The cohabitation life of Ruan Nianchu and Li Teng was no different from that of an ordinary couple. They went to work together in the morning, returned home together in the afternoon, and occasionally went grocery shopping together, buying this and that.
At night, they communicated in various ways—lying down, standing, sitting, kneeling—anything Ruan Nianchu could think of, Li Teng could do. As his gunshot wound gradually healed, the intensity of their communication increased day by day. When it reached a certain point, Ruan Nianchu couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic—his energy and stamina seemed limitless, which was somewhat frightening.
If Naruto sealed the Nine-Tails within him, she suspected that Li Teng probably had Teddy sealed inside him.
He might be a Teddy bear spirit.
Two weeks later, life basically returned to normal.
On Friday afternoon, Li Teng went to pick up Ruan Nianchu from work as usual. In the car, she lazily played with her phone in the passenger seat. Suddenly, she remembered something, “Tomorrow is Saturday, should we go for Xiaoxing’s class?”
Li Teng: “Hmm.”
Ruan Nianchu slapped her forehead, frowned, “My memory is so bad, I almost forgot about this… I need to reschedule with them.”
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Nk Mldt tzydnle yv bla rbsdl pnalld, obknb oyp qkzzle okvb qydnu elnsayvksdp yde plhlayz nyavssd xyzl nbyaynvlap zkdle wr. Gqvla y iwknj tzydnl, bl zkqvle bkp lulzkep vs zssj yv bla, aykpkdt yd lulcaso, “Ps usw byhl svbla rzydp qsa vsxsaaso?”
“Txx.” Swyd Lkydnbw dseele, “Ckys Zwqlk byp y dlo csuqaklde yde kdhkvle wp qsa zwdnb vsxsaaso. R qsatsv ycswv Dkysmkdt’p nzypp yv vbyv vkxl, ps R ytalle. Rv’p sjyu, R’zz vlzz bla vs nbydtl kv vs vbl lhldkdt.”
Gqvla pyukdt vbyv, pbl pldv y ElUbyv xlppytl vs Ckys Zwqlk.
Ckys Zwqlk iwknjzu alrzkle: XI.
Swyd Lkydnbw pxkzle, lmkvle ElUbyv, yde alpwxle rzyukdt vbl tyxl kdvlaqynl. Ekvb alnldv lhldvp, pbl bye sdzu clld rzyukdt vbkp tyxl kdvlaxkvvldvzu, rwalzu vs rypp vbl vkxl.
Gp pssd yp pbl ldvlale vbl tyxl, pbl alnlkhle y eyvl kdhkvyvksd qasx Jyk Ck, ypjkdt bla vs ynnlrv sa alflnv kv.
Swyd Lkydnbw ynnlrvle yde cltyd eyvkdt vbl bydepsxl twu kd vbl tyxl.
Uskdnkeldvyzzu, yv y ale zktbv, Nk Mldt pvsrrle vbl nya, tzydnle pkeloyup, yde oyvnble bla eyvl vbl bydepsxl twu kd vbl tyxl lmralppksdzlppzu. Gqvla oyvnbkdt qsa y obkzl, bl pyke zwjloyaxzu, “Fllxp zkjl usw alyzzu ldfsu rzyukdt vbkp tyxl.”
Ruan Nianchu didn’t detect any oddity in his tone, only focusing on the screen as she casually replied, “It’s okay. This game is about dating virtual characters. He flirts with me, I flirt with him, occasionally we go on a date. Just killing time.”
Li Teng narrowed his eyes slightly, lifted her chin, and said, “Ruan Nianchu, are you raising wild men on your phone?”
“Not just one.” She corrected seriously, turning her head to look at him, “It’s four.”
Li Teng: “…”
Rarely catching onto a topic she understood but he didn’t, Ruan Nianchu’s eyes lit up, her posture straightened, and she eagerly explained, “Let me tell you, in this game, ‘I’ am the only female protagonist, and there are four male protagonists, each with different backgrounds and skills, but they’re all exceptionally handsome.”
Li Teng listened without saying a word, then shifted his gaze back to driving, his expression turning sour.
That night, Ruan Nianchu fainted three times.
Feeling teary and unable to bear it, she scratched and bit him, but finding it ineffective, she resorted to softly pleading, her big eyes watery and pitiful, her voice becoming increasingly coquettish.
Li Teng’s scalp tingled, and he became even more determined.
Afterward, Ruan Nianchu felt so embarrassed and angry that she was almost in tears. Clenching her fists, she protested in a pitiful tone, “You’re too scary, no one is like you…” After a moment of serious thought, she squinted, “Tell me honestly, did you secretly take some kind of “Shiquan Dabu Pill1“Shiquan Dabu Pill” (十全大補丸) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine formulation. Its name translates to “Pill of Ten Complete Tonics” or “Ten-Tonics Supreme Pills.” This herbal remedy is renowned in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its potential health benefits, particularly in boosting vitality, strengthening the body, and improving overall well-being.?”
Otherwise, she couldn’t understand how he developed such waist.
Li Teng tightly grasped Ruan Nianchu’s wrist and kissed it, then went to kiss her cheek, in a husky voice: “You’re enough for me.”
Seeing her pitifully pleading appearance, with tears in her eyes, she looked so delicate and charming, much more effective than any tonic.
On Saturday morning, Ruan Nianchu was so exhausted that she fell asleep directly on the bed.
She now seriously suspected Li Teng’s original intention for asking her to move in together. Perhaps, protecting her only accounted for fifty percent of the reason, and the other fifty percent was that after indulging in meat and eating the marrow, he couldn’t live a day without it anymore.
So, she, this piece of meat, was quite pitiful.
Around eleven in the morning, Li Teng went back to the room to call Ruan Nianchu to wake up. He had strict routines, and his biological clock was fixed. No matter how late he slept, he would naturally wake up at seven the next day. Unlike this little elf at home, who could sleep in like a log, if he didn’t call her, she could roll up like a zongzi2glutinous rice with various fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves and laze in bed all day.
At this moment, the little elf was still sound asleep, with her head buried under the blanket.
Li Teng knelt on one knee at the bedside, slightly bowed, and went to pull her blanket, “Ruan Nianchu, wake up for lunch.”
“Um…” She was sleeping so soundly, tightly clutching the blanket with both hands, curled up, refusing to budge.
He softened his voice, “Nian Nian, it’s time to get up.”
Ruan Nianchu heard this sentence, but with drowsiness overwhelming her, she rolled over and still wasn’t ready to wake up.
Li Teng remained quiet for a few seconds, then leaned closer to the small bundle under the blanket, his voice lowered, “Ruan Nian Nian, I’ll give you two options. One, you get up now and have lunch with me; two, I get into bed now and sleep with you. You choose.”
As soon as the words fell, the person under the blanket visibly stiffened.
The next moment, Ruan Nianchu threw off the blanket and sat up, her hair in a mess, her face red with embarrassment, “You shameless rogue! How can there be such a shameless rascal in the world!”
Li Teng was indifferent, “You’re looking at one right now.”
“…” Ruan Nianchu fell silent. This person’s thick skin had been going on for quite some time, she quickly got used to it. She comforted herself in her heart and then pulled up the blanket to cover herself tightly, leaving only her head exposed, coquettishly saying, “I’m tired. Can you help me take off my clothes?”
He raised an eyebrow, turned around, and opened the closet.
Li Teng didn’t have many clothes, just a few sets of military uniforms and dark-colored pants. However, Ruan Nianchu had a heap of skirts and pants in various colors. After moving in, she stuffed his originally empty closet full.
To Li Teng, women’s clothes all looked the same, so he randomly picked out a white one.
Ruan Nianchu reached out to take it.
Li Teng glanced at her, “Didn’t you just say you’re tired?”
She was stunned.
But he had already sat on the edge of the bed, and in a tone without much emotion, he said, “Give me your hand.”
Ruan Nianchu was suspicious, “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to help you get dressed.” Li Teng’s expression was calm, then he added, “Extend your hand, your right hand.”
Ruan Nianchu was stunned for a few seconds, and after regaining her senses, her face immediately turned red. She coughed dryly a few times and hesitated, “Um… then you hand me the bra first. It’s in the second drawer on the left side of the cabinet.”
Li Teng was very natural about it, without saying a word, he directly handed her a royal blue one.
Ruan Nianchu covered her cheeks with the blanket, feeling a bit hesitant, “The bra… I’ll put it on myself.”
“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before, what’s there to be shy about.” Li Teng pulled the blanket aside and pulled her towards him, “I’ve done everything already.”
“…” His reasoning made sense, leaving her speechless.
Ruan Nianchu remained silent and reluctantly reached out to let him help her put it on.
“…What are we having for lunch?” She tried to divert her attention.
“Dumplings.” Li Teng brushed her long hair to the side and, with his eyes slightly lowered, fastened the back clasp of her bra.
“Are they bought?”
“Yeah.” He paused for a moment and added, “Next time, I’ll let you taste the ones I make.”
“…” Her big eyes widened in astonishment, quite surprised, “You can make dumplings too?”
“Yeah.” Li Teng lowered his head, his nose gently touching hers, and said softly, “But the dumplings I make aren’t as good as my mom’s. Next time, I’ll take you back to Zhangbei and have her make them for you.”
Ruan Nianchu smiled at his words, her eyes shining, “Okay.”
*
After Xiaoxing’s class, Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu went to the psychiatric research center again to visit He Lihua. The attending physician told them that He Lihua’s condition had improved somewhat during this period. Although she still had manic symptoms that could be harmful, the frequency of her episodes had significantly decreased.
This was undoubtedly good news.
Taking advantage of He Lihua’s stable mental condition, they went to visit her in the ward.
When He Lihua was not experiencing an episode, she recognized people. Seeing Li Teng, she rarely smiled, and when she noticed Ruan Nianchu, she froze, “Tengzi, who is this girl?”
Li Teng said, “Ruan Nianchu, my wife.”
Ruan Nianchu smiled and nodded at He Lihua, “Hello, sister-in-law.”
“Oh, it turns out to be my younger sister.” He Lihua looked at Ruan Nianchu, and after a moment, her smile gradually widened as she nodded, “Such a beautiful girl, Tengzi, you’re quite lucky.”
The sun outside was bright, and the three of them sat in the ward, chatting amiably.
Not long after, Li Teng’s phone rang, showing a call from Yang Zhengfeng.
He went out to answer the call.
He Lihua then held Ruan Nianchu’s hand, softly advising, “Nianchu, this kid Li Teng is good at everything, back in the military academy, he was a model soldier, ranking first every year, but he has a fiery temper. Nobody’s perfect, everyone has their flaws, be more tolerant of him.”
Although He Lihua’s condition had improved, her memory was still somewhat confused. In her impression, Li Teng was still in his early twenties, a rookie soldier who had just entered the army, sharp and unruly.
Ruan Nianchu listened without saying anything else, just nodded and smiled, “Don’t worry, sister-in-law, Li Teng is very good, and he’s good to me too.”
He Lihua looked pleased, “Li Teng is like a younger brother to me and Xia Fei. To see him find such a good wife like you, we’re all happy for him.”
Ruan Nianchu smiled but didn’t say anything.
At this moment, He Lihua seemed to think of something, and suddenly frowned, muttering to herself, “But, Tengzi, what about you and Ji Xiaoxuan? My mind is so muddled…” Rubbing her forehead, her brows furrowed tighter, “How did I forget about this…”
Seeing her expression, Ruan Nianchu’s heart sank, afraid she might have an episode, so she quickly changed the subject, “Sister-in-law, have an apple, I’ll peel it for you.”
He Lihua waved her hand with a smile, “No need.”
“We’re family,” Ruan Nianchu smiled softly, “Don’t be so polite with me.”
When they left the hospital, it was already half-past five in the afternoon.
Li Teng drove the car out of the hospital gate and casually asked, “What time did you make plans with your friend?”
Ruan Nianchu glanced at the time on her phone and said, “Sharp at seven, at the Franklin Western Restaurant in the East of the city. We still have over an hour, so it’s perfect to head back to the city center now.” Then she suddenly remembered something and paused, “Oh, by the way, do you not like Western food?”
Li Teng replied with no particular tone, “I’m not picky.”
She pondered for a few seconds, then blinked at him, “You accompany me for Western food first, and later I’ll treat you to supper, hot pot. How about that?”
Li Teng smiled faintly, “Alright. Your call.”
The autumn chill in Yuncheng was getting stronger, and a gust of wind blew in through the car window, chilly. Ruan Nianchu subconsciously wrapped her coat tighter around herself. Li Teng noticed and raised the window to close it tightly.
She noticed this subtle gesture and curved her lips, propping her chin with one hand as she stared at him. Out of the blue, she asked, “Li Teng, are you this good to all your girlfriends?”
As the words fell, Li Teng turned to look at her, silent.
Ruan Nianchu smiled, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Li Teng: “Why are you asking?”
“Just curious.” Her tone was casual, continuing, “Today, while chatting with sister-in-law, she mentioned someone, Ji Xiaoxuan. Was she your ex-girlfriend?”
Upon hearing this, Li Teng’s expression remained unchanged. Without any hesitation, he said, “No.”
Ruan Nianchu was slightly surprised, “Then why did sister-in-law bring her up?”
He withdrew his gaze and looked ahead, his tone flat, “Ji Xiaoxuan was a civilian staff member in our unit. When I first arrived there, she pursued me.”
“Why didn’t she succeed?” She was a bit curious.
“She wasn’t my type.”
“Was she not pretty? Bad figure? Not your taste?”
“I don’t remember.” Insignificant people didn’t leave much of an impression on him, and there was no reason to remember them.
Ruan Nianchu leaned in a bit to scrutinize him, tutting, “Li Teng, I’ve noticed that you’re quite popular with the ladies.”
Li Teng gave a light scoff, “Is that so.”
“Of course.” Ruan Nianchu gestured with her fingers as she counted, “Before, at the rest stop guesthouse, the landlady there was trying to flirt with you. Then we got inexplicably surrounded by special police, and that female team leader was staring at you without blinking. And then there’s that female host, and now this Ji Xiaoxuan.”
Li Teng glanced at her, “Ruan Nianchu, don’t try to pick a fight.”
“Don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to argue with you.” She furrowed her brows slightly, her tone serious, “I’m just thinking, what does a distinguished Air Force Colonel like you see in me, exactly?”
Li Teng was too dazzling. Ruan Nianchu wasn’t belittling herself; she was just self-aware. She had been clear about herself since she was young—her brain wasn’t particularly smart, she was lazy and carefree, with a lot of flaws and only a few strengths that she could find with a magnifying glass: a good attitude, good looks, and she could sing.
For a man like him to be paired with her, even she felt sorry for him.
Instead of answering, Li Teng countered, “And what do you see in me?”
Ruan Nianchu didn’t hesitate for a second, “You’re handsome.” With that appearance, that temperament, those chest muscles, abdominal muscles, and long legs, she could play with him for ten years.
“…” Li Teng couldn’t help but laugh at her.
This woman was indeed naive and silly, perhaps even a bit slow-witted.
Ruan Nianchu continued, “I answered you, so what about you? What do you like about me?”
Li Teng said, “I don’t know.” Why he liked Ruan Nianchu, even he hadn’t figured that out yet, so of course he couldn’t answer.
Ruan Nianchu widened her eyes in disbelief, “You don’t know? What kind of reason is that?” Rolling her eyes, she helped him think, guessing, “Is it because I’m beautiful? My skin is good? My angelic singing voice has conquered you?”
Li Teng listened to the girl boasting about herself and couldn’t help but smile, “Perhaps.”
With her, all his self-control and rationality collapsed, all his standards and principles became invalid. Who knows what he liked about her.
There’s a saying: Love knows no reason, it goes deep.
Perhaps the reason he liked her was simple: she was Ruan Nianchu.
Qiao Yufei was a wealthy heiress, and her greatest pleasure in life was enjoying life. Naturally, the places she frequented were upscale.
At exactly seven o’clock in the evening, Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu arrived at the Franklin Western Restaurant.
As soon as they entered, the waiter greeted them and led them to a table by the window where they sat down.
Qiao Yufei smiled and introduced everyone, “This is Ruan Nianchu, my best friend, and this is her boyfriend, Colonel Li Teng. This is my boyfriend, Jiang Hao.”
Ruan Nianchu glanced at Jiang Hao. He was in his early twenties, with a crew cut, dressed stylishly, and tall. His features weren’t particularly delicate, but there was a hint of a tough guy vibe about him. A bad boy vibe.
Jiang Hao smiled at her and Li Teng, “Ruan Jie, Li Ge, nice to meet you. I’ve heard about you from Yufei.”
Li Teng nodded indifferently, “Hello.”
“Hello.” Ruan Nianchu greeted with a smile, then leaned closer to Qiao Yufei and whispered, “Are you into bad boys lately?”
Qiao Yufei blinked at her, coquettish, “I’m into little wolves lately.”
Ruan Nianchu shrugged, offering no comment.
During dinner, most of the time was spent chatting between Qiao Yufei and Ruan Nianchu, with Jiang Hao occasionally chiming in, humorous and witty, making Qiao Yufei burst into laughter.
Li Teng remained cold, cutting his steak with his head down. After cutting it, he gave the entire plate to Ruan Nianchu.
Halfway through the meal, Qiao Yufei wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, “Oh, by the way, Jiang Hao’s friend will be joining us later. He’s a foreigner who has just arrived in China recently. The hotel he’s staying at suddenly had a power outage, so I invited him to hang out with us.”
Ruan Nianchu didn’t react much and casually asked, “A foreigner? Which country?”
Qiao Yufei said in English, “Kingdom of Cambodia.”
“…” Ruan Nianchu’s eyes flickered slightly, “Cambodia?”
“Yes.”
At this point, Li Teng put down his knife, drank some water expressionlessly.
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Kinda saw that coming… I wonder how many chapters they’ll be chasing and fighting in this arc…