Chapter 381| Chapter 382| Chapter 383
Chapter 381: Similar to Talisman
Pan Yue shared some of the details she had gathered. Naturally, she fully intended to sit for the college entrance examination when the time came. Her ultimate dream was to score high enough to secure a placement in the Capital and attend the finest university in the capital.
As for little Huzi, she could easily bring him along with her, since her maternal family was firmly rooted in the Capital. When they arrived, they could simply stay at her brother’s house; she would just have to reimburse him for their food and daily living expenses.
Pan Yue didn’t need to stress over the logistics. After all, once her sister-in-law cleared the university threshold, a brilliant, highly decorated future was guaranteed—what brother would object to hosting her?
However, Grandpa and Grandma Sheng would undoubtedly be deeply reluctant to part with their precious great-grandson. They would just have to see how to coordinate the arrangements with Sheng Wanze when the moment arrived. For the time being, Sheng Wanze couldn’t execute a lateral transfer to the Capital; his current military rank wasn’t high enough, and his professional backing wasn’t nearly as formidable as Gu Tingxiao’s. Consequently, the young couple would have to endure living in two different cities for a while.
Regardless of the long-distance hurdles, Pan Yue was fiercely determined to take the college entrance examination, and Sheng Wanze supported her choice completely.
Sheng Wanyan listened quietly, choosing to keep her thoughts to herself. After all, she couldn’t randomly encourage Pan Yue to purchase real estate in the capital out of nowhere, could she? A courtyard house required a massive, staggering sum of capital. As a sister-in-law, it was always wiser to stay out of the internal financial decisions of her brother’s household.
She figured that once the era shifted and she purchased a courtyard house for her own family, Pan Yue would naturally see the immense value in it and follow suit. Once she secured her own property in the Capital, she could also relocate Grandpa and Grandma Sheng over to live with her, ensuring there would be trusted hands available to help manage the children.
Furthermore, Sheng Wanyan harbored a grander strategy: she wanted to establish a private grocery store chain. When the market officially opened, she would find a way to persuade her mother and father to resign from their rigid, state-owned enterprise jobs and migrate to the Capital. With Pan Yue and little Huzi already anchored in the capital, she felt infinitely more confident that she could successfully sway her parents’ minds.
After chatting a bit longer, Sheng Wanyan lifted her empty bucket and walked back toward her courtyard, her mind entirely consumed by the logistics of purchasing a traditional courtyard house in the Capital.
With the elite political standing of the Gu family lineage, leveraging their channels to source a prime piece of real estate would be remarkably effortless. However, Sheng Wanyan had absolutely no intention of hiding behind the Gu family’s shadow; too many rival factions kept their eyes pinned on her in-laws’ every move. She shook her head with a faint smile, deciding to cross that bridge when the historical moment arrived. There was truly no use stressing over it today.
Stepping back inside the quiet apartment, she set the bucket aside and moved into the kitchen to mix a fresh bottle of warm formula for Yi Yi. Right on cue, the baby girl blinked her eyes open, immediately squirming across the mattress in a frantic search for milk.
Sheng Wanyan gently inspected the toddler’s gums. Within a few months, Yi Yi’s balance would stabilize, her steps would grow steady, and they would formally need to initiate a daily tooth-brushing routine.
The oblivious baby had absolutely no inkling of the disciplinary structures awaiting her in the coming months. Currently, she was sitting with her chubby legs crossed on the quilt, happily guzzling her milk with a look of supreme luxury.
Sheng Wanyan systematically changed her diaper, her thoughts drifting to the weather. The Bing City autumn was notoriously fleeting; within two weeks, the brutal northern freeze would lock down the base. Every single piece of the family’s heavy winter wardrobe needed to be thoroughly laundered and aired out immediately.
She gathered the massive mountain of winter garments and hauled them out to the washbasin in the backyard. Spotting her wrestling with the heavy fabrics, Gu Tingxiao immediately grabbed his crutches and hobbled over, determined to assist.
Sheng Wanyan quickly fetched a sturdy wooden bench, guiding him down and ensuring his fractured right leg was extended perfectly straight across the seat so he wouldn’t aggravate the bone structure.
“Wanyan, leave the scrubbing to me,” he urged, reaching for the soap nuts. “Go inside and take a proper break.”
His heart ached watching her manage the endless, grueling circuit of daily chores. Her schedule was a non-stop marathon: rising before dawn to ignite the stove for breakfast, tending to the chickens, watering the private vegetable plot, scrubbing the floors, laundering the linen, and nursing the baby. By noon, she was juggling hot stoves with her intense translation manuscripts, only to spend her afternoons supervising a chaotic toddler, cleaning up the baby’s structural messes, preparing dinner, bathing the girl, and coaxing her down to sleep.
His brilliant wife literally didn’t pause for a single breath the entire day.
Sheng Wanyan recognized the protective guilt driving him, but since he was safely seated and his upper body was perfectly mobile, she conceded, allowing him to take over the scrubbing. She darted into the woodshed, retrieving an expansive, auxiliary drying rack she had stored away; given the immense volume of their winter wardrobe, the standard lines wouldn’t be nearly enough.
Meanwhile, little Yi Yi was rattling the bars of her playpen inside, letting out a series of demanding babbles to go outside and play. But with both parents comprehensively trapped under a mountain of labor, neither had a spare second to indulge her.
“Play! Play!”
Passing the threshold, Sheng Wanyan caught her desperate plea and offered a quick, soothing murmur. “Be a good girl, sweetheart. Mommy will come play with you the absolute second these chores are cleared.”
With that, she vanished back into the washroom to tackle the remaining basins. Finding herself thoroughly abandoned inside her wooden enclosure, the baby girl felt a profound wave of toddler grievance wash over her.
“Alas…”
Yi Yi propped her chin up with both of her chubby little hands, let out a remarkably heavy, dramatic sigh, and plopped back down onto the mattress in a complete daze. She stared at the plush little rabbit doll resting by her feet, reached out, and gently patted its stuffed head.
“Good baby…” she cooed softly.
It appeared the little girl understood that she was required to maintain a flawless, cooperative behavior for the time being, and she was cutely instructing her favorite stuffed animal to wait quietly along with her until their mother finalized her work.
When Sheng Wanyan finally dried her hands and walked back into the living room, the sight of her daughter’s comically despondent, dramatic posture left her catching a laugh. This little girl was incredibly perceptive, possessing a sharp knack for reading the emotional temperature of the room.
“Mom!”
“Yi Yi, would you like Mommy to set up the paintbrushes so we can do some drawing?”
“Wow!”
The baby girl stared up at her, her eyes wide with pure shock. Drawing? My absolute favorite! Sheng Wanyan found these tiny, explosive exclamations entirely adorable. She genuinely wondered if her daughter had been raised on a strict diet of pure sweetness; she was far too precious.
She scooped the toddler up, carried her to the low table, and laid out a fresh ream of crisp white paper alongside a collection of vibrant paintbrushes, settling down on the floorboards to let her explore. Yi Yi immediately unleashed her artistic energy, her tiny hand sweeping across the paper in a frantic, uninhibited blur. Her wild lines twisted and coiled across the page, closely resembling a series of chaotic, abstract talismans.
As Sheng Wanyan studied the specific geometric flow of the scribbles—noticing how closely the patterns mirrored authentic spiritual wards—her movements froze. Her pupils constricted in a sudden, sharp spike of internal panic. She looked up, her gaze locked onto her daughter’s face.
“Yi Yi… tell Mommy, who showed you how to draw these lines?”
Wanyan pointed a trembling finger directly at the specific, coiled ink patterns, her voice tight with an underlying anxiety.
“Ah?”
Yi Yi blinked, entirely uncomprehending. No one had coached her; her tiny fingers had merely traced the patterns completely at random.
Sheng Wanyan stared at the blank innocence clouding her daughter’s face, forcing herself to take a slow, calming breath. Perhaps I am simply overreacting, she reasoned. It could easily be nothing more than a standard toddler scribble.
Yet, she couldn’t entirely suppress the sudden, heavy memories of her previous life—the long, intense years she had spent studying the ancient, esoteric arts of metaphysics and feng shui alongside her biological grandfather. That specific, highly advanced skill set was a burden she had firmly sworn never to deploy again for the rest of her natural life.
There was a profound, sobering reason for her retirement. Although her grandfather had ultimately chosen a peaceful euthanasia in her past world, he had managed to reach the venerable age of ninety. But having been raised under his strict tutelage from infancy, Wanyan was well aware of the brutal cosmic toll exacted upon those who repeatedly dared to peer into the hidden mechanics of heaven. Had her grandfather stayed clear of the mystical arts, his lifeforce would have endured significantly longer.
Staring down at Yi Yi, a dark dread gripped her chest: Could this innocent child have somehow inherited the residual spiritual karma of my past life?
She harbored a desperate, silent hope that her daughter would remain entirely indifferent to the esoteric world. If Yi Yi ever truly unlocked an affinity for those ancient arts, her destiny would be mapped with insurmountable trials and relentless cosmic burdens.
Yi Yi had absolutely zero awareness that her chaotic finger-painting had thrown her mother into a spiral of deep, protective anxiety. Had she possessed the cognitive capacity to understand her mother’s fear, she would have abandoned the brushes on the spot. She was truly just scratching the paper for fun! Why had her usually gentle mother suddenly grown so terrifyingly solemn?
Intimidated by the unfamiliar gravity in the room, the baby girl shrunk back slightly, her wide eyes filled with a quiet apprehension.
Sensing the child’s distress, Sheng Wanyan immediately snapped back to reality. She pulled the fragile little body into a warm, reassuring embrace, softening her features instantly. “It’s alright, sweetheart. Mommy was just thoroughly amazed by how beautifully you can draw.”
“I was simply trying to figure out the best way to praise your magnificent artwork, Yi Yi.”
Hearing the warm validation, the lingering terror evaporated from the baby’s face, and she burst into a bright, melodic laugh. So that’s all it was!
Sheng Wanyan coaxed her to continue painting, keeping a vigilant, measuring eye on every subsequent brushstroke. As the afternoon waned, she noted that the baby’s movements devolved into standard, entirely meaningless toddler scribbles, allowing a profound wave of relief to finally wash through her chest.
Before long, the artistic exertion triggered the baby’s appetite. Sheng Wanyan cleared the supplies and fetched a warm bowl of rich grain porridge blended with silky egg custard, patiently feeding her spoonful by spoonful.
With a full stomach and the exhaustion of her morning play catching up to her, Yi Yi’s stamina crumbled. Her little head began to droop heavily against her mother’s shoulder, her eyelids fluttering shut. Sheng Wanyan carefully carried her back into the master bedroom, settling her down onto the soft fabric of her personal kang.
Even deep in her slumber, Yi Yi kept her tiny fingers locked in a fierce, stubborn grip around her little plush rabbit doll, anchoring it against her chest. Sheng Wanyan gently smoothed a light insulated quilt over her small frame, ensuring the sharp autumn draft wouldn’t compromise her rest.
Chapter 382: Gu Tingxiao’s Hard-core Education
After wringing out the water, Sheng Wanyan went outside to hang Gu Tingxiao’s freshly washed clothes on the line. Once the laundry was sorted, she headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch for the two of them.
Having eaten their fill and feeling the exhaustion of a busy morning, the couple took advantage of their daughter’s naptime to get some much-needed rest themselves.
The days slowly slipped into winter, bringing the first snowfall to Bing City. A thick, white blanket soon covered the courtyard, filling little Yi Yi with boundless excitement.
During this transitional period, Sheng Wanyan made frequent trips to the city to stock up on supplies and regularly visited the foot of the mountain to collect firewood. The vegetables from their garden had all been harvested and stored, and their summer clothes were neatly packed away in the closet. With enough food and daily necessities to comfortably sustain their family of three, they were fully prepared to spend a peaceful winter indoors.
Gu Tingxiao could now walk without his cane, though he still had to move very slowly and couldn’t stay on his feet for long periods.
“Ah! White, white!” Yi Yi squealed, utterly mesmerized by the snow.
Afraid the toddler would catch a cold, Sheng Wanyan only allowed her to watch the falling flakes from the safety of the closed window. “It’s too cold out there right now, sweetheart,” she coaxed softly. “When you grow up just a little bit more, Mommy and Daddy will take you outside to build a snowman.”
But Yi Yi wanted to go now. She squirmed and twisted in her mother’s arms, desperate to play in the snow. “Bad Mommy,” she pouted.
The little girl clung to her neck, looking incredibly aggrieved. Gu Tingxiao walked in carrying their lunch and noticed his daughter’s restless, excited state. “Wife, go eat first,” he offered gently. “I’ll hold her.”
Sheng Wanyan passed Yi Yi to her husband, who easily supported her weight so she could keep watching the snow.
“Don’t stand there for too long,” Sheng Wanyan reminded him. After all, his fractured leg was only just beginning to heal properly. Standing for too long could easily re-injure the bone.
“I know,” Gu Tingxiao replied warmly. He secretly loved it when his wife fussed over him, and he was always more than happy to obey her instructions.
While Sheng Wanyan sat down to eat, Yi Yi’s fascination with the snow only grew. She continued to clamor to go outside. Gu Tingxiao was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the fuss she was making. At just one year and two months old, Yi Yi was far too fragile to withstand the biting winter wind.
But ever since the little girl had learned to walk and babble, she had become an insatiable explorer, desperate to investigate everything. She had even tried crawling into the doghouse just to see what it was like inside. It had gotten to the point where even their dog, Maodou, couldn’t handle her endless antics. He gave her a look of pure, unadulterated canine disgust whenever she approached.
“Yi Yi, I can take you out,” Gu Tingxiao told her. “But it is very cold out there. Are you absolutely sure?”
He knew his daughter’s stubborn temper well. If he didn’t let her experience it now, she would eventually find a way to sneak out on her own. It was better to just let her feel the biting cold firsthand so she would drop the obsession.
Gu Tingxiao doted on Yi Yi, but when it came to matters of principle, he was unwavering. He refused to be lax with her discipline just because she was a girl. In fact, he believed in paying even closer attention to her upbringing to ensure she developed strong character.
Sometimes, Sheng Wanyan couldn’t bring herself to be as strict as her husband, but she also recognized that Yi Yi was reaching an age where she could begin to understand consequences. If they didn’t establish firm boundaries now, correcting her bad habits later would be nearly impossible. So, no matter how much her heart ached for the crying toddler, Sheng Wanyan chose to stay silent and let Gu Tingxiao handle the discipline.
Every household needed a “good cop” and a “bad cop.” She just hadn’t expected to end up playing the good cop. It was an unexpected dynamic. Given how fiercely Gu Tingxiao spoiled his daughter, Sheng Wanyan had fully assumed she would be forced into the role of the strict disciplinarian. She never imagined their roles would reverse when it truly mattered.
“Go, go!” Yi Yi demanded, pointing eagerly toward the door.
Gu Tingxiao calmly bundled her up in a thick winter coat, carefully adjusting her gloves, hat, and scarf, before carrying her outside. Blissfully unaware of the harsh reality awaiting her, Yi Yi squealed with pure delight.
“Ahhhhh!”
Listening to her daughter’s excited shrieks, Sheng Wanyan let out a soft sigh. The little girl was still so young and naive; she simply didn’t understand that the world could be harsh.
Gu Tingxiao stepped out onto the porch, making sure to pull the door firmly shut behind him so the freezing draft wouldn’t chill his wife. Overjoyed to finally be outdoors, Yi Yi clamored to be put down in the snow-covered yard. The moment her feet touched the ground, she clumsily yanked off her gloves, eager to touch the white fluff with her bare hands.
Gu Tingxiao didn’t try to stop her; he merely stood back and watched. For a fleeting second, the toddler was completely immersed in the magic of the falling snowflakes. But the magic lasted only a few seconds. The biting wind quickly turned her little nose, cheeks, and bare hands a bright, stinging red.
Realizing her mistake, she turned to look for the gloves she had recklessly thrown aside, only to find that her father had already picked them up and tucked them away. Unable to find them, and feeling colder by the second, her clumsy little legs finally gave out. She tumbled face-first into a snowdrift, looking remarkably like a round, confused little penguin.
A faint smile touched Gu Tingxiao’s eyes as he scooped his little penguin out of the drift and brushed the snow from her coat. Less than two minutes after they had stepped outside, Sheng Wanyan heard Yi Yi’s muffled wails through the door, crying out that she wanted to go back inside.
Having successfully taught her a lesson, Gu Tingxiao wasn’t about to torture her further. If they stayed out any longer, she would genuinely fall ill.
When they returned to the warmth of the living room, Yi Yi’s face and nose were bright red from both the cold and her tears. Seeing her distress, Maodou trotted over to offer a comforting sniff. Gu Tingxiao carried her straight to the bedroom, settled her on the warm kang, and swiftly changed her into dry, cozy clothes.
Yi Yi cried hard for a few minutes before slowly hiccuping to a stop. Even as an infant, she had never been much of a crybaby. Usually, she only cried when she felt overwhelmed by frustration, and she always managed to self-soothe after letting it out.
Once her tears had dried, Gu Tingxiao sat down to reason with her. “Yi Yi, do you still want to go play in the snow?”
Yi Yi shook her head frantically. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with the snow ever again. It was freezing out there—nothing like the comforting warmth of their house. “No, no!” she babbled, waving her chubby little hands in firm rejection.
“Was it cold outside?” he asked.
Yi Yi nodded emphatically. She understood these simple concepts perfectly well. It was a clear reminder that adults should never assume a toddler understands nothing.
“Mommy didn’t want to take you out because she knew it was too cold and she was afraid you would get sick,” Gu Tingxiao explained gently but firmly. “But you called Mommy ‘bad’ anyway.”
Yi Yi blinked up at him. She was still a little confused, but she quickly grasped the core reason for her father’s displeasure: she had called her mother “bad.”
“Yi Yi, Daddy knows you don’t have all your words yet,” he continued. “I know you didn’t really mean that Mommy is a bad person; you were just in a hurry to go out and play. But you cannot say things like that. Words like that break Mommy’s heart.”
Yi Yi sat perfectly still, clutching her plush rabbit to her chest, listening to the lecture with wide, serious eyes. She didn’t dare move a muscle. Daddy’s expression was incredibly stern. He had put on strict faces before, but those were always just to tease her; once the joke was over, he would scoop her up and cuddle her. She had never felt real anger from him before. But now, even her toddler instincts told her that her father was genuinely upset with her.
“Daddy will forgive you for disrespecting Mommy this one time,” Gu Tingxiao warned, his tone unwavering. “But if you ever do it again, there will be consequences. Do you understand?”
Although she didn’t grasp the full complexity of his words, the message was crystal clear: calling Mommy bad was absolutely forbidden.
With her eyes welling up again, Yi Yi nodded solemnly and let out a soft, tearful hum. “Mm.”
I get it. I won’t say it again. Mommy isn’t bad; Yi Yi was bad.
Looking down at that pitiful, aggrieved little face—a face that bore a seventy percent resemblance to the woman he loved—Gu Tingxiao’s resolve wavered for a split second. But when it came to ensuring his child respected her mother, there was absolutely no room for compromise.
Chapter 383: Gu Tingxiao Returns to the Team
More than that, the person she had disrespected was his own wife—the woman who had suffered a severe hemorrhage and nearly lost her life just to bring Yi Yi into the world. If Yi Yi continued to treat her mother with such thoughtlessness, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from giving her a real lesson.
If she weren’t so incredibly young, and if this hadn’t been her first offense, he wouldn’t have let her off with just a brief exposure to the winter wind. A proper spanking would have been inevitable.
Once Gu Tingxiao saw that the little girl truly understood her mistake, he wiped away her tears and began to comfort her. Yi Yi had been thoroughly shaken by his strictness, and the moment he softened, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Gu Tingxiao held her tight, patiently rocking her until the lingering fear in her tiny heart completely dissolved.
Sheng Wanyan stood quietly by the bedroom door, choosing not to step inside. She wanted to give the father and daughter the space to resolve the issue themselves. In truth, Yi Yi had only thrown a toddler’s temper tantrum; Sheng Wanyan hadn’t taken the words to heart. A child of just fourteen months barely comprehended what she was babbled anyway. Yet, the moment Gu Tingxiao heard it, he had immediately turned it into a serious lesson, ensuring Yi Yi understood the gravity of her behavior.
Sheng Wanyan stepped into the kitchen to warm up Gu Tingxiao’s lunch. When he finally emerged and sat down to a hot meal, he knew his wife was quietly looking out for him. By then, Yi Yi had fallen fast asleep after finishing her bottle of formula, leaving the couple completely alone at the dining table.
Sheng Wanyan slid her chair closer, reaching out to gently clasp his left hand. Gu Tingxiao felt the sudden warmth, returning the squeeze as he turned his dark eyes toward her.
“Do you think we’re enforcing rules on Yi Yi a bit too early?” Sheng Wanyan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of maternal heartache. After all, Yi Yi was still so small. Ordinarily, parents didn’t even attempt to discipline children at this age.
“Wanyan, Yi Yi is exceptionally bright. If we don’t establish these boundaries now, I’m afraid it will be incredibly difficult to straighten out her character down the road.”
Sheng Wanyan went quiet, knowing he was right. She understood her daughter better than anyone. While Yi Yi looked like an ordinary, playful toddler on the surface, she was significantly sharper than other children her age. She already knew exactly how to manipulate a situation to make her parents surrender. More than that, she was incredibly sensitive to emotional shifts; whenever she sensed her parents were unhappy, she would immediately trot over to shower them with kisses.
Sheng Wanyan now realized that raising a hyper-intelligent child carried its own burdens. Without a flawless, structured education, such cleverness could easily mutate into a real problem for society.
“Wanyan, as parents, it’s our responsibility to correct behavioral flaws the moment we spot them.”
Sheng Wanyan let out a soft sigh. She understood his rationale perfectly and saw no reason to argue. Gu Tingxiao was right. It was a parent’s sacred duty to instill the correct values and a proper outlook on life early on.
“I know,” she murmured, looking up at him with a slight pout that was an exact carbon copy of Yi Yi’s aggrieved expression from earlier. “I just can’t help but feel bad for her.”
Gu Tingxiao reached across the table, dotingly smoothing his large hand over her hair. He could never bring himself to be harsh with her. “I know your heart is too soft for this. That’s why you can leave the heavy discipline entirely to me.”
Hearing his protective, fiercely reliable words, the corners of Sheng Wanyan’s mouth curved into a bright smile. Any woman’s heart would melt under the weight of such profound reassurance. With absolute confidence, she officially handed the reins of Yi Yi’s structural education over to Gu Tingxiao, content to play the comforting, nurturing role behind the scenes.
Following that afternoon on the porch, Sheng Wanyan noticed a distinct shift in the baby’s behavior; she had grown noticeably more compliant. Granted, she was still a child by nature, and it wasn’t long before she forgot the lingering fear and resumed her usual, high-energy antics. But the core principle of respecting her elders had been firmly engraved in her little mind. As long as she didn’t cross any major moral boundaries, Gu Tingxiao was more than happy to indulge her, no matter how much chaos she stirred up.
Before long, Yi Yi had completely reconciled with her father. The two became an inseparable pair once again, with the toddler constantly dragging Gu Tingxiao down to the rug to play with the model battleship his father had constructed out of brass bullet casings.
As Gu Tingxiao’s injured leg steadily improved, a massive logistical burden was lifted from Sheng Wanyan’s shoulders, allowing her to finally enjoy a bit of personal freedom. Gu Tingxiao proved to be a man of his word and an exceptional father, constantly guiding the baby through concepts and safety details that Sheng Wanyan occasionally overlooked.
By the time December arrived, it was time for Gu Tingxiao to travel to the military hospital for his comprehensive follow-up evaluation. Sheng Wanyan couldn’t accompany him on the trip, as someone needed to hold down the fort and supervise Yi Yi at the apartment. Left with no other choice, Sheng Wanze stepped in to escort his brother-in-law to the medical center to ensure the bone structure had fused properly.
When the two men finally returned later that afternoon, Sheng Wanyan immediately snatched the medical reports from their hands, scanning the text with a sharp, anxious eye.
“Everything is perfectly fine. The specialist confirmed his recovery is ahead of schedule,” Sheng Wanze assured her.
Gu Tingxiao had spent three solid months resting at home, and his fractured leg was officially strong enough to support standard, unassisted walking. The only lingering restrictions were strict directives to avoid heavy manual labor, rigorous combat training, and any high-impact stress that could compromise the mended bone.
“Wanyan, I intend to report back to the regiment tomorrow,” Gu Tingxiao announced, his eyes shining. Having been cooped up inside the apartment for a quarter of a year, he was thoroughly desperate to return to active duty.
“But you aren’t cleared for field training yet,” Sheng Wanyan countered, her brow furrowing in immediate disapproval. The man had only just reclaimed his mobility, and the doctors had been explicit regarding his physical boundaries.
“Wanyan, I’ll merely be standing on the sidelines, supervising the men’s drills,” he explained smoothly, trying to placate her.
Recognizing his intense longing to return to his post, Sheng Wanyan reluctantly conceded. Still, she wagged a warning finger at his chest, repeatedly reminding him that he was strictly forbidden from participating in the active exercises. Gu Tingxiao swiftly gave his word, vowing to remain a passive spectator.
“If I catch you breaking your word and stressing that leg, you can sleep in the guest room for the rest of the winter!”
“Mission parameters understood! I guarantee flawless compliance!” Gu Tingxiao barked back with absolute military gravity.
Satisfied by his vow, Sheng Wanyan didn’t attempt to restrict him further. At the end of the day, a man required a certain level of professional freedom. It was exactly like flying a kite—if you clutched the string with a suffocating tightness, the line would inevitably snap; the secret lay in giving them enough slack to soar from time to time.
Early the next morning, Gu Tingxiao officially prepared to report back to headquarters. Before clearing the courtyard, he meticulously shoveled the fresh snowfall from the path and changed Yi Yi’s diaper.
When he finally stepped into the administrative offices, Political Commissar Xie stared at the convalescent soldier, offering a stern, highly critical welcome. “You couldn’t bring yourself to rest for a few more weeks? That leg of yours has barely fused.”
“Do you harbor some secret desire to end up disabled?” Political Commissar Xie barked, his face a mask of fierce irritation.
Gu Tingxiao stood perfectly rigid before the heavy executive desk, his expression entirely unreadable, his lips locked in a silent, stoic line.
The total lack of reaction left Political Commissar Xie thoroughly exasperated. How on earth did this man manage to behave with such boundless tenderness toward his wife, yet transform into a freezing block of ice the exact second he faced anyone else? Couldn’t he manage to offer his commanding officer a simple smile? After all, he was his administrative superior!
“Regiment Commander, my physical metrics are entirely optimal,” Gu Tingxiao stated flatly. “Furthermore, my wife has formally approved my return.”
Political Commissar Xie fought the sudden urge to hurl his porcelain teacup straight at the man’s head. Was this arrogant brat honestly implying that his commander’s executive opinion carried absolutely zero weight? So only his wife’s directives mattered in this military region, is that it?
“Get out of my sight! Return to your battalion!” he snapped, waving his hand in dismissal.
“Yes, sir!”
Gu Tingxiao executed a flawless, crisp military salute, turned sharply on his heel, and marched out of the office to rejoin his men.
“You stubborn rascal… you truly are a textbook henpecked husband,” Political Commissar Xie muttered to the empty room, shaking his head in a mix of amusement and irritation as he watched his departure. He honestly couldn’t decipher what a refined, brilliant intellectual like Comrade Sheng Wanyan had seen in this thoroughly unromantic, freezing soldier to marry him in the first place.
The second the official bulletin confirming the Regiment Commander’s return filtered through the barracks, a wave of pure, unadulterated terror swept across the ranks. It’s over, it’s completely over, the soldiers groaned in unison. The cold-faced King of Hell has reclaimed his throne. Our peaceful days are officially dead.
The moment Gu Tingxiao’s direct subordinates spotted his tall figure approaching the snow-covered training grounds, their spines snapped perfectly straight. Terrified of drawing his freezing gaze, they instantly amplified their vocal counts, executing their push-ups with a frantic, desperate strength.
“One! Two! One!”
Their booming, unified shouts resonated across the fields with such deafening intensity that the soldiers drilling in the neighboring sectors couldn’t help but wince, rubbing their ears against the sheer volume.
