, Company Commander Wu had four, and Deputy Company Commander Feng had one. In this era, people firmly believed that the more children a family had, the better off they were—especially if they had boys.
Wanyan nodded in understanding. She had initially thought about inviting Commander Pan and Mother Pan as well, but she worried that having the base’s top commander present might make the lower-ranking officers feel stiff and uncomfortable. It would be better to wait until her brother and Pan Yue returned to host a private family dinner.
“Alright, sounds good,” she agreed.
“Wife, I’ll sneak out of the office a bit early tomorrow to come back and help you prep,” Tingxiao murmured, pulling her closer.
“Thank you for looking out for me,” Wanyan smiled, shaking her head. Cooking a large meal wasn’t a massive ordeal for her. After all, since she had chosen to marry him, providing a supportive, comfortable home front was part of her commitment as his wife.
“So… how exactly do you plan to compensate me?” she teased. She deftly rolled over, bracing her hands on his chest as she lay directly on top of him, looking down into his face.
Gu Tingxiao wrapped his large hands securely around her waist to keep her from shifting, his expression turning entirely solemn as he feigned deep thought over how to repay her. “Wife, I suppose I can only pay you back with my body…”
Wanyan leveled a sharp glare at him. It was completely obvious he was just looking out for his own pleasure; how on earth did he count that as a compensation to her? “You really never miss an opportunity to secure a benefit for yourself, do you?”
Seeing that his little conspiracy had been thoroughly exposed, Tingxiao stopped playing innocent, a low chuckle vibrating in his chest. “I only ever demand benefits from my wife.”
Annoyed, Wanyan reached down to pinch his waist, but his abdominal muscles were locked so tight and rigid that she couldn’t even get a proper grip on the skin. Tingxiao watched her frantic efforts, his eyes overflowing with fond amusement. The way his wife got all fired up and active was incredibly endearing to him.
Wanyan’s fingers actually began to ache from pinching him, yet the man hadn’t flinched or shown a single trace of discomfort.
“Wife… don’t wear yourself out,” he murmured softly. Catching her hand, he gently rubbed her aching fingertips before bringing them up to his lips to plant a tender kiss on her knuckles. “If you’re tired, let me handle the heavy labor.”
Before Wanyan could process the hidden meaning behind his words, she was effortlessly flipped over onto her back. Gu Tingxiao pinned her beneath him, his free hand deftly pulling the thick quilt completely over their shoulders.
“Mmh—”
“Don’t… it tickles—”
Before long, the ambient quiet of the bedroom was replaced entirely by the woman’s breathless, velvety sighs and the man’s low, persuasive murmurs. It was a long, dreamless night.
When Wanyan woke up the next morning, her entire body felt thoroughly drained. The memory of the specific, exhausting techniques Gu Tingxiao had enthusiastically put into practice the previous night made her face instantly flush crimson.
The man was entirely too skilled in bed. Over time, that kind of intense passion could easily become addictive. Tingxiao was absolutely doing it on purpose—slowly ensuring she sank completely into the exquisite, intoxicating world he created for her.
Embarrassed, Wanyan buried her face in her hands and thumped her pillow a few times to vent her frustration. Once she managed to steady her breathing, she reluctantly got out of bed. The moment her feet touched the floor, her legs shook so violently that she had to quickly summon a cup of spiritual spring water from her pocket dimension. It was only after swallowing the crisp, restorative liquid that her physical strength rushed back, easing the lingering ache in her muscles.
Stepping into the living room, she spotted an aluminum lunch box resting on the dining table. It was the breakfast Gu Tingxiao had brought back from the mess hall before his morning duties. Because she routinely slept in late and rarely ate a proper breakfast on time, Tingxiao constantly worried she would develop digestive issues. Consequently, every single morning after his early physical training, he would jog back to the house, wake her up to ensure she ate a few bites with him, and then tuck her back into bed to continue her rest.
Unless, of course, special circumstances required his presence…
Sheng Wanyan sighed, staring at the warm container. …This man’s stamina is truly terrifying.
