"This is the children's room, and this is the master bedroom. I'll fetch you a basin of water to freshen up and change clothes. You can rest while I go help Mom."
Qin Nian didn’t want to upset her mother-in-law, so she ultimately decided to let Shen Xianjun share the room with her. They were husband and wife, after all—she just wasn’t used to having a stranger beside her. But she had no intention of divorcing him either.
"Alright. I didn’t bring any clothes."
Shen Xianjun hadn’t expected the children to sleep separately. He’d originally thought the bed was wide enough to squeeze in with them.
"Mom had me buy some for you, but they haven’t been washed yet. You’ll have to make do for now."
Qin Nian pulled out a bag of clothes, neatly folded her own quilt, and fetched another from the cabinet to place on the bed.
Thankfully, her mother-in-law had insisted on a large bed when furnishing the room, so there was enough space for both of them to sleep comfortably without crowding each other.
After bringing in the water, Qin Nian quietly closed the door behind her. Shen Xianjun’s hands and feet were uninjured, and his robust constitution meant he didn’t need assistance.
Shen Xianjun quickly wiped himself down and examined the clothes Qin Nian had bought for him.
The shirt was a bit snug—fitting closely—but wearable. The pants were long enough, though the waist was too loose. Without a drawstring, he’d need a belt.
But since he was just going to sleep, the looseness didn’t matter much.
The soft bedding carried the warm scent of sunlight—nothing like the sterile hospital air or the constant tension of his usual environment. Shen Xianjun drifted off almost immediately, his light snoring barely noticeable.
Qin Nian tiptoed out with the water basin. This arrangement might just work.
The children’s room was adjacent to the master bedroom, while Yang Yufen’s quarters were next to the kitchen. Any noise from the master bedroom wouldn’t reach her.
Shen Xianjun dreamed of floating on the sea when suddenly, his nose tingled. His eyes snapped open, and his reflexes kicked in—until the sound of a child’s wailing snapped him back to reality.
"Bad Daddy! Bad Daddy! Waaah~ Grandma! Mommy!"
Dabao’s loud cries summoned both Qin Nian and Yang Yufen, who arrived just in time to see Shen Xianjun holding the child.
"Don’t cry, don’t cry. A real man sheds blood, not tears! You’re the one who ambushed your old man—why are you crying?"
Qin Nian quickly took Dabao from Shen Xianjun’s arms, worried the child might aggravate his injuries. Questions could wait.
Yang Yufen shot Shen Xianjun a glare.
"Here, sweet potato strips—the last of them."
With warmer weather setting in, the dried sweet potatoes wouldn’t keep much longer. Yang Yufen divided the remaining portion, giving half to Dabao and the rest to Erbao.
Dabao’s sobs vanished instantly as he happily clutched the treat, blowing snot bubbles.
Ever since their aunt warned that too much candy would rot their teeth, Grandma had strictly rationed their snacks.
"Are your injuries alright?"
Seeing her mother-in-law preoccupied with the children, Qin Nian took it upon herself to ask Shen Xianjun.
"I’m fine. I was just asleep when this little rascal climbed onto the bed. Guess I startled him."
Shen Xianjun’s instincts had taken over, but now he was fully alert.
"Scaring a child at your age! Dabao, Erbao, come with Grandma. Let’s visit your cousin Yaoyao. Zhenghao should be done with his homework by now."
Fang Fen had recently been transferred to the local elementary school, where she taught Hu Zhenghao’s grade. The boy had come over on Sunday to play and finish his assignments.
As if on cue, Yaoyao and Hu Zhenghao appeared.
"Come on, little brothers! Let’s go play!"
"Yay!"
Dabao grabbed Erbao’s hand, and the two skipped off with their older cousins.
Left alone with her flustered husband, Qin Nian hesitated before speaking.
"Dabao and Erbao sometimes wake up looking for someone. They were probably just curious about their father and climbed onto the bed. Just… be more careful next time. They’re still little—getting scared isn’t good for them."
"Huh? I’m not upset with them! It wasn’t on purpose."
Shen Xianjun sensed the misunderstanding and hurried to explain.
"Mm. I’ll go help Mom now."
Whether she’d heard his explanation or not, Qin Nian left him alone in the room with those words.
Military District
"So your brother-in-law’s really back?"
Lin Hui leaned against Hu Jun’s desk.
"Yeah. You’ll probably see him next month. He’ll be joining our unit."
Hu Jun finalized the new training schedule.
"I was planning to pursue Qin Nian. How’d a ‘Cheng Yaojin’ pop up out of nowhere?"
Lin Hui gritted his teeth. He’d regretted missing his chance back then—Hu Jun had guarded his sister fiercely in their youth, leaving no opening. By the time they grew closer, she was still too young, and then unexpected events had forced them apart.
"If anyone’s the ‘Cheng Yaojin’ here, it’s you. Interfering with a military marriage carries consequences."
Hu Jun shot Lin Hui a sidelong glance. The guy had hesitated when it mattered, but what was done was done. No use dwelling on it.
Still, he’d be keeping a close eye on this brother-in-law. If anything seemed off, Hu Jun—the protective elder brother—wouldn’t stay quiet.
He glanced at the new training plan in his hands.
"Word is, there’ll be troop reductions."
Lin Hui’s words darkened Hu Jun’s expression.
Their reassignment hadn’t just been mission-related. Changes had been brewing since last year’s military parade, though details had been tightly guarded.
"It was inevitable. Cutting troop numbers frees up funds for weapons development. We’ve learned the hard way—fall behind, and you’ll get beaten. Our predecessors paid too dearly for that lesson."
Lin Hui fell silent.
Decisions like these weren’t made lightly. Every step carried weight, debated and deliberated at the highest levels.
"If you don’t want to be cut, train harder and study more."
With that, Hu Jun took the documents for approval and left.
Residential Compound
"Old friend, I heard your son’s back. Came to see how he’s doing!"
"Sister Liu! Come in, come in. I’ve been so busy lately, we haven’t had time to chat."
Yang Yufen warmly welcomed her guest. Qin Nian, noticing, went to fetch Shen Xianjun.
Having slept for a while, Shen Xianjun felt the need to relieve himself. He got up from the bed and stood—just as the door opened.
"Someone’s here to—"
Qin Nian pushed the door open, speaking as she entered—only to freeze mid-sentence.
Her eyes locked onto Shen Xianjun’s black pants, which slid smoothly down his legs and pooled at his feet.
Years of lab work kicked in—Qin Nian held her breath. Her hand moved faster than her brain, slamming the door shut. Then, instinctively, she turned to find Yang Yufen.
"Mom, I need to talk to you."
Hearing the urgency in her daughter-in-law’s voice, Yang Yufen rushed over, concern etched on her face.
