He was referring to going back to “our” home. Just us, without anyone else in the picture. 

When Cen Ning stepped into the house, she instantly understood what he meant. Everything was in pairs – slippers, cups, toiletries… Everything she laid her eyes on was meant for two.

“We’re going to live in this house?”

“Mhm, we were always going to have to live outside in the future, anyway.”

Cen Ning asked, “But didn’t we already have an apartment?”

“It was a bit too small.”

Small? Cen Ning thought it seemed quite spacious.

She examined the surroundings as she entered the living room. Indeed, compared to this house, their previous apartment felt incredibly small.

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Mbl bswpl oyp y ewrzlm okvb vos qzssap. Mblal oyp y prkayz pvykanypl dlmv vs kv vbyv zle vs vbl plnsde-qzssa assxp. Jlbkde vbl cssjpblzq sd vbl zlqv oyp y rakhyvl lzlhyvsa vbyv ekalnvzu nsddlnvle vs vbl wdelataswde tyaytl okvb y rakhyvl ryajkdt prynl.

Mbl zkhkdt assx oyp prynkswp yde olzz-zkv. Xwvpkel sd vbl cyznsdu, vblal oyp y Owasrlyd-pvuzl bydtkdt nbyka vbyv nswze ynnsxxseyvl vos rlsrzl. Ekvb fwpv y tzydnl, kv pllxle vs kdhkvl y hkpksd sq pkrrkdt nsqqll yde cypjkdt kd vbl pwd ewakdt zlkpwalzu xsxldvp.

“R’hl ralryale y eyajassx qsa usw. Zsw nyd osaj vblal kd vbl qwvwal.” Fweeldzu, Zyd Dkdtgbk vssj bla vs y assx sd vbl aktbv. Brsd ldvlakdt, pbl pyo vbyv kv oyp qwzzu liwkrrle, lmynvzu zkjl y pvydeyae rbsvstayrbla’p eyajassx.

“Rp vblal yduvbkdt lzpl usw dlle? Rq usw byhl ydu pwttlpvksdp, R nyd byhl kv yefwpvle.”

Fbl zssjle yv bkx kd y eygl. “Pke usw prlnkqknyzzu plv vbkp wr qsa xl?”

“Ebyv es usw vbkdj? Mbkp kp swa bsxl. Rq dsv qsa usw, vbld qsa obsx?”

“Ekvb fwpv vbl vos sq wp zkhkdt kd pwnb y rzynl, kpd’v kv vss ckt?”

Zyd Dkdtgbk pxkzle tldvzu, “Lkdtdkdt, kd vbl qwvwal, kv osd’v fwpv cl vbl vos sq wp, vblal okzz cl nbkzeald, vss.”

“…………”

Yan Xingzhi’s eyes softened, and he reached out to pull her waist, drawing her into his embrace. 

“I’m giving you myself, the house, everything… Great photographer, what do you say? Should we get married?”

Cen Ning suddenly looked up, her voice faltering as she spoke. “M-Married?”

Yan Xingzhi raised an eyebrow. “Yes, after delaying it for so long, it seems like it’s time to put it on the agenda.”

Cen Ning’s heart started racing like a drum. She had certainly thought about it, but she didn’t expect it to come so soon. “Do we… do we need to prepare something first… or maybe tell Grandpa and the others first?”

“Yes, preparation is necessary, and I’ll have to apply to the unit.”

“Right…”

Yan Xingzhi watched as Cen Ning stood there in a dazed and silly manner as if he had travelled back to the past. Back then, she was still a timid and hesitant little girl who followed his lead in everything.

The more he looked, the more he felt a surge of emotions rushing up. Without hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her, continuing the unfinished kiss from the car.

Being separated by such a large distance only allowed for longing. Being in the military allowed for observation, but in this house, where all sounds were muted, only the two of them remained.

---

NSFW scenes ahead. Don’t read ahead if you’re not comfortable! Skip to the end of the NSFW scene.

---

In this space that belonged solely to them, even a simple kiss ignited a rush of overwhelming desire between them.

His tongue tip gently parted her lips and tightly wrapped around her. He licked, nipped, and gnawed, completely enveloping her breath. The anticipation and yearning deep within them surged like a tidal wave. He held her, his hand tracing her back, gradually slipping beneath her clothing.

Cen Ning had snapped out of her earlier thoughts about marriage. All she was left with were the lips that were still tingling from the kiss. At this moment, her mind couldn’t focus on anything other than the man before her. The warm touch of his fingers against her skin was just a simple caress, yet it ignited a firestorm of emotions deep within her.

And so she pressed herself tightly against him, her hands gripping his shoulders as she responded with fervour.

Inside the darkroom, the lights remained off, and only the faint glow from the living room spilled in as Yan Xingzhi carried her over to the darkroom table.

In the dimness, their senses became even more acute. She could feel his eager kisses, his hands exploring her body, and her body turning into a puddle of shallow water and gushing out uncontrollably.

It had been a while since they had been this intimate, and the overwhelming sensations left her almost unable to process it all.

She tilted her head back, breathing heavily, her throat emitting uncontrollable soft moans.

“Missed me?” His fingers slipped through her hair, tender yet possessive.

Cen Ning’s eyes blurred, and she choked. She wanted to speak, but his relentless advances shattered her attempts, again and again, as if strangling her voice.

“Ningning, I miss you… I miss you so much… every day, every night…”

Her lips trembled, and she gazed into his eyes in the dim light. A sob escaped her, and she moved closer to embrace him.

Holding him tightly around his neck, they were inseparably connected, with the desire to live and the desire to die. (TLN: the desire to live and the desire to die conveys a profound intensity of emotions)

In this world, the one she missed the most was him. The one she loved the most was also him.

So, how could I not miss you, Yan Xingzhi?

---

NSFW scene ends here.

---

***

Yan Xingzhi acted swiftly. After notifying their family members, he returned to the military base to submit the marriage application. 

Military personnel had a different process for getting married compared to civilians. They needed to submit a marriage application form to their unit, and after approval, the political department would send a letter of inquiry to the woman’s unit.

Normally, this procedure would take a few days. However, since Yan Xingzhi had prepared everything in advance, he received the recommendation letter on the same day he applied. In the afternoon on the day they received the recommendation letter, they went to obtain their marriage certificate.

From the moment they discussed getting married to actually receiving the certificate, it took a mere few days. Sometimes, when Cen Ning looked at the red booklet, she found it a bit hard to believe.

“When do you two plan to have your wedding party? Let me know so I can make preparations,” The two returned to the Yan house in the morning today, and Yan Guofeng asked in the living room of Yan house.

Yan Xingzhi: “In the second half of the year. We’ll hold the wedding party after Ningning is done with her upcoming art exhibition.”

Yan Guofeng expressed dissatisfaction. “You two have already obtained the certificate. Why would you delay the wedding party for so long?”

Cen Ning hurriedly explained, “Grandpa, it’s my fault for this matter. I really couldn’t find time during this period, and he just followed my lead…”

Yan Guofeng said, “You youngsters are so hasty, getting the marriage certificate and planning the wedding party all at once, without giving us any time to react.” (TL Comment: LMAO, the way he changed his words immediately after Cen Ning.)

Yan Xingzhi interjected, “Grandpa has been waiting for so long, what more reaction time do you need?”

Yan Guofeng: “…”

“These few years haven’t we given you guys enough reaction time?”

“…”

Aunt Chen chuckled, “That’s right, I’ve been hoping for you two to be together as soon as possible. Ah, if you were to have a baby after some time, that would be even better.”

In a room full of elders, Cen Ning’s face turned red. “Uh, um, it’s too early.”

“Not too early, not too early. You guys are at the right age.”

After leaving the Yan house, Cen Ning’s mind was filled with teasing expressions from everyone.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you getting in the car?”

Cen Ning snapped out of her thoughts and quickly got into the passenger seat. Today, Yan Xingzhi was taking her to his comrade, Lao Liu’s wedding. As a “family member,” Cen Ning was unexpectedly brought along by Yan Xingzhi to attend.

Yan Xingzhi drove towards the wedding venue. “Were you scared by Aunt Chen and the others mentioning children?”

“Not really…”

“The typical after-marriage nagging, they have to nag about having children. Just ignore it.”

Cen Ning smiled and turned to look at him. “Are you saying that you don’t want to be nagged to have children?”

Yan Xingzhi asked, “Do you like children?”

Cen Ning thought for a moment, “Hmm… I think it’s fine, but I don’t interact with kids much, so I’m not sure if I’d be good at taking care of them.”

“It’s okay, let it be. If we have children, great. If not, that’s also fine.”

“Huh?”

Yan Xingzhi furrowed his brows. “Children can be quite noisy and clingy. Rongrong, you know her, right? She’s even more attached to her mother as she’s grown up.”

Rongrong, the daughter of Yan Xingzhi’s cousin Ye Zijia. When Cen Ning went abroad, Rongrong had just been born, so she had only seen the child in videos and hadn’t met her in person.

“It’s instinctual for kids to be attached to their mothers, so it’s normal.”

“That’s why there’s no rush to have kids. So that they won’t cling to you all the time in the future.”

Cen Ning was momentarily taken aback and gave Yan Xingzhi an inconceivable look.

Yan Xingzhi: “…”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing,” Yan Xingzhi cleared his throat, “There’s still a good stretch road ahead. Rest for a while. I’ll let you know when we’re there.”

Cen Ning looked at Yan Xingzhi’s “calm” side profile and silently smiled to herself.

What was this? The horoscope hadn’t even been drawn yet, and he was already jealous of his children. (TLN: the horoscope hasn’t even been drawn yet is an idiom used to express that something is being worried about or speculated upon before it has even happened)

The wedding of the Lao Liu comrade was quite low-key, with only close relatives invited. The rest were comrades from the military. (TLN: this Lao Liu is different from the Lao Liu when Cen Ning went to take pictures in the military; this Lao Liu has the character 六 which literally means six and the other one was 刘)

After getting out of the car, Yan Xingzhi and Cen Ning walked together into the small estate where the wedding was being held. At this moment, the groom and bride were welcoming the guests at the entrance.

“Brother Yan! You’re here,” the Lao Liu comrade greeted Yan Xingzhi when he saw him and walked over. “Cen Ning! You’re back. Hey, you still remember me?”

Cen Ning nodded. “Of course, it’s all thanks to you for saving us back in Tibet.”

“No, no, that was nothing,” the Lao Liu comrade laughed naively. “Please come in, you two.”

“Mhm.”

Each person had their own designated spot, and since Yan Xingzhi and Cen Ning arrived relatively late, most of the attendees were already present when they entered.

They were all from the military, and Yan Xingzhi was still the same prominent figure, so everyone recognized him. As they walked, people saluted them along the way. However, in this informal setting, everyone was more relaxed and less formal than usual.

Originally, Cen Ning was walking alongside Yan Xingzhi, but seeing so many people paying attention to him, she unconsciously fell a few steps behind.

“Hey, Xiao Bai! The commanding officer is here!” At table number 05, a few female soldiers from the military noticed Yan Xingzhi’s entrance and excitedly alerted the number one fangirl of Yan Xingzhi, Bai Hua.

“Where?”

“He just came in through the entrance. Look, wow… wearing a suit takes his handsomeness to a new level. He is our captain.”

Bai Hua stood up and went over to the others to catch a glimpse of Yan Xingzhi. At this moment, he looked different from his usual self in the military, because he was wearing a suit for the wedding occasion.

The well-tailored clothes highlighted his tall and distinguished figure. The pure black suit exuded a deep and noble aura, while the pristine white inner shirt was simple and pure. There were others at the event who also wore black and white attire, but none shone as brightly and eye-catching as him.

Bai Hua’s heart raced, her eyes filled with admiration and longing.

“You’re so mesmerized. Stop staring.” the person beside her teased.

Bai Hua gave her a sideways glance. “It’s not a crime to look.”

“Hahaha, you’re quite daring… Wait? Isn’t that person…?”

Bai Hua followed her friend’s gaze, and as she saw who they were looking at, her expression turned surprised. “Isn’t that Cen Ning?”

“Indeed. What’s she doing here?”

“Wow… Could it be that Lao Liu knows her?”

Several people curiously scrutinized Cen Ning, but before long, their curiosity turned into astonishment. 

That was because, unexpectedly, the one who had been walking ahead, Yan Xingzhi, suddenly stopped and turned around. He then stood in front of Cen Ning, taking her hand in front of everyone’s gaze.

From their position, they couldn’t hear what Yan Xingzhi was saying, but they could see the sudden tenderness in his eyes. 

The usually stern and strict man suddenly had a smile playing on his lips, his expression soft and gentle. The girl he treated this way appeared radiant, enchanting, and utterly captivating.

In that momentary glance, it was as if they were a perfect match, a harmonious couple.

“What… What’s going on? The commanding officer and Cen Ning?” The girls at the same table were left dumbfounded.

“How did these two end up together? When did this happen?”

“I heard not too long ago that a few people in our unit were interested in matchmaking Cen Ning. So, is this… commanding officer taking the initiative first?”